LarryG's general album

[LarryG]

A slight shunt here, as I have just come across a picture taken some years ago of an O gauge MR 4-4-0. I did two, this one being for David Jenkinson. It is finished in the so-called Weatherburn style with additional lining on the wheel spokes, but curiously not around the spectacle windows. The diorama was set up some miles from my home in order to obtain a scenic background (Llandulas quarry)...

 

[LarryG]

If it was still standing, try walking around to No.6 signalbox today and asking the signalman if a train is due, but this was a more relaxed era. The 'Cathedrals Express' was a M&GN railtour using LMS No. 6201 on the Hereford-Chester leg, pictured leaving Windmill Lane tunnels at the west end of Chester triangle on 23rd April 1977...


On the same day, the SVR ran its 'Severn Valley Limited' behind GWR No.6000 King George V'. The loco was running round its train so I boldly got this shot before leaving the scene. Both pictures were taken on an 35mm Olympus OM1, the ultimate in male jewelry at the time ha ha...

 

[LarryG]

I knew what I wanted and went directly to Chester Northgate Locks for this picture of Clun Castle...



The returning train out of Chester was taken from the other side of the tracks at the locks. It is a popular spot so I bagged my position early!....


Both on 35mm. A hand-held light meter and Tri-X film were standard equipment for 20-odd years.

 

[LarryG]

This shot was in the wrong place but I thought it was worth posting as the driver of 4472 Flying Scotsman clearly meant business as he breasted the climb out of Penmeanhead Tunnel on 27th July 1991. From here on it was downhill back to sea level at Abergele. For the record, this was not a trespass shot. I was poking the Mamiya 645 and monopod through the fencing while looking down into the waist-level finder...



Looking in the opposite direction on a very dull day, two LMS Pacifics for the price of one! 46229 Duchess of Hamilton and 46203 Princess Margaret Rose were heading to Llandudno Junction for the meeting of the three big engines on 13th April 1993. This shot was taken on an elderly Pentacon 6 and 180mm lens. It had an overlapping frame problem and I only used 9 negatives out of a possible 12 to be on the safe side...

 

[LarryG]

The shot below was taken at night when 46203 made an unexpected stop at Colwyn Bay with 'The Midday Scot'. I might have lit the scene with a hand-held flash gun while walking down the platform, but with noting written on the back of the print and searching through diaries takes ages, I cannot give a date...

 

[LarryG]

Many of my Up direction photos were taken beside the A55 Expressway east of Colwyn Bay in the days when you wouldn't get nicked by the police. In fact, some of my pals on the force were avid railway enthusiasts anyway. My diary informs me 'The Ynys Mon Express' returned from Holyhead sooner than usual on 19th January 1991. At 15.30hrs, No.71000 Duke of Gloucester hammers against a strong wind high above Colwyn Bay promenade...


In contrast, the 'NWCE' was running late on 9th September 1990 due to engineering work near Bangor. The street lights were on as Black Five No. 5407 catches the last rays of the setting sun at 19.40hrswhile accelerating away from Colwyn Bay station...


Clouds were clearing to give a bright sunset as Jubilee 45596 returned to Crewe past Old Colwyn....

 

[LarryG]

Despite the very wet weather on 23rd August 1992, I chose a position in Airias Park, Colwyn Bay because of an arangement with the owner of the 10¼" gauge park railway to have Lynton running neck & neck with the mainline steam. As soon as 46203 Princess Margaret Rose appeared on Pathfinder Railtours 'The Cymru Coaster', Lynton appeared going all out in an effort to keep pace. One of the family's aboard the little train said it was unforgettable with both engines blowing whistles...

 

[Dave Holt]

Lovely!
Dave.

 

[LarryG]

This was one of those views that seemed a good idea at the bottom of the mountain! When I got to the top, the view wasn't as I had imagined. This is Bullied Pacific Taw Valley hauling one of the early NWCE's between Abergele and Llandulas. I was driver for the civil engineers during construction of the Abergele by-pass 1966-68. Today it is the A55 to Holyhead. The train has past the location of the Irish Mail disaster of 1868...


A more conventional shot of 34027 Taw Valley heading the NWCE, and taken from the bridge in the picture above behind the train. BR used this shot to publicize the train and kindly sent me tickets. Contemporary drawings of the 1868 train disaster were done from this bridge...


Shot from the other side of that bridge, this scene resembles a static publicity picture. In fact the 71000 Duke of Gloucester was going very fast on the downgrade approach to Abergele on 24th July 1990...

 

[LarryG]

I almost forgot north Wales saw mainline steam go up the Conway Valley branch to Blaenau Ffestiniog. The first run of 2nd May 1998 was a disaster when BR No.80079 on 6 coaches slipped to a standstill neat Pont-Y-Pant. However, the loco did the whole run successfully with 4 coaches on 3rd May and is seen here at Dolwydellan. I abandoned slide film shortly after...


Fourteen years later and with undergrowth encroaching on the view, LNER K4 No,. 61994 was photographed at the same location ~ with 6 coaches! Well, Gresley built them for just such tasks in Scotland and the loco was just as effective in North Wales on 21st August 2012.

A number of different classes of engines have worked to Blaenau including LMS 8F No. 48151 picture dropping down from Ffestiniog Tunnel into Blaenau on 31st July 2012.


Travelling light with a 35mm digital-camera, but still using the trusty ladders to save damaging drystone walls in 2012.

 

[LarryG]

Crossing the River Dulas on 29th July 2012. At high tides, this river backs up. Combine this with heavy rainfall in the mountains and this part of Llandulas gets badly flooded. The bridge's decking dates from the 1970's and is the third deck while the pillars date from the second bridge. The original bridge was washed away in 1879...



A4 No. 60009 passing through Abergele on 22nd July 2012. Gwrych Castle on the hillside gained fame recently when it hosted the TV show 'Get me out of here'.....


Taken in the days when it was still possible at our local station on 29th July 2012. This platform was eventually built out a few years ago to serve the through track...


A Peppercorn for good measure on 20th April 2013. A lot different from when I was photographing trains from here over half a Century ago...

 

[LarryG]

The basin at the mouth of the River Dulas is popular with bathers. It was a hot but hazy afternoon and I captured this shot of 60009 after explaining to the kiddies parents what I was trying to do …

 

[LarryG]

Jerry Lee Lewis sang 'Move on down the line', so here goes, but Up the line. The V2 galloping horse exhaust was kicking in as 4771 Green Arrow accelerated away from Rhyl Station on 10th September 1991. The removal of a builders yard had opened up this view...


Next station up the line was Prestatyn. The Down Slow line between here and Rhyl had played an important part in keeping traffic moving until March 1990, but it's use in 1991 was limited to allowing trains to move forward to reverse over the crossover when single-line operation was in use,
hence the small shunting signal. Meanwhile 46229 Duchess of Hamilton was opening up the 1991 season of NWCE's on 30th June 1991...

 

[LarryG]

This day in 1961, the last goods train ran on the Ffestiniog-Bala line. Norra lorra people know that.

In the meantime, to finish of this North Wales steam bit, 34027 Taw Valley was going like a hero through Holywell in 1989. Photographed from the shadow side...


And finally back at Chester where we started with the magnificent 6000 King George V in 1977. I have a video of 'the other one' going pretty dam fast up Shap unaided with around 10 coaches on.

 

[LarryG]

The way we were in the 1970's. Flares ~ yup, mums hairdo ~ nope! This was the first time out with the new Mamiya 645 medium-format camera. I'd had a trackside pass on the K&WVR since the early 1970's and regularly drove over from Wales...


The larger format had a lot to offer and I liked the waist level viewpoint, though it took a while to get used to the reversed image. Draincock steam provided added illumination as No.75078 climbed briskly to Oxenhope on 22nd October 1977...

 

[LarryG]

Bullied No. 34092 City of Wells was awaiting restoration in the yard at Haworth when photographed soaking up the sun with LMS Black Five No.45212 in 1977. It was printed on grade 5 paper to give the effect I wanted...

 

[LarryG]

L&YR 2F 0-6-0 No. 52044 was celebrating its 90th birthday in August 1977 and the loco made several runs with GNR No. 990 Henry Oakley, which was on loan from the NRM to the K&VWR. 'From the back' shots often looked more interesting to me hence this shot of the pair accelerating away from Keighley after gaining their footing...


A conventional composition of the two locos at Keighley on 14th August 1977...

 

[LarryG]

I borrowed a pre-telephoto 400mm long lens for the weekend and drove over to Keighley to see what it could do. Black Five No. 45212 built in 1935 approaches Ingrow with four BR non-corridor coaches in tow on 14th August 1977...



Later in the day, 45212 bursts out of Ingrow tunnel. I had decided by this point that the little 35mm Olympus OM1 and a standard lens was enough to carry about on a days shoot...


The USA 0-6-0T takes on water at Oxenhope while visitors from a Greater Manchester town mill around their GMT Daimler Fleetline on 21st May 1977...


I think I was driving a Datsun 120Y and my diary records that it did 32mpg for the 241 miles round trip. We probably forget today how greedy the old petrol engines were.

 

[Eastsidepilot]

I think I was driving a Datsun 120Y and my diary records that it did 32mpg for the 241 miles round trip. We probably forget today how greedy the old petrol engines were.

But probably relatively cheaper to fill it up ...........

Col.

 

[LarryG]

Another going past shot, this time at Chinley. Three weeks ago today I posted as picture of an 8F at this spot. Sixteen years later on 24th September 1977, I was in a 16T mineral wagon photographing LMS 5305 and 5690 Leander on the return Guide Bridge-Sheffield 'Stanier-Jubilee Express' steam special. Film used was finer grain FP4 and the camera was a top of the range Pentax K2 with a 50mm/f1.2 lens that I had exchanged with the importer of Fulgurex GWR brass Kings for a few paint jobs!