Clifton Suspension Bridge twilight (6712)

With the events of 50 years ago today (11th August 1968 to save you working it out!) when steam ended on British Railways and it was very much a "and they think it's all over...." moment. That days "15 Guinea" special between Liverpool/Manchester and Carlisle was to bring the curtain down on around 150 years of history of a machine that Britain gave the world. But thankfully after a few (long) years steam was allowed back onto the mainline network and things have of course grown from there with regular steam hauled excursions and many heritage lines. This loco, Britannia No. 70013 "Oliver Cromwell" was one of the very engines that hauled that last train in 1968, and is now happily preserved for running on the mainline and based at the Great Central Railway in Leicestershire. In these images the engine is seen passing Kinchley Lane on the GCR with a goods charter I organised on 17th January 2012 when we were greeted with nice cold wintry conditions, ideal for steam photography. Amazing what preservation has achieved to be able to see such a sight as a Brit' on a mixed goods on a double track mainline. We are very lucky. ... See MoreSee Less

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Very pleased to see the publication of an article on steam railway photography in which I took the Canon Pro role for PhotoPlus Canon magazine.
It was a great day out on the Severn Valley Rly with the magazine guy's and the apprentice Tom Noble, who was in fact already quite accomplished with his railway photography and is also a new recruit to footplate duties on the North York Moors Rly.
If you want to know more about this type of photography and it's unique challenges then get a copy of the magazine and read about what we did and my top tips. Perhaps consider a workshop day on the subject which I run at the West Somerset Rly. ... See MoreSee Less

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