It was the Industrial Railways Society’s AGM yesterday – this time at the Midland Railway Centre at Butterley. Whether it was in our honour, I’m not certain, but the passenger service for the day was being operated by two diminutive industrial 0-4-0STs – 104-year old Peckett “Whitehead” and No 1, an RSH from Castle Donington power station, little more than half the age of the Peckett. They seemed to cope OK. Yes, that is a 3-car DMU they’re hauling; no, its engines weren’t running… (The AGM was in the reconstructed tin chapel – whose seating was ideal for keeping things reasonably brief…)

A “Rail Diaries” page with (a few) more photos will follow in due course.

There were thirteen locomotives in steam at Statfold on Saturday – fantastic! It’s said to be unlucky for some (this is the only photo of the big Mallet no 9 in action).

Visit “Statfold – a Baker’s Dozen” for the full story, and lots of pictures

Just uploaded to Geoff’s Rail Diaries, the pictures and video from my Friday and Saturday visits to the Severn Valley’s Spring Steam Gala. Visit “Blue and Green – Spring Steam“

They’re holding their Spring Steam Gala this weekend – one of the highlights being A4 “Bittern” on a rake of eight Gresley teak coaches – wonderful stuff!

Seen near Eardington, Fri 23rd, when the mist had mostly cleared. May have to go and take some more today…

Here it is, as promised – visit “Chasewater 2012” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries for the (moderately) full story and pictures from yesterday’s visit

…the Spring Gala at the railway – yes, it’s that time of year at last. A great day, with five locomotives in steam, and a variety of trains – a 3-coach passenger, a short freight (had a ride in the brake van) and a coal train. A shame that the morning’s sunshine didn’t last. Here’s a taster; more to follow in due course

http://www.chasewaterrailway.co.uk/

I was sure I’d only visited Littleton twice in 1976 – and then I found this solitary photo in the archives, taken in August of that year. I have no recollection of that visit!

It’s been duly added to the Littleton page on Geoff’s Rail Diaries

There’s been a Littleton page in the “Rail Diaries” for some time – photos from a visit in April 1976. Recently, with a new scanner, I’ve tackled the photos taken on an earlier visit in February of the same year. It was a dull day, and I was using (trying out, in effect – with hindsight not a good idea) an unusual home-processed slide film. This time, the scans were usable (if not exactly brilliant).

The April photos have been rescanned too – and all photos are larger than before. For the full set of photos from both February and April 1976, and some details on the fun and games with slide film in the kitchen sink, (re)visit “Littleton” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries

Just published – more photos from the archives. This time, some railway oddities in the East Midlands in February 1976, recorded on some rather odd film (see the photographic notes on the page for more…). It was only on putting the page together that I realised – everything had been static. Nothing moved…

Visit “East Midlands oddities” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries

More archive trawling… A late-1974 visit to Radstock, on the former S&DJR, for a steam open day in the eleventh hour of a preservation scheme that fell through. Visit “Radstock S&D” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries