South Devon Railway Jubilee Gala 2012
2nd June 2012 saw me back at the South Devon Railway for the first time in two years or so. The reason for my visit was their Jubilee Gala, featuring four steam and one (token) diesel locomotives. I had forgotten how quickly I could get there, so the journey time of two and a half hours is, I hope, enough to encourage me to visit again before the year is out. I also took advantage of the fact that the SDR recognises my WSR PTS certification, which enabled me to get a lineside photography permit for only £10. Another reason to go back before the end of the year!
Undoubtedly the star of the show was GWR 4575 class 2-6-2T No. 5542 which was making its operational debut following a fast-track overhaul. I hope that my images of it will show the superb job that the SDR workshops have done on it. This locomotive spent the day working with a pair of GWR carriages as a typical GWR branchline train. The other three steam locos in action were outside cylindered 0-6-0PT No. 1369, Collett 0-6-0 No. 3205 and the GCR's BR Standard Class 2MT 2-6-0 No. 78019. The diesel was EE Type 1 No. D8110, and even I have to admit that it looked splendid in as as-new paint job.
Even though it was a bank holiday weekend, the rain managed to hold off until around 6pm, some two hours later than forecast. So, all in all, a good day out.
Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway - 20th May 2012
I spent a few hours at the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway on Sunday 20th May. This is my nearest standard gauge preserved line, some thirty five miles away and high up in the hills near Brynmawr. Only one locomotive was in steam, Bagnall built 0-4-0ST Devonport Dockyard No. 19, with former GER saloon No.3 providing sufficient capacity for passengers. It amazes me that the fare for an adult day rover was an absoute bargain at a mere £4.00.
The P&BR has grown considerably in the last couple of years. When I first saw it, nearly ten years ago, it was a half mile of track from nowhere to nowhere, but in the last two years it has opened a 1.5 mile extension down the valley to Blaenavon High Level and a half mile branch line to Big Pit Halt. If their ambitious expansion plans are fully realised, the line will ultimately reach Pontypool in the south and Brynmawr in the north.
The Central Wales Explorer and The Cathedrals Express - 12th May 2012
A busy day on 12th May, chasing two mainline steam specials. and I even found time for a diversion to Bewdlwy on the Severn Valley Railway. The day began with the Central Wales Explorer, running from Newport to Shrewsbury via Llandrindod Wells, hauled 45407 and 44871, in rather better weather than on the preceding Monday! he day's second train was the Cathedrals Express from Paddington to Shrewsbury via Hereford, hauled throughout by 60163 Tornado. Altogether, I saw the Black Fives twice and Tornado three times during a long day; the images from the day are now in the 2012 Mainline Steam gallery.
The Heart of Wales
Bank Holiday Monday, and it's raining cats and dogs. Nothing new there then, and there's nothing new about seeing a pair of Black Fives on the South Wales main line as Nos. 45407 The Lancashire Fuslier and 44871 make another appearance on the annual steam hauled trip down the Heart of Wales line from Shrewsbury to Swansea and then on as far as Cardiff, as seen here as the train approaches the new station at Llanharan.
SSSIII - All good things come to an end.
What a week that was! I'm already looking forward to SSSIV - whether that will be in 2014, 2015 or even further in the future remains to be seen, but whenever it is, I shall certainly be going.
I certainly had plenty of time to learn what my new Canon EOS 5D Mk III was capable of, and I have also come to appreciate its weather sealing, which is certainly better than that of my 50D. To illustrate its amazing capabilities, the image above was taken at 9pm on Saturday, using only the available light from the signalbox and crossing lamps. Yes, I had to push the camera to 25600 ISO and use a fairly slow shutter speed, but I got the shot. My 50D would have had no chance.
As soon as the gala dates were announced last September I was on the net looking for accommodation, and when I saw that the Station House at Glyndyfrdwy was available for the full week of the gala from Monday 23rd, I snapped it up. Not only is it ideally located and reasonably priced, it proved to be a very well equipped and comfortable holiday let and as it had a broadband connection, I was able to post regular updates to this site as the week progressed. For anyone else who may be interested in staying on the Llangollen Railway's doorstep, the Station House website address is http://stationholiday.co.uk/index.html
The only negative point about the past week was that the weather was a far cry from the warm sunshine of my previous visits to the area. Conditions on Sunday morning were bad enough to encourage an early departure on the long journey home.