A handful of photos taken 1991 - 2003 at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, Beamish, Didcot, Carnforth Steamtown, Lakeside & Haverthwaite, and Chatham Dockyard.

76 photos taken on 11 March at Britain's last operational loco roundhouse, the former Midland Railway shed at Barrow Hill, near Chesterfield. Now best known as a diesel valhalla, it also houses 25kv electrics and a few steam locos including Jubilee Kolhapur, GCR 4-4-0 Butler-Henderson, and BR Pacific Britannia. Website: www.barrowhill.org.uk.

22 photos of diesels taken on 11 November during the LNER steam gala.

65 pictures taken on 11 November of LNER steam, featuring Great Central Director 506, A2 60532 Blue Peter, V2 4771 Green Arrow, B1s 61264 and 1306 Mayflower, K4 61994 The Great Marquess, K1 62005 Lord of the Isles and GER J15 65462. The Barrow Hill website, badly in need of updating, is www.barrowhill.org.uk

52 photos taken on 16 September. The Bluebell is diesel-free, apart from a class 08 shunter hired to work on the northern extension to East Grinstead. But this standard gauge preservation pioneer thrives. Its excellent website = www.bluebell-railway.co.uk

22 photos of diesel and electric traction, taken on 15 July.

55 photos taken on 15 July of locos, carriages, wagons and buildings at the B & K and the Scottish Railway Exhibition. Both are warmly recommended. Website = www.srps.org.uk

6 photographs taken on a visit to Bressingham in the mid 1980s.

57 photos of most of the main line and industrial locos, and a few coaches, that were based at Steamtown in its early days.

58 photos of WCRC, visiting and privately-owned diesels (and 86259) at the Steamtown open weekend.

37 photos starring 46115 Scots Guardsman, now resplendent in Brunswick green, and 70013 Oliver Cromwell, and featuring 30777 Sir Lamiel, 5690 Leander, dismantled 5699 Galatea, 48151 Gauge 0 Guild, 69023 Joem, and industrials Glaxo, Lindsay and WTT.

20 photos taken on 14 January, mainly of 61994 The Great Marquess making its debut after a very lengthy overhaul, and 7821 Ditcheat Manor, on the Churnet Valley Railway (www.churnet-valley-railway.co.uk). The LNER K4 and GWR Manor would never have been seen on this former North Staffordshire, later LMS, line in pre-preservation days!

35 photos taken on 14 August during a somewhat dispriting visit when the whole museum had an air of neglect. Exhibits included APT-P, the empty shell of GWR gas turbine 18000, D8233, 70000 Britannia and 6115 Scots Guardsman. But it was good to see LNWR 0-8-0 49395 nearing the end of its overhaul.

23 pictures taken on 31 May, mainly of locos on display - which were remarkable for the number of inauthentic liveries worn and false identities assumed - but concluding with one of 56102 smoking out Crewe station as she departs for Euston with the return leg of Hertfordshire Rail Tours' Return of the Legends special train.

7 photos of loco moves to the 'Great Gathering', including 4472 Flying Scotsman dragging Peak 45112, D1023 and 47854, and also 5972 Olton Hall dragging 46229 Duchess of Hamilton. Then 66 photos taken on 10 September at the event, perhaps the last to be held at Crewe?

The museum is situated in the North Road station built in 1842 by the Stockton & Darlington Rly, and houses four locos: S & D 0-4-0 No 1 Locomotion (1825); S & D 0-6-0 No 25 Derwent (1845); NER 2-4-0 No 1462 (1885); and NER 0-8-0 No 901 (1919). There are also a few photos of Darlington Railway Preservation Society and North Eastern Loco Presevation Group locos at nearby Hopetown Works.

The Head of Steam website =
www.darlington.gov.uk/Culture/headofsteam/welcome.htm

The Darlington RPS website = http://drps.synthasite.com

The NELPG website = http://www.nelpg.org.uk

Nine photos taken at Darlington, including three of Stockton & Darlington interest - Locomotion (1825), Derwent (1845), and an S & D coach. There are also a couple of photos taken at the NRM at York, including one of the replica broad gauge Iron Duke.

27 photos taken on 4 December 2004 of the Great Western Society's excellent centre at Didcot. Opened by the GWS in 1967, not the least of their achievements is to have got almost all of their extensive collection of rolling stock under cover.
I was mainly interested in the site and its infrastructure, but have included photos of the replica of Gooch's broad-gauge 2-2-2 Firefly, construction of which is approaching completion; 4079 Pendennis Castle, undergoing overhaul following its return from Australia and completely dismantled; and 6023 King Edward II, restoration of which from scrapyard hulk to original single-chimney condition is approaching completion.
The website is www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk.

Forty pictures taken on 26 July, mainly portraits of locos, arranged by their building dates. This may have been the final such event at Doncaster.

25 pictures taken on 4 September starring hydraulics D832 Onslaught and D7076, and featuring 47402, 6536, 45135 and 40145. The ELR's website is http://east-lancs-rly.co.uk.

18 photos taken in glorious winter sunshine on 28 January 2006 of 6201 Princess Elizabeth, 5690 Leander, 44422, 47324, 76079 and 92214.

37 photos taken in October and November starring 4771 Green Arrow, but also featuring GWR 3802 and 4936 Kinlet Hall, 45690 Leander, Jinty 47324 and 76079.

Two preservation groups are working on the Kirkby Stephen - Appleby section of the former North Eastern Rly Eden Valley line from Kirkby Stephen to Penrith. Here are 11 photos taken on 9 June at the Warcop base of the Eden Valley Rly. It aims to reopen the Warcop - Appleby line. Trains started running in 2006, and the line is now open for about 1.75 miles to Sandford. Website - www.evr.org.uk.

Seven photos of William Hedley's locomotive Wylam Dilly, built in 1813 like his better known Puffing Billy. They are the oldest surviving locos in the world. SCROLL DOWN to my Science Museum collection for photos of Puffing Billy.

Ten pictures from a visit on 14 February to the former Yorkshire Dales Steam Railway.

36 photos takwn on 16 December of this attractive railway, part of the Skipton - Ilkley line opened by the Midland in 1888. Santa Specials were in full swing, with trains handled by engines from Embsay's fleet of mainly Leeds-built industrial tank locos. Despite its name, the railway also has several former BR diesels, including D1524 and 20189, but only 31119 was running during my visit. Website = www.embsayboltonabbeyrailway.org.uk

14 photos starring Gresley D49 4-4-0 No 246 Morayshire, which made a very rare excursion from Scotland.

Photos taken during a flying visit as part of the 'Welsh Mountaineer' charter from Preston to Blaenau Ffestiniog. There was only time to ride as far as Tan y Bwlch, but my photos capture something of the line's character.

**Photos of the 'Welsh Mountaineer' are in my 2009 website.

23 pictures, concentrating on Caledonian Rly 4-2-2 No 123, Highland 4-6-0 'Jones Goods' No 103, Glasgow & South Western 0-6-0T No 9, Great North of Scotland 4-4-0 No 49 Gordon Highlander and LMS King'sl Saloon No 798.

As usual with museums exhibits are cramped and lighting horrible but I have done my best! I took most of the photos in November 2004, but a couple date from June 2001.

19 photos taken on 21 August 2007 of this loco at Carnforth on the last leg of its journey from South Africa to Glasgow where it was built by North British and where it is to be preserved.

54 photos taken on 31 May of this excellent reincarnation of the Great Western, and of the locos that visited the centenary gala. It was held to mark the opening in 1906 of the GWR's line between Stratford-upon-Avon and Cheltenham, on part of which the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway now runs. It also marked the 25th anniversary of the preserved railway. GWR website = www.gwsr.com.

29 photos taken on 30 January of some of the passenger and goods trains run for the GCR's gala, plus a look at some of the preserved diesel and steam locos on the line. All the photos were taken at Loughborough except where indicated. The GCR's website is www.gcrailway.co.uk.

22 photos of this vintage 2ft gauge electrified pier railway, and the Hythe - Southampton ferry with which it connects. Website = hytheferry.co.uk

28 photos of a visit to the Isle of Wight Steam Rly, a line unusual in that its coaches are Victorian but its working steam is post-war industrial! Its website = iwsteamrailway.co.uk Photos of Stagecoach's Ryde - Shanklin Island Line are on my British railay scenes 2008 website, accessible via the 'Other Galleries' link at top right.

Nine photos of locos taken at Haworth on 16 April 1967 on the KWVR's centenary, including three of 46115 Scots Guardsman, and one of 3442 The Great Marquess at Keighley on a railtour to the line from Euston.

31 photos taken on 20 February. THE KWVR (www.kwvr.co.uk) is to be congratulated on having put three pre-grouping locos in steam for this event - L & Y 'Ironclad) 0-6-0 No 957, L & Y 'Pug' No 68, and Taff Vale 0-6-2T No 85, and my pictures concentrate on them. But there is also a peek at the museums and workshops of the Bahamas Loco Soc (Ingrow Loco), and of the Vintage Carriages Trust (www.vintagecarriagestrust.org).

14 photos taken during a flying visit on a gloomy 20 May. The KWVR was running two double-headed trains, because it had been due to receive a Steamy Affairs charter from Birmingham and London. The charter's locos, FM Rail 33202 & 33103, failed at Newark. The charter was rescued by Jarvis 56302 but only as far as Doncaster, where it was terminated. (I had hopes the 56 might reach Keighley....) Passengers had to make their way home by service train.

22 photos taken on 23 August of one of the Lakeside & Haverthwaite's Victorian evenings, held weekly every August. They feature three historic vehicles: Furness Railway No 20, an 0-4-0 built in 1863 and now Britain's oldest working standard gauge steam loco; a coach of similar vintage, originally built for the North London Rly; and the Windermere lake cruiser Tern, built in 1891 for the Furness Railway. As you will see, staff and many passengers enter into the spirit by wearing period dress. The event is warmly recommended. Details are at www.lakesiderailway.co.uk. No 20 is owned by the Furness Railway Trust: www.furnessrailwaytrust.org.uk.

62 pictures taken - in continuous rain! - on 21 May at this excellent Lake District event. It starred the line's mainline locos - LMS Fairburn 2-6-4Ts 42073 and 42085, English Electric Type 1 20214 and Birmingham/Sulzer Type 2 D5301. Needless to say, 1863 0-4-0 Furness Rly No 20 - 'The Great Survivor', Britain's oldest working standard gauge steam loco - got in on the act! The L & HR runs to Lakeside on Lake Windermere. Its website = www.lakesiderailway.co.uk. The Furness Railway Trust, who own and operate No 20 and other locos = www.furnessrailwaytrust.org.uk.

10 photos taken on 10 June during the Fairburn weekend starring 42073 & 42085.

66 photos of the last day (22 April) of the gala organised by the 6880 Betton Grange Society. It concluded with a spectacular 11 loco cavalcade!! The Llangollen's website is www.llangollen-railway.co.uk, and the Betton Grange Society's is www.6880.co.uk

12 photos of miscellaneous locos etc taken on 22 April during the steam gala.

38 photos, mainly of the 1829 Rainhill replica locos - Novelty, Sans Pareil and Rocket - plus the 1830 Planet replica. They were all in steam for the 'Riot of Steam' organised by the museum to mark the 175th anniverary of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway. I also photographed the 1830 L & M passenger station and warehouse occupied by the museum, and its original locos, including 1838 Lion and a mighty Beyer-Garratt Built in Manchester for South Africa.

33 photos taken in continuous heavy rain on 4 March at this excellent event. There were four guest locos, and it was good to see A4 Bittern almost ready to return to the mainline for the first time in over 30 years. The MHR's website is http://www.watercressline.co.uk/

20 photos, all bar one black and white, from 1966 of the first standard gauge railway to be preserved (in 1960) in Britain. The Middleton has three major claims to fame. It was established as early as 1758 by the first railway Act of Parliament; it is the world's oldest working railway, having been in continuous use since 1758; and in 1812 it began to operate the world's first commercially succesful steam locomotives, designed by Blenkinsop and Murray.

Despite having to operate in a most unpromising area of industrial south Leeds. the Middleton survives and thrives. Its website is http://www.middletonrailway.org.uk

44 photos taken on 24 June during a mini-gala when all the MRC's trains were worked by locos owned by the Class 40 Appeal - 37314, D212 and 50007, culminating in a cab ride in 50007! The CFA's website is http://www.trainweb.org/cfa/

16 pictures taken in April 2005 at the NRM's Shildon outpost, known as Locomotion, which houses some interesting items from the museum's reserve collection.

120 pictures of the stranglely named gala taken on 28-29 May organised by the NRN (www.nrm.org.uk) to commemorate the bicentenary of Richard trevithick's Penydarren locomotive of 1804. The event was remarkable for the appearance of a number of rarely seen locos, and for unlikely conjunctions such as DC electric No 27000 standing alongside Furness Railway No 20, vintage 1863! In keeping with Railfest's survey of two centuries of railway history, my photographs are arranged by the date of their subject.

10 photos taken between the mid 80s and 2003.

52 photos taken on 3 March at this interesting gala, which featured three preserved class 56s.

26 photos, mainly of continental and industrial locos, taken during the diesel gala on 3 March.

15 shots of diesels taken on 30 September during the steam gala.

58 photos taken on 30 September of 10 locos in steam at this excellent and very slickly run gala. NYMR website = www.northyorkshiremoorsrailway.com

22 photos taken on 17 May 2008 during a visit to Devon on Compass's Preston - Paignton Devonian tour. (Pix of the tour are in my Rail 2008 gallery.) The P & D is one of Britain's most scenic heritage lines. It is unusual in being run entirely commercially by Dart Valley Rly plc, which also operates ferries and river crusies. The line has only paid staff; there are no volunteers. Its website = www.paignton-steamrailway.co.uk

54 pictures taken on 20 October of this charming and thriving 15 inch gauge railway nicknamed 'La'al Ratty.' It runs from the Cumbrian coast to the foot of England's highest mountains, the Scafells. It uses steam and diesel traction, and operates all year round.

24 photos of Britain's newest heritage railway, taken at an open day on 9 January. The RSR has an interesting and extensive collection of small, mainly ex-industrial, steam and diesel locos, and hopes to open in summer 2005. Its website is at www.ribblesteam.org.uk.

30 pictures of Hedley's Puffing Billy of 1814, the battered remains of the Stephensons' original Rocket of 1829, and Trevithick's LNWR 2-2-2 No 1868, better known by the name Columbine which it carried when built at Crewe in 1845. There are also photos of some of the exquisite and very early models held by the museum.

17 pictures taken on 5 December of Santa Specials on the Severn Valley Railway, featuring 7802 Bradley Manor, 42968, 45110 and 48773. 5164 was also running, but eluded me.

Photos taken during an all too brief visit on a Compass charter, including 7 of the newly opened Engine House at Highley.

This 2 ft gauge line on the Cumbria - Northumbria border celebrated its 25th anniversary in August 2008. Based at Alston, it runs on part of the trackbed of the old North Eastern Rly branch from Haltwhistle, closed in 1976. The railway operates an interesting mix of continental steam and British industrial diesel locos, and is very well worth a visit. Website = strps.org.uk

Two preservation groups are working on the Kirkby Stephen - Appleby section of the former North Eastern Rly Eden Valley line from Kirkby Stephen to Penrith. Here are 27 photos taken at the Kirkby Stephen East base of the Stainmore Rly. Its main aim at present is to preserve the station at KSE, situated where the lines to Tebay and Penrith diverged. Website = www.kirkbystepheneast.co.uk

23 photos taken during a flying visit to Kirkby Stephen East, which I previously visited in 2007. The Stainmore is making steady progress, with track being laid and a newly arrived two-car class 108 DMU. The Stainmore's website = www.kirkbystepheneast.co.uk

55 pictures taken in December 2004 and January 2005 at this excellent museum. Although there is naturally a focus on locomotives and Swindon Works, it does succeed in presenting the GWR, its workforce and its services 'in the round'. Very well worth a visit. Website: www.steam-museum.org.uk.

9 photos taken on 27 August featuring the Strathspey Rly at Aviemore (www.strathspeyrailway.co.uk) They were taken during a trip on Compass Tours's Highland Clansman. (Photos of the special, which was hauled by 47832 & 47839, are in my Rail 2007 gallery.)

36 photos of this most attractive line. Its website = www.swanagerailway.co.uk

26 pictures of preserved locos, almost all diesels, including Deltic D9016 Gordon Highlander and class 50s 50017 Royal Oak and 50021 Rodney. Also present were 31558, 47471, 47547 and 47574 which were all sold for disposal the month after my visit and quickly scrapped. I visited Tyseley on 5 December 2004 when, regrettably, the buildings housing the steam locos were closed. Tyseley's website can be found at www.vintagetrains.co.uk.

Photos of 10 steam locos preserved at Cultra, ranging from the largest ever to run in Ireland to one of the smallest and including broad gauge (5ft 3in), narrow gauge (3ft) and industrials. The Museum covers motoring, shipping and aviation as well as railways. It is co-located with the Ulster Folk Museum, which deals with life in the early 20th century. Together, they form one of the biggest museum complexes in Britain. Allow plenty of time for a visit! Website = www.uftm.org.uk

18 photos taken on 1 September during a brief visit to one of the newer and less well known preserved lines. Website = www.wensleydalerailway.com

57 photos taken on 12 August of a 2 foot gauge railway perhaps not as well known as it deserves. The WLLR is mainly a loco museum and works with only a very short (400 yards) running line. But it has a large number of interesting ex-industrial locos, steam and diesel, from Britain and overseas. It is situated at Hesketh Bank, between Preston and Southport, website = www.westlancs.org

26 photos of the WSR taken on 14 April during a trip on Compass Tours's West Somerset Coast Express. (Photos of the special, which was hauled by 47847 & 47853, are in my Rail 2007 gallery.)