The passage of a steam locomotive startles a local crow to the betterment of my composition! Many towns and villages on the Settle and Carlisle route once boasted stations though several did not s... (more)

I doubt if I've ever seen such an exhibition of uphill power from Scots Guardsman. Not only was it a quite wonderful spectacle to behold, but the sound as the train approached was arguably even be... (more)

The story of Ribblehead Viaduct is the stuff of legend. It cost 100 lives of the 'navvies' that built it between 1870 and 1874 and as many more amongst their wives and families living in the shant... (more)

Limestone rock characterises the Settle and Carlisle route for much of its length, particularly at higher altitudes. Over countless millennia water has eroded the rock surface into these formation... (more)

The 'long view' at Birkett Common is just as dramatic as the wider scene more commonly photographed. The characteristic and ancient dry stone (no mortar) walls are a particularly attractive featur... (more)

It's a 250 mile round trip from 'Armitage Villas' to the wonderfully peaceful Eden Valley in Cumbria, so the weather forecast plays a big part in the decision making process! Today it turned out t... (more)

Just the occasional glimmer of sunshine was sufficient for me to make the 100 mile round trip to the East Lancashire Railway. The only 'glimmer' in the entire day fortuitously coincided with the p... (more)

In an uncharacteristically bright interlude between the seemingly endless dreary weather, two of Britain's classic 4-6-0 'Mixed Traffic' locomotives cross the River Irwell. Formerly with rival com... (more)

It's entirely appropriate that 'Oliver Cromwell' should so triumphantly raise battle echoes of old at this location. Charging through pastoral farmland below the ruins of Beeston Castle, a fortifi... (more)

Now that it's November, the North York Moors reveal their glorious Autumnal colours. All that's needed to set the scene to perfection is the passage of a steam-hauled train. Here 'tis!

Some locations on my 'wish list' seem persistently evasive to produce the desired effect. Either an errant cloud appears out of nowhere or the planned locomotive fails to appear. Even when the por... (more)

I tried this shot three times today. The first time it was dull and cloudy. The second time it was in sun but an exceptionally inconsiderate hi-vis clad photographer parked himself dead centre of ... (more)

One of the many delightful footpaths that thread the Worth Valley is strewn with the colours of autumn. By good fortune, this path also runs conveniently adjacent to the railway as one of today's ... (more)

1963 or 2013? It might be a recreation, but as recreations go this work-weary 'Black 5' sure looks the part!

Although I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Yorkshireman, for sheer tranquil beauty the glorious valley of the River Dee in Denbighshire, Wales has few rivals. When the elusive October sun appears, coupled wi... (more)