Only in dreams do 114 year-old locomotives emerge from ethereal mists passing untrodden snow in the still of a Sunday morning. I'm still unsure if this a question or a statement. I am sure that I ... (more)

Visiting 'B1' 61306 makes a wonderful sight as she gets into her stride away from Ramsbottom Station heading for Rawtenstall. The splendid early British Railways apple green livery enhances the im... (more)

In steam days, scenes like this could be witnessed in thousands of goods yards throughout Britain. A locomotive and crew picking up a few wagons before moving down the line to repeat the procedure... (more)

The Lancashire town of Ramsbottom, with a population of just under 15,000, is the mid-point of the East Lancashire Railway. Dominant in this landscape is the stone-built church of St. Paul in the ... (more)

Weak late Autumn sun adds a dash of colour at one of my favourite locations on the ELR. A stirring departure can usually be guaranteed as trains pull away from the station heading for Irwell Vale ... (more)

I confess to being baffled by this combination of locomotives, but the gorgeous morning light demanded that the shutter be pressed! In any case, the opportunity to see the fine 1896-built Lancashi... (more)

I remember waiting in the early morning frost. The distant whistle of 45407 could be heard as she left Summerseat Station. Then I heard her muffled approach as she plunged into first Brooksbottom ... (more)

Morning cuppa' at Ramsbottom. The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway class 27 were the railway's standard goods engine designed by John Aspinall. 484 of these simple but powerful engines had been bu... (more)

'Jubilee' 5690 makes a magical sight as she glistens in early morning light between duties. Named 'Leander', this is one of the series named after mythological heroes. She was built in 1936 at Cre... (more)

Our Victorian forefathers need not have given Nuttal tunnel a castellated portal, nor need they have included a coat of arms or gargoyles above the tunnel mouth. Not only was it a statement of gra... (more)

The neat little Ivatt LMS 2-6-0's are an ideal locomotive for many preserved lines. 46441 was a BR-built example and prior to preservation was to be seen at Lancaster (Green Ayre) MPD. Here she is... (more)

Now that 'Green Arrow' is to be returned to Shildon as a static exhibit (anyone got a couple of million to spare?), here's how she looked on her return to steam ten years ago. Thanks to the genero... (more)

With the smoking bore of Nuttal tunnel in the distance, 'Duchess of Hamilton' looks every bit as regal as her name implies. Doesn't she look a treat in brunswick green livery? I think it suits her... (more)

D335