The removed driving rods tell their own story. Barely two months earlier these two locomotives were in service. Now they stand forlornly on one of the side roads at Wakefield MPD, awaiting the ine... (more)

Filthy '9F' No.92001 lays down a smokescreen as the wan early morning sun rises to catch another weary westbound freight heading through Mirfield. The textile town of Mirfield was located in what ... (more)

On a very murky Saturday, enthusiasts gather round rebuilt 'Merchant Navy' Pacific No.35026 'Lamport & Holt Line' as she is coaled at York MPD. It was running the York-Newcastle-York section of 'T... (more)

Introduced in 1942, Edward Thompson's 'B1' class 4-6-0's were his most successful design for the London & North Eastern Railway. 410 of these excellent mixed traffic locomotives were built, sixty ... (more)

Mirfield was a textiles town in an area of the West Riding of Yorkshire known locally as the 'Heavy Woollen' district. The huge size of these mills can be judged by the fine example that forms the... (more)

Another train of empty coal trucks are being transported along the Calder valley through Mirfield for refilling from any one of hundreds of West or South Yorkshire collieries. The typically unkemp... (more)

The evening sun has slipped away, lending strange hues to the returning 'Scarborough Spa Express'. But for a signal check, this photograph would have been impossible. About half a mile in front of... (more)

Under dark and brooding skies, typical Yorkshire Dales weather, the 'Cumbrian Mountain Express' passes westbound over the elegant three arch viaduct at Gargrave. The ghastly and unsympathetic use ... (more)

The eastbound 'Scarborough Flyer' passes through the impressive Addingford cutting near Horbury. Once a tunnel, it was opened up early in the 20th century to allow four track running. The brick ar... (more)

At Xiamiaozi depot, another decidedly unkempt SY has its ashpan raked out. The observant will note yet more non-vertical telegraph poles (a Chinese speciality it would seem)!

Indescribably filthy SY 1017 blackens a bright morning as she comes onto the small depot at Xiamiaozi for servicing. Xiamiaozi is just a couple of miles up the valley from the terminus station in ... (more)

Fuxin remains the industrial steam capital of the world. It seemed to me, during the two days of my visit in 2004, that every new location in the area presented wonderful opportunities. Seeing ste... (more)

For those of you who wondered what colour scheme adorns the cab of an SY, the driver of No.1378 kindly obliged me with an invitation aboard. It was still only 0830 hours as the electric clock in t... (more)

The driver of SY 1378 tends to his steed before setting about the day's work. The central servicing point in Fuxin was a hive of activity in the early mornings. Recent reports suggest it still is!

Another working day as SY 1320 heads towards the rising sun with the morning 'paddy train' carrying the early shift to Minzhu mine for an 0730 start. Minzhu is on the eastern outskirts of Fuxin.