The South Yorkshire town of Royston was (and is) an unlovely place though the 60's at least it had a purpose. The coking plant on the horizon and many local collieries supplied coke & coal to indu... (more)

This Wakefield (NOT Glasgow as I mistakenly posted earlier) allocated 'B1' must have had a recent overhaul because I saw it at Mirfield in March 1966 and it was dirty beyond belief. Its relatively... (more)

Dominated by the power station, this was the sight that greeted visitors to Wakefield MPD. The shed was easily accessed off Doncaster Road and was approached by a short, steep 'cinder path' as lov... (more)

My grandparents lived close to Bare Lane Station in the west coast seaside town of Morecambe. A highlight of my visits were the oil trains from Heysham terminal to Leeds. '9F' 2-10-0's were the us... (more)

Wakefield MPD was a favourite haunt of mine. Easy to get to (12 miles from home), easy to get round (no awkward officials) and usually packed full of steam even at this late date. It was not unusu... (more)

The location is Heaton Lodge Junction just west of Mirfield Motive Power Depot which was on the left just beyond the distant bridge. Yet another filthy '8F' hauls one of the seemingly endless proc... (more)

The short embankment at Moorgates is probably the only location on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway where a silhouette against the evening sky is possible. This, of course, assumes the sun is out... (more)

Fortunately, the Settle & Carlisle route has seen a resurgence of steam specials in recent times. On a dismal day with a howling gale, I decided not to venture much further than the North Yorkshir... (more)

Recent years have seen the very welcome return to steam of a variety of pre-grouping (i.e. before 1923) heavy freight locomotives. None more so than the magnificent Darlington-built 'Q6' 0-8-0 fro... (more)

With just a haze at the chimney, 'Black 5' No.45231 sweeps round the curve from Leeds towards Church Fenton Station with the 'Scarborough Spa Express'. This series of summer excursions, with a var... (more)

On former Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway metals, the thunderous exhaust of Stanier '8F' No.48151 could be heard long before she arrived at my vantage point of Goose Hill Junction. Such sweet antic... (more)

The National Railway Museum's 2004 seasonal excursions to the East Coast were led by its newly-acquired flagship (and arguably the world's most famous) steam locomotive 'Flying Scotsman'. The 'A3'... (more)

Winter morning departures from Loughborough are usually dramatic and steamy. None more so than this fine exhibition by 'Ditcheat Manor' newly repainted in BR black. Although I feel that this liver... (more)

With three other preserved railways closer to hand, it needs a good weather forecast to persuade me to drive from Yorkshire to Leicestershire. On an absolutely perfect morning, Great Western Railw... (more)

A 'running-in' turn ex-Swindon works? Not quite, but as recreations go, this is as good as it gets. Threatening skies again, and all the other photographers had packed their bags and gone. Ah well... (more)