A visit to the Railway to see two GWR locos, 5199 and 9017 running, as the Loco Roster had indicated,
however the Dukedog was not operating and the SECR Class C 0-6-0 No. 592 was running instead.
It was also forecast to be a reasonably sunny day...
Pictures of the 12.32 and 2.00 trains were intended, but 'lost' due to a quirk of the auto-focus on a recently acquired 35-70mm zoom lens.
Click on a picture to enlarge it
The first train from Sheffield Park was the
11.00 with 5199 seen leaving Sharpethorne Tunnel
in brilliant sunlight, in what turned out
to be the best of the day.
Having in the past taken many pictures of
the Dukedog
leaving Sharpethorne Tunnel, I moved
to the bridge by the waterworks, rejected the view from
the east side of the line, and went to Caseford Bridge.
Class C No. 592 came with the 12.00 formed of the 'Met' set
and the LNWR observation coach in cloudy conditions.
The rest of the day was spent on Freshfield bank.
where I found the grass by the lineside had grown
tall and was obscuring the rails from the usual favoured
location. Having 'lost' the shot of the 12.30 dining train
I succeeded with a second attempt with Class U 2-6-0
No. 1638 on the 2.32 'Golden Arrow' lunch train.
GWR 2-6-2T No. 5199 laying a smokescreen
over Freshfield bank on the 3.02 train from Sheffield Park
Click to see a slightly earlier picture of this
train.
A second, successful atempt at a photo of
SECR Class 0-6-0 No. 592 climbing
Freshfield bank with the 4.00 from sheffield Park..
As 5199 had descended the bank in 'almost' sun
I decided to stay for the last train, the 4.47, in
the hope that there would be another burst of sun...
Finally, three pictures at the loco shed at Sheffield Park.
2-6-2T No. 5199 having just been coaled up, comes
forward over the ash pit.
GWR 4-4-0 No. 9017 'Earl of Berkeley', lit by the late
afternoon sun, which had eluded me for so much of the day.
A study in Maunsell front ends, with Class U No. 1618
in front of Class Q No.541. The buffer at the front
belongs to Standard Class 4 2-6-4T No. 80064 .
to see a slightly earlier picture of this
train.