Worth Valley Railway, and a chance for a few train shots...

 

We haven't managed a lot of photography lately, but with a resumption of mid-week services on the Worth Valley Railway, I've managed the odd attempt at train photos.  The above shot was a rather nice chance shot, I was walking back from Keighley along a path which, frankly, I'd only feel safe walking along on weekday mornings (even then it has random drunks staggering along it, but its not as dodgy as it gets late afternoon onwards), and the railways relatively new class 101 DMU on the morning service.  Its surprising just how rural it looks here, given the proximity to the centre of the town.

 

 

I haven't had much chance for any more photography until the past weekend; a happy combination of some time off, a gap between doing the school runs, and an intensive service of trains for the visit of the Tour de France.  Another shot, above, of the 101 taken this time at one of my favoured locations, Ebor Lane between Oakworth and Haworth.  I have a particular fondness for this class of train, as my dads old Triang model of these units was my first 'serious' (non-Thomas) model train.

 

 

This was then followed, heading south, by the main target for this quick photoshoot, and the S160 'Big Jim'.  I really admire the sheer brute ugliness of this American-built war loco, and I hadn't had chance to get a nice shot of it in its proper grey livery (compared to the fictional black it was painted in earlier in the year).

 

 

The above shot shows why I love this location, nicely rural but the possibility of getting a nice, low-angle shot from the path which runs alongside the line...

 

Same day, and another 'lazy' shot this time, taken on the bridge at the bottom of my road.  This scene will be changing soon, as the redevelopment of the last remains of the mill gets underway this week.

 

Finally, the sunday of the tour, and with pretty much everything that could move under its own power dragging the heavily-loaded trains along the valley.  After the tour had passed, we took a little stroll down to Ingrow Station and got a couple of pictures.  Nice to be able to get a few train pictures anyway, and hopefully will be able to get more over the summer.