The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway are on the verge of restarting services after the latest lockdown, and have been running regular mid-week Test Trains in preparation. These considerably livened up the Easter holidays, and as we live close to the line, it was great to be able to legitimately nip out and get some railway photographs for the first time in weeks.
Just to provide a bit of variety, alongside steam test trains, over several days locomotives from the diesel fleet were out running short goods trains. Type 1/Class 20 20031 was doing the turn on the 1st of April.
It was nice seeing a short goods train out on the branch, seen here near Damems in the morning...
...and returning later in the afternoon.
It was a shame the weather was a bit on the manky side, but the sun was starting to come out in the afternoon, and I really wanted a shot of my favourite loco, the S160 "Big Jim". This engine was out of service for most of last year, but has been restored for the 2021 season.
Extreme low-angle, by pushing the camera under the level crossing gate whilst the loco was stopped in the station.
The weather was rather better on the 2nd, so throughout the day I popped out with The Childs a few times to get some pictures.
Happily, the sun was properly out when "Big Jim" was out and about again.
The W&M Railbus was also operating shuttle services between Damems and Keighley throughout these days, which meant that after months with no trains running, we had something about every 20 minutes on this section of the line.
Meanwhile, as Lockdown eased, I felt I could legitimately nip out to get some pics on the mainline too for the first time in months. GBRF happily obliged by rostering their heritage British Rail-liveried 66789 on the Yorkshire quarry circuit, and the loco is seen at Utley, above...
...and my old commute to work, Hirst Wood near Saltaire.
Nice to be able to get out and take railway photographs again, and looking forward to getting back onto the trains too.
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