Time to start clearing the backlog of posts that built up before Christmas; the combinations of some commissioned work, some article writing, and applying for new day jobs rather meant some stuff was missed, so here we go;
The weekend after the KWVR September Gala, it was the turn of the Middleton Railway to host an event. I (Ben) love the atmosphere of this line, a complete contrast to the 'usual' preserved railways; small locomotives, home-made carriages, and an urban setting.
A highlight of the gala events is they run trains over the Balm Road branch, the little-used connection to the mainline. There can't be many railways these days where trains operate on lines like this with no fencing, and with ungated flag-protected level crossings.
Looking bright and shiny, the newly restored No.6.
It was also the last major event for the H class. It's a special loco to me (Ben), for three reasons. First, it's characterful, it's about as close to a real-life 'Ivor the Engine' or Hornby clockwork toy as you can get. Secondly, it was a photograph of this loco in an ancient book I had as a child which first got me to learn about the Middleton. Thirdly, it was the first loco I ever photographed on this line, during an opportunistic stop on the way back from a gallery job in Sheffield about 8 years ago.
Here's the reason I like the Balm Road Branch. You just can't beat that atmosphere!
This sort of industrial backwater had long-gone by the time I got into railway photography, but I grew up with books full of pictures of railways like this. A single track and short trains winding through woods and industrial landscapes.
It looks surprisingly rural given it's in urban Leeds.
It also helps (in an admittedly sad way) that all the lineside fencing gets stolen or vandalised, it does mean you can -very carefully and sensibly- get nice low-angle shots from relatively near the tracks.
Amy was testing her new camera out on the day too, the first time she's used it for a preserved railway shoot since she got it. These shots are hers, though by this point she was competing for angles with several other photographers as the line got busier.
We've missed doing Middleton during Covid; they put on a great show, as usual, and it was noticeably busy with visitors which is a good sign.
I (Ben) had a shot published in The Railway Magazine, my first steam loco shot with them for a while...
...and a cover for the November bulletin of the Industrial Railway Society.
A couple of shots from earlier in the year too; just before the Middleton reopened to the public, they ran some goods trains for the benefit of enthusiasts and invited photographers to come down and see the last runs of 'Slough Estates'. The above was in Railways Illustrated (and the shot below from the Vintage Carriages Museum is one of mine too!)...
...and the Industrial Railway Society bulletin in the summer.
One last nice surprise, a Middleton shot published in the Platform 5 guide to preserved railways. By weird coincidence, it was a shot of mine from this angle, but showing a diesel, which was included in the previous edition too.
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