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In the last few years I have made numerous trips abroad to
photograph steam locomotives in action. In order to achieve the
highest quality results, most of these forays were based around
pre-arranged photo charters, but ‘real’ working steam was also
sampled on two visits to China, where it was still an everyday sight
if you knew where to go. Regretfully however, opportunities are now
becoming harder to find, and I have decided to produce a special
reminder of the trips by preparing a large format photobook,
currently in progress. The book will contain the best results from
the trips, and below is a small selection of images that will be
included. One of these is the book’s cover, and as the title
indicates, my travels have embraced four continents, namely the USA,
Asia (China), Africa and Europe. As the book is currently at the
half way point, the images thus far are from China and the USA, but
a further set will be added later, so that all four continents are
represented.
The images have not been seen before either in Club competitions or
earlier Web site offerings. |
| BOOK
COVER
SY Class 2-8-2
No. 1412 awaits its next duty at Sanjiazi Junction on the Tiefa
mining railway, Liaoning province, China, on the evening of
1.10.2004. |
Perhaps the
ultimate destination for steam photography in China, or indeed
anywhere in the world, was the Jitong railway in Inner Mongolia.
The route traversed the dramatic Jingpeng pass, a stiff test for
steam power, with its long gradients and sharp curves. Here a
freight train headed by two QJ Class engines exits Tunnel No. 2 on
the eastbound climb to the summit on 22nd April 2004.
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On the Durango & Silverton Railroad in Colorado, K-28
Class 2-8-2 No. 478 heads a mixed train across a trestle bridge over
the Animas River, soon after leaving Silverton, in October 2008. At
one time there was an extensive system of narrow gauge railways in
Colorado, built to exploit the mineral resources of the Rockies.
Today the remnants exist as tourist operations, including the
Durango & Silverton. |
Baldwin 2-8-0 No. 618 approaches a road crossing,
complete with suitable vintage vehicles, near Heber City, Heber
Valley Railroad, Utah, on 22nd February 2007. In the
background are the snow-capped Wasatch Mountains. |
A second shot on the Heber Valley
Railroad in February 2007. No. 618 heads a freight train past Deer
Creek Lake, completely frozen over by the low temperatures of a hard
winter. |
More snow – but this time on the Nevada Northern
Railway, where unusually cold but sunny conditions prevailed during
a two day visit in February 2007. From the photographic point of
view, it was ideal weather ! At Ely station, 4-6-0 No. 40 awaits
departure, as 2-8-0 No. 93 approaches with a freight train. |
Autumn colours glow on the San Luis & Rio Grande
Railroad, as 2-8-0 No. 18, built by the American Locomotive Co.
(ALCO) in 1910, heads a freight train over the summit of the La Veta
Pass. The railway is in the state of Colorado, and runs from Alamosa
to La Veta. |
Visits were also made to railroads in northern
states, and although the scenery is much less dramatic, suitable
backdrops plus impressive motive power provided much compensation.
Here on the Great Lakes Central Railroad in Michigan, Pere Marquette
2-8-4 No. 1225, a giant locomotive typical of latter day American
steam power, puts up a smoky exhaust as it storms past the Henderson
bean elevator. |
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Glinting in the low evening
sun, a Class 15F 4-8-2 locomotive heads a mixed train towards
Tarlton, near Johannesburg in May 2006.
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Seen from the hillside above,
a double header of 15CA and 15F locomotives heads a rake of the
classic red and cream coaches of erstwhile South African passenger
trains. The location is between Fouriesburg and Meynell, on the
highly scenic Bethlehem to Bloemfontein line, on 28th May 2007.
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Silhouetted by the setting
sun, a Class 15CA 4-8-2 and its train climbs to Sheridan, Bethlehem
line, 27th May 2007.
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The Cape – Natal line, an
ambitious project that was never actually completed, provides
another route with outstanding landscape backdrops to the railway.
Here another double headed train approaches Mjila on the steeply
graded section from Creighton to Donnybrook, where the surrounding
hillsides are dotted with distinctive white Zulu huts. |
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The Cullinan branch runs from
Rayton, east of Pretoria, to the former diamond mining centre of
Cullinan. In fine early morning light, 15CA Class 4-8-2 No. 2056
puts up a fine exhaust soon after leaving Cullinan on 9th June 2007.
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The Harz mountains in former
East German territory are home to an excellent metre gauge system,
visited for a series of charters in February 2008. Much of the
terrain is heavily wooded, but there are photographic opportunities
in selected locations. Here prototype 2-10-2T No. 99 222 heads
south near Benneckenstein with a short passenger train on 19th
February.
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The main depot for the Harz
system is at Wernigerode, and it maintains the true feeling of a
working steam shed that is almost unique today. This shot was taken
just before full darkness on the evening of 22nd February 2008, and
shows on the left 0-4-4-0T Mallet type locomotive No. 5901, dating
from about 1897, and on the right No. 99-7242-3, one of the large
2-10-2T’s which handle the bulk of the traffic. Three more of the
class can be seen in the background.
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In October 2009 Germany was
visited once more (plus other European countries), and in a tour
where the weather was mixed to say the least, we were fortunate to
have a day of fine sunshine to photograph P8 Class 4-6-0 No. 38.3156
on secondary lines in Bavaria. On the morning of 20th
October, the loco and its train are reflected in a canal that runs
alongside the line near Schalchen. |
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