Atherington Victoria & East Yard.

I have always pondered why I like certain pictures more than others, and have gradually come to understand a little about composition.

Back in the 1980s I bought a book 'The Art of Railway Photography' by Les Nixon. I could then understand why certain pictures worked better.  I now realise that I should have tried to include more human interest in some shots, rather than trying to exclude it. In recent years I have had the pleasure of meeting Les when he comes to our local Railway Society to show slide shows, he is a lovely gent.

 

I think part of the secret of a good railway photo is that even though it might be posed it ought to look natural. Some of my favourite yard photos seem to have been taken in mid shunt as it were.

 

I agree, you can never have too many vanfits.

 

cheers

I quite agree; the Shunter hanging off the side of the '73', silhouetted by the dark background, is just one such lovely detail.  I remember as a child watching a similar operation in Hove coal yard, with the Shunter 'riding side-saddle' on the 73's steps, as they propelled the HEAs into the sidings.  As usual, neither my father nor I had a camera with us...

I wonder what the ferry-van in front of the shed is? It seems to be one of the older designs.

 

14 minutes ago, Fat Controller said:

I wonder what the ferry-van in front of the shed is? It seems to be one of the older designs.

 

 

It looks like a 2-door (from the two 'strips' along the cantrail) but wooden design.  I thought they usually moved 'en bloc', so it is good to see one alone in a yard in traffic.

3 minutes ago, C126 said:

 

It looks like a 2-door (from the two 'strips' along the cantrail) but wooden design.  I thought they usually moved 'en bloc', so it is good to see one alone in a yard in traffic.

They did turn up at various locations around the country in ones and twos.

2 hours ago, C126 said:

 

It looks like a 2-door (from the two 'strips' along the cantrail) but wooden design.  I thought they usually moved 'en bloc', so it is good to see one alone in a yard in traffic.

Ferry vans are very under represented on model railways. They may have moved in bloc from the docks but then dispersed far and wide. By the 1980s they could be parked in all sorts of places for individuals to come along and unload. I've seen vans stuffed with wine grapes, to make just that by the Italian residents of Luton and Bedford for example, and cane furniture in Guildford. But Guildford also handled fruit and veg https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/ferryitalianinterfrigo/e3af3e894    https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/ferryvtgvan/e37ce6d52

Guildford was an interesting, and accessible, yard. I'm surprised by this photo as it doesn't show many Special wagons as the engineers tended to use it as somewhere to park their large and very diverse fleet just a few show up in this selection (as does the odd Australian photo!) https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/?q=guildford

 

Paul

58 minutes ago, hmrspaul said:

Ferry vans are very under represented on model railways. They may have moved in bloc from the docks but then dispersed far and wide. By the 1980s they could be parked in all sorts of places for individuals to come along and unload. I've seen vans stuffed with wine grapes, to make just that by the Italian residents of Luton and Bedford for example, and cane furniture in Guildford. But Guildford also handled fruit and veg https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/ferryitalianinterfrigo/e3af3e894    https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/ferryvtgvan/e37ce6d52

Guildford was an interesting, and accessible, yard. I'm surprised by this photo as it doesn't show many Special wagons as the engineers tended to use it as somewhere to park their large and very diverse fleet just a few show up in this selection (as does the odd Australian photo!) https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/?q=guildford

 

Paul

 

One reason why I hold this photograph so dear is that I had no idea Guildford Yard stayed open so long.  To my shame I was quite ignorant of it till I bought Hymans's book.  Thanks for the links, Paul.  I would dearly love models of those two ferry-vans you illustrate.  I remember the huge 'VTG's at Crawley New Yard as a child when we whizzed past 'up to Town', and struggled to start scrap-building a model of the Interfrigo IWA to fix to a Hornby VIX chassis as a crude representation.  Then I realised the roof would be a 'challenge'...  Which manufacturer must we bribe for models of these?!?  Like the 'Night Ferry', international wagons have such a romantic aura about them.

 

Thanks to you all for all your contributions, and best wishes.  Really must get back to the ironing now, or my colleagues will send me to Coventry for daring to appear in an un-ironed shirt.

Looking at my homage on a monitor at work (in my lunch hour!), it looks rather darker than at home.  Perhaps it is dusk.  Sorry about this.  Will try another photo-shoot when I have time to un-box all the wagon-load stock again.

'Take 2'.

 

The 'twilight' look above has been nagging, so I offer a second attempt.  If nothing else, it proves I should stop procrastinating, and get on with doing more scenery!

 

 

I still need to work on focussing, but I think it looks better.  Got distracted with another shot, below, as well.

 

 

Really must start those brick arches...