Your favourite prototype photos from your personal archive.

[45568]

I always liked the Gresley D49 locomotives, although I did not see any 'back in the day'. Visiting the GCR Autumn steam Gala in 2014 from Oz, I was delighted to find 'Morayshire' was a guest visitor.

Entering Quorn on 02/10/2014,with little to give away 'preserved' status.

Cheers from Oz,

Peter C.

 

[Unicorn1]

RHDR No6 Samson - putting on a show just at the right moment. 1st August 2009.

 

 

[westerner]

Weybourne 2013

 

[4069]

Another Zenith EM user here. 1/60 at f1.8, nine o'clock on a wet January morning in 1982. It shouldn't have worked, but...

 

 

We thought it would be the last time we would see a Deltic on the main line. Hard to believe it is getting on for forty years ago!

Edited May 5, 2020 by 4069

[John M]

First of my "atmospheric" shots on a misty morning while waiting to see a RPSI steam special in the early 1980s

 

The signalman at Clonsilla prepares to collect the single line staff from the driver of the Up morning Sligo-Dublin passenger as the train enters the double line section on the approaches to Dublin.

[nomisd]

 

1. Taken from the cab of an Indian Railways WAM4 (IRC) between Howrah and Kharagpur. It was very difficult to get a decent photograph of anything between the window bars so the fact that the on coming train, the overhead structures and the signal have all managed to frame themselves into gaps was a stroke of very good fortune. Possibly the most cramped journey of my life - driver, 2nd man, traction inspector, me, my wife and a friend squeezed into a fairly small space; but what an experience. November 2008

 

 

2. A 1940s 25 ton General Electric built loco that spends its day shuttling pairs of loaded wood chip cars from the automatic loader (just visible in the distance) to a holding siding until a whole train is made up and can be collected by the mainline company (NS off the top of my head but don't quote me). A wonderful idyllic working industrial railway which is almost an anachronism in the early 21st  century. North Carolina, USA, August 2011

Edited May 6, 2020 by nomisd
Auto correct

[John M]

These photos are mainly a tribute to the Dakota Missouri Valley and Western Railroad crew at Oakes North Dakota for their kindness to a visiting railfan from the Antipodes in firing up a pair of SD45s to switch a pair of boxcars from a soybean plant to the Red River Valley and Western Interchange on a freezing day in May 2016.

 

The crew were planning to use a pair of ex-CN SD40-3 to perform the switch, but fired up the SD45s and performed the switch earlier than planned a memorable 15 minute interlude. I had last visited the railroad in 2004 while visiting family in the area and turned up on spec in the hope of finding about planned train movements.

 

In 2004 the DMVWR were mainly using leased 4 axle power still in their former owners colour schemes ex CN GP40-2LW ex SP & ATSF GP35s, but later switched to 6 axle power to work unit coal and grain trains.

 

 

Inside the Barn SD40-3 3132 & SD45 7505 (ex WC ex BN)

 

Out of the Barn, temperatures were hovering about 5C with a severe wind chill 

7505 & 7510 propelling a cut of ballast hoppers towards the soy bean plan to pick up a pair of boxcars.

 

7505 & 7510 pulling its train back on to the main line having dropped the box cars on the RRVWR interchange track.

 

The line in the foreground once extended south of the DMVWR diamond into South Dakota but now serves a Shuttle Elevator.

 

 

Back in the Barn soybean plant in the left distance.

 

A few days later 7505 & 7510 worked a 100 car empty grain train from the Canadian Pacific interchange at Hankinson to Oakes

 

 Leaving the "Valley" climbing out of Hankinson ND

 

Approaching Geneso Junction, spent the rest of the day checking out Shortlines over the border in South Dakota and did not get to see the DMVWR disposing of its train in the rather cramped Oakes Yard.

 

The Hankinson-Oaks line is part of the former CP (Soo Line) to the ND State Capital Bismark which is owned and maintained by the CP and operated by the DMVWR. The line diverging at Geneso was once part of a Burlington Northern (ex-Great Northern) branch line to Aberdeen South Dakota that once ran parallel with the SOO for about 30 miles from the GN main line, GN later abandoned the parallel section of trackage and operated over the SOO to Geneso, the BNSF retains trackage rights over this section which are exercised by the RRVWR.

 

[manna]

G'Day Folks

 

If you don't mind a couple of my favorites. All taken in South Australia 1968/9. 526 taken at Aldgate, in the Adelaide Hills, and narrow gauge Y class No 97 at Peterborough roundhouse 1968.

 

manna

[eastwestdivide]

On 05/05/2020 at 18:41, 4069 said:

Another Zenith EM user here. 1/60 at f1.8, nine o'clock on a wet January morning in 1982. It shouldn't have worked, but...

...

 

We thought it would be the last time we would see a Deltic on the main line. Hard to believe it is getting on for forty years ago!

That was a horrible morning - we went out to Hornsey/Ally Pally to photograph it, where it was dank and even murkier than your location, plus my 2nd-hand Praktica camera had a sticky shutter in the cold weather.

It's still one of those favourite shots, if only for bringing back the memories of doing mad things on cold days:

Edited May 8, 2020 by eastwestdivide
typo

[manna]

G'day Folks

 

A few more South Australian Railways. All taken 1968/9.  First, narrow gauge T class 4-8-0 No 141 and Beyer Garrett 402, at Gladstones Triple gauge engine shed.

 

Second. Garrett 401 waits for it's train at Crystal Brook. 1969.

 

Third. Garrett No 400, and T 199, on the turntable. Port Pirie.

 

manna

Edited May 9, 2020 by manna

[Rhys]

Continuing on the Oz theme.

 

Puffing Billy railway  (east Melbourne) boxing day 2013. 100 year old Baldwin 2-6-2's in the Australian bush. First photo just out of Belgrave station.

 

 

And a better action shot leaving lakeside.

 

 

Edited May 9, 2020 by Rhys

[TEAMYAKIMA]

We're back in China in early Feb 2005. It was overcast that day - and COLD!  I'm not sure if the leaking steam spoils the photo or makes it!

 

 

 

Edited May 9, 2020 by TEAMYAKIMA

[Northmoor]

34 minutes ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

We're back in China in early Feb 2005. It was overcast that day - and COLD!  I'm not sure if the leaking steam spoils the photo or makes it!

 

One word - WOW!

 

Here's three more from my "Portfolio", all involving enthusiast specials, the first at Harwich Parkeston Quay where we sat for about an hour with nothing to do before heading for Ipswich.  Enthusiasts hanging about at the end of platforms, September 2009....

 

The crew of Oliver Cromwell at Carlisle, waiting to draw the train off to Kingmoor for servicing after a spirited run over Shap, March 2012. 

 

Tangmere waiting for the road at Reading during a sudden show shower, March 2013.

 

 

 

[nomisd]

2 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

Here's three more from my "Portfolio", all involving enthusiast specials,

 

Nice. All three of those are examples of the word timeless. Ignore the motive power or the fashion and any of them could have been taken at any point in about the last 80ish years. The Tangmere photo reminds me of the Southern Railway "Summer comes the soonest on the Southern" poster.

[Northmoor]

Here's three more from the world of preservation (although strictly speaking, one wasn't preserved until the following day).

 

A volunteer takes a break from working on 2859 at Llangollen in summer 1990, with a Nash Metropolitan creeping into shot:

 

Shunting activity at Chatterley Whitfield Mining Museum (now sadly closed), summer 1990:

 

No.8 storming through Aberffrwd on the last day of BR operation (hence the smokebox wreath), autumn 1989:

 

Rob

[Trevellan]

This is not my favourite prototype picture, but it is one that I think has bags of atmosphere. This is 26 027 after arrival at Thurso on Friday 7th August 1981. It is pictures like this that make me realise why people are drawn to building Scottish layouts.

 

My friend and I had travelled on the service from Inverness. We then caught the bus to Wick and a mooch around the town before returning to Inverness by train. Class 26 haulage throughout.

[RFS]

A trip in 2008 to Switzerland with a day out from Zermatt on the Gornergrat Railway. Perfect weather and here a lovely shot of the train coming up to the summit. I had rushed over to take this photo, getting quite breathless due to forgetting we were at 10,000 ft! That's the Matterhorn in the background.

 

 

 

Edited May 10, 2020 by RFS

[ColinK]

Ah, Gornergrat. We had our honeymoon in Switzerland staying in several different places.  One day we decided to go to Gornergrat. Where we were staying it was hot and sunny, so we set off in shorts and T shirts.  Over the other side of the mountains it was cold and wet, then below zero and snowing on the top. We didn’t linger.

[Johann Marsbar]

The memorable part of this photo was the high-speed dash in a car down a gravel road to get in front of the train so we could take a photograph! (I was navigating...)

 

 

The train is on the line between Stratford and London (Ontario, that is....) and the notable thing about it is the two locomotives in primer that can be seen behind the two "train" locos (GEXR 3835 and CEFX 6537). The locos in primer had been constructed at EMD in London and had been taken out "on test" and were being returned to the works after being taken for a "spin". They were actually destined for UP and ended up as Nos 1982 (MoPac Heritage unit) and 1983 (WP Heritage unit).

 

 

[manna]

G'Day Folks

 

520 class, 4-8-4, 526 at Aldgate, South Australia 1969.

[moore43grm]

continuing my  Brookes @ Hipperholme Nr Halifax theme

 

[Invicta Informant]

RH&DR No.5 Hercules entering Dymchurch station, New Romney bound, back in July 2010.

[phil_sutters]

As multiple photos seem not only to be allowed but even encouraged, here are a couple Dad's of which I am particularly fond and one of mine. The latter was taken on the day I managed to lose myself and two grandchildren in the countryside, trying to find our way back from the station to the bus stop in Northiam. The result was a £15 cab fare back to Rye and cakes for the kids to apologize, especially to Sam who had told me more than once that we were going the wrong way!

[Invicta Informant]

Another favourite in my archive is this one taken in the queue to get into the last Open Day at Old Oak Common in September 2017.

[60021 Pen-y-Ghent]

On 18/04/2020 at 20:07, SP Steve said:

Not a brilliant image but it's more for the rarity of what it shows rather than how it's depicted. I don't have the full details to hand but I think it dates from 1983 and shows a full house at Weston-super-Mare, including the bay platform in use for a Weston-super-Mare - Glasgow / Edinburgh service.

 

Not sure when the last time all three platforms were in use at the same time but I'm guessing it would have been steam days.

 

Found the image details - dated 18th March 1984 with 50.022 "Anson" on 15:20 SuO Weston-super-Mare - Glasgow / Edinburgh and unidentified HST with 15:30 Weston-super-Mare - Paddington. The third service is headed by 50.048 "Dauntless" but I never did find out what the working was - I remember the reason for the less than technical quality of the shot was due to me legging it up Locking Road car park to the Drove Road over bridge when it appeared unexpectedly!

Is that first vehicle the prototype GUV (with 2 doors not 3)?