From the guard's van

No. 14, ex-SLR 85, awaiting restoration.  Countess from the front Ziller... The crew between trips. Watering Countess. 

Chattenden.  Discussion.  The whole stud. 

Waiting for the train.  The silence between trains at Llanfair. Arrival. Running around the train.  Coaling the loco. 

The other Beyer Peacock 0-6-0T was also on duty running the second train while Countess was busy with the vintage stock.  Running round the train at Welshpool.  The driver at the controls. Right away out of the loop.  Departure time. Tackling the bank out of Welshpool station.   All quiet after the departure of the afternoon train.  A close up and intimate view of the bay platform... after I was sure the train had departed. 

A week spent in Welshpool resulted in several trips along this eight mile light railway. Here are a few of the pictures from the first visit - with many more to come. On this occasion the vintage train was running. The coaches are replicas of the original Pickering coaches which ran on the railway when first built and operated by the Cambrian Railway. The train was running as a mixed train with a couple of wagons and a brake van on the rear.  The empty stock stands in the platform at Welshpool Raven Square station prior to shunting the wagons to the back of the train.  Countess is watered before shunting the wagons.  The freight part of the train is shunted. Ready for departure. Leaving Raven Square and about to tackle Golfa bank.  Recently completed copy of one of the original private owner wagons used on the line. 

Day in, day out the trains passing through York station demonstrate a consistent sameness. Yesterday brought a few changes... First came the steam train... an occasional  sight here. This time it was a Merchant Navy class Pacific heading for Scarborough. It's late departure caused a number of platform changes with passengers scurrying all over the station.  There seems to be something attracting the fireman's attention. Ok so class 37s are not that unusual in the station. The two maroon ones had brought the charter train in from Carnforth. No, DMUs are not usually that interesting but this class 170 in Scotrail livery was a bit unusual having recently been transferred from north of the border. It was on the Harrogate service.  Around 2.30pm each weekday there is a Network Rail train from Doncaster to Tyne Yard passing through the station. It has recently been taken over by DRS and they have started using the new class 88 electro diesels on the s