Distant echoes...

Amongst some old slides I found these somewhat dubious quality prints that document the Bristol harbour railway from the late 1980s...

I'm not sure of the exact date, as the pictures were un-dated, but Portbury was working rather than Henbury, whom if I recall was out of boiler ticket, perhaps 1988? 

Seeing these photos reminds me of what I love about railways - inlaid track, overgrown sidings, industrial locomotives yet recognisable stock. It was an interesting little setup back then before the docks became so gentrified. A lot of the character has been replaced by hipster flats and redevelopment. That said, I do want to take the kids back to see where I spent so many weeks of my summer holidays visiting Dad's home and walking from Ashton Gate across the 'new cut' to the harbour...

Sometimes a photo inspires us to make a model, to recreate the scene in miniature. Other times it reminds us of why we do this, or where we started, distant echoes of our past. These photos are of no particular quality, but they take me back to my childhood in an instant. Until next time, more soon...

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