Capturing today…
Well, Saturday to be precise. Perhaps it should be ‘the everyday’. Larry Goddard’s wonderful period photos (in the Rail Thing group on Facebook) of the everyday, today I enjoy remembering. They have inspired me to try and capture something of what is the norm today, beyond the headline grabbing special workings…
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| Trains and gates - 197121 forms the 1D14 1308 Birmingham International to Rhyl, passing Weston Rhyn at about 14:45, Saturday 11th October 2025. |
It is interesting to reflect upon the luck involved in this image. I had a rough plan for location but stumbled upon the gate at random; it’s not visible on Google Earth as it’s under a tree… more, opposite the tree the bushes on the embankment allowed a view of the railway. Then, the first train to pass was three cars, perfectly fitting the frame. Two would have looked lost, and a few minutes later a four car train passed heading south and it wasn’t possible to frame it in the same way.
Sometimes you just get lucky…
I’m off to ride trains again today, normal service resumes tomorrow!
Until next time, more soon…
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I sometimes think the most valuable photos we take are the least "special" ones. You can often find hundreds of shots of basically the same thing, but struggle to find shots of everyday workings, or or lines in context - there are still bits of the small Tanat Valley stations I haben't seen a photo of. Sometimes it is useful to know how far away a hedge was, what trees were in the area, what vehicvles in the goods yard etc.
ReplyDeleteThanks James, I enjoy it - and so I’ll persevere…
DeleteLovely composition James. The lamb creep feeder and red mineral lick bucket in the field add a little detail too. Never seen them modelled although someone makes an etched brass ring feeder for hay bales in N gauge. The molasses mineral lick blocks that go in the red red bucket by the gate were heavy and on a wet day became very sticky when you handled them. All part of the funeral of shepherding. Take care.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the reflections Tom.
DeleteHi James
ReplyDeleteSounds fun your trip s on the Welsh rails. I do like the photo. Trains in the landscape seem to be a good way of capturing modern multiple units.
The scene all seems very rural but I remember that in 1968 Weston Rhyn was the start of the NCB railway to Ifton Colliery, and the site of that railway's loco shed. Not sure where your photo was taken and the NCB line went north and east from Weston Rhyn. I did not take as many photos of the area as I should have (the price of film for a poor student!!) and with the passing of years I can't recall exactly where it started as my photos, and modern maps don't help but I am sure the scene would have been different then.
Best regards
Alan
That should be the fun of shepherding, not funeral James. I can't stand predictive spelling.
ReplyDelete