European Railroad Discussion > Icons wherever you look

Last Saturday, May 28th, I managed to shoot pictures of four British icons; two steam and two diesel.

The first shot is of 60103 Flying Scotsman, undeniably an icon (although rail fans are somewhat mixed in their feelings about it) on the Cathedrals Express from London Paddington to Salisbury and back. It's passing the engine house at Crofton in Wiltshire, some 75 miles west of London which is home to a pair of beam engines, the oldest steam engines in the world which are still doing what they were originally built for, pumping water into the Kennett and Avon Canal on the summit level between Crofton and Savernake. It contains two engines, an 1812 Boulton and Watt and an 1846 Harvey (of Hayle in Cornwall) and on the 28th both were in steam pumping whilst their modern day electric equivalents were rested for the weekend.

Bringing up the rear of the Cathedrals Express is arguably our most recognisable diesel locomotive, the class 47. In this case 47580 County of Essex as turned out by Stratford Motive Power Depot in the 1980s, complete with grey roof, union flag and cockney sparrow depot motif. 

And finally as I was walking back to the car, an HST set on a Plymouth to London train came roaring round the corner past the pumping station. 40 years old this year these 125 mph diesel trains revolutionised rail travel in the 1970s and 80s, carrying people at what seemed astonishing speeds, which they still do 40 years on, but to less astonishment. Definitely an icon.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/05/16 00:43 by 86235.

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Your first photo proves you don't have to trespass to get a great photo (as so many did on it's initial run). Too bad the people in your photo didn't realize that you were in the correct position with the water in the foreground. They appear to be too close to the track. It seems some are only interested in capturing the train, not thinking about the train in it's surroundings with interesting buildings, water, etc.

Thanks

Really appreciate your photos. 
ALLEN

I also like photo #3, which has great compostion, especially for an "as I was walking back to the car" shot.  Even though some of the pumping station is obscured by the train, there's enough there to tell the story.