Two seaside specials passing through Somerset hauled by locos 40-odd years apart in age!

The picturesque 'Wylye Valley' route in Wiltshire sees relatively little regular locomotive-hauled traffic, except when Freightliner traffic to and from Southampton is diverted via Westbury. Take the unclassified road between Tytherington (Wilts) and Wilton to explore the line and while you're there, try the Ginger Piggery farm shop at Boyton for fantastic bacon! Images in tjis collection are organised in route order from Westbury. COLLECTION UPDATED 21 FEBRUARY '09.

The Southern Railway's route to the West, via Andover, Salisbury and Yeovil Junction. Just a couple of scanned 35mm transparencies at the moment; I will add further material as time permits. COLLECTION ADDED 12 FEBRUARY '09.

This is Brunel's original route to Bristol via Chippenham, Box Tunnel and Bath Spa. Other photographs of this line can be found under the collection titled 'Rail Centres: Bath' but I hope to cover most of the locations here at least once. Images are organised in route order from east to west.

Also known as the 'Top Road', this is the route from Bristol Parkway to Wootton Basset Junction, west of Swindon. Images in this collection are organised in route order from Swindon.

This collection features the 'Berks and Hants' route including locations around Crofton, Westbury, Frome, Bruton and Castle Cary. Images are presented in route order from east to west. The line carries significant volumes of aggregates from the Mendip quarries, plus weekend excursion traffic to the South West.

Covering the South Wales Main Line and the routes from Bristol and Newport to Gloucester. The Newport-Gloucester line follows closely the west bank of the river Severn providing fine vantage points at locations such as Purton and Gatcombe, while the route from Bristol includes several rural locations around Wickwar.

The former GER routes from Liverpool Street to Essex and the rest of East Anglia are well worth a visit, both for the frequent loco-powered passenger services to and from Norwich and for the freight traffic to and from the ports of Felixstowe and Harwich. UPDATED 24 JANUARY '09.

Covering the former Great Western routes south and west of Cogload Junction, near Taunton. This collection, organised in route order, includes the famous sea wall section between Exeter at Newton Abbot - where better to spend a sunny day with a camera? COLLECTION UPDATED 30 JANUARY '09.

The Bristolians' route to the seaside via Bath, Westbury, Castle Cary, Yeovil and Dorchester. Images in this collection are organised in route order from Bristol to the south and include the 2008 Glastonbury Festival extras. So why not select 'slide show' and enjoy a trip to the Dorset coast spanning a decade of loco-haulage?

The broadly north-south line between Bristol Temple Meads to Cogload Junction, near Taunton, where the 'Berks and Hants' line joins from the east. Images are organised in route order, staring from Bristol and including the Weston-Super-Mare loop.

Shrewsbury is a wonderful rail centre with a full complement of semaphore signals, an amazing track layout and, thanks to the Wrexham, Shropshire and Marylebone Railway, a regular service of loco-hauled passenger trains every day of the week.

A selection of photographs of railways in the Bath area, exploiting some of the best locations reachable within about 30 minutes drive from the City. Leave a comment if you would like more details on any of the locations. The images in this collection are organised in date order with most recent last. For other images of the area, see also the 'Rail Routes' series of collections in this gallery.

Banbury, on the Didcot to Coventry route, continues to boast two fine, operational, signalboxes and a number of semaphore signals. As well as container traffic, the route also now sees regular class 67-powered Wrexham & Shropshire Railway passenger services. So, head for Banbury if you're into loco-haulage and mechanical siganalling!

Wolverhampton, with its canals and 'post-industrial' landscape, offers plenty of potential for railway photography. My visit in July 2003 coincided with engineering work on the WCML which resulted in services to and from Euston being 'dragged' by Virgin '57s and hired-in '47s. Class 47s were also working Birmingham-Holyhead services while Arriva struggled with its new DMU fleet. The day was blessed with sun, and was rounded off nicely by a journey back to Bristol in a VXC HST!
UPDATED 24 JANUARY '09.

Cardiff as a rail centre needs no introduction. Photographically, Cardiff Central station benefits from an elevated position, reducing the problem of shadows. It also enjoys an intensive train service, including some freight and, as at early 2009, loco-hauled passenger trains. COLLECTION UPDATED 30 JANUARY '09.

A selection of steam and diesel subjects on the preserved Taunton to Minehead branch, including through workings from the main line. Images have been arranged in route order from Norton Fitzwarren to Minehead to help those planning a photographic trip along the line. But please remember to buy a train ticket to put something in the coffers - without income, there won't be any trains to photograph!

The scenic 17 mile preserved line from Kidderminster to Bridgnorth in the West Midlands. The railway reopened for Easter 2008 following extensive rebuilding after much of the line was literally washed away by disastrous flooding the previous June. Photos are dispayed in route order from Kidderminster northwards. COLLECTION UPDATED 30 APRIL 08.

The 'GWR', currently operating over the former double-track main line between Cheltenham Race Course and Toddington, has an 'enlightened' attitude to diesels with regular diesel-only events, mainly using the Railway's home fleet. This collection of images is arranged in route order starting at the Toddington end.

A collection of scanned transparencies from holidays and business trips to the Schwarzwald, Stuttgart, Munich and surrounding areas. I will be adding to this collection as I find time to locate and scan the relevant slides, so check regularly for updates!

A selection of images from what are likely to prove the final years of locomotive-hauled passenger trains in the Republic (with the exception of Cork-dublin push-pull services, which should have a long future). ADDITIONAL PHOTOS ADDED 31 JANUARY 08.

A few images recorded while based in Hamburg for a short holiday in May, 2007. The scene there is changing with electrification under way on the Hamburg-Lubeck route and the class 218 (former V160) diesel-hydraulics about to be ousted by privatisation of the Hamburg-Cuxhaven service. COLLECTION UPDATED 16 MARCH 08.

Steam on the main lines in the west and south west of the UK. COLLECTION UPDATED 14 FEBRUARY '09.

A collection featuring vintage EMUs, starting with SWT's 'heritage' blue-grey liveried CIG unit at Lymington and crossing the Solent to examine the former London Transport '1938 stock' currently plying between Ryde and Shanklin. Linking the two sections, appropriately enough, is a shot of 'Cedred', one of the old BR 'Sealink' Isle of Wight ferries making her final voyage from Lymington to meet her fate at Southampton.

A selection of scanned transparencies and negatives from the end of the hydraulic era to the 1980s. More recent shots can be found in the relevant 'rail route' or 'rail centres' collections.

A collection of scanned transparencies from the last years of locomotive haulage on the 'Cross Country' services to the south west. The Class 47s gave way to 'Voyagers' at the end of the 2002 summer timetable. To celebrate the 47s'' long service on the routes, a handful were repainted into historic liveries: two-tone green, XP64 blue, standard 'rail' blue and 'large logo' blue, attracting huge attention from enthusiasts and photographers. Loco-haulage made a brief return in 2004 when class 67s were utilised on 'Holidaymaker' summer Saturday services to Torbay. Photos here are organised in route order, north to south. UPDATED 30 JANUARY '09.

Some scanned slides from the days of 'proper trains' in the 1970s and 1980s. Some of the slides have deteriorated over the years, and despite a lot of work with Photoshop, they aren't perfect. But their historical and nostaligic value more than justifies their inclusion.