A few shots from said gala, taken on my Nokia N95

Here's some pictures of a few model steam locos that I've recently weathered and detailed.
I use a combination of airbrush, weathering pigments, powders and pastels.
These models are meant to represent steam at the very end of its working life, when there were no cleaners to clean them, and when BR wanted out of steam traction all together.
I'll add more pictures to the collection over time.

Once part of a through route from Stockport Tiviot Dale to Glazebrook, this line was closed in two stages. Firstly from Partington to Glazebrook in 1984. The line from Partington to Skelton Junction continued to serve a chemical plant in Partington via a spur off the "main line" but this too closed on the 10th of October 1993.
The area around Partington station is now what I would call dodgy. A haunt for Car Thieves, and Scallies on motorbikes. Although I didn't see anyone, the place still felt dodgy. Later I read some reports about the area on the net, and these confirmed my feelings. It's a place maybe best avoided in the evening!
There's still plenty of railway artifacts for the hardened Crank to discover.

Here's some photo's from my latest foray abroad.
In a few weeks time I'll probably delete this gallery, and put the pictures in thier own galleries.

As well as bashing, drinking and meeting strange men in public toilets, I like cycling abandoned railways.
Here's a few shots of various locations on the closed line from Buxton to Ashbourne. The track bed now forms the Tissington Trail.

Twenty Bridges was the local name for a large viaduct to the north of Wigan, which conveyed the Whelley Loop around Wigan between Bamfurlong and Standish Jc on the West Coast Mainline.
Closed in 1974 this viaduct still stands, forgotten and crumbling. A testement to Wigan Councils disinterest in all things railway.
After our visit we sealed the fence back up, leaving the site as we found it.

On the 10th of October 2008 I, along with Stuart Fenton and Nigel Brown made a return visit to the area. Mainly to explore what remains of Whelley Junction Signal Box and its contents which were tipped down the embankment upon demolition.
We also couldn't resist a snoop around the underside of the viaduct.

I like the word 'Miscellany'

A proper Trainspotters word!

Anyway, here's a selection of British pictures mainly from Preserved Railways, and taken on my Nokia N73 picture phone

During bad storms which hit the UK on Thursday the 31st of January 2008 the ferry Riverdance was making its way from Warrenpoint Northern Ireland to the Lancashire port of Heysham when it was hit by a twenty foot freak wave in the Irish Sea. This caused the load of lorries to shift, and the ferry to list. The 23 passengers and crew abandonded ship, being rescued by a RAF helicopter and the ferry eventually washed up on Blackpool beach the following day. A skeleton Crew had initially stopped aboard in an attempt to keep the ship afloat, but these remaining Crew members were airlifted off the ship the following morning when the ship had run aground.
These pictures were taken a few days later. The Ferry is listing at a 60 degree angle, and attempts were being made at the time of writing to pump the fuel oil off the ship, and pump water into the ballast tanks so as to right her. However these efforts were being hampered by continuing bad weather.
An 400 yard exclusion zone was initially set up around the stricken ship by the Lancashire Police. However on the day of my visit this was being completely ignored by pretty much everyone, and it was possible to get up close to the ferry unhindered.
The following day the Police clamped down on Sightseers, threatening arrest, and heavy fines for anyone caught near the ship, as there was a danger the ship could roll completely on its side, so I was lucky to get these shots.
Thousands of packets of biscuits that were being carried on board have been washed up on the shore.
Most pictures are untitled, as I suppose they're self explanatory really!
I hope you enjoy these pictures.

Pictures from a one off trip to Kenya in 2005. We went for over a week, and came back having ridden on one Aircraft, and two loco's! Not my most productive of trips, but fascinating non the less.

Here's a few pictures from my trips around Turkey. I'll add full captions over time, in the meantime, enjoy

Here's a selection of pictures from numerous trips to the Czech Republic. The pictures are mainly of CD 749/751's, or "Grumpies" as they're known to UK Enthusiasts. I'll edit the collection properly and add captions in the not too distant future, in the meantime, enjoy.

Here's a small selection of pics taken close to where I live near the West Coast Mainline at Euxton Junction. They're of Virgin Trains Class 57's on West Coast weekend diversions.

Here's a collection of mainly scans from Germany in the early nineties. You'll notice a heavy bias towards Kolomna products. To my mind, there was nowt else worth doing (Although 228's were bloody hellfire too!). I'll caption these over time, however as I never make any photo notes the details will be sketchy to say the least.

I sadly discovered this stunning country too late to play on the big ALCo's on the standard gauge. However I managed a fair few miles on the Peloponese metre gauge network, and the hellfire little 6-251 powered ALCo locos. I'll add captions to these pictures over time.

Here you'll find scans of BR Class 37's from the mid 80's through to the 90's. There'll be no EWS bollocks here. At the moment the scans are of Scottish EH machines (my personal favourites) However I'll add more scans including Crockery from around the country when I get time. In the meantime please feel free to wallow in this small slice of Tractor nostalgia

**NEW CONTENT ADDED**
A part of the world I fell in love with when I first visited in 1997. Fantastic loco's thrashed hard. Just the way I like em! This is another gallery where I've more prints to scan.

**NEW CONTENT ADDED** Most photographs in this collection aren't entirely train related. The collection basically does exactly what it says on the tin! WARNING. THIS GALLERY MAY CONTAIN GENITALS.

The railways of this once fine country has now been decimated by European Unionisation. Too many units, no more 1800's and no passenger work for ALCo's. This is another gallery that'll be updated once I get my scanner working, as most of my Portugese pics are from the early nineties, and in print form.

Here's some pictures from Ireland. I'll extend this gallery somewhat when I get my scanner going, as most of my Irish pictures date from the early nineties and are in print form. Enjoy.

Although RENFE tries to run its railway like an airline, and leaps are very restricted, Spain still remains a favourite country.

A collection of pictures from the trip to Australia in 2003. In just over two weeks we took in the railways of Victoria around Melbourne including some heavy freight action. We also visited Sydney for a few days, and had a ride on the Cockatoo run from Sydney to Robertson.

Some pictures from the Mecca that is known as Buenos Aires. I've made three trips over the past few years, but as photography can be a sensitive issue, I haven't got many pictures to show for my efforts!

Ok, so the food is shite, and the beer tastes like piss, but the weather is glorious, the people are friendly and the motive power is undeniably outrageous!