1959/08/03. From the Geoff Plumb collection of original slides. County Donegal Railways. At Ballyshannon, possibly on Monday 3rd August 1959. On the left is Class 5A 2-6-4T No. 2 "Blanche" (Nasmyth Wilson, originally No. 2A "Strabane" of 1912, renumbered and renamed in 1928) being watered by her crew. On the right is Class 5 No. 4 "Meenglas", built in 1907 by Nasmyth Wilson as No. 16 "Donegal" and renumbered and renamed in 1937. Both engines survived after the railway closed in December 1959 - "Blanche" in storage at Strabane and then bought by the Belfast Transport Museum, now at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in Cultra, County Down. "Meenglas" is now at the Foyle Valley Railway Centre, Derry. Photographer unknown.

1968/04/xx. View from the rear passenger seat as my cousin Phil Plumb approaches a bend in the road near Kirby Misperton, North Yorkshire, in his ex-army Austin Champ, around Easter, 1968.

1969/05/xx, 1. Having included a shot of the FR's Wickham trolley in the "North Wales Narrow Gauge Lines" collection, I was asked if I had any more shots of Wickham trolleys, so here are a few! On the fledgling North Yorkshire Moors Railway a PW dept. volunteer working party works train, consisting of two Wickham trolleys and a trailer, comes up the final stretch of the 1 in 49 Goathland Bank. Both tracks were then still in place and the train is running "wrong line", though only this track was used. The track was later singled as the NYMR could not run to the cost of the second track. The signal wire on the right of the picture operated Goathland's distant signal, the rusty post of which can just be seen amongst the trees on the curved retaining wall. This was long before public trains were run on the preserved line. May 1969.

1969/05/xx, 2. The volunteers' works train has now reached Goathland station, and the leading Wickham trolley has uncoupled from the trailer and the rear Wickham trolley. In the station sidings is one of the railbuses that was on the NYMR in the early days of preservation, together with saddle tank "Salmon" and the Borrows well tank. Also in the siding is the first class sleeping car that was used for volunteer accommodation at that time, May 1969. It will be appreciated that much work has been done since those early days!

1969/05/xx, 3. A volunteers' works train Wickham trolley and trailer stands on the disused double track of the fledgling North Yorkshire Moors Railway near Carter's House as the line climbs out of Newtondale. At this stage it was thought that the NYMR would be confined to the Grosmont to Ellerbeck Summit section of the line, the track south to Pickering being abandoned due to high cost. This train was returning from Levisham after some preliminary work to recover materials, and had stopped here for the sheep fence to be put back across the track! Later it became possible to use the line all the way to Pickering, though the track was singled. May 1969.

1969/05/xx, 4. A volunteer works train consisting of one of the NYMR's Wickham trolleys plus two trailers is being loaded with recovered signalling equipment at Levisham station in May 1969. At this time the railway was not expecting to be able to buy this part of the line and so was recovering useful material. In the end it became possible for this part of the line to be brought back into use, though as the line was singled north of here, the signalling arrangements had to be altered in any case!

1971/12/24, 1. The preservation site at Embsay was home to several buses as well as railway locos during its early days. On the left is a single-deck trolleybus, No. 425, which came from Liege in Belgium, beyond it is a double-deck Teesside trolleybus alongside the old Midland Railway goods shed. The MR signalbox is just seen in front of the buses and on the right is a metre-gauge Peckett 0-6-0ST which came from one of the industrial ironstone lines near Wellingborough. 24th December 1971. No. 425 is a 1932 Fabrique Nationale 26 seater trolleybus with vertically mounted booms (i.e. one above the other as opposed to the usual side by side arrangement). It is now at the Sandtoft Trolleybus museum and is the oldest working trolleybus in the country! The saddle tank was from Peckett & Sons of Bristol in 1934, Works No. 1870, and is now at the Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum.

1971/12/24, 2. The preservation site at Embsay was home to several buses as well as railway locos during its early days. On the left is a single-deck trolleybus, No. 425, which came from Liege in Belgium, beside it is a double-deck trolleybus, T282, alongside the old Midland Railway goods shed. 24th December 1971. No. 425 is a 1932 Fabrique Nationale 26 seater trolleybus with vertically mounted booms (i.e. one above the other as opposed to the usual side by side arrangement). It is now at the Sandtoft Trolleybus museum and is the oldest working trolleybus in the country! The double-decker is from the erstwhile Teesside Railless Traction Board, which became part of Teesside Municipal Transport in 1968. 2 was its original fleetnumber and it received the number T282 in the new organisation. The later fleetname can be seen through the windows of the Liege vehicle. These Teesside trolleybuses (which were early postwar chassis) carried the last trolleybus bodies built in the UK - this one dates from 1964. Teesside trolleys finished in 1971, only Bradford outlasted them. The original colour was mainly olive green. Thanks to David Beilby for information on this vehicle.

1972/08/xx. Hedjaz Jordan Railway 2-8-2 No. 53, one of several built by Jung, stands on shed at Amman between duties during Summer 1972. Photo by Derek Plumb.

1976/05/xx, 1. Grounded coach bodies in use as a dwelling in Castleford, West Yorkshire. The main part is an old clerestory-roofed carriage, perhaps ex-North Eastern Railway, at the far end another old carriage sits at right-angles to the main part, while towards the front is what could be an old boxvan type wagon body, also at right-angles to the main carriage. There were several of these old coaches along this road, the one next door can just be seen to the right of the ladder on the roof of the greenhouse. May 1976. Whether they have survived, I do not know.

1976/05/xx, 2. Next door to the green and cream painted coach was this blue and white one, though this one looks rather more dilapidated. Another clerestory-roofed carriage, again possibly ex-North Eastern Railway, this one a more modest dwelling without the extensions! Castleford, West Yorkshire, May 1976.

1976/05/xx, 3. Further along the street towards Cutsyke was another grounded coach body, though this one looks now to be abandoned and falling into dereliction. Another clerestory-roofed carriage, again possibly ex-North Eastern Railway. Castleford, West Yorkshire, May 1976.

1987/06/20. Tinsley depot's "unofficial" snail motif adorns the cabside of Class 45/1 No. 45124 at the Aylesbury station open day on Saturday 20th June 1987.

1989/06/xx. Two members of the RAF Red Arrows display team pass each other in close proximity and at high speed during a demonstration at RAF Halton near Aylesbury in June 1989.

1992, 1. The King's Head in Haddenham, Buckinghamshire, modelled in 2mm to the foot scale by Geoff Plumb and presented to the landlord & landlady, Mervyn & Hilary Davies, when they left the pub in 1992.

1992, 2. The King's Head in Haddenham, Buckinghamshire, modelled in 2mm to the foot scale by Geoff Plumb and presented to the landlord & landlady, Mervyn & Hilary Davies, when they left the pub in 1992.

1997/02/08, 1. BR Standard 9F 2-10-0 No. 92203 simmers in the yard at Loughborough depot on the Great Central Railway, after the day's toils during the Winter Gala, Saturday 8th February 1997.

1997/02/08, 2. The smokebox door is open and a member of the shed staff is about to shovel ash from the smokebox as BR Standard 9F 2-10-0 No. 92203 sits at Loughborough depot after the day's work. This was during the Winter Gala on the Great Central Railway on the evening of Saturday 8th February 1997.

1997/02/08, 3. GWR "Modified Hall" class 4-6-0 No. 6990 "Witherslack Hall" gleams under the yard lights in its BR lined black livery outside Loughborough depot, during the Great Central Railway Winter Gala, on the evening of Saturday 8th February 1997.

1997/02/08, 4. GWR "Modified Hall" class 4-6-0 No. 6990 "Witherslack Hall" gleams under the yard lights in its BR lined black livery outside Loughborough depot, during the Great Central Railway Winter Gala, on the evening of Saturday 8th February 1997.

1997/02/08, 5. BR Standard 9F 2-10-0 No. 92203 simmers in the yard at Loughborough depot on the Great Central Railway, after the day's toils during the Winter Gala, Saturday 8th February 1997.

1997/02/08, 6. BR Standard 4MT 4-6-0 No. 75029 "The Green Knight" slumbers just outside Loughborough Central station during the Great Central Railway's Winter Gala on the evening of Saturday 8th February 1997.

2004/03/10. Every so often I do manage to take shots of something other than railways! A friendly robin perching on a bramble in Saltern Cove, Torbay, alongside the Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway on the evening of Wednesday 10th March 2004.

2004/05/31. Cunard liner RMS "Queen Elizabeth II" swings around her anchor in the River Mersey off Liverpool Pier Head during a round Britain cruise. In the foreground is one of the Mersey ferries MV "Royal Iris", about to sail for Birkenhead. Monday 31st May 2004.

2007/04/22. The sun sets in spectacular fashion over the West Cliff at Whitby on the Yorkshire coast, Sunday 22nd April 2007.

2007/07/11. The sun sets in a stormy sky over Fiddlers Ferry Power Station, seen from near Acton Grange Junction, just south of Warrington. 19:22, Wednesday 11th July 2007.

2007/11/14, 1. Wednesday 14th November 2007 saw the first Eurostar trains running from St. Pancras International station to Paris and Brussels. Various trains await their inaugural passengers prior to the service commencing.

2007/11/14, 2. Filming for the "Paul O'Grady Show" we travelled on the first Eurostar from St. Pancras International, the 11:06 to Brussels (there was an 11:01 "Green" special to Paris as the very first departure) and were allowed on the platform prior to the general public. Here the train awaits boarding under the magnificently restored Barlow train shed, looking back towards the Midland Grand Hotel. Wednesday 14th November 2007.

2007/11/14, 3. Filming for the "Paul O'Grady Show" we travelled on the first Eurostar from St. Pancras International, the 11:06 to Brussels (there was an 11:01 "Green" special to Paris as the very first departure) and were allowed on the platform prior to the general public. Here the train awaits boarding under the magnificently restored Barlow train shed, looking back towards the Midland Grand Hotel. Wednesday 14th November 2007.

2007/12/13. This is the Voigtländer Vito CLR camera used for many of my early shots, given to me for my 14th birthday in March 1963 by my parents in what turned out to be a very good move! Color-Skopar 50mm f2.8 lens, Pronto-LK shutter from 1/15th to 1/500th & B, coupled rangefinder and coupled light meter. Full frame 35mm film with lever transport coupled with shutter tensioning. A great tool! Normally used with the addition of an ultra-violet filter and lens hood.

2008/06/04, 1. The aftermath of the fire in the garage at home some hours later on the evening of Wednesday 4th June 2008.

2008/06/04, 2. This was the "hub" of my small domain, the office attached to the garage at home. The corner computer workstation had been in the opposite corner behind the camera and had been moved in the process of getting everything out. Having been built in situ it was too big to get out of the door so had to remain. As with much of the contents of the room, it is covered in the detritus from the fire, but remarkably, almost everything in the office survived! Wednesday 4th June 2008.

Cow on the line! 2008/05/03, 1. Having arrived at the foot crossing near Kingsey to see the Wrexham trains due shortly, I found a southbound Chiltern turbo crawling along behind a cow (actually a bullock, I think)! 165 025 was the 14:12 Birmingham Snow Hill to Marylebone train, here somewhat delayed at 15:53. The bullock then moved to the side of the track and the train was able to pass. Not knowing whether the signaller was aware of the situation, I phoned the BT Police to ask them to pass on the information. It seems the signaller was aware as all approaching trains were reduced to a crawl, and after a short while people appeared from local farms and Network Rail to try and get the animal off the track. Saturday 3rd May 2008.

Cow on the line! 2008/05/03, 2. A northbound Chiltern turbo, 14:53 Marylebone to Stratford-upon-Avon, had been stopped a short while earlier and now the northbound Wrexham & Shropshire Railway working, 1J87, 15:17 from Marylebone to Wrexham approaches the bullock very gingerly at 16:10, having been warned by the signaller. The animal stood its ground and the train came to a stand, finally getting away again at about 16:20. This was during the first Saturday of passenger carrying trains by W&S, incidents such as this won't have helped with time-keeping. The southbound Wrexham train was also brought to a stand a short while later, though by this time the farm people had got the bullock off the track, though it was still inside the railway fence. Saturday 3rd May 2008.

NYMR. 2007/10/06, 1. Panoramic view of 0-6-2T Lambton No. 29 prior to working "The Lambton Worm" from Grosmont to Pickering and return (twice) with four Gresley teak coaches. Saturday 6th October 2007.

NYMR. 2007/10/06, 2. Panoramic view of 0-6-2T Lambton No. 29 prior to working "The Lambton Worm" from Grosmont to Pickering and return (twice) with four Gresley teak coaches. Saturday 6th October 2007.

NYMR. 2007/10/06, 3. Panoramic view at Pickering of 0-6-2T Lambton No. 29 with "The Lambton Worm" from Grosmont to Pickering and return (twice) with four Gresley teak coaches. Saturday 6th October 2007.

Then & Now, 1. Views of the line from High Wycombe to Maidenhead near Loudwater, looking back towards Wycombe Marsh and High Wycombe. On the left, GWR 61xx 2-6-2T No. 6143 is working the 16:15 pick-up goods (with just a brakevan at this stage) from High Wycombe to Maidenhead and on to Slough. First stop is to shunt the yard at Loudwater station until 18:38 and then continue, Friday 11th June 1965. On the right is a similar view taken in September 1991, long after closure of the line from High Wycombe to Bourne End, the rest of the line to Maidenhead remains open, together with the branch to Marlow. The railway fence is still intact, though the trackbed is very overgrown and partly incorporated into adjacent gardens.

Then & Now, 2. The level-crossing at Loudwater station on the line from High Wycombe to Maidenhead. On the left, GWR 2-6-2T No. 6141 comes across the crossing with the afternoon pick-up goods, 16:15 from High Wycombe to Maidenhead and on to Slough, giving up the single-line token to the signalman as it enters the station loop. The train was then shunted here before continuing its trip. Thursday 10th June 1965. On the right is the same scene long after the section from High Wycombe to Bourne End was closed, though the line is still open from there to Maidenhead, together with the branch line to Marlow. The public footpath signposted in the older picture has now been diverted along the old trackbed, at least as far as the local school, where it reverts to its original course alongside the railway, then back onto the trackbed again. The station itself was behind the camera, the area is now occupied by a small industrial estate. Monday 30th September 1991.

Then & Now. Sheep Pasture on the Cromford & High Peak line. "Then" was Saturday 27th June 1964 and 0-4-0ST No. 47006 has just disgorged the passengers of the RCTS "High Peak Railtour" from the wagons of its train, having arrived from the bottom of Middleton Incline. "Now" was on Thursday 4th December 2003, the railway now the "High Peak Trail" footpath. Apart from the removal of the track and tree growth, little has changed, even the base of the telegraph pole on the left by the wall is still there. Even the weather hasn't changed much!

Whilst unable to claim any prowess at the drawing board, I do very occasionally get out the pencils and scribble a few lines! Ex-LNWR Bowen-Cooke "George V" class 4-4-0 LMS 3P No. 25393 "Loyalty" emerging from Penmaenrhos tunnel with a Chester to Holyhead stopping passenger train in 1943. This was a preliminary sketch for my father-in-law to produce a water colour version for my parents' Golden Wedding in 1993, this engine having pulled the train they caught for their honeymoon in Colwyn Bay!