GCR Ending of Lineside Passes, ex-Bridge that Gap: Great Central Railway News

My first job was butcher’s boy - that could also be misconstrued

 

Language does change with time, what railway would name a loco Gay Crusader nowadays and the NBR saw nothing funny in naming one of their 4-4-0s Wandering Willie.

 

It comes from a Robert Burns poem

"Here awa, there awa, wandering Willie,
Now tired with wandering, haud awa hame;
Come to my bosom, my ae only dearie,
And tell me thou bring'st me my Willie the same." ........ and so on !

You just wouldn't would you ?

 

I think you will find that cameras were also tagged Festoon guns.

 

When the Bluebell was excavating Imberhorne Cutting, the only public vantage point was an bridge with all the action occurring an ever increasing distance away as excavation proceeded; the couple of photographers who stuck it out most days became “the bridge magnets”.

Tom

 

What about the character - alleggedly based on Tim Page with at least three cameras hung around him in Apocalypse Now?

 

I've always thought that "photter" was a derogatory term applied to railway photographers by non-photographers.
While I'm not particularly bothered what 'label' people apply to me I wouldn't be too pleased to be called a photter.
I'd probably treat them with the same disdain as those who ask me if I've seen any nice choo-choo trains recently.

 

Meanwhile, I believe the area to the North of the Swithland shed has been cleared and so the carriage shed extension will be proceeding soon. An extra 12 coaches under cover will be good for their preservation!

 

Wasn’t that term coined by an Oakworth stationmaster who absolutely hated photographers?

 

In the aircraft world it’s “toggers”. Neither that nor “photters” is derogatory IMO.

 

It was certainly in common use around Haworth Yard by 1970.

 

It's merely an abbreviation used more now as the term gricer seems to have gone out of favour

 

Dunno Ian, but it was a common remark around Haworth MPD in the late 80's.

 

During my days as a KWVR member he wrote an article in Push & Pull that absolutely lambasted anyone with a camera in general and permit holders in particular. Ralph Povey soon put him right after that.

 

The phrase "biting the hand that feeds you" comes to mind here?

It does remind me of the time though - given the flak photographers were getting at the time on the 'big railway' - that I asked if it was okay if I took some photographs at Melbourne's Spencer Street (now Southern Cross) station. My request was met with complete bemusement, and the answer was "don't get in the way of the passengers mate, but why on earth did you ask such an odd question?"

 

As I went by on the train today, it looked like there were some concrete footings in place for the steelwork.

 

Rabbit Bridge has become popular again after lineside clearance a few years ago, which was swiftly followed by a charter with 70013 in that area. I'd expect more shots in the future from behind the fence or over it !

 

I was there yesterday and noted two photographers, wearing the GCR hiviz as issued to pass holders, in positions that are supposedly out of bounds. Both got a toot and friendly wave from the crews.