Steam Dreams 2024

There was no stability post processing. The drone itself has incredibly stable aerodynamics even in gusts, and the camera is mounted on a 4 way stabilised gimbal. No sound, so separate recorder and dubbing required.

 

A Scot was most unlikely but saw 45602 British Honduras on an inter regional train stopped at Chistlehurst Jct in about 1957. Blowing off steam waiting to be allowed to go forwards as Jubs were banned on the Chatham line Eventually it was allowed to go

Don

 

Impressive.

 

A short-eared owl on the real east coast, only about 150 yards from the beach, and 2 miles east of the ECML, at Cresswell in Northumberland, last November. There have been a lot fewer of them in recent years than there were about a decade or more ago, but last winter seems to have bucked the trend. .

 

Stunning bird. Saw one on Skomer last year, one look from those eyes soon put me in my place!

 

A gorgeous shot - well done.

 

Lovely photo of a male Shortie. They are an irruptive species and in 2023 may have had their best year since 2011 on their breeding grounds, a significant number of which are in Scandinavia. The presumption being that both voles and lemmings reached a peak in their breeding cycles in 2023. I monitor their movements etc as much as I can still as I may well do a second edition of my book on the species at some stage. And last year good numbers started to arrive to 'overwinter' here in late July, somewhat earlier than normal, and that good influx went on for a long time.

Numbers overwintering in my part of Kent have been quite good over the last few years or more, but I have the equipment to study them at night which gives me a good idea of how many are actually around, rather than how many are being seen in daytime. As, despite the popular view, they are mainly a nocturnally active bird as the few of us that I am aware of who have studied them extensively in Britain well know. But, for a variety of reasons, they can be seen in daytime from time to time, much to the delight of bird lovers.

I think it best if a kindly mod move this to a new thread in General Chat - it is now way off subject here!

Bryan B

 

I wonder if I am able to slip this in before the owl discussions are (rightly) moved - by a staggering coincidence, having talked about owl photography, for the first time ever tonight I have just secured some shots of a juvenile Tawny (one of two calling) in my garden - the first time I have ever managed to catch an owl at night with any success.

 

Moving away from owls (!) - is there any word as to what might be working tomorrow's GoE and SSE runs?

 

Steam dreams has allocations for all tours on their website.
It is advertised as 70000.

 

Just had a look and there is now a 2nd Exeter tour in September, which I hadn't noticed before. It has been advertised as 61306. Still no allocation for the upcoming one this month.

 

Thanks - yes, but the allocation isn't necessarily what runs from the available pool. I've lost track of which locos are where at the moment. 70000 would be good.

 

It will be 70000 or 46100 as they are the Southall based locos. 61306 and 60007 are at Bishops Lydeard and the rest I assume are at Crewe.

 

Many thanks.

 

It is what runs 90% of the time, in fact I don't believe I have ever seen it wrong thus far. If there are last minute changes it tends to be updated to reflect it like 46100 last week.

 

Looking at YouTube videos posted today it is 70000 in charge

 

Sire, very many thanks for that information. Without it I would not have photographed any SR related steam loco activity today, despite having a ticket for the Clan Line trip, due to me not feeling up to a circa 20 hour grice today when I awoke at circa 05.00.

But, as soon as you told us it was definitely the Brit on the SD train today (other mentions that it would be the Brit are available), and with a grice to see it expected to be just a couple of hours or so, I decided to go out and photograph it at Tonbridge. Chosen so I could stand on the same platform where I last photographed steam - on 10 June 1961, which was just over one day before the End of SR Main Line Steam in Kent.

A somewhat gloomy day for weather today, but this is Summer 2024! However my day suddenly turned quite sunny.

As usual a very low res image from a very quick edit.

Bryan B

 

The Garden of England Lunchtime Tour, 70000 Britannia, 9th July 2024.
Filmed at Hildenborough:

 

Glad to be of service! As a Southern man you wouldn't want to risk seeing a Royal Scot!

Nice picture of the Brit anyway!

 

Quite right!