It has been awhile since the last update now. I did go out on Wednesday but I only saw 1 Freight working and that was as I was parking the car! To make up for it we have a fairly big update today. It seems everything was happening today and the day started like last week, at sunrise!
It was off to Didcot first for a Class 50 tour to Cornwall. The skies were clear when I left home but only half a dozen miles down the road at Didcot it was thick fog. I took the shot anyway, I’m not sure if I like this shot or not. The fog adds some atmosphere to the shot and it’s beginning to grow on me.
I had planned to go for the early morning freightliner at Cholsey but the fog put paid to that as I couldn’t see the end of the platform. A charter from Hove – Kidderminster was due through next but it turned out worse than the 50s so I won’t be showing that one. A text message told me 37114 was working 6Z92 Bescot – Hinksey today so it was a short drive to Oxford to see it arrive at Hinksey. It managed to keep good time and showed up not long after arrival at Hinksey.
The next freightliner was due 20 minutes later so I hung around to see the freightliner through as well. It must have been using rocket fuel as it was flying and caught me slightly off guard and the result is slightly out of focus as I didn’t have time change the settings.
With the 37 and freightliner photographed I headed back to Didcot, as I was driving along the link road from the A34 to Didcot a freightliner headed West which is uncommon for a Saturday. An unusual 37 had turned up at Didcot sometime during the week, 37426. It had just been released from having Sandite equipment fitted so it may become the local Sandite machine for the Autumn.
While I had been to Oxford the yard had been arranging some engineers trains and the 08 dragged out an engineers train with 66211 on the other end so it could head off towards Swindon.
The 08 had to wait for a number of passenger workings before it could pull out on the main line and during this time 66020 turned up on 6B11 Thorney Mill – Swansea.
As 6B11 stopped for a crew change the engineers working with 08676 and 66211 pulled out and set off though I just managed to grab a shot of the loco.
That was most of the excitement over for the day so I headed home to edit the mornings pictures and write up some of today’s report. I planned to head out in the evening for the 50s coming back as they were due to stop I fancied trying my first night shots with the camera. I had ordered the cable release in the week so I was all set.
I turned up ay 21.00 giving me an hour to spare which enabled me to take some test shots to see what setting would work best. 43023 pulled in on a London bound service which was a perfect opportunity to practice on.
I was hoping the 50s would pull up at the normal HST stop point like the previous shot but I was out of luck and they stopped right up the end of the platform so I had to change the shot for a going away shot which turned out pretty well.
I was very pleased with how the night shots turned out though it looks like i could do with a longer lens hood as I surffered a fair bit of lens flare. I am planning a article on night photography in the coming few days to show you how digital can vastly improve the shot so stay tuned…..
