Photographers start snapping away as 34067, Tangmere approaches the road bridge at Yatton, with the Royal Duchy Express. 

 

 

As she enters the stations precincts folk on the ‘down’ platform spring into action.

 

 

She cuts power and gradually comes to a halt, stopping to pick up passengers for Cornwall.

  30 minutes later Preserved locomotive ex-LNER, Mallard Class A4 Bittern  runs through Yatton station giving the folks in the “Balcony Seats” a good view as she runs under the footbridge.

/, But also giving them a taste of smoke as she zips through the station on the way to Kingswear 

A succesful day particularly because it was the last run for the Torbay Express.

Tangmere pulls in to Yatton to pick up passengers for Cornwall.

Went out to Yatton Sunday to get shots of Tangmere with the Royal Duchy Express.
Quite a lot of passenegers waitng as well as steam buffs wanting to take pix.

Passengers and steam buffs

A good mix up at the head of the train with steam fans wanting to see "the works" and passengers getting into the leading coaches.
I got my shots from the footbridge but this meant I didn't get clear pix of the wheels. .

Clevedon versus Paignton

I took some macro shots Friday and when I went to watch the rugby I found I had forgotten to change the lens back to the Tamron 18-270.
I was limited with the 90mm f2.8 but I got some of the best rugby pix I have taken for a long time.



Took a chance and sent one to the Plymouth Independent as we were playing Paignton.
I shall have to wait and see what happens tommorow.


 

There was a change this week when ex Southern Railway Light Pacific class preserved locomotive 34067 Tangmere stood in for Oliver Cromwell with the Royal Duchy special.
Despite the murky weather by the time the train was due there were around 50 train spotters and photographers waiting.
The light “Sotch Mist” kept the smoke down and there were plenty of cameras clicking away as she ran though Nailsea/Backwell station.

Spotters begin to wave as Tangmere enters Nailsea/Backwell station

The footbridge watchers get a smell of Loco smoke

Then folk took advantage of the glass shelters whilst waiting for the Torbay Express. Bittern the Mallard class loco was running again this week and was timed about right for – as far as this photographer was concerned a calamity. The Cardiff diesel train pulled in – discharging and picking up passengers. Round the Farleigh bend came Bittern. I was placed in the middle of the platform in order to get – as I thought – the loco running under the footbridge.
It could hardly have been worse, folk were dashing to the head of the diesel or the the west end of the platform, which was clear. In both places good pictures were taken. Unfortunately 88 year old legs can’t move as speedily as they used to and all I managed to get was a shot of Bittern as she left Nailsea.

Bittern leaves Nailsea/Backwell