Boys' Day Out

Lots of clag as 60069 eases its load into the loop
at Westerleigh. More pics here! 

 Late last week as a break from toy trains I went on a jolly snapping trains with the good company of Tony Callaghan, Mark Bearton, Ian Chancellor, Chris Perkins, Richard Lewis and Tom Curtis.

The weather started off dull, misty and wet at our rendezvous of Pilning, but digital photography doesn't really get handicapped with this sort of weather, and if anything van produce more interesting results than sunshine.

After Pilning we nipped over to Westerleigh fuel terminal between the Bath and Bristol M4 junctions. It was hard to imagine that once upon a time the Pines Express and other long distance expresses thundered through here on this old Midland route on their way to Bristol, Bath, the Somerset & Dorset Line and beyond.

At Westerleigh the incoming train was running late which was delaying the outbound train, this presented us with the sight of two long trains at the terminal - double fun for spotters!

We then rounded up the day a mile of two north at Ram Hill, Coalpit Heath. This area historically was the centre of the south Gloucester coal field, with the last pit, Froglane Colliery closing just after the last war.

And now the photos from those of use that have websites:

• Chris Perkins: http://transportmedia.smugmug.com/Trains/AROUNDOCT12/25742391_p536Rh#!i=2184652941&k=JSJVPqr
• Mark Bearton http://www.railwaymedia.co.uk/Trips2012/251012/26165720_MT687S#!i=2175720792&k=hGfnzkB
• Tony Callaghan: http://www.railpixtc.co.uk/New-stuff/Latest-Images/18324922_T2SNH3
• Tom Curtis http://tomcurtisrailgallery.weebly.com/ (still to be loaded at time of posting)
• Chris Nevard http://nevardmedia.smugmug.com/Trains/Day-trip-to-Bristol-Area/26250012_PwBwBx#!i=2185327840&k=p5XVj2P

See BREWHOUSE QUAY at Wycrail this weekend