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The new order and the old at Liskeard

175009 approaches Liskeard with training run 5Z13 from Newton Abbot to Penzance

Less than two months before withdrawal of the GWR Castle HST sets in mid-December 2025 and with crew training now beginning on the replacement Class 175 units meant the perfect excuse to pay a return visit to Liskeard on 20 October 2025 to capture the changing face of Cornwall’s main line.

Despite pretty dire weather for much of the day, a few hours on the rather photogenic station meant a chance to photograph 175009 on two of the day’s crew training runs along with the only two Class 255 HST “Castle” sets in action that day, after the third diagram had been curtailed and replaced with a two-car Class 150 unit.

Last days of the South Wales semaphores

150267 approaches Ferryside on 11 September with 2B52 from Pembroke Dock (07.07) to Cardiff

Only weeks remain before another outpost of lower quadrant semaphore signalling is consigned to railway history, when much-delayed re-signalling of the main line between Swansea and Carmarthen spells closure for four signal boxes and with it the loss of mechanical signalling at Pembrey & Burry Port and at Ferryside.

Paying what could well be my last visit to the area (on 10/11 September 2025) before the new signalling is commissioned on 3 November, my aim was to capture for one last time trains passing the handful of semaphores at both locations, hopefully including one of the route’s only scheduled freight workings, the oil tanks to and from Robeston Sidings, near Milford Haven.

Rendezvous at Ramsbottom

34092 storms away from Ramsbottom on 22 August 2025 with the 10.40 Heywood-Rawtenstall

Concluding my trio of summer visits to heritage railways affiliated to the Watercress Line – meaning free travel for working volunteers like me – I head north for an overnight stay in Bury and a couple of days on the charming East Lancashire Railway (ELR).

The town’s former main station, Bury Bolton Street, is headquarters of the 12½-mile line, which from there runs three miles east to Heywood and a link to the national Rail network at Castleton and 9 miles north alongside the Irwell River to Rawtenstall.

Sun and semaphores at Droitwich Spa

172335/008 pass Droitwich Spa Signal Box with 2V52 from Dorridge (12.03) to Worcester FS

Planning on taking a day train trip from Cheltenham Spa to Bridgnorth to reacquaint myself with the fully re-opened Severn Valley Railway, I was persuaded to put off my SVR journey by a day when I spoke to a couple of enthusiasts in the Cafe Loco at Worcester Shrub Hill to ask why Rail Operations Group Class 37 37800 Cassiopeia was parked up in the centre siding.

I learned that it was there to provide Thunderbird breakdown cover for Porterbrook’s converted Class 319 Hydroflex unit 799201, which was scheduled to be making a test run from Long Marston to Shrub Hill and back later in the day (12 August 2025), but also heard of another interesting special working that day departing from the rail storage facility at Long Marston.

Historic Horsted Keynes

73082 “Camelot” departs Horsted Keynes with the 11.45 Sheffield Park – East Grinstead

Continuing my summer-time visits to heritage railways that are affiliated to the Watercress Line – meaning free reciprocal travel for working volunteers like me – I am making a long overdue return to what must surely be the UK’s finest preserved station.

Horsted Keynes station is roughly midway along the 11-mile long Bluebell Railway from East Grinstead to Sheffield Park and has been superbly preserved in Southern Railway 1930s style, which helps account for its appearance in countless films and period TV dramas.

A call at Calstock

150261 crosses Calstock Viaduct on 28 July 2025 with 2G81 from Plymouth (14.27) to Gunnislake

VIADUCTS are one of the most dramatic features of our railway network and make for great photos, particularly if being crossed by a train, so after some recent successes with the fabulous Moorswater Viaduct near Liskeard, I am now heading to a remote corner of South-East Cornwall to capture trains on the magnificent Calstock Viaduct.

Calstock Viaduct is the most impressive feature on the 12-mile long Tamar Valley Line, and part of a branch line that once ran from a junction at Bere Alston to Callington, was recommended for closure in the 1963 Beeching report, but was reprieved as far as Gunnislake, due to the inadequate local roads.

Super Spa Valley Railway

Caledonian Railway 0-6-0 828 storms away from Groombridge with the 14.35 from Eridge

A little more than 40 years ago, on the night of Saturday, 6 July 1985, I managed to miss the last train from Tunbridge Wells to Eridge, when I paid a farewell visit to the line, but had not realised that there was a replacement bus service from Tonbridge to Tunbridge Wells on that day.

I was working on The Observer at the time and having to work on Saturdays meant only being able to travel late in the evening. I dashed across from Tunbridge Wells Central station but was too late, and had to settle instead for a short trip back on the last ever service from Tunbridge Wells West to Tunbridge Wells Central.

Poacher Line debut for EMR Aurora

810004 passes West Street Junction Signal Box with 5Q61 from Old Dalby to Skegness

Thursday, 17 July 2025 proved to be an historic day on the splendid East Midlands Railway (EMR)-operated Grantham-Skegness Poacher Line, with a first ever visit to the route by one of the new EMR Class 810 Aurora units.

A fleet of 33 bi-mode 5-car Class 810s is destined to replace the Class 222 Meridian units on longer distance EMR services, but introduction of the Hitachi-built units has been beset by repeated delays.

Diesel-hydraulics at Medstead

D821 “Greyhound” arrives at Medstead with 2A24 from Alresford (12.32) to Alton

Glorious sunshine and guest appearances by some marvellous diesel-hydraulic traction are making for a highly popular gala weekend on the Alton-Alresford Watercress Line, where I have worked as a volunteer booking for the past decade.

Not normally being someone who relishes the crowds, I paid a 90-minute visit on Saturday (12 July 2025) to the footbridge at Medstead & Four Marks station in order to savour some of the remarkable heritage diesel action.

Summer stone traffic at Peak Forest

Freightliner 70005 storms away from Peak Forest and passes the century old signal box and DB 66106 hauling 6H52 from Dowlow Quarry to Ashburys SS.

Only days after the Midland Railway signal box was celebrating its 100th birthday (5 July 2025) it is time to pay a return visit (on 8 July 2025) to fascinating Peak Forest, near Buxton, and hope to photograph again some of the heavy stone traffic passing the semaphore signals controlled by Peak Forest South Signal Box.

After two highly enjoyable visits in August and November 2024, my ambition this time was to capture a train passing up signal PF16, the motor-worked distant that is mounted beneath Great Rocks Junction’s section signal GR14, and is one of less than a dozen surviving working home and distant signals on the national network.