North York Moors Railway

While the main aim of my trip to Yorkshire was to see the Flying Scotsman, I enjoyed seeing the regular traffic on the North York Moors railway.

The 18 mile heritage railway runs from Pickering to Grosmont through a beautiful scenery which I had not expected.

Along the route we stopped at Levisham and Goathland stations, the latter being famous for TV and film appearances as Aidensfield and Hogsmeade.

I look forward to visiting the area again in the future to visit locations which I did not fit into my tight schedule.

Class 37 diesel loco passing a signal near Levisham Station

Looking dead ahead

45428 steam loco "Eric Treacy" taking up the rear

Levisham Station

A happy carriage in a siding at Levisham

Firebox glowing on 76079 at Goathland Station

Please can I have some coal mister?

76079 waiting at Goathland

Back home at Grosmont and the embers have been dumped in the pit

Evening DMU ready to depart from Grosmont

A busy scene at Goathland Station

Goods wagons in one of Goathland's sidings

Not a great photograph but a reminder of where my dad spent most of his working life

Class 101 DMU

Getting 45428 ready for next day

Diesel loco 7628 "Sybilla" parked outside of Grosmont

Class 28 loco 3814 awaiting restoration

The Royal Scotsman

The Royal Scotsman has visited Inverclyde several times this year and each time I've seen her she has had a different loco combination.

After starting the season being hauled by GBRailfreight engines, she is now using West Coast Railways locos.

Class 47 loco 47786 hauling the Royal Scotsman through Greenock Central Station

Enjoying the evening sun on the veranda of the Royal Scotsman

The Royal Scotsman passing through Greenock

57316 at the rear of the Royal Scotsman as it passes through Greenock

Bo'ness Diesel Gala

My last photo outing of 2014 took me back to Bo'ness, a place I have visited several times throughout the past year.

While I have a preference for steam, I thoroughly enjoyed my day out even though the temperature struggled to raise itself much above freezing point all day.

There were several classes of engines going back and forwards from Bo'ness station to Manuel, near Linlithgow.

Manuel halt on the Bo'ness & Kinneil railway

47643 at the Bo'ness Diesel Gala

Class 37 diesel loco passes Kinneil Halt on a frosty afternoon

GB Railfreight diesel loco 66721 at the Bo'ness Diesel Gala

47643 at the Bo'ness Diesel Gala

66721 at the Bo'ness Diesel Gala

Deltic loco 55022 and her admirers at the Bo'ness Diesel Gala

66721 at the Bo'ness Diesel Gala

Deltic loco 55022 Royal Scots Grey at the Bo'ness Diesel Gala

Close-up of Deltic loco 55022 Royal Scots Grey at the Bo'ness Diesel Gala

Festive lights on Bo'ness station patform

Bo'ness station platform

Bo'ness Diesel Gala drawing to a close

Day Out With Thomas

Last week I spent a day out with my friend Thomas at The Scottish Airshow at Ayr.

Today I met another Thomas - Thomas the Tank Engine.

Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway held one of their theme days where Thomas and his friends brought much excitement to hundreds of kids and their parents.

Bo'ness & Kinneil railway

The Bo'ness & Kinneil preserved railway is operated by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society.

The railway line runs from Bo'ness to Manuel with stops at Kinneil and Birkhill on the way.

 Our trip started at Bo'ness where steam loco 62712 Morayshire was returning from a tour. This year she has been repainted from her usual green LNER livery into black British Railways colours.

We then made our way to Birkhill station to await the arrival of the final tour of the day which was hauled by class 37 diesel loco 37401 Mary Queen of Scots.

Steam loco 44871 at Garelochhead

Last Friday was another attempt to catch a steam loco on the West Highland line.

The plan was to catch her coming into Helensburgh Upper station where she was scheduled for a 3 minute stop.

That fell through when the train arrived before we did but we managed to catch her while she was sitting waiting for the southbound sprinter to clear the line.

Success at last and here are someof my pictures from that day.

Steam loco 44871 sitting at Garelochhead station

Class 33 diesel loco hauling 44871 to Fort William

Crew happy to be on their way

Catching both engines pulling away

Oban & Lorn Highlander

Pulled by 2 class 37 Diesel locos, she stopped for a couple of minutes at Paisley yesterday to collect some passengers before heading for Oban.