As there are now so many pictures on this site spread over two galleries and it is getting difficult to find the new ones amongst all the others, I have taken a leaf out of Geoff Plumb's book and created a separate collection into which all the new ones can go for a while before being transferred to their permanent homes. Some of these will be in the second gallery, and some in this one.

I usually add something new most days, and then keep them in here for a couple of weeks or so before moving them on. Regular visitors (if there are any, of course!) need therefore only look in this collection to see what's been added since their last visit - the newest pictures will be the first ones that you see. I hope that this makes life a bit easier. Please let me know if I have confused you!

I bought my first 35mm camera, an Ilford sportsman, in 1958, so here are a few of my early black and white pictures of ex Great Western locomotives. Many of the pictures were taken on Home Counties Railway Club Sunday excursions to various parts of the country, but, as I do not have access to my old records, I cannot identify the locations. If anyone recognises anywhere, do let me know!

Following on from the previous collection of ex GWR locos, here is the Southern selection...

Having opened collections for the GWR and the Southern, now it's the turn of the LMS. The LNER and BR Standards will follow next, as will some early diesels.

ex LNER locos come next, but, like the other collections, it will take me a while to scan and upload them so.....watch this space!

And last, but not least, the BR Standard locos.

For those fed up with so many kettles, I did take the odd diesel picture now and then!

I shall start this collection with my first ever colour slide. Others will be added as time goes by and will feature locos and locations of the Western Region. This being the former lines of the G.W.R. prior to nationalisation in 1948.

The Southern Region was what had been the Southern Railway prior to the 1948 nationalisation of the previously private railway companies. There are quite a few Southern Region pictures in my collection and they will appear on here as time permits.

The London Midland Region took over the lines of the old London, Midland and Scottish Railway, but only the lines south of the Scottish border were included when the railways were nationalised in 1948.

Following the regional boundary changes in the late 1950s, some L.M. lines and sheds were transferred to the Eastern and North Eastern Regions, while other lines such as the Great Central became London Midland territory. Initially, however, I have mainly stuck to the original regions as these most closely reflect the original L.M.S. sheds and lines. Later pictures from the mid-sixties will reflect the boudary changes and Great Central line pictures, for example, will be in the L.M. collection, Part 3.

So as not to have too many pictures in one collection, I have split the London Midland Region into three. This is Part 1 and covers the ex London and North Western Railway territory. The next collection (3.2) covers the ex Midland Railway lines and Part 3 (3.3) covers the Great Central and other ex Eastern Region lines transferred under the boundary changes of the late 1950s.

Initially, new pictures will start off in the 'Stop Press' collection for a couple of weeks or so before being transferred into here.

An overflow to the previous collection.

So as not to have too many pictures in each collection, I have split the London Midland collection into three parts. This is part 2 and covers the ex Midland Railway territory. The previous collection (3.1) covers the ex London and North Western Railway lines and the next collection (3.3) covers the Great Central and other ex Eastern Region lines transferred under the boundary changes of the late 1950s.

New additions will, as usual, start off in the 'Stop Press!' collection for a couple of weeks or so before being transferred into here.

This is the third part of the London Midland Region collection and covers the ex Great Central and other lines that were transferred from the Eastern Region following the boundary changes of the late 1950s. I have also included the Stratford upon Avon and Midland Junction Railway in here.

The ex L.N.W.R. lines are covered in Part 1 of this collection (3.1) and the ex Midland Railway territory is covered in Part 2 (3.2).

As is usual, newly added pictures will start off in the 'Stop Press!' Collection for a couple of weeks or so before being transferred into here.

South of Doncaster, the lines of the old L.N.E.R. became the Eastern Region after the 1948 railway nationalisation.

Following the regional boundary changes of the late 1950s, however, some ex. L.M.S. lines and sheds were transferred to the Eastern Region, while other lines, such as the ex. Great Central, became part of the London Midland Region. Initially, for the sake of simplicity, I have mainly stuck to the original Eastern Region as that most closely follows the territory of the L.N.E.R. Later pictures from the mid-sixties however, will reflect the boundary changes, and Great Central line pictures for example will appear in the London Midland Region collections.

As time permits, I shall be putting some memories of the Eastern Region on here, so, if numbers beginning with a '6' are your thing, it will be worth popping back here from time to time to see whether I have added anything new!

North of Doncaster, the lines of the old L.N.E.R. became the North Eastern Region following the railway nationalisation which took place on the 1st January, 1948. Later, following the regional boundary changes of the late 1950s, some ex. L.M.S. lines and sheds were transferred to the North Eastern Region, Leeds Holbeck, for example, becoming 55A instead of 20A. However, I have mainly stuck to the original regions as created in 1948 so as to more accurately reflect the old L.M.S. and L.N.E.R. territories.

Despite living in the south of England, I travelled around quite a bit in those days and there will therefore be a few from this area to add from time to time. They will be added in date order, so the latest additions will be at the end.

Visits to Scotland were not as frequent as to other parts of the country as it was rather a long way from Wembley where I used to live. However, there are some Scottish pictures in my boxes of colour slides, and they will be appearing here as I come to them. The Scottish Region, as its name suggests, comprised all the lines north of the border from both the L.M.S. and the L.N.E.R.

The pictures will be added in date order, so the latest additions will be at the end of the collection. To begin with, however, new additions will start off in the 'Stop Press! Laterst Pictures!!' collection.

Despite living in London until the mid 1980s, I did not take many pictures of London Transport trains. I just took them for granted, I suppose. There are, however, a few in my collection and I shall put them on here as I come across them.

This was my first effort with Fotopic, but they weren't very good so I have tried to improve them with a bit of cropping, sharpening, colour restoration, etc. I hope that they are an improvement on my previous efforts although they are still not perfect. However, they are only a matter of weeks short of their 46th birthday, and I am still learning how to get the best out of the scanner/computer so you will have to make allowances! The first four were taken on Easter Monday, and the remainder on AGM Day.

'Taliesin' was renamed 'Earl of Merioneth' in April, 1961 and both the new nameplates were lying on the ground side by side at Boston Lodge before being fitted to the locomotive. As they are usually on opposite sides of the engine, it is not normally possible to photograph both of them at the same time!

However, I did, and you'll find the picture in this collection.

Regular visits to, and working parties on, the railway enabled me to take pictures of various events and at various locations. This is my view of 1962.

There seem to be quite a lot of slides dated 1963, so I must have gone to Wales quite often that year. Being the London Area Group Working Party Organiser may have had something to do with it! It will take me a while to get the pictures on here, but give me time.....

The narrow gauge railways connecting the slate quarries at Penrhyn and Dinorwic in North Wales to their respective ports on the coast were wonderful places to visit in the early 1960s.

I went there a couple of times and took many photographs.

Other North Wales quarry railways will also feature in this collection when there are not enough pictures to warrant a collection of their own. They will start off in the 'Stop Press!' collection before being transferred into here.

I first visited the Talyllyn in 1957, but the earliest colour pictures are from 1960. Others will be added over time, although, initially, they will start off in the 'Stop Press!' collection.

Over the Easter weekend in 1960, Ron Bowyer and I, mad fools that we were, walked the complete lengh of the old Welsh Highland Railway trackbed. Forty six years ago, most of it was still quite passable although there were, even then, some wet and boggy bits that required a slight deviation to avoid.

We travelled up from London on the Good Friday, and then spent the Saurday and Sunday walking the line with an overnight stop at Beddgelert. The B & B, I remember, cost us ten shillings each! That's 50p in today's money!! There was no running water, though. Morning ablutions were done using a bowl and a jug of water. Even in 1960 this was a bit of a novelty.

I have never walked the whole line again since that occasion, but I have visited and walked along odd bits of it. Further photos of these later occasions will appear as time permits.

For up-to-date pictures of the W.H.R. and the South African Garratts, see the 'Welsh Highland Railway' collection in the 2nd Gallery.

The Welshpool and Llanfair Railway was in its infancy in the early 1960s, but it made an interesting diversion for Festiniog volunteers on their way home on Sunday afternoons.

I have therefore opened up a collection for pictures taken on such occasions, although the first three are of the W & L locomotives THE EARL and THE COUNTESS in store at Oswestry Works in 1960. They were still the property of the British Railways Western Region in those days, so the pictures are in the Western Region collection, 02.1. However, I have copied them into this collection as well.

New pictures will start off in the 'Stop Press!' collection for a couple of weeks or so before I transfer them into here.

During the 1960s, I managed to visit some of the Ironstone Railways in and around Northamptonshire before they were either dieselised or closed. From time to time I shall be putting a few pictures of those long forgotten lines in this collection although, as with other collections, they will start off in the 'Stop Press! Latest Pictures!!' collection.

There will also be some pictures from other industrial concerns as I find them. Please note, however, that the Penrhyn, Dinorwig and other North Wales Quarry railways have their own collection, above.

There are sometimes pictures which do not fit into any particular theme or collection, and do not therefore warrant a collection of their own. I have therefore created a special 'Odds and Ends' collection into which they can go.

It would be worth having a look in here from time to time, as you never know what I might have put in it. Odds and Ends, mostly! The latest additions to the collection will be at the end, so you'll have to scroll down to find them.

Before I put them in here, however, they will spend a couple of weeks or so in the 'Stop Press! Latest Pictures!!' collection.

I have made numerous visits to the Bluebell over the years, the first being even before the line was open. Photographs taken during these visits will be uploaded here over a period of time, so if the Bluebell rates highly in your railway preservation league table, do keep coming back to see if there's anything new.

To begin with, though, the latest additions will go in the 'Stop Press!' collection for a couple of weeks, so that will be the place to look for any recent offerings.

There was an inpressive line up of motive power at Doncaster Works during the open weekend of the 26th and 27th July, 2003. By lucky chance, I was on my way home from a week in Whitby on the Saturday so was able to pop in and have a look.

A selection of pictures will appear here as time permits, although they will start off in the 'Stop Press!' collection for the first couple of weeks or so.

The Isle of Man Railways and Tramways are well worth a visit, so here are a few pictures to whet your appitite!

The original military railway at Longmoor in Hampshire was an 18 inch gauge line built in 1903. It was later converted to standard gauge between 1905 and 1907 and became known as the Woolmer Instructional Military Railway. The name was changed to the Longmoor Military Railway in 1935.

It ran between Bordon and Liss, but with a circular loop in the middle and was used to train the Royal Engineers in all aspects of railway operation from construction to operating. There were stations, junctions and signal boxes, and an assortment of freight and passenger rolling stock including both steam and diesel locomotives.

The MoD closed the line in 1969 and there was a proposal that it would be taken over by preservationists who would run it as a transport museum. Unfortunately, local residents objected and the scheme came to nothing.

This is a line that is well worth a visit. I have only been there a couple of times, but have enough pictures to warrant a Fotopic collection. As always, they will be added over time, starting off in the 'Stop Press!' collection.

I first visited the Severn Valley in 1969 before it was open to the general public. A group of us, Ffestiniog Railway volunteers on the way home to London after a weekend in Wales, had heard of a new standard gauge presevation scheme at a place called Bridgnorth and made a detour to give it the once over.

Not being open to the public, we did not expect trains to be running. However, they were, but only SVR members were allowed to ride on them. So instead of selling tickets to ride, they sold day membership for five shillings and we had a free ride to Hampden Loade and back. We all agreed that it was the best five bob that we'd ever spent!

As I have been there many times since, it is high time I opened a collection on Fotopic. To begin with, though, newly added pictures will start off in the 'Stop Press! Latest Pictures!!' collection.

I visited Austria a couple of times during the 1960s, so this is the place to look for the pictures. They will, of course, be found in the 'Stop Press!' collection before being transferred into here.

Belgian railways are oftern neglected by photographers, which I think is a pity. Also, Belgium seems to be the place you pass through on the way to somewhere else, which is also a pity. So, to redress the balance a little, here are some Belgian railway pictures taken over the years.

As usual, they will be added a few at a time, and will start off in the 'Stop Press! Latest Pictures!!' collection.

Between the 19th and 26th September, 1970, the Railway Enthusiasts' Club based in Farnborough, Hampshire, ran a tour of Denmark. E.A.S.Cotton was on the trip and I am grateful to Adrian Jarvis for letting me borrow some pictures for inclusion here.

I have visited Northern France once or twice, and my travels to other parts of France, and elsewhere, have resulted in my passing through that area. There are therefore quite a few pictures in my collection, steam, diesel and electric. I shall be adding them to this collection from time to time but, as always, time is the issue!

In October, 1964 I visited the 60cm gauge Tramway de Pithiviers à Toury to the south of Paris. This line was only operational in the Autumn during the suger beet harvesting season. Although long since closed, a short section from Toury has been preserved as a museum line.

Pictures will be added over time, but, as usual, they will start off in the 'Stop Press!' collection for the first couple of weeks or so.

After a weekend on the Tramway de Pithiviers à Toury (see previous collection), I moved on to Brittany to see the Réseau Breton metre gauge system. Am I glad I did! - the system closed soon afterwards.

Pictures will be added over time and will start off in the 'Stop Press!' collection.

The family holiday in 1998 was in the French Alps near St.Gervais-les-Bains-le-Fayet and we took the Motorrail from Paris so as to have the convenience of the car whilst there. The car was abandoned at Paris Gare de Bercy, and a bus shuttle took us round to the nearby Gare de Lyon. Later, when the car-carrying wagons were shunted round and attached to the rest of the train, we were relieved to see the car safely on board!

As with other collections, this one will also be added to over time, with new additions starting off in the 'Stop Press!' collection for the first couple of weeks.

Having visited Brittany back in 1964, I had long fancied another trip there. This was achieved in June, 2002 when I re-visited some of the places visited on the previous visit, plus some new places as well.

This included the summertime steam tourist trains on the old Réseau Breton Guingamp - Paimpol line between Paimpol and Pontrieux. This used to be metre gauge but was later dual gauge, and then standard gauge only. This line remained open when the bulk of the Réseau Breton system was closed.

231K class Pacific 231 K 8 was doing the honours when we visited the line in 2002.

As with most collections, pictures will be added over time having spent the first couple of weeks in the 'Stop Press!' collection.

In October, 2004, I paid a long overdue visit to the South of France. We spent a few days in Aix-en-Provence before moving on to Nice, and then stopped off at Tournon on the way back. The Vivarais pictures are in the next collection.

I took lots of pictures as usual, and they will be appearing on here as time permits. They will, however, start off in the 'Stop Press!' collection before being transferred into here.

On the way back from the South of France, we stopped at Tournon in the Rhone Valley to visit the renowned metre gauge Chemin de Fer du Vivarais. This line runs up into the hills to the west of the river and is part of the old Réseau du Vivarais which was a much larger system.

Pictures will be posted here as time permits, although, initially, they will start off in the 'Stop Press!' collection before being transferred here.

On our way to the Pfalzer Plandampf last October, we visited the charming C de F de la Vallee de l'Aa. This is situated at Arques, famous for its glassware 'Crystal d'Arques', just to the east of St. Omer. At around 40 km from Calais, it is easily accessable from these shores, and well worth a stop-over on the way to, or from, the Channel crossings. The last four pictures are stills from my video camera which is why they are a bit blurred.

We stayed at Bad Duerkheim, some 12 km north of Neustadt, whilst in Germany. Some pictures from there, and of Heidelberg trams, form the second part of this collection.

Although my first visit to West Germany was in 1965, I purchased part of an extensive slide collection recently and some of these go back to 1959.

As with all collections, it will take me a while to scan them and publish them on Fotopic, but, over time you will see them on here. Along, of course, with a few of my own.

As there are so many pictures, I have started an overflow collection, Germany 1.2 - The 1960s Part 2, to take the overflow from this collection. Initially, however, they will start off in the 'Stop Press!' collection for a couple of weeks or so before being transferred here.

As the Germany 1960s collection continues to grow, and with lots more still to come, I have created this as an overflow collection.

A further continuation of the German Railway pictures from the 1960s.

I have made several trips to Germany over the years, including the former East Germany in 1971. So it's about time I opened a Fotopic collection for some of the many pictures that I have and I am starting with some from the early 1970s when some steam still survived in places like Rheine, Lauda and Freudenstadt. (For more recent steam in Germany, see pictures from the 2005 Plandampf in The Pfalz.)

As with other collections, photos will be added a few at a time and, to begin with, I shall put them in the 'Stop Press!' collection.

In 2001 and 2003 I went to Graubünden in south eastern Switzerland. However, I made a couple of day trips to the Bodensee (Lake Constance) on both occasions, visiting Friedrichshafen in 2001 and Lindau in 2003.

It was to be 32 years before I was to go back to what had been East Germany, but I went on two trips organized by Ffestiniog Travel in the latter part of 2003. The first trip, in October, was to the meter gauge system in The Harz, and the second was to the Baltic Coast to see the 'Mollibahn' and the Rügensche Kleinbahn.

We travelled by train on both occasions, so there are some standards gauge trains as well, plus some shots of the Schwebebahn at Wuppertal which was visited on the way to The Harz.

As there are quite a lot of pictures, I have split the collection into two with Wuppertal and The Harz in this part and the 'Molli' and Rügen in the next part.

A continuation of the previous collection, showing the pictures taken on my second German trip in 2003. I visited the Baltic Coast narrow gauge railways, these being the 'Mollibahn' from Bad Doberan to Kühlungsborn West and the Rügensche Kleinbahn on the Island of Rügen.

On the way home we had a brief pause in Berlin to change trains and and overnight stop at Aachen. The trip was arranged by Ffestiniog Travel.

In July, 2004, I spent a holiday at Rüdesheim am Rhein. Needless to say, I took a few railway pictures whilst in the area and this is the collection for them. To begin with, however, they will start off in the 'Stop Press!' collection before I move them into here.

Reminiscent of Rheine in the 1970s, there was a line up of German super power at Neustadt an der Weinstrasse shed on the Friday afternoon/evening before the Plandampf weekend.

In May, 1966, I made a visit to the then communist state of Hungary on a tour arranged by the Locomotive Club of Great Britain. The slides that I took are now being scanned and, as time permits, I shall be putting the pictures in here.

As usual, I shall put them in the 'Stop Press! Latest Pictures!!' for the first couple of weeks or so but, to begin with, a few up to date pictures from April, 2009.

I have only been to Italy a couple of times, but the few pictures that I have got will find their way into this collection as time permits. I also have a few purchased slides of Italian subjects and they, too, will be posted here.

As always, newly added pictures will start off in the 'Stop Press!' collection for the first couple of weeks or so before being transferred into here.

Luxembourg, like neighbouring Belgium, often seems to be overlooked by British enthusiasts. This is a pity, because Luxembourg is well worth a visit with some superb scenery as well as interesting railways.

It is truely the crossroads of Europe where trains from France, Belgium and Germany can be seen alongside each other as well as the indigenous Luxembourg ones.

In the late summer of 1972, Dave Thornhill, Editor and Publisher of 'World Steam' magazine, organized a trip to South Africa. The original plan was to include a diversion to Southern Rhodesia to see the Garratts, but, this was later changed and we went to Swaziland and Mozambique instead. What we saw there more than made up for the the Rhodesian Garratts that we missed!

Geoff Plumb has a growing selection of pictures on his Fotopic site, so I felt that it was time to open up a collection showing some of my efforts. If you think that some of my pictures are not dissimilar to some of his, this would be because I was standing next to him at the time!

We were away for three weeks, so there are quite a few pictures. These will be added as time permits although, to begin with, the new ones will be found in the collection 'Stop Press! Latest Pictures!!'.

From Natal onwards, the pictures continue in the next collection - South Africa, 1972 - Part 2.

Continuing from the previous collection, South Africa 1972 - Part 1, this collection will include the 2 foot gauge railways in Natal and our onward journey southwards to Port Elizabeth and De Aar.

As always, pictures will be added over time, but they will start off in the 'Stop Press!' collection for the first couple of weeks or so.

I only went to Spain and Portugal twice, but there are a few picture that will find their way into this collection as time permits. My pictures will be supplemented by some bought, and some borrowed.

As usual, I shall start them off in the 'Stop Press! Latest Pictures!!' collection for a couple of weeks or so before transferring them into here.

In 1966-7 I spent just under two years living in Zürich. This collection will therefore show some of the pictures I took whilst in Switzerland, together with a few that I have since purchased from other people.

As usual, I shall put the pictures in the 'Stop Press! Latest Pictures!!' collection for a couple of weeks or so before putting them in this collection.

The family holiday in 1984 was to Interlaken and the Berner Oberland area of Switzerland. We travelled overnight from Calais on the Milano sleeper as far as Brig where we changed to the BLS line for the climb over the Loetschberg Pass to Spiez. Here, a final change took us to Interlaken.

A selection of the photographs that I took will appear in this collection from time to time, and there are a couple of shots taken in Calais the evening before in an earlier collection 'France 1 : Calais, Boulogne and Northern France', above. I hope you like them!

Graubünden, the largest of the Swiss Cantons, is situated in the south-east of the country and is bordered by both Austria and Italy.

I have been there a couple of times and if one has to have a favourite part of Switzerland, this would be mine. This collection shows the pictures I took in August, 2001.

Pictures will be added over time, starting off, as usual, in the 'Stop Press!' collection.

A continuation of the previous collection, this collection show pictures from a visit in the Spring of 2003. Not all the pictures are in Graubünden, though, as we made a couple of day trips to nearby cantons.

New additions will be added over time, but, to begin with, you will find them in the 'Stop Press!' collection.

During May / June, 1966, I went on a splendid tour of Hungary and Yugoslavia organized by the Locomotive Club of Great Britain. Pictures from the Yugoslavian leg of the tour will appear in this collection and will be added in batches as time permits.

As it my usual custom, I shal start them off in the 'Stop Press! Latest Pictures!!' collection for the first couple of weeks or so before transferring them into here.

The 1970s and 1980s were the days of 'Rail Blue' and 'Corporate Image'. This, or so the TV adverts told us, was the 'Age of the Train'. So, to make a change from the 'kettles' that appear in some of my other collections, here are a few shots from an era that some look back on with nostalgia - and which others were glad to see the back of!

As with other collections, it will be added to over time, so if blue diesels (and electrics) are your thing, it could be worth your while having a look in here from time to time. Initially, new pix will start off in the 'Stop Press!' collection before ending up in here.

Following the universal, and some would say boring, 'Rail Blue' livery, British Rail was broken up into 'Business Sectors' such as InterCity, Network SouthEast, Regional Railways, etc. Each Sector had its own livery and this brought a touch of colour after the years of plain blue.

As with other collections, pictures will be added over time, although, initially, they will start off in the 'Stop Press!' collection before being transferred here.

A friend of mine and I had a day out in East Anglia last October. The starting point was Ely and we visited Felixstowe, briefly, and then, via the main line from Ipswich, Norwich and Sheringham.

At Sheringham the North Norfolk Railway was open, with the WD 2-10-0 doing the business. The pictures taken there are in collection 55 which comes next.

This is just a temporary collection for use when I am transferring pictures between galleries. So, most of the time, there won't be anything in here!