Loose_Grip/Pete's photos with the keyword: preserved

The Leicester Transport Heritage Trust organised a running day to celebrate the "100th Anniversary of Municipal Motorbuses in Leicester". Buses ran from De Montfort Hall (seen here) by Victoria Park to the old tram depot on London Road by the racecourse & along Evington Road to St Philip's Church, the original destination for the first buses in 1924. Right to left are 217 a 1961 AEC Bridgemaster, 190 a 1965 AEC Renown and 154 a 1950 Leyland Titan PD2.

The girls show an interest in GWR Manor 4-6-0 7827 Lydham Manor on the 10.30 Dartmouth to Paignton train. Or is their interest directed more at the young fireman?? The Dart Valley Railway plc was formerly known as the Torbay Steam Railway but today operates as the Dartmouth Steam Railway. It was the only heritage line running trains in the Southwest during our holiday.

I'm not a bus-lover but this brought back childhood memories. At North Weald we transferred to 1950-built Green Line RT 3238, registration KYY 967, for the journey back to Epping LT station. We then decided to go the whole hog and stay onboard to sample the journey by RT to Shenfield station on the Liverpool Street to Ipswich main line. In what looks like an everyday scene RT 3238 emerges from under the main line railway bridge on Hutton Road by Shenfield station. For a 69 year old vehicle it felt modern inside and was very smooth running.

The second engine I cleaned this morning was British Railways Standard 9F 2-10-0 92214. She came off shed at 10.20 & I cadged a ride with Dave and Nick down to the station. After taking water we ran round into platform 2 via the Down Loop. Here the Down Loop Starter is clearly off to run out to the totem pole. Despite the grey skies it didn't rain!

Photo by Matt Yardley. Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0 46521 back on shed after the second day of the Autumn Gala. We are contemplating our next move.

The only flying Vulcan in the world banks away from RAF Finningley (now Robin Hood Airport) on the first leg of its Cold War Tour.

Taking off from RAF Finningley (now Robin Hood Airport) is XH558, the only flying Vulcan in the world.

French steam SNCF 141-TD-740 on a special passenger train at Meymac station. 141-TD-740 was built in 1932 by la Compagnie des Chemins de Fer de l'Est for suburban services in Paris. It was later transferred to the Western Region & worked out of Gare Saint-Lazare until electrification in 1967. Withdrawn from SNCF in 1968 it was chosen for preservation at the Mulhouse Railway Museum but after languishing for 14 years out in the open it was deemed irreparable and was sold. C.F.T.L.P., Chemin de Fer Touristique Limousin - Périgord, purchased the engine in 1982 and it was restored to working order. It was classified as a "monuments historiques au titre de la préservation du patrimoine industriel" by ministerial decree in 1987. The CFTLP still run special trains in SW France the next being 23rd/24th June - see: www.trainvapeur.com/programmes/programme.htm for details.

Carnforth station & Stanier 8F 2-8-0 48151 prepares to depart with a steam special for the Cumbrian Coast on 21st April 2001, The classic b/w 1940s film Brief Encounter was based on a chance meeting in the refreshment room on Carnforth station & filming took place there. After many years of neglect this has reopened as a tea room not surprisingly called Brief Encounter.

Steve cleaning out 48624's smokebox.

Up close and personal with British Railways Standard 4-6-2 70013 Oliver Cromwell on Southall shed while prepping the engine for a main line steam special.