chrisleighphotography.com

This shot was taken just north of the southern terminus of the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway, at Cheltenham.  5619 is a newly restored prairie tank from the Telford Steam Railway and was just visiting the GWR.  One of the problems when trying to take photos of steam engines is that there are always so many people crowded round the engine when it’s in a station, so that you can’t take an uncluttered image.  So you have to find somewhere away from the crowds which will give you an opportunity of a good shot.  Here the train is accelerating away after a speed restriction outside of Cheltenham.  I would have liked more smoke and steam but the engine doesn’t seem to be working all that hard.  At least the sky provides interest rather than the standard UK grey overcast.  Flickr has a small set of shots from this July 2008 visit to the GWR.  DSC02679