UPDATED TO 10 OCTOBER with two shots of diverted NXEC HSTs at Carlisle.

UPDATED TO 29 SEPTEMBER with two shots of 31465 on a radio survey train at Lancaster.

Photos taken during night shoots at this busy station on 24-25 July and 10 August. UPDATED with former DRS 66401 on a FGBRf gysum train.

UPDATED TO 14 OCTOBER with badly graffitied 156469, and three shots of newly named 156444.

UPDATED TO 10 OCTOBER with Virgin's guidelines on station photography, and scenes at Warrington and Carlisle.

17 photos of the quarry and of containerised lime destined for Port Talbot being picked up by 92012 on DB Schenker's 6X12 Enterprise. Whoever would have thought to see a 92 of all things working a pick-up goods?

UPDATED TO 14 October with probably my last 2009 shot of 4M74.

Fifteen photos of Anglo-Scottish sleepers, mainly late runners around Carnforth but also scenes at Preston, Glasgow and Fort William.

UPDATED to 22 OCTOBER with former Advenza 66843 on an Old Oak Common - Kilmarnock stock move.

UPDATED TO 3 NOVEMBER with another look at 57008 & 57002 on the 6J37 logs, which DRS have taken over from Colas and the Virgin 57s.

UPDATED TO 30 OCTOBER with 60091 on the 6S13 mgr empties.

Shots taken during a hasty visit to (finally) catch one of the class 87 convoys from Long Marston. Most northbound services are unidentified because they were being delayed by the failure of Pendo 51 at Norton Bridge.

60 photos which attempt to illustrate something of the history, geography and operations of Carlisle's railways. They begin with a look at the eastern approaches to Carlisle from Durranhill on the former Midland and North Eastern lines. But the bulk of the collection follows the WCML from Upperby through Citadel past Kingmoor and Mossband to Gretna Junction. Many of the photos were taken in autumn 2009, but some are earlier.

UPDATED TO 26 OCTOBER with 47270 on a Washwood Heath - Craigentinny move.

UPDATED TO 18 October with three shots of the ECS 'roundabout' in action at Carnforth Steamtown.

UPDATED TO 17 OCTOBER with 5690 Leander on the 'Cumbrian Fellsman', and 45407 & 45231 waiting to leave Carnforth with the 'Tin Bath Extra' ECS.

UPDATED TO 17 OCTOBER with 47773 at Hest Bank, and 56312 Artemis at Carnforth.

UPDATED TO 29 OCTOBER with a look at 66418 & 66432 on the Cumbrian railhead treatment train

18 photos of the last day of the 'West Highlander'. It was worked from Fort William to Cadder yard, north east of Glasgow, by 61994 The Great Marquess. 5690 Leander took over for the final leg as far as Carnforth, where 47760 took over for the last 30 miles to Preston.

34 photos of the afternoon trip from Fort William to Mallaig and back behind 62005 Lord of the Isles.

35 photos of the Glasgow - Fort William leg, hauled by 61994 The Great Marquess running over the West Highland line for which it was specially designed by Gresley.

34 shots of the first day of the Railway Touring Co's outstanding 'West Highlander' steam tour, which starred 5690 Leander working through from Preston to Glasgow (and making the first Jubilee appearance on Beattock for a very long time).

48 photos of the Railway Touring Co's special from Preston to Blaenau Ffestiniog, hauled throughout by 45231 The Sherwood Forester. The album ends with night shots at Preston, including three of 45231 alongside 5690 Leander.
***Photos of the Ffestiniog Rly are in my heritage railways website***

Fifty phots of this Pathfinder tour which starred new A1 60163 Tornado working from Hellifield to Preston via Ais Gill and Shap. 60163 had made its Settle & Carlisle debut the previous Saturday, but this run saw its debut on Shap thanks to a last minute decision not to return over the S & C because of engineering work. The most spectacular part of the trip was the run from Carlisle to Shap, where the crew seemed set to top the summit at 60mph (or better!) with a 13 coach, 490 ton train. Unfortunately they were badly delayed by a dilatory freight, and no records were broken.

A small collection featuring the Heathrow Express, Night Riviera sleeper and Eurostars.

This historic EMU was built by the LMS at Derby in 1939 for the Mersey electric lines and is part of the NRM's collection. In the mid-1980s it was immaculate and operational. Twenty years of open storage by the NRM are to blame for its present sorry state. It is now being looked after by the Class 502 Group, who have found a temporary home for it at Tebay. Their website = www.class502.org.uk

36 photos, most taken on the Dublin - Belfast Enterprise service jointly operated by Irish Rail and Northern Ireland Railways. My trip to Belfast was primarily to visit the Ulster Transport Museum at Cultra, Co Down.

***Photographs of the steam locos preserved at Cultra are on my British heritage railways website.***

The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland ran this excellent tour from Dublin to Waterford, returning via Limerick Junction. Irish Rail provided the GM traction, one 071 to Waterford, and two of the last 'small GM' 141s for the return.

70 photos of the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland's 400 mile railtour from Dublin to Westport and Ballina, County Mayo, hauled by Derby-built 2-6-4T No 4. This was the RPSI's 40th international railtour. They operate steam tours throughout the year from Dublin and Belfast - details at www.steamtrainsireland.com

UPDATED TO 29 OCTOBER with the unusual pairing of Eddie the Engine and 37610 on the 6C53 flasks.