About The Author

One of my earliest published photos: The 'City of Leicester Central Holiday Express' hauled by Class B17 4-6-0 No. 61665 'Leicester City' recovers from a signal check at Belgrave and Birstall en route to Bridlington on 17 Aug 1956.
One of my earliest published photos: The 'City of Leicester Central Holiday Express' hauled by Class B17 4-6-0 No. 61665 'Leicester City' recovers from a signal check at Belgrave and Birstall en route to Bridlington on 17 Aug 1956.
An early Box Brownie industrial shot: The Eastwell Iron Ore Co.’s 3ft gauge Bagnall 0-6-0ST 'Pioneer' hauls a string of iron ore tubs on 8 Jun 1954.
An early Box Brownie industrial shot: The Eastwell Iron Ore Co.’s 3ft gauge Bagnall 0-6-0ST 'Pioneer' hauls a string of iron ore tubs on 8 Jun 1954.

I was born in Leicester and showed a keen interest in railways from an early age. Given a Brownie Box camera for my 15th birthday, I promptly headed for the station. I soon realised this camera’s limitations and within a year had saved up to buy a Bonafix folding camera which I used for monochrome for many years. I had my first pictures published while still at school. While at university I started taking colour slides and for many years used two cameras bolted together for simultaneous colour and monochrome shots. In later years I have worked with both 35mm SLRs and medium format cameras. Recently I have embraced digital photography.

Following the demise of steam on BR, I turned my attention for several years to Industrial railways, especially the ironstone lines of my native Midlands. The railway preservation movement brought new impetus to my work, but there was a long period when all BR trains were painted blue and I virtually ignored the national network. However during the preliminaries to privatisation, and especially since, there has been an ever-changing panoply of colour schemes which has revived my interest in the main-line scene.

With the late Mike Fox I co-authored two Industrial Steam Albums, published by Ian Allan in 1970 and 1976 respectively, and I have made substantial contributions to a number of other published albums. I continue to submit work to national and specialist railway periodicals.

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  1. Update on liveries in the Colchester area on 13th August 2008
    As predicted, we are now in a period of mixed liveries on the London-Norwich service. At present there appears still to be only one complete passenger set but at least 3 locos in the full NXEA grey/white. All the rest of the stock has acquired the broad white stripe below the windows bearing the branding 'national express' at one end and 'East Anglia' at the other. There still seems to be shortage of NXEA Class 90 locos, as both 90035 and 90036, bearing different versions of EWS livery, were active in mid-August. So far only one 360 unit has the full livery but at least two have been seen with the white stripe etc. A number of 321 units have received the white stripe treatment in place of the former green stripe below the windows. Meanwhile the 170 units continue in 'one' slate grey complete with rainbow end panels.
  2. National Express E.A. replaces 'one' on 13th August 2008
    From February 27th 'one' Railway was re-branded as 'National Express East Anglia' (NXEA). Inevitably this heralds yet another change in livery, so soon after slate blue had become universal on the Norwich line rolling stock. For the launch a complete train set was turned out in grey and white, a combination likely to dazzle bystanders in sunny weather and look drearily dull under under leaden skies. A similarly attired 360 unit has been seen at work, but so far the 170 units remain unchanged. As far as the Norwich stock is concerned, an interim measure has been the removal of the rainbow end panels from most locos & vehicles, and the addition of a broad white stripe bearing the NXEA branding. Trains of mixed liveries are once again appearing.

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