After lot of mucking about, here are some 3'6" gauge 4-8-0's, these are 'T' class and worked right up to the end of steam on the 'Narrow gauge. Some of the Pictures were taken with a Kodak 126 Instamatic, others with my parents 35 mm camera.
Thanks to all contributors. I’m glad I posted the original question.
Since my day out with Clan Line I’ve discovered the beauty of the Welsh Highland and their magnificent Garratts. Including a rather nice chime whistle. Not so much A4 ...more a Britannia
PLUS that outstanding Snowdonian scenery
How lucky are we to have such an abundance of riches 51 years after the end of BR steam?
For me personally I also like the LMS (which is why I model around Cambridge) but apart from that I like most things Southern, the SECR being my favourite constituent
Thank you Manna.
Do you know of any useful history of Australian railways?
As regards my own preferences, after the LNER (largely the NEA), I like the LMS Stanier and post-Stanier locomotives. I do admire the 're-built' Royal Scots, but haven't yet managed to get a model of one. The O6 on my railway is such a good-looking engine, although probably cleaner than it should be. The Urie and Maunsell locomotives of the SR I also like, although apart from a brief part of WW2 I can't think of any reason for running them.
For some reason the GWR, despite being the progenitor of the above WAS, leaves me cold. Going underneath Lode Star (?) in the York RM a few months ago gave fresh insight into the attribution of 'watchmaking' to the Churchward machines.
As to pre-grouping railways, obviously the NER is first, last, and everywhere - although I suppose some credit must be given to the GN. ( And to the Robinson engines of the GC and who could not admire the Reid Atlantics.)
I'm happy to view the works of Crewe from a safe distance - so as to avoid being bombarded by fragmenting tyres!
drmditch, I don't know of any railways histories, of Australia, as each State had it's own railway, and therefore very complex. Queensland Railways were built to 3'6" gauge, New South Wales, built to 5'3", then converted to Standard gauge, Victorian Railways, were Standard gauge (eventually) to Sydney, the rest was 5'3", South Australia, Main lines built to 5'3", smaller lines built to 3'6", some were converted to 5'3", when traffic increased. The the Commonwealth Government, built the line linking SA to Western Australia, but Standard gauge. Which meant, SA had three gauges in some towns, including three gauge turntables.
So best to Google each state railway histories one at a time.
Gladstone shed, pictured here, shows a three gauge engine shed.
Owing to my having been a frequent traveller over their metals as a youngster, I still have a liking for the Great Western.
Trains to South Wales usually left Paddington at five to the hour and Mum and Dad would catch the last one out at 11:55 pm to Cardiff. This was the 'milk run' that left the main line to meander through the night via places like Bewdley, Stroud, etc. and never seemed to exceed 40 mph. We'd arrive in Cardiff at about 6 am, Mum and Dad having slept most of the way. My hammock was the luggage rack netting - quite ample for a toddler.
I still remember the almost magical experience of it all - the clanking of milk churns on a platform at God knows where in the middle of the night, the wafting of steam from a grubby Hall (it always seemed to be a Hall) up front, voices in the mist, the guard's whistle, etc.