Photography by Jon Bowcutt - AFIAP, BPE2 & PSA3

I thought I’d start 2010 with my top 10 highlights / images from my work during 2009………. So in no particular order here we go!

1) Taken from the Compo clubs 6435 Charter on the Pontypool & Bleanavon Railway – My first visit and it blew me away with its industrial look but set in a fantastic natural environment. This is a railway to watch!  It has bags of potential. Simon Hopkins added some added interest with vintage vans & tractors. Weather was naff to start but by mid afternoon all hell let loose as the sun came out………There were so many i could have used as a  favourite.

2) Taken from the Night shoot with Oliver Cromwell on the GCR in Nov, It was the end to Russ Hilliers charter, they had glorious weather all day and i had to suffer from the confines of the office as id run out of annual holidays…….But i did manage to get to the night shoot so i wasn’t to disappointed. I have found memories of the Britt when it was running on the short demo track @ Bressingham when Dad paid for us to have a short ride on the footplate! This is my fav image from the shoot.

3) Comes from my first visit to Barrow Hill Round house…It was on my hit list for the year and the massive LNER Spring gala was just the reason to visit! Once again Russ Hillier organised the day with a night shoot in the yard & roundhouse.  I returned home absolutely knackered and filthy but grinning like a Cheshire Cat! What a place!

4) Taken from a superb Charter with one of the little quirky Beattie Well Tanks (30587) Organised by Don Bishop @the Bodmin & Wenford Railway. This line has some serious gradients all around the 1:40 region……The Weather was lovely in the morning and right at the end of the day for the last run. I’ll never forget this one as i went to day surgery the next day to have some stubborn soot removed from one of my eyes that was scratching my eyeball. ahh the joys!

5) A holy Grail for so many people involved with the steam preservation was to finally see the Bluebells Dukedog 9017 back in 1950′s BR black livery and on its old stomping ground the Cambrian Coast  line @ Llangollen….This had to rank as the top of my most wanted in 2009….Weather was OK but not brilliant. Once again this was Run by Don Bishop.

6) The Great Central Railways Autumn Gala had a very heavy freight feel about it in 2009. One of the visiting engines was the WD 90773 from KWVR, Russ offered a charter with mixed Freight & Minerals…I stumped for the mixed freight. Terrific light in the morning gave us some magical stuff South of Quorn…The light tailed off badly in the afternoon. This loco is very functional and very basic but looked so at home on the GCR…My Dad said he remembers them clunking over the Rugby GCR Birdcage whilst standing on Rugby platform. 

7) Another charter on the GCR this time with the NYMR Q6 63395 on the Minerals, the loco came down for the Winter Gala (January) The charter i attended was organised by Don Bishop. A wet morning first thing gave way to some lovely spells of Winter light….Lovely day with a short night shoot to round off the day.

’8) My second year at the annual Severn Valley Railways Autumn Gala. Once again we were blessed with superb weather, the list of locos on display was amazing but the main one most came to see was the freshly restored Ivatt 4 43106 “The Flying Pig”. But one of my fav shots came from the MPD @ Bridgnorth at around 2am Sunday morning! With the GWR “Taffy Tank” 5643. I was joined for the duration by great buddy Andy Gamble and we also hooked up with the ever present Rick Eborall…..Terrific 24hours. Cant wait for the 2010 event!

9) The Severn Valley Santa Specials make a very welcome addition to the photters final flurry of the year, trains every 30mins means your never short of action, many will be bunker first but in the landscape shots with locos that were designed to run bunker first this is OK by me especially if the light is amazing  It was, but bloody cold. We drove past fields covered in snow but upon arrival @ Bewdley all we had were frosty fields!!!!   Buggar, bloody good though……My fav shot came from the Pig @ Northwood lane.

10) My final offering comes from my last day out with the camera in 2009. Once again its the SVR on another very cold day during the festive period – the 28th to be precise. The image is a funny one really…..Its the Swanage Railway’s 56xx 6695 powering up the Northwood Lane bank as it approached Orchard Cottage. All went well i did some zoomed shots on my spare Nikon then swapped to my D300 and 28-70 in the excitement i knocked off the grad filter, that got covered in water off the grass and this is the result! A nice loco front with a soft diffused back drop! Id normally have to mess in Photoshop to get this effect….Hey ho next time chuck the filter  into the undergrowth and your in business!!

A very happy new year to all my friends old & new, thanks for the banter & advice. A big thank must go to the Charter organisers my best images come from these now…..  Its been a terrific year Ive got somewhere near to where i want to be with my steam photography. Juggling work, a young family and all that goes with that makes any day out a major feat of organisation. My final word goes to my lovely wife…without her understanding and encouragement  id never be able to do it! Thanks  a million!

So what have in store for 2010 to date?

• Llangollen’s Riddles Std4 tank 80072 @ the ChurnetValley Railway on mixed freight  in Feb - both firsts for me.
• Tornado back at the GCR  in March.
• Hopefully Black fives 45231 & 45407  running a double charter on the GCR in Jan.
• SVR Spring Re-union Gala in March
• A day at the Red kite feeding station in Wales in Feb.
• T9 Charter at Bodmin hopefully!

And what would i like to see happen??

• A charter with the flying Pig @ SVR
• Jubilee 5690 Leander painted into BR green
• A charter on the Swanage railway with a Bullied pacific
• A certain Blue King come to the GCR for running in………..
• A night shoot & Didcot for the GWR 175th celebration.

Oh im sure theres some pie in the sky with some of these but i hope a few come true……;-)

Best Wishes for 2010

Jon Bowcutt.