Tag Archives: train

Freight passing through

Tuesday 16th December 2025, 5.50pm (day 5,227)

Freight does still make an occasional appearance on the line, usually long trains of wagons marked with ‘Drax’, meaning they are heading to or (in this case) from the power station. Not that you can tell any of this from this extended blur, but I challenge anyone to get a sharp picture of something moving at at least 30mph in the dark. Drax (it’s amazing what you can learn from Wikipedia pages on a Wednesday morning) burns wood imported from the US and Canada, which these trains then ship across the country from Liverpool, with Hebden en route — so we often see these, at all times of day and night.

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Between platforms

Tuesday 11th November 2025, 12.15pm (day 5,192)

Platforms 4 and 5 of Manchester Victoria station, to be precise (making this, incidentally, the 900th shot taken in Manchester). The sign is meaningless in context, but the pigeon seems to be wilfully defying it anyway. On the left (4), the 12:15 to Redcar Central and on the right, the 12:15 to Blackburn, both punctual. But was I on my way into work late, or coming home early?

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Rochdale station (unscheduled)

Tuesday 9th September 2025, 12 noon (day 5,129)

Rochdale station, 9/9/25

With the main rail line through Huddersfield closed this month — apparently it’s an ‘upgrade’ though that could mean anything — services are being routed along the Calder Valley line and adding further pressure to an already-creaking system. I was not supposed to have 20 minutes or so of hanging out at Rochdale station today, but here it is.

The tower over there has always impressed me — the building used to be a fire station, so presumably this is an observation tower, from the days before 999.

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T-shirt axiom

Saturday 30th August 2025, 11.30am (day 5,119)

T-shirt philosophy, 30/8/25

I’ll go with that. In fact I’d quite like this T-shirt, which is one reason I took a photograph of it. As seen on platform 17 of Leeds station this morning.

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In need of a holiday

Thursday 17th July 2025, 8.15am (day 5,075)

Asleep on train, 17/7/25

Apologies to this stranger for the somewhat unflattering portrait, but it’s a picture of myself, really: particularly as I was feeling on the train into work today. At least the summer holiday is now clearly in view ahead.

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Passing through

Monday 14th July 2025, 12.55pm (day 5,072)

Newcastle station, 14/7/25

You can see where I was when this was taken. Newcastle marks more-or-less the halfway point on the rail journey between Dundee and Hebden Bridge, at least in terms of time taken. I just like the shape she makes and the way the pink jacket in the background sets off the rest.

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Superhero snowplough

Saturday 19th April 2025, 10.25am (day 4,986)

Superhero snowplough, 19/4/25

My Easter Saturday trip out found me in the Locomotion museum in Shildon, Co. Durham, at 10.30ish. This snowplough looks almost absurdly macho, like it’s Thor’s snowplough (Marvel Comics version). Look at the light beams that shoot off as it steams along! The watching human simply stands in awe and wonder as it zooms past. “Me? Put ME in a museum!? The impudence!”

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Train driver (pastel)

Friday 14th March 2025, 3.40pm (day 4,950)

Once again, I am off somewhere different, mainly because it sustains my interest in this blog, the world, life, etc. Leg one ended at Leeds railway station, where this is taken. It occurred to me while sitting waiting for my second train to depart that I had the chance to capture this incognito shot of the driver getting ready to leave on platform 9 next door. The ‘pastel’ scribblings to the left are then the latest reflected self-portrait. Possibly, then, this is a terrible photo, but I’ll move on.

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In our own worlds

Monday 3rd March 2025, 8.25am (day 4,939)

Commuter portraits, 3/3/25

Onto the 7:56 from Hebden Bridge we pack, a cattle truck most days. But the physical intimacy doesn’t mean social contact. Taking photos in these circumstances is some kind of transgression, isn’t it? But wrapped in their worlds, no one noticed.

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On Lancaster station

Monday 30th December 2024, 5.20pm (day 4,876)

Lancaster station, 30/12/24

2024’s penultimate picture might be better focused, but what the hell, I think it gives it something of an enigmatic feel. And perhaps I wanted to take a picture of the scaffolding. What’s she doing? Who knows, but let’s hope that if it involved getting a train somewhere, she has patience.

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