Didcot Railway Centre

King of Groove

King of Groove

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Last Saturday (30th May) I visited one of my favourite steam railway sites namely the Didcot Railway Centre in Oxfordshire.

After visiting the centre I had nice meal and some wine whilst watching the
2nd half of the FA Cup Final.

Here's a tiny selection of over 500 shots I took:

1 A major suprise for me was seeing Sir Nigel Gresley. Apparently it had done a railtour and was resting at the centre. Shame it wasn't in steam.

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2 No 3822 on one of the centres short demo lines

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3 In the afternoon there was a demonstration of a travelling post office railway train and how they used to collect mail sacks from devices along railway lines. No 3822 powers past the device

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4 Mail Sacks being delivered to train!

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5 And finally no 3822 does another run

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The centre is well worth a visit. I managed to spend over 4 hours there. Also BR main lines pass right by the centre so plenty to photograph. As well as loads of locos there, museum, cafe, demo lines etc.

C&C most welcome.
 
Some of these shots don't appeal to me because they are a bit too simple, there is nothing extravagant about the composition and such like.

However, on a positive note, I think #4 is great, the position of the train and those two figures to the right works! Have you tried this one in contrasty black and white. It could really look like it was from 100 years ago.

(y)
 
Tim Sainsbury said:
Some of these shots don't appeal to me because they are a bit too simple, there is nothing extravagant about the composition and such like.

However, on a positive note, I think #4 is great, the position of the train and those two figures to the right works! Have you tried this one in contrasty black and white. It could really look like it was from 100 years ago.

(y)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the comments Tim.
 
Sorry KoG I have no excuse, I actually did look at this thread when you posted it but forgot to go back and reply.. I remember because I was a little confused trying to figure out who on earth Nigel Gresley was when I saw it.

First I would say 3 and five are a bit too similar? But it's good to see both and choose a favourite.. And I vote for 5 because you have the guys with the coats on in the background.

I like the saturation levels in 1+2 and wonder if 5 would benefit from that. Maybe you were intentionally trying a different style for 5 I don't know but it might make them more like a set if they are processed the same.

I'm going to start writing down advice I offer to other people.. and maybe one day I'll use it in my work :D

NB. Fours a cool shot too because you captured a retro moment with the way they used to get the mail on the trains.
 
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I never look at train pictures - not my cup of tea. 57 views though and only 1 comment is harsh.

I don't feel very qualified to comment given the above.

However, No4 - I first thought the colour needed drawing out a bit more. I then thought maybe a filter would have cut down on the reflections from the carriage.

I like the 2 guys in the right hand side in the brown coats - really adds history / authenticity to the shot.

I keep coming back to this filter thing (not OCD by the way).

In the first two, the sky is nicely exposed and the colours of the trains come out nicely.

In the last 3 the sky is grey'ish and the colours don't seem rich.

Would a polariser have improved this?
 
I'm not much into transport.

But my comments fwiw.

The sun looks quite high in the sky. So there is very little shadow. This makes the shots look 2 rather than 3 dimensional.

In 1 the bit of shadow over the nameplate and to the left detracts, the sun would have been better behind you.

Having said that 1 and 4 are the nearest to the sort of period composition I'd try and shoot. Not keen on the gulag fencing in the others.
 
Haha that or Mock the week, I could rival Frankie Boyle for the Scotland jokes.

Now that I look at the pics again.. having commented, it's only just struck me how unusual Sir Nigel is.. As I type this and study the shape though... if you just squint your eyes and look at the blue there's a definite falic shape. Something you might buy from Ann Summers perhaps :nuts:
 
I love the style of train in the first, obviously a shot of it speeding through a rolling landscape would be better, but this scene is well taken if not hugely inspiring. The last I think is a better composition, but still - I would love to see these out and about away from the "industrial feel" of this place.

Gary.
 
leon1p said:
.... Something you might buy from Ann Summers perhaps :nuts:
Click to expand...

I was quite enjoying Clive's study of Gresley but all I can see now is a steam powered phalus (I'm pretty certain the products you allude to didn't appear until after Beeching had done his worst and hence they'd have been electric from the outset)

Bob

PS...a little more polarised ooomph in the sky would have helped the shot.
 
Train in the first one is very cool.

I like shots 3 and 4 most of all. I reckon you could do some good processing on these.

Love the two chappys looking at the train in 4 :)
 
For me a good historical record set - there is something special about steam engines. Photographically, imho, a Pl-Cr would have helped in this set.
 
#1 is a sexy beast (despite it being a he, never confused!)...
Like the mail sacks one too, the two chaps in brown overall make this shot for me, straight from the 70s :D
 
Some nice pics here, but i feel they lack some punch. Add a touch more contrast to them to really make them strike.

Also, why not try desaturating the colour and making them look more dated, to go with the nature and subject of the image

Mike
 
Thanks for the comments everyone. Not sure about the Ann Summers reference!
 
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