Atomic Systems

Hey all,

A little trip to Bo'ness today, but not for anything normal. Today is Father's Day as you all know, and so the SRPS held it's usual Sunday Gala with LNER D49 No. 246 "Morayshire" handling the trains, stock being the two Thompson Teaks, and two Mark 1's.
However, we're talking boys with toys here, as rostered fireman for today, Lee Sutherland and his crew of John Leggat and Chris Lothian, thought it would be nice to take the Shire and two Teaks up the branch for a series of photographic run pasts before services began. This is a regular occurance with Lee and Chris, their enthisiasm never seems to wain and they always go that extra mile to enjoy themselves, doing many of these fun charters! Having been invited along for this one, I joined photographer Ian Lothian....a name I'm sure most of you will be aware of, and Lee for taking photos at a few locations on the run to Birkhill. Luckily we caught most of the good sun, with a departure of 9.10am from Bo'ness....and was a very enjoyable way to start the day!:









Much more from today are here, with more information : http://jonathonag.fotopic.net/c1528817.html

I have to say, it was great to go along for this, and has been one of my greatest times spent at Bo'ness.....today really shows that even if you're railway isn't over 4 miles long...as long as you have enthusiasm in it, you know how to make things turn out great!

Smashing set of photos, Jonathon!!!

And I bet the opportunity to have done this will be a highlight for some time....

Superb shots as ever Jonathon!

Cool Shots there, lucky to have your own personal photo charter

Haha! Yup, very lucky. Can't say it was my own, it's really something Lee and his crew do whenever they have the chance to do a "Photo Charter" style trip. He did the same with Caledonian 419 and the two CR Coaches in October on the morning of 419's Century Celebrations, and has lined up four 37's outside the diesel shed at Bo'ness a few months ago. Even at midnight he's gotten out a Ruston shunter to shunt different diesels in front of the signal box! Some people would find this daft, but I find what him and his mates at Bo'ness do, brilliant. It's that sort of "Taking it a step further" which is fun in all of it!

But yes, was very interesting being one of only three people out to photograph it, travelling on the ECS meaning a nice run up the line, with the Shire storming past us at different spots was definately a high moment for me! I don't know if Ian Lothian has a website ( however, be sure to look out in magazine's in the next month or two, no doubt one of his shots from yesterday will appear ), but Lee's photographs....with many more, can be found at his website:

http://ruston165.fotopic.net/

Might get to do this more often, as hopefully I'll be beginning a trainee fireman's course soon, want to get more involved! Thanks again for the compliments of the photographs