Monsoon Season Brings Steam!

With the monsoon season well and truly underway, I’ve found it increasingly difficult to explain to customers on the trains the necessity for continuing the steam loco ban on the Nene Valley Indian Hill Railway.  The risk of lineside fires gets fixed vacant stares as passengers gaze out over flooded fields that can almost be seen through the torrential, driving downpours that afflict the area every time I even glance at my camera bag and think, well maybe …

This weekend the battle was won, and steam returned to the Wansford – Peterborough section of the line, a most welcome development for visitors and volunteers alike.  Ironically we were running the mixed traction timetable anyway, with class 40 D306 on Saturday and 31108 on Sunday hauling diesel services.  The steam loco on offer was Fowler 4F 44422 making a welcome return after some lengthy repairs kept it out of traffic for a while.

On Saturday I was filming at Ferry Meadows – so called because the only way to cross the meadow is by boat – but popped over to Orton Mere to catch the afternoon steam hauled service as it passed Yacht Club Crossing, looking and sounding in fine form.  This train coincided with the three minutes of fine weather that graced Nene Park during the day.

On Sunday I was working as TTI on the trains, and of course it turned out to be a very pleasant day, but I wasn’t in a position to take any pictures as the mixed traction timetable keeps us rather busy with a turnaround of only 9 minutes between services at Wansford.

I keep thinking that one day the pleasant weather will coincide with my photography days, but then I wake up and return to reality.  But it still doesn’t stop me from glancing at my camera bag and thinking, well maybe …