Whilst in general conversation with fellow volunteers at the NVR on Sunday, I heard that Tornado would be running through Grantham with a railtour on Monday. The down service to York coincided with a visit to the dentist, and with last minute dentist appointments being as rare as hen’s teeth (did you see what I almost did there?) I had no chance of making it out for a photograph. The evening would be better as the return to Kings Cross was booked through town at 19:00, although as the day wore on I got into one of those, ‘do I really want to drag my carcass out of the house’ moods.
Early evening brought with it clear skies and a hint of a warm sunset, so I decided to schlep off for a photograph. My chosen location was near to the village of Marston on a farm track that leads to a pedestrian crossing. A gaggle of photographers had already assembled there when I arrived, but I chose to remain on the lane a good quarter mile further down as it offers a superb panoramic vista of the line in both directions. This would be the ideal opportunity to give my new Canon a workout, and I fancied having a go at panning a fast moving train as I’ve never tried this before.
I practised with East Coast HST’s and 91’s prior to the railtour, and was fortunate enough to capture two trains passing each other. When Tornado arrived – bang on time – she was travelling at full tilt and working incredibly hard; a truly glorious sight to behold from my vantage point. I was pleased with the pictures that came from this shoot, and feel vindicated about spending my hard earned on a new SLR package!
Tornado on The Cathedrals Express may be seen in my Steamy Scenes gallery.
