Modern Rail Traction

I take a fairly wide range of photographic subjects, including railways where I rarely photograph anything other than historic steam powered trains. A couple of weeks ago with Barrie Forbes and another photo buddy, not a Pentax User, I spent a morning at Newcastle Central Station on the East Coast Mainline and was impressed by the new generation of rail transport. The boxy looking diesels and electric locomotives that replaced steam power are a dying breed … being replaced by sleek and colourful modern trains owing much to the best of up to date industrial design inspired by the aviation industry.
These three shots showing the LNER's new Azuma trains and the almost identical Trans Pennine Express Nova.
Azuma


s

Nova



Azuma

Nicely on track,

Nice set David. It was a good day, but not a Pentax day for me

Before covid I used to see those trains at Kings Cross on my way to the office. Nice images. K.

They really do look sleek, colourful and modern in the first two captures, David - which lens(es)/focal length(s) were used? The third is also fascinating for the apparent chaos of the overhead electrics!

Philip

I used a Sigma 10-20mm lens set at 10mm on the K70 for the close views and a D FA*70-200mm zoom on the K3 for the longer view of the train approaching the station under the wires. That castle in the background is Newcastle Keep which in my schooldays hundreds of boys used as a grandstand for trainspotting.
David

Thank you for the extra info, David.

Philip

First and last for me.

First for the depth of colour in the image, I think that's stunning. The last as I love that craziness of metals and electrics

The final one really captures all the 'flavour' of the modern railway.

Agreed - that's a super shot

As a life long photographer of trains myself, luckily part of my job for the last 20 odd years, I like all 3 shots. Particularly like the wide angle treatment on the Azuma nose, it does emphasise the sleek design.
Also like the composition of number 3 with the red signals either side balancing the shot and showing how complicated a modern railway system is.

Aside from the seat comfort I quite like the Azuma but having worked on HST and Class 91 and Mk4 fleets I will miss them when they finally go off the East Coast.

Thanks all for the positive comments. I travelled from Durham to Newcastle on a Trans Pennine Nova for this photo shoot and was really impressed at the acceleration as soon as the train left the end of the platform at Durham.
David

The Azuma in #1 is rather like the swan's head in PRYorkshire's avatar.

I am sure David can recall the "chaos" of the tracks that used to be found at this location in his schooldays, however I offer a more recent view of a much simplified layout featuring a steam favourite.

That's great Peter...I haven't been up there for years but it still seems to be an ideal vantage point. It needs careful timing to get the loco in clear view between the wires and you have succeeded here.
In steam days this was a dream location for spotters: the complex diamond crossing said to be the largest of its kind in the world: a constant stream of trains ranging from the Tyneside electrics to South Shields and Tynemouth, endless coal trains with J26/J27s and Q6s, fast freights largely hauled by K3s, B16s, and V2s, and of course the ECML expresses with the V2s A1s, A2s,A3s and A4s. Newcastle was a staging point for engine changing so in one day you could cop both Kings Cross and Haymarket engines as well as the local Gateshead and Heaton Pacifics.
Pity my early photographic experience and equipment lacked the required quality.
David

PS: That large car park on the right of Peter's picture used to be the location for suburban train platforms so the track layout was far more complex than today.

Yes, and all smoothed out by the sleekness of that train - a great image.