Pennine Puffer
It is taken at Diggle, just before plunging into a tunnel through the Pennines and into Yorkshire.
There was a good pub behind me that did fine food and you can see in the right of the shot the Leeds-Rochdale (I think!) canal attracting walkers to it's towpath.
The shot dates from June 2007, when I'd had my K10D for 3 months. This was the first time I'd shot RAW and was using my MF Tamron 80-210. I was pleased with how well I was able to focus.
He was probably doing about 45 mph, with ten coaches on.
I was at a relatively high position on a bridge looking down at the train, which might give a misleading impression of the gradient.
On that route there are Trans-Pennine Express trains every 20 minutes, so the steamers sit in a loop at Stalybridge (7.5 miles back at the bottom of a long 1 in 125 climb). Once the diesel passes, the steamer gets right-away and the driver thrashes the engine on the clear road in the hope that he gets over the summit and into Huddersfield before the next diesel catches him.
You can see one of the firemen leaning on the cab window, not doing much, but in a few seconds they will be in the tunnel and they can roll down the other side into Yorkshire.
Peter
Pentax K5
Pentax DA 18-55 Mk1, 50-200 (Samsung), 16-45, 55-300 Mk1, 35 f/2.4
Pentax MZ6 + FA28-90, FA50 f/1.4, M 50 f/1.7
Tamron 80-210mm & 28mm
davidtrout
15 yearsPlus Member
Durham, England
David
PPG: http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/davidtrout