69006+69005 Willand
69006 "Pathfinder Tours - Peter Watts 50 years service 1973-2023" (named a day earlier at Gloucester station) and 69005 "Eastleigh" curves towards Willand with the 1Z70 16.28 Penzance-Tame Bridge Parkway "Pathfinder Mazey Day Special" excursion.
The original plan was to have photographed this tour along with several others along the Devon coast. That plan was scuppered by unanticipated and very localised coastal mist which ruined a couple of my shots and almost spoilt another. A different plan was concocted for the returning Class 69's and good thing we did - flying ahead of schedule by 30 minutes meant there was absolutely no chance the mist was going to budge in time; by this stage we only just made it in time at this backup location, enough time to prepare the frame and camera settings before the pair's appearance in stunning low-evening light.
Please note, a pole or a decent telescopic ladder is needed to obtain this shot; on this occasion I used my 2.5m ladder to get over the barbed-wire fence.
69006+69005 Willand
69006 "Pathfinder Tours - Peter Watts 50 years service 1973-2023" (named a day earlier at Gloucester station) and 69005 "Eastleigh" curves towards Willand with the 1Z70 16.28 Penzance-Tame Bridge Parkway "Pathfinder Mazey Day Special" excursion.
The original plan was to have photographed this tour along with several others along the Devon coast. That plan was scuppered by unanticipated and very localised coastal mist which ruined a couple of my shots and almost spoilt another. A different plan was concocted for the returning Class 69's and good thing we did - flying ahead of schedule by 30 minutes meant there was absolutely no chance the mist was going to budge in time; by this stage we only just made it in time at this backup location, enough time to prepare the frame and camera settings before the pair's appearance in stunning low-evening light.
Please note, a pole or a decent telescopic ladder is needed to obtain this shot; on this occasion I used my 2.5m ladder to get over the barbed-wire fence.