"The Master Cutler" 20250526--099
45118 The Royal Artilleryman approaches Copleys Brook (west of Melton Mowbray), working the outward leg of Locomotive InterCity Ltd.'s "The Master Cutler", 1Z45 08.35 Leeds - St. Pancras International. 47593 Galloway Princess is on the rear. [Pole, 5/6 sections (~6.8m)]
Although this railtour was on my radar, I hadn't intended going out for it because the weather forecast was poor. In fact, had the weather forecast for today been good, I would have likely spent the day at the Mid Norfolk Railway Diesel Gala! But with clear skies predicted for a few hours immediately after sunrise I'd gone out (very early) to the Grantham area for the diverted Caledonian Sleeper, and then moved to a couple of spots north of Newark for several southbound class 91 workings as the clouds were not filling in quite as quickly as expected.
Since Melton Mowbray wasn't particularly far away, I went over for this, which was due at about 11.15am. The weather app was now showing some breaks in the cloud for a bit longer, although there was also a passing shower. I could see a small patch of blue sky in the distance and some brightness on some very distant fields, although it didn't look like it would arrive in time... but you can always be hopeful!
1Z45 lost a few minutes around East Midlands Parkway, and was about ten minutes late when it reached Syston. Signalling maps showed it didn't immediately get a clear signal, and I was wondering (hoping?) if it might be held to run behind the Cross Country passenger train. But that was not to be, although 1Z45 is recorded passing Frisby twelve minutes late. The light levels, however, were increasing as the cloud thinned. I heard the train approaching, and the cloud thinned even more as it came into view. It was far from full sun (the sun completely cleared the cloud for a short period a few minutes after 1Z45 had passed), but the slightly diffuse lighting has probably improved the image as by this time of day less than four weeks before the summer solstice the light is quite harsh - just look at some of the pictures from the Swanage Railway Diesel Gala two weeks previously.
But I couldn't believe how much the light had improved - just ten minutes before the train had been due, a light rain shower was just finishing!
Unfortunately, today was slightly windy, and the wind caught the pole and angled it slightly downwards. Adding in extra sky would have been tricky although not impossible, but I didn't have any extra sky to work with. It was therefore much easier to give the image a 16:9 crop. This was the first time I'd done a shot looking this way from this spot, where you are stood slightly below track level, and I had been wishing I'd done the shot from further back, on the other side of the stream, which would have made it a bit easier.
Visit Brian Carter's Non-Transport Pics to see my photos of landscapes, buildings, bridges, sunsets, rainbows and more.
"The Master Cutler" 20250526--099
45118 The Royal Artilleryman approaches Copleys Brook (west of Melton Mowbray), working the outward leg of Locomotive InterCity Ltd.'s "The Master Cutler", 1Z45 08.35 Leeds - St. Pancras International. 47593 Galloway Princess is on the rear. [Pole, 5/6 sections (~6.8m)]
Although this railtour was on my radar, I hadn't intended going out for it because the weather forecast was poor. In fact, had the weather forecast for today been good, I would have likely spent the day at the Mid Norfolk Railway Diesel Gala! But with clear skies predicted for a few hours immediately after sunrise I'd gone out (very early) to the Grantham area for the diverted Caledonian Sleeper, and then moved to a couple of spots north of Newark for several southbound class 91 workings as the clouds were not filling in quite as quickly as expected.
Since Melton Mowbray wasn't particularly far away, I went over for this, which was due at about 11.15am. The weather app was now showing some breaks in the cloud for a bit longer, although there was also a passing shower. I could see a small patch of blue sky in the distance and some brightness on some very distant fields, although it didn't look like it would arrive in time... but you can always be hopeful!
1Z45 lost a few minutes around East Midlands Parkway, and was about ten minutes late when it reached Syston. Signalling maps showed it didn't immediately get a clear signal, and I was wondering (hoping?) if it might be held to run behind the Cross Country passenger train. But that was not to be, although 1Z45 is recorded passing Frisby twelve minutes late. The light levels, however, were increasing as the cloud thinned. I heard the train approaching, and the cloud thinned even more as it came into view. It was far from full sun (the sun completely cleared the cloud for a short period a few minutes after 1Z45 had passed), but the slightly diffuse lighting has probably improved the image as by this time of day less than four weeks before the summer solstice the light is quite harsh - just look at some of the pictures from the Swanage Railway Diesel Gala two weeks previously.
But I couldn't believe how much the light had improved - just ten minutes before the train had been due, a light rain shower was just finishing!
Unfortunately, today was slightly windy, and the wind caught the pole and angled it slightly downwards. Adding in extra sky would have been tricky although not impossible, but I didn't have any extra sky to work with. It was therefore much easier to give the image a 16:9 crop. This was the first time I'd done a shot looking this way from this spot, where you are stood slightly below track level, and I had been wishing I'd done the shot from further back, on the other side of the stream, which would have made it a bit easier.
Visit Brian Carter's Non-Transport Pics to see my photos of landscapes, buildings, bridges, sunsets, rainbows and more.