Sir Hectimere
Bulle(i)d To The Extreme - 34016
Very rarely did a steam engine reflect the standard of cleanliness, as portrayed by Bodmin here, in the good old days of British Railways steam. Yes standards were high on certain trains (Royal patronage for one) or at certain sheds, but engines were cleaned intermittently not before every single turn of duty! And it was not long after a visit to the works paintshops that standards started to slip. Engine cleaners became rarer than hen's teeth with the rundown of steam.
It's nice to see a spotless and well oiled railway in preservation, but sights like this however resplendent will never be a true reflection of what it really was to experience the steam railways of old, warts and all.
Camera: Olympus OM1 35mm SLR.
Film: Agfa-Gevaert B/W transparency.
Bulle(i)d To The Extreme - 34016
Very rarely did a steam engine reflect the standard of cleanliness, as portrayed by Bodmin here, in the good old days of British Railways steam. Yes standards were high on certain trains (Royal patronage for one) or at certain sheds, but engines were cleaned intermittently not before every single turn of duty! And it was not long after a visit to the works paintshops that standards started to slip. Engine cleaners became rarer than hen's teeth with the rundown of steam.
It's nice to see a spotless and well oiled railway in preservation, but sights like this however resplendent will never be a true reflection of what it really was to experience the steam railways of old, warts and all.
Camera: Olympus OM1 35mm SLR.
Film: Agfa-Gevaert B/W transparency.