The Way We Were: The Littleton Branch 1993
The pock marks of rain spanning the surface of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal at Penkridge provide a good clue that this was, perhaps, not the best day to be on a photographers charter. Yet, days like this provide some very atmospheric images, with this being one of many taken during the charter at Littleton Colliery, and along the branch line towards Penkridge. Judging by the angle of the volcanic exhaust and the attitude of the footplate staff, I think this was a reversing move prior to a run past over the canal. The locomotive is a Hunslett 'Austerity', Works No. 3839 of 1956, heading a short rake of HAA Merry-go-Round wagons. The charter was organised by Chris Milner and Robin Stewart-Smith, who did offer an invitation to the thoroughly soaked participants on this day that they could have another go on the next day, which typically produced wall-to-wall sunshine! The date was 11th November 1993, and at the time we did not know that the mine, the last working pit in the once extensive Cannock Chase coalfield, was doomed: it closed three weeks later on 3rd December 1993. Copyright Photograph John Whitehouse - all rights reserved
The Way We Were: The Littleton Branch 1993
The pock marks of rain spanning the surface of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal at Penkridge provide a good clue that this was, perhaps, not the best day to be on a photographers charter. Yet, days like this provide some very atmospheric images, with this being one of many taken during the charter at Littleton Colliery, and along the branch line towards Penkridge. Judging by the angle of the volcanic exhaust and the attitude of the footplate staff, I think this was a reversing move prior to a run past over the canal. The locomotive is a Hunslett 'Austerity', Works No. 3839 of 1956, heading a short rake of HAA Merry-go-Round wagons. The charter was organised by Chris Milner and Robin Stewart-Smith, who did offer an invitation to the thoroughly soaked participants on this day that they could have another go on the next day, which typically produced wall-to-wall sunshine! The date was 11th November 1993, and at the time we did not know that the mine, the last working pit in the once extensive Cannock Chase coalfield, was doomed: it closed three weeks later on 3rd December 1993. Copyright Photograph John Whitehouse - all rights reserved