Mayflower - 61306 runs beside the river Severn

For some time I've had it in mind to blip a steam engine today.  I'd found out there would be an excursion from London's Paddington station to Cardiff to celebrate St David's Day, and because it couldn't run through the under the river Severn it would have to pass by Stroud and Gloucester.

Helena was better today and still wanted to go to view the exhibition in Bristol which we had to miss yesterday.  I suggested that instead of finding a local spot to film the train in the Stroud valley we could go to Sharpness Docks where that canal meets the river Severn in its tidal stretch, and then go on to Bristol.  Then I thought that I might as well also point my camera with the new long lens out of my study window and catch it travelling down the Golden Valley.  One of the delights of our house and its views is to see trains running along the bottom of the valley especially when they are steaming and whistling as they did in the bygone age of my childhood.

I heard the whistle from way up the valley and knew that it was only seconds away from coming into view.  When it did the sun was shining through the remnants of the misty morning and we could see people standing in various fields on the sides of the valley all enjoying the sight.  Having got some pictures I knew we had about an hour to then travel down to Sharpness as the engine had to take on more water in Gloucester, which would delay it for half an hour.  From Gloucester, where it could cross the river, the railway then follows the line of the Severn towards the estuary and runs along the banks of the river for several miles.

By the time we got to the docks, the weather had changed completely with big black clouds and heavy showers threatening.  I knew a spot where I could follow the train along the western banks from the other eastern side, so we parked and walked down to the marina at the end of the canal.  The wind had really picked up and Helena decided to head back to the car as she was still feeling a bit fragile after being sick all day yesterday.

Several other photographers arrived two of whom said they had seen the engine earlier on its trip on the far side of Swindon, about forty miles to the east!  When the train appeared in the distance I couldn't hear its whistle as it was too far downwind.  The only indication was the plumes of smoke and steam in the far distance.

I took lots of pictures and braced myself against the very strong wind, so wasn't sure what my results would be like.  It was rather dark too.  This image is from when the train was directly opposite to the docks and I liked the mud flats and coastal reeds in the foreground, with the farmland on the edges of the Forest of Dean in the background.

It was over all too soon, but as I began to walk back I spotted an oystercatcher on the mud flats and took some pictures of that. It has encouraged me to return to the same area for wildlife images, as the docks are only a couple of miles south of Slimbridge, the wonderful wildfowl and wetland centre close to us.  Aren't we lucky!

We did make it to the exhibition which also included some of Fiona's paintings and discovered there was a second exhibition of the winners of the British Wildlife photography competition.  That was wonderful and I was mightily impressed and came away filled with ideas about what one might do.  Helena wants me to enter the next year's competition and entries close at the beginning of May!  I wouldn't win, given the amazing competition, but it will be fun to have a goal, having not entered a competition before. 

The engine is named 'Mayflower', number 61306,  and was originally built as a LNER Thompson Class B1 in 1948.  I had never seen it before, but I hope I do again as it was rather attractive, but maybe up a bit closer.