A trip to photograph steam locomotives on the best industrial lines, including the huge opencast coal mine at Sandaoling, the largest industrial steam user, with around 17 locos required in traffic every day, and the last large scale user of JS class 2-8-2s. The SY worked Fuxin and Pingzhuang mining systems and the old steelworks at Fushun also featured. Diesels and electrics were not ignored entirely with visits to Beijing's main station and to the Fushun Mining Railway, with its remarkable electrics.

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This short trip was originally conceived to cover the electrified München – Mittenwald and München – Salzburg lines, both of which have loco hauled regional services threatened by the arrival of new EMUs in December. As a bonus, the weekend closure of the Traunstein - Freilassing line produced a rare opportunity to photograph diesel hauled diverted ECs on the scenic Mühldorf – Freilassing line.

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A two-week trip to Germany in September 2013, visiting the Stuttgart - Singen line for classes 115, 120 and 181 on InterCity trains on the edge of the Black Forest, Weiden - Marktredwitz for diverted, 232 hauled freights in the north-east corner of Bavaria, Ulm - Friedrichshafen for 218s around Aulendorf and the busy Ulm - Stuttgart line for a variety of electrics and some diesels on one of Germany's busiest main lines.

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A few days attempting to photograph big diesels in France on the way to and from Germany in September 2013. The Paris - Belfort line runs through an attractive landscape peppered with good photographic locations but train services are sparse. There was also a short visit to the Saverne Gap, on the electrified main line west of Strasbourg.

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This report covers a five day trip to the wonderfully scenic Rhein valley south of Koblenz in August 2013. There were were plenty of interesting passenger and freight workings on both sides of the river, powered by a wide variety of electric locos belonging to DB and independent operators and including a couple of workings hauled by one of the iconic class 103s.

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This illustrated report covers a six day trip to the Berner Oberland in central Switzerland in July 2013. The region is famous for its mountains and lakes and the report contains details of visits to a number of mountain railways, including the Wengernalpbahn, the Jungfraubahn and the Schynige Platte Bahn.

The Zentralbahn's 70 year old class 110s (strictly speaking motor luggage vans but locomotives in all but name) are covered, as they work out their last miles before withdrawal, and the BLS's iconic Re4/4 "Brownies" also feature.

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A five day trip to photograph diesel hauled passengers on the München – Lindau line, the branches to Oberstdorf and Füssen and the Ulm - Friedrichshafen line in early June 2013. The temporary closure of the Buchloe - Memmingen line for engineering work, necessitated the diversion of München - Zürich EuroCity services via Kempten, adding more trains to the mix.

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A brief visit to Switzerland in early May 2013 The aim was to get some shots of loco hauled trains between St. Gallen and Chur before new EMUs take over in June and to see the recently resurrected Ae6/6s on stone trains around Bülach.

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This report covers the German part of a three week trip to Europe in late April and early May 2013. Several lines were visited including those in the Mosel and Rhein Valleys, the diesel worked lines east of Nürnberg, Nürnberg - Augsburg, Ulm - Friedrichshafen, the Allgäubahn and the Gäubahn.

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More catching up, this time pictures from the superb Ceske Budejovice - Nove Udoli line in the Sumava in May 2012. Although the Class 749 "Grumpies" were supposed to have been replaced by Class 754s for the 2012 season, they still handled around half the traffic at the time of my visit.

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The final update of the German photo galleries with pictures from the April/May 2012 trip covers the scenic Nürnberg - Hof line in northern Bavaria.

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Two new photo galleries have been added, showcasing two very different German lines. The Rechte Rheinstrecke is a busy, double-track, electrified freight route running through the Rhein Gorge from Koblenz to Wiesbaden. In contrast, the Füssen branch is a quiet single-track line threading through the hills of southern Bavaria. Both lines feature excellent scenery and loco hauled trains.

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go to Rechte Rheinstrecke gallery
go to Füssen Branch gallery

Mallorca might not sound like a promising destination for a railway enthusiast but it’s home to two very different narrow-gauge railways, one of which is a real delight and the other an efficient but soulless modern railway. This report details brief visits to both lines during a week’s visit to the island in March 2013.

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Following a request for some photos of XK2 0-6-0s, I've done some scanning and added a Benxi Steelworks gallery with a few pics from 1992 including an XK2, a fireless, a rare standard gauge DFH21 diesel and an EL1 electric.

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