Two days in Germany either side of a photo charter (which has it's own gallery). The day before was spent chasing class 218 diesels between Regensburg and Marktredwitz and a quick visit was fitted in to the Mainschleifenbahn before our flight home the day after the photo charter.
The first day of a two day tour to celebrate 40 years of the English Electric class 14 locomotives, the first of which were delivered in 1967. Today's tour was a straight out and back run from Porto Campanhã to Valença with a visit to the muesum at Lousado en route and used two locos; 1408 one of the first 10 which were built in the UK and shipped to Portugal and 1411 the first of the series assembled in Portugal by Sorefame.
A long weekend in Switzerland to do a pair of tours run by Charters Helvetia with the BLS Railway.
Day one was "The Brugg and Zürich Avoider" which did just what the title says, going from Interlaken to Erstfeld via Basel Bad and Romanshorn (avoiding Brugg and Zürich!)
Day two was named the "Gotthard Pass and Ticino Limited" and went from Erstfeld back to Interlaken but not before heading south to cover some unusual track to Lugano Vedeggio freight yard, Mendrisio to Stabio and Chiasso Smistamento Yard.
Day two of PTGs 10th Anniversary tour started with 1558 from Tomar to Entroncamento where it was replaced by 1408 for the run to Poceirão. 1424 was added to the rear from here to cover the new (reinstated) line to Coina and the freight branches at Praias Sado in top and tail mode.
Also included are pictures of some of the items at Entroncamento Railway Museum.
The first two days of a seven day tour in Northern Spain the whole of which was billed as "The Great Spanish Track Bash". Other than a trip from Barcelona to Tarragona on a service train at the start the locos for both days were 308 017 and 308 020, owned by A.R.M.F. Lleida.
The first day went from a rather wet Tarragona Docks via the Zaragosa avoiding line to Casetas (run round) the Lleida. Day two was simply a return trip on the scenic line between Lleida and La Pobla de Segur.
Five days spent on the Railway Touring Company's "North Briton" tour from London King's Cross to Kyle of Lochalsh and back. The whole tour was steam hauled (apart from the final 77 miles from Peterborough to London on the last day) by four different locos (two A4s, 60009 and 60019, Black Five 45407 and 71000 "The Duke of Gloucester".
Whilst there aren't so many pictures of the train itself in this gallery, there are plenty of photos; not least of various bits in Tyne Yard, taken whilst the train took water in both directions.
Three days in Ireland to travel on the annual RPSI tour. This years was named "Garavogue" and featured 2-6-4T no. 4 and two pairs of class 141 / 181 diesels. Day one was a trip from Dublin to Limerick and return, day two went from Dublin to Sligo and day three covered Sligo, Bray and back to Dublin.
The first day of a three day tour run by Desperate Railtours covering many lines of interest in Austria (and Slovenia) using 2050.04 as the main loco along with many "supporting acts".
The route taken was from Wien Südbahnhof to Graz with but with many interesting diversions en route to places such as Wien Lobau Hafen, Wöllersdorf and Blumau-Neurißhof.
Five days spent mostly in the Bayern area with an emphasis on class 218s. It was also a final chance for a ride on the ALEX trains before they were taken over by Arriva, who would also take over RE trains between München and Nürnberg to Furth-im-Wald at the forthcoming timetable change about two weeks later.
Part two of our trip to Germany in March / April 2006 starts and ends at Düsseldorf Hbf and with a class 218, to Willingen on the 31st March and Kleve on 4th April. In between there is a visit to Düsseldorf-Rath, where we did not see as much freight as expected, a long trip with a 218 from Bochum to Hamburg and return, a steam trip and Bochum-Dahlhausen musem and Abellio loco-hauled substiutes.