A Thundering Good Pre-Christmas Treat

            50008 'Thunderer' climbs away from Somerton with an additional  ballast train on the Friday before Christmas in 1989.

This was once my favourite photographic location, located at the top of a deep cutting in the hills south of the Mendips, quiet except for the passing of trains and helicopters from the Royal Naval Air Station at Yeovilton.

Thanks to kindly station staff, this was taken during the period I was reading the weekly special traffic notices.   From the notices, I knew a ballast train was due up from Exeter through Somerton and was very likely to produce a DCWA class 50. 

As I remember, as I climbed to the top of the cutting I could hear the roar of the early running class 50 on its ballast hoppers echoing across the valley and didn't get into position I needed.   However, the image size produced by my Pentax 6x7 combined with the razor-sharp (and wholly impractical) Kodachrome 64 allowed a pleasing cropped result.

I was browsing my collection for an image to upload and realised it had to be this one: taken 31 years ago exactly.

Taken on: December 22, 1989

Sets appears in: • England in the 1980s

Groups appears in: • Trains and Trolleys • Rail more » • planes, trains and automobiles • trains • Trains and railways • Railroads • Railway • Railway and all the things around • Trainspotting • Class 50's • European Railways • Transportation • train railroad • I Love Trains • Güterzüge / Freight trains / Cargo trains • MOVING trains --READ THE RULES • All aboard! Trains - Real and Surreal • 1701-2000 (Comments Required) • trains in action • railfans • Train pictures • Transport In The Frame • minimum 2000 views • Rail Rider • Train Engines and Locomotives • Railways and trains of Scotland • Railway Express Agency • Engines • Train Photography • Your Best Railroad Shot • British Rail Steam, Diesel and Electric Traction • Trains and Trams - Railway Lovers • All Trains • Rail Archive - Photos • BRITISH RAILWAYS • RailwayWorld • Anything trains • The Railway Age • World Trains • Classic trains • transport of the world • British Railways (1948 to 1997) & Preserved Railways • LIFE ON THE RAILWAYS • Railways of Britain • UK Trainz (Diesel 'n' Electric) • 1,000,000 TRAINS • Trains in the uk • UK Trainz - Diesel • UK Rail • Rail UK : Built or Powered by English Electric, Vulcan or RSH • UK Trainz - Locomotives • UK Trainz • UK Class 50/52 • RAILWAY PHOTOS • LocoMotives • International Railroad Photography Gallery • Runs On Rails • world train & stations • GB Railways • Classic UK rail traction • Any Thing Trains • Trains, Rails and Railroad Equipment • Tutti i treni d'Europa / All Trains of the Europe • Trains-new and old-past and present • Locomotive Photo Group • A* Class 50, Type 4, D400 class. • UK Train Pics • Reality Railway Pictures • Freight trains • Your Best Railroad Photos • I've been railroaded! • cars, trains and buses • Railway Gallery • Treni Cargo / Cargo Trains • Trains Deluxe • Freight trains of the UK • All Locomotives, Trains and Trams • UK Rail Photography & London Underground • If it has to do with trains • English Countryside • UK Railway Landscapes • British Rail 80s and 90s • uk train shots • British Railways (1948 to 1995) • Trains in the 70's, 80's and the 90's • Train and Railway/Railroad Lovers - photos and videos.. (No 30/ • British Rail • The Messroom • Rail UK: BR Large Logo Blue Livery • Eisenbahnfieber.de • Fret/Cargo/Freight passion • 1.000.000 Trains in Europe • Tracks and Trains - worldwide • Railway Enthusiasts Camera Club • 3/4 UK Railway Photos • Named British Railway Locomotives • UK Rail Images (no post limit) • Rail-UK Forum • Railways in the UK • Anything Railway • Dieselpower Europe • All Out Train's • British GM Free Railway Shots • Railroad Traffic • Trains of the UK • 1,000,000 Locomotives • British And European Railway And Train Photography • UK Rail Gen • JUST TRAINS-no 30/60 limit • High Quality Train Pictures • Diesel Locomotives • South West & South Wales Railways • Rails Around The UK • Rail Cargo • WNXX • Eisenbahn in Europa • + Railway Unlimited • Rail Pictures Worldwide Net • Trains on curves, hills and bridges • Railfreight in the UK • UK Train - Best Shots • Cargo in train • EuropeanRailways • World railways! Trains, trams and subways! • freight trains in the uk • UK Railway photos • 2,000 Views Unlimited 2000 • Rail Enthusiasts Worldwide Opted out 30/60 • Class 50 Diesel Locomotives • "All Kinds of Transportation International" {the public group} • Trenes, materiales y paisajes ferroviarios (Sin limite de grupos • [UK] British Locomotives • Uk Locomotives • All Line • Estaciones, trenes y tranvías de Europa • Railfan Atlas • BR Diesels in the 1980s • UK Railways Past and Present • Treinenkoerier • Železniční fotografie/Railway photographs • Shots from around England • TrainLogistic • Trains Winter/Summer (No 30/60 limit) • Worldwide Train's and Tram's • +Railways of Europe • All pictures on the Terra (No 30/60 limit) • Railway Favourites (UK only) min 20 favs • Anything to do with UK Railways • * Trains ~ all Trains ~ only Trains → Please join us...(p1~a1) • Locomotive Every Season (No 30/60 limit) • Engine Drivers Eyes - no 30 / 60 group restriction • **Only Trains _ No 30 / 60 Group restriction ! • Railway - trains • UK Diesel Locomotives. Opted out of 30/60 Limit. • Ferrocarriles Españoles Internacional • RAILROAD 1 • Telephoto Trains • A Train In [No 30/60 limit] • Somerset Railway Locations • The Strange Fascination With Railroad Tracks Club - no 30/60 • Top Quality Railway Shots. UK ONLY. • TRRPG Flickr Group • Diesel and Electric Locomotives of Great Britain • UK Engineering Trains • Stuff on Rails "opted out of 30/60" • A LONG WALK IN THE WORLD. VINTAGE • Modern Train photos in the uk and in Europe • Transport Scenes That Are Now Lost To History. [No 30/60 limit. • flickrailroad • Real Railfreight UK « less

Camera: Epson PerfectionV700 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Epson PerfectionV700
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Elements 14.0 (Windows)
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