A day of Winter steam photography featuring black 9F No.92214 on as many minerals as we can muster

About this event

We are delighted to offer the opportunity of a full day of Winter steam photography at the Great Central Railway featuring 9F Class 2-10-0 No.92214 facing south at the head of as many mineral wagons as we can muster.

Until recently, No.92214 has carried lined green livery named Leicester City to honour the local football club’s fine achievement of winning the Premier League title in the 2015-2016 season at odds of 5000-1. Recently, the locomotive has reverted to British Railways black livery which presents us with the opportunity to once again recreate the days of wind-cutter mineral trains from the 1950s and 1960s.

The day will start at 08.00 at Swithland Sidings and run until sunset at approximately 16.00. As this is a goods train we will be following by car. We will arrange car sharing to ensure we have as few vehicles as possible to park up at various locations. This may mean meeting at Loughborough first thing in the morning before heading to Swithland, details of this will be advised with joining instructions. Lunch will be taken at the Butler Henderson Cafe at Quorn Station while the locomotive is being serviced and we effect a crew change.

No.92214 was completed at Swindon Works in October 1959 and initially allocated to Cardiff Canton Depot. The locomotive moved to Banbury Shed in November of that year for working heavy ore trains to South Wales plus goods services to Old Oak Common. November 1961 saw 92214 transferred to Newport (Ebbw Junction) for further use on coal and mineral trains. A further move in 1964 was to Bath Green Park for working Summer Saturday excursions over the Somerset and Dorset route before a final transfer to Severn Tunnel Junction Depot from where it was withdrawn in August 1965, just six years after entering traffic. No.92214 first returned to steam in preservation at the Midland Railway Centre and later spent extended periods at the East Lancashire Railway and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway; it is now permanently based at Loughborough.

*Images are for illustration purposes only. Image credit to Stephen Bottrill.

Event requirements

Equipment

• Spare batteries
• Camera
• Lenses
• Camera protection - rain covers etc

Other things you should bring

• Snacks
• Bottled water

Knowledge

• All levels welcome

Fitness

• Medium

Other essentials

• High vis jacket
• Sturdy outdoor shoes
• Warm clothing
• Wet weather gear