Tag Archives: West Berkshire

Steam Train passing Aldermaston Station

28th July 2019 Armin Grewe 2 Comments

After the (luckily short) heat wave this week it was pleasantly cool this Saturday morning, also a bit damp as it had rained most of the night and still hadn’t fully stopped by the time I decided to leave for the train station. For it was time to watch and photograph another steam train passing Aldermaston Station.

(1) Steam train approaching from Reading
(2) Steam train under the A340 road bridge
(3) Steam train clearing the A340 road bridge
(4) Steam train passing through Aldermaston station
(5) Steam train close up
(6) Steam train has passed on its way to Newbury

Since the electrification of the line watching steam trains passing through isn’t the same any more, but then again some progress is necessary and I certainly prefer the electric trains over the old stinking and noisy Diesels we had before.

I haven’t bothered looking up the details of the steam engine pulling the train today, I hope you’ll still enjoy the pictures without that information. If you do know more about the locomotive feel free to leave the information in the comments.

Pictures

Electric Steam Train in Aldermaston Wharf

26th May 2018 Armin Grewe 2 Comments

No, of course there is no such thing as an electric steam train. But the headline made you curious, I hope. The reason for it is that the local rail line is currently in the last stages of the line electrification and the overhead power lines we put up about a month ago. While more environmentally friendly than the old diesel trains we currently have it’s not so nice for taking pictures of the steam trains passing through here every once in a while. Today we saw the first steam train coming through since the cables went up.

The train was the ‘Quantock Intruder’, pulled by SR Merchant Navy Class 4-6-2 no 35028 maintained by Clan Line. Here are the pictures I managed to take:

Picture of a steam train approaching in the distance — (1) First sight of the steam train

Picture of a steam train approaching — (2) Steam train approaching

Picture of a steam train at a road bridge over the rail line — (3) Steam train at the A340 road bridge

Picture of a steam train passing under a road bridge — (4) Steam train under the A340 road bridge

Picture of a steam train passing a station platform — (5) Steam train at the platform

Picture of a steam train passing at a small train station — (6) Steam train passing Aldermaston station

(click on the pictures for the larger versions and captions)

Pictures

Big tree, cattle, butterfly

20th May 2018 Armin Grewe 2 Comments

It was a very nice sunny spring day in West Berkshire today, so I went for another walk in the countryside near the village. I had hoped I might still be able to see some Bluebells, but couldn’t really find any. Didn’t see anything spectacular, so here are three fairly mundane pictures of a big tree, some cattle in the sunshine and a butterfly on a leaf:

Picture of a big tree with a slightly smaller one next to it — A big tree

Picture of grazing and resting cattle in the sunshine, seen through a gap in some leaves — Grazing and resting cattle in the sunshine

Picture of a butterfly on a leaf in the sunshine — A butterfly on a leaf in the sunshine

(Click on the pictures for the larger versions)

I hope you had a nice weekend as well, hopefully spring and soon summer continue to be nice.

Pictures

Steam train 60009 Union of South Africa passing Aldermaston

19th August 2017 Armin Grewe 15 Comments

At varying intervals steam trains travel on the line past Aldermaston Wharf, passing through Aldermaston Station. Last weekend a steam train came through which I missed, luckily it returned this weekend for another pass. This time I was ready with my camera to take pictures of the 60009 Union of South Africa, here’s a selection of my favourite views:

Picture of steam locomotive 60009 Union of South Africa approaching — 60009 Union of South Africa approaching

Picture of steam locomotive 60009 Union of South Africa getting closer — 60009 Union of South Africa getting closer

Picture of steam locomotive 60009 Union of South Africa blowing the whistle — 60009 Union of South Africa blowing the whistle (top of the locomotive in front of the funnel)

Picture of steam locomotive 60009 Union of South Africa at the platform — 60009 Union of South Africa at the platform

Picture of steam locomotive 60009 Union of South Africa in a close up view — 60009 Union of South Africa in a close up view

Picture of the steam locomotive 60009 Union of South Africa name sign — 60009 Union of South Africa name sign

Picture of the steam locomotive 60009 Union of South Africa passing — 60009 Union of South Africa passing

Picture of passengers on the train pulled by steam locomotive 60009 Union of South Africa — Passengers on the train pulled by steam locomotive 60009 Union of South Africa

Click on the pictures for the larger versions.

Pictures

Sunny August Sunday morning walk in West Berkshire

13th August 2017 Armin Grewe 10 Comments

As I’m writing this it’s cloudy in West Berkshire, quite please that I went out for a sunny Sunday morning earlier today in the morning. I used a route I found last weekend, taking me north from Aldermaston to the outskirts of Beenham. Then turned west passing north of Douai Abbey to Kiff Green. Here I turned south and walked to Upper Woolhampton, from where I continued to Woolhampton. In Woolhampton I crossed the Kennet and Avon Canal, which I then followed along the towpath east back to Aldermaston Wharf. I saw a variety of things, here are some of them in a picture gallery (click on the pictures for the larger versions):