21st March 2019 · 1975 – A Good Year!!

Presenter: Robin Lush

Robin Lush, a well-known local railway photographer and enthusiast of some note provided the entertainment for the March evening meeting. Displaying a superb top class array of photographs he described all that he experienced in the way of steam throughout the year of 1975. From the outset this was a case of steam everywhere. Initially this began with coverage of an overseas trip into Turkey where in rugged mountain scenery steam hauled traffic in both freight and passenger formats were up for show. On home territory main line steam was becoming more prevalent and little was missed of action within the Northern region. Rarities such as the Midland Compound “Harwick”, “Evening Star” and “Green Arrow” evoked memories of locomotives that are no longer to be seen on the main line.

Featuring heavily were a myriad of photographs covering the 150th Anniversary of the opening of Stockton and Darlington Railway held at Shildon, an event which lead to numerous never to be repeated steam hauled movements that brought locomotives to the celebration A large proportion of both these and the associated departing movements were comprehensively illustrated. In combination with the event numerous opportunities were taken up by rail tour companies who set up steam hauled specials on metals rarely open, at that time, to steam hauled traffic. The ECML was one such route and a multitude of tours were organised and thoroughly photographed by the presenter. Glimpses of action from the dying days of steam at Esholt sewerage works together with scenes from the Worth Valley and Embsay railways brought this excellent high quality photographic show to a fitting conclusion.