26 February 2025 Railways Remembered in North East England

Presenter: Charles Roberts

Not for the first time this season, Chichester Branch were treated
to a wonderful collection of images that owed much to the work of
photographers no longer with us. Charles Roberts presented via
Zoom thus enabling a wider audience to enjoy the show. Charles
runs the Online Transport Archive based in Shrewsbury that has a
wide scope covering all forms of land and water-borne transport
and it was this archive that provided the images for the
presentation.

Charles Roberts enhanced his presentation with very informative
maps and route diagrams and took care to acknowledge individual
photographers by name together with a brief summary of their life.
The variety of motive power shown was almost bewildering and
ranged from Gresley Pacifics on the ECML, Class 9F 2-10-0’s on
Tyne Dock-Consett iron ore trains, many examples of industrial
steam locos through to steeple-cab electric shunting locomotives
built at the start of the 20th Century.

Just as interesting were the glimpses shown of an industrial
landscape of iron and steel works and coal mines that has virtually
disappeared over the last 50 years or so.

Not for the first time as well this season, the audience received
tactful advice about leaving clear instructions for the future safe
storage and ownership of their photographic collections - none of
us are immortal!

Those attending will be pleased, and indeed not surprised, to know
that we have already asked Charles to return next season to show
more treasures from the Online Transport Archive.