“The Keith Pirt Collection”

Presenter: Bob Gellatly

Bob Gellatly was the presenter for the first meeting of the new 2023-24 season which covered the work of Keith Pirt, who was an early day exponent of colour slide photography.  He lived in Retford where the Great Northern and Great Central lines cross and therefore principally where the programme was focussed.

His photographs were displayed across the two companies in equal measure initially concentrating on material from the Great Central Railway.  Much was seen of its locomotives, particularly the Robinson 2-8-0 freight locomotives as they worked their easterly and westerly ways across the GN main line.  Glimpses of 0-6-0 J11’s and J6’s broadened the spectre of freight locomotives on show to be then further enhanced via photographs taken around the local engine shed.  D11 ‘Directors’ were nicely pictured on Lincoln to Sheffield local passenger services.

From the Great Northern metals a great deal was seen of A4 Pacifics as they sped their way through the station on main line duties.  Naturally samples of many types of LNER Pacifics and V2’s on both passenger and high-speed freight were to be seen, each superbly photographed.  All was very typical of that which was to be found on the main line in those evocative days of steam.