All Steamed Up

I read something quite exciting on social media this morning, as someone had put that a steam train would be passing through the Attenborough Nature Reserve at around 1.25 today.

There has been a couple of steam trains passing this way recently, but annoyingly I have never been around to see them. So I was very keen to get down there and see if I could find a good spot to see it thunder by.

Even though I knew the time of its appearance, I thought I would go down a bit earlier, to a, get a parking space and b, find a good place to take some photos.

The nature reserve was really busy when I got there, but I managed to find a space and parked up. I was in two minds whether to stay near the nature reserve building and get a long shot of the train, or stand close to the line, so I could see the might of the 1933 Princess Elizabeth.

In the end I plumped for the latter. So I took the few minutes walk to where the railway line crosses the reserve and looked for a suitable spot. Several other photographers were already there, eagerly waiting to take that shot.

It wasn't as busy as I thought it might be, especially as it was sunny. I found a good spot and waited. Not long, as one old guy called out "the barrier's down", as part of the line crosses a road. I got ready and waited for the right moment to press the shutter.

It was coming by quite quickly, so I just kept on pressing. Fortunately I managed to capture a couple of what I think are decent shots. I was using my 40-150mm lens, and so I wonder if I might have done better with my 14-40mm lens instead. Both can shoot at f2.8.

Still, photography is a continual learning process, so I might try the smaller lens next time. But I'm still happy with this one. Especially as you can see some smoke coming to of the chimney.

Burnt Offerings

I took a wander down to the cattle market today for a change to my usual stroll to the Old Market Square.

As you might expect for a weekday, the place was very quiet, as most of the action takes place on a Saturday morning when the big auction is in full swing. Not cattle these days as far as I am aware, but furniture, electrical items and antiques etc.

I remember going with my dad when I was younger, with all the noise and hustle & bustle of the sellers and buyers, as he liked to go looking for old furniture or tools.

Looking for something to photograph whilst wandering along the deserted streets, I came across the remains of this burnt out shed. It couldn't have happened too long ago, as you could still smell the smoke on what remained of the wooden panels.

Grime

A photo of some of the chimneys at the power station near the East Midlands Parkway railway station.

Just fiddled about a bit in Lightroom to get this strange, post nuclear effect.

Smokestack On The Horizon

Cycling home from work tonight, I stopped on the bridge over the canal for a little while and took a couple of shots of the reflections in the water.

Incidentally the smoke you can see in the background, isn't from a ship, but the local council incinerator.

The Battlefield

The battle is over for now. Bombs and bullets have been fired from both sides. Casualties have been reported and medical aid has been arranged.

The mist of spent weaponry drifts across cratered land. The smell of death and churned earth hangs heavy in the air.

Men sit in silence. Shocked at what they have witnessed and have to deal with since it began.

The opening lines of a new war novel perhaps, or a photo of one of the battles in Syria?

Well no. The writing is my own and the photo is actually of the tram works along University Boulevard. The 'smoke' is actually water, misted to keep the dust at bay.

The land does look like a bomb site though with holes everywhere, piles of earth and fencing by the mile. While Beeston itself has been compared to Beirut on many occasions now.

Puffing Billy

Thank you to those that replied to my photo puzzle the other day. Hope you all did some head scratching.

Alas, none of you got the right answer. Onzc and Tom were heading in the right direction; but nothing to do with lock gates or clocks.

They were gears, but from this traction engine that I saw on Wollaton Park the other week at a show there.

The owners had got it going, as you can see the smoke from the boiler disappearing into the sky. It was an impressive looking vehicle, and must have been quite a sight when they used to chug up and down the roads of England before the motor car took precidence.

The Aliens Have Landed

I'm sure many of you are familiar with the works of H.G Wells. Especially his science fiction classic; The War of The Worlds. The story of an alien invasion by Martians. Only to be outwitted; not by guns, or bombs, but by bacteria. Germs from the people that they have sucked the blood from.

Well I witnessed a very similar scene last night. I saw a couple of flashes of light in the sky, which at first I thought were planes, as we are on the flightpath for the East Midlands Airport. But then one of the lights seemed to drop from the sky and land in a field; not too far from our house.

So I called Gail, and we raced to where I thought the 'light' had landed. We approached carefully, as it was pitch black now and we only had the glow from our mobile phones to help us stumble across uneven fields. We saw smoke and a big fire in the distance. This was obviously from the heat of whatever had landed.

A few people had gathered and were milling around the site. We joined them, and stood silently,awaiting developments...

Flaming Hell!

I know I promised you a photo from the computer games event, but I decided I'd share this shot of the Italian hot dog stall instead. I wasn't near the stall, when he lit the fire. I just saw a big plume of smoke rising into the crowd. I rushed over, as I thought one of the stands had caught fire. I don't know if he is chatting on his mobile while he is cooking.