Gresley A4 Pacific Bittern approaching the crossing at Natton near Ashchurch on the outskirts of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire with The Cathedrals Express heading for Worcester Shrub Hill.

I think that the driver had eased off the regulator, there was plenty of exhaust visible before the train reached the road bridge in the background.

Botaurus the support Coach carries the Latin name for a bittern.

Bittern was built by The London and North Eastern Railway 1937 at Doncaster Works (works number 1866), it was originally numbered 4464. It was renumbered as No 19 under the LNER 1946 renumbering scheme and after nationalisation it became 60019.

Rebuilt Merchant Navy Class Pacific locomotive 35028 Clan Line pictured on the way to Bristol in inclement weather at Corston, near Bath, with The Merchant Venturer.

This was a rare chance to see this engine running on this main line from London to Bristol. Fifteen minutes before the engine arrived the heavens opened up. Conditions were very unpleasant with strong wind and pouring rain.

The A1 Pacfic Trust's engine Tornado 60163 worked a heavy train at Sapperton Bank on the Golden Valley line between Stroud, Kemble and Swindon.

This Pathfinder Tour was running to London from Gloucester. The pictures were taken near one of the foot crossings at Frampton Mansell.

Nunney Castle pilots Pitchford Hall on the move from the West Somerset Railway via Bristol to Tysley, Birmingham.

I photographed the two engines near Yatton Loop about half a mile from the station. This time the weasel kept away. I ought to have gone to the crossing at West Hewish, they had eased off the regulators by the time they reached Yatton Loop.

6024 King Edward I was travelling between Minehead and Kidderminster on a Light Engine Move with the support coach. It is due to run on The Severn Valley Railway during the school half term week.

The photographs were taken at Filton Abbey Wood Station as the engine headed out towards Bristol Parkway, Gloucester then on to Kidderminster.

6024 King Edward I was at Minehead after visiting the West Somerset Railway's Autumn Gala. The sheer size of The King Class Engine can be appreciated from these shots.

A flare was being used to illuminate the inside, as part of a boiler washout and examination.

4953 Pitchford Hall was running on the West Somerset Railway after travelling from Birmingham for Autumn Gala on the WSR. The engine was built in 1929 and is based at Tyseley Museum in Birmingham.

I went over to Claverton Pumping Station by the Kennet and Avon Canal to take these shots of Tangmere with The Cathedrals Express working for Steam Dreams. The train runs close by this canal in Somerset and Wiltshire.

Just in case anyone wonders I was behind a fence and I used a telephoto lens.

Perhaps I should have made better use of the light by going to the canal bridge 250 yards nearer to Bathampton. The light was better...

Unrebuilt Battle of Britain Pacific Tangmere 34067 running alongside the A4 at Newton Meadows, Corston near Bath with The Cathedrals Express from London to Bristol. This service run by Steam Dreams ran via The Berks and Hants line.

Black Five 45231 with Spitfire Railtours trip from Preston, Manchester to Huddersfield, Blackburn seen from Hebden Bridge Station in West Yorkshire.

Hebden Bridge Station was built by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1870 and is a grade ii listed building.

Two steam engines Pitchford Hall and Nunney Castle were passing through at Yatton en route for the WSR, but they arrived early. I missed them, but took a shot of a weasel and some passing trains.

I travelled on the Torbay Express from Bristol to Kingswear hauled by 6024 King Edward I.

I have included a mix of pictures from the train as it passed through Somerset and Devon.

Views of the two BR Standard tank engines 80078, and 80104 running during the Swanage Railway Gala.

Most of the pictures were taken from the footpaths near the Woodyhyde campsite.

Rebuilt West Country Pacific 34028 Eddystone and Unrebuilt Battle of Britain Pacific 34070 Manston were hauling trains on the Swanage Railway during the Gala on September 12th.

Some views of the M7 tank engine No 53 running in plain black livery with the Southern Railway's Sunshine Yellow lettering. This Edwardian engine is seen running through the South Dorset landscape of the Isle of Purbeck.

This engine was designed for the London and South Western Railway by Dugald Drummond and built in 1905. It was numbered 30053 by British Railways with a power classification of 2p.

Views of the Swanage Railway 2009 Gala's visiting engine Fowler 2-8-0 SD&JR No 88 or BR 53808.

This engine is owned by the Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust and is on loan to The West Somerset Railway. I photographed it at Corfe Castle and from fields near Harman's Cross Station. The weather in Dorset was warm and bright.

The SVR had a theme of A Day at The Seaside. Bradley Manor, Erlstoke Manor and Kinlet Hall hauled some of the trains.

Some of the pictures were taken from the Engine House Museum, Highley: Hampton Loade, Bewdley Station, Arley and Kidderminster.

The Severn Valley Railway had a theme for this weekend, A Day At The Seaside. Engines in steam included Kinlet Hall, Bradley Manor, Erlstoke Manor.

However this collection focuses on H. G. Ivatt's austere LMS 4F 2-6-0 design. The Flying Pig BR no 43106 is shown standing in the yard at Bridgnorth. Like all but 3 of the class, this engine was built by British Railways. 43106 was completed in 1951 at Darlington and given the BR power classification 4mt.

The next gallery will include the Manors and Kinlet Hall.

6024 King Edward I running through from Yatton Station after leaving Bristol for Taunton, Exeter, Paignton and Kingswear with a Torbay Express steam service.

The pictures were taken at the level crossing at Gas House Lane, outside Yatton, I hadn't been to this location but it is listed on Peter Lawson's excellent Bristol Railway Archive site.

6024 King Edward I returns to the Torbay Express run for the first time this summer. Pictures from Hewish Level Crossing show the engine working the train from Bristol for Weston Super Mare, Taunton, Exeter, Paignton and Kingswear.

6024 King Edward I with a test run from Bristol to Shrewsbury, passing Cattybrook for Wales and Shropshire. The engine carried a wreath and a special headboard in memory of the late Bernard Staite.

If it had been a sunny day, the camera lens would have been facing the sun, but it was very, very cloudy which made the shots possible.

The A1 Steam Trust's new steam locomotive 60163 Tornado leaving Bristol Temple Meads Station for Plymouth with the Tamar Tornado.

70013 Oliver Cromwell, a Britannia Class Pacific eases off as it runs through the cutting at Sydney Gardens, Bath.

The Cathedrals Express had started at London and had run to Salisbury, Westbury, Bath and Bristol.

Southern Railway V or Schools Class 4-4-0 Repton hauling a train from Grosmont in heavy rain near Goathland on the North Yorks Moors Railway.

30926 Repton working a mix of Pullman cars and BR Mark 1 carriages on the North Yorks Moors Railway en route for Pickering.

Two of the shots show the Fowler 7F 2-8-0 53809 waiting at Levisham for 30926 to run in to the passing loop. Black Five 45212 was also running to Pickering and Grosmont.

Southern Railway S15 Class 4-6-0 engine 825 or BR 30825 waiting at Whitby Station for a run back to Pickering via the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
However this engine may have a large number of parts from its classmate 30841.

70113 Oliver Cromwell runs through at Pilning, near Bristol, en route for Carmarthen, Tenby and Pembroke.

A1 Pacific Tornado 60163 completed in 2009 almost 60 years after the other Peppercorn Pacifics ran on The West Somerset Railway's Mixed Traffic Gala.

Britannia Class Pacific Oliver Cromwell 70013 at Bristol Temple Meads with the Dartmouth Express waiting to leave for Somerset and Devon.

Tornado 60163, the newly built A1 Peppercorn Pacific ran for the first time to Wales from Gloucester.

It was a wonderful trip. I have included a couple of shots from the train running alongside the Severn and had a quick look at the cab interior and the fire when the engine was in Cardiff.

When the train arrived at Bristol, BR Standard Pacific 70013 Oliver Cromwell was standing at Platform 3 with a train from Poole.