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Page contents © D Swan 2008
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These recordings are intended primarily as a
supplement to the photographs on this site. However, I hope that some of them do stand as works in their own right.
The recordings should, in any case, provide a bit of audible atmosphere to go along with the photographs. I hope also,
that with practice, the quality will continue to improve! Happy listening.
Instructions
The sound files are arranged in chronological
order with a listing at the top of the page summarising all the recordings. It is then just a matter of scrolling down
the page to find the date of the recording in which you are interested. After a short description is a box containing
a summary of the recording including time and size of the file and a thumbnail of the action if available. I`ve tried
to keep the files at a manageable size for all users to avoid major downloads but the trade off is a slight loss in quality.
All files are in mp3 format sampled at 64kbs. The recordings are probably best listened to in headphones.
In the summary box is a large CLICK TO PLAY link.
Click the link to launch the track in your default media player (ie Windows Media Player (WMP), the track should load and
play. Do ensure that your media player is configured to play mp3 files. In WMP go Tools/Options/File Types and
tick mp3. If that fails you can right click on the CLICK TO PLAY link, this will bring up a standard Windows dialogue
where you can select 'Save Target As' (Internet Explorer), 'Save Link As' (Firefox).. Selecting this option will bring
up another standard Windows 'Save As' box. You can then choose where you want to save the file; you can then download
the file and play it in your chosen media player whenever you like!
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11 January 2008 35028 Clan Line passes Byfleet
01 March 2008 35028 Clan Line departs Brookwood
15 March 2008 4965 Rood Ashton Hall passes Culham
22 March 2008 35028 Clan Line nr Chalton
12 April 2008 60019 Bittern at New Barnet
28 May 2008 35028 Clan Line at Twyford
01 June 2008 6233 Duchess of Sutherland at Whiteball
03 June 2008 4247 departs Bodmin Parkway
03 July 2008 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley near Woolhampton
19 July 2008 6233 Duchess of Sutherland at Princes Risborough
23 July 2008 35028 Clan Line at Worting Junction nr Basingstoke
30 July 2008 6233 Duchess of Sutherland nr Albury
07 August 2008 34067 Tangmere leaving Guildford
13 August 2008 6233 Duchess of Sutherland departs Winchfield
& Basingstoke (2 runs)
11 January 2008
A wet and windy day relented for a couple of hours at lunchtime
and coincided with 35028 Clan Line passing Byfleet. The Merchant Navy Class loco was hauling a VSOE circular
tour from London Victoria via Guildford. As an 'up' express passes we pick up 35028 climbing up on to the main line
as it comes off the Addlestone line having just passed under the main line. 35028 makes good progress on the damp rails
and is following a service train just departed from Byfleet. We hear the usual Class 67 on the rear then pick up 35028
again before it is lost passing under the M25, a constant hum in this recording.
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35028 Clan Line at Byfleet Junction
11 January 2008
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01 March 2008
Regular visitors will know that we have visited Brookwood before
with 35028 Clan Line. Having seen 35028 at Fleet I didn't expect to be able to catch up with tour
at Brookwood stop but in the event, managed to arrive just as the 'right away' was given. We hear the guard's whistle
along with Clan Line's as the loco opens the drain cocks and gets underway with a small slip. An 'up'
express overtakes and cars race around the car park as 35028 makes a very steady departure. No 67 on the rear, so all
the work of 35028 but we hardly hear the loco after the train has passed with this VSOE circular from London Victoria.
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35028 Clan Line departs Brookwood
01 March 2008
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15 March 2008
A first (and for sometime, last) recording of 4965 Rood
Ashton Hall with the '4965 Adieu' tour from Solihull to Didcot. On a very wet day in Oxfordshire, 4965 had
a final outing on the main line before being withdrawn for overhaul at Tyseley Locomotive Works. Arriving late after
a long drive in atrocious weather we have little time to set up on the 'up' side of the station. We join the action
on this returning northbound leg as a southbound DMU, possibly Class 166 gets underway as 4965 sweeps around the
curve under the A415. 4965 is checked as it enters the station allowing the the DMU to get clear. As the
'Hall' passes it is at walking pace but opens up and starts to accelerate away up a short rise towards Radley and Oxford.
Shortly an express passes following 4965 which lets out a distant whistle. Finally, some people pack up gear as the
loco fades into the distance. We're not going to see Rood Ashton Hall for a while but this is a nice recording
to remember this main line stalwart.
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4965 Rood Ashton Hall passes Culham
15 March 2008
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22 March 2008
Arriving in the South Downs in blizzard conditions didn't bode
well for 'The Southern Sunset' tour. The tour ran from London Victoria to Salisbury before returning via Eastleigh,
Havant and Guildford. In clearing but very windy conditions we manage to locate a reasonable spot for photography but
very exposed for sound recording near Chalton. With the wind blowing towards 35028 Clan Line at the
head of this trip we hear the passing loco right at the start of the recording as a Pheasant sounds off. The buffeting
wind is very evident throughout the recording but if we keep listening the Merchant Navy Class loco lets out a long melancholy
whistle as it climbs towards Petersfield.
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35028 Clan Line nr Chalton
22 March 2008
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12 April 2008
I had intended to catch newly restored A4 60019 Bittern
pounding through the suburbs at dawn with 'The North Briton' at New Barnet. In reality 60019 was checked and coasted
into the station almost coming to a halt. In any case I was unable to find a suitable position for a photograph.
About half way along the platform the A4 got a better (signal) aspect and suddenly turned on the power. As the
crowd dispersed I turned to look at my mic as the A4 powered away towards Hadley Wood and the north. Not much to
look at today but something to listen to.
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60019 Bittern at New Barnet Station
12 April 2008
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28 May 2008
After several failed attempts at sound recording recently and chasing 35028
Clan Line around today, we eventually manage the semblance of a recording in atrocious weather at Twyford Station.
The evening rush hour is in full swing on the Great Western main line. HST's pound up and down on the through lines.
The 'up' relief has all the stopping services to Reading. The 'down' relief has through HST's and bi-directional
local trains. Hardly much space to fit in a steam rail-tour. Given the cacophony this is something of a sound-scape
of Twyford Station in the rush hour. We pick up the action with the platform announcements in full song as 35028 is
heard picking up speed towards us in the distance. A stopping service to Reading is just pulling in in front of us and
we are about to be 'eclipsed'. 35028 just picks up enough speed to get past us and under the Waltham Road Bridge as
the Class 166 slows to a halt. Steam fans can stop there as we next hear the 166 pulling out of the station before a
London bound HST blazes through behind us. 35028 was returning to London Victoria following a VSOE trip to Bristol.
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35028 Clan Line at Twyford
28 May 2008
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01 June 2008
'This must be Whiteball' I spluttered, hauling my gear through
a narrow stile. The vista opened up in front of me, here was famous bank where 3440 City of Truro was
claimed to be the first locomotive to break the 100mph barrier, descending the bank with the 'Ocean Mails'.
Today, we were here to see 6233 Duchess of Sutherland climbing the bank with this 'Locomotive Exchange Special' for
'Steam Dreams'. I'd arrived far too early, so found a suitable spot to set up and settled down to wait for the train.
Slowly, people began to file onto the hillside as if assembling in some great auditorium. At the due time of 6233
a sizable crowd was present, scattered as individuals and small groups. An almost eerie silence then descended across
the fields and hillside as the crowd prepared the witness the performance. It was nearly 20 minutes after
the booked time that a puff of exhaust was seen just behind the road bridge before 6233 boiled into view. In dull and
damp conditions 6233 was in fine form and passes by on the 1/80 climb with something of a shrug. The crowd pack
up and disperse. I am the last to leave. Having been on the hillside for over two hours the recording lasts just
1 minute 20 seconds. Enjoy it, I did.
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6233 Duchess of Sutherland at Whiteball
01 June 2008
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03 June 2008
A visit to Cornwall enables us to have a brief stop at the delightful
Bodmin and Wenford Railway. Just time for a single round trip behind GWR '42xx' Class 2-8-0T no 4247. We're onboard
4247, immediately behind the locomotive. 4247 is departing from Bodmin Parkway, smokebox first, heading for Bodmin General.
We hear the 'right away' and the loco gets underway on level track. Soon we clear the station and the 2-8-0 turns on
the power and starts the 1/40 climb. With just three coaches behind the tender this powerful loco is more than up to
the task, making steady, if wheezy and slightly monotonous progress. Later, 4247 pounds under the A38 bridge before
continuing the climb to Bodmin General. A visit to the Bodmin and Wenford is highly recommended and I could have spent
all day at the railway.
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4247 departs Bodmin Parkway
03 June 2008
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03 July 2008
A selection of sound here from 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley as
it heads west near Woolhampton with a 'Cathedrals Express' tour from London Victoria to Bristol and return. We are next
to the picturesque Kennet and Avon canal but have the constant traffic from the nearby A4 road. Overhead an assortment
of airliners, light planes, military helicopters and private helicopters go about their 'business' on a day of light winds
and sunny spells. Such is the din that the steady beat from 60007 catches me somewhat unawares for a moment and I think
it's another noisy intrusion! We hear the approaching 'pacific' for some time before it heads past, following a service
train and presumably being checked by signals. 60007 slows as the last of stock clanks by. A short fade is followed
by the loco picking up speed as I try and make an adjustment to my gear. Another quick fade and we hear 60007 in the
distance now but really putting the hammer down as it heads off towards Newbury. In hindsight this could have been a
much better recording but we do get to hear 60007 quite well.
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60007 Sir Nigel Gresley near Woolhampton
03 July 2008
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01 June 2008
We don't often get the chance for two takes at a main line steam
run but we do today, well kind of. At Princes Risborough I hoped to get 6233 Duchess of Sutherland charging
through the station and away up the climb to the summit at Saunderton. It getting late on a fine but breezy summer evening
in the Chilterns. The 8.41 to Birmingham has just pulled into Platform 3 on the far side of the station from our recording
position down in the car park. On time 6233 comes into view and all on Platform 3 are 'bowled'. 6233 travels slowly
into the station with two crew members leaning out of the cab and paying special attention to the trip through the station.
This is an unusual route for 6233 and with a clear signal aspect and plenty of steam I wonder if there may be a tight gauging
issue at this point? We first hear the 8.41 coming to rest before we pick up 6233. The loco comes off the power
as heads through the station soon 'blowing off' and then starting to accelerate. The loco sounds good as it passes before
we get some noise as the power comes on and we head off towards Saunderton Summit. So, two takes? Two different
recording systems but one recorded at at somewhat higher level than the other giving us a bit more sound on the climb.
I tried mixing the two tracks but it just didn't sound right. So (Take One) has good sound on the climb but we lose
a little detail as the loco passes by. (Take Two) has a little less on the climb but more detail in the passing.
Take your pick and enjoy the action. Both takes have quiet starts and need the volume up a little and perhaps headphones
to pick up all the detail. 6233 was hauling the return leg of a Cathedrals Express trip heading for London
Paddington having started the trip from Chester. The outward leg had been diesel hauled.
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(Take One)
(Take Two)
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6233 Duchess of Sutherland at Princes Risborough
19 July 2008
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23 July 2008
I haven't included a 'when it all goes wrong ' clip yet this year,
I've just not put them on the website. To 'redress' this, here's a clip of 35028 Clan Line at Worting
Junction near Basingstoke with a VSOE trip from London Victoria to Westbury and Bristol. I'd found a quiet
spot to set up and we hear the sounds of a summer meadow as a plane fades in the background and we pick the beat from the
Merchant Navy class loco. 35028 whistles as it approaches the nearby foot crossing as an airliner decides to
make a sudden flypast. The airliner is somewhat drowned out as 35028 passes before we hear 35028 and the airliner fade
into the distance. Thankfully the recording ends there as we return to the sounds of the meadow. This is a near
CD quality clip sampled at 128kps but I probably should have stayed at home and done the grass.
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35028 Clan Line at Worting Juction, Basingstoke
23 July 2008
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30 July 2008
In April 2006, this location near Albury had seemed promising
for tours climbing through the Surrey Hills. This spot has now become rather overgrown and very difficult to reach.
With several inquisitive dogs running about I'd have to keep very quiet indeed for any hope of some reasonable sound.
With just a gentle breeze blowing we are introduced by the smooth 'caw' of a nearby Rook before hearing the distant hooter
of 6233 on the climb below our position. A dog does indeed pipe up as the loco approaches but is no match for the 'frothing'
4-6-2 as it powers by below. We continue to hear loco as it heads towards the summit at Shere Heath. As I crashed
about packing up my gear the dogs went crazy and I may need to find a different location in the future.
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6233 Duchess of Sutherland near Albury
30 July 2008
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07 August 2008
A narrow and busy walkway just North of Guildford Station is the
location for this recording. It's late on a quiet evening just after a heavy rain shower as 34067 Tangmere
makes its way through the junction approaching the walkway. 34067 makes a steady approach as heard from our position
in a shallow gully on the north side of the walkway. 34067 bursts under the walkway and accelerates into the distance
heading for Woking and London Waterloo. 34067 was returning from Salisbury with a 'Cathedrals Express' tour. The
outward leg had run on the old LSWR route via Basingstoke, with the return running via Romsey and the Portsmouth direct line.
We are unusually quite lucky here with no pedestrians passing at the same time as Tangmere.
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34067 Tangmere leaving Guildford
07 August 2008
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13 August 2008
Another welcome opportunity to see 6233 Duchess of Sutherland
today hauling a 'Sunny South Special' for 'Steam Dreams'. This time we'd be getting some close up action of
6233. A day of strong winds and rain for the first recording here at the Winchfield water stop. 6233 hooter sounds
its departure just away to our right under the platform canopy. As the loco gets underway a London bound express sounds
its horn as it tears through the station. 6233 thunders past our position and away under the Odiham Road. As the
stock passes we can make out a carriage with seemingly square wheels and a noisy generator or kitchen car before we pick up
6233 again for a short time.
For the return we are at Basingstoke on what is now a much calmer
and clearing evening. Plenty of action here. We start with a spine tingling moment as 6233's hooter sounds
in the distance and echoes across the town. Soon a west bound Desiro slows to stop at the station. As the
hooter sounds again after 6233's water stop we hear the loco get underway as a DMU shuttle from Reading passes close
by heading for the bay at Platform 5. The sound of 6233 echoes around again and as the loco passes the crew acknowledge
the signal box before continuing their journey heading for Fleet, Woking and Clapham Junction. Great stuff.
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6233 Duchess of Sutherland departs Winchfield
13 August 2008
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6233 Duchess of Sutherland departs Basingstoke
13 August 2008
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