Andy Chard

40106 in action today on the @eastlancsrly (top and tail with 50015).

Here's my record of the final @PathfinderTours train, with D1015 between Ashton and Manchester Victoria today. I've lost count of the number of Pathfinder railtours I've travelled on since the 1980s, so a massive thank you to them for all the traction, rare track and memories!

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The view of Saltburn and Teesside's industrial landscape from the window of yesterday's railtour to Boulby. This line has some fantastic scenery.

It's glorious in Saltburn today!

Thank you @railwaysillus for this excellent review. The Beaten Track books are a joy to compile and write. More info on the book here: tinyurl.com/mr2vf26y

Volume 5 of the acclaimed Beaten Track series by @AndyChard1 is now on sale. Here's an except that shows how Platform 5's home town looked back in 1981 and the level of detail in the book's captions. You can buy the book and find out more here: tinyurl.com/mr2vf26y

I'm visiting Britain's newest heritage railway today. The Class 143 is operating passenger trains on the @TarkaValleyRail from Torrington Station until 1530. This is the view in the Devon sun!

This is the sole daily train to stop at this platform. It's the 1906 Ellesmere Port - Liverpool at Earlestown' south western platform this evening.

Visiting one of Britain's most northerly and isolated heritage railways today, the @Deeside_Railway in Aberdeenshire. Class 03 D2134 and Bon Accord are the traction.

Great to see another recently reopened line being well used today. This is 158732 at the new @ScotRail Leven station.

I met up with railway photography legend Trevor Ermel today in his native Newcastle and we did a spot of line bashing on the well used new @northernassist line to Ashington.

Interesting to find some wooden semaphores at the northern end of Droitwich Spa station today, nicely embellished by more mechanical signals and the box in the background.

A deserted Stockport station and the bridge replacement works in progress this afternoon.

I've written a piece on @WhitwellReepham, one of Britain's newest and lesser covered heritage railways. It's in the latest @TodaysRailways which goes on sale today.

195120 speeds past the Cheshire Lines Committee's 1873 Urmston station building. 152 years later and it's now The Auld Chimp pub and the @northernassist ticket office is the modern building on the right.

Some good news for those of us who appreciate loco-hauled passenger trains. The Class 68s and Mark 5s will enter service next year.

A very rare daytime freight down the CLC line between Manchester and Warrington this afternoon. @RailFreight 66596 takes the long way round from Slade Lane Jn to Basford Hall while Stockport is completely closed for 3 weeks.

@Tarka_Man Let me know what you think when you've had chance to read it. It's always interesting hearing what stands out etc.

@AndyChard1 Thanks Andy, collected it at 9 this morning while still quiet.

37 years ago today was an average Monday afternoon until I found myself behind a pair of 20s into Manchester Piccadilly on a service train! My schoolboy camera didn't cope with the buffer stop shot, so here they are after being released from the stock.

@Tarka_Man This post says where it is: x.com/Platform5Rail/…

@AndyChard1 Yet to find your stand at the GG to buy your book