Since those early days for me at Cleethorpes in the mid-fifties I’ve always had a passion to savour the sound, sight and smell of the steam locomotive. It was never the most fashionable admission – and yet steam seems more universally acknowledged in current times. I would certainly argue that the steam locomotive is a living creation – brought to life by coal and water and the skill of the crew. Its design is often pleasing to the eye and it can remind us of our dominant role in the Industrial Revolution. It could be 100 years of age or older – and often still capable of hauling 500 tons at 75mph or more. It can be the underdog, still breathing – on a very modern railway network.

Seeing a steam locomotive on a preserved railway – gleaming, pampered and celebrated is one thing. But finding it alive and barking up a Scottish Glen, or to the famous summits at Shap and Ais Gill will be an encounter in a different league. Featuring regularly in the video collection will be the Jacobite service in Scotland, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, some of the narrow gauge in Mid and North Wales and a selection of preserved and mainline activity across Britain.

This growing collection of steam in action will have seen me influenced by wild locations, steep gradients and opportunities to avoid the crowds of onlookers and other distractions – to what I will imagine as the purity of the moment. I’m aiming to capture the silence or normality of the moments before and after – and to allow the passage of the steam locomotive to leave its impression as the dominant feature. This luxury can present something of a dilemma when it comes to editing – not everyone will appreciate the two minutes of bleating sheep and spluttering pheasant before the working steam locomotive obliterates all the natural sounds – so all too often the video features only the most ‘watchable’ sequence. The passage of a majestic steam locomotive, at full cry, is just another extension for me of a very special ‘Landscape Moment’.

Please feel very welcome to share the video links with others – and to offer feedback if you’ve enjoyed watching!