Polyrus' photos

The Fairbourne Railway is a 12 1⁄4 inch (311 mm) gauge railway running for 2 miles (3.2 km) from the village of Fairbourne on the Mid-Wales coast, to the end of the peninsula at the Barmouth Ferry railway station. The railway has four steam locomotives and one of the four, 'Beddgelert', seen here returning to Fairbourne with four coaches, is one of them. All four steam locos are half sized replicas of previous narrow gauge engines. In the background, across the Mawddach estuary, is "The Cardigan Bay Express" hauled by 7819 Hinton Manor! A scan from my Agfachrome 35mm slide, showing the juxtaposition of two completely different trains.

On the top deck there were a few hundred people clambering for space, yet oddly there was nobody down here admiring the fences .... .... Best viewed large HFF folks! Explored!

I am a long way short of mastering hand-held night photography. But I gave it a go.... Slightly better on black

Graffiti, seen on one of the piers supporting the Bordesley Viaduct near the Custard Factory in Digbeth, Birmingham UK The artist's signature is 'eins92'

Catching the sun on a Lower Trinity Street wall, in Digbeth, Birmingham UK Does this graffiti brighten the place up, or does it brighten the place up?

A floating pontoon platform, crumbling by Southampton's Royal Pier. Clearly in need of a little TLC before it will be happy again. I also think the Health & Safety people should make a recommendation for more fencing...at least! HFF! Explored! ....at your peril

In Southampton Water. Five are the 13 storey 1960s Weston Tower blocks (Hampton, Havre, Oslo, Copenhagen and Rotterdam), along Weston Shore. Three are the Svitzer tugs against their home jetty.

One of three similar Red Funnel passenger & vehicular ferries frequently plying their trade between Southampton and East Cowes on the Isle of Wight. On the skyline is the former chapel of the Royal Victoria Hospital at Netley. Netley Hospital was Britain's largest military hospital and when built it was the longest building in the world. Today, only the hospital chapel remains of the main building, which was demolished in 1966 and the site is now open as the Royal Victoria Country Park. Better detail when viewed large. Explored!

... with a commemorative rail-tour on 5th March 1966, to mark the end of the much loved Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway, which closed forever two days later. 34006 covered more distance than any other member of the class, with 1,099,338 recorded miles. Also it was unique in that it was one of three in the class which had extended smoke deflectors, but the only one to retain them to the end. This a scan from the original Kodachrome slide taken by a Mr J.E. Bell, which is now in my possession. HFF on this sunny day! Explored!

...in May 1964 34005 was built in 1945 and rebuilt without the air smoothed casing in 1957. Seaton Junction station was closed in March 1966, a few months prior to this loco being withdrawn. This is a scan from the original Agfa CT18 35mm slide, which has lasted quite well.

Following on from my previous upload, this postcard c1903 was mailed internally in Russia during 1907. There are four almost identical surviving Palladian bridges of this size, designed by the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). Three in England and this one one in Russia, at Tsarskoe Selo (now Pushkin) in the Environs of St Petersburg. Called the Siberian Marble Gallery by the Russians, it is situated between 'Swan Islands' in the landscaped Catherine Park of Tsarskoe Selo and spans a rivulet flowing between several large ponds. The bridge was modelled after the Palladian Bridge of 1736 in the park of Wilton House outside Salisbury in Wiltshire. All components of the bridge, including the granite Ionic colonnade — were produced in Ekaterinburg, transported to Tsarskoe Selo and then assembled in situ. It is probably called Siberian due to its construction with marble from the Urals.

There are four almost identical surviving Palladian bridges of this size, designed by the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). Three in England and one in Russia. The Palladian Bridge at Prior Park in Bath was built in 1755 for Ralph Allen, and copied from the one at Wilton House near Salisbury (built 1735-37). This was the last of three of its kind built in England. Grade 1 Listed since 1950. Explored!

In Cowdray Park near Midhurst in West Sussex. This great mansion was devastated by fire in 1793 and has remained more or less in the same state since. www.cowdray.co.uk/historic-cowdray/history A 'Grade 1 listed' building.

Just a snap shot of the ruins in Cowdray Park near Midhurst