It’s all about tradition and nostalgia

When I headed out recently to visit my local heritage railway, the weather conditions had been specifically chosen to produce the images I had previsualised for this location. The black and white images needed to have an integrity to match the commitment and passion of the volunteers who take such pride in maintaining the stations, engines and ephemera.

The Great Central Main Line runs between Loughborough and Leicester North, passing through the preserved station at Quorn and Woodhouse. Heritage railways bring big environmental benefits through the green corridors that they provide, with their own flora and fauna. They unite people from a wide range of backgrounds and a wide geographical area, supporting social cohesion.

The warm and fuzzy feeling preserved railway enthusiasts get – is that because the British invented them? Or that children know Thomas and Percy better than their own parents? Or that peaked caps, billowing steam and The Railway Children bring a strange quiver to grown men's hearts? Whatever the reason, there's something about the British and their steam railway heritage that only a ride down the line can start to explain.

“Trainspotting has always been a democracy, embracing all men, from right scruffs to Right Honourables.”  Platform Souls by Nicholas Whittaker, 1995

The above images were taken on a full frame Canon 5d Mk IV with a Canon 24-70mm L lens and a Canon 70-200mm L lens.