What is the difference between my photo of the DRS Saloon and last night’s episode of “the sky at night” … Answer … Zip, nada, nothing. Both peer into an inky blackness and try to make sense of what they are looking at!

Backup a few minutes there. A 37 hauled DRS Saloon was due through Gloucester around midday today. For once I had time on my hands; had already seen the email reports that it was keeping good time and had hopped onto my trusty velocipede and headed out arriving around 11.30+, plenty of time???

Arrived at location, got the camera out and prepared for the inevitable “is there something special coming through” from the local coming towards me on the bridge. As I answered the question, the words hardly from my lips and it was “yes, actually …. That!” as it trundles under Stroud Road Bridge in my direction. Result?

It was at this point that several things happened. I noticed that 5Z02 had the saloon leading and the loco behind. I snapped away to realise that I was not in burst mode but no fear, I’ll get the going away shot. 2 more snaps as it moved off northwards.

Pleased with myself that I’d not only arrived spot on time but had the camera ready too I reviewed the – as it turned out – 3 shots of what appeared to be a black cat in a coal cellar. Backwards, forwards, turned the camera off and back on again and nope; definitely 3 shots that only Patrick Moore would be proud of! Somehow the camera fairies had left it at around 10 stops under. Noooooooooooo 🙁

Cycling away in disgust I realised that in all the fun I’d actually forgotten to even “notice” the 37. Professional … Moi? Reaches for email address for Railway Magazine 🙂