A typical industrial scene from Northumberland with a pair of Hunslet 0-6-0ST numbers 48 and 54 on shed at Backworth colliery on the 13 July 1969.
Right : Class 62 0-6-0T number 62-635 works a lengthy goods train under the loading plant at Vreoci coal mine, Kolubara in Serbia, on the 17th October 2005.
Barry Buckfield, 1948 - 2020
A lifelong railway enthusiast and locomotive preservationist
Barry was a professional railwayman working for many years for British Railways at Eastleigh. Despite having railways as a day job, this did not deter Barry from observing and recording the regular steam railway operation throughout Britain in his spare time. With the demise of BR steam in 1968, Barry spent time tracking down and photographing the steam locomotives that were still in daily use at industrial concerns around the country. Being well aware that steam locomotives were a dying breed led Barry to purchase a locomotive for preservation, in the form of "Lord Fisher" a Barclay 0-4-0T number 1398 of 1915. This locomotive became the first steam engine to arrive at the Cranmore base of the East Somerset Railway in 1973. Additionally, later on, Barry purchased a class 3F 0-6-0T "Jinty" locomotive number 47493 built by Vulcan Foundry as works number 4195 in 1927, from the well known scrapyard at Barry in South Wales. This engine also moved to the fledgling East Somerset Railway, returning to steam in 1976.
Photographing the steam locomotive in its natural working environment was something that Barry dedicated a great deal of time to. As steam disappeared from the railways of Britain, capturing the steam locomotive at work in regular use around the world became an all consuming passion. This led to Barry travelling to Zimbabwe, Botswana, Pakistan, Cuba, former Yugoslavia, Poland, Austria, Indonesia, Germany, Spain and to China some 15 times.
His criteria for searching out real steam action is summed up by Barry as "By real it is inferred that the operations are still performing the job they were created for, using professional full time employees and the operations are not or have not been subject of the preservation movement. Some steam activities are tourist operations, however these operations were originally built for such purposes and so they are included".
Barry was meticulous in recording details of the many photographs that he took. His records provide valuable details of the locomotives, dates and places visited. Additionally he wrote tour reports for the major overseas visits and these make fascinating reading capturing the real flavour of a trip to experience steam and a different way of life. Here is a short extract from a tour to the narrow gauge railway at Huanan, China.
Following our beer, we were assigned to our respective sleeping accommodation. For Bram, Peter Shirley, George Hart, Bernd Seiler and I, we were assigned to a private brick and timber house, just West of the station and North of the line, one of about the three residences in this remote village. We entered the door to the dark surroundings to meet our hosts, an elderly Chinese couple who were delighted to welcome us all. We were directed from the cooking area, into the "guest" room, which consisted of a "Kang", a concrete plinth with coal fired heating beneath, capable of sleeping us five Western guests side by side. Fortunately for us, a few days earlier, new bedding was despatched to Lixin on an empty train, so we did not have to experience the former bedding which had probably never seen any laundering. Our "guest" room was lit by just three candles, barely illuminating the stone floor and the provisions and implements hanging on the wall. The windows were even double glazed, with a sheet of polythene at least, but the room was very warm despite the minus 30 degrees C outside. Of course, there was no running water or any toilet facilities, so those eggs we had for breakfast may do the trick to bung one's digestive system up for the duration!
The photographs, spotting notes and tour report details compiled by Barry, form a lasting record of time spent at the line side enjoying railways and recording the passing of the steam age. Additionally Barry's contribution to the steam preservation movement in Britain cannot be overstated and we owe a debt of gratitude for his foresight, dedication a passion in saving the locomotives for future generations to enjoy.
A contrast in motive power as a pair of bullocks haul a trailer watched closely by Baldwin number 1391 hauling a cane train on the Rafael Freyre sugar mill railway, Cuba on the 23rd March 2002.
Right : The metre gauge railway at Mirpur Khas Pakistan, sees 2-8-2 number 524 departing with a passenger service past some fine semaphore signals on the 2nd June 2005.
Right : The metre gauge railway at Mirpur Khas Pakistan, sees 2-8-2 number 524 departing with a passenger service past some fine semaphore signals on the 2nd June 2005.
15th class 4-6-4 + 4-6-4 garratt number 416 named "Inungu" brews up ready for a days operation on Bulowayo shed Zimbabwe, on the 12th August 2006.
Right : Standard class 4 2-6-4T number 80016 with red smoke box number, runs into Totton station with a short passenger service, on the 27th June 1967.
Right : Standard class 4 2-6-4T number 80016 with red smoke box number, runs into Totton station with a short passenger service, on the 27th June 1967.
Class PT47 2-8-2 loco number Pt47-65 working a passenger service comprised mostly of double deck stock, at Grodzisk station Poland, on the 15th May 1999.
Right : People power in the People's Republic of China, as two bicycles cross the line in front an SY 2-8-2 number 1412 working a goods train at Daqing, China on the 27th December 2001.
Right : People power in the People's Republic of China, as two bicycles cross the line in front an SY 2-8-2 number 1412 working a goods train at Daqing, China on the 27th December 2001.
A member of the loco crew steps down from 0-6-0T number 53 at Ponferrada colliery Spain, on the 8th June 1978.
Right : The 900mm gauge line from Kuhlungsborn West to Bad Doberan on the North coast of Germany, plays host to 2-8-2T number 99-2321-0 working a passenger service on the 3rd January 1987.
Right : The 900mm gauge line from Kuhlungsborn West to Bad Doberan on the North coast of Germany, plays host to 2-8-2T number 99-2321-0 working a passenger service on the 3rd January 1987.
A pair of C2 class 0-8-0 narrow gauge locomotives numbers 033 and 054 pass each other at Change station on the Weihe forestry railway in China, on Christmas Day 2001.
