Great Dorset Steam Fair 2019
Heavy Haulage
This is one of a series of pages which I have uploaded to illustrate facets of steam rallies we have attended in the UK. Such events occur all over the country in the summer months, they are easily found by using your favourite search engine and may have anything between a handful of steam engines and hundreds (as at the Great Dorset Steam Fair which could probably be fairly described as having an excess of riches). Click here for the GDSF2019 working areas Index, click here for the GDSF2019 main index and click here for the overall 2019 index.
It's all a matter of personal preference, but asked what was THE iconic view of GDSF, most people would opt for either showman's engines with the fairground by night or the road locomotives on heavy haulage. I've made a start on the fairground but I have some way to go with the heavy haulage. The west side below 'Watford Gap' works well for a single engine but for larger subjects, I suspect that as a member of the general public, I might do better next time a little lower down...
Safety stewards are a necessary evil, the better ones march along rather further in front of the engines where they are actually needed to shepherd people to one side rather than pollute photographs. I happened to catch Burrell 3829 and McLaren 1652 bringing in one of the loads just before midday on the Thursday. It looks like Fowler 8920 is on the rear.
Not everyone attacks the 'big hill', for some the lower slopes offer a sensible alternative. Burrell 3718 and Garrett 29764 take the short cut.
For Burrell 3829 and McLaren 1652, this was used as part of a practice lap...
... before tackling the main ascent. Of course, as with today's American steam railroading, it's not a bad thing to have a 'helper' cut into the consist.
I did however get a half satisfactory shot of the Leeds pairing of Fowler 14925 and McLaren 897 with an unrecorded steam banker.
Frankly, I need to have a good look at some other photographers' output before I have another session here.