Favourite Places

So, what makes a favourite place for a railway sound recordist? Well, at least one of the requirements should be fairly obvious; somewhere where steam locos make plenty of noise!
By itself, though, plenty of noise isn't all that's required. If the place is next to a busy road, that's no good. If it is somewhere that sound doesn't carry, that's no good either.
Actually, it all comes down to this; we want somewhere with 'atmosphere'!
I'm not going to try to define what makes 'atmosphere'. It varies too much. You can have 'atmosphere' in the middle of nowhere or the middle of a town and both can be just right.
Anyway, I've picked out a couple of my favourite places and a few recordings.

The Murk Esk Valley

I've been visiting the North Yorkshire Moors Railway for more years than I care to remember and count the part of the route between Grosmont and Goathland as one of my favourite places to make sound recordings.
For a start, the geography guarantees one requirement will be met; noise. With a 1 in 49 gradient for almost the whole distance, locomotives aren't going to pass without making some noise!
Let's begin with a recording of one of my favourite classes of locomotive, a Black 5, climbing the gradient past Green End.

Fans of LMS Black Fives were having a field day during the Spring Steam Gala in May 2004 as, in addition to 45407, 45212 was in action.
This loco was based on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway but had been in store awaiting overhaul for many years until the NYMR negotiated a deal in which they had the use of the loco for a number of years in return for overhauling the loco and getting it back in traffic. The loco does return to the Worth Valley for a short period each year and will eventually return permanently.
This recording was made from near the path leading up towards Spring Wood and Dowson Garth farm. This spot is almost directly opposite Green End but almost ½ mile away from the railway on the opposite side of the valley.

Although the area around Green End gives some of the best recording opportunities (with the right conditions) it does suffer from the problem of being rather remote. On some occasions there just isn't time to get there. Fortunately, there are many other suitable spots on the climb to Goathland which are more easily accessible.
In May 2005 I was back at the railway, this time hoping for a good recording of ex LNER B1 4-6-0 61264 which was visiting the railway at the time.
After a series of rather disappointing recordings over two days my final chance came as the B1 worked the last train of the day from Grosmont.
As often happens on these occasions the timetable had gone a little awry and when the B1 had passed us earlier heading for Grosmont it must have been over half an hour late.
So, when we reached the bridge at Beck Hole we weren't sure how long we had to get set up.
As it happened, we had plenty of time and it was a good 10 minutes before we heard the sound of 61264 approaching echoing further down the valley.
Although the load had been reduced to 5 coaches the B1 sounded fine passing on the 1 in 49 gradient towards Goathland now running about 40 minutes late.

For my next favourite place we need not only a change of gauge but a change of country too!

The Tan-y-Bwlch Experience!

Of the narrow gauge railways in North Wales my favourite will come as no surprise to regular visitors to these pages. It has to be the Ffestiniog Railway.
This line also provides me with another of my favourite places for sound recording.
Like the area around Green End, it provides the opportunity for some good, long, atmospheric recordings but it differs in that, while my favourite field below Dowson Garth farm has superb views, most of the recording spots I use in this favourite place have very limited views.
However, it's the sound that I am there for and that can be excellent.
The area that I am referring to is around Tan-y-Bwlch, the half way point on a journey from Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog.
Let's start with a recording of a train departing for Blaenau.
After a day getting good, but not outstanding, recordings of Double Fairlies, the ex Penrhyn Quarry Hunslet 2-4-0STT 'Blanche' turned up on the last train of the day and reminded me what it is that I like so much about this railway, this loco and this place!
This recording was made from a point below the line in the trees about ¼ mile from the station. Virtually no views and only a fleeting glimpse of the train as it passes. But what a fine sound!

While recordings of departures from Tan-y-Bwlch are good I've made a few attempts to record the whole 'Tan-y-Bwlch Experience'!
When conditions are right, trains can be heard working hard on the horseshoe curved approach from Plas Halt into the station as well as the departure and climb up to Garnedd Tunnel and, as most trains cross there, you also have a down train to listen to as well.
On 3rd June 2005, as conditions were excellent being fairly dry with only a light wind I decided to go up to Tan-y-Bwlch for a recording of ‘Mountaineer’, a favourite loco, crossing a down train.
I was far from confident that I would be successful as, recording at the spot I had chosen, just above the line about ¼ mile from the station a little way below Llyn Hafod-y-llyn, I knew that the whole performance would take at least 20 minutes and, in that time I would be bound to have a visit from my friends at RAF Valley!
Well, I suppose that they have to practice somewhere but on some days recording is impossible due to their activities. In fact, I sometimes wonder...... Perhaps someone from RAF Valley can answer a question for me; how is it that you always seem know where I'm recording? It can't just be coincidence that often, as soon as I start recording, jets arrive! Perhaps it's the light reflecting from my bald head that is acting as a beacon and attracting them!
Anyway, on this particular occasion I was lucky and was able to get an uninterrupted half hour to make my recording.
As I'd hoped, the down train arrived first behind ‘Earl of Merioneth’ just before ‘Mountaineer’ became audible well before reaching Plas and sounded good all the way round the curves into the station.
Then the down train got away with ‘Earl’ making a bit of noise departing.
Once the down train had passed ‘Mountaineer’ could be heard departing and climbing the gradient all the way to Garnedd Tunnel.
Aside from the RAF, there is one other flying drawback to this spot. Midges! Millions of midges who all seem to think that I am the dish of the day.
As I had my recorder running for almost 30 minutes and I can tell you that it is very hard to keep still and not make any noise while trying to avoid being eaten alive. Slapping them isn't an option, all you can do is wave gently! However, just a few midge bites are a small price to pay. I can't think of anywhere else where you can sit and listen to steam hauled trains for half an hour at a time - quite an experience despite the midges!

Once again, it would be nice to be able to present the whole recording here, but I hope that this shorter section of 'Mountaineer' passing on the approach to the station will give you a taste of the 'Tan-y-Bwlch Experience'!

For more information about the Ffestiniog Railway visit their excellent web site.
North Yorkshire Moors Railway also have a web site at www.northyorkshiremoorsrailway.com.