The morning of Friday 10th February 2012 was another occasion when it seemed to me that staying in bed might be the best plan as there was a foot of snow and the temperature seemed unlikely to rise above freezing that day. However, since this was the first day of the Keighley & Worth Valley Winter Steam Gala and I had already booked a night's B&B I ventured out although I did leave it until two hours later than I had originally planned!
Arriving at Keighley just before 12 o'clock I soon discovered that trains were not quite running to time. Indeed, I later discovered that for some reason that never became clear, the 11:50 departure, which left behind the 4F about 20 minutes late, was the first train to have left Keighley for well over an hour; just as well I left home later.
Not thinking that I had time to get set up for the 11:50 departure (I'd have had plenty of time, of course) I missed recording the 4F but headed off to G. N. Straight hoping to get away from the extraneous noises that abound round Keighley station and got set up in good time for the goods which was hauled by the L&Y 0-6-0 957. Although I got away from the noises around Keighley station, as you can hear, I didn't get away from other noises. Sometimes I wonder what other lineside spectators think I'm doing with my recorder and large hairy windshield on a tripod. Perhaps they think I have a filter that rejects the sound of human speech? If only...

As the noises off seemed unlikely to move on elsewhere and as I was very keen to get an un-interrupted recording of the next train, I went back down Keighley station feeling that noises from the builders merchant and general traffic noise there was the lesser of two evils.
Hauled by the recently returned to traffic ex L&NWR 0-6-2T 58926 piloting visiting L&NWR Class G2 0-8-0 49395, the next train was a re-enactment of the SLS special that was the last train from Abergavenny to Merthyr in 1958 which was actually double headed by 58926 and another Super D, 49121, so 49395 was renumbered for the occasion. Both locos carried appropriate headboards.
On a train of 6 coaches two locos don't have to work too hard even on the difficult start out of Keighley station but, as you can hear, the Super D sounds loud enough while the Coal Tank on the front seems not to be worked particularly hard. Not a bad recording just the same and the noises off weren't a problem.

As making recordings around Keighley station seemed likely to be my best bet I stayed where I was to get a recording of 43924 on the next passenger train. This was preceded, according to the timetable, by two light engines going up to Ingrow. The engines, 957 & 41241, actually worked a shuttle but, as I was expecting them running light, my recorder wasn't even switched on!
I was ready in plenty of time to record the 4F though as it's a loco that I've always had a soft spot for and was very pleased to see it return to traffic last year. You'll get a good idea why I like it so much when you hear this recording of it making a very solid start out of Keighley station.

Next came another shuttle to Ingrow hauled by the L&Y 0-6-0 957 which had returned from its earlier run to Ingrow.
Even on just two coaches it sounds fine.

The next departure was running through to Oxenhope behind the Super D hauling five suburban coaches.
49395 is one of those locos that can be easily identified with one's eyes closed! You'd think that a loco producing such uneven exhaust beats had something seriously wrong with it but no, they always sounded like that.

It's time to mention the weather. It was cold. Very, very cold and only just about bearable thanks to the lack of wind but by this time I had already lost feeling in feet and my hands weren't much better. However, I still wanted a recording of the Coal Tank by itself and it was on the next train.
This was another shuttle to Ingrow and it was good to be able to get a chance to record 58926 on its own once again. Nice to see it back.
By the time that train, which should have left shortly after 3 o'clock, had departed I was frozen and hungry so I went off for something to eat and to get warm intending to return for the 16:15 departure which should have been the Ivatt 2-6-2T and the Coal Tank but my meal took longer than I'd anticipated. However, when I returned to the station just before 5 o'clock, the 16:15 not only hadn't left but was showing no sign of doing so any time soon. In view of this, I decided that enough was enough and left.

On Saturday morning I returned to Keighley in time for the first passenger train at 09:40 which left gratifyingly close to right time and I had a ride up to Oakworth behind 957 hauling a short, uncomfortably full train of L&Y coaches. At Oakworth I set off towards Damems Loop to see if one of my usual recording spots down there seemed likely to be Ok and, thanks to a complete lack of wind, I soon found somewhere suitable. The only downside was the cold of which there was plenty. The question was, how many recordings could I make before frostbite set in?
The first train I recorded there was hauled by 43924 with 5 suburban coaches behind the tender which is waiting in the loop as this recording begins. The safety valves lift briefly before the 4F leaves making a fine sound climbing the 1 in 60 gradient to Oakworth.

Next came another single headed train this time of 6 coaches hauled by the Super D.
Once again the safety valves lift before 49395, carrying yet another different number, departs for Oakworth.

My recording spot was proving successful and as I could still feel my feet and had even found somewhere to sit without freezing my nether regions I stayed where I was for the next train, this one double headed by 41241 piloting 43924 and as this recording begins the pair are heard approaching the loop from Damems. The Keighley bound train is already waiting so the pair can pass through without stopping.
Double headers often don't make the best recordings especially if the exhaust beats of the two locos synchronise but in this case, as the 4F has slightly larger wheels than the Ivatt Tank, that doesn't happen so both locos are clearly audible as they climb the gradient from the loop to Oakworth.

Next was another double header but this was one that I was keen to record as the two locos were 58926 and 49395 and as the recording begins, the pair are ready to leave the loop while the Keighley bound train can be heard whistling as it heads downhill; the railway hasn’t acquired an A4, the chime whistle you can hear has been fitted to the Standard Tank!
As with my previous recording of these two working together, the majority of the noise is coming from the Super D until the final pull into the platform at Oakworth which sounds to be all Coal Tank.
And that was it. Having completely lost all feeling in my feet and only knowing I still had fingers attached because I could see them, I thought I'd done enough recording over the two days to satisfy honour so I headed for home and my central heating.