The thrilling onrush of a wonderful steam machine

I have been on my regular dreamwork course all day today, with Maggie our host, and the other regulars. It turned out to be very evocative and pertinent for me and I feel for the others. The six hours race by and are very intense, drawing on our various inner resources and emotional connections.

We met at Maggie's home this time set in one of the houses of a lovely Cotswold manor house estate. The setting is beautiful with huge beech trees, grassy meadows and a lake which formerly acted as the reservoir of Frogmarsh Mill, lower down the combe where the stream joined the Nailsworth Stream. After our shared lunch we managed a fifteen minute walk to get air and feel the warm air under the blue sky. Then it was back to share dreams and glimpse inner worlds.

I mentioned to these friends that I wanted to get to Stroud station by 5pm in order to photograph the rare appearance of a a particular steam engine, 60009 – Union of South Africa, which is one of the A4 Pacific engines designed as the foremost of express trains by Sir Nigel Gresley in the 1920s. One of this type of engine called Mallard set the World steam train speed record which has never been equalled.

The station was bus with a lot of other enthusiasts including young children brought by their parents to experience the proximity of a powerful steam engine and the sound, vibrations, smoke and smell of this very powerful machine. As a child I managed to get into the cab of Mallard at Kings Cross station on a cold winters day and the engine driver even let me walk through the unique corridor in the water and coal tender. This corridor allowed the driver and fireman to be changed over in the middle of non-stop journeys from London to Edinburgh to make sure the train never had to stop.

Tonight we learnt that the train was late and after it whistled as it approached the outskirts of Stroud it seemed to take no time at all before it was approaching the end of the platform on its way to London. I think this was the fastest speed I have ever seen a train rattle through Stroud station and I felt quite exhilarated as I kneeled on the platform quite close to the edge to watch its passage. I've chosen this view as you can read the number, the small plaque indicating which engine shed it resided in and the name Haymarket, which was the Edinburgh station which it probably called home. I hope you like its curvilinear form as much as I do. I always love to be in their presence especially when they are running as hard as they were designed for.

It is not a great picture, and is rather dark but it was difficult to illuminate it more and especially when it 3as travelling at about 50mph. Try it large (press the 'L' key) to have a closer look.