Peter Gray
a tribute
a tribute
On the occasion of his last talk to the CRS. Peter Gray at Redruth Community Centre 13th September 2014 Copyright Mike Roach
PETER GRAY
Just about everyone with an interest in railways - and especially those in south-west England - will be familiar with Peter Gray as a superb photographer of the railway scene. Living well into his eighties, Peter began taking train pictures in the era of monochrome but took up the challenge of 35mm colour slide photography as soon as that medium became available. No matter what the medium, Peter's skills lay in his eye for composition and detail and an encyclopaedic knowledge of where and when the best pictures could be obtained. Taking the pictures was only part of it: Peter had his photos published in numerous books, magazines and articles and his art found an audience way beyond railway enthusiast devotees through journals such as the Western Morning News in which his excellent pictures were regularly published.
We in Cornwall, and especially in the Cornwall Railway Society, have had an even greater pleasure on numerous occasions when not only could we see and admire Peter Gray's photographs but we could listen to Peter explaining how they came about and pointing out so many details. His astonishingly wide range of photos covered numerous visits to railway installations abroad as well as thousands of locations of railway interest around Britain. Over the years since I have been organising the CRS meetings programme one of the greatest joys has been to receive Peter's acceptance of my invitations to come and give another talk. My wife and I have been privileged on several such occasions to have Peter staying with us for the weekend of his talk and, putting aside the ever-fascinating conversations about his railway (and other) adventures, we both recognised the quiet humanity of this gentle man. Peter's visits were something to look forward to.
After his parents' death, Peter continued to live in what, for many years, had been the family home in Torquay. Not only was that home filled with box upon box and drawer upon drawer of prints and slides, but also with books, papers and railway-related ephemera but Peter's methodical recording of all his visits and everything he had seen allowed him to put his hand on just the right picture to illustrate a book and just the right sequence of slides to enthral an audience. The enduring legacy of Peter Gray's work will be found in all the publications in which it appears and his valuable collection of photographs will remain for future generations to enjoy but, sadly, Peter's smiling, quiet but authoritative presence will no longer be there and he will be sadly missed by us all.
A tribute from Derek Buttivant Chairman Cornwall Railway Society
October 2017
Just about everyone with an interest in railways - and especially those in south-west England - will be familiar with Peter Gray as a superb photographer of the railway scene. Living well into his eighties, Peter began taking train pictures in the era of monochrome but took up the challenge of 35mm colour slide photography as soon as that medium became available. No matter what the medium, Peter's skills lay in his eye for composition and detail and an encyclopaedic knowledge of where and when the best pictures could be obtained. Taking the pictures was only part of it: Peter had his photos published in numerous books, magazines and articles and his art found an audience way beyond railway enthusiast devotees through journals such as the Western Morning News in which his excellent pictures were regularly published.
We in Cornwall, and especially in the Cornwall Railway Society, have had an even greater pleasure on numerous occasions when not only could we see and admire Peter Gray's photographs but we could listen to Peter explaining how they came about and pointing out so many details. His astonishingly wide range of photos covered numerous visits to railway installations abroad as well as thousands of locations of railway interest around Britain. Over the years since I have been organising the CRS meetings programme one of the greatest joys has been to receive Peter's acceptance of my invitations to come and give another talk. My wife and I have been privileged on several such occasions to have Peter staying with us for the weekend of his talk and, putting aside the ever-fascinating conversations about his railway (and other) adventures, we both recognised the quiet humanity of this gentle man. Peter's visits were something to look forward to.
After his parents' death, Peter continued to live in what, for many years, had been the family home in Torquay. Not only was that home filled with box upon box and drawer upon drawer of prints and slides, but also with books, papers and railway-related ephemera but Peter's methodical recording of all his visits and everything he had seen allowed him to put his hand on just the right picture to illustrate a book and just the right sequence of slides to enthral an audience. The enduring legacy of Peter Gray's work will be found in all the publications in which it appears and his valuable collection of photographs will remain for future generations to enjoy but, sadly, Peter's smiling, quiet but authoritative presence will no longer be there and he will be sadly missed by us all.
A tribute from Derek Buttivant Chairman Cornwall Railway Society
October 2017
Looking across to Golant
and units at Par Station
Craig Munday
and units at Par Station
Craig Munday
171004n 66206 runs along the causeway and approaches to Slipway Crossing at Golant. Taken from private fields with the farmers express permission. Copyright Craig Munday
171004o Two units are pictured at Par with 2P 92 to Plymouth and the 16.10 to Newquay. Copyright Craig Munday
Exminster RHTT Today
David Tozer
David Tozer
66957 at Exminster today with the 0855 6Z77 Exeter (Riverside) - Exeter (Riverside) via Taunton back to Exeter and on to Par. 5th October 2017 Copyright David Tozer
The 2017 RHTT arrives into Cornwall ready for the leaf fall season
Craig Munday
Craig Munday
171004g RHTT at St Blazey with 66027 and 66136 in the new red colours adhorned with Yiuw=London motif. The colours will soon be irrelevant once they get coated with grim after a few days work. Copyright Craig Munday
171004f RHTT seen on arrival at St Blazey with 66027 and 66136 Copyright Craig Munday
171004h The RHTT on the complex point work in St Blazey Yard. Copyright Craig Munday
More Photographs of the RHTT will appear in the Features Pages September-December 2017
The Aberthaw Moorswater Cement at Lostwithiel & Liskeard
Steve Widdowson
Steve Widdowson
171004i 70813 arrives at Lostwithiel with the 0250 Aberthaw - Moorswater Cement. Copyright Steve Widdowson
171004j 70813 runs around its train at Lostwithiel. Copyright Steve Widdowson
171004k 70813 approaching Liskeard { 0250 Aberthaw ~ Moorswater Cement} Copyright Steve Widdowson
171004l 70813 at Liskeard { 0250 Aberthaw Moorswater } Copyright Steve Widdowson
171004m 70813 Going around the bend! This being the 19.01 connection onto the Looe Branch line for its journey to Moorswater. Copyright Steve Widdowson
Newquay at 02.00
Nathan Stockman
Nathan Stockman
I've just been viewing your news page and was rather shocked to see myself at Liskeard 'not dropping my camera'. Yes, that's me in the red hoody, if you study the first picture uploaded you can just make out my little black dog against the white railing, in the second photo I am untying him!! If I had realised the signalman was taking a photo I would've stayed out the way.
I caught up with the train later in Newquay just gone 2am, photo attached. Noteworthy in that by the time it reached Newquay it was the 4th October, 30 years earlier 4th Oct 1987 was the last BR loco hauled service to the terminus.
Many thanks for your picture at an unearthly hour at Newquay and also for the correction plus that very noteworthy fact.
I caught up with the train later in Newquay just gone 2am, photo attached. Noteworthy in that by the time it reached Newquay it was the 4th October, 30 years earlier 4th Oct 1987 was the last BR loco hauled service to the terminus.
Many thanks for your picture at an unearthly hour at Newquay and also for the correction plus that very noteworthy fact.
37609 at Newquay at 02.00 on the 4th October 2017. Copyright Nathan Stockman
Yeovil Junction
John Cornelius
John Cornelius
Copyright John Cornelius