The Colin Wreyford photo collection

Thanks to DRA's good friend Richard Westlake, we are pleased to be custodians of several albums of railway photographs by his former colleague, the late Colin Wreyford.

By way of introduction, Richard provided the following biographical notes:

"Colin started his railway career on the footplate at Exmouth Junction steam shed in 1962, firstly as a cleaner then a fireman working on the disposal tip - a very hard and dirty job. He progressed to local freight and passenger working on many of the old Southern branch lines, and occasional main line work to Yeovil and Okehampton.

In 1967 he was made redundant with the closure of Exmouth Junction and moved to Gloucester depot where he worked until 1972 before transferring back to Exeter. Colin became a driver and moved through the links to work express passenger trains to Paddington. He had extensive route knowledge working at one point to Waterloo, Penzance and Paddington via Westbury, Bath and Bristol Parkway.

Colin joined many railway societies which took him all over the country visiting many steam sheds before closure. His photographic record of his visits is extensive and a rare insight into the steam era. He also travelled extensively abroad, visiting many parts of the world including the trans-Siberian railway.

Colin sadly passed away following a long fight against cancer. He leaves a great photographic legacy we can all enjoy."


As Richard states in the foregoing, Mr Wreyford travelled throughout the UK, and the collection has no specific local relevance for DRA. What it provides is a fascinating record of the last few years of UK's steam railway; it evokes the state of the railway in the north east particularly well. We are still considering how best to make it publicly accessible, but in the meantime here are a few examples:

Locomotive restriction board at Wells (18/03/66) [P2022.0001.21] Photographer: Colin Wreyford

Ex LNER A4 60024 'Kingfisher' on the coal drop pits at 83D Exmouth Junction (27/03/66) [P2022.0001.41] Photographer: Colin Wreyford

Ex LNER K1 62012 at 16F Burton shed (circa 1966) [P2022.0001.79] Photographer: Colin Wreyford

ex-LSWR O2 No 31 'Chale' about to take water at Shanklin IOW (24/06/66) [P2022.0002.40] Photographer: Colin Wreyford

Victoria Road Station, Barnstaple, being demolished (12/04/70) [P2022.0003.69] Photographer: Colin Wreyford

50A York roundhouse - now part of the National Railway Museum - with ex LMS Jubilee 45694 ‘Bellerophon’, ex LNER K1 62046 and WD 90517 (21/08/65). Also 2 trainspotters; one of them seems to be wearing a suit! [P2022.0006.37] Photographer: Colin Wreyford

Ex MR 1F 41708 at 41H Staveley (Barrow Hill) shed (22/08/65). 60 years later it's still there. [P2022.0006.42] Photographer: Colin Wreyford