Andrew Shenton
My Railway Photography Journey
I’m a lifelong railway enthusiast, but my interest really developed in the blue haze of the late 1970s and early 1980s when life was spent on platform ends, creeping around oily sheds, and where notebooks and collecting locomotive numbers were serious business.
Like many, though, life shunted the hobby into the sidings, initially distracted by the bright city lights of Leeds, followed by careers, family and responsibilities, but the railway bug never really departed. It just ticked over quietly, waiting for the signal to clear.
In my late 40s the time came to buy my return ticket, I initially flirted with model railways and even considered a garden railway. But in the end, it was photography that pulled me back lineside. I wasn’t a photographer back in the day, but photography offered everything I didn’t know I was looking for, fresh air, exploration, technical challenge, creativity and just enough time at a computer to process the results. Railway photography now ticks so many rewarding boxes.
In those early days of rediscovery, I found myself browsing Flickr for images from my spotting days of the 1970s & 80s, I wanted to be reminded of the railway landscapes, the architecture and most importantly the railway atmosphere more than just the locomotives. I wanted to see locomotives within their world, not dominating it. That wider composition approach resonated deeply with me. Through Flickr, I began to notice a group of standout photographers whose contemporary style consistently leaned into a wider composition, taking advantage of the light and available atmosphere, joining the dots led me to the Phoenix Railway Photographic Circle and to 1Z10.
Then came the message in early 2019. I was delighted by an invitation from Andy Hoare to join a two day 1Z10 trip to Harringworth Viaduct. There was, however, a small matter to explain at home.
“So Dad, you’re going away?”
“Yes.”
“With who?”
“Some men from the internet.”
“Have you met any of them before?”
“No.”
“And you’re staying in a hotel with them?”
“Yes.”
“Oh Dad… you’re going to get murdered.”
I’m pleased to report I survived.
What I didn’t anticipate was just how significant that trip would become. On this and many subsequent trips meeting in person some of the photographers whose work I admired online opened a new and deeply rewarding chapter. I discovered 1Z10 wasn’t just railway enthusiasm and photography, it was about friendships, real ones. The kind that grow naturally through common purpose and a shared love of railways and railway photography.
Within 1Z10, there’s occasional formal workshops, but learning happens organically, just conversations and not all are serious, discussions about light, location, composition, about what’s creeping into the edge of frame, about distractions, editing styles, patience and yes, puddles and platform yellow lines. I’m most excited by low light, great sunsets, glints of low light from a low perspective and I’ve definitely absorbed ideas simply by standing next to or just listening to others who see differently. It sharpens your eye without you even noticing.
And it’s not all serious critique and histogram analysis. Who would have thought that a year after joining, I’d be cooking tea on the Northumberland beach at Blyth for a handful of 1Z10ers during a brief easing of Covid restrictions? Or helping build a snowman on top of Blea Moor Tunnel? Both happened. Entirely normal in the fun, slightly eccentric world of 1Z10 railway photographers.
Thanks to 1Z10, my YouTube adventures were born almost by accident. Tasked with researching locations around Huddersfield for an upcoming 1Z10 trip, I wondered how I could present the findings in a more engaging way. After overcoming the embarrassment of talking to myself, the answer seemed obvious: film it, tell the story on camera and share it. What started as a practical research exercise became another rewarding and ongoing creative outlet.
In the spirit of 1Z10, I hope I can give as much to 1Z10 as it’s given me. More than photographs, it’s given purpose, adventure and friendships. Thanks to 1Z10 I’ve witnessed, with friends, a glorious sunrise over the railway at Preston, Ratcliffe Power Station and Saltburn, without the encouragement of 1Z10 that wouldn’t have happened.
As the 1Z10 story moves into the next chapter, I’m genuinely excited by what lies ahead.
