Hi Folks,

I found a reference to this site on RMWeb so joined up straight away. I am third generation railway, my Grandfather retired in 1936 as Goods Foreman at Ashbourne and my father was a millwright at Derby Loco Works for several years working on all sorts of cranes including BDCs. I started as an apprentice at Derby Loco in 1961 and later joined their Society of Model Engineers so that even after I moved to the Research Department in 1967 I still had access to the Loco Works on Saturday mornings which was when repaired BDCs were tested on Pickering's Pit so I do have some photos of nice shiny cranes with the jib up. For my first five or six years at Research I was one who went out assisting on derailment investigations and I returned to that work as a Principal Derailment Investigator from 1990 until I took early retirement in 2002. I have thus seen BDCs in action and met many of their crews while Liaising with the recovery staff.

My intention is to post my pictures of BDCs (I see the 'Gallery' is looking a bit thin at present) in the hope that others may find them of interest.

Edited to correct a spelling mistake, and then found another!!!

A most interesting introduction, Richard!

Sorry about the Gallery. The page shouldn't really be there at present as it is "under construction" by our good friend "Kernow". (It's far too technical for me to set up!).

I very much look forward to your photos once the Gallery is in operation.