Homage to Ben Ashworth

[Alan]

The two pic below are an attempt to recreate two of Ben Ashworths pictures on Wencombe scenery not quite right but locos and stock are-ish. Both original photos are in Both the recently published The Last Days of Steam in Gloucestershire and Great Western Branch line Album (published in1969.

I know I should have been modelling

 

[Graham Powell]

The lower one is a copy of Ben's picture of the a train from Brecon heading for Torpantau Summit!. I loved his pictures. I understand that he has now passed away.
I have all his books and one original picture of a Castle climbing Sapperton Bank.  His pictures of the Bilson Junction in the Forest of Dean were all taken where I used to play as a kid. He took one of train on the lining from Gloucester to Ledbury with all the vegetation covered in frost. Still one of the best railway pictures ever. Ivo Pete's pictures of the S and D in winter were very similar.
Brilliant
rgds
Graham Powell ;D

 

[Alan]

I should have captioned them.

The upper one (22xx)is based on the photo alongside the R. Wye at kerne Bridge and the lower one is based on the photo of pannier 9711 crossing R Wye between Lydbrooke and Ross.

 

[Geoff]

Lovely pics. Alan,
Being another fan of Ben Ashworth I couldn't resist posting this. Collet Goods 3218 awaits the road to return to civilization with a local passenger. Now if only she had a couple of Hawksworths in tow !

 

[Neil]

I got the Kerne Bridge homage without caption; then again it's one of my favourite railway photos. Strange as usualy I prefer the end of steam/northern grit photos og the Gifford/Krause?Dunnet school and Ben Ashworths Kerne Bridge is almost diametrically opposite in terms of the feelings it invokes.

 

[Graham Powell]

Try the picture on Page 100 Steam in the West Midlands and Wales. Very similar apart from the canal.  The picture I was raving about in the frost is on Page 38.
Certainly a brilliant photographer as are your pictures.
rgds
Graham Powell

 

[Simon]

Try the picture on Page 100 Steam in the West Midlands and Wales. Very similar apart from the canal.  The picture I was raving about in the frost is on Page 38.
Certainly a brilliant photographer as are your pictures.
rgds
Graham Powell

How I agree - one of the very best photographers of the railway.

I'm really saddened to hear that he has left us, although he achieved a good age and none of lasts forever.

I would dearly love to see a new photographic book making better use of the superb quality of his pictures, sadly Alan Sutton and similar publishers formats and quality were rather poor vehicles for his talent.

I will ask Lightmoor if such a thing may be possible retrospectively, I think Neil Parkhouse was in touch with Ben in recent years.

I also like very much the idea of setting up models to recreate his pictures. Thinking of 1/32, My toad, Simon Dunkley's 5 plank and Cookies upcoming 14XX.....

 

[Alan]

Thank you all for your kind comments.

Simon I have to agree with you a good quality book of his photographs would be excellent. The quality of reproduction in the recently reprinted The Last Days of Steam in Gloucestershire lacks the sharpness of the photographs in  Great Western Branch Line Album.

Geoff the photo from Penhydd is very Ashworthesque. In the introduction to Great Western Branch Line Album (1969) Ben Ashworth describes his equipment as a light weight touring bicycle and two secondhand 35mm Super Paxettes.

Neil I was pleased that you recognised the Kerne Bridge recreation without the caption.

The idea of recreating a couple of his photographs came yesterday when I dug out Great Western Branch Line Album from my Railway library as was browsing through it in bed last night.

I'm glad I did  it and very pleased to find so many Ben Ashworth fans here at Western Thunder.

 

[Jordan]

How I agree - one of the very best photographers of the railway.

I'm really saddened to hear that he has left us, although he achieved a good age and none of lasts forever...

I will ask Lightmoor if such a thing may be possible retrospectively, I think Neil Parkhouse was in touch with Ben in recent years.

Agreed on all counts. I hadn't heard of his passing - still, what a legacy to leave!

Lightmoor did produce "BR Steam in Dean" (now out of print) which was mostly photos published in the "Last Days... " albums, but printed much larger. All these books are a 'must have' for Forest railway fans.

Ben was famous for climbing up the nearest tree to get the shot he wanted, how he managed that with a heavy plate camera god only knows ?

"Heavy plate camera" ?!?  I'm not sure he was that old, was he..??  :scratch: ;D

 

[Geoff]

"Heavy plate camera" ?!?  I'm not sure he was that old, was he..??  :scratch: ;D

I should have added that by the sixties he was using a pair of s/hand 35mm Super Paxette cameras    :-[

Geoff

 

[Alan]

Nice one Geoff