<strong>Train team</strong>: Father-and-son-team Robin and Taliesin Coombes travel across Britain capturing quirky photos of trains in the British landscape. <em>Pictured here: GWR Castle No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, Crofton</em>
Train team: Father-and-son-team Robin and Taliesin Coombes travel across Britain capturing quirky photos of trains in the British landscape. Pictured here: GWR Castle No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, Crofton
Courtesy Robin Coombes and Taliesin Coombes/Amberley Books
<strong>Railway fanatic:</strong> Robin Coombes is a life-long train fanatic. "As a child it was everything about trains -- toys then models, reading books and hours spent watching trains at the local station," he tells CNN Travel. <em>Pictured here: GWR King No. 6024 King Edward I at Kingswear</em>
Railway fanatic: Robin Coombes is a life-long train fanatic. "As a child it was everything about trains -- toys then models, reading books and hours spent watching trains at the local station," he tells CNN Travel. Pictured here: GWR King No. 6024 King Edward I at Kingswear
Courtesy Robin Coombes and Taliesin Coombes/Amberley Books
<strong>Single track:</strong> Robin Coombes' interest in railways seeped into his working life too. He worked as an architect for British Railways and a rail manager. <em>Pictured here: LMS Black 5 No. 44932 at Chirk</em>
Single track: Robin Coombes' interest in railways seeped into his working life too. He worked as an architect for British Railways and a rail manager. Pictured here: LMS Black 5 No. 44932 at Chirk
Courtesy Robin Coombes and Taliesin Coombes/Amberley Books
<strong>Family bonding:</strong> Taliesin Coombes also grew up fascinated by trains: "Did not really have much choice," he says. "There were usually Christmas presents of model trains, and family trips to heritage railways, so my interest grew naturally." <em>Pictured here: Cumbrian Mountain Express. LMS Princess Royal No. 6201 (aka 46201) Princess Elizabeth at Waitby</em>
Family bonding: Taliesin Coombes also grew up fascinated by trains: "Did not really have much choice," he says. "There were usually Christmas presents of model trains, and family trips to heritage railways, so my interest grew naturally." Pictured here: Cumbrian Mountain Express. LMS Princess Royal No. 6201 (aka 46201) Princess Elizabeth at Waitby
Courtesy Robin Coombes and Taliesin Coombes/Amberley Books
<strong>Varied engagements</strong>: The duo pride themselves on taking pictures of all kinds of trains in all kinds of environments. <em>Pictured here: West Coast Flyer,Virgin Trains Class 390 Pendolino speeds past Little Haywood</em>
Varied engagements: The duo pride themselves on taking pictures of all kinds of trains in all kinds of environments. Pictured here: West Coast Flyer,Virgin Trains Class 390 Pendolino speeds past Little Haywood
Courtesy Robin Coombes and Taliesin Coombes/Amberley Books
<strong>Racing the train</strong>: "The train racing the car was taken on a photo charter on the Isle of Man" says Robin. "The lesson of this is always be really for an opportunity that presents itself and the shot may not be the one originally intended." <em>Pictured here: Racing the train. Beyer, Peacock & Co. Isle of Man No. 10 G. H. Wood races a 1931 Swift Crusader at Scanton, Isle of Man.</em>
Racing the train: "The train racing the car was taken on a photo charter on the Isle of Man" says Robin. "The lesson of this is always be really for an opportunity that presents itself and the shot may not be the one originally intended." Pictured here: Racing the train. Beyer, Peacock & Co. Isle of Man No. 10 G. H. Wood races a 1931 Swift Crusader at Scanton, Isle of Man.
Courtesy Robin Coombes and Taliesin Coombes/Amberley Books
<strong>Making memories</strong>: Robin has many happy rail memories of the railway: "Standing on the end of Cardiff General Station and watching a gleaming Britannia pacific class locomotive with large reporting numbers and headboard on the front, leave the station with a thunderous bark enveloped in clouds of steam, setting off for London Paddington with the Red Dragon." <em>Pictured here: LMS 8F No.48151 at Walsden</em>
Making memories: Robin has many happy rail memories of the railway: "Standing on the end of Cardiff General Station and watching a gleaming Britannia pacific class locomotive with large reporting numbers and headboard on the front, leave the station with a thunderous bark enveloped in clouds of steam, setting off for London Paddington with the Red Dragon." Pictured here: LMS 8F No.48151 at Walsden
Courtesy Robin Coombes and Taliesin Coombes/Amberley Books
<strong>Railway recollections:</strong> Taliesin remembers "seeing steam trains for the first time on the Llangollen Railway" and "being taken to see one of the locomotives on the Ffestiniog Railway being named 'Taliesin.'" <em>Pictured here: A1 Trust No. 60163 Tornado passes a cricket match at Pwll</em>
Railway recollections: Taliesin remembers "seeing steam trains for the first time on the Llangollen Railway" and "being taken to see one of the locomotives on the Ffestiniog Railway being named 'Taliesin.'" Pictured here: A1 Trust No. 60163 Tornado passes a cricket match at Pwll
Courtesy Robin Coombes and Taliesin Coombes/Amberley Books
<strong>Real deal:</strong> Robin and Taliesin both prefer working railways. "Our first choice is always steam on the main line rather than a heritage railway," says Robin. <em>Pictured here: GWR King No. 6024 King Edward I passing Dawlish</em>
Real deal: Robin and Taliesin both prefer working railways. "Our first choice is always steam on the main line rather than a heritage railway," says Robin. Pictured here: GWR King No. 6024 King Edward I passing Dawlish
Courtesy Robin Coombes and Taliesin Coombes/Amberley Books
<strong>Shared moments:</strong> Robin was also motivated by wanting to share iconic railway lines with his son. "There are main famous locations that I missed seeing as a child and which I wanted Taliesin to see and experience -- the seawall at Dawlish, Shap, York, Ribblehead Viaduct, Forth Bridge, Rannoch Moor and many others," he says. <em>Pictured here: LMS Black 5 No. 45487 (aka No. 45407) crossing Loch Nan Uamh Viaduct, Àird Nam Bùth</em>
Shared moments: Robin was also motivated by wanting to share iconic railway lines with his son. "There are main famous locations that I missed seeing as a child and which I wanted Taliesin to see and experience -- the seawall at Dawlish, Shap, York, Ribblehead Viaduct, Forth Bridge, Rannoch Moor and many others," he says. Pictured here: LMS Black 5 No. 45487 (aka No. 45407) crossing Loch Nan Uamh Viaduct, Àird Nam Bùth
Courtesy Robin Coombes and Taliesin Coombes/Amberley Books
<strong>Unpredictable photography:</strong> Robin says the very nature of outdoor photography is unpredictable. "Although we start with a plan, weather, late running, traffic jams or a thousand other things can change it, so you have to be flexible," he says. <em>Pictured here: LMS Black 5 No. 45407 passes Tunstead Works (limestone), Great Rocks Dale</em>
Unpredictable photography: Robin says the very nature of outdoor photography is unpredictable. "Although we start with a plan, weather, late running, traffic jams or a thousand other things can change it, so you have to be flexible," he says. Pictured here: LMS Black 5 No. 45407 passes Tunstead Works (limestone), Great Rocks Dale
Courtesy Robin Coombes and Taliesin Coombes/Amberley Books
<strong>Bridge over water: </strong>This unusual picture shows a train speeding across Scotland's suspended Forth Rail Bridge: "The Forth Bridge is simply such an iconic location but capturing the essence of the suspended structure the vastness of the water under it is more difficult," says Robin of the image. <em>Pictured here: LNER A4 No. 60009 Union of South Africa crosses the Forth Bridge</em>
Bridge over water: This unusual picture shows a train speeding across Scotland's suspended Forth Rail Bridge: "The Forth Bridge is simply such an iconic location but capturing the essence of the suspended structure the vastness of the water under it is more difficult," says Robin of the image. Pictured here: LNER A4 No. 60009 Union of South Africa crosses the Forth Bridge
Courtesy Robin Coombes and Taliesin Coombes/Amberley Books
<strong>Future plans:</strong> Taliesin is experimenting with his own photography style, but the duo want to work together again on more railway photography. "We would like to do a book of our moody and more atmospheric railway images, a book of the people involved," he says. <em>Pictured here: Virgin Trains Class 390 Pendolino at Bay Horse</em>
Future plans: Taliesin is experimenting with his own photography style, but the duo want to work together again on more railway photography. "We would like to do a book of our moody and more atmospheric railway images, a book of the people involved," he says. Pictured here: Virgin Trains Class 390 Pendolino at Bay Horse
Courtesy Robin Coombes and Taliesin Coombes/Amberley Books
<strong>Team work:</strong> "We are in our own way quite competitive," says Robin. "We do not author the individual photographs so there is no bias in selection or feedback." <em>Pictured here: Reflections at Victoria Bridge, GWR Manor No. 7812 Earlstoke Manor, Arley, Severn Valley Railway</em>
Team work: "We are in our own way quite competitive," says Robin. "We do not author the individual photographs so there is no bias in selection or feedback." Pictured here: Reflections at Victoria Bridge, GWR Manor No. 7812 Earlstoke Manor, Arley, Severn Valley Railway
Courtesy Robin Coombes and Taliesin Coombes/Amberley Books
<strong>Other scenes: </strong>The pair's love of trains isn't going anywhere, but the photography duo do have pictures of other scenes. "We would also like to do a book of our non-railway photographs both portraits and landscape," says Robin. <em>Pictured here: BR(WR) Manor 7827 Lydham Manor crosses Greenway Viaduct, Paignton & Dartmouth Railway</em>
Other scenes: The pair's love of trains isn't going anywhere, but the photography duo do have pictures of other scenes. "We would also like to do a book of our non-railway photographs both portraits and landscape," says Robin. Pictured here: BR(WR) Manor 7827 Lydham Manor crosses Greenway Viaduct, Paignton & Dartmouth Railway
Courtesy Robin Coombes and Taliesin Coombes/Amberley Books