I’m sure that some of you are fed up with me banging on about how useful our chat group (CRchat) is, so, at the risk of a chorus of, ‘Oh, no, not again’, I feel I must mention a fairly recent addition to the mystery challenges that have been running for a while. Some further photographs, taken outside our normal area of interest, have been added into the mix.

Whilst they are images that are part of some of our collections in our archive, they are not of scenes taken in Cumbria. However, it is essential that we do try and make sure we know as much about them as we can, so they can have a wider interest. Much to everyone’s surprise, these ‘Out of Area’ photographs have been very well received and have kept a number of members engaged in trying to put the photos into context. These photos have also been deposited on the CRA Zenfolio site and if you have a mind to have a look, I’m sure you will find something of interest and you might even be able to add to the information already collected. The photograph archive team would be very pleased to hear from you.

At this time of the year, I try and set out the general content of the issues of Cumbrian Railways for the forthcoming year. Whilst each issue is filling up fast, there is still room for further articles produced by the members. The photographic team are also keen to hear from anyone who has a collection of older photographs, perhaps included in family albums, showing the railways in earlier days. Whilst cameras were not as readily available as they are today, someone with one could be often found to record special occasions or family events. Images of this kind can hold a great deal of interest in the background of the shot.