I’ve always had a love of railways and trains, so it is no surprise that I also collect postcards of trains. I have often said that if I had grown up closer to a railway line I would have been a train spotter, however I can now indulge my love of trains by collecting images of them on postcards.

I really like this image as it shows a different side of the railway that you don’t usually get to see. Most train postcards show a locomotive hauling a train through scenic countryside or in a station, but this image is behind the scenes, almost under the hood, a bit grimy and rough which is really interesting to see.

I must admit to having a soft spot for the InterCity 125 or High Speed Train (HST) as when I got my first electric train set it was a Hornby InterCity 125. Growing up in the Sussex it was very rare to see one of these trains, so to see one of these, let alone ride on one, was a really special occasion for me.

This card was published by J. Arthur Dixon of the Isle of Wight to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Great Western Main Line between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads in 1841. It is one of four that I have celebrating this anniversary but I am not sure if there were any more postcards published.