A bit about Me!

Who am I? Well I'm Martyn Bane. I live near to the UK city of Bath. I have been interested (or is that obsessed ?) in Steam Engines for as long as I can remember.

Since 1998 I have been actively involved with ex-GWR King Class 4-6-0 6024 King Edward I. I am a passed cleaner on the West Somerset Railway. Whilst at University in Newcastle Upon Tyne I worked on the Tanfield Railway just outside of Gateshead.

One of my other major non-work activities of recent times has been developing an understanding of L.D.Porta's work and especially his water treatment regime 'Porta Treatment'.

On the footplate of 6024 at Minehead. March 2000

Other than my interest in railways I am also interested in travel, photography, computing, reading, walking and a few other things here and there.

Most of the photographs so far published have been taken with my Mamiya 645 camera. For a few years I used Fuji APS format camera for snaps. Perhaps you'll be able to tell which photos come from which camera. More recently I have used a Casio QV-5700 5 Megapixel digital camera which has taken over from the APS camera and which has since been superceeded by a Fuji 10 Megapixel E900. Most of the pre-1994 shots were taken with a Yashica FX-D 35mm camera although some of the really early photos were taken on a Minolta 110 format camera.

I have used Fuji slide film in my 645 since I got it. Prior to that I tried out all sorts. I have always used Ilford black & white film, in the last few years I have used XP2 film. The APS camera was normally fed Fuji Nexia film.

All photographs on the site are © to Martyn Bane unless otherwise stated. Thanks to all who have allowed me to use their photographs.

And with QJ6519 at Baotou Dong depot in China. © Peter Keen February 1999