Leigh984, The creative portfolio of Leigh Spencer

  On fathers day 2025 my Dad said he would be interested in visiting the Stapleford Miniature Railway near Melton Mobray in Leicestershire. The event was listed as a day of Models and Miniatures with Mini Traction Engines and Steam Rollers alongside the usual miniature railway running. We begin the film as a green locomotive leaves the station taking various passengers on a near 2 mile trip around the site. The one fifth scale SMR Railway runs special events throughout the year, back to the film now and we meet the mini traction engines and steam rollers as they travel through the event passing Glynns Supper Whippy ice cream van and various other local craft and food stalls. Back to the miniature steam engines now and the small but mighty NYC Niagara is coaled up and made ready for another trip. We then see Niagara and a green engine waiting in steam at the station. Now it really gets exiting as we board a diesel locomotive for an onboard trip taking in tunnels, lakes and beauti...

  I visited the Statfold Barn Railway an extensive multi-gauge private railway near Tamworth in Staffordshire, England. The railway is home to an extensive collection of historic steam, diesel and electric locomotives from Britain and overseas, although not open to the public the railway holds regular open days allowing those interested to apply for an invitation to visit the railway to both see and ride on the various engines. My short film joins the many engines and their drivers 'steaming up'  as they prepare to head out before following them as they travel up and down the length of the railway. Later in the film I board one of the engines as it travels round the loop and returns to the station.   Images Follow

  I visited the Abbey Pumping Station to see the working Beam Engines which are housed inside a grand Victorian building designed by Stockdale Harrison. The beautifully painted engines are a spectacular sight and can be seen working in the way they where designed and built to be in Leicester by Gimson and Company, today they are rare examples of Woolf compound rotative beam engines in fact it is the only engine house in the world where you can see four working examples of the same beam engine in one building. My film looks at the various dials switches and mechanical parts of the engine in motion as they spin, turn, rise up and down and emit steam making for a warm and humid atmosphere inside the building. Images follow

My film follows two pannier tanks on the evening of December 1st 2013 as they arrive at Melton Mowbray Station to pick up passengers visiting the towns Christmas market before travelling on to Narborough Station lit only by the yellow glow of the station lights they make for an impressive sight as they thunder along the tracks. Images Follow

I travelled to National Railway Museum in York for the Locos In A Different Light competition during which the museum invited lighting students to illuminate their collection of Steam engines in interesting and innovative ways highlighting various parts of the engines with coloured light bringing them to life in a totally different and visually interesting manner. The 2013 competition was particularly special as Mallard and its sister locomotives where on display at the museum as part of the Great Gathering celebrating the 75th anniversary year of Mallard breaking the world steam speed record. Locos in a Different Light is sponsored by AC Lighting and is part of the Mallard 75 celebrations, of which Hornby is the main sponsor. Images Follow.

This short film features two Pannier Tank engines (7752 & 9600) as they speed full steam through Narborough station on their way to Leicester. I have given the video a deliberately cinema style effect evocative of classics such as brief encounter etc, the cropped image also highlights the drama of the trains as they speed past.