One Sketch 223) Sepia tone tram in Kingsway tram tunnel

I do like trams
I'm just that sort of bloke
I wish I'd seen them
Trundling in the Smoke.

I made a sepia toned painting of an old Swansea tram some weeks ago to christen my new studio (or spare room, to use the technical term) and I was really pleased with the results. So I decided to make a companion piece. I've been working on an acrylic painting of a London tram for weeks, and so I decided that this quick piece was going to show a tram in my own home city. The Kingsway tram tunnel was rather unique for the UK. It's a cut and cover tunnel which was exclusively built for single ecker trams, to link the northern and southern London tram networks. As you can see , they did eventually use double decker trams in the tunnel. Part of the tunnel are still there, which is how I came to read about it in the first place, since it features in several works on disused stations of the London Underground railway - go figure. What remains is now grade 2 listed. The last trams passed through in April 1952.

One Sketch 222) Warship class Loco near Dawlish

Nobody grieves
When diesels go extinct

There's a reason why steam powered locomotives are pretty much only used on heritage lines where the experience of riding in a train pulled by a steam locomotive is one of the main reasons for making the journey in the first place. Whether you like it or not - and many, many people don't like it - diesel locomotives are more efficient and cost effective than steam ones. When I started getting interested in trains, way way back in the early 1970s when I was just a wee nipper, these chaps, the British rail class42 and 43 "Warship" class were almost extinct, having been phased out a couple of years earlier. I always had a soft spot for a warship - and I guess I'm not the only one since there are a couple which have been preserved.

One Sketch 221) Amsterdam Metro Rokin Station

If Metro railways are that which you seek
Give Amsterdam a miss
It's very bleak

Yes, sorry to be so dismissive, but the Amsterdam Metro underground stations in the centre of Amsterdam just struck me as bleak and sterile. Not my favourite Metro, I'm sorry to say. Made this from a photograph while waiting in Schiphol airport this morning for my flight to be called. I was there very early before my flight, since I had a nightmare last night of waking up too late. Couldn't get back to sleep after that.

Wednesday 31st October - One Sketch 220) Canal Bridge - Amsterdam

This took an hour to sketch
Before I rose
And while I sat and sketched
My fingers froze.

So much of the centre of Amsterdam looks like this. It's all achingly pretty, and I'd love to have sketched more of it. However, my hands were so cold by the time I stopped doing thi, my fingers were shaking.

Tuesday 30th October - One Sketch 219) Amstertram

Canals, bridges, trams
And all those bikes
Amsterdam, Amsterdam
What's not to like?

Yes, amongst all of its other myriad charms, Amsterdam - which has for many a year been one of the top two cities on my bucket list to visit - amongst all of its other charms, Amsterdam is just a great tram city. Bliss.

Monday 29th October - One Sketch 218 - Cardiff Airport

Looking through the window
Watching planes
Which will carry other people's dreams
Not Mine.

Yes, I haven't posted for a few days since I've been paying a short sightseeing visit to Amsterdam. This sketch I made while waiting for my light to be called in Cardiff Airport.

One Sketch 217) #inktober2018 prompt - Gift (Sunday 28th)

Personally, I think it's ace
Seeing it before twas put in place
Given  with such kindness and such grace
More, much more than just a pretty face

Yesterday, when I made this sketch, was a very busy day. I knew I was going to be driving for between 5 and 6 hours, since I was travelling to Birmingham and back for a national quiz competition. Luckily this idea presented itself. I found a wonderful photograph on the net of this, the face of the Statue of Liberty, just unpacked after it had been delivered from France, but before assembly. I'm sure that you know that the Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World was a gift to the people of the USA from France.