A London City Airways De Havilland Canada Dash 7 stands on the tarmac at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. I had flown in on the plane from London City Airport.

London City Airways was an inaugural user of London City Airport, sharing the same LCY IATA identifier and commencing operations in 1987. At its short-lived peak, it operated four DHC-7s. To my regret, parent company British Midland closed down the LCY operation in 1990 after sustained financial losses, the aircraft transferring to BMI operations.

December 1989
Rollei 35 camera
Kodak Ektachrome ASA 100 film.

Tags:   de havilland Canada dash 7 dhc-7 Charles de Gaulle airport Paris Charles de gaulle cdg lcy london city airways

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The prototype TGV 001 that SNCF unveiled in December 1972employed gas turbine power. This was just before the Energy Crisis later that year quadrupled oil prices and forced SNCF to rethink the project.

Until skyrocketing fuel prices wrecked the economics of the project, SNCF had enjoyed some success with gas turbine trains, introducing the ETG sets in 1967 that featured mixed diesel/turbine power, and then the 100% gas turbine RTG five-car units, 41 example entering service between 1972 and 1976. Additional sets were built for trial and service with Amtrak.

An RTG is seen here in the fading light passing the handsome station of Orry La Ville-Coye on the mainline out of Paris Nord, likely en route to Boulanger and a connection with the Hoverspeed service to Dover.

The RTGs had a full service life and were popular with travellers, lasting until 2005. One unit has been preserved.

December 1989
Rollei 35 camera
Kodak Ektachrome 100 film.

Tags:   sncf RTG turbotrain gas turbine Orry la ville coye sncf

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Two Rolls-Royces stand alongside a vintage Bentley at an auction and display organised by Coys of Kensington. The venue is the Honourable Artillery Company’s HQ in City Road, London. My stepfather Jack is scrutinising the trio.

I have enjoyed an abiding appreciation of cars since early childhood. It was easy to bond with Jack when he became my stepfather, as cars were his livelihood. He had also accumulated several classic cars. I used to read his classic car magazines with great enthusiasm and would accompany Jack to several auctions. He rated Coys highly.

I do remember this occasion well: walking to the venue from Old Street station, I began to forge ahead from Jack. “One day, age will catch up and you’ll be going more slowly,” he warned. He was then aged 67. Now I am three years older than he was then, and yes, Jack was right.

November 1989
Rollei 35 camera
Kodak Ektachrome film.

Tags:   car auction ds8226 yr5025 Coys of kensington honourable artillery company hac bentley rolls Royce classic cars

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A thick frost covers the platform of Le Ferté-Milon station in rural Aisne as a modernised SNCF X 4900 ‘Caravelle’ DMU awaits its next duty. These trains dated originally from the 1970s and were built for secondary services.

December 1989
Rollei 35 camera
Kodak Ektachrome ASA 100 film.

Tags:   frost x4900 dmu la ferté-milon aisne sncf

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On a run from Paris Est to Épernay, AJECTA’s 2-8-0 140C231 lays a smokescreen over La Ferté-Milon during a stop for water. The locomotive was built in 1917 by North British Locomotive Company of Glasgow and served SNCF to the very end of steam operation in France, based latterly to haul coal trains in the Lorraine region.

December 1989
Rollei 35 camera
Kodak Ektachrome ASA 100 film.

Tags:   Enfield expeditions train spécial vapeur 2-8-0 north British locomotive steam special aisne smoke la ferté-milon 140c231 ajecta

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