1998 was the golden year for rare locomotive haulage on Virgin CrossCountry trains. With low Class 47 availability, all sorts of inappropriate traction often turned up. One such occasion was on Saturday 27 June 1998, when 31465 & 31466 worked the 1O38 09:10 Edinburgh to Bournemouth from Birmingham New Street. This was too good an opportunity to miss, so I headed out to Cholsey to catch the return working. Unfortunately, despite it being near the longest day, the shadows were lengthening by the time it arrived, necessitating a long lens. However, here are consecutively numbered 31465 & 31466 storming through Cholsey with the 1M81 18:14 Bournemouth to Manchester Piccadilly.