56098 & 56104 Croome 7 November 2015

Stunning light at Croome on 7 November 2015, as UK Rail Leasing's 56098 & 56104 round the curve with the 5W56 05:27 Kilmarnock Barclays Sidings to Laira ECS. This is a refurbished Mk3 HST set returning to First Great Western, or GWR as they are now branded. The cost of repainting the entire HST fleet into the new green livery could not be justified, hence the retention of the old colour scheme on this set. I was very fortunate with this picture, both with the fantastic lighting, and actually having arrived in time! It was already running an hour early when I left home, but was nearer two hours early here, just a few minutes after I had arrived. Unfortunately numerous other photographers were not so lucky, with several turning up just after it had passed. The headboard reads 'Rail Operations Group' - the operators of this particular working.