A glimpse of B571 (51052, 59282 & 51080), as it briefly emerges into the light at the small gap between the two Sapperton Tunnels on 2 June 1979. It is working the 2B25 15:30 Cheltenham to Swindon service. Although obviously not noticeable from this view, this set had a Class 120 centre coach.

A DMU meeting at Oxford station on 27 August 1983. L572 (51082, 59413 & 51054) waits at platform 2 with the 2C68 08:36 Reading to Hereford service, while Class 117 L406 (51383, 59493 & 51341) has just arrived at platform 1 from the nearby carriage sidings, ready to form the 2A35 09:28 service to Paddington.

L572 (51054, 59413 & 51082) passes Lyneham with the 2B60 16:35 Reading to Moreton-in-Marsh local service on 30 May 1985. This was the only down train to call at all the smaller stations on the Cotswold Line, and is probably still accelerating away from Shipton station, which is less than a mile away, just out of sight around the corner. L572 was withdrawn in 1988 and all three vehicles cut up at Vic Berry's of Leicester, although for some reason the centre trailer beat the two power cars to the scrapyard by a year! For its final year in traffic the unit ran with a Class 101 centre car.

A Class 119 meeting at Moreton-in-Marsh, just after sunrise on 18 September 1982. L573 (51055, 59417 & 51083) arrives with the 2B08 06:06 Reading to Worcester Foregate Street service, while L590 (51087, 59418 & 51058) waits in the bay platform, prior to forming the 2A79 07:48 Moreton-in-Marsh to Oxford service. Interestingly, this had arrived a little earlier, not as the more normal ECS working, but as the 4B11 05:50 Oxford to Moreton-in-Mash parcels. In reality I expect it did just work in as empty stock, as I imagine the amount of parcels traffic to Moreton by this date must have been quite minimal!

L573 (51083, 59417 & 51055) arrives at Kingham station on 23 April 1983 with the 2A83 08:12 Great Malvern to Oxford service. The reason for all the extra people standing around (some even on the car park side of the fence) is that approaching from the other direction was a test run of BR's great hope for a first generation DMU replacement - the extremely good, but unfortunately much too expensive Class 210.

L573 (51083, 59417 & 51055) approaches Salfords on 15 March 1986 with the 2O38 15:10 Reading to Gatwick Airport service. The leading vehicle seems to have had an unusual modification to the former destination blind, with what appears to be an oversized blanking plate added, almost giving the impression of a plated over headcode box. Class 119s did not have roof mounted headcode boxes, as originally they were fitted with two rather crude looking separate individual character panels directly below the centre windscreen.

L573 (51083, 59417 & 51055) stands at Maidenhead on 22 November 1986, after arriving with the 08:03 Paddington to Maidenhead Network SouthEast service. Clearly this is running with another three car unit, probably a Class 117, which was the class that was more often employed on these suburban services.

L574 (51056, 59115 & 51095) passes Evenlode on 24 April 1986 with the 2A56 16:37 Hereford to Reading service. Until the roadbridge got surrounded by tall hedges, this used to be one of my favourite Cotswold Line locations. The view in this direction was excellent, with the tower of St. Edward's Church visible in the background, and looking in the opposite direction gave the perfect viewpoint for northbound trains in the evening.

L575 (51060, 59419 & 51088) arrives at Moreton-in-Marsh on 5 April 1984 with the 16:33 Reading to Moreton-in-Marsh 'all stations' service. This view is no longer possible due to uncontrolled vegetation growth in the foreground. Even if it was possible to get around this, the wide open view with buildings and fields visible all the way across to the Evenlode road has been replaced by a virtual tunnel of trees along the line

After arriving with the 16:33 Reading to Moreton-in-Marsh service on 5 April 1984, L575 (51060, 59419 & 51088) has shunted across to the up platform at Moreton-in-Marsh to get out of the way of the following 17:07 Paddington to Hereford train. It will then later form the 19:25 service to Oxford. Note the two lines of ballast wagons in the sidings in preparations for the following weekend's track relaying work between Combe and Hanborough.

L575 (51088, 59419 & 51060) accelerates away from Kingham station on 28 April 1987 with the 2B60 16:40 Reading to Moreton-in-Marsh 'all stations' service. It is passing the abutments of the bridge that once carried the former Banbury to Cheltenham line over the Oxford to Worcester route. Although used by some freight, the bridge was little used by passenger trains, with all services with the exception of the daily 'Port to Ports Express' calling at Kingham station (seen here in the background), and accessing the Banbury to Cheltenham line by two chord lines.

Although it isn't immediately apparent, as the DMU completely hides the diminutive station, this train is actually passing through Ascott-under-Wychwood station. L575 (51060, 59419 & 51088) reflects the very last of the weak evening light, as it works the 2A62 19:18 Moreton-in-Marsh to Oxford service on 28 April 1987.

L575 (51088, 59419 & 51060) passes South Moreton on 15 August 1991 with the 2C64 17:21 Reading to Oxford Network SouthEast service. Like most of the Class 119 fleet, L575 was nearing the end of its working life at this time, as unlike the Pressed Steel Class 117s with which it shared these duties, it did not find further use once ousted from the Thames Valley by the new Class 165s.

L576 (51090, 59421 & 51062) makes a typically smoky departure from Oxford station on 1 August 1986, as it starts on the short journey to Didcot with the 09:21 Oxford to Didcot non stop service. Like most Class 119s in the 1980s, there is nothing showing in the destination blind. Literally nothing in this case, as obviously the blinds are completely absent.

L576 (51062, 59421 & 51090) passes Hinksey Yard on 6 May 1988 with the 2C58 16:40 Reading to Oxford 'all stations' service. Over three decades later the Class 119s are long gone, but surprisingly the fragile looking footbridge that spans the entire width of the yard in the background, has yet to be replaced.

Glinting in the strong backlighting, B577 (51063, 59422 & 51091) passes Cassington on 3 March 1984 with the 08:36 Reading to Hereford service. Unfortunately this wide open viewpoint has since been replaced by a virtual tunnel of trees and bushes and is now practically useless for photography.

B577 (51091, 59422 & 51063) passes Llandevenny on 21 October 1985 with the 11:29 Newport to Gloucester service. Prior to the electfrication masts going up, this was always a popular photographic location, especially as there was the tantalising possibility of a perfectly timed shot as a freight train snaked across the flyover, as another train passed by on the main line. Unfortunately I never achieved this!

On a perfectly clear autumnal morning, B577 (51063, 59422 & 51091) rounds the curve between Shipton and Ascott-under-Wychwood with the 09:32 Worcester Shrub Hill to Oxford service. The date is 10 November 1985, and being a Sunday, this is the first up train of the day over the Cotswold Line. This location is where the Oxfordshire Way long distance footpath crosses the line and was an excellent viewpoint for eastbound trains in the mid 1980s. However, a plantation of trees next to the line on the left now shades the line for a lot of the time, and certainly a November picture such as this would now be very difficult.

In a very lucky patch of sunshine, B577 (51091, 59422 & 51063) rounds the curve on the approach to Shipton station with the 09:32 Worcester Shrub Hill to Oxford service on 23 March 1986. This was the first up train of the day over the Cotswold Line on a Sunday at this time, but would not be stopping at Shipton. In fact even now there are still no Sunday services that call at any of the smaller stations on the Cotswold Line, including Shipton, Ascott-under-Wychwood, Combe and Hanborough. Note the patch painting of the unit prefix, having recently moved from Swansea to Bristol. Either of these were unusual for the class at the time, as they were mainly used in the London area. B577 was withdrawn in 1988 an cut up at Mayer Newman's at Snailwell.

L579 (51093, 59424, & 51065) passes under the road bridge at Charlbury on 8 May 1987 with the 08:08 Hereford to Oxford service. Note the white sighting patch painted on the bridge, to increase the visibility of the long since removed semaphore signals. In the foreground is the remains of the old end loading dock, which was swept away a few years later when the ridiculously short former up platform was lengthened.

L404 passes South Moreton (Didcot East) on 11 December 1991 with the 2C29 11:45 Didcot Parkway to Reading Network SouthEast service. This is not quite the everyday Class 117 DMU picture that it appears to be. DMBS 51337 was withdrawn in October 1990, and its place in set L404 was taken by Class 119 DMBS 51065, resulting in the Class 119/117/117 combination seen here. This arrangement (51065, 59489 & 51379) lasted for around a year, until the set was disbanded in early 1992. 47019 can be seen disappearing into the distance with a short departmental working.

L580 (51094, 59425 & 51066) accelerates away from Kings Sutton on 8 August 1991 with the 2C70 19:26 Oxford to Banbury Network SouthEast service. By this date the Class 119 fleet was down to a quarter of its original strength, and this particular unit had less than a year left in traffic.

L583 (51069, 59428 & 51097) runs between the River Dun (on the left) and the Kennet & Avon Canal (on the right), as it passes Little Bedwyn on 16 April 1979 with the 2A08 16:07 Reading to Bedwyn service. Unfortunately this is one of the few pictures I took from this angle before a line of conifers completely blocked out the view. Its just a pity that I didn't use 1/1000sec f2.8 instead of 1/250sec f5.6 to expose the original Kodachrome 64 transparency!

B583 (51097, 59428 & 51069) passes Croome on 14 May 1984 with a Worcester Shrub Hill to Gloucester ECS. At this time it was often possible to spend most of the day at this location without meeting another photographer. However from the 1990s onwards it became an extremley well used photographic location.

B583 (51097, 59428 & 51069) approaches Kingham on 6 July 1984 with the 2A87 16:45 Hereford to Oxford service. It is passing between the abutments of the former Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway. As can be guessed from this picture, these made excellent photographic vantage points, until tree growth, and excessive health and safety precautions made them inaccessible.

B583 (51097, 59428 & 51069) climbs Upton Scudamore bank on 16 August 1984 with the 2B51 17:20 Bristol Temple Meads to Warminster service. For some reason, most of my pictures of Class 119s show them running without anything showing on the destination blind, as here.

B583 (51097, 59428 & 51069) emerges from Wickwar Tunnel on 10 August 1985 with the 15:24 Worcester Shrub Hill to Bristol Temple Meads service. I suppose you would call this a local stopping train, but in 1985 it only called at the large stations of Cheltenham, Gloucester and Bristol Parkway, as the truly local stations had been closed in the 1960s. Since then of course, Ashchurch as well as Cam and Dursley have both reopened.

B583 (51097, 59428 & 51069) passes Llandevenny on 21 October 1985 with the 2B24 09:50 Cardiff Central to Bristol service. Unlike a lot of first generation DMUs, fate has not been kind to the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Co. Class 119s, with only three vehicles from the original 84 being preserved, and that does not include any of these three vehicles.

C583 (51069, 59428 & 51097) passes Pirton on a very warm Sunday 15 June 1986 with the late running 16:33 Swindon to Worcester Shrub Hill service. Note the crudely applied C (for Cardiff), replacing the former B (for Bristol) in the set number. This set was disbanded the following year, with all three vehicles going for scrap, the two driving cars at Mayer Newman, Snailwell, and the centre car at Vic Berry's, Leicester.

C583 (51097 & 51069) accelerates away from Cheltenham on 17 March 1988 with the 2A54 09:30 Cheltenham to Swindon service. C583 had lost its centre car (59428) the previous month, and would spend its last few months in traffic as a two car unit.

L584 (51070, 59429 & 51098) pulls away from Combe station on the Cotswold Line with the 07:48 Moreton-in-Marsh to Oxford service on 21 August 1982. Originally opened by the Great Western Railway as Combe Halt in 1935, it initially had two platforms, but lost the former down platform when the line was singled in 1971. Despite the remote location the station survives to this day, albeit with a very minimal train service.

L584 (51098, 59429, & 51070) approaches Oaksey on 2 April 1983 with the 14:24 Cheltenham to Swindon service. This uninterrupted view along the long straight section of track was not to last much longer, as the small ash tree in the foreground didn't stay small for very long! Note the impressive line of redundant telegraph poles on the left.

L584 (51075, 59429 & 51098) accelerates away from Oxford station on 1 August 1986 with the 2A26 08:08 Hereford to Paddington Network SouthEast service. The slightly dodgy last digit of the set number gives away the fact that this vehicle is a replacement for the original DMBC vehicle (51070), which had been withdrawn a few months earlier. 51075 had originally been part of set L585.

The Abingdon Branch Line closed to passengers on 9 September 1963 but was retaining for freight traffic, principally for the movement of cars from the MG works. Unfortunately the MG factory closed in 1980 and thereafter the branch saw very little traffic. It was finally closed in 1984 and to mark the occasion, the Oxford University Railway Society ran a shuttle service between Radley (the line's junction with the main line) and Abingdon on 30 June 1984. With an improvised 'Farewell Abingdon 1856 - 1984' headboard stuck to the centre windscreen with sticky tape, L585 (51075, 59434 & 51103) passes one of the foot crossings on the approach to Abingdon with another trip from Radley, all of which conspired to pass me in cloudy conditions. Ironically this is the only time that I saw this particular unit.

B586 (51105, 59420 & 51077) arrives at Kemble station on 24 September 1983 with the 2B12 08:48 Swindon to Great Malvern service. This DMU was scrapped in 1987, and presumably the two cars have also ceased to exist, but other than there now only being one siding on the left, and the signal having been updated, this view is pretty much the same nearly four decades later.

B586 (51077, 59420 & 51105) passes Evenlode on 25 April 1984 with the 2A87 16:45 Hereford to Oxford service. It has been a very long time since there was this kind of more or less completely unobstructed view of Evenlode village in the background. This used to be one of my favourite Cotswold Line locations in the 1980s, with the view in the other direction being even better.

B586 (51105, 59420 & 51077) approaches Clink Road Junction on 11 May 1985 with the 2O56 11:00 Westbury to Weymouth service. The bridge in the background formerly carried Coalway Lane over the line. With the building of the Frome bypass parallel to the railway, it is now effectively a bridge to nowhere.

B586 (51105, 59420 & 51077) approaches Cheltenham on 21 August 1985 with the 2B29 10:55 Bristol Temple Meads to Worcester Shrub Hill service. Hatherley Curve Junction was formerly situated near the signal is in the background. This once gave a Gloucester facing connection to the old Midland & South Western Junction Railway.

B586 (51077, 59420 & 51105) passes Rangeworthy on 5 May 1986 with the 10:55 Bristol Temple Meads to Worcester Shrub Hill service. This was my last photograph of this particular unit, as it was withdrawn the following year, and like most of the class was cut up almost immediately.

L587 (51106, 59543 & 51078) passes Hinksey Yard on 4 July 1985 as it nears the end of its journey with the 2F24 09:01 Paddington to Oxford service. And what a journey it would have been for anyone going the whole distance, as it took over well over twice as long as the fastest London to Oxford trains at the time. At 2 hours and 6 minutes this was an extremely slow train, not helped by the 18 minutes that it sat at the platform at Didcot Parkway!

L588 (51107, 59437 & 51079) crosses Frampton Mansell Viaduct on 28 August 1982 with the 2B16 08:45 Swindon to Worcester Shrub Hill service. Purists might complain that this is a going away shot, but it is totally unrepeatable now. There may be descendants of these horses around now, but L588 is no more, and even the viaduct is no longer visible from this vantage point.

L588 (51079, 59437 & 51107) passes Lower Basildon on 25 January 1986 with the 2F32 11:01 Paddington to Oxford 'all stations' service. Note the prominent red labels on the inner ends of the first two vehicles. These indicate the upgraded passenger luggage accommodation in the guard's compartment of the DMBC, and the former buffet of the TS vehicle. This feature was added in the early 1980s specifically for the Reading to Gatwick Airport service.

My only picture of a pair of 119s working in multiple. B590 (51087, 59418 & 51058) & B586 (51105, 59420 & 51077) head eastwards along the Great Western Mainline at Marshfield on a cloudless 28 April 1984, with the 2O56 08:42 Cardiff to Weymouth service. Even in the world of DMUs there has been much 'progress' since this picture was taken. You would be unlikely to get six coaches today, and certainly there would not be the vast luggage area available that these two 119s could provide. And now of course, there would be far more people travelling than in 1984!

L591 (51102, 59433 & 51059) arrives at Kingham station on 23 April 1983 with the 2A77 06:24 Great Malvern to Oxford service. The austere modern brick building had been built a few years earlier, as the former large Great Western Railway brick station building was under utilised, after the closure of the Banbury to Cheltenham line, and the removal of Kingham's junction status. Note the tiny partly unsurfaced car park (still more than adequate in 1983!) and the fact that it was obviously still possible to send large parcels by rail from this rural station.

B591 (51059, 59433 & 51102) lays a smoke screen over Oxford as it departs with the 14:28 Oxford to Great Malvern service on 22 April 1986. Unbelievably, given today's frequency of trains on the Cotswold Line, the previous down working had been 3½ hours earlier! The residents of the newly built canal side houses just off Walton Well Road are constantly complaining about the fumes from Turbo units that stable in the sidings made invisible here by the smoke. They should consider themselves lucky that their houses weren't built in 1986, as there certainly would have been a few letters written to the papers if they had to put up with this lot!

C591 (51059, 59382 & 51102) passes Evenlode on 20 June 1987 with the 2B56 12:26 Oxford to Worcester Shrub Hill service. I have included this going away picture, as it clearly shows the Class 108 centre trailer that this unit was running with for the last year of its life. Also, note the highly inappropriate Avonmouth destination being (partly) displayed.

C591 (51059, 59382 & 51102) arrives at Moreton-in-Marsh on 3 July 1987 with the 2B50 07:00 Oxford to Hereford service, the first down train of the day over the Cotswold Line at the time. Most Class 119s, at least during the time I was photographing them, were either allocated to London (Reading) or Bristol, and therefore carried either L or B prefixes. Here we see 591 carrying a Cardiff prefix, which was obviously short lived, as the unit was withdrawn six months later, and the previous year it was still allocated to Bristol. It is also running with a Class 108 centre trailer.

Finstock Halt was opened by the Great Western Railway on 9 April 1934, one of a number of new halts on the Cotswold Line. Being the nearest Saturday to the 50th anniversary, 7 April 1984 was chosen as a day for local celebrations at the diminutive station. Unfortunately despite the best efforts of the Cotswold Line Promotion Group and others, it did not look its best due to the temporary scaffold built platform then in use! Bedecked with flags and 'Finstock Fifty' banners the station is seen here with more people than it normally sees for weeks at a time. L592 (51071, 59530 & 51101) has made a special stop whilst working the 2C68 08:36 Reading to Hereford service, and is now heading off towards Charlbury.

Radley station pictured in the days when it had a sparse train service, long before the present day commuter boom. Even humble DMU L593 (51085, 59431, & 51072) is not stopping. It speeds through the deserted station on 4 September 1982 with the 10:25 Great Malvern to Didcot service.

L593 (51085, 59431, & 51072) stands in the bay platform at Moreton-in-Marsh just after sunrise on 9 April 1983. After the passage of the 07:00 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington loco hauled train, this unit would move into the main platform ready to depart with the 07:50 Moreton-in-Marsh to Oxford all stations local service. The track on the right, which can be seen curving away towards the course of the former Shipston-on-Stour branch, has subsequently been lifted.

A historic scene at Shipton on 18 September 1982. C594 (51073, 59435 & 51104) rounds the curve through the station with the 15:37 Didcot to Hereford service, travelling on vintage 95lb per yard bullhead rail. Note how the unit has had its Cardiff prefix letter painted out, on it recent transfer to Reading. It would soon aquire the L for London prefix. On the left can be seen the remains of the goods loading dock with three ex Great Western Railway corrugated iron huts beyond. The two nearest of these last remnants of the steam age were swept away shortly afterwards, and now a small industrial estate occupies the site. Trees have now grown up all around the up platform in the background, and of course Class 119s no longer work the line. However, FWP Matthews flour mill on the right is still in business, and is virtually the only unaltered part of this view.

A meeting of classic DMUs at Cheltenham station on 17 November 1982. On the right, Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Co. Class 119 L594 (51104, 59435 & 51073) has just arrived with the 5B37 12:05 Gloucester to Cheltenham ECS, having reversed in Alstone Siding. It will shortly be heading south with the 2B37 12:37 service to Swindon. On the left, Metropolitan Cammell Class 101 TS419 (50328, 59536 & 50318) waits with the 2B29 11:25 Bristol Temple Meads to Worcester Foregate Street service. Just visible in the background, something heavy is being loaded into the commodious guard's compartment, which is something that would be impossible with today's DMUs.

Cotswold Line commuting, 1980s style. L594 (51104, 59435 & 51073) arrives at Charlbury station on 15 April 1983 with the 2A79 07:43 Moreton-in-Marsh to Didcot service. At this time the DMU turns on the line were shared equally between the Pressed Steel Class 117s, and the Gloucester 119s, with only occasional appearances by other types, such as Classes 101, 118 & 121.

Occasionally in the 1980s, a DMU would be booked for a fairly rapid return from Oxford, and would therefore arrive from the London direction into the up platform, instead of the usual down platform. In order to do this, it would cross over at Hinksey, and use the bi-directional loop. L594 (51104, 59435 & 51073) is pictured doing that on 14 March 1987 with the 2F38 12:49 Paddington to Oxford service, which because of its 11 minute layover at Didcot Parkway, had changed headcode to 2C26 at this point.

L594 (51104, 59435 & 51073) leaves Oxford station on 21 October 1988 with the 2C23 10:24 'all stations' service to Reading. The unit is looking pristine, after just receiving Network SouthEast's colourful livery. L594 would be the last of the class to be withdrawn, in June 1995. Both driving cars were subsequently preserved, although now at two different locations.

L594 was a little short on 6 May 1990, and required the help of a Class 121 'bubble car' to make it up to a three car set. DMBC 51073 is obviously under repair, leaving just 51104 & 59435 to show the versatility of the first generation DMU fleet by substituting the Class 121 for the missing driving car. It is pictured here at a very rural Didcot North Junction with the 2C21 09:33 Oxford to Didcot 'all stations' Network SouthEast service.

B595 (51074, 59430, & 51086) passes Stoke Orchard with the 15:21 Worcester Shrub Hill to Bristol Temple Meads service on 21 July 1984. Note the two red signs on the two leading vehicles indicating the extended luggage capacity of these cross country units. Although actually nearer to the village of Stoke Orchard than Bishops Cleeve, this is the site of Cleeve station (so called to avoid confusion with Bishops Cleeve station on the Cheltenham to Stratford line).

B595 (51086, 59430 & 51074) passes Hinksey Yard on 4 July 1985 with the 2A25 06:50 Cardiff Central to Reading service. This was an odd long distance DMU working, taking the Bristol allocated set from the Welsh capital, through Abergavenny to Hereford, and then down the Cotswold Line to Oxford and Reading.

L595 (51086, 59430 & 51074) accelerates away from at Cholsey station on 16 August 1991 with the 2C51 15:55 Bicester Town to Reading Network SouthEast service. This photo is taken from the lofty farm occupation bridge, between the 'new' (1892) Cholsey station, and the former Moulsford station, which closed when Cholsey opened.

L595 (51074, 59430 & 51086) calls at Cholsey station on 16 August 1991 with the 2C66 17:35 Reading to Bicester Town Network SouthEast service. The leading car is one of only three Class 119 vehicles to have escaped the cutter's torch. DMBC 51074 is now paired with DMSL 51104 (ex L594), and is currently under restoration at the Swindon & Cricklade Railway, Another DMBC (51073) exists, but no centre cars survive. The reason only three out of the original 81 cars exist is due principally to the expense of removing the vehicle's asbestos insulation.

B596 (51099, 59416 & 51076) passes Oxford North Junction on 28 July 1983 with the 2A85 08:05 Hereford to Oxford service. Despite being on the edge of Oxford, this location still retains a rural feel, although trees have subsequently largely screened Port Meadow (to the left, in the background) from view. Hopefully the historic significance of Port Meadow (and its annual winter flooding!) will halt any potential westwards spread of Oxford.

B596 (51099, 59416 & 51076) passes Hinksey Yard on 28 July 1983 with the 2A75 15:48 Oxford to Reading service. Less common on these trains compared to the Pressed Steel Class 117s, these Bristol allocated sets did however add to the DMU variety that could be seen in the Oxford area in the 1980s.

B596 (51076, 59416 & 51099) rounds the curve on the approach to Shipton station on 19 August 1983. At this time DMUs worked some quite long distance trains over the Cotswold Line. This is the 2A87 16:45 Hereford to Oxford service.

B596 (51099, 59416 & 51076) heads away from the camera at Aynho on 21 April 1984 with the 18:37 Banbury to Oxford service. This side view clearly shows the increased luggage capacity of the Class 119, with the red signs indicating not only the former guards area of the leading DMBC vehicle, but also the converted former buffet area in the centre TS vehicle. This viewpoint is a lot more grown up now, with various trackside bushes spoiling the view. Note the Marylebone line at a higher level in the background.

B596 (51076, 59416 & 51099) passes underneath Walton Well Road bridge, Oxford, on 24 April 1984, as it nears its destination with the 2A81 15:53 Worcester Foregate Street to Oxford service. Note the two red backed signs indicating the ample passenger luggage storage areas, in both the leading DMBC, and second TS vehicles. A far cry from the pathetic provision on modern DMUs. This is definitely my favourite Class 119 picture, with an ideal composition, from the bridge in the background to the shunt signal in the foreground, and in perfect spring sunshine. Kodachrome 64 has done an excellent job of capturing all the detail in the scene.

B596 (51099, 59416 & 51076) accelerates away from Charlbury station, and passes Cornbury Park with the 15:40 Great Malvern to Oxford service on 4 July 1985. Surprisingly, considering how much vegetation has grown at other locations on the Cotswold Line, this spot remains pretty much the same today.

L596 (51099, 59416 & 51076) accelerates away from Cholsey station on 4 September 1987 with the 2C29 12:43 Oxford to Reading service. Note that the site of the former goods yard was still being used as a coal yard at this time.

L596 (51076, 59416 & 51099) passes Didcot North Junction on 22 June 1989 with the 2C72 19:55 Reading to Oxford Network SouthEast service. In common with other DMUs, most of the Class 119s lost most of their roof ventilators in later years, giving a very smooth appearance to the roof, totally unlike the original design.

L596 (51076, 59416 & 51099) pulls out of Radley station on 29 July 1989 with the 2C64 17:15 Reading to Oxford Network SouthEast service. Taking over an hour, and stopping at all stations, this would be more usually worked by one of Reading's high density Class 117 units.

With the incorrect destination of Reading being displayed, L596 (51099, 59416 & 51076) passes Horley on 21 September 1991 with the 1O72 12:35 Reading to Gatwick Airport Network SouthEast service. The Class 119s had upgraded passenger luggage accommodation in the former buffet of the centre TS coach, as well as in guard's compartment of the DMBC vehicle. This was specifically for these Reading to Gatwick Airport service.