165001 leads an unidentified classmate over the crossover to the south of Princes Risborough station on 15 May 1993 with an ECS for Princes Risborough station. The train has just traversed the section of line that runs as two separate single lines, with the down line curving round Hemley Hill in a large arc, while the up line takes a more direct route through the short Saunderton Tunnel.

The early morning sun struggles to emerge from a band of cloud as 165001 passes North Lee with the 09:06 Aylesbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service on 6 December 2008. Not the most photogenic of locations, but one that would have been completely clear of shadows had it been a sunny start to the morning as was forecast!

The first Turbo unit to enter traffic (165001) has nearly two decades of service behind it when pictured here on 24 May 2010 working the 10:38 Aylesbury to Princes Risborough service. It has taken over from 55020, which worked the earlier trains, and is pictured here approaching Little Kimble. The line will continue to see this relatively modern traction until the evening peak, when once again the vintage Class 121 unit will be brought out.

165001 accelerates away from Islip station on 2 October 2011 with the 2L08 11:00 Oxford to Bicester Town Chiltern Railways service. I'm not sure how many miles 165001 has covered, but the Honda Accord on the left had 382,000 miles on the clock when this picture was taken (nearly 500,000 now!). Both 165001 and the 'Heritage Honda' now look a little tatty in places, both being built at roughly the same time. Other than routine servicing, the Accord has required no work at all on the engine or transmission, and even has the original clutch!

165001 (or 65001 if you look carefully) passes the Banbury Road stone terminal at Water Eaton on 2 October 2011 with the 2L09 11:33 Bicester Town to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Compare this with an identical view taken almost exactly a year earlier when the service was still operated by First Great Western. The A34 Oxford to Bicester dual carriageway runs parallel with the line here, but is now completely hidden by bushes.

A fine and unreasonably warm spring morning at Bishops Itchington on 26 March 2012. 165001 speeds southwards with the 1H30 09:55 Stratford-upon-Avon to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service, running just a few minutes behind the identically timed departure from Birmingham Moor Street.

Unusual surroundings for a Class 165 unit. 165001 emerges from the trees at Bledlow, on the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway, with the Chiltern Railways 1Z02 09:35 Aylesbury to Chinnor special on 5 October 2013. Although the electronic destination blind never photographs correctly, it is in fact displaying the slightly optimistic 'Watlington Flyer' wording. This train is the first ever direct Aylesbury to Chinnor service, and it seems that being over 22 years old, the prototype Turbo unit has started to acquire historic interest, and was specially requested for this train.

After working to Chinnor with the Chiltern Railways 1Z02 09:35 Aylesbury to Chinnor 'Watlington Flyer' special on 5 October 2013, 165001 was used by the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway for a number of trips along the line. The first of these, the 1P03 10:40 Chinnor to Princes Risborough is pictured passing Bledlow under a very dramatic dark sky.

Who would have thought that a Turbo unit could generate this much interest! It is of course the location that makes this picture significant, and the juxtaposition of a relatively modern unit and vintage infrastructure. 165001 pulls out of Chinnor station, and heads for the sidings on 5 October 2013, after having worked in with the 1C04 11:12 service from Princes Risborough. The unit had earlier arrived with the first ever through train from Aylesbury to the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway. Note the reflection of the Chiltern Railways branding in the trackside mirror on the right.

165001 heads away from the camera at Islip on 14 December 2013 with the 2T11 11:30 Bicester Town to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. It wouldn't be long before this overgrown cutting would be blitzed, in preparation for redoubling the line, and complete route modernisation.

165001 races through Denham Golf Club station on 26 March 2017 with the 1H06 09:03 Bicester North to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service, passing the instantly recognisable GWR pagoda huts, once so common on Great Western lines, but now exceedingly unusual on the national network. Coincidentally, just over an hour later, another of Chiltern Railway's lowest numbered class members passed through, when 168001 worked the 1Y15 10:11 Oxford to Marylebone service.

165001, 165023 & 165018 approach Islip on 5 April 2021 with the 1Y40 12:11 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The blackthorn blossom in the hedge, and the flowering cherry tree near the site of Mill Lane level crossing make a fine show.

Viewed across a stubble field, 165001 & 165021 approach Islip on 1 February 2024 with the 1T15 08:39 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Just visible in the background is the footbridge on the footpath to Brookfurlong Farm, and beyond that the road overbridge near Oddington.

Despite looking nearly the same going in both directions (apart from lacking a driver of course!), I don't normally take going away pictures of units. However, on this occasion a Class 165/0 passing Radley on a northbound crew training run was definitely worth a picture. 165002 speeds northwards on 11 December 1991, and Class 117 units were still in command of local trains to and from Oxford. Apart from the loan of the three car versions the following year, Class 165/0s would never be common in the Thames Valley.

165002 arrives at Culham on 11 July 1994 with the 2C60 18:20 Didcot to Oxford stopping service. After a short layover at Oxford, it would then go on to form the 18:46 to Bicester Town. In 1992 a number of the three car Class 165/0 units which were destined for the Chiltern Line were used as a temporary stop gap on services out of Paddington, due to the late delivery of the Class 165/1 fleet. However, two years later, here we have a two car Chiltern set again working away from its intended area.

Although originally built for the Chiltern division of Network SouthEast, the first five Class 165 units (165001 - 165005) were operated by Thames Trains for a few years before reverting back to their former stamping ground in 2004 when they were acquired by Chiltern Railways. During this period, 165002 is pictured departing from Castle Bar Park station with the 13:32 Greenford to Paddington service on 20 April 2002. Just visible in the distance following one block behind is preserved 'Hastings' DEMU 1001 working the Branch Line Society 'Western Essex Express' railtour, which was running late. It should have run in front of the 165, but was now having to crawl behind it and wait while it stopped at the stations!

165002 heads through Harbury cutting on 22 October 2008 with the 12:54 Marylebone to Stratford-upon-Avon Chiltern Railways service. This was once an excellent photographic location, but although the vegetation has again been cut back, as can be seen here, it is catching up again!

A rural scene at Islip on 19 April 2019, as 165002 & 165032 head north with the 1Y25 10:10 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The tree and the scattered bales make an ideal picture, but its not quite all so picturesque, as the remains of the former rail connected oil depot can be seen behind the train. The footbridge at Islip station can just be glimpsed through the bushes, behind the tree in the background.

165002 passes Wendlebury on 22 June 2019 with the 1Y06 07:36 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The equivalent weekday service would be a pair of Class 168s, full of commuters going to London, but on a weekend a two car unit is sufficient at this time of the morning!

165002 & 165016 accelerate away from Oxford Parkway station (just out of sight around the corner) with the 1T41 15:05 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service on 7 March 2022. They are passing the North Oxford Golf Course, which unbelievably is set to be destroyed in order to build yet another housing estate.

165002 passes Wormleighton Crossing on 7 February 2023 with the 5Z68 10:17 Kidderminster Down Goods Loop to Banbury Depot Reception Chiltern Railways ECS. This was a VSTP working, following on from the 5Z65 07:13 Birmingham Snow Hill to Kidderminster Down Goods Loop, the 5Z66 08:18 Kidderminster Down Goods Loop to Birmingham Snow Hill and the 5Z67 09:17 Birmingham Snow Hill to Kidderminster Down Goods Loop.

165003 glints in the last rays of the setting sun, as it passes Ascott-under-Wychwood signal box on 11 April 1995 with the 1F79 17:45 Worcester Foregate Street to Paddington service. This is of course a stranger to the Cotswold Line, being a Chiltern Line Class 165/0, rather than one of this route's normal Class 165/1s. In 1993 there was a downturn in traffic on the Chiltern route (inconceivable now), and 165001 - 165007 were transferred to the routes out of Paddington. This involved having their London Underground tripcock equipment removed. All these 165/0s had returned to the their intending Chiltern role by 2004.

165003 curves off the Stratford-upon-Avon branch at Hatton on 29 October 2009 with the 1H43 13:40 Stratford-upon-Avon to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. This clearly show the bizarre effect you get when photographing modern train route indicators. The old fashioned manual ones, even on the unrefurbished Class 165/0s, always photographed clearly.

165003 glows in the late afternoon autumnal light on 24 November 2010, as it slows down on the approach to Kings Sutton with the late running 13:12 Birmingham Snow Hill to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The bridge in the background is the well known vantage point, used by generations of photographers.

Slowing for the stop at Hatton station a little further on, 165003 drifts through the tree lined cutting at Hatton on 11 May 2015 with the 2D55 18:17 Leamington Spa to Stratford-upon-Avon Chiltern Railways service.

165003 speeds through Saunderton station on 25 February 2018 with the 1H19 10:44 Banbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Note the salt spread on the platforms. It may have been a completely sunny day, but the temperature only just managed to get above freezing.

165003 is still accelerating away from Hatton station, as it approaches Hatton North Junction on 25 March 2019 with the 2R33 14:32 Leamington Spa to Birmingham Moor Street Chiltern Railways service. Note that it is not just railway photographers that use the footpath that runs alongside the line here!

165003, 165023 & 165006 pass Langford Lane, Wendlebury, on 22 April 2019 with the 1T44 15:41 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. The use of Class 165s in place of the usual Class 168s was because the 168s were needed to strengthen services on Chiltern's route to Birmingham, as extra passengers were expected over the Easter Bank Holiday, due to the closure of the line into Euston for engineering works. A little while earlier, the other option for providing a six coach train (two three car units) had passed by in the other direction.

165003 & 165035 pass the recently constructed lake, which on this occasion is unusually free of wildfowl, at Oddington on the early autumn morning of 27 October 2019.  They are working the 1Y04 08:09 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service.

165003 & 165033 pass Brookfurlong Farm, Islip, on 2 January 2021 with the 1T19 09:20 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. With the prospect of some superb winter light (at least during the morning), and nothing else of interest in the locality, I decided to get some more pictures of Class 165s, which were monopolising the trains to Oxford, due to one of Chiltern Railway's periodic amended timetables, which sees Class 165s replace Class 168s.

Having just called at Islip station, 165003, 165009 & 165022 accelerate away past the remains of the old oil depot (the earth banks just visible behind the train), as they work the 1Y28 09:49 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service on 1 February 2024.

A close up view of 165004, as it leaves Basingstoke on 16 July 2001 with the 10:35 Basingstoke to Reading Thames Trains service. This picture clearly shows the 'Thames Turbo' branding on the side of vehicle 58804. In 1993 several two car Class 165/0s were transferred to the Thames fleet to supplement their Class 165/1s. They had all returned to the Chiltern route by 2004.

165004 finds a brief sunny spell at Overthorpe on 28 January 2011, as it passes underneath the M40 motorway with the 1H32 11:24 Banbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. There are some ominous dark clouds in the background, but obviously Banbury is still in sunshine. Note the steam rising from Kraft Food's coffee factory in the background.

165004 arrives at Saunderton station on 25 February 2018 with the 2H16 10:45 Princes Risborough to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Most trains speed straight through this rural station, but this is one of the roughly hourly stopping services.

165004 & 165002 accelerate away from Wendover station (just visible beyond the bridge in the background) with the 2C32 13:13 Aylesbury Vale Parkway to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service on 25 February 2018. Photo taken from the Bacombe Lane overbridge.

165004 approaches Hatton on 22 September 2019 with the 2L18 09:41 Birmingham Moor Street to Leamington Spa Chiltern Railways service. This latest version of Chiltern's livery looks very smart, and certainly shows up much better in dull conditions like this compared with GWR's universally hated dark green livery.

165004 approaches Hatton on 22 September 2019 with the 2R17 10:32 Leamington Spa to Birmingham Moor Street Chiltern Railways service, and is about to overtake the Branch Line Society 1Z21 10:34 Warwick to Donnington 'Birmingham Balti Bash' railtour, which is waiting to follow it out of Hatton Down Goods Loop. 20142 Sir John Betjeman is bringing up the rear of the tour.

165005 has just emerged from Ardley Tunnel, and is heading away from the camera into the Cherwell Valley on 3 May 1992 with the 16:27 Marylebone to Banbury Network SouthEast service. Unfortunately this location looks nothing like this now, with the once panoramic view now largely obscured by lineside bushes.

With the impressive 198 feet tall tower and spire of Kings Sutton church dominating the background, 165005 & 165014 head north on 27 August 2017 with the 1U43 15:43 Marylebone to Banbury Chiltern Railways service.

Viewed through a very long lens, 165005 approaches Ardley on 24 March 2019 with the 1H28 12:44 Banbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Note the recent vegetation clearance near the bridge on the Ardley to Somerton road.

165005 passes Islip on 19 April 2019 with the 1Y20 08:40 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Most trains on this line are operated by Class 168s, but over the Easter weekend Class 165s were substituting, freeing up the 168s for strengthened services on the Marylebone to Birmingham route, in compensation for the closure of Euston for engineering workings. The bridge in the background carries a cycleway over the line, at the site of the former Mill Lane level crossing.

165005 & 165015 approach Islip at speed on 28 November 2021 with the 1T12 08:12 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. At this time of the morning in November, this is the only reasonably shadow free view at Islip station.

A brief patch of sunshine amid the clouds at Kingsey on 6 June 2024. 165005 & 165015 head south along the Chiltern Mainline with the 1Y30 10:49 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service, which as is usual on this line, was running exactly to time.

165006 approaches Rickmansworth on 14 September 2008 with the 11:05 Aylesbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. As can be seen from the fourth rails, this section of the line is shared with Transport for London's underground stock.

165006 leaves Amersham station on 14 September 2008 with the 14:05 Aylesbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service, while a train of Metropolitan Line A60 stock calls with a westbound service. Note the complicated arrangement of conductor rails through the pointwork.

In crisp late afternoon light, 165006 speeds past Launton with the 1U45 16:03 Marylebone to Banbury Chiltern Railways service on 2 September 2010. Chiltern Railways have almost got a new variation of their blue and white colour scheme. Their Class 165 & 168 units are generally in immaculate condition (not easy with so much white paintwork), but virtually every one has an uncleaned cab roof, which slightly spoils the overall effect.

165006 passes Banbury Road stone terminal, at Water Eaton, with the 2T11 11:30 Bicester North to Oxford Chiltern Railways service on 20 August 2013. The grab excavator on the right had just parked up, after finishing unloading the wagons in the foreground. 59202 was throbbing away underneath the bridge, waiting to depart with the empties, as the 6C54 13:06 to Whatley.

165006 passes Brookfurlong Farm (near Islip) on 12 December 2013 with the 2T10 11:00 Oxford to Bicester Town Chiltern Railways service. This was shortly before the line was closed for upgrading to a double track mainline, with through services to London.

165006 passes Brookfurlong Farm (near Islip) on a slightly misty 12 December 2013 with the 2T11 11:30 Bicester Town to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Chiltern operated this line as a rural backwater from May 2011, when they took over from First Great Western, to February 2014, when the line was closed for major upgrading. Since then they have operated the route as a main line.

A panoramic view of Banbury Road Stone Terminal, Water Eaton, just to the north of Oxford on 14 January 2014. 165006 passes by with the 2T11 11:30 Bicester Town to Oxford Chiltern Railways service, whilst in the foreground is the 7C54 13:06 Oxford Banbury Road to Westbury Mendip Rail stone train, which had just finished being unloaded. In a month's time this line is going to be closed for a couple of months for major engineering work in connection with Chiltern's plan to introduce through trains to London over the route. There will be a replacement bus service, but the ones that serve Islip will take nearly twice as long as the train, even without allowing for rush hour traffic!

165006 dodges the fast moving clouds, as it passes Charlton-on-Otmoor on 27 June 2019 with the 1T05 06:09 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. This was the first through train of the morning from London.

Consecutively numbered 165006 & 165007 pass North Oxford Golf Course on 15 April 2022 with the 1Y27 09:38 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. In the background is Peartree Hill Farm, which gives its name to the nearby park and ride site.

165006 passes Oddington on 10 August 2022 with the 1T50 17:17 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. The extremely hot weather was obviously having an effect, as this was running nine minutes late, not something you normally expect from Chiltern Railways!

Fresh out of the box! An immaculate 165007 stands at Bicester North station on 2 December 1991 with the first Turbo operated passenger service on the Chiltern Line - the 11:43 Marylebone to Banbury. It returned straight away with the 13:32 from Banbury. The introduction of these units had been delayed by several months. Note the large gap between platforms, caused by the removal of central through lines.

165007 emerges from Ardley Tunnel on 30 December 2011 with the 08:41 Marylebone to Banbury Chiltern Railways service. A dull day for once is a blessing, as the tunnel is north facing and in a cutting - not much use if the sun is out!

165007 passes Piddington in lovely evening light on 13 August 2016 with the 1U47 16:32 Marylebone to Banbury Chiltern Railways service. In the case of this two car unit, the rather small gap in the lineside bushes hasn't been much of a problem, but finding unobstructed locations on the Chiltern Line can sometimes be something of a challenge!

Audi vs train! 165007 slowly pulls away from Wendover station on 25 February 2018 with the 2C26 12:13 Aylesbury Vale Parkway to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service, and is rapidly overtaken by a car on the parallel A413 Wendover bypass.

165007 & 165003 approach Wolvercote Tunnel on 30 May 2021 with the 1T32 13:12 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Wolvercote Tunnel is very short, and would probably just be a bridge, if it wasn't for the fact that a major roundabout on the A40 road sits directly on top of it.

165008 is pictured in the Buckinghamshire countryside near Chearsley with the 11:40 Stratford-upon-Avon to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service on 1 August 2007. Note the revised headlight arrangement, with the former wide recessed area now largely filled with a flush blanking plate. This section of line was re-doubled in 1998 (it had been reduced to single track in the late 1960s) and the frequency of service has benefited enormously as a result.

165008 comes to a stop at Denham Golf Club station on 26 March 2017 with the 2H13 09:50 Princes Risborough to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. No one left and no one came, and to misquote Edward Thomas "On the bare platform what I saw was Denham Golf Club - only the name"!

Viewed from the footbridge near Brookfurlong Farm, 165008 & 165018 head towards Islip on 25 April 2021 with the 5T04 07:10 Aylesbury to Oxford Chiltern Railways ECS. The two units would return half an hour later with the 1Y04 08:12 Oxford to Marylebone service. I couldn't resist the oddly framed going away shot, as it includes Islip village and church lit by superb early morning lighting, under a very threatening sky.

165008 & 165018 pass Brookfurlong Farm (near Islip) on 25 April 2021 with the 1Y04 08:12 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. This being a Sunday, this was the first Chiltern train of the day to London.

165008 & 165023 round the curve by Oxford North Golf Course on 17 July 2021 with the 1T42 15:42 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Oxford Road Junction was formerly situated in the background of this view. The LMS loop line from Yarnton Junction, on the GWR Oxford to Worcester Line, came in from the left. This little used line was closed in 1965.

165008 & 165017 pass Oddington on 28 November 2021 with the 1T14 08:42 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. The rough track in the foreground gives the local farmer access to his fields, after the original access route was cut off when the line was redoubled.

I have got very few pictures of a Class 165 and 168 working together. Although they share the same multiple working equipment, the fact that Class 165s are limited to 75mph, whilst Class 168s can travel at 100mph, obviously makes this combination a bit pointless from the diagramming point of view. However, on 10 August 2022, 165008 & 168322 worked the 1T41 15:05 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service, pictured here passing North Oxford Golf Course.

165008 brings up the rear of the 1T15 08:37 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service, as it leaves Islip station on 21 September 2024. 168038 is the leading unit. Considering that the footbridge is less than ten years old, there seems to be a serious amount of rust on the steps!

Surely if there was going to be a Class 65, it would be a heavy freight locomotive! After just a few months in traffic, 165009 is already masquerading as something it isn't, as indeed did a lot of the 165s in their early years, when missing numbers were commonplace. It is hiding in the gloom of Banbury station on 14 February 1992, waiting to work the 2G46 11:30 service to Marylebone.

165009 along with an unidentified classmate leaves Princes Risborough on 15 May 1993 with the 09:30 Banbury to Marylebone Network SouthEast service. Notice that some otherwise very thorough roof cleaning on these units has been slightly let down by leaving a small area untouched over the cab windows! In the background on the down line can be seen the wagons of the Northolt to Calvert binliner, which remained in that position for some considerable time.

A dramatic cloudscape at Kings Sutton on 14 November 2007, as 165009 heads northwards with the 14:20 Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill Chiltern Railways service. Note the footpath crossing by the second vehicle. This is a useful winter photographic vantage point. As can be seen from the low level of the field in the foreground, there is nothing to shade the tracks even when the sun is low in the sky.

165009 passes the footpath crossing at Launton on 2 September 2010 with the 1N43 15:43 Marylebone to Bicester North Chiltern Railways service. The 'trains run either way on each line' is not to be taken too seriously, as although fully bi-directionally signaled, normal left hand running is always in use except for emergencies.

165009 passes Fritwell on 8 September 2010 with the 08:53 Marylebone to Banbury Chiltern Railways service. This picture is taken from a footpath bridge surrounded by fields. The more familiar photographic location of the roadbridge can just be seen in the background.

The cows graze contentedly in the field at Great Bourton on 28 March 2012, as 165009 hurries by with the 1H59 17:10 Birmingham Snow Hill to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Note how there is nothing shading the line at this point in the afternoon, although the same cannot be said for earlier in the day.

165009 pulls away from Saunderton station on 9 April 2017 with the 1U15 08:40 Marylebone to Banbury Chiltern Railways service. The houses in Saunderton Vale, one of the roads that surround the otherwise rural station, can be seen in the background.

Superb early morning spring light at Oddington on 16 April 2022, as 165009 & 165035 head north past the former level crossing keeper's cottage with the 1Y11 07:41 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service.

Not quite a perfect numerical sequence. 165009, 165011 & 165012 pass milepost 23 near Charlton-on-Otmoor in perfect evening light on 24 May 2023 with the 1T50 17:15 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service.

165009 & 165034 pass the site of Mill Lane level crossing, Islip, on 28 July 2024 with the 1Y28 09:41 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Ragwort seems to be taking over the trackside here, but that is nothing compared with the field out of view off to the right of the picture, which seemed to be a complete field of ragwort, and nothing else!

Early morning at Princes Risborough on 16 May 1992. 165010 accelerates away from the station with the 1H17 07:30 Banbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. These units had just been introduced onto the route, ousting the venerable Class 115s. The last Chiltern Line 115 operated train was just a couple of months away when this picture was taken.

165010 and an unfortunately unidentified classmate run alongside the M40 motorway at Rowington in superb evening light on 5 June 1996 with the 1G52 17:45 Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill service. Trees alongside the dividing fence now effectively prevent a repetition of this view.

November 2012 seems to have settled into a regular routine of traveling the short distance to the Oxford area to see the 56 hauled 6Z91 10:55 Calvert to Didcot Power Station flyash empties. This invariably means photographing the DMU that precedes it along the single track Bicester to Oxford line. I thought I would try a different angle at Islip on 8 November 2012, to show the train passing the station's small car park. An everyday subject, but I certainly wasn't going to pass up the opportunity of a picture in such stunning lighting conditions. With a thick mass of dark clouds to the north, 165010 approaches the station with the 2L11 11:30 Bicester Town to Oxford Chiltern Railways service.

A peaceful rural scene at Charlton-on-Otmoor on 14 June 2013. 165010 passes by with the 11:30 Bicester Town to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Unfortunately mid June in the countryside displays a monotone green landscape, so the inclusion of a few pieces of rustic farming equipment in the picture adds a little contrasting colour.

165010 approaches Mill Lane, Islip, on 11 September 2013 with the 2T05 08:03 Bicester Town to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. This view has changed completely, with the removal of the trees, and the reinstatement of double track.

165010 passes through the very overgrown cutting just to the south of Islip station with the 2T08 09:07 Bicester Town to Oxford Chiltern Railways service on 11 September 2013. The densely wooded cutting wouldn't stay this way for long. The redoubling of the track and route modernisation would completely open up the view.

165010 heads through the wooded cutting to the south of the extremely short Brill Tunnel on 19 January 2016. It is working the 1H31 10:44 Banbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Considering this is only a month away from the shortest day, I was surprised that the shadows weren't more of a problem here.

165010 & 165028 accelerate away from Monks Risborough station on 19 May 2017 with the 2H61 16:29 Aylesbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. A long lens was required here, as shadows nearer to the public footpath crossing were still problematic, despite it being nearly summer.

165010 & 165034 pass Launton on 10 June 2018 with the Branch Line Society 1Z00 10:10 Aylesbury to Bicester Village 'Sopwith Camel' railtour. Note the rusty rails. This is the first train along this section of track for a very long time! Unfortunately this location is a lot more grown up than when I photographed 47976 twenty years earlier.

165010 & 165034 pass the site of Waddesdon Manor station on 10 June 2018 with the Branch Line Society 1Z14 11:40 Bicester Village to Aylesbury 'Sopwith Camel' railtour. Visible over a mile away in the distance, at the end of long straight, is Quainton Road station, where the train had just paused for eight minutes. I know a lot of photographers for some odd reason have no interest in DMUs, but I was still surprised to be the other photographer present to record this unusual working, on a line that does not normally see any passenger traffic.

165010 & 165034 approach the site of Launton station on 10 June 2018 with the Branch Line Society 1Z17 15:40 Aylesbury to Bicester Signal OB1792 'Sopwith Camel' railtour. If you think the track in the foreground looks a little overgrown, that is nothing compared to what it was like a few hundred yards back down the line!

165010 & 165034 pass underneath the Chiltern Line at Gavray Junction on 10 June 2018 with the Branch Line Society 'Sopwith Camel' railtour. I'm not quite sure what headcode this is running under, as the 1Z17 15:40 Aylesbury to Bicester Signal OB1792 took it to just out of sight behind the bridge, but the 1Z18 17:10 Gavray Junction to Aylesbury obviously starts a few yards further on! This complicated itinerary saw it visit Bicester Village station twice within a few minutes. Apologies for the schoolboy error of taking this picture from the shadow side, but that was the only way possible to record this unusual move.

165010 & 165020 pass Brookfurlong Farm (near Islip) on 25 April 2021 with the 5T14 08:17 Aylesbury to Oxford Chiltern Railways ECS. The Oddington road bridge is in the background, with Graven Hill, four miles distant, directly behind.

165010 & 165003 pass underneath the Brookfurlong Farm footbridge, near Islip, on 2 December 2021 with the 1T27 11:40 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Like the majority of Chiltern Railway's trains, this was running exactly to time. Take note GWR!

165010, 165012 & 165015 approach Islip on 1 February 2024 with the 1T21 10:06 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. The footpath from Islip to Weston-on-the-Green (part of the Oxfordshire Way long distance path) crosses the footbridge in the background.

The early morning sun is struggling to burn off the mist near Aynho Junction on 11 April 1992, as 165011 & 165003 apply power after coming off the Chiltern Line with the 08:43 Marylebone to Banbury Network SouthEast service. At this time not one of the Chiltern Line trains continued past Banbury, in marked contrast to today, when they virtually all do. In addition to there no longer being any NSE liveried Class 165s, the view here has also changed, with bushes now restricting this wide open viewpoint.

165011 & 165029 pass Oddington on 27 October 2019 with the 1T21 10:10 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. An event at Wembley meant that most trains to Oxford were being worked by Class 165s, in place of the usual 168s.

165011 & 165018 pass Oddington on 28 November 2021 with the 1T18 09:42 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. The high winds of the previous couple of days had stripped nearly all of the leaves from most of the trees, although the oak tree in the background has managed to retain most of its autumn foliage. Oak and Beech trees usually hang onto their leaves well into winter.

Consecutively numbered 165011 & 165012 pass Water Eaton on 9 April 2022 with the 1Y13 08:11 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Just visible through the tree's branches is the rear of the 6A17 03:45 Whatley Quarry to Oxford Banbury Road stone train, being unloaded at its destination by a clam shell grab excavator.

It looks like Oxford is getting some rain! 165011 & 165027 head north from Islip on 6 July 2024 with the 1Y63 16:45 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service, just as the dark clouds in the background unleash a downpour on the north of Oxford. Note the footpath across the wheat field, which is how I had accessed this spot, from the village of Islip in the distance.

165012 & 165027 head north at Kings Sutton on 27 June 1994 with the 1G52 17:45 Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill service. Mostly ignored by photographers at the time, I expect it will take a heritage repaint into Network SouthEast livery (hopefully!) for one of the units when they are eventually withdrawn, to have every photographer taking an interest!

165012 emerges from Ardley Tunnel on 29 October 2008, whilst working the 12:54 Marylebone to Stratford-on-Avon Chiltern Railways service. After a bright start, high cloud had rolled in from the west shortly after midday and the sun gradually disappeared. I therefore chose this location, as due to the tree lined cutting on the approach to the tunnel it would be very difficult to take pictures here if the sun was out - certainly at this time of year. A convenient field access bridge crosses the line just in front of the tunnel giving this excellent viewpoint.

Shortly after sunrise on 19 December 2013, 165012 accelerates away from Islip station (just out of sight in the background), and passes Brookfurlong Farm Crossing with the 2T06 08:35 Oxford to Bicester Town Chiltern Railways service. Recent tree clearance in preparation for the line's forthcoming upgrade has opened up this view enormously.

165012 passes Brookfurlong Farm Crossing, near Islip, on 19 December 2013 with the 2T08 09:07 Bicester Town to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. The level crossing at Oddington can just be seen in the distance.

165012 & 165030 pass a fine display of Oxeye Daises, as they head south past Oddington on 12 June 2021 with the 1T50 17:42 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. You wouldn't normally get many photographers taking an interest in this scene, but I was guaranteed to be on my own on this evening, as Flying Scotsman was out on the mainline through Swindon!

One each of the Chiltern Line's two car, and three car Class 165/0 Turbo units pass Kings Sutton in superb evening light on 20 July 1995. 165013 & 165031 are working the 1G52 17:45 Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill service.

On a bright but bitterly cold 22 December 2001, Chiltern Railways 165013 passes Overthorpe (near Banbury) with the 10:30 Birmingham Snow Hill to Marylebone service. This unit was the first of Chiltern Railway's Turbos to be refurbished, the work having not long been completed when this picture was taken. The opening windows had been sealed with the installation of air conditioning (although that certainly wouldn't have been in use on this particular day!), the small first class section removed and the front end light clusters altered. The most striking visible difference at the time was the application of this new livery in place of the former Network SouthEast colour scheme.

165013 pulls slowly away from Kings Sutton station on 23 April 2009, after calling with the 13:40 Stratford-upon-Avon to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. As well as these Class 165/0 units working Chiltern Railway's long distance trains, First Great Western's Class 165/1s also call at Kings Sutton on the purely local Cherwell Valley service. Later the same day, 165126 called with the 15:07 Banbury to Oxford train.

Chiltern Railways ran numerous additional trains to take Oxford United football fans to their match against Coventry City at Wembley on Sunday 2 April 2017. This also involved four empty stock workings heading in to Oxford in the morning, and four returning in the evening. The first morning working is pictured passing underneath the new bridleway bridge at Mill Lane, Islip, just after the early morning sun had disappeared. 165013, 165012 & 165027 work the 5T14 08:19 Aylesbury to Oxford ECS. This would later form the 1Y14 09:48 Oxford to Marylebone.

165013 & 165017 pass Charlton-on-Otmoor on 24 May 2023 with the 1T56 18:45 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. The concrete road gives access to Holt Farm, which prior to the redoubling of the line, was served by a level crossing just to the rear of the train.

Dramatic lighting near Islip on 6 July 2024, as 165013 & 165005 pass Brookfurlong Farm with the 1T45 16:07 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. The road bridge in the background only gives access to a few houses and a couple of farms.

Seven years after privatisation, 165014 still wears Network SouthEast livery, as it heads away from the camera at North Lee on 14 July 2003 with the 19:41 Aylesbury to Princes Risborough Chiltern Railways service. The wooded slopes of the Chiltern Hills form the backdrop, with the 827 feet high Beacon Hill visible on the left.

A contrast in Class 165 units at Oxford (Walton Well Road) on 5 May 2012. 165014 approaches with the 2L08 09:28 Oxford to Bicester Town Chiltern Railways service, whilst 165129 heads towards Oxford station past more stabled units with the 2L39 09:02 First Great Western service from Banbury. Note the trackbed of the former LMS route into Oxford on the left.

165014 has just rejoined the mainline at Oxford North Junction (adjacent to Aristotle Lane footbridge in the background) and is now passing Walton Well Road on the last few yards of its journey with the 2L09 09:57 Bicester Town to Oxford Chiltern Railways service on 5 May 2012.

165014 approaches Mill Lane level crossing, Islip on 3 May 2013, with the 2T12 13:30 Oxford to Bicester Town Chiltern Railways service. This crossing is operated by road users, and relies on the red and green lights on the sign on the left for indication of safety to cross. As the crossing only serves a back road in the village, which is also accessible via the bridge in the centre of the village, little hardship will result when the crossing is permanently closed, as part of the forthcoming Oxford to Bletchley route upgrade.

165014 finds a patch of sunlight, amid the gathering clouds, as it approaches Mill Lane level crossing at Islip on 3 May 2013 with the 2T13 14:00 Bicester Town to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. The light colour visible on the cutting side in the background is a mass of chipped branches, from the recent vegetation clearance.

165014 runs along the bi-directional line at Walton Well Road, Oxford, on 13 July 2013 with the 08:07 Oxford to Bicester Town Chiltern Railways service. First Great Western's 166207 waits amongst the grass in the down carriage sidings, in the background.

165014 approaches Walton Well Road, Oxford, on 13 July 2013 with the 09:57 Bicester Town to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. As can be clearly seen here, the down loop only extends as far as Oxford North Junction, near the footbridge in the background. However, the up loop starts much further north, at Wolvercote Junction.

Viewed from the end of platform 1 at Islip station, the 1T15 08:20 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service arrives to pick up a single passenger on 2 January 2021. A pair of Chiltern's two car Class 165/0s, 165014 & 165028, are deputising for the more usual Class 168 or 172s.

165014 & 165020 slowly approach Kings Sutton station on 8 June 2021 with the 1H25 09:07 Banbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Presumably the 82¾ milepost refers to the route via Oxford, rather than the line via Bicester, which this train will be taking.

165015 accelerates away from Kings Sutton on 31 May 1994 with the 1G47 17:15 Marylebone to Banbury Network SouthEast service. These Chiltern Line trains were all worked by Class 165/0s at this time, mostly two car units such as this, but there were also 11 three car units.

Dramatic lighting at Fenny Compton on 22 July 1999. 165015 with an unidentified classmate pass the unusual mix of upper and lower quadrant semaphore signals, as they work the 17:45 Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill Chiltern Railways service.

165015 leaves Wolvercote Tunnel on 9 February 2014 with the 14:27 Bicester Town to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. This would be the last spring that the catkins would bloom on the lineside, as shortly after this picture was taken the line was closed for a massive upgrade, which saw the reintroduction of double track.

165015 approaches Kings Sutton on 18 September 2015 with the 1U43 14:18 Marylebone to Banbury Chiltern Trains service. The bridge in the background carries a footpath across the line. Kings Sutton signal box was situated on the other side of this bridge, which was slightly odd, as the station is some distance behind where I am standing.

The purple flowers of Tufted Vetch, and the pink flowers of Greater Willowherb line the farm track at North Lee on 9 July 2015, as 165015 passes by with the 2P37 10:33 Aylesbury to Princes Risborough Chiltern Railways service. Luckily the clouds in the background stayed where they were and didn't drift too near the sun!

165015 passes through Denham Golf Club station on 26 March 2017 with the 1H14 10:00 Bicester North to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. A perfect spring day, and a clean Turbo unit passing a pair of iconic Great Western Railway pagoda huts. Much more photogenic that yet another picture of a Class 66 hauled freight train at some nondescript location, at least in my opinion!

165015 & 165025 accelerate away from Princes Risborough station on 25 February 2018 with the 1H34 13:44 Banbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. In 2017 the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway took over the former civil engineer's sidings here, and various items of C&PRR rolling stock can be seen on the left of this picture.

The change of gradient is clearly visible, as 165015 & 165007 take the new chord at Bicester South Junction on 10 June 2018 with the 1T49 17:28 High Wycombe to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. The severe gradient is necessary as the line needs to reach the foreground field level within a few hundred yards.

Viewed through a convenient gap in the trees, 165015 & 165010 pass Water Eaton on 9 April 2022, as they accelerate away from Oxford Parkway station with the 1Y19 09:41 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Although this is a pleasant rural location at the moment, it probably will not be long before it is swallowed up with housing, as Oxford spreads out to meet Kidlington. The fact that it is in the Oxford Green Belt, and is flood prone, probably won't stop the greedy developers!

165015 & 165034 pass underneath the roadbridge at Oddington on 16 April 2022 with the 1Y13 08:11 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The bridge was installed during the line's redoubling in 2015, and replaced a former level crossing, which was situated just behind the rear of the train.

The new farm access bridge near Charlton-on-Otmoor provides an excellent photographic vantage point, but is not visited by many railway petrography, as it is mostly a DMU railway. 165015 & 165020 pass by on 24 May 2023 with the 1T46 16:15 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service.

With Islip station just visible in the background, 165016 approaches the footbridge near Brookfurlong Farm on 25 April 2021 with the 1Y12 09:07 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. This was the third up train of the day, and the first one to call at Islip station.

After a bright start, the clouds are rapidly building up in the background, as 165016 & 165035 pass Water Eaton on 5 June 2021 with the 1T18 09:42 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. This view will soon disappear, as trees have been planted in the immediate foreground.

Three two car Class 165/0 units join forces to form the 1Y19 09:41 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service on 16 April 2022. 165016, 165011 & 165012 are seen here passing Oddington. Most other trains on this occasion were formed from a two car unit running with a three car set.

Running 25 minutes early, 165016 & 165021 pass Uffington on 9 October 2023 with the 5V65 08:06 Wembley to Bristol Barton Hill Chiltern Railways ECS. This is one of the occasional moves of Chiltern DMUs going to Bristol for maintenance. GWR units travel in the opposite direction for modifications at Wolverton.

165016 & 165034 approach Wendlebury on 20 April 2024 with the 1Y21 0812 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The 22¼ milepost is measured from the junction with the West Coast Mainline at Bletchley, although at present the section from Bicester to Bletchley is still being reconstructed as part of the East West Rail project.

Signs of autumn at Islip on 6 November 2012, as 165017 rounds the curve between the station and Islip Crossing with the 2L11 11:30 Bicester Town to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Note the vintage 95lb bullhead rail still in place on the curve.

Making a change from the usual First Great Western Turbo units that ply this route, Chiltern Railways 165017 passes Wolvercote on 16 December 2014 with the 5U00 12:48 Oxford to Banbury ECS. The Oxford Canal is directly behind the trees in this view. Note the new line in the foreground, being laid on the course of the old wartime down goods loop.

Running 19 minutes late, 165017 & 165036 pass through Islip station on 19 April 2019 with the 1T50 17:11 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. The solitary passenger on the platform has every reason to look fed up, as he was intending to travel to Bicester, but a revised timetable was in operation, and the next train to Bicester was not for another four hours! He had decided to wait for the stopping train to Oxford instead. The revised timetable, and the use of Class 165s instead of the usual Class 168s was the result of the closure of Euston for engineering works. As a consequence, Chiltern had strengthened their trains on their route to Birmingham.

165017 & 165036 head away from the camera at Oddington on 19 April 2019, as they work the 1Y60 18:45 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Class 165s were being used, in order to release the normal Class 168s for strengthened services on the Birmingham line.

165017, 165010 & 165019 pass Charlton-on-Otmoor on 22 April 2019 with the 1T48 16:41 Marylebone top Oxford Chiltern Railways service, on a day when the line was being operated by Class 165s, instead of the usual Class 168s, which were needed for additional services on the Birmingham line.

165017 & 165021 pass Brookfurlong Farm, Islip, on 2 January 2021 with the 1T21 10:00 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Just a couple of minutes after this passed the sun disappeared into cloud, so it was time for the long walk back to the car!

165017 & 168005 pass Tackley on 20 March 2021 with the 5U17 11:17 Oxford to Banbury Depot Chiltern Railways ECS. This was running 22 minutes early, passing me 10 minutes before its departure time! The few Chiltern Railways trains on the Cherwell Valley route usually operate during the hours of darkness, so this VSTP (Very Short Term Planning) working was worth recording.

165017 passes Yarnton on 29 November 2022 with the 5Z02 12:06 Oxford to Banbury Chiltern Railways route learner. This series of trains (5Z01 to 5Z06) were scheduled to run the previous day, but were cancelled. On this occasion, only the last two were cancelled.

165017 passes some autumn colour at Yarnton on 29 November 2022, as it heads south with the 5Z03 12:58 Banbury to Oxford Chiltern Railways route learner. I had intended to wait for the 2Q84 09:50 Derby RTC to Eastleigh test train, but that had failed at Warwick, and by the time it eventually passed here 170 minutes late, I had been home for nearly two hours, and it was almost dark!

165017 passes Yarnton in dismal light on 29 November 2022 with the 5Z04 13:26 Oxford to Banbury Chiltern Railways route learner. The trees on the right hide a large industrial estate, which is strangely called Oxford Industrial Park, even though it isn't in Oxford!

A stranger at Didcot North Junction on 30 August 2023. 165017 prepares to take the west curve to access the Great Western Mainline, as it works the 5C65 08:55 Banbury Depot to Bristol Barton Hill ECS. This location sees a regular shuttle service of two coach Class 165s, operating between Oxford and Didcot Parkway, but they are all drab green GWR ones, so this Chiltern Railways unit was well worth photographing. It was travelling to Bristol for planned maintenance work.

Exactly one hour after sunrise, the perfect low angled light illuminates 165017 & 165006, as they pass Wendlebury on 20 April 2024 with the 1Y10 06:45 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The train has just passed underneath the M40 motorway.

165018 slows for the station stop at Kings Sutton on 23 April 2009, as it works the 12:54 Marylebone to Stratford-upon-Avon Chiltern Railways service. The unit has obviously hit something on the track recently, judging by the damaged front valance.

165018 passes through Wilmcote station on 22 October 2009 with the 13:39 Stratford-upon-Avon to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Not many trains stop here, so any William Shakespeare fans hoping to travel from Stratford to see Mary Arden's house at Wilmcote, would have to plan their journey carefully!

165018 passes Oxford North Junction on 16 July 2011 with the early morning Aylesbury to Oxford (via Banbury) Chiltern Railways ECS working, that preludes the unit's daily workings on the Bicester Branch. This isn't really very 'green', as the former First Great Western service on the route started from Oxford and didn't incur such uneconomic empty stock mileage. The branch line to Bicester can be seen diverging to the right in the background.

After working ECS from Aylesbury, 165018 approaches Oxford North Junction on 16 July 2011 with the first Chiltern Railways working of the day on the Bicester branch - the 2L04 07:00 Oxford to Bicester Town. It is running on the bi-directional up relief line, which enables these Bicester trains to be kept completley separate from the often congested main lines. If four tracks looks impressive at this location, it once looked even more so, as the rough road behind the unit marks the course of the former LMS line into Oxford. This was another double track line.

165018 passes Shrewley on 3 July 2013 with the 5G90 19:41 Hatton to Birmingham Snow Hill ECS. This was the empty stock off the 2L15 19:12 Stratford-upon-Avon to Hatton Chiltern Railways service. This was one of those situations where the lengthening shadows were swinging away from the track, but unfortunately this was at the expense of the sun getting more head on!

165018, 165004 & 165028 pass Kings Sutton in superb evening light on 11 June 2018 with the 1U54 18:21 Marylebone to Banbury Chiltern Railways service. The Class 165/0 fleet comprises many more two car units than three car, unlike the 165/1 fleet where numbers are more equal. Consequently, while a three set lash up like this is relatively common on the Chiltern Line, the same thing would until recently have been extremely unusual just a little further west, along the GWR's Thames Valley routes.

165018 passes Hatton North Junction on 9 October 2018 with the 2L48 13:34 Birmingham Moor Street to Leamington Spa Chiltern Railways service. The lofty bridge in the background caries the Shrewley to Claverdon road.

165018 is accelerating away from Hatton station (just out of sight behind the trees), as it approaches Hatton North Junction on 9 October 2018 with the 2R41 16:32 Leamington Spa to Birmingham Moor Street Chiltern Railways service.

In order for Chiltern Railways to operate the Oxford to Bicester Town service, one of their 165 units has to work down from Banbury early each morning. On 25 June 2012, just as the sun is starting to rise, 165019 (missing two digits and therefore impersonating an erstwhile Class 24!) passes Tackley with the 5V02 05:05 Banbury to Oxford ECS.

The new footbridge near Brookfurlong Farm, Islip, can be seen from quite a distance, standing as it does in the middle of a largely treeless landscape. 165019 & 165007 pass underneath it on 2 December 2021 with the 1T17 09:01 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service.

165019 & 165021 slow down on the approach to Kings Sutton station on 6 December 2022 with the 1H25 09:03 Banbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The fact that there haven't been any significant autumn gales, means that even in early December there is still a fine display of colour on the trees in the background.

An extremely dull and damp day at the north end of Brill Tunnel. 165019 & 165008 emerge from the 191 yard long tunnel with the 1R20 10:00 Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street Chiltern Railways service.

165019 & 165024 pass Islip in the rain on 19 April 2024 with the 1Y30 10:49 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The footbridge in the background is next to the site of the now closed Mill Lane level crossing.

165019 & 165024 pass Wendlebury on 20 April 2024 with the 1Y12 07:12 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The farm access bridge near Charlton-on-Otmoor can be seen in the background, viewed through the M40 motorway bridge.

165019, 165015 & 165005 pass Oddington on Sunday 28 July 2024 with the 1Y25 09:11 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. These units had arrived at Oxford a little earlier as the 5T11 07:58 Aylesbury to Oxford ECS.

165020 pulls out of Wendover station with the 13:35 Aylesbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service on 1 August 2007. Wendover's station is on the western edge of the town, and as can be seen here, is now paralleled by the A413 bypass. Is that traces of Network SouthEast red paint I can see beneath the Chiltern Railways blue on the lamposts?

165020 accelerates away from Kings Sutton station on 3 March 2010 with the 10:54 Marylebone to Stratford-upon-Avon Chiltern Railways service. The floods seen on the right are typical, and in fact they often get so bad during the winter here, that the railway appears to be running through the middle of a vast lake!

With the M40 motorway bridge just behind the train, and the farm access bridge near Charlton-on-Otmoor in the background, 165020 passes Wendlebury on 22 June 2019 with the 1Y12 09:09 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. In theory this should have been a Class 168, but a revised timetable was in operation in connection with a Billy Joel concert at Wembley in the evening, which probably explains the Class 165 substitution.

165021 & 165028 pass Kings Sutton on 31 May 1994 with the 1G52 17:45 Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill Network SouthEast service. These units were only two years old at the time. Their introduction had seen the very swift replacement of the Class 115 units that had held sway on the Chiltern route since 1960.

165021 calls at Chorleywood station with the 12:05 Aylesbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service on 14 September 2008. This station is used by both this basically hourly Chiltern service and a much more frequent London underground service from Amersham, hence the standard underground nameboard and the extra conductor rails.

An unusual visitor to the Banbury to Oxford line on 17 October 2010. 165021 passes Wolvercote Junction with the 1V50 15:38 Warwick Parkway to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Because the Chiltern Line was closed for engineering works, a series of shuttle services were operating to Oxford to connect with First Great Western trains. This in itself was not so unusual, but the use of a Class 165 instead of the more normal Class 168 is noteworthy. Although of course Class 165/1s regularly operate on this line from Banbury and on the Cotswold Line (the route diverging to the left in the foreground), Class 165/0s definitely do not. In the early days of the class a few were hired in, and later with privatisation some were temporarily used by Thames Trains, but the sight of one of these units in Chiltern Railways livery at this location is certainly worth recording.

165021 just manages to avoid the shadows as it passes Oddington on 5 November 2012 with the 2L11 11:30 Bicester Town to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. The lineside bushes have gradually been getting taller over the years at this location, but all would soon be swept away with the route's upgrading.

165021 passes Oddington on 4 February 2013 with the 2L11 11:30 Bicester Town to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. A sleepy rural backwater scene, that was shortly to be transformed into a modern double track mainline.

165021 & 165003 pass Oddington on 28 November 2021 with the 1T22 10:42 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Note the young sapling on the left. When this becomes a full size tree, it will severely restrict the view from the nearby bridge.

With the new roadbridge at Oddington in the background, 165021 & 165014 pass Brookfurlong Farm, Islip, on 2 December 2021 with the 1T23 10:40 Marylebone to Oxford service. As is usual with Chiltern Railway's trains, running exactly to time.

165021 & 165014 are about to pass underneath the footbridge near North Oxford Golf Course on 15 April 2022, as they head south with the 1T22 10:42 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. This footbridge sees very little use, as the approach from the west is via a not very obvious footpath from the busy A34 dual carriageway, and the approach from the east is via an even less obvious footpath right across the greens and fairways of the North Oxford Golf Course!

165021 & 165031 pass Oddington on 16 April 2022 with the 1Y17 09:11 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. For a change of viewpoint, I decided to include the galvanized steel roadside barrier in the foreground of the picture.

165021 & 165017 pass the site of Mill Lane level crossing (now replaced by a footbridge), as they approach Islip (where they will not stop) on 26 June 2024. The train is the 1Y30 10:49 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service.

165021 & 165010 pass Brookfurlong Farm, Islip, on 6 July 2024 with the 1T47 16:37 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Although this is a very open location, a small copse of trees on the left cause shadows in the evening.

With frost still on the track, 165022 approaches Islip on 10 December 2011 with the 2L09 09:58 Bicester Town to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. There is plenty of warning of approaching trains here, as they can be seen even before they get to Oddington Crossing, over a mile away.

165022 passes Great Bourton on 28 March 2012 with the 1H62 15:55 Birmingham Moor Street to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. With nothing but brambles and a rickety wooden fence to get in the way, this makes an excellent photographic location, despite the long walk from the car!

Viewed from the footbridge over the new chord between Bicester South and Gavray Junctions, 165022 passes Bicester South Junction on 9 April 2017 with the 1U27 11:50 Marylebone to Banbury Chiltern Trains service.

Deputising for the more usual Class 168s, 165022, 165014 & 165009 pass Charlton-on-Otmoor on 22 April 2019 with the 1T50 17:11 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. This view will presumably soon either succumb to the bushes by the lineside fence, or eventually, the newly planted trees in the foreground!

165022 leaves Wendover station on 25 August 2019 with the 2C26 12:13 Aylesbury Vale Parkway to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The prominent blue footbridge was opened in 2013, although the old footbridge was retained, purely to provide a link from the footpath that crosses the adjacent A413 road.

Framed by a little used footbridge, 165022 & 165038 pass Oxford North Golf Course on 17 July 2021 with the 1T40 15:12 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Punctuality on this line is usually very good, but this was running ten minutes late, a delay which occurred at Princes Risborough.

165022 & 168110 pass underneath the M40 motorway bridge at Wendlebury on 20 April 2024 with the 1Y25 09:12 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. As usual with Chiltern trains, this was running exactly on time.

With the town of Banbury visible in the background, 165023 & 165010 approach Overthorpe on 22 December 2001 with the 09:50 Birmingham Snow Hill to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Over five years after Chiltern took over the franchise, both units are still sporting their original Network SouthEast livery.

165023 adheres strictly to the 15 mph speed limit as it curves off the Stratford-upon-Avon branch and prepares to stop at Hatton station, whilst working the 2L19 13:03 Stratford-upon-Avon to Leamington Spa Chiltern Railways service on 1 August 2011. A dull day is an advantage for this picture, which is taken from the north side of the line.

165023 & 165014 pass Bicester South Junction on 1 November 2015 with the 1U33 13:10 Marylebone to Banbury Chiltern Railways service. As the line was closed north of Banbury due to engineering works, most Chiltern Line trains were being operated by Class 165 units. The line in the foreground is the new chord linking the Chiltern Line with the Oxford to Bicester route.

165023 passes Haddenham on 20 January 2017 with the 1H31 10:45 Banbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. It is accelerating away from Haddenham & Thame Parkway station (just visible in the distance), which is the modern replacement for the original Haddenham station, which was situated in the foreground of this picture.

165023, 165015 & 165009 approach Mill Lane, Islip, on 2 April 2017 with the 5T90 08:39 Aylesbury to Oxford Parkway Chiltern Railways ECS. This would later form the 1Y13 09:39 Oxford Parkway to Marylebone, one of a number of additional trains run by Chiltern Railways in connection with the Oxford United v Coventry City football match at Wembley.

My first picture of a Chiltern Railways Class 165 in the new modified livery, with light blue and grey bands above and below the blue bodyside colour. 165023 passes Edstone on 9 October 2018 with the 2L45 12:42 Stratford-upon-Avon to Leamington Spa service.

165023 passes Wendover Dean on 25 August 2019 with the 2C42 15:18 Aylesbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Although plagued with shadows, this is one of the more open locations on the heavily overgrown Chiltern Line.

165023 & 165019 pass Islip on 11 February 2021 with the 1T31 12:40 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. This is the view from the new footpath and cycleway  bridge near the site of the former Mill Lane level crossing.

165023 & 165001 pass Oddington 28 November 2021 with the 1T16 09:12 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. This being a Sunday, there wasn't much happening locally, but I wasn't going to waste the perfect sunny morning, which as the Met Office predicted, turned to cloud just after midday.

165023 & 165036 approach Brill Tunnel on 14 January 2023 with the 1Y23 10:41 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The footpath that crosses the bridge from which this was taken leads to the delightfully named Lapland Farm.

165024 passes Overthorpe on 16 June 1999 with the 17:10 Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill Chiltern Railways service. I haven't been back to this location for many years, but I'm sure that chopped down tree in the foreground (nothing to do with me!) would now have grown back up to block the view.

165024 passes Bucknell (between Banbury and Bicester) with the 11:40 Stratford-upon-Avon to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service on 11 February 2008. Although these units only have a top speed of 75 mph, it is certainly moving faster than the traffic on the M40 motorway in the background. There had obviously been an accident further south, as the traffic had been virtually stationary for nearly an hour. I am glad I wasn't in that lot!

There are very few locations between Bicester and Oxford that are not hemmed in with trees, and therefore plagued by shadows during the winter months. However, near Charlton-on-Otmoor there is a brief gap in the bushes next to a farm crossing. 165024 passes this spot on 23 November 2012 with the 2L11 11:30 Bicester Town to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. This picture is taken (with permission) from a field that contains the farm's pet ram, goat (and out of the picture) miniature pig.

Freezing conditions at Islip on 13 December 2012 as 165024 arrives with the 2T10 11:00 Oxford to Bicester Town Chiltern Railways service. Unfortunately for the operator, despite there being two of us on the platform, no one left and no one came, to quote Edward Thomas (the famous 1917 poem 'Adlestrop'). This view from the end of Islip's platform gives a good view of the two bridges and the reverse curve that takes the Oxford to Bicester line through the village. This short section of the route is completely different to the flat landscape all around.

You don't always need sunshine for the perfect picture. With a frosty yet dull morning on 13 December 2012, I decided to visit the short cutting at Islip, where I guessed that the lineside bushes would show up well with a good coating of frost. Had the sun been out this would have been impossible, due to the depth of the cutting. 165024 pulls away from Islip station (just beyond the bridge in the background) with the 2T11 11:30 Bicester Town to Oxford Chiltern Railways service.

165024 emerges from Wolvercote Tunnel, and starts to slow down in readiness for the approach to Oxford North Junction, where it will join the Banbury to Oxford line. The date is 3 January 2013, and the train is the 2T09 10:30 Bicester Town to Oxford Chiltern Railways service.

165024 passes Oxford North Junction on 3 January 2013 with the 2T11 11:30 Bicester Town to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. The train has just traversed the single track line from Bicester, which can be seen disappearing into the bushes in the background.

165024 & 165035 speed through Islip station on 19 April 2019 with the 1Y24 09:40 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Note the subtle difference in liveries, with 165035 at the rear showing the new, slightly tweaked, colour scheme.

165024, 165020 & 165006 round the curve on the approach to Mill Lane, Islip, on 5 April 2021 with the 1T27 11:23 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Islip station is just out of sight around the corner.

165024 & 165026 pass Water Eaton on 9 April 2022 with the 1Y17 09:11 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. This is the view from the newly constructed Gosford to Water Eaton road bridge. The road is private, but it is also a very well used public footpath.

165024 & 165032 pass Oddington on 16 April 2022 with the 1Y15 08:41 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Although a sunny morning in the Oxford area, it was considerably more cloudy to the south and west, as can be seen in the background.

165024 passes Baulking on 9 October 2023 with the 5M65 13:15 Bristol Barton Hill to Wembley Chiltern Railways ECS. Turbo units of any sort are rare along the Great Western Mainline, Chiltern Class 165/0s especially so.

A trio of two car Class 165/0s in reverse numerical order at Islip on 28 July 2024. 165024, 165023 & 165022 work the specially strengthened 1Y21 08:11 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. On a normal Sunday this would just be a pair of units, but as the line was closed at Banbury, the only Chiltern Trains operating were the Oxford services, with passengers for Leamington Spa being bused from Bicester Village. Hence extra capacity was needed.

A well placed gap in the bushes (purely natural!) allows this long lens picture of 165025 approaching Ardley Tunnel with the 13:39 Stratford-upon-Avon to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. This was the scene on 11 February 2008, but on a subsequent visit the vegetation had largely obscured this convenient gap.

165025 emerges from Brill Tunnel on 25 May 2010 with the 13:47 Bicester North to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Note the recent tree felling on both sides of the line here, without which this excellent view would not have been possible.

165025 passes Brookfurlong Farm, near Islip, on 6 August 2013 with the 2T11 11:30 Bicester Town to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. This was my first visit to this location, as until early in 2013, this location was hopelessly overgrown. However, with the mass clearance of lineside vegetation, in preparation for the Oxford to Bletchley line's upgrade, numerous spots like this have been opened up for photography.

165025 & 165029 round the sharp curve on the approach to High Wycombe station on 27 August 2017 with the 1Y15 10:11 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Photography on the southern section of the Chiltern Line is very difficult due to the amount of lineside vegetation. At least at this spot the overhanging trees are not actually causing any shadow problems!

165025 & 165039 pass the site of Mill Lane level crossing, Islip, on 19 April 2019 with the 1Y21 09:10 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The Class 165s were replacing the usual Class 168s, due to the closure of Euston for engineering works, and the consequent strengthening of services on Chiltern's London to Birmingham route.

A Class 165/172 combination at Oddington on 26 August 2019. 165025 & 172101 are working the 1Y10 08:43 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Although they look similar, 18 years separates these two units. There are other considerable differences, as the Class 165s were constructed by BREL/ABB at York, and have hydraulic transmission, whereas the Class 172s were assembled by Bombardier at Derby, and have mechanical transmission.

Transition time on the Chiltern Line. 165026 passes Ardley on 19 April 1992 with the 10:27 Marylebone to Banbury Network SouthEast service. Although the route had just acquired the brand new Class 165/0 Turbo units (165026 was just two months old when this picture was taken), it still had a very infrequent service, and this section from Bicester to Aynho Junction was still single track.

165026 & 165016 approach Aynho Junction on 18 June 1999 with the late running 17:45 Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill Chiltern Railways service. This was excellent location for an evening's photography, with Chiltern Line trains coming round the back of the disused signal box, and trains from Oxford passing in front of it.

165026 passes the recently remodeled Oxford North Junction shortly after sunrise on 20 May 2017 with the 5Y02 05:51 Banbury Depot Reception to Oxford Chiltern Railways ECS. The track visible above the unit is the recently reinstated down relief line. Work on this has been temporarily abandoned, and in fact further to the north the newly laid track has been lifted again!

165027 & 165011 pass Overthorpe on 14 June 1994 with the 17:45 Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill service. By this time these 165/0 units had settled down to their intended Chiltern Line duties, but initially these same units may have been seen at this location whilst they were working local services from Paddington to Banbury via Oxford. This was due to the late delivery of the dedicated Thames Line 165/1 sub-class.

165027 speeds through Denham Golf Club station on 26 March 2017 with the 1H18 10:30 Bicester North to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The GWR pagoda hut is a remarkable survivor, but is looking like it needs some maintenance. Unfortunately Network Rail do not know what paint is!

165027 passes Oxford North Junction on 20 May 2017 with the 1T05 05:57 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. In the foreground is the site of the recently closed footpath crossing to the Trap Ground allotments. The allotments, which can be seen in the background, now have to be accessed via the new footbridge.

165027 approaches Amersham on 25 August 2019 with the 2C32 13:13 Aylesbury Vale Parkway to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. This picture is taken from a public footpath crossing on the path between Amersham Old Town and Chesham Bois.

165027 & 165036 pass Charlton-on-Otmoor on 27 October 2019 with the 1T15 08:35 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Note the slight variation in liveries, with the leading two car unit in Chiltern's latest colour scheme, and the three car unit in the original version. The white base is the same on both units, but the rear one obviously hasn't seen the washer in a while!

165027 & 165036 call at Islip station on 27 October 2019 with the 1T27 11:40 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. This being a Sunday, passengers were a bit sparse. Just two people got on, and one got off. I realised that this slightly avant-garde viewpoint from the footbridge would be a bit critical for train positioning, but I didn't realise quite how tight it was until the train arrived!

Consecutively numbered 165027 & 165028 pass Fritwell on 7 March 2020 with the 1U23 10:43 Marylebone to Banbury Chiltern Railways service. A dull day, but as you can see from the bushes on the right, not a location that is really photographable if the sun is out.

There was an unusual visitor to the Cotswold Line on 18 July 2020, when a Chiltern Railways Class 165, that had been receiving maintenance at Long Marston returned to its home depot. 165027 is seen here passing Shipton with the 11:50 Long Marston to Aylesbury DMU Depot ECS. This was running 45 minutes late, due to late arrival of the GWR driver at Honeybourne. There was a Chiltern Railways driver on board, but naturally he didn't sign the Cotswold Line. A further point of interest is that this is not the complete two car 165027 set, as the rear vehicle is one of the driving vehicles from three car set 165029! This view is dominated by the famous FWP Matthews flour mill. The down platform of Shipton station can be seen in the background, the only access to which is through the parked lorries in the mill yard!

A stranger on the Great Western Mainline. Chiltern Railways 165027 passes South Marston on 28 July 2023 with the 3M65 13:09 Bristol Barton Hill to Wembley ECS. The unit was returning to London after receiving some maintenance at Bristol. GWR Turbo units are not normally seen on this line, and Chiltern 165/0s are obviously even more unusual.

165027 & 165009 pass Wendlebury in superb early morning light on 20 April 2024 with the 1T10 07:07 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. They would return a little later with the 1Y23 08:45 Oxford to Marylebone train.

165027 & 165009 pass Wendlebury on 20 April 2024 with the 1Y23 08:45 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. I had photographed them a little earlier from the bridge in the background, as they headed for Oxford with the 1T10 07:07 departure from Marylebone.

165027 & 165019 run alongside the farm access track, as they approach Oddington on 26 June 2024 with the 1T25 11:06 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. The high overhead midday lighting is not ideal, but at least the sun was out!

165028 is pictured shortly after leaving Hatton station with the 11:40 Stratford-upon-Avon to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service on 27 November 2007. The weather was terrible, very dark and drizzling with rain, but it did mean a picture from the north side of the line was possible for a change.

From Sunday 22 May 2011, Chiltern Railways took over the running of the Oxford to Bicester Town service, which had previously been run by First Great Western. 165028 approaches the level crossing at Oddington with the very first train of the new service (the 2L06 09:36 Oxford to Bicester Town). Not much of a change in rolling stock, just Class 165/0s instead of 165/1s and in a different livery of course! Note the transition from steam age bullhead track to relatively modern flat bottom track in the immediate foreground.

165028 emerges from Wolvercote Tunnel on 22 May 2011 with the first Chiltern Railways operated Bicester to Oxford train. A little while before it had worked up to Bicester with the very first train (the 2L06 09:36 Oxford to Bicester Town) and is pictured here heading back with the 2L07 10:05 Bicester Town to Oxford. Chiltern Railways have taken over the route from First Great Western and are initially running to exactly the same timetable. However, Chiltern have grand plans to upgrade the route and turn it into a through route to London via a new chord at Bicester. The lush vegetation here belies its real location, it being nowhere near as rural as it looks. The houses of the Oxford suburb of Wolvercote are all around and there is a roundabout on the Oxford ring road just above the tunnel!

165028 passes Saunderton Lee on Sunday 9 April 2017 with the 2A12 07:50 Marylebone to Aylesbury Chiltern Railways service. The up and down lines are on different levels from just north of Saunderton station to just south of Princes Risborough.

Viewed from the end of Saunderton station's up platform, 165028 prepares to call at the station with the 2H13 09:32 Aylesbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service on 9 April 2017. Full sun, yellow flowers on the right, and a couple of signals to frame the train - perfect.

165028 passes Shipton on 27 September 2020 with the 11:50 Long Marston to Aylesbury DMU Depot ECS. This was running 13 minutes early, but that was nothing compared with the 70 minutes early running as it headed up the line towards Bicester, after its speedy reversal at Oxford. A Chiltern Railways DMU on the Cotswold line is always worth recording, especially at an identifiable location such as this, with Shipton's tiny station in the background, and car park of the F.W.P. Matthews flour mill on the left.

The footbridge near Brookfurlong Farm, Islip, provides the vantage point for this picture of 165028 & 165010, as they travel between Bicester and Oxford with the 1T49 17:07 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service on 6 July 2024.

165028, 165018 & 165017 head away from the camera at Islip on 28 July 2024 with the 1T08 07:30 Princes Risborough to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. It would return a little later with the 1Y23 08:41 Oxford to Marylebone train.

165028, 165018 & 165017 call at Islip station on 28 July 2024 with the 1Y23 08:41 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. This was unusually increased to six coaches in order to accommodate rail replacement bus passengers joining the train at Bicester Village, as the line to Banbury was closed.

165029 passes through Sonning cutting on 26 March 1992 with an Oxford to Paddington crew training run. Two out and back training runs had started a week earlier, and would continue running even after the first passenger carrying turn started on 13 April. 165029 had only been delivered from the BREL works at York a few weeks previously and was the first of the three car Class 165/0s that were temporarily lent to the Thames division for use on services out of Paddington, pending delivery of the Class 165/1s. When eventually enough 165/1s became available, 165029 along with the other 165/0s moved to their intended Chiltern Line duties, where they have been ever since.

Under an impressively dark and menacing sky, brand new 165029 passes Shottesbrooke on 26 March 1992 with a Paddington to Oxford crew training run. This unit, along with several other three car Class 165/0s, would spend the early part of the year on Thames Valley duties, pending the delivery of the route's designated Class 165/1s. Note that even as late as the early 1990s, the lineside is remarkably neat and free of vegetation. It wouldn't last!

This is not quite the commonplace 1990s Network SouthEast scene that it appears to be at first sight. Instead of the usual Class 165/1s, this is in fact a pair of Chiltern Line Class 165/0s at work in the Thames Valley. Prior to the introduction of the route's dedicated 165/1s, a number of Chiltern Line units were borrowed for both crew training and passenger workings. 165029 & 165037 pass South Moreton on 6 May 1992 with a westbound crew training run. 165029 had been in service for several weeks when this photo was taken, but 165037 was just a few days old.

165029 heads north from Kings Sutton on 31 May 1994 with the 1G44 16:45 Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill Network SouthEast service. At this time all Chiltern Line services were operated by Class 165/0s, either three car units such as this, or the more numerous two car units.

165029, the first of the Chiltern Line's three car Class 165/0s, passes Ardley Quarry on 13 December 1997 with the 09:29 Birmingham Snow Hill to Marylebone service. This is the early days of Chiltern Railways, and not only is the unit still in Network SouthEast livery, without any updated branding, but the line is still single track. Ironically however, at this spot there is a small section of double track in the foreground, a remnant of the lifted (and now reinstated line), left in situ at this point as the Ardley Quarry sidings were a short distance further on.

165029 slowly traverses the new curve between Bicester South Junction and Gavray Junction on 13 August 2016 with the Branch Line Society 1Z68 14:35 Marylebone to Oxford Parkway 'Wycombe Wanderer' railtour. Unfortunately without a headboard it looks just like any other Chiltern Railways train. Equally unfortunately it was running two minutes early. Had it passed at the correct time the sun would have been out!

165029 pulls out of the Bicester MoD Reception Sidings on 13 August 2016 with the Branch Line Society 1Z72 16:29 Oxford Parkway to Marylebone 'Wycombe Wanderer' railtour. Despite the awkward lighting, this was the obvious location to photograph this railtour, as this is definitely an out of the ordinary move for a passenger train. However, I wasn't entirely surprised to be on my own, as a lot of photographers ignore DMUs, however unusual the working is. Note the very small '84C Banbury Drivers' headboard.

165029 passes Piddington on 13 August 2016 with the Branch Line Society 1Z72 16:29 Oxford Parkway to Marylebone 'Wycombe Wanderer' railtour. The reason for the going away shot was partly due to the better lighting angle, but more importantly because I was in position to photograph 68009 on the 1G49 17:10 Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill Chiltern Railways service, which was due from the other direction in a couple of minutes.

165029 & 165002 pass Water Eaton on 5 June 2021 with the 1Y23 10:40 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The train is accelerating away from Oxford Parkway station, which is hidden by the trees on the left. However, it will not have much of a chance to get up any speed, as it was shortly be calling at Islip station.

The evening shadows are lengthening at Charlton-on-Otmoor on 24 May 2023, as 165029 & 165035 run alongside the concrete farm access road with the 1T54 18:15 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service, running exactly to time, as usual.

165029 & 165009 pass through Heyford station on 29 October 2023 with the 5Y29 09:25 Banbury Depot Reception to Oxford Chiltern Railways ECS. This was in readiness to work the 1Y29 10:11 Oxford to Marylebone service. Luckily it was running a couple of minutes early. Had it been on time it wouldn't have been in the sun, as although there is unbroken blue sky in the background, behind me a large bank of cloud was approaching from the south.

It is extremely unlikely that these two units will have ever worked together in more recent times. Class 165/0 165030 & Class 165/1 165105 accelerate away from Goring on 27 May 1992 with the 1F66 17:38 Paddington to Didcot Parkway Network SouthEast service. The Thames Valley's new Class 165/1s were not being delivered quickly enough, and so during 1992 various members of the 165/0 fleet were drafted in to help out. When more 165/1s became available, 165030 would have been returned to the Chiltern Line, where it still works to this day, whilst 165105 carried on working in the Thames Valley. Like many of the hired in 165/0s, 165030 is completely devoid of set numbers.

165030 passes Didcot North Junction on 20 June 1992 with the 1F52 18:08 Paddington to Oxford Network SouthEast service. Being a Class 165/0, this is of course an interloper on the Thames Valley route, given away by the fact that 'Chiltern Turbo' can be seen on the bodyside (at least on the high-res 35mm slide scan). This was during the period when several Chiltern 165/0s were on loan to work trains out of Paddington, pending the arrival of the Class 165/1s.

The hawthorn is in full flower at Kings Sutton on 19 May 1998 as 165030 heads north with the 16:45 Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill Chiltern Railways service. Still no signs of the new owners on this Network SouthEast liveried unit. With hindsight I should have taken more pictures of NSE units on the route, but at least I have more pictures of them than my ridiculously poor coverage of the formerly used Class 115 units. Despite the infrequent service on the line in the 1980s, the fact that the line was reasonably local makes the omission inexcusable.

In perfect low winter afternoon lighting, 165030 is pictured as it slowly accelerates away from Hatton station and approaches Hatton North Junction with the 14:20 Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill Chiltern Railways service on 19 February 2008. Not many Class 165s venture this far north and this makes a change from the normal Class 168s on this route.

165030 has just emerged from Harbury Tunnel on a very gloomy 15 March 2008 with the 08:54 Marylebone to Stratford-upon-Avon Chiltern Railways service. Note the banner repeater signal in the background for up trains.

165030 passes Launton on 24 February 2018 with the 1U39 14:43 Marylebone to Banbury Chiltern Railways service. Chiltern usually keep their units well cleaned, and although the bodyside look sparkling, they seem to have missed the cab roof on this one!

165030 & 165022 pass Oddington on 27 October 2019 with the 5T14 08:17 Aylesbury to Oxford Chiltern Railways ECS. The farm track the foreground doubles up as a public footpath, a route that was created when the line was upgraded, as the previous footpaths were realigned when two public foot crossings were closed.

165030 & 165022 pass through Islip station on 27 October 2019 with the 1T25 11:10 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. A rapid 10 frames per second burst was definitely required here, to make sure that the picture didn't have a lamppost shadow across the front of the unit!

A Chiltern Railways unit in the heart of the Cotswolds! 165030 passes underneath the farm occupation bridge at Daylesford on 18 July 2020 with the 16:19 Aylesbury DMU Depot to Long Marston ECS. I had chosen this location as the lighting would have been perfect, but unfortunately the sun had disappeared shortly before the train was due, only to reappear (albeit briefly) just after it had passed! This rather flimsy looking bridge has managed to survive completely unaltered since I photographed 47600 Dewi Saint / Saint David here in 1987.

Just over two weeks after 165030 travelled north over the Cotswold Line, en-route for rectification work at Long Marston, the Chiltern Railways interloper headed back south on 4 August 2020, running as the 11:40 Long Marston to Aylesbury DMU Depot ECS. It is pictured here passing Cornbury Park, just to the south of Charlbury. The start of the double track section of the Cotswold Line can be seen behind the train, and the tower of Charlbury's church can just be seen poking above the treetops in the background.

165030 passes the flooded fields at Kings Sutton on 16 January 2023. This is not quite the ordinary Chiltern Line train that it appears to be. It is in fact the 5Z04 13:26 Oxford to Banbury crew training run, which has travelled up the Cherwell Valley line, joined its more familiar territory at Aynho Junction.

The newly planted trees on the left of this 17 May 1993 view are a clue that this viewpoint no longer exists! 165031 passes Rowington with the 1H43 13:30 Birmingham Snow Hill to Marylebone Network SouthEast service. Just off to the left is the then newly constructed M40 motorway.

165031 approaches Radley on 15 May 1992 with the 1F44 17:20 Paddington to Oxford Network SouthEast service. This was during the brief period when Class 165/0s were operating in the Thames Valley, prior to the full introduction of the route's Class 165/1s. 165031 would soon migrate over to the nearby Chiltern Line, where it can still be found over two decades later.

165031 & 165025 pass the site of Ardley Quarry on 3 July 2010 with the 1G36 13:15 Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill Chiltern Railways service. This was one of a number of modified services operating over the route due to engineering works further south. Note the rusting rails of the former quarry siding just visible underneath the brambles in the foreground.

The blackthorn is in full bloom at Ardley on 21 April 2015, as 165031 passes by with the 1H52 13:13 Banbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The entrance to the Ardley Tunnel can just be glimpsed underneath the bridge in the background.

165031 nears journey's end on 1 November 2015 with the 1U35 13:43 Marylebone to Banbury Chiltern Railways service. The line beyond Bicester was closed for engineering works. The train has just passed Bicester South Junction, which connects with the new chord to the Oxford line, seen in the foreground.

165031 passes Charlton-on-Otmoor on 7 July 2018 with the 1Y02 06:43 Oxford Parkway to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. This had started from Oxford Parkway, rather than Oxford station, because there was a total two week long blockade in the Oxford area for extensive engineering works. Islip church, over two miles distant, can be seen in the background.

165031 & 165014 pass Oddington in perfect autumn sunshine on 27 October 2019 with the 1T17 09:10 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. A special timetable was in force, in order to free up stock for additional trains to Wembley Stadium, where an American Football match between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams was due to take place later in the day. The result of this was the use of more Class 165s than is usual.

Crisp early morning light at Oddington on 30 May 2020. 165031 passes the site of the former level crossing, as it accelerates away from its recent stop at Islip station (just beyond the footbridge in the background). This is the third up working of the morning, the 1Y05 07:09 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service.

165031 & 165010 pass Brookfurlong Farm, Islip, on 2 January 2021 with the 1T17 09:00 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. The Islip to Weston-on-the-Green footpath crosses the bridge in the background, and the road bridge in the far distance provides access to Barndon Farm and Oddington Grange.

165031 & 165017 call at Oxford Parkway station on 15 April 2022 with the 1T20 10:12 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. This was formerly the site of Banbury Road stone terminal, which has now been repositioned further to the north.

165031 passes Tackley on 30 November 2022 with the 5Z03 12:58 Banbury to Oxford Chiltern Railways route learner. This was one of a series of such trains: 5Z01 11:33 Banbury Depot to Oxford, 5Z02 12:06 Oxford to Banbury, 5Z03 12:58 Banbury to Oxford, 5Z04 13:26 Oxford to Banbury, 5Z05 14:09 Banbury to Oxford and 5Z06 14:48 Oxford to Banbury.

165032 accelerates away from Culham station (which can just be seen in the background) with the 1F52 18:08 Paddington to Oxford 'all stations' service. The date is 13 May 1992, and the route's long term Class 117 DMUs were just being ousted by a more modern replacement. However, as the intended Class 165/1s were not yet ready, these Class 165/0s destined for the Chiltern Lines were taking up the slack.

165032 passes Bishops Itchington on 23 June 2009 with the 08:45 Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill Chiltern Railways service. A day of sunshine and cloud, with the sun not quite appearing in the right place at the right time for this picture!

165032 & 165002 pass Brookfurlong Farm, Islip, on 19 April 2019 with the 1T30 12:11 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Class 165s were being used in preference to the more usual Class 168s, as these were needed on the Birmingham route, in order to increase services to compensate for the closure of Euston for engineering works.

165032 starts on its journey from Banbury station on 2 January 2011 with the late running 09:47 Chiltern Railways service to Marylebone. The station building, with its concrete canopies dates from 1958, replacing an earlier wooden trainshed.

All of the Class 165/1s have traversed the Cotswold Line many times, but very few of the 165/0 fleet have travelled over the line. As the 165/0s are operated by Chiltern Railways this is hardly surprising. 165032 is pictured here in unfamiliar surroundings at Moreton-in-Marsh on 29 August 2020, on what is presumably its first visit to the line. Running 13 minutes early, it is working the 15:15 Aylesbury DMU Depot to Long Marston ECS. Not only is the sight of a Chiltern Railways unit rare here, but it also unusual to see anything pass through the station without stopping.

165032 & 165039 pass Brookfurlong Farm, Islip, on 28 July 2024 with the 1Y16 07:41 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. This being a Sunday, this is the first train of the day from Oxford to London via this route.

165032 passes Charlton-on-Otmoor on 21 September 2024 with the 1T41 15:07 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Charlton Halt was formerly situated near the lineside fence in the background. It opened in 1905, but closed two decades later.

165033 arrives a Radley just before sunset on 15 May 1992 with the 1F52 18:08 Paddington to Oxford Network SouthEast service. At this time a number of Chiltern Line three car Class 165/0s were on hire to the Thames Line to cover for the late arrival of the Class 165/1s. Subsequently, with the exception of a brief period after privatisation when five 165/0s were allocated to Thames Trains, the Paddington to Oxford route has been worked exclusively by Class 165/1s along of course with the more up market Class 166s.

165033 passes West Ruislip on 19 February 1994 with the 1H17 07:07 Leamington Spa to Marylebone Network SouthEast service. The line diverging to the left is the London Transport depot  connection, and the two buffer stops in the foreground mark the end of the West Ruislip underground station tracks.

165033 passes Fritwell on 18 April 2010 with the 12:00 Stratford-upon-Avon to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. For once the destination indicator is not working, which avoids the strange broken up display effect that normally appears in pictures of these (any many other) units.

165033 emerges from Brill Tunnel on 24 May 2010 with the 12:52 Birmingham Snow Hill to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Notice how short the tunnel is, although this has admittedly been slightly foreshortened by the use of a very long lens. The long lens and the extreme heat have also given the rails a curiously wobbly appearance. This view would have not have been possible until recently. Whole swathes of trees have been cleared from both sides of the cutting.

Not long after sunrise on 10 August 2012, a lengthy train of Chiltern Railways Class 165 stock passes the site of Ashendon Junction with the 1H07 06:54 Bicester North to Marylebone service. 165033 leads the ensemble, with an unidentified two car unit in the centre, and 165012 bring up the rear.

165033 & 165009 pass the footbridge near Brookfurlong Farm, Islip, on 19 April 2019, as they head south with the 1T28 11:41 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Unlike the majority of trains on this route, this train would shortly be calling at Islip station.

165033 passes Wendlebury on 22 June 2019 with the 1Y05 07:10 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. This unit is still in the original Chiltern Railways livery, whilst the following train was in the new. slightly revised, colour scheme. As this is early on a Saturday morning, there is very little traffic on the M40 motorway in the background.

165033 heads south from the short Brill Tunnel on 26 August 2019, as it works the 1H29 12:49 Banbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The tunnel hardly seemed worth constructing, as the land is not appreciably higher above it than for some distance either side.

165033 & 165001 pass underneath the new roadbridge at Oddington on 27 October 2019 with the 1T23 10:40 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. The clocks may have just gone back, but the bright sunshine ensured a respectable aperture, even with the very necessary shutter speed of 1/2000sec.

165033 & 165001 pass through Islip station on 27 October 2019 with the 1Y26 12:05 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The multiple speakers seen in this picture, which constantly give instructions to stand clear of the platform edge, are not appreciated by the local residents!

165033 passes Charlton-on-Otmoor on 30 May 2020 with the 1Y02 06:42 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Although there was almost unbroken sunshine throughout the day, at this time of year only early morning and late evening produces ideal photographic lighting.

Superb evening light, and a flowery foreground, as 165033 & 165009 pass Oddington on 12 June 2021 with the 1T52 18:12 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Surprisingly, this location has still remained completely free of intrusive lineside vegetation.

165033 passes underneath the footbridge near Brookfurlong Farm, Islip, on 2 December 2021, as it heads along the recently upgraded Bicester to Oxford line with the 1T29 12:05 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service.

165033 & 168323 pass Charlton-on-Otmoor on 24 May 2023 with the 1T52 17:45 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Until recently I had only seen a handful of trains worked by Class 165s and 168s in multiple, but now the practice seems to be much more common. Presumably the Class 165's top speed of 75mph, as opposed to the Class 168's 100 mph was the reason they weren't formerly used together. Note the two rabbits enjoying the evening sunshine next to the road on the left.

A family and their dog go for an evening stroll at Kings Sutton on 28 July 1994, as 165034 heads north with the 1G56 18:15 Marylebone to Banbury Network SouthEast service. As the destination blind says, this was a non-stop service as far as High Wycombe.

165034 passes Saunderton Lee on 19 June 1998 with the 19:05 Marylebone to Princes Risborough Chiltern Railways service. At this point the up and down lines are on different alignments, At first close together, but then diverging further apart, before rejoining at Princes Risborough.

With the recently relayed up line yet to be commissioned, 165034 gives the impression that is running wrong line, as it passes Ludgershall on 6 August 1998 with the 08:30 Birmingham Snow Hill to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. This was the transformation period for the Chiltern Line, turning a backwater with an infrequent service, into a busy commuter route.

Glorious evening light at Kings Sutton on 3 June 2011, as 165034 accelerates away from the village's station whilst working the 1U51 17:37 Marylebone to Banbury Chiltern Railways service. Note the yellow band over the disabled access door on the first coach.

Superb early morning lighting at Mill Lane, Islip, on 2 April 2017. Extremely clean 165034 & not quite so clean 165039 accelerate away from Islip station with the 1T11 07:35 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Normally of course I would photograph a train approaching me, rather than heading away. However, I could see from the dark clouds in the background that the sunshine might be limited, so took this in case when the train returned in 25 minutes it was cloudy. It was!

165034 accelerates away from Kings Sutton on 22 April 2017 with the 1U47 16:43 Marylebone to Banbury Chiltern Railways service. I had intended to compliment this picture with a view of the following 2L50 18:19 Oxford to Banbury GWR service, but that was cancelled, apparently due to a trespass incident.

A busy moment at Oxford North Junction on 20 May 2017. 165034 gets into its stride with the first Chiltern Railways train of the day to London, the 1Y01 06:12 Oxford to Marylebone service. In the background, 70007 waits on the down relief line with the early running 4M62 04:31 Southampton Maritime to Lawley Street freightliner, while visible underneath Walton Well Road bridge is 165026, working the 5Y02 05:51 Banbury Depot Reception to Oxford Chiltern Railways ECS.

165034 & 165019 pass Kings Sutton on 27 August 2017 with the 1U47 16:43 Marylebone to Banbury Chiltern Railways service. One each of the three car and two car versions of the very successful Class 165 Turbo unit.

165034 brings up the rear of the Branch Line Society 1Z00 10:10 Aylesbury to Bicester Village 'Sopwith Camel' railtour at Launton on 10 June 2018. 165010 is the leading unit. The large poppy indicates that this train was run in association with the Royal British Legion, and marks the hundredth anniversary of the end of the First World War.

165034 & 165010 push aside the bushes, as they cross the A4421 Bicester bypass on 10 June 2018 with the Branch Line Society 1Z14 11:40 Bicester Village to Aylesbury 'Sopwith Camel' railtour. The long lens required to take this picture from the nearby bridge at Launton has exaggerated how near Bicester church is in the background.

Pushing its way at less than walking speed past the bushes, 165034 becomes the first passenger train to traverse this westernmost track at the site of Calvert station for over fifty years. Needless to say this comprehensive track bashing was organised by the Branch Line Society, this being their 1Z15 13:10 Aylesbury to Claydon Junction 'Sopwith Camel' railtour on 10 June 2018.

Going where no passenger train has gone before! 165034 sits in the headshunt at the north end of Calvert on 10 June 2018 with the Branch Line Society 1Z15 13:10 Aylesbury to Claydon Junction 'Sopwith Camel' railtour.

After having traversed the line on the right, 165034 passes the site of Calvert station for the second time on 10 June 2018 with the Branch Line Society 1Z15 13:10 Aylesbury to Claydon Junction 'Sopwith Camel' railtour. Railtours are not infrequent visitors here, but they have always previously used the line on the other side of the overgrown island platform.

165034 gets underway from Calvert with the Branch Line Society 1Z16 14:47 Claydon Junction to Aylesbury 'Sopwith Camel' railtour on 10 June 2018. The train had actually started just past the point it is now crossing, as the previous trip up from Aylesbury had taken so long to slowly negotiate all the lines in the old station site at Calvert, that there wasn't time to go just around the corner to visit Claydon Junction!

165034 passes through the remains of Calvert station on 10 June 2018 with the Branch Line Society 1Z16 14:47 Claydon Junction to Aylesbury 'Sopwith Camel' railtour. The train had just traversed all the lines on the right, including the headhunts, in true Branch Line Society style! Note the new Greatmoor energy from waste facility in the background.

165034 & 165010 stand at Quainton Road station on 10 June 2018 with the Branch Line Society 1Z17 15:40 Aylesbury to Bicester Signal OB1792 'Sopwith Camel' railtour. This was one of six mini tours (three round trips) run in association with the Royal British Legion and Chiltern Railways.

165034 & 165010 pass the site of Quainton Road Junction on 10 June 2018 with the Branch Line Society 1Z17 15:40 Aylesbury to Bicester Signal OB1792 'Sopwith Camel' railtour. The area of grass to the left of the train marks where the former Metropolitan Railway line to Verney Junction diverged to the east.

165034 & 165029 pass Langford Lane, Wendlebury, on 22 April 2019 with the 1Y49 16:10 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Class 165s were being used in place of Class 168s, because the latter were needed to strengthen services on the Birmingham line, due to the closure of the line into Euston for engineering works. Instead of two three car units, the next six coach train to pass this spot was made up of three two car sets.

165034 rounds the sharp curve at Gavray Junction on 22 June 2019 with the 1Y01 06:12 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The tracks leading off to the right will eventually form part of the East West Rail route to Bedford, but at this time the route is disused. Bicester church can be seen in the distance, behind the houses and the Aldi supermarket.

165034 & 165025 pass Oxford North Golf Course on 17 July 2021 with the 1T38 14:42 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Several of the greens are right up against the railway fence, so presumably over the years several balls have been 'lost' onto the railway!

165034 passes the site of the former Mill Lane level crossing at Islip on 13 April 2022, as it prepares to call at Islip station with the 1Y45 13:40 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The yellow band above the second set of doors on the unit indicates disabled access.

165034 & 165028 emerge from Brill Tunnel on 14 January 2023 with the 1T18 09:42 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. As can clearly be seen, Brill Tunnel is extremely short - just 191 yards long. You would have thought it would have been easier just to continue with the cutting!

During 1992 various members of the Chiltern Line Class 165/0 fleet were drafting into the Thames Valley pool to increase capacity pending delivery of more of that route's dedicated 165/1 sets. This often led to the two types working in multiple, as shown here. 165035 (bereft of any front end numbers) leads 165106 past Culham on 12 May 1992 with the 18:08 Paddington to Oxford Network SouthEast service. Although of course Class 165s still often work in multiple, it is exceedingly unlikely that these two will ever meet again, as while the rear unit still works the same route, 165035 has spent virtually all the time since working the Chiltern Line out of Marylebone.

A scene full of historic interest at Lower Basildon on 17 May 1992, with three trains in the picture, which is not bad for a Sunday! 165035 & 165032 (both temporarily hired in from the Chiltern Line) head towards London with the 1F24 17:50 Oxford to Paddington Network SouthEast service, while L405 can be seen heading in the opposite direction with the 2C66 18:00 Reading to Didcot Parkway. The 1C64 17:15 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads HST can be seen overtaking L405. Not only does this view show the transition from Class 117s to 165s on the Thames Valley route, but is also of course a reminder of how the location looked prior to the visual vandalism that is the Great Western Mainline electrification scheme.

In the days when the Chiltern Mainline was still largely a single track railway, 165035 approaches Ardley Tunnel on 5 November 1994 with the 08:30 Birmingham Snow Hill to Marylebone service. With the takeover of the route by Chiltern Railways a couple of years later, the line would see massive investment, including complete re-doubling of the track. Although new units also arrived (Class 168), over a quarter of a century after this picture was taken, the entire Class 165/0 fleet is still operational on the line.

165035 runs alongside the M40 motorway near Rowington on 5 June 1996 with the 16:45 Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill service. Unfortunately this view of the competing forms of transport is no longer possible, as the small bushes seen here growing alongside the railway fence are now very large bushes!

Until the inevitable bushes grew up, there was a good evening viewpoint for northbound trains near Ardley Quarry, on the Chiltern Line. With the M40 motorway in the background, 165035 passes the overgrown quarry line on 9 August 2003 with the 15:45 Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill Chiltern Railways service.

Viewed from the lofty vantage point of the bridge to the west of Ardley, 165035 heads towards the capital on 5 September 2009 with the 11:29 Banbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Note the profusion of hawthorn berries in the foreground.

165035 passes Kings Sutton on 28 May 2010 with the 1G40 14:50 Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill Chiltern Railways service. I'm not quite sure what's happened to the unit's number on the front end, with misaligned figures and peeling digits.

165035 approaches Kings Sutton on 10 July 2015 with the 1U50 17:21 Marylebone to Banbury Chiltern Railways service. A headshunt for the station's small goods yard formerly passed underneath the left hand span of the bridge in the background.

165035 & 165003 pass Oddington on 27 October 2019 with the 1T19 09:40 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. The majority of trains on this day were being worked by a pair of Class 165s (one three car, and one two car). An event at Wembley meant that an amended timetable was in operation.

165035 & 165011 pass Oxford North Golf Course on 30 May 2021 with the 1T34 13:42 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Photo taken from a little used footbridge, the footpath to which crosses the middle of the golf course.

165035 leaves Kings Sutton station on 8 June 2021 with the 1U15 08:41 Marylebone to Banbury service. This station is served by these Class 165/0s operated by Chiltern Railways, as well as green liveried Class 165/1s operated by GWR.

165035 & 165009 pass North Oxford Golf Course on 15 April 2022 with the 1T18 09:42 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. The train is accelerating away from Oxford Parkway station, which is just out of sight around the corner.

Viewed from the footbridge in the fields near Brookfurlong Farm, 165035 & 165032 approach Islip on 1 February 2024 with the 1T25 11:06 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. It is quite common to see wild deer running across the fields at this location. On the hi-res version of this picture, one can be seen in the second field, directly above the second coach.

165036, 165027 & 165015 run along the low embankment on the approach to Little Kimble station on 21 March 2017, as they work the 5P11 07:02 Aylesbury to Princes Risborough Chiltern Railways ECS. Seven miles of empty stock working before they go their separate ways for individual daily workings.

165036 approaches Oddington on 8 August 2020 with the 1Y12 09:09 Oxford to Bicester Village Chiltern Railways service. I had hoped for a passing shot, with 165039 working the 1T15 09:15 Bicester Village to Oxford train, but that had already passed, and can just be seen in the background, calling at Islip station. The use of a long lens has exaggerated the closeness of the wooded slopes of Wytham Hill in the distance.

In order to cut down the noise of passing trains, the line between Bicester Village station and Gavray Junction is bordered by high wooden fences. 165036 passes through this artificial canyon on 8 August 2020 with the 5Z15 10:30 Bicester Village to Bicester Village Chiltern Railways ECS. This short working, via a reversal at Bicester South Junction, was in connection with the Bicester to Oxford shuttles, operating due to the closure of the line to London for engineering works.

Viewed from the very conveniently positioned footbridge, 165036 rounds the curve between Gavray Junction and Bicester South Junction on 8 August 2020 with the slightly early running 5Z20 11:30 Bicester Village to Bicester Village Chiltern Railways ECS. The line between here and London was closed for engineering works.

The super abundance of Oxeye Daises near the road bridge at Oddington on 12 June 2021 were just crying out for this bold close up wideangle view. 165036 & 165025 pass the site of the former level crossing, and the adjacent newly constructed lake, as they head towards Bicester with the 1Y55 18:40 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service.

165037 accelerates away from Goring on 27 May 1992 with the 2C68 18:01 Reading to Oxford Network SouthEast service. There are three points of interest here. The unit is brand new, and has only been in traffic for a few days. Like several other Class 165s at the time, it is not carrying any set numbers, and most importantly, this is a Class 165/0 Chiltern unit, and was on loan to Reading, as there were not yet enough Class 165/1s available for traffic.

The last rays of the setting sun illuminate 165037 as it passes Saunderton Lee on 29 May 1997 with the 19:25 Marylebone to Aylesbury Chiltern Railways service. There were few places at this end of the Chiltern Line that were clear enough of vegetation in the 1990s to allow pictures to be taken this late in the evening. It was always a worry that this train shouldn't be late, otherwise it would hold up 6A71, which followed directly behind.

I have not seen many photographs taken from this location, but then it does require a fair walk to get to it. 165037 approaches the Buckinghamshire village of Jordans with the 18:32 Marylebone to High Wycombe Chiltern Trains service on 4 August 1998. Unfortunately the abundant trees that make the Chilterns such a picturesque area mean that there are very few good photographic locations in the Beaconsfield area.

165037 passes Yarnton on 20 December 2016 with the 5V44 12:59 Banbury Depot to Hinksey Chiltern Railways ECS. The unit would then work the 5Y49 14:38 Hinksey to Oxford Parkway and the 5T36 14:56 Oxford Parkway to Hinksey, before returning to Banbury as the 5U62 15:42 Hinksey to Banbury. Just behind the train the barriers of Yarnton Lane level crossing can be seen rising after the passage of the train. In the far distance is the cottage adjacent to Sandy Lane level crossing.

A very unusual working took place on 27 March 2019, when 165037 worked the 5Q71 12:50 Long Marston to Aylesbury ECS, after having some work undertaken at Long Marston. As this would bring a Chiltern Railways unit onto the Cotswold Line, this was definitely worth recording. Instead of one of my many favourite locations on the Cotswold Line, I opted for a picture of it coming off the Cotswold route at Wolvercote Junction. This was partly as it as an identifiable location, but also because the 6C96 12:40 Banbury Reservoir to Bristol East stone empties was due 15 minutes after. As can be seen in the background, the trains were a little closer together than that!

165037 catches the very last of the weak evening sunshine, as it fades out into high cloud at Oddington on 19 April 2019. It is working the 1T54 18:11 Marylebone o Oxford Chiltern Railways service, using a Class 165 instead of the more usual Class 168.

165037 heads north at Brookfurlong Farm, Islip, on 25 April 2021 with the 1Y05 08:36 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The day had started cloudy, but after a sunny period, the cloud was now coming back again!

165037 & 165007 emerge from Brill Tunnel on 14 January 2023 with the 1T24 11:12 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. This was my first visit to this end of the tunnel, and I wasn't too surprised to find it more overgrown than in pictures I have seen from many years ago.

165038 & 165037 speed through Culham on 13 May 1992 with the 5F50 18:43 Twyford to Oxford Carriage Sidings empty stock working. This had previously formed the 1F50 17:53 Paddington to Twyford, from where it became a non-stop ECS working to Oxford. Obviously there are more commuters in the lower Thames Valley, but for the sake of a few minutes station time at intermediate stops, I would have thought it could have still carried passengers onwards to Oxford! Both these units were on short term loan to Thames Valley services at the time, as the intended Class 165/1 units had not yet been delivered. After several months working to Oxford, Newbury, etc, they would then take up their Chiltern Line duties.

165038 passes Shottesbrooke on 5 September 1992 with the 1E39 09:00 Oxford to Paddington Network SouthEast service. 165038 was just five months old when this picture was taken, and of course being a Class 165/0 unit, is operating away from its intended route. Due to the late delivery of the Thames Valley fleet of 165/1s, the eleven three car 165/0s that were destined for the Chiltern Line, were loaned to the Paddington to Oxford route.

A Chiltern Class 165/0 in the Thames Valley. 165038 brings up the rear of the 1F72 18:08 Paddington to Oxford Network SouthEast service, as it leaves Pangbourne station on 28 April 1993. 165127 is at the front of the train. The Chiltern sets were helping out at this time, pending the completion of Class 165/1 deliveries.

165038 passes Fritwell on a bitterly cold 15 December 2007 with the 08:23 Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill Chiltern Railways service. At least the dull conditions allowed this viewpoint, which because of the angle of the line would be a very difficult proposition in sunny conditions.

The penultimate Class 165/0, 165038 passes Bishops Itchington on 23 June 2009 with the 09:12 Birmingham Snow Hill to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. This is an 'all stations' train as far as High Wycombe, from where it becomes non-stop to the London terminus.

With the steeply graded new link line in the foreground, 165038 & 165004 pass Bicester South Junction on 1 November 2015 with the 1N37 14:10 Marylebone to Bicester North Chiltern Railways service. The line beyond Bicester was closed for Sunday engineering works.

165038 and an unidentified classmate approach Sunderton station on 9 April 2017 with the 1H22 08:44 Banbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. This is my favourite time of year for photography, before everything turns the same shade of green in the summer.

165038 passes Oddington on 7 September 2023 with the 1T25 11:06 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Eight years after the line was upgraded, this location is still relatively clear of vegetation, but look how a single lineside bush is now beginning to get in the way!

165038 & 165018 pass Brookfurlong Farm, near Islip, on 6 July 2024 with the 1T43 15:37 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. The sun obligingly came out just after I arrived at the footbridge, after a long walk from Islip village.

165039 approaches Wormleighton Crossing on 22 April 2009 with the 11:52 Birmingham Snow Hill to Marylebone Chiltern Trains service. This view illustrates one of the numerous ways Network Rail finds to waste money. Note the duplication of the 93½ milepost. Presumably the old one was getting a little tatty, but this is easily remedied by a readily available cheap miracle cure that comes in tins - called paint! Although I suppose nowadays nobody would be allowed to do such a simple job so near the running lines, although of course that's exactly how the replacement got there!

165039 passes Oddington on 20 April 2016 with the 1Y20 08:27 Oxford Parkway to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The train is passing the site of the former level crossing, which has been replaced by a new road, from which this picture is taken. With work only just complete on the line's major upgrade, the views are still completely open and free of vegetation.

165039 passes Kings Sutton on 4 May 2016 with the 1U43 15:43 Marylebone to Banbury Chiltern Railways service. These Class 165s are limited to 75mph, which can cause problems fitting in with the rest of Chiltern Railway's 100mph fleet.

165039 races through Saunderton station on 9 April 2017 with the 1H14 09:44 Banbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Note the missing section of the front valance, a common problem, as it is extremely prone to damage.

165039 & 165034 pass through Saunderton station on 25 February 2018 with the 1Z22 11:20 Aylesbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. This was one of a number of additional trains run in connection with the Arsenal vs Manchester City football match at Wembley Stadium.

165039 & 165025 pass Brookfurlong Farm, near Islip, on 19 April 2019 with the 1T26 11:11 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways. With Class 165s replacing Class 168s, due to the latter's use on the London to Birmingham route, and with the prospect of unbroken sunshine all day, it was definitely worth the long walk to get some slightly different pictures at this location.

Superb evening light at Oddington on 19 April 2019, as 165039 & 165025 head south with the 1T52 17:41 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. This was running 14 minutes late, and didn't even make it to its destination, being cancelled at Oxford Parkway, allegedly due to a trespass incident.

165039 passes Oddington on 26 August 2019 with the 1Y12 09:09 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The house was formerly adjacent to a level crossing, which was closed when the line was redoubled, to be replaced by the bridge from which this picture was taken.

165039 passes Charlton-on-Otmoor on 30 May 2020 with the first up working of the day, the 1Y01 06:09 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. There had been a small group of Belted Galloway cattle in the field on the right, but just prior to the train coming, all bar one of them wandered out of the picture!

With the tower of Bicester's St Edburgh's church glowing in the early morning light, 165039 passes Gavray Junction on 8 August 2020 with the 5Z02 07:02 Bicester Village to Bicester Village (via Bicester South Junction) Chiltern Railways ECS. This move was necessary, as the line was closed between here and Princes Risborough due to engineering works. An Oxford to Bicester shuttle service was in operation, using a pair of three car Class 165s.

165039 passes the recently constructed lake at Oddington on 8 August 2020 with the 1Y10 08:42 Oxford to Bicester Village Chiltern Railways service. Ordinarily this train would continue on to Marylebone, but the line was closed for engineering works between Bicester and Princes Risborough.

165039 climbs away from Gavray Junction on 8 August 2020 with the 5Z14 10:02 Bicester Village to Bicester Village Chiltern Railways ECS. It would shortly come to a stand near Bicester South Junction, then the driver would change ends, and it would head back to Bicester Village, in order to form the 1T19 10:15 departure for Oxford. This method of operation was in force due to the closure of the Bicester to Princes Risborough line for engineering works.

165039 stands at Bicester Village station on 8 August 2020, having just arrived with the 1Y17 10:43 Chiltern Railways service from Oxford. It would shortly continue as the 5Z17 11:03 Bicester Village to Bicester Village (via Bicester South Junction) ECS, bringing it back to the station, ready to form the 1T23 11:15 service to Oxford.

165039 arrives at Bicester Village station 8 August 2020 with the 5Z17 11:03 Bicester Village to Bicester Village (via Bicester South Junction) ECS, ready to form the 1T23 11:15 Chiltern Railways service to Oxford.

Chiltern Railways DMUs pass this spot every day, on both lines, but very rarely use the crossover between the two, as shown here. 165039 passes Gavray Junction on 8 August 2020 with the 5Z23 12:02 Bicester Village to Bicester Village ECS. After arriving at Bicester with the 1Y23 11:42 train from Oxford, it needed to access the other platform, in order to head back to Oxford with the 1T27 12:15 departure. This was due to the closure of the line to London for engineering works. Therefore this ECS move took it around the corner to Bicester South Junction, where the driver changed ends, and then heading back, using this little used crossover. The far left track visible in the background is the disused line to Bletchley.

165039 approaches Wormleighton Crossing (near Banbury) on 21 September 2020 with the 1H46 12:43 Stratford-upon-Avon to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Note the two different styles of milepost just to the right of the train.