The rabbits in the field turn their back on 170101, as it heads north at Claydon (Gloucestershire) on 13 May 2008 with the 1M95 17:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. The unit is wearing Central Trains livery, their branding removed, and small silver panels added near the driving ends, with CrossCountry branding added.

170101 passes between a couple of lineside bushes at Minsterworth on 6 April 2011, as it heads towards Gloucester with the late running 1M60 09:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. This location is remote from any road, and requires a long walk.

170101 passes the closed station at Rearsby on 28 March 2012, as it heads eastwards with the 1L36 10:22 Birmingham New Street to Stansted Airport CrossCountry service. Now a private house, the station was opened by the Midland Railway in 1846, and closed well over a decade before the infamous Beeching report, in 1951.

170101 passes Washwood Heath on 9 July 2013 with the 1K03 06:52 Birmingham New Street to Leicester CrossCountry service. The sidings n the right may be disused, but there is plenty of activity on the left in the background, as a Class 08 and Class 66 can be seen in the Cemex plant.

There is evidence of some very welcome lineside vegetation clearance at Defford on 25 March 2019, as 170101 passes by in glorious spring sunshine with the 1V08 11:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service.

170101 passes Churcham on 29 November 2019 with the 1V06 09:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The fine display of autumn colour on the solitary oak tree in the background certainly adds to this picture.

170101 catches the very last of the afternoon light, as the sun drops out of the dark clouds at Elmesthorpe on 12 December 2020. The train is the 1N55 13:00 Cambridge to Birmingham New Street CrossCountry service. Photo taken from a public footpath crossing.

170101 passes Up Hatherley in perfect spring light on 15 April 2021 with the 1M01 08:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. Badgeworth road bridge can be seen in the background, with the hills near the Forest of Dean in the distance.

170101 passes Stoke Orchard on 4 April 2023 with the 1V04 07:04 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. At nearly a quarter of a century old, this first production Class 170 probably now qualifies as heritage traction, and is approaching the age at which many first generation DMUs were beginning to be withdrawn.

170101 passes Tredington in weak afternoon sunshine on 4 April 2023 with the 1V12 15:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The farm occupation bridge at Fiddington can be seen in the background, with the red brick Claydon road bridge just visible in the far distance.

170101 passes Brockhampton on 15 November 2023 with the 1V04 07:04 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. There wasn't much chance of a car getting in the way of this picture, as this is a very quiet road.

170102 was the first three car Class 170 to be painted into Arriva Cross Country livery, although when this photo was taken the interior had still not been altered. The ex-works unit is pictured passing Tredington at speed with the 13:00 Nottingham to Cardiff Central Cross Country service on 13 February 2008. I'm not too sure about the large X on the dark red front end, which at first sight looks like vandalism or some other damage, but otherwise quite an attractive livery.

170102 approaches Natton on 6 March 2009 with the 1V05 08:08 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The use of a very long lens has compressed the perspective, making the track look more undulating than it actually is, and bringing the bridge and Ashchurch station closer.

A location that I had been meaning to visit for some time is the footbridge in the fields near Churcham, just to the west of Gloucester. This spot gives excellent views of eastbound trains, with a clear view for several miles, way past Oakle Street (the bridge in the background). With the cows enjoying the sunshine in the meadows and the hills on the north edge of the Forest of Dean in the background, 170102 passes by with the 1M60 09:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service on 4 May 2010.

170102 passes Wadborough on 25 March 2011 with the 1V10 13:11 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The level crossing gates, next to the former crossing keeper's cottage in the background, are just beginning to rise.

With the giant Costco Wholesale warehouse dominating the background, 170102 passes Washwood Heath on 15 September 2012 with the 1K07 08:52 Birmingham New Street to Leicester CrossCountry service. This view certainly confirms that buddleia is now one of the most common railway trackside plants, particularly in urban locations.

170102 passes Ashchurch on 9 August 2014 with the 1V05 08:12 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. At the end of the loop in the background is the level crossing on the Northway to Aston Cross road.

With Bredon Hill standing out clearly in the background, 170102 passes Fiddington on 28 June 2018 with the 1V11 14:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Unlike GWR, this operator's trains are usually good timekeepers, but this one was running 12 minutes late.

On a fine and reasonably warm autumn day, with unbroken sunshine from dawn till dusk, 170102 approaches Churcham with the 1V08 11:06 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The date is 29 November 2019.

170102 passes the south end of Eckington loop on 21 May 2020 with the 1V12 15:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Eckington church can be seen in the background, just behind the rear of the train.

170102 passes Claydon on 7 April 2023 with the 1V04 07:04 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The industrial estates of Ashchurch can be seen in the background, with the tower of Ashchurch church visible on the extreme right of the picture.

170103 passes Fiddington (on the long straight between Eckington and Tredington - yes there are a lot of 'ingtons' in the area!) on 18 February 2008 with the 1V30 13:00 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The houses of Ashchurch can just be seen in the haze in the background.

In nice low evening light, 170103 passes Defford on 2 June 2009 with the 1M77 17:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. The bridge over the River Avon can just be seen in the background, where the line disappears behind the bushes.

A fine spring day at Spetchley on 25 March 2011. 170103 heads south with the 1V06 09:11 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The bridge in the background carries the A44 Worcester to Evesham road.

The Cotswold Hills form the backdrop to this view of 170103, as it passes Badgeworth on a gloriously sunny 24 July 2012 with the 1V08 11:08 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Note how CrossCountry's stylish livery has been somewhat compromised by large white panels containing their advertising slogans.

A CrossCountry meeting at Tredington on 2 January 2014. 170103 heads southwards with the 1V09 12:10 Nottingham to Cardiff Central, while classmate 170110 speeds away from the camera with the 1M99 12:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham.

A house with a fine view of the River Severn and the railway! 170103 rounds the curve at Purton on 17 June 2017 with the 1M92 07:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. It is just about to cross the bridge over Lanes Brook.

170103 passes Frisby-on-the-Wreake on 30 September 2017 with the 1N57 13:27 Stansted Airport to Birmingham New Street CrossCountry service. Frisby Signal Box, next to Washstones Lane level crossing, can just be seen in the background.

170103 passes Up Hatherley on 5 October 2017 with the 1V08 11:10 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. It is still accelerating away from the station stop at Cheltenham, which is about a mile distant.

170103 passes Churcham on 19 February 2019 with the 1V06 09:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. This was one of those annoying days when the sun kept fading in and out of thin high cloud.

170103 heads south at Claydon on 11 July 2022 with the late running 1V04 07:04 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. This is a quiet location, as the road over the bridge from which this picture was taken is a no through road, leading only to a couple of farms and a few houses.

Running 10 minutes late, 170103 passes Pirton on 7 August 2023 with the 1V03 06:00 Nottingham to Gloucester (normally Cardiff Central) CrossCountry service. Photo taken from a little used public footpath crossing.

A three car and a two car CrossCountry Class 170 join forces to work the 1V06 09:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central service on 13 September 2023. 170103 & 170112 are pictured passing Spetchley in superb autumnal light.

A wave from the driver of 170103, as it passes Tumpy Green on 27 July 2024 with the early running 5L00 05:50 Bristol Barton Hill to Gloucester ECS. The unit would then work the 1M10 07:05 Gloucester to Nuneaton CrossCountry service. Class 170s are not common on this line, as they normally work to South Wales from Gloucester, via Lydney.

170104 passes Claydon (Gloucestershire) on 5 April 2007 with the 13:00 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The Black Poplar catkins, rather than being an intrusion, make an interesting foreground to this picture.

With the local landmark of the twin vintage gas holders (now demolished) dominating the background, 170104 passes Washwood Heath on 22 November 2008 with the 1D57 10:13 Birmingham New Street to Nottingham CrossCountry service.

170104 passes Stenson Junction on 4 November 2009 with the 1V07 10:08 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service, whilst the same company's 1S39 06:25 Plymouth to Edinburgh service can be seen disappearing into the distance.

170104 passes Wadborough on 8 February 2011 with the 1V10 13:08 Nottingham to Cardiff Central Cross Country service. Note the unusual multicoloured (and seemingly random) tile clad former crossing keeper's cottage.

170104 rounds the curve at Croome, after emerging from Croome Perry Wood on 25 March 2011, as it heads southwards with the 1V08 11:08 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The blackthorn bush in bloom directly above the front of the unit is a welcome herald of spring.

The setting sun illuminates 170104 as it scuttles past Natton on 3 February 2012 with the 1V11 14:11 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. I had noticed that there was a suitable gap in the lineside bushes from this spot to fit in a two coach 170 (as on the previous CrossCountry service), so it was just fortunate that a three car unit also just fits in, although firing the shutter at the correct time was critical! Ashchurch church can be seen in the background.

170104 passes Frisby-on-the-Wreake on 2 April 2013 with the 1L34 09:22 Birmingham New Street to Stansted Airport CrossCountry service. This was one of those days when there was a lot of cloud about, but virtually all the trains passed in the sunny spells. If only it was always like that!

170104 passes Kirby Bellars on 5 September 2014 with the 1L36 10:22 Birmingham New Street to Stansted Airport CrossCountry service. Asfordby station (closed in 1951), which served both Asfordby and Kirby Bellars, was situated by the level crossing in the background.

170104 approaches Fiddington on 16 July 2018 with the 1M00 06:40 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. Unlike most CrossCountry services, this will shortly be calling at Ashchurch station. Ashchurch is mainly served by GWR trains.

170104 heads away from the camera at Ley Court (between Oakle Street and Grange Court) on 18 September 2019 with the 1V05 08:09 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. There was very little chance of any road traffic spoiling this picture, as it is an exceedingly traffic free location.

The driver of 170104 acknowledges the photographers waiting by the level crossing, as the 1V08 11:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service passes Tredington on 4 November 2020. Everyone was waiting for something much more interesting!

A neatly clipped hedge alongside the B4080 Bredon to Eckington road at Bredon's Norton. 170104 heads south on 17 April 2021 with the 1V04 07:00 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The convoy of four cars was by far the busiest this road got whilst I was here!

170105 passes Badgeworth on 6 March 2007 with the 1V23 11:00 Nottingham to Cardiff Central service. Note the strange mottled effect in the continuously glazed sides, caused by the reflection of the trackside bushes in the glass. This turquoise Central Trains livery is arguably less attractive than the former green colour scheme.

170105 passes Stoke Orchard on 1 July 2008 with the 12:00 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Cross Country's longer distance trains on this route are operated by Class 220/221 'Voyagers' or HSTs.

The footbridge at Spetchley is unusual in that nothing at all shades the line in either direction even when the sun is very low in the sky. Whilst visiting the location on 8 October 2008 I decided to make use of this fact by continuing to take pictures until the sun was nearly setting. So here is 170105 passing Spetchley in the very last of the light with the 16:57 Derby to Cardiff Central Arriva Cross Country service. Note that the sun is so low that the shadow from the track stretches half way across the field!

170105 passes Minsterworth on 6 April 2011 with the 1V08 11:08 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The line here is dead straight for several miles from Highnam to the site of Grange Court Junction.

170105 speeds past the site of Defford station on 24 July 2012 with the 1V11 14:11 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Defford, along with other local stations on the Birmingham to Gloucester route, closed on 4 January 1965.

With the Bishton Flyover in the background, 170105 passes Llandevenny on 30 January 2016 with the 1M94 10:44 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. No doubt in preparation for the forthcoming electrification, much vegetation clearance had recently taken place at this location.

170105 speeds past Ashchurch on 26 June 2017 with the 1V04 07:04 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The fence in the foreground is a recent addition, replacing a standard vintage concrete post and wire example.

170105 passes Fiddington on 26 February 2019 with the 1V11 14:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The long walk to this location puts off a lot of photographers, although that may change now that most of the lineside vegetation has been removed!

170105 passes Claydon on 10 October 2019 with the late running 1V05 08:09 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. A much improved viewpoint, after tree clearance a few years earlier, although the bush in the foreground will soon become too dominant!

170105 passes Asfordby on 16 March 2020 with the 1N55 12:27 Stansted Airport to Birmingham New Street CrossCountry service. Kirby Bellars church can be seen in the background. Because of the nice cloud effect, I have deliberately included more sky in the picture than usual.

170105 passes Stoke Orchard on 12 August 2020 with the 1V03 06:00 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. This uninterrupted wide view wouldn't have been possible a few years ago, as there was previously the remains of an orchard in the field on the right.

170105 runs along the long straight stretch of track at Ley Court (between Grange Court and Oakle Street) on 12 August 2020 with the 1M60 0945 Cardiff Central to Nottingham Central Trains service. Photo taken from a little used public footpath crossing.

170105 passes Bredon on 8 July 2022 with the 1V12 15:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The brambles in the foreground are rapidly colonising the side of the cutting, severely restricting this viewpoint.

170105 passes Fiddington on 27 May 2023 with the 1V05 08:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Due to a level crossing failure a few miles further on, this would encounter severe delays, and as a consequence would be terminated at Newport.

170106 approaches Bromsgrove on 9 July 2013 with the 1M01 08:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. Unfortunately I made very few visits to this location, and probably will not now be going back, as it is the point where the electfrication (installed in 2017) commences.

170106 passes Up Hatherley on 15 July 2018 with the 1M94 10:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. This is a very well known Cheltenham area photographic spot, as like the bridge at Badgeworth in the background, the sun is still on the front until nearly midday in the summer.

170106 passes Over (near Gloucester) on 22 September 2020 with the 1M60 09:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. Although this location is suitable for photographing a short train such as this, the shadows are hardly ideal!

170107 passes Stoke Orchard on 18 September 2007 with the 13:00 Nottingham to Cardiff Central service. At this time these cross country services were still operated by Central Trains, but just two months after this picture was taken, Arriva would take over, rebranding the franchise (appropriately) CrossCountry.

170107 passes Up Hatherley on 16 March 2009 with the 1M60 09:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. This viewpoint did not exist until the mid 1990s, when a new road was constructed around the ever growing suburbs to the west of Cheltenham.

170107 passes Broken Cross (between Lydney and Gloucester) with the 1M60 09:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service on 3 September 2010. It was a sunny morning when I left home, but the early morning fog combined with drifting clouds made this one of the few sunny spells of the day!

170107 passes Spetchley on 25 March 2011 with the 1M60 09:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. I wouldn't normally bother with backlit pictures of units, after all you can take plenty of pictures of them in more favourable lighting. However, I was particularly struck with how the rusty rails lying on the ballast were showing up a as bright orange under these conditions.

170107 passes North Stafford Junction in hazy sunshine on 12 November 2013 with the 1V07 10:10 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The lines diverging to the left lead to Uttoxeter and Stoke-on-Trent.

A Class 170 meeting at Melton Junction, on the edge of Melton Mowbray, on 5 September 2014. 170107 is accelerating away from the station with the 1N55 12:27 Stansted Airport to Birmingham New Street CrossCountry service, while 170520 disappears into the distance with the 1L42 13:22 Birmingham New Street to Stansted Airport.

170107 passes Claydon on 17 February 2015 with the 1V06 09:10 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Surprisingly, this location has not become noticeably more grown up in the time that I have been taking pictures. Unfortunately however, the same cannot be said for the view from the other side of the bridge!

170107 passes the site of Severn Tunnel Junction depot and yard on 30 January 2016 with the 1M60 09:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. Where once lines of Class 37s and 47s could be seen parked up, now it's just a sea of containers and palisade fencing!

170107 passes Fiddington on 30 October 2017 with the 1V09 12:10 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. This viewpoint has recently been considerably improved by the removal of some lineside bushes, which explains the piles of wood chippings on the left.

170107 just manages to dodge the encroaching shadows, as it passes Churchdown on 17 June 2017 with the 1V15 18:10 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The wooded slopes of the Cotswold Hills can be seen in the background.

170107 races underneath the footbridge near Ashchurch on 30 November 2018 with the 1V05 08:09 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. There have been houses near the line in the background for a long time, but now they have squeezed some more into the tiny parcel of land on the left.

Dramatic lighting at Claydon (Gloucestershire) on 10 November 2019. 170107 heads south with the 1V08 11:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Full sunshine where I was stood, but Bredon Hill, and even the village of Ashchurch in the background, are under cloud.

170107 passes Elmbridge on 23 March 2020 with the 1V06 09:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Not the most scenic of spots, but I was checking out new locations in the Gloucester area, and this seemed to be worth a look.

170107 passes Fiddington on 3 May 2023 with the 1M00 06:40 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. The foreground vegetation is once again taking over at this location, although only on the east side of the line.

170107 passes Ashchurch on 4 September 2023 with the 1V04 07:04 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. This was running 18 minutes late, after being held at the signal in the background, due to a trespass incident.

170107 approaches Defford on 15 January 2024 with the 1V09 12:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The weather forecast had promised unbroken sunshine, but by mid afternoon there were quite a few clouds building up.

170108 passes Breaston on 23 September 2000 with the 11:23 Derby to St Pancras Midland Mainline service. Breaston village is in the background, and the imposing Hopwell Hall can be seen amid the trees near the horizon.

170108 passes Croome on Sunday 31 July 2005 with the 11:55 Nottingham to Cardiff Central Trains service. This later version of Central's livery doesn't look quite as impressive as the first version, although at this time of year at least it is slightly different to the predominant background vegetation colour!

The owner of the former crossing keeper's cottage at Wadborough (between Abbotswood and Ashchurch) has just started a bonfire on 8 February 2011, as 170108 passes by with the 1V09 12:08 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service.

170108 & 170522 pass Up Hatherley on 28 May 2011 with the 1V02 05:42 Birmingham New Street to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. This is a location that really can only be photographed on a dull day such as this, due to the amount of trees next to the line on the south side.

The evening shadows are lengthening, as 170108 approaches Wychnor Junction on 3 June 2015 with the 1G57 18:41 Nottingham to Birmingham New Street CrossCountry service. Luckily there is nothing in the field on the left that will cast shadows at this location.

170108 passes Fiddington on 10 September 2018 with the 1V05 08:09 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The brick buildings of Yewtree Farm are in the background, with the white buildings of the Ashchurch Industrial Estate just visible on the horizon.

A tranquil rural scene at Ley Court (between Oakle Street and Grange Court) on a gloriously sunny 2 November 2018. 170108 runs alongside the deserted country lane with the 1V07 10:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service.

170108 passes Churcham on 18 November 2020 with the 1M60 0945 Cardiff Central to Nottingham Central Trains service. Note the abundant crop of blackberries in the foreground. There may not be much of a fence, but the bushes form quite an effective barrier!

170109 passes Croome on 18 August 2006 with the 14:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham Central Trains service. A dull day has allowed this unusual viewpoint. The usual position for photographers is the roadside directly above the rear two coaches, looking towards where I am standing.

Catching the last rays of the setting sun, 170109 passes Tredington on 13 February 2008 with the 14:00 Nottingham to Cardiff Central Cross Country service. The unit is wearing the transitional livery, with the Cross Country logo applied to the former Midland Mainline colour scheme.

170109 passes the site of Over Junction (near Gloucester) on 29 March 2008 with the 1M92 07:45 Cardiff Central to Notting CrossCountry service. The crossover in the background marks the site of the former junction, the line diverging to the left towards the docks.

170109 emerges from the mist at Broken Cross (between Gloucester and Lydney) with the 1V10 08:00 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service on 18 February 2010. This remote farm level crossing offers reasonably unobstructed views in both directions.

170109 passes Up Hatherley on 14 March 2011 with the 1M60 09:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. I regard this as the ideal time for photography, with the sun high enough to reach into shallow cuttings, but not yet too high in the sky, and before the whole landscape turns a monotone green in late May.

170109 passes Wadborough on 25 March 2011 with an unautorised passenger on the front end! I didn't notice it at the time, but was later surprised to see what looks like a buzzard, or similar large bird of prey stuck to the front end near the left hand light cluster. The train is the 1M73 15:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service.

170109 passes a partially harvested field at Defford on 22 July 2013, as it heads southwards with the late running 1V08 11:08 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. This is the site of Defford station, which was a victim of the Beeching cuts, closing in 1965.

Golden evening light at Churchdown on 17 June 2017. 170109 passes the site of Churchdown station (closed in 1964) with the 1V14 17:10 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The overall width of the railway land here, clearly indicates that this was once a four track section, with the station having two island platforms.

170109 passes Badgeworth on 26 June 2017 with the 1L00 07:10 Gloucester to Stansted Airport CrossCountry service. This unusual view from the north side of the line shows the village of Churchdown in the background.

170109 passes Croome in weak sunshine on 12 February 2018 with the 1V08 11:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Naturally with the picturesque bridge and wood in the background, and with nothing to cast to a shadow in the foreground, this has always been a very popular photographic spot, whether it is known as Croome, or Besford!

170109, built by Adtranz at Derby in 1999, meets Honda Accord H433LBW, built in Sayama, Japan, in 1990. 170109 is passing Ley Court (between Oakle Street and Grange Court) on 2 November 2018 with the 1V08 11:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. I don't know what the DMU's mileage is, but the Honda has covered over 456,000 miles!

170109 passes Wadborough in superb evening light on 15 June 2021 with the 1M95 17:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. Pirton level crossing is just visible in the background, in front of the trees.

170109 passes Eckington on 8 June 2023 with the 1M95 17:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. In the foreground is Eckington loop, the only such freight loop between Cheltenham and Spetchley.

Golden evening light at Great Heck on 4 September 1999, as 170110 heads south with the 1C59 17:02 Scarborough to St Pancras Midland Mainline service. The majority of trains on the ECML were operated by either GNER or Virgin Trains at this time, with Midland Mainline being very much an interloper, with just this train from the east coast resort. Not only was the Midland Mainline livery seen here rendered obsolete by the company's more restrained later colour scheme, but also Midland Mainline itself is now no more, replaced by East Midlands Trains. The company stopped using Class 170s in 2004, and as a further indication of the number of changes since this picture was taken, 170110 is now a three car unit, after centre car 55101 was added in 2001.

With the River Severn just out of sight on the left, 170110 speeds past Gatcombe on 2 June 2009 with the 1M60 09:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. The unit is wearing a transitional livery, with only minimal CrossCountry branding.

The track workers take a break on the disused up loop at Grange Court on 14 January 2011, as 170110 passes by with the 1V05 08:08 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Note the dead straight track heading off into the distance. After the twisting route required to follow the River Severn from Chepstow, the line now encounters few obstacles as it heads across the flat fields towards Gloucester.

170110 passes Ashchurch on 26 June 2017 with the 1V05 08:12 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. How long before some over zealous photographer removes the increasingly intrusive bush on the right? It certainly won't be Network Rail, as they replaced the fence underneath it, and despite the bush obviously getting in the way of the work, didn't touch it!

170110 passes Gatcombe on 21 July 2018 with the 1M60 09:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. The pink painted house in the distance is known as Drake's House, as local legend has it that Francis Drake once stayed there. When this picture was taken it was up for sale for £555,000.

Running 25 minutes late, due to a delay incurred by the failure of an axle counter in the Birmingham area, 170110 passes Bredon on 13 June 2021 with the 1V07 14:16 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service.

170110 passes Stonehouse on 29 July 2024 with the 1L98 06:25 Bristol Temple Meads to Stansted Airport CrossCountry service. The site of Stonehouse (Bristol Road) station has recently been cleared, in readiness for redevelopment.

170111 crosses over the River Nene near Irchester on 15 December 2001 with the 09:56 Nottingham to St Pancras Midland Mainline service. I was extremely lucky with the lighting here, as for quite some time the scene was lit by the low winter sun, while quite clearly a few miles further north everything would be under a large area of dark clouds.

170111 passes the sheep and new born lambs at Abbotswood on 20 March 2009 whilst working the 13:08 Nottingham to Cardiff Central Cross Country service. A bright spring day certainly helped here, as f11 was needed on a 60mm lens to keep both the foreground branches and the train in focus.

170111 passes Bredicot on 18 June 2015 with the 1V12 15:10 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. This was one of those days when it was cloudy for most of the time, so when the sun came out for this, it just had to be taken!

170111 passes Broken Cross (between Lydney and Gloucester) on 15 February 2016 with the 1M60 09:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. The level crossing here serves only a single remote cottage, and consequently sees very little road traffic.

170111 passes Churchdown on 5 July 2019 with the 1M01 08:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. Despite the fact that this was once wide enough for four tracks, encroaching vegetation and tree growth means shadows free pictures are now only possible here during mid summer.

170111 passes Ley Court (between Grange Court and Oakle Street) on 18 September 2019 with the 1M60 09:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. I correctly guessed that there would be just enough room to fit the two car DMU in the gap between the telegraph pole and the farmhouse. I also correctly guessed that the picture would be unlikely to be spoiled by any passing traffic, as the road is a little used country lane.

170111 passes Wadborough on 15 June 2021 with the 1V14 17:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Trains heading away from the camera here are not party hidden by the lineside weeds and hedge.

170111 passes the farm occupation crossing near Eckington on 19 March 2022 with the 1V09 12:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Eckington village and church can be seen in the background.

170111 & 170116 pass Ashchurch on 21 April 2022 with the 1V04 07:04 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The loop is clearly well used. Nine years earlier it was out of use, as the track had got in a very poor state.

170111 & 170117 pass Grange Court on 19 June 2023 with the 1M01 08:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. Although it looks like I was extremely lucky to get this in the sun, in fact there was a large area of blue sky around the sun, so things were quite as fraught!

170112 passes Broken Cross (between Lydney and Gloucester) on 29 March 2012 with the 1M60 09:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. The bridge in the background marks the site of Grange Court Junction station (closed in 1964).

170112 passes the site of Grange Court Junction on 20 August 2012 with the 1M60 09:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. The gap in the bushes indicates where the former GWR line to Ross-on-Wye diverged.

170112 passes Ashchurch on 22 April 2015 with the 1V03 05:58 Nottingham to Newport CrossCountry service. This used to be a completely shadow free location, but unless it gets attended to, that little bush on the right will soon be causing a problem!

Superb evening light at Claydon (Gloucestershire) on 31 July 2015. 170112 heads south with the 1V12 15:10 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. These hourly trains normally cross around here, and indeed the shadow visible by the signal in the distance belongs to 170116 working the 1M73 1545 Cardiff Central to Nottingham. One day I will get a passing shot here!

170112 & 170523 speeds southwards at Ashchurch on 18 April 2017 with the 1V04 07:04 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. You can tell that nothing of any particular interest is due, as there are no photographers on the footbridge in the background!

Although cleared of lineside vegetation relatively recently, the cutting at Dunhampstead was already heading back towards its previous overgrown state by late 2018. 170112 traverses the reverse curves on 5 October 2018 with the 1M01 08:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service.

170112 speeds past Ley Court (between Grange Court and Oakle Street) on 26 February 2019 with the 1M60 09:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. Photo taken from a little used public footpath crossing.

170112 & 170115 pass the fields of ripening maize at Fiddington on 26 September 2021 with the 1V05 12:40 Derby to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The western slope of Bredon Hill can be seen in the background.

170113 passes East Goscote on 12 December 2009 with the 08:25 Stansted Airport to Birmingham New Street CrossCountry service. This route truly deserves the title cross country, traveling as it does through Cambridge, Ely, Peterborough, Melton Mowbray, Leicester, and Nuneaton.

170113 passes Burbage Common on 12 May 2018 with the 1K07 08:52 Birmingham New Street to Leicester CrossCountry service. The brown, silver and red livery of these units provide a welcome colour contrast to the all pervading green of the countryside in late spring.

With Broken Cross Farm visible on the right, 170113 passes Ley Court (between Grange Court and Oakle Street) on 2 November 2018 with the 1M60 09:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. Photo taken from a public footpath crossing.

With Gloucester Cathedral dominating the background, 170113 passes Highnam on 5 July 2019 with the 1V14 17:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The pristine wheat field in the foreground makes a striking contrast to the thistle dominated crop of oilseed rape of the previous year.

170113 approaches Eckington in lovely evening light on 24 August 2019 with the 1M95 17:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. Photo taken from a footpath crossing, the stile for which provides a handy bit of height.

170113 & 170116 pass Spetchley on 5 September 2023 with the 1M01 08:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. The forest of buddleia in the foreground covers the site of the former loop, which was removed in 1996.

170114 passes Spondon on 20 November 1999 with the 12:23 Derby to Long Eaton Midland Mainline service. The bridge in the background is actually three bridges close together, at the meeting of the A5111 and A52 dual carriageways.

170114 catches the evening sun at Spetchley as it heads south on 8 October 2008 with the 15:00 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. This location has always been completley open to the west, but as can be seen here it is now also clear on the east side of the line. However, in 2004, there were several trees by the trackside.

170114 passes Abbotswood on 13 June 2014 with the late running 1V03 06:00 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Despite it being a sunny morning, the overnight dew on the long grass made walking through this field a bit damp!

Superb lighting at Claydon (Gloucestershire) on 23 February 2016. Although some people might not agree, I think that Bredon Hill being in shade in the background actually adds to the effect. 170114 heads south with the 1V10 13:10 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service.

170114 passes Ashchurch on 18 April 2017 with the 1V03 06:00 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service, just as a rook alights on one of the TV aerials on the left. Note the new fence on the right, which is strangely only on this field edge, and not the one to the south. Both fields are used extensively by locals walking their dogs.

A CrossCountry meeting at Tredington on 6 June 2018. 170114 heads north with the 1M98 14:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham service, just as 170398 approaches underneath the Fiddington farm occupation bridge with the 1V11 14:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central train.

170114 passes Badgeworth on 4 December 2018 with the 1M60 09:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. This was just as the crisp early morning sunshine was starting to slowly fade out into high cloud.

170114 passes Stoke Orchard on 14 June 2021 with the 1V04 07:04 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. This pleasant rural location is somewhat spoiled by the constant heavy traffic on what is only a very minor road.

170115 leaves Wellingborough on 19 July 2002 with the 08:00 St Pancras to Nottingham Midland Mainline service. Midland Mainline operated a fleet of 17 Class 170s (170101-170117) from 1999 until 2004, when they were all transferred to Central Trains.

170115 passes Natton on 7 November 2016 with the 1V10 13:10 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Just visible in the background is 56104 sat in Ashchurch loop, having failed whilst working the 3S34 20:09 Gloucester Horton Road to Gloucester Horton Road (via Oxford) Rail Head Treatment Train. This is slightly ironic, as it was itself a replacement for 56078 which had been removed earlier on in the day with wheel flats! Unfortunately this is the only glimpse I got of 56104, as although I saw the unusual single loco worked part of the diagram on the Cotswold Line, I obviously picked the wrong spot on the Worcester to Gloucester line, and should have gone to Croome, like most other photographers seemed to do!

170115 approaches Eckington on 17 August 2017 with the 1M75 16:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. On this occasion I was very lucky with my choice of location, as there was a large bank of clouds to the south (as can be seen here), and another to the north, but I was sat in the middle of a large sunny patch.

A glimpse of a train down an English country lane. 170115 & 170114 pass Ley Court (between Grange Court and Oakle Street) on 20 February 2023 with the 1M94 10:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. Although this road sees very little traffic, just as I was about to take this picture a Land Rover was approaching from behind me, but luckily the driver very kindly stopped until I had taken the picture.

Sheep contentedly graze, as 170115 & 170114 pass Claydon (near Ashchurch) on 4 April 2023 with the 1V10 13:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Note the light aircraft in the field in the background.

170116 leads an unidentified classmate past Stoke Orchard on 6 May 2013 with the 1V09 12:08 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The fresh white ballast almost matches the colour of the blackthorn blossom.

With Yewtree Farm at Fiddington visible in the background, 170116 & 170113 pass through the parched Gloucestershire countryside on 16 July 2018 with the 1V04 07:04 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service.

170116 & 170114 head away from the camera at Undy on 7 October 2018, as they travel towards Severn Tunnel Junction with the 1M99 12:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. The electfrication masts had only appeared at this location a few weeks earlier.

170116 passes Fiddington on 24 August 2019 with the 1V06 09:06 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Note the brand new fence on the right, Not as intrusive as the usual palisade type, although the latter's normal green colour would blend in better here!

170117 passes Brentingby on 28 August 2015 with the 1L44 14:22 Birmingham New Street to Stansted Airport CrossCountry service. The town of Melton Mowbray (or at least some of it's industrial estates) can just be seen amid the trees on the horizon.

170117 passes Eckington on 16 June 2021 with the 1V03 06:00 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The train has just crossed the bridge over the River Avon, which is now unfortunately rather obscured by trees.

With the red roofs of the new housing estate in the village of Eckington showing up clearly in the background, 170117 & 170111 pass Defford on 3 September 2023 with the 1M73 15:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service.

Between 2000 and 2004, Hull Trains hired in four Anglia Railways Class 170s to work its newly introduced services, prior to acquiring its own rolling stock. 170201 leads another unidentified unit past Fenwick on 13 September 2003 with the 15:05 Hull to Kings Cross service.

A contrast in technologies at Manea on 23 January 2005. A modern unit in striking post privatisation livery passes semaphore signals left over from the age of steam. 170201 heads east with the 11:48 Peterborough to Liverpool Street One Railways service. What a stupid name for a train operating company! Thankfully the ridiculous 'One' name had a very short life.

170201 approaches Kennett station at speed on 8 October 2005 with the 09:56 Peterborough to Liverpool Street One Railways service. Not only is the station nearer to the village of Kentford, but Kentford is also a much larger village than Kennett.

After the sun had disappeared into a massive bank of clouds at Churcham on 8 December 2020, it reappeared briefly just as 170201 passed by with the 2L59 13:59 Gloucester to Maesteg Transport for Wales service. Well worth a picture, especially with the dark clouds in the background.

170201 passes Ley Court (between Oakle Street and Grange Court) on 20 February 2023 with the 2L55 11:45 Cheltenham Spa to Maesteg Transport for Wales service. This was to be the last year that Transport for Wales would use these units.

170201 passes Badgeworth on 7 April 2023 with the 2L59 13:45 Cheltenham Spa to Maesteg Transport for Wales service. Presumably these Class 170s are living on borrowed times on these services, as TfW are busy acquiring new units.

The view of southbound trains approaching Selby station from the swing bridge is very restricted, so here is a view of a northbound train, which gives a far clearer view of the swing bridge. 170202 crosses the 1891 structure with the 08:33 Kings Cross to Hull service on 23 May 2001. At this time the newly created Hull Trains franchise was using hired in Anglia Railways Class 170s, prior to the introduction of their Class 222 units, which themselves had a relatively short life, being replaced by Class 180s displaced from First Great Western.

170202 passes Ley Court (between Grange Court and Oakle Street) on 12 August 2020 with the 2G56 09:16 Maesteg to Gloucester Transport for Wales service. TfW seem to keep their units spotlessly clean - no easy task with so much white in the livery.

The Transport for Wales white colour scheme certainly looks smart, although that does rely on very frequent cleaning! 170202 nears journey's end, as it passes Over on 22 September 2020 with the 2G56 09:16 Maesteg to Gloucester service.

170203 crosses the A40 Gloucester bypass at Elmbridge on 23 March 2020 with the 2G53 12:21 Cheltenham Spa to Cardiff Central Transport for Wales service. The red and white livery certainly stands out. Please take note GWR!

170205 passes Minsterworth on 3 February 2023 with the 2L55 11:45 Cheltenham Spa to Maesteg Transport for Wales service. The unit has just passed over one of several footpath crossings between Minsterworth and Churcham.

170205 runs alongside a quiet country lane at Ley Court (between Oakle Street and Grange Court) on 20 February 2023 with the 2L53 10:45 Cheltenham Spa to Maesteg Transport for Wales service. Only the occasional tractor, and even more occasional car disturbs the peace here.

170206 passes over frost covered tracks at Westry on 22 January 2005 as it works the 09:55 Peterborough to Liverpool Street One Railways service. A typical Fenland landscape - completely flat as far as the eye can see, with small groups of farm buildings dotted about in the fields.

Stretching the Transport for Wales designation to the limit, 170206 arrives at Cheltenham on 23 June 2023 with the 2G50 09:16 Maesteg to Cheltenham Spa Transport for Wales service. Currently Cheltenham is served by GWR, CrossCountry and TfW trains.

A hybrid set is pictured at Eccles Heath on 27 November 2006 working the 11:40 Norwich to Cambridge One Railway service. The front coach is from One liveried unit 170207, while the rear coach is from Central Trains liveried 170101. Eccles Heath is situated in the Breckland area, between Attleborough and Thetford.

170207 passes Churcham on 29 November 2019 with the 3G70 10:58 Cardiff Canton Sidings to Gloucester Transport for Wales crew training run. The unit had just been transferred from Greater Anglia, displaced by the new Class 755 bi-mode units. Twelve Class 170s are to move to Transport for Wales, and will initially be put to work between Maesteg and Cheltenham.

170207 approaches Churcham on 29 November 2019 with the 3G71 12:57 Gloucester to Cardiff Central Transport for Wales crew training run. A prelude to the Class replacing Class 143s and 150s on the Maesteg to Cheltenham trains. After several weeks of grim weather, this was a welcome return of the sun, with almost unbroken sunshine all day.

170207 passes Highnam on 2 September 2021 with the 2G56 09:16 Maesteg to Gloucester Transport for Wales service. With tall trees and a deep cutting, this is not an ideal location for a sunny day. Not a problem today!

170207 passes Up Hatherley on 29 June 2022 with the 2L59 13:46 Cheltenham Spa to Maesteg Transport for Wales service. Of course you can always rely on photographing a DMU in sunshine, before the sun disappears for the rest of the day, and that is exactly what happened on this occasion!

170208 makes a change from the usual East Midlands Trains liveried units and HSTs at Barrow-upon-Soar on 15 September 2012. The Greater Anglia unit is working the 5Z42 09:13 Norwich Crown Point to Loughborough ECS. This is of course a going away shot, but modern units look virtually the same in either direction, and the lighting is infinitely better from this angle.

170208 passes Highnam on 3 February 2023 with the 2G48 09:06 Cardiff Central to Cheltenham Spa Transport for Wales service. Photo taken from Highnam Bridge, which carries the A48 Gloucester to Lydney road over the line.

170208 passes Oakle Street on 3 February 2023 with the 2L53 10:45 Cheltenham Spa to Maesteg Transport for Wales service. This line normally also sees hourly CrossCountry Class 170s, but ASLEF strike action had cancelled all of them. The Transport for Wales services were running due to the devolved authorities having settled their pay claims.

170270 passes Portskewett on 17 June 2022 with the 2G56 09:16 Maesteg to Cheltenham Spa Transport for Wales service. This is the site of Portskewett station, which closed in 1964. The only visible remnant of the station is the footbridge, from which this picture was taken.

170271 approaches Shippea Hill on 29 November 2006 with the 09:41 Peterborough to Norwich One Railways service. Note the mixture of liveries, with only the centre coach in the new 'One' livery, the other two vehicles retaining the earlier Anglia Railways colour scheme.

As the farmer collects up the bales from the field in the background, 170271 passes Churcham on 18 September 2020 with the 2G54 09:07 Cardiff Central to Gloucester Transport for Wales service. As this is such a short train, I decided to include the signal, and the blackberry entwined fence in the foreground, to balance the composition.

170273 passes Eccles Heath on 27 November 2006 with the 11:12 Cambridge to Norwich service. Although this unit is still wearing Anglia Railways colours, at this time these trains were operated by 'One', surely the most stupid name for any railway (or indeed any other) company!

Shippea Hill station is situated in the middle of the fens, where the Littleport to Mildenhall road crosses the Ely to Thetford line. With only a few scattered farms in the vicinity passenger traffic is virtually non-existence, not helped by the fact that only one train calls in each direction per day. The two units per hour that make up the normal service merely rush through at speed, as in the case of 170273 seen here with the 10:40 Norwich to Cambridge One Railway service on 29 November 2006. The signal box, which when viewed from certain angles has a definite backwards lean, has had a modern extension added to the rear.

Looking smart in their South West Trains livery, 170301 & 170303 pass Worting Junction on 16 July 2001 with the 07:42 Gillingham to Waterloo service. Some trains on this line started from Exeter St Davids at this time, but a number only covered part of the route, starting at either Honiton, Gillingham or Salisbury.

170302 passes Woodhall on 14 March 2008 with the 10:37 Hull to Manchester Piccadilly TransPennine service. The hamlet of Woodhall consists of one large house (Wood Hall), a farm, a couple of cottages, and very little else.

With Thorne's distinctive concrete water tower dominating the background, 170302 passes through Thorne South station on a very misty 18 October 2013 with the 1B66 06:55 Manchester Airport to Cleethorpes First TransPennine service. The footbridge from which this picture is taken is a recent addition.

170303 calls at Barnham station on 18 October 2003 with the 13:05 Reading to Brighton South West Trains service. These trains operated every two hours, making a change from the EMUs which otherwise monopolised this line. South West Trans would lose its allocation of Class 170s in 2006.

170303 nears journey's end on 9 April 2005 as it works the 11:05 Romsey to Totton South West Trains service. The estuary of the River Test is on the right, and the houses and blocks of flats in Redbridge form the background. The A35 road bridge is also prominent in the view.

170303 passes Potbridge on 3 February 2007 with the 12:45 Salisbury to Waterloo South West Trains service. Admittedly this is a going away shot, but I don't have many pictures of these two car 170s during their brief time in the South West.

Soft evening light at Thorne Junction on 21 July 2014, as 170303 sweeps round the curve underneath the M18 motorway bridge with the 1R93 19:26 Cleethorpes to Sheffield First TransPennine Express service. The motorway really was that quiet. No vehicles have been Photshopped out!

Superb autumnal lighting at Maud's Bridge on 24 November 2011 as 170304 heads eastwards with the 1B68 07:53 Manchester Airport to Cleethorpes First TransPennine service. Just out of sight to the right, another wind farm was being constructed.

The application of the First Transpennine Express livery to certain Class 170s has certainly transformed their appearance. On 14 March 2008, 170306 & 170303 pass Hemingbrough with the 08:41 Manchester Piccadilly to Hull service, passing a surviving relic from the steam age - a cast iron milepost indicating 27 miles from Hull.

170306 passes Thorpe Willoughby in spectacular evening lighting on 26 July 2008 with the 19:00 Hull to Leeds First Trans Pennine Express service. This was a purely opportune shot, as I was stopped at the level crossing and the combination of a low setting sun and dark clouds occurred just at the right time. Note the barriers at the level crossing in the background just starting to rise and the adjacent 1873 built North Eastern Railway signal box.

170306 approaches Cross Common Level Crossing (near Wressle) with the 12:38 Hull to Manchester Piccadilly First Trans Pennine Express service on 1 October 2009. This section of line is virtually dead straight all the way from Brough to Selby.

170307 passes Woodhall on 14 March 2008 with the 10:42 Manchester Piccadilly to Hull TransPennine service. Photo taken from one of the many level crossings that feature on the dead straight Selby to Brough section of line.

170307 speeds through Hatfield & Stainforth station on 28 November 2012 with the late running 1B77 11:26 Cleethorpes to Manchester Airport TransPennine service, while 20302 waits at the signals with the 3S14 11:13 Grimsby Town to Malton RHTT (with 20312 on the rear). They would have to wait a few more minutes, as 158853 was following right behind with the equally late running 1J26 11:09 Bridlington to Sheffield Northern Trains service.

With the unmistakable Forth Rail Bridge in the background, 170395 arrives at North Queensferry station on 30 August 2016 with the 2G19 16:18 Edinburgh to Cowdenbeath ScotRail service. Even though the bushes obscure the view, there is plenty of warning of approaching trains, as anything crossing the bridge produces a characteristic noise.

170395 passes Newtonhill on 15 September 2019 with the 2B32 15:17 Aberdeen to Montrose ScotRail service. The small town of Newtonhill may have a pharmacy, but unfortunately it no longer has a station!

170396 crosses Cow Common, near Manea on 22 January 2005. Quite what brings a Hull Trains Class 170 to the Fens is unclear. Is this the 10:05 Hull to Kings Cross service, diverted away from the East Coast Mainline at Peterborough? Any information would be gratefully received.

A side view of 170397, as it approaches Wychnor Junction on 3 June 2015 with the 1V16 19:10 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The trackside bushes now largely hide the quarry, which has always been a notable feature at this location, from view.

170397 passes Brentingby in superb crisp spring light on 31 March 2016 with the 1L36 10:22 Birmingham New Street to Stansted Airport CrossCountry service. Melton Mowbray can be seen in the background. How long before the fields on the right are swallowed up by housing estates?

With the two 700 ft high masts of the Droitwich medium wave and long wave transmitting station dominating the background, 170397 passes Stoke Prior on 12 February 2018 with the 1M00 06:40 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service.

Terrible conditions at Up Hatherley on 10 September 2005, but one of my only pictures of 170398, whilst it was wearing its hybrid Porterbrook / Central Trains livery. It is seen here heading through the rain with the 07:43 Gloucester to Nottingham service.

170398 passes Tredington on 13 February 2008 with the 1V26 12:02 Nottingham to Cardiff Central service. I photographed this same unit, on the same train, five days later from the bridge at Fiddington, which can be seen in the middle distance of this view.

170398 shows off its short lived Central Trains livery (slightly defaced with a grey panel containing CrossCountry branding), as it passes Fiddington on 18 February 2008 with the 1V26 12:02 Nottingham to Cardiff Central service. 170398 would shortly be repainted to match the rest of CrossCountry's fleet.

A fine display of autumn colours at North Stafford Junction on 12 November 2013, as 170398 heads northwards with the 1M00 06:40 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. the line curving away to the right leads to Uttoxeter and Stoke-on-Trent.

Most trains that call at Ashchurch (for Tewkesbury) station are operated by GWR. However, this is an exception. 170398 pulls slowly away from the station on 18 April 2017 with the 1M00 06:40 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service.

170398 passes Up Hatherley on 7 July 2017 with the 1M64 11:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. The lineside vegetation had recently been cleared here, although annoyingly not the large bush on the left, next to the bridge!

170398 passes Stoke Prior on 12 February 2018 with the 1V05 08:12 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. This location, just north of the Stoke Prior to Stoke Pound road, offers a number of different vantage points, most of which feature the prominent white lineside house.

Almost a passing shot at Tredington on 6 June 2018. 170398 approaches with the 1V11 14:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service, while in the background, 170114 passes underneath the farm occupation bridge at Fiddington with the 1M98 14:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham service.

170398 passes Highnam on 26 February 2019 with the 1V07 10:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Settled high pressure has guaranteed sunshine, but also all but enveloped the view of the Cotswold Hills in the background in gaze.

A perfect warm early autumn day at Ley Court (between Oakle Street and Grange Court) on 18 September 2019. 170398 heads westwards with the 1V07 10:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service.

170398 passes Stoney Stanton on 16 July 2022 with the 1K36 10:22 Birmingham New Street to Leicester CrossCountry service. I had hoped to photograph 66778 shortly after this, with the 6F88 09:49 Bescot Down Side to Wellingborough stone empties, but that sat in the loop at Whitacre Junction, and showed no signs of moving, so I didn't wait around. A good job that I didn't, as when it finally got going it was running 325 minutes late!

170398 passes Badgeworth on 7 April 2023 with the 1V08 11:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service.  The first signs of spring amongst the lineside vegetation heralds another restriction of this viewpoint!

170398 passes Croome on 29 May 2023 with the 1V03 06:00 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The silver, red and brown colour scheme makes a nice contrast to the green of the spring landscape.

170398 passes Abbotswood on 5 September 2023 with the 1V04 07:04 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Just beyond the bridge in the background is Abbotswood Junction, where the line from Worcester joins the mainline from Birmingham.

170398 accelerates away from Melton Mowbray on 17 August 2024 with the 1L00 08:30 Coleshill Parkway to Stansted Airport CrossCountry service. The loops here extend westwards for about a mile from Melton Mowbray station.

170399 passes through a rain soaked Croome Perry Wood on 16 August 2006 with the 1V34 14:00 Nottingham to Cardiff Central service. 170399 was originally a Porterbrook 'spot hire' unit, but has here received minimal Central branding.

170399 passes Alstone (Cheltenham) on 28 April 2007 with the 09:00 Nottingham to Cardiff Central Trains service. The unit is in non standard white livery, as it was originally a Porterbrook 'spot hire' unit. The land on the right was formerly occupied by the Midland Railway's goods yard.

170401 passes Cauldcots (near Inverkeilor) with the 16:05 Edinburgh to Dyce First ScotRail service on 5 May 2008. Not a very good location to photograph a long train, but just right for a three vehicle Class 170!

170401 Sir Moir Lockhead OBE passes Dalnacardoch on 26 June 2013 with the 1H15 15:10 Glasgow Queen Street to Inverness ScotRail service. The white equipment box behind the rear of the train is on the site of Dalnacardoch Signal Box, which was demolished in 2009.

170401 passes Bardrill on 31 August 2016 with the 1A63 12:41 Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen ScotRail service. The busy A9 road can be seen in the background, with the old ruined church at Blackford just visible in front of the pine plantation.

170402 arrives at Dunkeld & Birnam station on 18 April 2003 with the 1B31 12:45 Inverness to Edinburgh ScotRail service. Unlike a lot of lines in the Highlands of Scotland, RETB has not replaced traditional upper quadrant semaphore signals at this location.

170402 approaches Pitlochry on the evening of 16 June 2006 with the 17:40 Edinburgh to Inverness ScotRail service. The house in the trees certainty has a good view of the railway, as well as the adjacent A9 dual carriageway!

Looking smart in the latest ScotRail livery, 170402 catches some weak evening sunshine at Newtonhill on 25 June 2013, as it heads south with the 1T44 18:30 Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street service. I saw this particular unit a decade earlier at Dunkeld & Birnam, when it was wearing a much earlier colour scheme.

170405 approaches Usan and the end of the short Montrose to Usan section of single track on 5 May 2008. It is working the 15:33 Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street First ScotRail service. This short section of single track on an otherwise double track mainline can be something of an operational bottleneck, however the viaduct at Inchbraoch would be a major stumbling block to adding a second track and the present level of service can just about cope with the inconvenience.

170405 Riverside Museum rounds the curve at Tomatin on 26 June 2013 with the 1T98 08:45 Inverness to Glasgow Queen Street ScotRail service. The cast Riverside Museum nameplate can be seen just behind the First logo. It was named at Glasgow Queen Street on 25 March 2011.

170405 & 158722 pass Newtonhill on 15 September 2019 with the 1T84 15:28 Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street ScotRail service. The signal box in the background was in use until April 2019, and despite being a 143 year old Caledonian Railway structure (much altered), is due to be demolished by Network Rail, who have very little interest in the historical significance of the buildings they have inherited.

Two modes of transport through the Scottish Highlands. With the lorries on the A9 road visible in the background, 170407 passes Bardrill on 23 April 2003 with the 08:40 Edinburgh to Inverness ScotRail service. This version of ScotRail's livery seems be based on the idea that more colours equals a better design!

The unique British Transport Police liveried 170407 passes Findon on 1 September 2018 with the 1T14 09:07 Dyce to Glasgow Queen Street ScotRail service. Terrible lighting, but at least there wasn't any of the typical North Sea fog this morning!

With the clouds starting to roll in over the hills in the background, the unique British Transport Police liveried 170407 heads away from the camera at Scotston on 16 September 2019 with the 1A57 09:41 Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen ScotRail service.

170408 climbs the gradient from Culloden Viaduct and passes the site of Culloden Moor station on 25 June 2013. It is working the 1H05 07:10 Glasgow Queen Street to Inverness ScotRail service. It is obvious that nothing has used the loop on the right for many years, as a huge gorse bush has sprawled all over the track!

170408 passes a spectacular lineside display of gorse bushes at Delnies (between Inverness and Nairn) on 25 June 2013, as it heads east with the 1A50 10:57 Inverness to Aberdeen ScotRail service. I had seen this particular unit exactly one hour earlier at Culloden.

170408 passes Elliot on 1 September 2018 with the 1T34 15:33 Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street ScotRail service. The diverging tracks here mark the site of the island platform of Elliot Junction station, which closed in 1967. This was the junction for the Carmyllie branch, a freight only line since 1929.

170408 passes Scotston (between Fordoun and Laurencekirk) on 16 September 2019 with the 1T18 10:46 Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street ScotRail service. Unfortunately this was not the HST that I was expecting, but at least the sun was still out!

170409 is bathed in the early morning sunshine, as it passes Cove Bay on 16 September 2019 with the 1A41 05:30 Edinburgh to Aberdeen ScotRail service. With nothing but the North Sea to the left, only the very shallow cutting, and the Rosebay Willowherb are casting any shadows.

Weak evening sunshine at Almond Bridge, just to the north of Perth, on 18 April 2003. 170410 accelerates away from the city with the 17:40 Edinburgh to Inverness ScotRail service. Next stop will be Dunkeld and Birnam. In steam days there were also intermediate stations at Luncarty, Stanley Junction, and Murthly.

You wait patiently at a rural location for a train, then two come along at once! A very lucky passing shot at Boddin (near Montrose) on 5 May 2008, as 170410 heads north with the 07:41 Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen First ScotRail service, passing 170454 working the 08:50 Aberdeen to Edinburgh service. With a closing speed of well over 150 mph there was very little margin for error in taking this picture, and it was pure luck that they passed right in front of my lens!

With Montrose church looming out of the mist in the background, 170410 passes Usan on 5 May 2008 with the 16:41 Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street First ScotRail service. The house in the background are in the small hamlet of Inchbrayock.

After a largely sunny day, the haar (coastal fog) is rolling in from the sea again and blotting out the background as 170412 weaves round the reverse curves at Cauldcots with the 17:00 Dyce to Edinburgh First ScotRail service on 5 May 2008. In fact as I was waiting for this train to appear, lees and less of the village of Inverkeilor in the background could be seen.

170414 passes Errol (between Perth and Dundee) with the 06:40 Edinburgh to Dundee First ScotRail service on 6 May 2008. Errol station closed as recently as 1985 and is now a craft shop. As can be seen in this picture, the semaphore signals remain, protecting the busy level crossing.

170414 passes Findon on 1 September 2018 with the 1A45 07:30 Edinburgh to Inverurie ScotRail service. Just visible in the background is the footbridge at Portlethen station. Portlethen church can be seen on the horizon, well away from the rest of the village, which now sprawls between the railway and the A90.

170415 approaches Kintore on 15 September 2019 with the 1H27 10:00 Aberdeen to Inverness ScotRail service. As this was a Sunday, this was the first northbound train of the day. The line runs alongside the road for quite a distance here, offering a number of photographic vantage points.

170415 passes Scotston on 16 September 2019 with the 1A49 08:31 Edinburgh to Aberdeen ScotRail service. This may be a going away shot, but with such a perfect location, and a sunny morning, who wouldn't take a picture!

170417 passes Bardrill on 23 April 2003 with the 09:40 Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen ScotRail service. Blackford church can be seen in the background, just behind the green sheds of the Highland Spring warehouse and the A9 trunk road.

170420 passes Peterhead Farm, as it approaches Gleneagles on 4 September 2000 with the 10:38 Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen ScotRail service. Class 170s had just been introduced to Scotland at this time, and 170420 had only been in service a couple of weeks when this picture was taken.

First ScotRail has applied 'Backing Scotland's bid for first place' vinyls to 170420 to promote the drive for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The colourful unit is pictured passing Lathallan with the 14:30 Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street service on 5 October 2007. This was midway through a productive ten minutes spent at this location, which is in contrast to the long wait with nothing happening that is commonplace today.

170420 passes Dalwhinnie in a lucky patch of sunshine on 29 August 2018 with the 1B22 10:45 Inverness to Edinburgh ScotRail service. This is one of four Scottish Class 170s that were repainted into plain blue, without any Saltire branding, as they are destined to be converted into Class 171s for use in the south of England. It may only be a temporary livery, but I think it is an excellent colour scheme, far better than a lot of other recent horrors!

170422 is surrounded by gorse in full bloom as it passes Bardrill with the 09:08 Dyce to Glasgow Queen Street ScotRail service on 11 June 2007. This version of ScotRail livery seems to be not so much a colour scheme, as how many different colours can we apply to one vehicle!

170424 passes Forteviot on 12 April 2004 with the 09:08 Dyce to Glasgow Queen Street ScotRail service. The city of Perth is only a few miles away here, but completely hidden from view by the 597 foot high Kirkton Hill.

There is plenty of gorse in bloom as 170424 rounds the curve at Bardrill (near Gleneagles) on 16 June 2006 with the 1T26 13:42 Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street ScotRail service. A leaning signal and decaying PW hit complete the scene.

170424 passes Dalnacardoch on 26 June 2013 with the 1B31 12:53 Inverness to Edinburgh ScotRail service. This picture is taken from the narrow road that links Glen Garry with Glen Errochty, largely following the course of the much older General Wade's Military Road.

170425 arrives at Insch station on 25 June 2013 with the 1H33 13:38 Aberdeen to Inverness ScotRail service. The station is situated on the extreme edge of the village, and as can be seen here the fields come right down to the platform. There were several rabbits wandering around the platform while I was there! This is the start of a short double track section on what is otherwise a single track route.

170425 passes through North Queensferry station on 30 August 2016 with the 1L58 15:34 Dundee to Edinburgh ScotRail service. Note the superbly maintained 1890s North British Railway wooden station building. Unfortunately however, the station has been unstaffed since 1990.

170425 leaves Gleneagles station on 14 September 2019 with the 1T99 14:48 Inverness to Glasgow Queen Street ScotRail service. As can be seen from all the coaches in the background, this was during the Solheim Cup golf tournament, taking place at the nearby Gleneagles Golf Course. Consequently the whole area was swarming with people, and the usually quiet station was very busy, which makes it even more surprising that ScotRail weren't making more use of their new HSTs, rather then these Class 170 units, which were packed to capacity.

With both Forth Bridges just visible on the horizon, 170426 speeds towards Linlithgow on 5 October 2007 with the 13:30 Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street First ScotRail service. Unfortunately I never ventured up to Scotland in time to see the top'n'tail Class 27s or the Class 47/7 push pull sets on these trains.

170428 passes Usan signal box on 5 May 2008 with the 14:41 Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen First ScotRail service. It is just entering the short single track section that leads to Montrose. Inchbraoch viaduct is the main reason for this short single track section.

With the North Sea in the background, 170428 passes Muchalls on 25 June 2013 with the 1T34 15:33 Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street ScotRail service. Just behind the unit is the viaduct that carries the line over the Pheppie Burn.

170429 passes the lineside gorse bushes at Boddin on 5 May 2008 with the 07:08 Edinburgh to Dyce First ScotRail service. Just beyond the permanent way hut in the background, the line crosses the steep wooded valley of Dunninnald Den via a short viaduct.

170429 rounds the curve near Bardrill (between Gleneagles and Blackford) on 31 August 2016 with the 1T20 11:42 Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street ScotRail service. Note the long disused PW hut leaning at a bizarre angle amid the long grass on the right.

With the A9 Stirling to Perth road in the background, 170430 passes Bardrill on 16 June 2006 with the 15:41 Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen First ScotRail service. The ruins of the old church at Blackford can just be seen in the distance, to the right of the blue lorry.

170430 passes through the long closed Culloden Moor station on 25 June 2013 with the 1B52 09:41 Inverness to Edinburgh ScotRail service. Given that the station closed in 1965, it is hardly surprising that the platform surfaces are totally covered with grass, bracken and bushes. What is surprising though, is that after nearly half a century the coping stones are still in place.

With the village of Blackford and the Highland Spring bottled water factory in the background, 170432 rounds the curve at Bardrill with the 11:41 Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen ScotRail service on 11 June 2007. It looks like the moulded 'buffers' really need to be a bit more substantial!

170432 & 158723 pass Limpet Mill (near Stonehaven) on 2 September 2018 with the 1T76 09:24 Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street ScotRail service. If you ignore the previous day's 1A95 21:42 Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen, which passes here just after midnight, this is the first train of the day on this line on a Sunday.

A brief burst of sunshine at Arbroath on 1 September 2018, as 170433 passes the 10¼ in gauge Kerr's Miniature Railway, as it heads south with the 1T32 14:42 Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street ScotRail service. This is situated next to the beach, on the southern edge of the town.

170433 approaches Gleneagles on 14 September 2019 with the 1L85 16:11 Glasgow Queen Street to Dundee ScotRail service. It's a good job that it was a still evening, as any wind would have probably blown the seeds of the Rosebay Willowherb in the foreground in front of the train!

The 13:40 Edinburgh to Inverness First ScotRail service approaches Drumochter Summit on 10 June 2005, with 170450 leading a Class 158 unit. A little over six months old at the time, the Class 170s as can be seen here were augmenting the Class 158s which have been the staple of the Highland Mainline since the demise of the loco hauled trains in the early 1990s.

170451 passes Luncarty on 29 August 2018 with the 1H07 08:34 Edinburgh to Inverness ScotRail service. This is not quite the peaceful rural location that it appears to be, as the A9 dual carriageway is just behind the trees on the left.

170452 crosses Culloden Viaduct on 25 June 2013 with the 1T98 08:45 Inverness to Glasgow Queen Street ScotRail service. The severe gradient leading onto the viaduct can be seen in the background, with the site of Culloden Moor station just visible at the top of the bank. The hamlet of Newlands of Culloden lines the edge of the forest in the background.

170453 arrives at North Queensferry station on 30 August 2016 with the 2G21 16:54 Edinburgh to Cowdenbeath ScotRail service. The unit is wearing the 'Saltire' livery, a colour scheme loosely based on the Saint Andrew's Cross, the Scottish national flag.

170453 arrives at Aviemore station on 30 August 2018 with the 1B22 10:45 Inverness to Edinburgh ScotRail service. 66743 waits in the bay platform with the 1H90 12:08 Aviemore to Dundee Belmond Royal Scotsman luxury charter.

170453 leaves Goole, and passes Potters Grange Junction, in the gathering darkness on 3 November 2020. It is working the 1J49 14:00 Scarborough to Sheffield Northern service. The twin water towers immediately identify this location, even if the new buildings on the right could be just about anywhere!

170454 crosses the viaduct over the Burn of Elsick, as it heads north with the 1A69 14:41 Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen ScotRail service on 25 June 2013. The village of Newtonhill is spread out over the hillside in the background. Note the signal box and semaphores.

With the town of Portlethen visible in the distance, 170454 passes Findon on 1 September 2018 with the 1A51 07:39 Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen ScotRail service. The large building on the horizon is Portlethen Academy.

170455 approaches Hagg Lane level crossing, Hemingbrough, on 22 February 2019 with the 5Z13 12:41 York to Hull crew training run. The unit, which is still wearing unbranded ScotRail Saltire livery, is part of a batch acquired by Northern from ScotRail, after they were made surplus by the introduction of HSTs to the Highlands.

ScotRail in Yorkshire! 170455 passes Cliffe on 22 February 2019 with the 5Z14 13:44 Hull to York crew training run. This is to train Northern drivers on their new fleet of cascaded units from Scotland. They will of course be painted into Northern's colours, so it especially important to photograph these workings while the units are still in the distinctive Saltire colour scheme.

A rolling stock upgrade for Goole passengers. Ousted from Scotland by the influx north of the border of ex-GWR HSTs, 170455 pulls away from Goole station on 3 December 2019 with the 1J44 09:00 Scarborough to Sheffield Northern service.

170455 approaches Hammerton station on 18 January 2020 with the late running 2C28 11:29 Leeds to York Northern service. The Knaresborough to York line is a haven of semaphore signalling and traditional level crossings.

Having been delayed by the late running 2C92 12:11 York to Leeds train, 170455 finally gets away from Hammerton on 18 January 2020 with the now also late running 2C28 11:29 Leeds to York Northern service.

170455 approaches Cattal's distant signal, next to Whixley level crossing, as it heads west with the 2C94 13:11 York to Leeds Northern service on 18 January 2020. The York to Harrogate line still retains plenty of vintage atmosphere, with semaphore signals, single line token sections, and manually operated level crossing gates.

170456 approaches Goole on 12 March 2022 with the 1W42 09:57 Sheffield to Scarborough Northern service. The shadow across the foreground is caused by one of Goole's landmark water towers. The track leading off to the left accesses the docks, and in the background is Potters Grange Junction, where the Knottingley line diverges to the right.

170458 runs alongside the A63 dual carriageway at Hessle on 17 October 2023 with the 1J47 12:01 Scarborough to Sheffield Northern service. Hessle station (which it did not call at) can be seen in the background.

170460 comes out of the shadows and into the light, as it leaves Goole station on 12 March 2022 with the 1J44 09:01 Scarborough to Sheffield Northern service, just after its classmate 170456 had passed by in the opposite direction.

170461 speeds through the impressive Gleneagles station with the 1T14 09:08 Dyce to Glasgow Queen Street ScotRail service on 19 June 2006. Gleneagles station may be in a very remote location and have lost most of its high society passengers, but at least the buildings are maintained in a first rate condition.

170473 passes Allandale on 16 June 2006 with the 13:23 Glasgow Queen Street to Falkirk Grahamstown ScotRail service. This unit is wearing the attractive Strathclyde Passenger Transport livery, which, apart from the narrow blue band, looks very like the early British Railways crimson lake and cream colour scheme from the 1950s.

170473 leaves Beverley on 22 October 2024 with the 1J47 12:01 Scarborough to Sheffield Northern service, which on this occasion had started from Filey at 12:17. This view from the A164 Beverley bypass is severely restricted by the lineside tree on the left, and will soon be compromised by the new houses being built on the right. However, with Beverley Minster prominent in the background, it certainly makes an interesting picture.

A tree standing in the middle of the field at Whixley makes an ideal frame for 170474, as it heads westwards with the 2C91 11:11 York to Leeds Northern service on 18 January 2020. The tree was actually once in a hedge, one of many grubbed out after the Second World War.

170474 passes the footpath crossing at Brind on 19 January 2020 with the 1R52 10:49 York to Hull Northern service. After spending its first 14 years working in Scotland, 170474 moved to England in 2018, being replaced north of the border by ex GWR HSTs.

170476 accelerates away from Goole station on 6 July 2020 with the 1J44 10:25 Hull to Sheffield Northern service. The level crossing barriers are already up, and a car can just be seen crossing the line. With masses of cloud all around, luckily this just happened to correspond with ten minutes of almost unbroken sunshine.

Viewed from the end of the platform at Saltmarshe station, 170477 rushes towards Goole on 16 October 2023 with the 1J49 14:02 Scarborough to Sheffield Northern service. There are plenty of trains through here every day, but only eight trains in each direction actually call at this remote station.

170477 races through Broomfleet station on 17 October 2023 with the 1W46 13:57 Sheffield to Scarborough Northern service. The salt on the platforms probably helps very few passengers, as only a few trains call at this remote station.

170478 passes Whixley on 18 January 2020 with the 2C24 10:29 Leeds to York Northern service. This location is between Hopperton and Cattal, on the Harrogate to York line. Part of Hopperton Grange can just be seen to the right of the unit.

170478 comes off the single track section of the York to Harrogate line at Hammerton on 18 January 2020. Running ten minutes late, this is the 2C92 12:11 York to Leeds Northern service. This was in turn delaying 170455, which was stood just to my left, working the 2C28 11:29 Leeds to York train.

Running 25 minutes late, 170501 passes evidence of even more forthcoming new industrial buildings, as it arrives at the staggered platforms of Brandon station on 21 August 1999 with the 09:24 Great Yarmouth to Liverpool Lime Street Central Trains service. Great Yarmouth was the farthest outpost of the Central empire. As nearby Lowestoft is the easternmost point of the UK, Great Yarmouth cannot by any stretch of the imagination be called 'Central'!

The shadows are lengthening, as 170502 passes Spetchley on 16 June 2004 with the 19:00 Bristol Temple Meads to Birmingham New Street Central Trains service. Clearly the loop line in the foreground is still well used, but what is not so obvious from this view is that there was formerly a loop on the other side as well.

My first picture of a DMU in the new West Midlands Railway livery. 170503 passes Preston Boats with the 1G23 10:47 Shrewsbury to Birmingham New Street service on 8 August 2018. Just like the last time I visited this location, a sunny 110 mile drive ended with the sun disappearing as soon as I arrived. It just about managed to stay out for this one picture only!

170503 calls at Albrighton station on 8 August 2018 with the 1J14 12:05 Birmingham New Street to Shrewsbury West Midlands Railway service. Note the splendidly restored Great Western Railway footbridge, so much better looking than the modern replacements now blighting many locations.

170504's Central Trains green livery stands out well in the evening sunshine, as it passes Defford on 23 April 2002 with the 17:05 Cardiff Central to Nottingham service. The unit has just crossed over the River Avon.

170505 heads through Croome Perry Wood in the pouring rain on 28 May 2007 with the 07:57 Derby to Bristol Temple Meads Central Trains service. There is plenty of advance warning of trains approaching here, with visibility of several miles (even in the rain!).

170506 slows down for the Bromsgrove stop on 9 July 2013, as it works the 1M59 09:40 Hereford to Birmingham New Street London Midland service. This section of line sees Class 170s from both London Midland and CrossCountry.

170507 passes Preston Boats with the 1G23 10:47 Shrewsbury to Birmingham New Street London Midland service on 19 May 2016. Just visible in the background, near the hawthorn bush, is the bridge where the line crosses over the disused Shropshire Union Canal.

170510 passes Up Hatherley on 16 March 2009 with the 11:13 Gloucester to Worcester Foregate Street London Midland service. Arriva Trains Wales and CrossCountry also operated services along this route at the time.

170510 & 170632 pass Stoke Prior in superb early morning light on 12 February 2018 with the 1M56 07:09 Hereford to Birmingham New Street West Midlands Trains service. Both units are still wearing the colours of former operator London Midland, albeit with West Midlands branding.

170511 passes Westry on 22 January 2005 with the 08:14 Leicester to Stanstead Airport Central Trains service. Note how the frost has still not melted in the shadows caused not only by the foreground bushes, but also the rails and even the raised ballast shoulders!

170511 & 170633 pass Ladywood in the rain on 18 February 2020 with the 1M61 10:39 Hereford to Birmingham New Street West Midlands Railway service. Extensive tree clearance has opened up this view tremendously, although judging by the quick growing bush in the foreground, it won't stay this open for long!

170512 rounds the curve at Norton with the 14:13 Worcester Shrub Hill to Gloucester London Midland service on 20 March 2009. This operator's involvement with this route only lasted one year between December 2008 and December 2009). Due to low usage it was withdrawn, leaving First Great Western to supply the local trains on the line. Note Worcester Cathedral on the horizon.

170512 passes Abbotswood on 20 March 2009 with the 15:13 Gloucester to Worcester Shrub Hill London Midland service. A slightly different composition, with the tree balancing the train, and the track disappearing into the distance underneath the bridge.

170512 accelerates away from Hereford station on 2 June 2009 with the 16:40 Hereford to Birmingham New Street London Midland service. A good variety of liveries can be seen at Hereford, with First Great Western and Arriva Trains Wales operating trains, in addition to London Midland.

170513 has just reached the summit of the 1 in 37 Lickey Incline at Blackwell on the misty morning of 3 September 2005. It is working the 06:49 Great Malvern to Nottingham Central Trains service. The change of gradient can clearly be seen behind the unit.

170514 approaches Shippea Hill on 29 November 2006 with the 1M20 11:57 Norwich to Peterborough Central Trains service. Although there are a number of stations on this cross country route over the fens, this train, like the majority of services calls only at the two major ones: Thetford and Ely.

Bringing a splash of colour to the largely brown early spring landscape, Central Trains 170516 passes Marshfield on 4 March 2006 with the 09:00 Nottingham to Cardiff Central service. Nottingham doesn't seem to be a particularly logical starting point for trains to South Wales, but these hourly cross-country services seem quite popular.

Perfect winter lighting, and an excellent location for a 'train in the landscape' type picture. 170517 passes Stoke Prior on 12 February 2018 with the 1V24 09:49 Birmingham New Street to Hereford West Midlands Trains service.

The early morning fog completely obliterates the background, yet luckily the foreground is in full sun, as 170518 passes Ashchurch on 24 September 2005 with the 06:34 Derby to Cardiff Central service. Obviously the weedkilling train hasn't ventured down the freight loop for quite a while!

170518 & 170521 pass underneath the farm occupation bridge at Churcham on 19 February 2019 with the 1M94 10:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. Photo taken from the public footpath crossing, which logic says could easily be closed and diverted across the bridge!

A deliberately wide and slightly off centre view, in order to include as much as the hawthorn blossom as possible. 170518 passes Up Hatherley on 13 May 2019 with the 1M01 08:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service.

Passing through a typical fenland landscape of reed fringed ditches and open fields, 170519 approaches Shippea Hill on a gloriously sunny 29 November 2006 with the 10:57 Norwich to Peterborough Central Trains service.

Pairs of three car Class 170s running together are commonplace, but I haven't noticed many instances of three two units forming one train. 170519, 170518 & 170523 pass Badgeworth on Sunday 22 October 2017 with the 1V02 10:12 Birmingham New Street to Newport CrossCountry service.

A wave from the driver of 170519, as it passes Fiddington on 16 July 2018 with the 1V03 05:57 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Extensive lineside vegetation clearance has improved this viewpoint enormously.

170519 & 170518 approach Ashchurch on 30 November 2018 with the late running 1V04 07:04 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The houses on the left are part of the large Northway housing estate, that occupies the area between the railway and the M5 motorway.

Crisp winter light at Badgeworth on 30 January 2019. 170519 scuttles along with the 1M01 08:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. As virtually nothing shades the line here, even in winter, this location is naturally very popular with photographers.

Central Trains 170520 passes Walcot with the 09:54 Shrewsbury to Lincoln service on 29 October 2005. The photo is taken from a farm occupation bridge, which is next to a short cul-de-sac of brick built houses, the last of which is visible on the right. This seems strangely out of place situated in the middle of nowhere. Walcot station (closed in 1964) was situated by the bridge that can just be seen in the background.

The green Central Trains livery certainly stands out well amid the dead vegetation of early spring. 170520 passes Badgeworth on 6 March 2007 with the 1V18 10:02 Nottingham to Cardiff Central service. Not a completely sunny day, as can be seen by the dark patch in the middle distance.

170520 passes Bromsgrove on 9 July 2013 with the 1V08 11:08 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service, passing the overgrown remains of the former oil depot. Nature is reclaiming the sidings on both sides of the line here!

170520 passes Melton Junction on 5 September 2014 with the 1L42 13:22 Birmingham New Street to Stansted Airport CrossCountry service. The former line to Nottingham can be seen diverging in the background. Part of this line is now the Old Dalby Test Track.

170520 approaches the level crossing at Tredington on 6 June 2018 with the 1M75 16:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. For once the lineside radio mast isn't a problem, as although it wouldn't matter if it wasn't there, it does mirror the level crossing lights on the left, neatly forming a frame for the picture.

Early morning at Fiddington on 19 October 2018. 170520 & 170523 head south with the 1V04 07:04 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The brick buildings of Yewtree Farm dominate the background.

170520 passes Churcham on 19 February 2019 with the late running 1M60 09:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. The houses of Oakle Street can be seen in the background, with the wooded hills of the Forest of Dean in the distance.

170520 passes the farm occupation crossing near Minsterworth on 29 November 2019 with the 1V07 10:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The bridge in the background carries the A48 Gloucester to Chepstow road over the railway.

Springtime at Burbage Common. A few roadside daffodils brighten up the scene, as 170520 heads away from the camera on 16 March 2020 with the 1N45 07:21 Stansted Airport to Birmingham New Street CrossCountry service.

170521 leads the 06:56 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service past Natton on 6 March 2009. There are several choices of viewpoint at this location and here I opted to include the gate and brambles as foreground interest. The bright early morning light meant there was no problem in getting the required f11 aperture to keep the foreground in focus.

170521 & 170115 head east pass Minsterworth on 6 April 2011 with the 1M94 10:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. Churcham church provides the background interest, while the willow trees surrounding a conveniently situated pond provide a perfect frame for the left of the picture.

170521 & 170113 run cautiously over newly laid track at Grange Court on 20 August 2012, as they work the 1M94 10:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. After many years of disuse, the former loop line has finally been disconnected. Whether that means the track will be recovered, or just get even more overgrown only time will tell. This view clearly shows the course of the old Great Western line to Ross-on-Wye, still visible as a gap in the bushes nearly half a century after closure. Grange Court Junction station closed at the same time as the Ross line, as being situated in a very rural area, it only had minimal local traffic.

170521 passes Clay Mills on 25 June 2014 with the 1G30 13:41 Nottingham to Birmingham New Street CrossCountry service. It is crossing a bridge over a backwater of the River Dove, which is here not far from its confluence with the much larger River Trent.

170521 & 170115 pass Ashchurch on 3 May 2016 with the 1V04 07:04 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Note the freshly laid track, and the old sleepers stacked up on the right. What a pity the stacking has partly damaged the newly installed fence!

170521 runs alongside the muddy banks of the River Severn at Gatcombe on 21 July 2018 with the 1M92 07:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. Unless you want to play in the oozing mud of the river, the footpath crossing just in front of the unit leads only to this photographic vantage point, and nothing else!

The neatly trimmed blackthorn hedge at Minsterworth is well in bloom on 6 April 2011 as 170522 speeds past with the 1V07 10:11 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. This low level viewpoint gives a good view of the miniature snowplough fitted to later built members of this class.

170523 approaches Claydon on 13 May 2008 with the late running 1V34 14:00 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service, while a 'Voyager' heads in the opposite direction with the 13:25 Plymouth to Manchester Piccadilly train. Ashchurch church peeks out from the lush spring vegetation, while Ashchurch station can just be seen underneath the bridge in the background.

The track workers resume their inspection of the track at Barkby Thorpe on 28 March 2012, after the passage of 170523, which is working the 1N47 08:21 Stanstead Airport to Birmingham New Street CrossCountry service.

170523 approaches Wychnor Junction on 3 June 2015 with the 1G52 16:41 Nottingham to Birmingham New Street CrossCountry service. This was a day with plenty of cloud (as can be seen in the background), but luckily most of the trains passed during the sunny interludes.

Excellent autumnal lighting on a frosty morning at Ashchurch on 17 November 2017, but this is not quite the everyday mundane working that it appears to be. 170523 is running as the 1Z04 08:30 Birmingham New Street to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service, a VSTP (Very Short Term Planning) addition, running more or less in the path of the 1V04 07:04 Nottingham to Cardiff Central, which had been terminated at Derby.

Low evening light at Defford on 17 September 2019, as 170523 heads north with the 1M75 16:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. As it so near to sunset, even the short vegetation by the lineside fence is starting to cause problems with shadows.

170618 accelerates away from Ashchurch station on 2 June 2022 with the 1L98 06:24 Bristol Temple Meads to Stansted Airport CrossCountry service. The footbridge could certainly do with a coat of paint, but Network Rail don't know what paint is!

Crisp early morning light at Stoke Orchard on 4 April 2023, as 170619 heads towards its next stop at Cheltenham Spa with the 1V03 06:00 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The lineside vegetation is unfortunately starting to revert to its former overgrown state.

170619 passes Spetchley on 13 September 2023 with the 1V04 07:04 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The footbridge from which this picture is taken hasn't changed at all in the years that I have been visiting it. Most other such bridges have now been replaced by Network Rail's standard green design.

170621 heads south past Eckington under a cloudless sky on 19 March 2022 with the 1V10 13:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The village and church of Eckington can be seen in the background.

170621 passes the site of Portskewett station (closed in 1964) on 17 June 2022 with the 1M01 08:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. This was formerly the junction for the short line to the Severn Estuary at Black Rock. From there the New Passage Ferry operated until the opening of the Severn Tunnel in 1886.

A Wood Pigeon performs a swift change of direction, in order to avoid being hit by 170622 at Burbage Common on 4 August 2021. The unit is working the 1L30 07:22 Birmingham New Street to Stansted Airport CrossCountry service. Note the freshly painted yellow snowplough.

170622 heads away from the camera at Pirton on 7 August 2023 with the 1M00 07:45 Gloucester to Nottingham CrossCountry service. This train would normally start from Cardiff Central, but the line between there and Gloucester was closed for engineering works.

170622 passes Spetchley on 5 September 2023 with the 1V05 08:08 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Although the bushes on the right are not yet high enough to cause major shadow problems, years ago there would have been no problem at all, as there was a loop line on this side as well.

170623 & 170112 catch some sunshine, on what was mostly a cloudy day, as they leave Cheltenham on 23 June 2023 with the 1V07 10:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. I wonder how the Network Rail side of the light green hedge in the centre of the picture got so neatly trimmed?!

170623 passes Pirton at high speed on 7 August 2023 with the 1V04 07:04 Nottingham to Gloucester (normally Cardiff Central) CrossCountry service. The level crossing at Wadborough can just be seen in the far distance.

170630 passes Natton on 3 November 2006 with the 13:00 Nottingham to Cardiff Central service. As can be seen by the striking green livery, this was operated by Central Trains at this time. Ashchurch (for Tewkesbury) station can be seen in the background.

170630 accelerates away from Bromsgrove station (just around the corner in the background) with the 1V27 12:49 Birmingham New Street to Hereford London Midland service on 9 July 2013. The lights on the left mark the site of the former oil depot sidings.

170630 crosses Ledbury Viaduct on 5 August 2018 with the 1M12 14:02 Hereford to Birmingham New Street West Midlands Railway service. I had to go back to my car to get the stepladder, as the maze crop in the foreground was as tall as me!

170630 passes Salwarpe on 9 August 2019 with the 1V29 14:50 Birmingham New Street to Hereford West Midlands Railway service. The road bridge on which I was standing was virtually traffic free, due to long term roadworks near its junction with the A38 having closed the road to though traffic.

170631 speeds past Coedkernew on 20 July 2000 with the 14:42 Nottingham to Cardiff Central Trains service, a mere four months after its introduction into traffic. The industrial area around Newport Docks can just be seen through the haze in the background, along with one of the massively tall pylons that carry high tension wires over the mouth of the River Usk.

The hawthorn bushes are in full flower as 170631 passes Portway on 25 May 2001 with the 15:00 Cardiff Central to Nottingham Central Trains service. 170631 is the second of a small batch of three car 170s built for Central Trains, and was just over a year old when this picture was taken.

170631 passes Walcot on 26 July 2014 with the 1G18 09:47 Shrewsbury to Birmingham New Street London Midland service. This route also sees longer distance trains operated by Arriva Trains Wales, using Class 158 units.

170631 emerges from the 1,323 yard long Ledbury Tunnel on 23 October 2016 with the 1M10 12:00 Hereford to Birmingham New Street London Midland service. This is obviously one instance where I was glad the sun wasn't shining, as the whole scene would have been in shadow!

170631 has 153354 tucked on the back, as it passes Ladywood (between Worcester and Droitwich) on 5 October 2018 with the 2S44 12:52 Worcester Shrub Hill to Whitlocks End West Midlands Railway service. Neither unit is yet wearing the new operator's current colour scheme.

170632 & 170510 pass Stoke Prior on 12 February 2018 with the 1V23 08:49 Birmingham New Street to Hereford West Midlands Trains service. The loop in the foreground doesn't see much use nowadays, as there is now very little freight on the route (certainly during daylight hours).

170633 rounds the curve at New Barnetby on 8 December 2001 with the 11:32 Grimsby Town to Birmingham New Street Central Trains service. Central Trains, whose livery was arguably one of the better privatisation colour schemes, operated for just over a decade, from March 1997.

170634 passes Tupton on 7 April 2002 with the 12:53 Liverpool Lime Street to Norwich Central Trains service. The scrubby woodland in the background is the site of Avenue Sidings, a once extensive area of lines serving the nearby Avenue Coking Works.

170635 accelerates away from Loughborough station on 21 September 2002 with the 15:02 Birmingham New Street to Nottingham Central Train service. This was one of those all to frequent occasions when the DMU that passes by before the railtour is in full sun, but the main event passes in less than perfect light!

With Wrawby Junction signal box in the background, 170635 takes the Lincoln line on 10 February 2003 with the 11:32 Cleethorpes to Birmingham New Street Central Trains service. Unfortunately this impressive set of semaphore signals has since been replaced by a colour light, although even here it has lost the signal arms from the left hand post. Note the number of guy wires required to keep it an upright position, including the one that goes across the track to wooden pole leaning at a drunken angle in the hedge!

170635 runs alongside the River Severn at Gatcombe with the 09:00 Cardiff Central to Nottingham Central Trains service on 7 February 2004. Photographed from the footpath crossing which just leads straight down to the water's edge. Note the steep bank behind the line, which has been cleared of vegetation in the background.

The Central Trains livery blends with the mid summer greens, as 170635 passes Spetchley on 16 June 2004 with the 16:57 Derby to Cardiff Central service. The trees behind the train were living on borrowed time, and had disappeared by the next time I visited.

170635 passes the 1885 built Ledbury signal box, as it arrives at the station on 5 August 2018 with the 1V24 14:00 Birmingham New Street to Hereford West Midlands Railway service. Note the very short distance between Ledbury's up starter and advance starter signals.

170636 climbs the Lickey Incline on 26 July 2003 with the 07:46 Gloucester to Nottingham Central Trains service. This view certainly gives a good impression of how severe the 1 in 37 gradient is. No problem for today's traction, but a real operational nightmare in the days of steam.

170636 passes a partially harvested field near Ashchurch on 7 September 2012, as it heads southwards with the 1V11 14:10 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. In the background is the level crossing on the Northway to Aston Cross road.

With the skeletal framework of the now demolished gas holders dominating the background, 170636 passes Washwood Heath on 9 July 2013 with the 1L34 09:22 Birmingham New Street to Stansted Airport CrossCountry service.

The brown and red livery of 170636 echoes the autumn tints at Claydon (Gloucestershire), as it heads south on 7 November 2016 with the late running 1V09 12:10 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service.

170636 passes Tredington on 10 October 2018 with the 1V05 08:09 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Recent lineside vegetation clearance between the Tredington level crossing, and the Fiddington farm occupation bridge, which can be seen in the background, has opened up this vantage point once again. Unfortunately Network Rail does not carry out regular maintenance, merely having a major blitz every three decades or so, when everything has got completely overgrown, therefore this viewpoint is sure to disappear again!

A close up view of 170636, as it speeds past Up Hatherley on 13 July 2019 with the 1V08 11:06 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Not much margin for error in taking this, but at least it was easily stopped with a shutter speed of 1/4000sec.

170636 passes Burbage Common on 16 March 2020 with the 1K07 08:52 Birmingham New Street to Leicester CrossCountry service. This is the view from the public footpath crossing, looking back towards the Stoney Stanton to Hinckley road bridge.

A dramatic low level view taken from the public footpath crossing at Burbage Common on 16 March 2020. 170636 heads westwards with the 1P10 10:18 Leicester to Birmingham New Street CrossCountry service.

170636 passes Eckington in superb evening light on 6 August 2022 with the 1M95 18:45 Gloucester to Nottingham CrossCountry service. This would normally be the 1M95 17:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham, but the line south of Gloucester was closed for engineering works.

170636 passes Claydon on 9 August 2022 with the 1V05 08:08 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. There is plenty of warning of approaching trains here, as the line is completely straight as far as the eye can see in both directions.

The driver of 170636 washes the windscreen, as the unit passes Fiddington on 17 September 2024 with the 1V11 14:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. This had actually started from Birmingham New Street at 15:30, due to an 'issue with the crew'.

170637 passes Natton on 3 February 2012 with the 1V09 12:08 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Just visible in the background, underneath the concrete road bridge, is the rebuilt Ashchurch station (opened in 1997).

Smoke rises up from a fire in the background, that will soon receive the attentions of the local fire brigade, while 170637 passes Washwood Heath on 9 July 2013 with the 1K07 08:52 Birmingham New Street to Leicester CrossCountry service.

Crisp early morning light at Croome on 9 August 2014. 170637 speeds southwards with the late running 1V04 06:58 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Croome Perry Wood forms the backdrop.

170637 accelerates away from Ashchurch station on 3 May 2016 with the 1M00 06:40 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. It looks like the small panel around the roof mounted light has been replaced with one from the spares bin, one that has obviously been lying around since the days of their former green livery!

170637 passes Fiddington on 19 October 2018 with the 1V05 08:09 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. This location has been improved considerably by Network Rail's sudden decision, after decades of neglect, to start doing some lineside vegetation control.

170637 passes Highnam on 26 February 2019 with the 1V06 09:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The Cotswold Hills should be visible in the background of this view, but the settled high pressure has meant they have been blotted out by the hazy conditions.

170637 passes Badgeworth on 22 October 2019 with the 1V08 11:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Note that even a rural location like this now seems to require a lineside palisade fence!

170637 passes Bredon on 25 March 2020 with the 1V09 12:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Note the recent tree clearance, which has opened up this view considerably, from both sides of the line.

CrossCountry Class 170s are ubiquitous in the Gloucester area, working the hourly Cardiff to Nottingham trains. However, those traverse the Chepstow line, so 170s south of Gloucester are much less common. 170637 is pictured passing Blanchworth (between Bristol and Gloucester) with the 5Z70 09:49 Bristol Barton Hill to Tyseley ECS on 18 September 2021. This was running 45 minutes early. Realtime Trains showed it passing Bristol Parkway at 09:58 and Cheltenham at 10:06. Bristol to Cheltenham in eight minutes is clearly impossible!

170637 passes Croome on 9 January 2024 with the 1V09 12:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The red and brown livery almost matches the range of colours in the countryside at this time of year.

170638 passes Up Hatherley in the drizzle on 10 September 2005 with the 07:45 Cardiff to Nottingham Central Trains service. It would soon be slowing down for the stop at Cheltenham station, approximately one mile ahead.

On a bitterly cold 18 February 2008, 170638 passes Broken Cross (between Lydney and Gloucester) with the 1M01 08:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. Note the subtle rebranding of the former Central Trains livery, with a small area under the leading side windows patch painted grey for the application of the new operator's logos.

Ashchurch station is mainly served by GWR trains from Great Malvern and Worcester to various points south. A few CrossCountry services call, such as this one. 170638 pulls away from the station on 17 July 2018 with the 1M00 06:40 Cardiff Central to Nottingham service.

The driver of 170638 washes his windscreen, as he passes Claydon (Gloucestershire) on 12 August 2020 with the 1V10 13:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. After a completely sunny morning, the clouds were now starting to build up, but luckily only in the background here.

In a brief sunny spell, 170639 passes Frisby-on-the-Wreake with the 11:25 Stansted Airport to Birmingham Airport CrossCountry service on 4 November 2009. The farmer in the adjoining field was busy preparing a bonfire for the following day's Guy Fawkes celebrations.

170639 speeds past Natton on 6 March 2012 with the 1V05 08:08 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. Ironically, and totally unintentionally this is exactly three years after I last photographed a similar train at this location. Despite being taken on the same date in March, the difference in vegetation and the quality of light is quite noticeable.

CrossCountry crossing! 170639 passes Claydon (Gloucestershire) on 25 May 2013 with the 1V04 06:56 Nottingham to Cardiff Central service, passing 170522 heading in the opposite direction with the 1M92 07:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham.

170639 passes Stoke Orchard on 12 August 2020 with the 1L98 07:08 Gloucester to Leicester CrossCountry service. This is the site of the Midland Railway's Cleeve station, which closed to passengers in 1950.

170639 approaches Cheltenham on 23 June 2023 with the 1M94 10:45 Cardiff Central to Nottingham CrossCountry service. The unit is travelling slowly over newly laid track, which contrasts markedly with the state of the track in the loop on the left!