47200 approaches Walton Well Road, Oxford, on 21 August 1982 with the 6M56 11:40 Didcot Power Station to Washwood Heath MGR empties, unusually running on a Saturday. At this time the Didcot coal trains were shared equally between Class 47s, and the then new Class 56s. Note the small non-standard additional number on the loco's front end. The line in the foreground is the down relief line, with the track to the right leading to the down carriage sidings, and in the days of steam, Oxford's loco depot (81F).

Just as the sun was setting on Sunday 26 January 1986, my long wait in a field near the site of Yarnton Junction finally paid off. Having seen 47200 parked with its ballast train in the engineering possession near Hanborough, it was just a matter of time before it headed back to Hinksey. The main engineering train had gone back to Hinksey earlier, unbelievably headed by 08803! It was then a question of waiting in this field with no way of knowing how long it would take to drop the ballast, and whether 47200 would get to me before the sun went down. The footpath in the foreground, which passes underneath the railway near the old PW hut, has now been rebranded as Shakespeare's Way, forming part of a route from London to Stratford-upon-Avon.

47200 passes Claydon (Gloucestershire) on 4 August 1987 with the 6M72 22:00 St Blazey to Cliffe Vale china clay tanks. The shadows stretching across the field shows that it is very early in the morning (06:40), but the train is just about fully lit by the low sun. This would not be the case here today, as a huge row of Leylandii conifers now block out the sun completely during the morning!

47200 passes through Kemble station on 17 August 1992 with the 6M08 18:20 Swindon to Longbridge Rover car body panels. These distinctive and lengthy trains were the only booked revenue earning freight over the 'Golden Valley' route at this time.

47200 passes Kings Sutton on 28 July 1994 with the 4M04 15:25 Southampton Western Docks to Washwood Heath empty cartics. A rather short train on this occasion. 47200 would lose its faded Railfreight Distribution livery shortly after this picture was taken, in favour of the then new revised colour scheme.

47200 Herbert Austin applies full power at Bourton on 1 November 1994 as it heads east away from Swindon with the 6M08 10:59 Swindon to Longbridge Rover car body panels. The loco's name is certainly appropriate for this train, and is also noteworthy for the number of locos it has been applied to, starting off with 47337 in 1986. In 1990 the name was transferred to 47209, and then just a couple of months before this picture was taken, 47200 became its latest recipient.

Running half an hour early, 47201 passes Oxford North Junction on 9 May 1987 with the 4O81 07:10 Coatbridge to Southampton Maritime freightliner. Unfortunately a large signal gantry now spoils this view. Also, the rebuilt Aristotle Lane footbridge, from which this picture is taken, now requires steps in order to see over the high parapet.

A single wagon load is hardly cost effective, and 47201 has an easy time as it approaches Standish Junction on 5 July 1991 with what is presumably the 6Z34 14:55 Bridgwater to Ince UK fertilzer empties. The light loads could be explained by the unusual running on a Friday, rather then the usual Tuesday (hence the 6Z34 rather than 6M34 headcode).

47201 passes South Moreton (Didcot East) on 11 December 1991 with the 6V16 10:37 Willesden Brent to Morris Cowley RfD service. This was one of the trains that managed to survive the demise of Speedlink, and would later be branded Connectrail. Unfortunately loadings were not always this healthy!

High summer at the site of Ashbury Crossing, near Shrivenham, on 23 June 1995. 47201 heads westwards with the 6V22 16:05 Longbridge to Swindon Rover car panel empties. A nondescript member of Tinsley's Railfreight Distribution pool at this time, but a quarter of a century earlier, 47201 (or D1851 as it was then) made a most unusual journey - a trip by sea from Holyhead to Barrow-in-Furness. This was because it was one of three Class 47s stranded on Anglesey after the Britannia Bridge fire of 23 May 1970.

47201 passes Kings Sutton on 20 July 1995 with the 4M04 15:25 Southampton Western Docks to Washwood Heath empty cartics. This location has (for now!) managed to remain clear of vegetation. In fact, nearly two decades after this picture was taken, the bushes are now even less obtrusive.

47201 passes Kings Sutton on 19 May 1998 with the 6M18 15:36 Eastleigh to Carlisle. This was part of the 'Enterprise' network, the successor to Speedlink. It was usually mostly composed of MoD stores traffic, but on this occasion it was all MoD traffic.

47202 weaves across the mainlines from the up loop to Hinksey Yard on 4 July 1985 with the 6V19 06:05 Bescot to Didcot Speedlink. The cartics at the front of the train would be destined for Morris Cowley, with the vans behind mostly heading for MoD Bicester.

47203 passes the truncated remains of the former down loop and Abingdon branch at Radley on 30 June 1988 with the 6E30 17:18 Eastleigh to Haverton Hill Speedlink. The train includes two empty methanol tanks returning to Haverton Hill, some new Ford Transit vans, and several empty steel carriers, possibly from Holton Heath. The low evening light required 1/1000sec f2.8 on Kodachrome 64.

47204 weaves across from the up to the down line at Bourton with the 3A21 11:25 Malago Vale to Old Oak Common empty newspaper vans on 16 February 1984. It would travel 'wrong line' as far as Uffington. The derailment of freight train between the site of Knighton Crossing and Uffington had resulted in the up line being closed for emergency repairs.

47205 passes Stoke Orchard in failing light on 8 July 1987 with the 6V70 14:02 Cliffe Vale to Exeter Riverside china clay empties. This was running nearly two hours early, which was lucky, as even though it was near the longest day, at the booked time of 20:55 it would have been virtually dark on this particular evening. The shorter than normal train may mean that this train had actually started from Bescot on this occasion, with the five wagons seen here all originating from Scotland. The three strange looking PRA wagons were returning from Corpach to Pontsmill, and the two PBAs at the rear could possibly be from Auchmuty.

On the cold frosty morning of 27 November 1988, 47205 comes off the double track section of the Cotswold Line at Ascott-under-Wychwood with a train of recovered track panels from relaying operations near Evenlode. Interestingly, this train did not proceed on to Oxford as expected, but waited by Ascott-under-Wychwood signal box for a following light engine (47200), which took the train back from whence it came wrong line!

There was just three wagons on the 6M73 08:32 Quidhampton to Willesden calcium carbonate tanks on 10 September 1991. 47205 is pictured in miserable light at Grateley. As well as this, there were MoD stores and Class 50 hauled passenger trains, so well worth a visit, despite the weather. There wouldn't be much worth photographing now!

A Railfreight Distribution Class 47 cavalcade at Clay Cross on 9 April 1992. A rather grubby 47205 accelerates smokily away from a signal check, hauling much cleaner 47307 & 47313. The relief lines were closed (note the stop boards in the middle distance), so all traffic was using the main lines. The garage on the left is selling petrol at 44.1p per litre for unleaded, or 48.8p for 4 star!

47205 passes through Millbrook station on 5 Mach 1994 with the 4O21 Garston to Southampton freightliner. The A33 dual carriageway dominates the background of this view, with the spire of Christ Church, Freemantle, prominent on the left of the picture.

47205 runs alongside the Kennet & Avon Canal near Crofton with a relief to the 4O18 05:17 Lawley Street to Southampton freightliner on 17 February 2001. This train had been diverted off the Reading to Basingstoke line because of engineering works. Unfortunately a slight breeze causing ripples on the canal prevented a hoped for reflection shot!

47206 passes Mostyn on 30 March 1991 with the 7D56 Ellesmere Port to Llandudno Junction (for Amlwch) chemical tanks. The grey tanks next to the barrier vehicles at either end of the train are ethylene dibromide empties, and the red banded white tanks contain chlorine, to be used in the process of extracting bromide from sea water. An interesting train, which ceased running a couple of years later. Unfortunately the weather on this occasion was not very good, with the grounded former Sealink 'Duke of Lancaster' ship in the background almost lost in the mist.

47206 approaches Radley on 9 July 1991 with the 4M99 17:14 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. The former Abingdon branch line (closed in 1984) ran along the area of empty ballast in the foreground, paralleling the main line for over half a mile, from its junction at Radley station.

Although by 1993 Class 159 units had taken over most Network SouthEast passengers services on the West of England line, occasionally last minute loco hauled substitutions did occur. This is exactly what happened on 15 May 1993, when Railfreight Distribution's 47206 was called upon to work the 1L04 07:46 Salisbury to Waterloo, seen here approaching Woking.

47206 The Morris Dancer approaches Wolvercote Junction on 30 June 1995 with the 4M99 15:58 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. A very well photographed train, at a well used location (at least by me!).

47206 The Morris Dancer heads south at Millmeece on 22 November 1997 with the 4O30 12:47 Trafford Park to Southampton freightliner. A bit of a tight squeeze for a picture here, and I only just got away with it!

47206 The Morris Dancer approaches Wolvercote Junction on 4 August 1998 with the 4S59 15:19 Millbrook to Coatbridge freightliner. The 1O40 10:40 Edinburgh to Brighton Virgin CrossCountry 'Sussex Scot' can just be seen in the background, underneath the Oxford bypass bridge.

47206 The Morris Dancer approaches Abbotswood on 20 May 2000 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z90 05:30 Southampton Central to Chester 'Cheshire Phoenix' railtour. As a Freightliner loco, passenger workings would be a rarity at the time. Not so now, when after rebuilding as 57605, passenger work is the norm.

Viewed through a gap in the lineside bushes, 47207 Bulmers of Hereford passes Aynho on 29 June 1993 with the 4M99 17:14 Southampton Maritime to Trafford Park freightliner. In addition to the non-standard large number in the former headcode box, the loco's bodyside number is also in a non-standard location. In most locos it was underneath the driver's window.

47207 Bulmers of Hereford & 47279 pass Clay Mills (Hargate) in the pouring rain on 23 May 1998 with the Resonant Charters 1Z47 05:22 Finsbury Park to Scarborough 'York & Scarborough Liner' railtour. 47207 & 47279 worked the train as far as Doncaster, from where 47361 took over for the final section to the east coast resort.

47209 Herbert Austin approaches Abbotswood on 26 June 1991 with the 6B69 06:50 Gloucester New Yard to Worcester Speedlink. The entire train is made up of MoD stores destined for Long Marston Army Depot. After running round in Worcester Yard it would proceed along the Cotswold Line as the 6B70 08:10 Worcester to Long Marston.

47209 approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 28 October 1997 with the 4V16 09:45 Southampton to Cardiff freightliner. This train did not run for very long on these timings, but it did give the opportunity to photograph a westbound liner in the Vale of White Horse with the sun on the front. Even now, with increased Freightliner activity on the route, most daylight trains run in the opposite direction. The train is running along the down relief line, and will be held at Challow so that a HST can overtake it.

On one of the hottest days of the year, the snowploughs on 47210 are of little use, as it approaches Wolvercote Junction with the 4M99 17:14 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. The date is 18 July 1994, and the viewpoint is from the A40 roadbridge, looking towards the A34 Oxford bypass bridge.

Chemicals and rubbish at Oxford! 47211 heads north on 22 April 1986 with six BOC liquid oxygen tanks, while in the background 47512 waits with the 4V04 12:30 Calvert to Bristol Avon Binliner empties, ready for its booked crew change. But for its shorter load, this train could easily be mistaken for the 6M23 10:12 Fawley to Longport LPG tanks, but that followed an hour later, nearer to its booked time, behind 47304. This train is in fact empties returning from either Didcot or Morris Cowley to Ditton. Although often tagged onto the 6M93 16:20 Morris Cowley to Bescot Speedlink, it is here running as a block load in an earlier path. Thanks to David J. Hayes for the information.

Surprise traction on the Great Western Mainline on 1 August 1987. A shortage of HSTs meant a rare outing for a Railfreight Class 47/0 with a rake of mostly Mk 1 coaches. 47211 is pictured here passing Bourton with the 1A11 09:25 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington service, surprisingly only running a few minutes late. It had earlier worked the 1B22 07:25 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads. Imagine the number of photographers that would arrive from far and wide if anything remotely like this happened today!

Weak winter sunshine at Hinksey on 19 February 1994. 47211 heads south with the 4O90 12:20 Lawley Street to Southampton Maritime freightliner. Apart from the train, the only real colour in the picture is the rusty fence!

47211 approaches Magor on 14 March 1997 with the 6M14 15:58 Newport Alexandra Dock Junction to Wembley Connectrail service, which on this occasion was made up of an almost uniform rake of covered steel carrying wagons. This was for onward movement to Europe via the Channel Tunnel.

With the steps of the long since demolished Appleford Crossing Signal Box on the left, 47212 approaches Appleford level crossing on 12 September 1985 with an unidentified southbound oil tank working. 47212 entered service on 13 May 1965, as D1862. Just under 39 years later it met its end at Crewe, being reduced to scrap in February 2004.

Oil tank train don't come much cleaner than this. The front half of the train gives hope to all railway modellers who think their OO gauge Lima Total TEA tanks look too pristine! 47212 passes West Drayton on 6 November 1986 with the 6E50 09:45 Langley to Lindsey empty Total oil tanks. 56002 can just be seen in the background, waiting to come off the Colnbrook branch with the 6M53 10:11 Thorney Mill to Bardon Hill stone empties.

47212 passes Claypole on 24 August 1991 with the 6E82 11:15 Rectory Junction to Lindsey Total oil empties. In the foreground is Claypole down loop (still bullhead track at his time). The up loop is situated some distance to the south.

47212 passes Levington on 20 September 1997 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z66 14:04 Felixstowe to Crewe 'Marching Cat' railtour. Nowadays, with a headcode like 1Z66, the tour would unfortunately be hauled by a Class 66, but the first loco had yet to arrive in the UK when this picture was taken.

47212 rounds the sharp curve on the approach to Seven Mile Bridge, near Higham, on 20 September 1997 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z66 14:04 Felixstowe to Crewe 'Marching Cat' railtour. The little station at Higham (which the train has just passed) closed in 1967.

Soft evening light at Culham on 1 June 1999, as 47212 heads northwards with the 4M99 16:47 Southampton to Crewe Basford Hall freightliner. It wasn't long after this that this location became much more difficult, as whoever was responsible for trimming the bushes on the railway boundary obviously stopped doing it!

47212 passes the derelict Aynho Junction signal box on 18 June 1999 with the 4M98 17:04 Southampton to Crewe Basford Hall freightliner. The signal box had been made redundant when the operation of the junction was transferred to Banbury South box in 1992.

Freight meets passenger at South Moreton on 7 June 1993. Unbranded Freightliner grey 47213 heads west with the 4M99 17:14 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner, while an unidentified HST heads towards the capital. 47213 was at the time allocated to Tinsley's MDDT Railfreight Distribution pool.

47215 pulls away from a signal check at South Moreton (Didcot East) on 28 August 1987 with the Fridays only 6M22 16:14 Gillingham to Ince & Elton fertiliser empties. Although most of the train is made up of standard UKF PWA vans, there are four wagons with lower roofs, one of which seems to have been further modified.

Railfreight liveried 47215 has a break from freight duties on 5 September 1987, as it passes Claydon (Gloucestershire) with the 1E32 09:58 Penzance to Leeds service, which it had taken over at Bristol Temple Meads. 47215 was withdrawn two years later, after sustaining serious damage in an accident involving a pair of ballast trains near West Brompton.

Numerous Tinsley allocated Class 47s received unofficial painted names during the late 1980s. One such was 47217, which received the name Kingfisher in 1989. It is seen here on 31 March 1990 speeding past Claydon (near Banbury) with the 4O81 Lawley Street to Southampton freightliner. The abutments of the bridge that carried the former Stratford-upon-Avon & Midland Junction Railway over the Oxford Canal can be seen in the background directly above the orange containers. The growth of the lineside vegetation resulted in it becoming invisible by 2007.

47217 Kingfisher approaches Cholsey station on 16 August 1991 with the 4M99 17:14 Southampton Maritime to Trafford Park freightliner. In contrast to today, there were very few freightliners running during daylight hours in the Thames Valley in the early 1990s. There was of course much more freight in general, with a variety of workings that have long since left the network.

47218 crosses the River Avon at Eckington on 19 June 1989 with the 6M17 19:10 Gloucester New Yard to Bescot Speedlink. Most of the traffic on this service would have originated from the West Country, travelling up to Gloucester via the 6B97 from Tavistock Junction.

47219 passes the site of Bletchingdon station on 17 August 1988 with the 6V36 15:53 Longbridge to Morris Cowley car component empties. I pressed the shutter a little earlier than normal to avoid the shadow which had reached the track in the foreground. There was no ten frames per second to pick the perfect shot in those days! This wider than normal view shows the new house on the old station site, a view which is now totally screened by tall trees. The Jaguar parked on the right was obviously a prestige car at the time, but that hasn't stopped it being subsequently scrapped, as there is no record of it on the DVLA database.

47219 Sandpiper passes Winwick on 12 March 1990 with the 6H63 Arpley Bridge to Northenden binliner empties. The wagons carry the distinctive Greater Manchester Council livery. 47219 only carried the unofficial Sandpiper name for a short while, being named Arnold Kunzler the following year.

Three months after the abandonment of the Speedlink wagonload network, not much appears to have changed in the West Country. 47219 Arnold Kunzler passes Norton Fitzwarren on 30 October 1991 with the 6S67 04:52 St Blazey to Mossend Tiger Freightways service. With small loads such as this, it is not surprising that Tiger Freightways folded the following year.

With Cooper's scrapyard on the left, 47219 Arnold Kunzler slowly pulls its lengthy train out of the Rover car plant at Swindon on 16 February 1993. It is working the 6M03 09:22 Swindon to Longbridge car body panels, and will shortly rejoin the mainline at Highworth Junction. The sidings on the right have now been removed, to be replaced by the inevitable bushes. The Swindon car plant, which can be seen in the background on the right still produces car boy panels, but now for BMW's Mini, rather than the dodgy British Leyland and Rover products of the past.

47219 Arnold Kunzler passes Pangbourne on 28 April 1993 with the 4M04 15:25 Southampton Western Docks to Longbridge empty cartics. The loco was named after the founder of MAT Group, with whom Railfreight Distribution had working arrangement.

47220 & 31420 stand at Kemble station on 28 August 1982 with the 3B42 09:20 Gloucester to Swindon parcels train. The 47 had been added to make sure the lengthy train was able to climb Sapperton Bank, as that may have been asking too much for a single 31! Just after this picture was taken, the 47 detached, and headed back to Gloucester, leaving 31420 to carry on alone.

47220 passes Mostyn in miserable light on 11 August 1991 with the 6E36 Holyhead Rio Tinto Zinc to Humber petroleum coke empties. I have only got a few pictures of this train, as not only was this a long way from home, but also it was a fairly erratic runner. This is also my final picture of 47220, which was put into store the following year, before being officially withdrawn in March 1994. 

47222 Appleby-Frodingham approaches Standish Junction on 30 May 1989 with the 6E48 07:40 Hallen Marsh to Immingham Norsk Hydro fertiliser empties. The concrete base in the foreground marks the site of a former permanent way hut, which was still in situ just a few years earlier.

47222 Appleby-Frodingham passes Iver on 22 February 1990 with the 6O64 11:14 Ripple Lane to Micheldever oil tanks. Whilst the BR corporate blue paintwork looks reasonably presentable, the same cannot be said for the yellow front end. Very scruffy and faded, and definitely in need of a touch up.

Having just detached a pair of wagons from the 6V16 Wembley to Newport Alexandra Dock Junction mixed freight service, 47222 makes a smoky departure from Didcot on 26 October 1992. Its short train is destined for Morris Cowley.

47222 runs along the down relief line, passing the rear of Pilning station on 28 October 1992, as it heads towards the Severn Tunnel with the 6B24 14:50 Hallen Marsh to Cardiff Tidal Railfreight Distribution service. With no chance of getting on the right side for the light, it was typical that after a mostly cloudy afternoon, the sun decided to come out just as the train approached!

47222 approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 28 June 1994 with the 6M08 18:20 Swindon to Longbridge Rover car body panels. It was difficult enough to take pictures of this train at this location due to the severe backlighting, and the shadow from the trees. It would be impossible today, as obviously the traffic no longer runs, but also the view is obscured by 25kV catenary!

The 6V03 09:54 Fenny Compton to Didcot MoD stores train was hardly ever a taxing load for the RfD Class 47s employed in the 1990s. Such is the case on 13 March 1995, as 47222 has no trouble at all hauling its miniscule load through Heyford station.

A fine display of poppies at Culham on 22 June 1995, as 47222 heads north with the 6M08 17:32 Swindon to Longbridge Rover car body panels. 47222 could easily be recognised at a distance at around this time, by virtue of the deep scratch along virtually the entire length of the body.

47222 passes Minety on 18 June 1996 with the 6V09 04:20 Longbridge to Swindon Rover Car Plant car body panel empties. The train is made up of a mix of IZA Cargowaggons (front and rear) , and some of the then brand new KSA 'Cube' wagons. Even near the longest day, early morning shadows were a problem at this location!

47225 was easily identifiable from a distance in the mid 1980s by virtue of its additional non-standard rooftop number. It is seen here leaving Oxford station on 2 July 1985 with the 1F25 07:42 Oxford to Paddington service.

Some typical Sulzer clag, as 47225 restarts the 4M60 12:20 Southampton Maritime to Lawley Street freightliner away from a signal check at South Moreton (Didcot East) on 11 January 1986. Note the non-standard large number on the cab roof. Although there was more freight traffic in general, and certainly more traction variety at this time, during the 1980s there was much less freightliner traffic in the Didcot area, this being one of the few to run during daylight hours.

An exceedingly lucky picture! On 28 September 1989 I had no way of knowing that the 6M29 14:00 Taunton to Bescot Speedlink freight would be this short and perfectly fill the frame in this side view near Blanchworth (between Bristol and Gloucester). 47225 heads north through the Gloucestershire countryside with Stinchcombe Hill in the background. I had decided to try a different type of picture from the usual three quarter front view, and ventured along the local footpaths looking for a location. There was a reasonable gap in the bushes at this point but I never imagined I would get exactly the correct length train to fill the gap!

47225 runs along the down relief line at South Moreton (Didcot East) on 29 October 1992 with the 4S59 12:32 Southampton Maritime to Coatbridge freightliner. This was a weekday, but on a Saturday this ran in a slightly later path as 4M60, but only as far as Lawley Street.

47225 passes through Radley station on 11 July 1997 with the 4M99 16:50 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. Since this picture was taken, railings have been installed, effectively reducing the platform width. This seems a very retrograde step, forcing passengers to stand nearer to the trains, some of which pass through at considerable speed.

Not technically a very good picture, but one which is full of historical interest. 47226 arrives at Oxford on 6 October 1979 with the 12:50 Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill service. Prominent in the background is the former GWR goods shed, then in use as National Carriers depot. This was the last surviving major steam era railway building at Oxford, but was unfortunately demolished in the early 1980s. Also visible in the background is 45070 which has been dumped on the goods loop after failing with a southbound passenger service earlier in the day.

Inspiration for railway modellers who say they haven't got enough room for a layout! 47226 passes Coedkernew on 14 March 1997 with the 6B03 09:18 Swansea Burrows Sidings to Newport Alexandra Dock Junction Connectrail feeder service.

47227 approaches Aynho Junction on 6 August 1991 with the 4V01 07:14 Longbridge to Morris Cowley empty cartics. For some reason I have mislaid my notes for this particular morning, but as there were only a few Class 47s painted in this Railfreight red stripe livery, I thought a quick trawl of the internet might provide an identification. Sure enough the distinctive front end damage proved conclusively that this is 47227.

47228 passes Oddington on 26 April 1984 with the 6A49 11:31 Morris Cowley to Bicester Speedlink trip, conveying military stores for the army base. The loco would return an hour and a half later with a slightly longer train, the 6A50 13:56 Bicester to Morris Cowley.

47228 passes Oddington on 26 April 1984 with the early running 6A50 13:56 Bicester to Morris Cowley Speedlink trip. This was the return working of the earlier 6A49 11:31 Morris Cowley to Bicester. These army stores trains connected in with the main Morris Cowley to Bescot Speedlink trunk working.

Looking immaculate, after its recent repaint into Railfreight Distribution livery, 47228 approaches Wolvercote Junction on 11 July 1990 with the 4M79 15:51 Southampton Maritime to Lawley Street freightliner. For some reason I took this a little early, so this is a scan from just part of the original slide. Luckily a 6x7 Fujichrome 100 transparency contains plenty of detail!

47229 runs along the down main line at South Moreton on 2 February 1992 with a pair of London Underground barrier vehicles. In the background the reason why 47229 is not on the relief line is evident. Class 117 L423 (51361, 59513 & 51399) ambles along with the 2C44 13:30 Reading to Banbury Network SouthEast service.

47229 just about clears the encroaching shadows as it heads north from Banbury on 16 June 1994 with the 4M99 17:14 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. It is passing the site of Ironstone Quarry Junction, from where the freight line to the Wroxton ironstone quarries diverged off into the bushes on the right. This once extensive system closed in 1967 and virtually all traces of the route has disappeared.

47229 runs along the down relief line at Cholsey on 22 July 1994 with the 4M99 17:14 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. Directly above the locomotive is the course of the Cholsey & Wallingford railway, which had not yet fully reopened to the public when this picture was taken.

47231 passes Milton on 31 October 1994 with the 6V16 Wembley to Newport Alexandra Dock Junction European feeder service. The mix of china clay tanks and steel empties almost has the look of a Speedlink working, the last of which ran over three years earlier. The field on the right is now occupied by a number of car dealers, the railway has been electrified, and the background is no longer dominated by Didcot Power Station.

Some of Freightliner's Class 47s were in a very poor external condition by the mid 1990s. 47231 was a prime example, with extremely tatty Railfreight Distribution livery peeling away to reveal glimpses of its former blue livery. The mark left by the removal of The Silcock Express nameplate further adds to the dire appearance. It is pictured here passing Rowington on 4 May 1996 with the 4O30 13:47 Trafford Park to Southampton freightliner.

Not many Freightliner Class 47s were this clean in the late 1990s! 47231 approaches Wolvercote Junction on 14 August 1997 with the 4S59 15:19 Millbrook to Coatbridge freightliner. At this time in the evening, the road traffic on the A40 bridge on which I was standing would be virtually stationary, giving drivers plenty of time to ponder what I was doing!

47234 passes Wolvercote Junction on 11 July 1990 with the 6V36 15:50 Longbridge to Morris Cowley, conveying another load of Rover 200s & Minis. The loco was allocated to Tinsley at the time, as indicated by the Tinsley Rose sticker in the centre of the headcode panel.

47235 passes Berkswell on 15 August 1988 with the 6M93 16:20 Morris Cowley to Bescot Speedlink. Most of the traffic is MoD vans, probably from Fenny Compton or Bicester, but the two continental vans at the front of the train have presumably come from Bennett's distribution terminal at Morris Cowley. Thanks to David J Hayes for additional information.

With its customary three vans, the 3A38 19:30 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington parcels passes Claydon on 1 July 1986, hauled by 47236. This was running 15 minutes late, and was being directly followed by the 1V88 12:43 Newcastle to Plymouth vans, which was running ten minutes early. Two van trains within a couple of minutes!

Before the construction of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (HS1), there was a bridge spanning the disused western end of Westenhanger station. From this vantage point, 47236 is pictured passing the remains of the old concrete platforms with the 7O57 09:50 Wembley to Dollands Moor Ford car components on 11 May 1996. This would then travel via the Channel Tunnel to Spain. HS1 was constructed running exactly parallel with this line, cutting through the oilseed rape field in the background.

47236 passes South Moreton on 17 June 1996 with the 4M04 16:00 Southampton Western Docks to Longbridge empty cartics. This looks like a completely rural location, but the houses of South Moreton come right up to the railway just off to the right of the picture.

Assured and approved. The leading loco's name is definitely appropriate, as 47236 Rover Group Quality Assured & 47375 Tinsley Traction Depot Quality Approved approach Foxhall Junction on 13 March 1997 with the 6M03 08:15 Swindon to Longbridge Rover car body panels.

Looking smart after its recent repaint into Railfreight grey livery, 47237 passes South Moreton (Didcot East) on 8 November 1986 with a rake of empty vacuum braked ZHV spoil wagons. Note the holes cut in the wagon sides, to prevent overloading. This train had obviously originated at Didcot Yard, as just 45 minutes earlier the loco had passed by in the opposite direction with a mixed departmental working.

At least one passenger appreciates the rarity of the traction! 47237 takes a break from its normal railfreight duties on 4 August 1990, and comes to the aid of the 1S85 07:10 Plymouth to Aberdeen InterCity service. It is seen here powering away from Cheltenham and passing Alstone, unsurprisingly running 50 minutes late. To be less than a hour late when this loco had to be found from somewhere to replace the ailing 47807 at Gloucester is pretty good going, and far more efficiently handled than what would happen on today's disjointed railway. Of course now it would just be cancelled!

47237 passes South Moreton on 21 June 1991 with the Fridays only 6M22 15:35 Gillingham to Ince & Elton UKF bagged fertiliser train. I don't know now why I have so few pictures of this train, although only running once a week, and with a booked time at Didcot of 19:05, photography in this area was obviously going to be restricted to the summer months.

47237 passes through Winchester station on 28 June 1991 with the 6M93 16:01 Eastleigh to Willesden Speedlink. The Speedlink wagonload network only had a few days left to run when this picture was taken. Its withdrawal would lead to the virtual disappearance of the traditional mixed freight train, until the Enterprise network reintroduced a much reduced service a few years later. MoD traffic did still continue to run, often with some seemingly very uneconomic train lengths.

This is my only picture of a train in the Kemira (formerly UKF) fertilser depot at Akeman Street. 47237 waits next to a large stack of bagged fertilser, prior to working the 6B20 10:20 empties to Bletchley on 13 July 1991. The depot closed shortly afterwards, and now the short branch leading to the depot from Grendon Underwood Junction has been lifted. Akeman Street was situated halfway between the Great Central route and the Great Western's London to Birmingham mainline at Ashendon Junction. The southern section was closed in 1966. As there was no run round loop at Akeman Street, 47237 would soon be propelling its train backwards, as far as Grendon Underwood Junction, a distance of approximately two miles.

A working which I unfortunately got very few photos of, and even then usually in dismal light, was the Saturdays only 6B20 10:20 Akeman Street to Bletchley UKF fertiliser empties. Pictured here in customary weather conditions on 13 July 1991, 47237 has just passed through the long closed Swanbourne station (now a private residence). There is no chance to improve on my small collection of pictures of this train, as the fertiliser depot closed shortly afterwards and the line is now disused, with the track towards Bletchley lifted from a point just a few yards further on from this picture.

47237 climbs up the gradient towards Patchway on 29 April 1993 with a steel train from South Wales. The working timetable makes no mention of this, so it is possibly a special or a diverted train. The 1F18 12:20 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central DMU can be seen disappearing into the distance.

It may be near the longest day, but at 20:35 on 16 June 1994 the sun is only just lighting up the scene, as 47237 approaches Banbury with the late running 6O95 16:33 Longbridge to Dollands Moor Rover cars for export. I doubt if any of the Metros on this train are still in inexistence, but as some of the Rover 200s used Honda engines, their survival is more likely!

47237 has just passed Wolvercote Junction on 12 July 1994 with the 4V01 Longbridge to Morris Cowley car train. This picture from the A34 Oxford by-pass gives a good view of the start of the up goods relief line, one of many capacity improvements added to the Oxford area railway map during World War Two. The bridge in the background (which is surprisingly free of traffic) is the A40, a usually notoriously congested route into the city. Wolvercote Junction, where the Cotswold Line diverges to the left is situated just beyond this bridge.

A comparison of new and old Railfreight Distribution liveries at Heyford on 13 March 1995. 47237 & 47201 head south, light engine, pictured from the bridge over the Oxford Canal. Unlike 47201, which was cut up in 2007, 47237 still survives, although it now suffers the indignity of being painted in West Coast Rail's awful 'sludge brown' livery.

47237 speeds past Offord Cluny with the 1Z43 09:06 Sunderland to Kings Cross Grand Central Railways crew training run on 16 August 2007, with 47802 on the rear of the train. The southern section of the East Coast Mainline has very few good photographic locations, this being one of the better ones. In common with all overhead electric lines, virtually all the former viewpoints have been ruined, which is why I tend to avoid these lines if at all possible.

On 19 December 2007, 47237 passes Bretforton (between Evesham and Honeybourne) with the 5Z85 10:05 Gloucester to Long Marston conveying 31437, 31423, 31301 & 31439, along with a rake of Mk2 coaching stock for braking purposes. The train had worked up from the West Country the previous day as the 5Z80 13:25 Meldon Quarry to Gloucester. I had decided to go to this location in preference to Evesham, as I have not used this location previously, and already have numerous pictures at Evesham. This decision turned out to be a mistake, as while the train passed me in cloudy conditions, it was full sun at Evesham.

In miserable light 47237 arrives at Long Marston with the 5Z85 10:05 Gloucester to Long Marston conveying 31437, 31423, 31301 & 31439 on 19 December 2007, along with a rake of Mk2 coaching stock for braking purposes. 47237 still carries DRS blue livery, although it is devoid of any branding, as it has recently been acquired by Cotswold Rail. Considering the gate into the depot at Long Marston (which is just the other side of the bridge that I am standing on) was still closed, the train seemed to be still going at a fair speed, and did indeed stop very close to the gate.

47237 passes Lower Moor on the Cotswold Line with the 6Z45 09:10 (actually departed 10:30) Gloucester to Long Marston on 4 March 2008, with 37898 and four brake force wagons. The large T of the former Transrail livery on the 37 is just visible on what is otherwise an extremely faded and rust streaked loco. This working should have run the previous day, conveying both 37898 and 37704 for storage, but problems with the 37's brakes caused its postponement. There are only a limited number of paths over this single track section, which can cause problems if a fault is discovered on any stock that has to be moved to Long Marston. This photo was taken from a public footpath crossing.

Basking in the late evening light and with a toot from the driver, 47237 passes Claydon (near Ashchurch) with the 6Z71 Cardiff Tidal to Stockton-on-Tees Advenza Freight scrap empties on 13 May 2008. Headboards on freight trains are now relatively common for the minor players such as Advenza. In the case it reads 'The Marauder'. A couple of hours earlier the balancing working had passed the same location heading south. The Cotswold Hills can be seen in the background.

47237 passes Delnies on 25 June 2013 with the 1H80 10:00 Keith to Kyle of Lochalsh Royal Scotsman luxury charter. Unfortunately the overcast weather does the West Coast Railways livery no favours whatsoever. Virtually any other colour scheme would look better!

47237 passes Tackley on 3 July 2014 with the Steam Dreams 1Z27 06:15 Oxford to Carlisle 'Cathedrals Express' railtour. The highlight of this tour would be the return working from Carlisle over the Settle & Carlisle line with LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 45699 Galatea. Until the wires go up, this is my favourite location for a very early northbound departure from Oxford, and I have used it previously for 59206, D444 & 67006. The early morning light even makes West Coast Rail's awful 'sludge brown' livery look acceptable, especially when paired with a uniform rake of maroon stock.

47237 slowly approaches Woodborough on 23 August 2014 with the diverted 5Z36 13:20 Southall to Bristol Kingsland Road ECS. It would spend 18 minutes in the loop, but given the awful light, and the awful livery, I wasn't going to bother trying for a second picture! The train's normal route via Swindon was closed due to engineering works in association with the opening of the new double track section of the Swindon to Kemble line.

47237 & 37706 pass Grove on 8 September 2014 with the 5Z40 10:35 Bristol Kingsland Road to Southall ECS. It seems that someone has tried to improve West Coast Railway's awful livery by applying graffiti to the front and side of 47237! WCR has a very poor record for locomotive appearance, but even by their low standards the condition of 37706 is an absolute disgrace.

47238 Bescot Yard passes Oxford North Junction on 20 July 1990 with the 6M22 16:00 Gillingham to Ince & Elton fertilser train. Note the debranded UKF wagons at the front of the train. UKF had just been taken over by Kemira, one of whose wagons is third in the consist. The train is just passing underneath the Aristotle Lane footbridge.

47238 Bescot Yard passes Worting Junction on 29 July 1991 with the 4L66 07:55 Southampton to Ripple Lane freightliner. The train has just passed over the Battledown Flyover, which is hidden from view by the bushes in the background. This carries the up line from Southampton over the route to Exeter.

Super power for a very short train. 47238 Bescot Yard & 47312 pass Cholsey on 16 August 1991 with just a single five vehicle freightliner flat set, loaded with 14 boxes (13 20ft containers, with a single 40ft box on the rear). As the only booked freightliner trains in the working timetable around this time had already passed, this is a mystery working.

One of my very few pictures of locomotives hauling failed HSTs. 47239 approaches the site of Ashbury Crossing, near Shrivenham, on 29 May 1986 with an unidentified westbound working. This could possibly be the 1C69 18:28 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads service, or if there was any kind of a delay in attaching the 47, possibly an earlier working. Confirmation anyone? The errant HST has power car 43033 leading.

47240 passes the loops at Woodborough on a rather hazy 20 June 1984 with the 06:15 Tavistock Junction to Dover china clay tanks. These polybulk wagons (sometimes referred to by railway staff as 'Fat Parrots') were used for this export traffic during the 1980s. From Dover they traveled via the train ferry to France and then ultimately Switzerland. At least two of these wagons are in green livery with 'polybulk' branding, but the white china clay dust coating virtually obliterates everything.

Sporting a strange huge white patch on the cab roof, 47240 passes through the centre road of Oxford station on 2 July 1985 with the 4V16 09:33 Washwood Heath to Morris Cowley empty car carriers. Note the unusual two tone Morris Marina coupe on the right.

Newspaper traffic was still big business for the railways in the 1980s. 47241 passes Marshfield on 27 October 1984 with the 3A12 08:50 Carmarthen to Old Oak Common empty newspaper vans, formed from the usual mix of blue and grey Mk1 BGs, and blue GUVs.

47243 passes the site of Ashbury Crossing, near Shrivenham, on 28 September 1985. With no booked freightliners listed in the working timetable, this is presumably the 4O81 03:00 Coatbridge to Southampton Maritime, diverted from its normal route via Reading due to weekend engineering works.

A Class 47 meeting at Kingham on Sunday 16 September 1984. 47244 arrives with the 1A25 16:15 Hereford to Paddington service, while 47536 waits to depart with the 1C48 16:10 Paddington to Hereford. ETH 47/4s (and of course Class 50s) were the staple motive power at the time, so the use of 47244 was a bit of a novelty.

47245 passes through the cutting just to the south of Cholsey station with the 4O75 Crewe to Southampton freightliner on 16 August 1991. This used to be an excellent location for photography in the summer months (hopeless in the winter due to the cutting being in shade). However, the bridge now has really high mesh sides, making it very difficult to take pictures.

The prospect of two railtours along the Great Western Mainline within half an hour on 13 June 2009 made me venture out to my favourite local spot at Baulking. As the weather was completely cloudy when I left home I thought this would be an excellent choice of location. Typically, just because I didn't want it, the sun decided to come out, resulting in the worst possible lighting with the sun directly behind the train! So here for the record is 47245 with the Railway Touring Company 1Z27 06:45 Paddington to Kingswear 'Dartmouth Express'.  BR Standard 70013 Oliver Cromwell would take over the train at Bristol Temple Meads.

Wearing just about the worst livery every to adorn a Class 47, and one which certainly does not photograph well in such poor weather, West Coast Railway's sludge brown (sorry, maroon!) 47245 passes Compton Beauchamp on 7 July 2012 with the 5Z92 15:28 Southall to Bristol Temple Meads ECS, in preparation for the following day's 'Weymouth Seaside Express'.

47245 passes Uffington on 23 July 2012 with the 5Z94 10:35 Bristol Kingsland Road to Southall ECS. This is the stock off the previous day's 'Weymouth Seaside Express' steam special. Even under the intense summer sun, the West Coast Rail livery looks rubbish, not helped by the fact that 47245 is a disgusting state, obviously not having seen a washer for a very long time!

47245 runs along the relief line at Denchworth on 3 September 2012 with the 5Z35 10:35 Bristol Kingsland Road to Southall ECS. This train is booked to use the relief line, but for no obvious reason, as it runs straight through, not stopping at Wantage Road. 47245 seems to have a half hearted wash since I last saw it, either that or all the rain we've had during the summer has washed the dirt off. Now all it needs is a repaint into a proper livery!

With a slightly inappropriate 'Spirit of the Lakes' headboard, 47245 speeds through Heyford station on 13 December 2014 with the West Coast Railways 1Z36 06:38 Skegness to Bath 'Christmas Special - City of Bath' special. Unfortunately the much more photogenic 47580 is hidden by the bushes at the rear of the train.

47245 brings up the rear of the Steam Dreams 1Z45 06:00 Chinnor to Weymouth 'Cathedrals Express' railtour at Charlton-on-Otmoor on 27 June 2019. LNER B1 4-6-0 61306 Mayflower is lost in a cloud of smoke at the front of the train. This picture shows just how local the good lighting was, and it proves that it was a good job I decided on this spot, rather than the bridge at Oddington (which can just be seen in the background), as that is clearly under the clouds.

47248 arrives at Oxford station on 27 August 1983 with the 1O52 07:38 Wolverhampton to Brighton service. This view clearly shows the old Great Western Railway canopy at the end of platform 1, that not only survived the rebuilding of the station in 1971, but also the subsequent remodelling in 1990.

47249 passes Cholsey on 31 January 1987 with the 3A03 13:15 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington parcels. This loco was new to Bristol Bath Road (as D1926) in January 1966, and was a Western Region loco on and off throughout most of its career. It was withdrawn in 1996, and cut up two years later at Booth Roe, Rotherham.

47250 pulls out onto the main line at Swindon on 25 October 1982 with the 6C36 12:10 Swindon Transfer to Severn Tunnel Junction Speedlink. This being a Monday, it was booked for a slightly later departure time, other days of the week it left at 11:20. A pair of shunters can be seen in the background, 08925 on the left, and 08696 on the right. Behind them is the town's gas holder, and the British Leyland car body plant. The tall chimney in the background belonged to the Wills cigarette factory. This was demolished in 1987, and the site is now a Tesco supermarket.

47254 passes Uffington on the frosty and misty afternoon of 16 February 1984 with the 9A27 09:00 Severn Tunnel Junction to Acton mixed freight, which on this occasion contains one tank wagon, one van, and one coal hopper at the rear of a rake of cartics. The only load seems to be one Ford Granada and one Ford Escort! The train has run along the down line from Bourton, and will shortly be crossing back over to its normal line. A red banner across the up line can just be seen near the first wagon. The reason for the wrong line running was a derailment of a freight train between here at Knighton Crossing the previous day. The line of loaded ballast wagons in the up loop await the call to be taken to the work site.

A bit of a surprise at Upton Scudamore on 16 August 1984. 47254 & 47257 work the 6V83 16:25 Eastleigh to Severn Tunnel Junction Speedlink, which ironically on this occasion is shorter than normal, with just a rake of bitumen tanks. The Class 47s have no multiple working equipment, and I cannot remember now whether they were both crewed, or whether 47257 was dead in tow.

Railfreight Distribution helps out Network SouthEast. 47256 passes West Drayton on 22 June 1991 with the 1F55 12:32 Newbury to Paddington service. Earlier in the day the freight loco had worked the 1A22 06:55 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington, and 1F14 10:40 Paddington to Newbury trains.

47257 passes through Oxford station on 2 April 1983 with the 4O84 03:17 Holyhead to Millbrook freightliner. This is quite a healthy load for this train, which often only consisted of a single set of five wagons. Note the pair of unusual wagons at the head of the train.

With the outline of the Cotswold Hills in the background only barely discernable through the rain, 47258 heads northwards at Standish Junction on 27 June 1991 with the 6B97 12:00 Tavistock Junction to Gloucester New Yard Speedlink. The highly varied load includes loaded OTA timber wagons from Lapford, and PJA cartics returning to Halewood.

47258 diverges from the mainline at Highworth Junction, Swindon on 5 June 1996 with the 6V09 04:20 Longbridge to Swindon Rover Car Plant car panel empties. The name Highworth Junction refers to the fact that this line formerly carried on past the car plant and on to the market town of Highworth. The weed choked line in the foreground once served the nearby Shell oil depot.

47270 to the rescue. Unsurprisingly running approximately 90 minutes late, the 47 gives a helping hand to the failed HST (43034 leading) working the 1E37 14: 44 Paignton to Newcastle InterCity service on 18 July 1988. It is seen here approaching Brockhampton, just to the north of Cheltenham. 47270 worked the train from Gloucester to Birmingham New Street. A hot day in mid summer with no air conditioning and no windows to open means unpleasant conditions for passengers in the stricken HST.

47270 approaches Wickwar Tunnel on 30 May 1989 with the 6V79 14:34 Salisbury to Gloucester Speedlink. This service was withdrawn the following year, with entire Speedlink network following the year after. The Foster Yeoman PGA and POA wagons near the front of the train are being conveyed to the Marcroft Engineering wagon repair works at Gloucester, the vans in the centre of the train are carrying MoD traffic from the Salisbury area, and the tanks at the rear of the train contain china clay from Quidhampton. The variety of traffic on this service is such that the 18 wagon train is made up of 10 different wagon types. This was not the only northbound Speedlink running at around this time, with both the 6B97 12:10 Tavistock Junction to Gloucester and 6B59 17:34 Stoke Gifford to Gloucester following shortly after.

47270 Swift passes Stoke Orchard on 14 March 1990 with what is clearly the Swindon to Longbridge Rover car body panel train, but in 1990 4M31 left Swindon at 17:41, but this is 13:35! This is the site of Cleeve station, which closed to passengers in 1950, and for freight a decade later.

47276 approaches Didcot North Junction on 29 February 1996 with the 6V03 09:54 Fenny Compton to Didcot MoD stores. Loco cleaning only seems to have extended from the front to the cab doors, with the rest of the bodyside being left in a filthy state.

HST power car availability was not always adequate in the 1980s, and the specially constructed generator van was often pressed into service to allow a locomotive to haul a set of Mk3 HST coaches. Such was the case on 11 June 1984, when 47277 was pictured passing underneath the brick bridge at Compton Beauchamp with what is presumably the late running 1B35 18:28 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads service. ADB975325, the generator van, is coupled directly behind the locomotive.

The driver of 47277 puts on the power, as his train approaches Wolvercote Junction on 30 August 1987. The Network SouthEast coaches might suggest that this train had originated at Banbury, but in fact it is the 1V81 14:05 Liverpool Lime Street to Paddington service, which at this time was actually booked to use NSE stock! What is less usual however, is the use of a no-heat loco.

47277 passes Melbury Bubb on 15 August 1991 with the 2O81 08:03 Cardiff Central to Weymouth Regional Railways service. I spent most of my available free time chasing Class 50s on the Waterloo to Exeter line during 1991, and so this was a welcome bonus in the area. The train has in fact passed underneath the Exeter route just a few miles before, near Yeovil.

47277 passes East Grimstead on 10 September 1991 with the 6V62 10:34 Fawley to Tavistock Junction bitumen and fuel oil tanks. On the right is the disused line into a small chalk quarry, which opened in 1972. Unfortunately I never got a picture of a train using the quarry, even though it was still in use in the mid 1980s.

47277 passes Winwick on 28 July 1992 with the 6M54 10:15 Leeds to Stanlow empty oil tanks. Clearly visible on the original 6x7 transparency, the loco's original number (D1979) has been added in a small font, just behind the leading cab door.

The driver of 47277 leans out of his cab to check that all is well, as he pulls out of the up loop at Highworth Junction, Swindon, on 26 October 1992 with what is presumably the late running 6A15 23.55 Waterston to Colnbrook aviation fuel tanks. As this was booked at Swindon at 05:34, and this train waited in the loop for some time, there is a possibility it is a 6Zxx working to who knows where. Confirmation anyone?

The south end of Hinksey Yard, near Oxford in the early 1980s, before the view of the yard became obscured by trees. 47278 heads south with an unidentified working on 28 November 1981. As this is a 47/0 on Mk1s, and this is a Saturday during the football season, I am guessing that it is something that was really common until the late 1980s - a football special. Any information would be gratefully received. Manchester to Brighton and Leeds to West Ham seem the most likely candidates.

47278 approaches Chinley on 19 June 1984 with the (if the working timetable is to be believed) 6H59 11:32 Portwood Drops to Great Rocks Junction stone empties. This location had been reduced from four to two tracks a couple of years earlier.

A group of photographers on the end of Chinley station's overgrown platform get their pictures of 47278, as it heads west on 19 June 1984 with the 6F43 15:39 Tunstead to Oakleigh vacuum braked stone hoppers. Note the single freshly painted wagon.

47279 passes Wolvercote in glorious evening light on 4 May 1990 with the 4M79 16:19 Southampton to Lawley Street freightliner. A wider view was deliberately chose here to show some of the remaining railway infrastructure surrounding the site of the former Wolvercote Sidings signal box. The box was situated on the left of this picture, and the remains of the footpath crossing can be seen here. On the extreme right can be seen the fenced course of the wartime down goods loop, with a drainage ditch separating it from the main lines. This public footpath crossing has since been closed, and no photography is now possible in the vicinity.

47280 Pedigree approaches Culham on 22 June 1990 with the 6E30 16:58 Eastleigh to Haverton Hill Speedlink, conveying three empty methanol tanks heading back to the ICI works at Haverton Hill, and three TTA gas oil tanks from Fawley, presumably destined for West Midlands traction fuelling facilities. This picture would have been a lot better if I had used my usual Kodachrome 64, rather than the rubbish Ektachrome 100, which for some reason I was trying out!

Viewed from the A40 Oxford to Witney road bridge, 47280 Pedigree approaches Wolvercote Junction on 18 August 1993 with the late running 4M15 16:00 Morris Cowley to Longbridge empty cartics. This was usually a loaded train.

47280 Pedigree approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 16 March 1994 with the 6M03 09:22 Swindon to Longbridge car body panels. The former Pressed Steel plant at Swindon (now owned by BMW) still produces pressings, but now they are moved by road to the Mini plant at Cowley.

If only all Speedlink trains had been this long! 47281 passes Ratcliffe-on-Soar on the afternoon of 1 July 1985 with a lengthy northbound working, comprising 30 domestic coal hoppers, several open wagons, and at least nine vans. The working timetable mentions a 8M46 13:35 Whitemoor to Toton around this time, but I'm not sure that this train would be running under a 8xxx headcode. Confirmation anyone?

47281 passes Ponthir on 4 September 1986 with the 6V75 06:35 Mossend to Severn Tunnel Junction steel coils. These would ultimately end up at Ebbw Vale. I don't normally take going away views like this, but I think this one works quite well as a picture, especially with the houses in the background.

47281 passes the oil depot at Flax Bourton on 21 September 1990 with the 6M29 14:00 Taunton to Bescot Speedlink. At the head of the train are four empty Ciba-Geigy caustic soda TTA tanks from the British Cellophane plant at Bridgwater, heading back to Runcorn. Behind them are VGA wagons containing Taunton Cider, and at the rear of the train empty Kemira/UKF fertiliser vans returning to Ince & Elton from Bridgwater.

47281 comes out of the darkness, and into the light at Kings Sutton on 27 June 1994. It is heading north with the 4M99 17:14 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. The loco was withdrawn just over four years later, and cut up at CRDC Wigan.

47281 passes South Moreton on 29 February 1996 with what is clearly a MoD train, presumably from Didcot. Although I obviously knew at the time, I seem to have lost the details of this working. Destination Marchwood? Any information would be gratefully received.

47283 Johnnie Walker passes Engine Common on 5 July 1990 with the 6M29 14:00 Taunton to Bescot Speedlink. It may be a wagonload service, but on this occasion it was effectively a block load, with the IZA twin van, and rake of VGA vans conveying cider from Taunton Cider's factory at Norton Fitzwarren.

47283 Johnnie Walker approaches Wolvercote Junction on 27 June 1994 with the 6M79 15:08 Eastleigh to Crewe Basford Hall MoD stores. The faded livery was common on many Railfreight Distribution Class 47s around this time, although this one is particularly bad, with the bodyside red diamonds on yellow logo hardly more than a patch of pale yellow.

47283 approaches Wolvercote Junction on 29 July 1997 with the 4M99 16:50 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. Although this location was excellent for northbound evening pictures, I very rarely encountered another photographer. This was probably to do with the awkward parking on an extremely busy road.

Despite angry protests from local residents, the largely moribund Hinksey Yard was converted into a 'virtual quarry' ballast dump in the late 1990s. Preliminary work in replacing the Second World War track is in evidence here on 18 August 1998, as 47283 passes the site with the 4O29 14:14 Trafford Park to Southampton freightliner. Obviously the present day residents of the area are less tolerant than those of fifty years ago, who would have to put up with steam locomotives shunting loose coupled freights all through the night!

47284 passes through Oxford station on 29 May 1985 with the 4O73 03:48 Lawley Street to Southampton Maritime freightliner. This was unusually running 70 minutes late. As its booked time at Oxford was 06:03, unsurprisingly this is my only picture of this particular working!

Running exactly to booked time, 47284 passes South Moreton on 12 September 1985 with the 6E92 10:45 Severn Tunnel Junction to Ripple Lane Speedlink. As was usual, the train is chiefly composed of empty cartics.

47284 passes Circourt Bridge, Denchworth on 25 April 1986 with the 6V04 12:30 Calvert to Bristol Avon Binliner empties. An interesting comparison between BR's corporate rail blue livery, and the lighter colour scheme of the Avon County Council containers. As well as the classic traction, this is the classic view of this now well known photographic location, with only two tracks. Also note the long gone platelayers hut, the last remaining dead elm tree, and the original brick built twin arch Denchworth Road Bridge, in the background.

47284 passes Rangeworthy on 10 August 1989 with what is presumably the 6B97 12:10 Tavistock Junction to Gloucester Speedlink, although there seems to be precious little revenue earning traffic being carried on this occasion.

47285 passes Hinksey Yard on 8 February 1986 with the 4O81 03:00 Coatbridge to Southampton Maritime freightliner. Presumably due to the snowy conditions, this was running an hour late. The train is passing under one of the two delicate looking concrete footbridges that spans the yard. This is the northerly one, connecting Whitehouse Road with Pembroke College Sports Ground.

The sun starts to break through the fog at Ashley on 2 September 1987, just as 47285 passes by with empty oil tanks heading for Stanlow. This early morning train doesn't seem to appear in the working timetable, but I am guessing it may have originated from Longsight Depot. Any further information would be gratefully received.

47285 passes Millbrook on 30 November 1989 with the 6W56 12:05 Wool to Eastleigh Speedlink trip. The Tiger PBA wagon directly behind the locomotive is conveying ball clay for use in the paper industry, from Furzebrook to Cliffe Vale. One or two such wagons was the usual load on this service.

47285 passes through Grateley station with the 6M73 08:32 Quidhampton to Willesden calcium carbonate tanks on 14 November 1991. A fairly lengthy train on this day, as it was not unusual to see this with just a few wagons, occasionally just one! The platform next to the train was formally an island platform, with the other face serving the line to Bulford Camp.

47285 passes Stracey Arms on 29 August 1992 with the 2P24 15:35 Norwich to Great Yarmouth service. This train was regularly worked by a Railfreight Distribution Class 47 on summer Saturdays, in place of a DMU. Surprising, in view of this, there are no heads out of windows!

With just a few weeks to go before Ashchurch's new station is due to open, finishing touches are being applied as 47285 & 47280 pass through with the 6V27 10:35 Longbridge to Swindon Rover car part empties on 15 May 1997. I'm not quite sure if the worker on the extreme right in front of the tree has fully read the health & safety book on the use of ladders!

47285 & 47293 Transfesa pass Whitnash on 9 September 1998 with the 4M08 14:15 Swindon to Longbridge Rover car body panels. Luckily this was a dull day, as there was absolutely no possibility of a decent picture from the other side, had the sun been out.

With the village of Steventon just visible amid the trees in the background, 47286 Port of Liverpool & 47378 approach Milton on 15 April 1997 with the 6M03 08:15 Swindon to Longbridge Rover car body panels. Unfortunately the RfD 47s are in their customary filthy condition, but at least on this occasion I got some sunshine, although as can be guessed from the dark clouds in the background, it didn't last for very long!

47287 slowly approaches a red signal, as it heads north along the centre road at Oxford station on 25 September 1987 with the 6M93 16:20 Morris Cowley to Bescot Speedlink. This was booked to stop here for one minute for a crew change. On this occasion the wait was much longer, as for some unexplained reason, the loco was swapped for 37217. This picture clearly shows the GWR station canopy on the up platform, along with the bay platforms, which were not in passenger use at this time. In the distance, on the extreme left, is the Royal Oxford Hotel, which was built as a railway hotel by the GWR in 1935.

47287 & 47289 pass Ponthir on 5 August 1998 with the 4S81 18:20 Cardiff Pengam to Coatbridge freightliner. A pity I wasn't here when 20308 & 20311 worked this train unaided a few weeks earlier. They made it, but it really was a stagger up Llanvihangel Bank!

47288 passes Denchworth on 2 October 1991, conveying a load of Army Land Rovers from Ashchurch to Didcot. Two decades later the same location is hardly recognisable, with four tracks reinstated, and both bridge and signalling replaced. I wouldn't like to guess how many of the Land Rovers in this picture are still in (non military) use, but 47288 did not survive very long after this picture was taken. Less than two years later is was involved in a derailment near Maidstone. The damage it sustained when it rolled onto its side was severe enough for it to be withdrawn.

Running an hour early, 47289 approaches Oxford on 18 July 1990 with the 6E30 16:58 Eastleigh to Haverton Hill Speedlink. The early running was fortunate, as this location would be a bit shadowy at the correct time. However, the view does not exist at all now, thanks to uncontrolled lineside vegetation.

47289 passes Denchworth on 17 August 1992 with the 4V15 Tilbury to Swindon 'butterliner' (containerised Anchor butter from New Zealand). You can clearly see the preparations for relaying the down relief line, with the newly laid ballast reaching just up to the foreground (note the corner of the butyl liner under the ballast). In the background the sleepers have been placed, but the rails have not yet arrived. The down relief line was completed before work on the corresponding up line started. This photo is not taken from the well known Denchworth location (Circourt Bridge), but from the bridge to the east, which also used to offer an excellent vantage point until a huge signal gantry was erected close to the bridge.

47289 passes the site of Coalpit Heath station on 29 March 2002 with the 5Z55 10:05 Laira to Neville Hill Virgin HST ECS, comprising power cars 43157 & 43090. Unless there was something wrong with the HST, it does seem a little perverse that the 47 was used to haul it (unless it was a traction knowledge issue), as this had entailed the loco working down to Devon especially the previous day as the 0Z77 Crewe to Laira.

47290 passes through the centre road of Oxford station on 4 September 1987 with the 6V19 06:32 Bescot to Oxford Speedlink service. The loco is wearing the original version of the Railfreight grey livery, with a white cantrail stripe. Always a good train to photograph, and as late as the mid 1980s could often produce unexpected traction. Standard fare this time though!

With Stinchcombe Hill dominating the background, 47290 passes Blanchworth (between Bristol and Gloucester) on 28 September 1989 with the 6B97 12:10 Tavistock Junction to Gloucester Speedlink. Unfortunately by this stage of the afternoon the earlier sunshine had disappeared into high cloud.

47290 passes Defford on 8 June 1993 with the early running 6V70 17:18 Cliffe Vale to St Blazey china clay empties. I wonder if the small section of metal fencing just to the right of the first wagon is a remnant of the former Defford station?

Double Class 47 clag at Defford on 4 November 1994. Visual proof that these two locos are fitted with multiple working equipment, which was added to certain members of the class late in their lives for use on lengthy trains such as this. 47290 & 47125 pile on the power as they pass Defford with the 6M03 10:23 Swindon to Longbridge Rover car body panels.

47291 passes Upton Scudamore on 16 August 1984 with the 6V37 13:10 Furzebrook to Llandarcy oil tanks. This train conveyed crude oil from the Wytch Farm oil field, which is by far the largest of the UK's very few onshore oil wells. Production had only just started when this picture was taken, with less than 5,000 barrels a day being extracted. This reached a peak of 100,000 barrels a day in 1996, but the trains to Llandarcy ceased in 1987.

47291 The Port of Felixstowe passes Radley on 15 May 1992 with the Fridays only 6M22 16:00 Gillingham to Ince & Elton fertilser train. On the left is Radley Ground Frame, with freshly painted equipment boxes next to the point levers. Although the Abingdon branch, which ran parallel with the mainline here, had been lifted several years earlier, the ground frame was retained for a few years to work the facing and trailing crossovers.

A golden glint at Didcot on 31 July 1992. As the 19:15 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads HST accelerates away from Didcot station, 47291 The Port of Felixstowe arrives from the opposite direction with the 6O56 17:41 Cardiff Tidal Sidings to Dover. After the demise of Speedlink this was one of the few freight flows that effectively ran as a general traffic service. It is pictured here travelling at no more than walking speed as it approaches the station, as indeed it could very well afford to do, as it is half an hour early for its booked crew change.

A scene that epitomises railways in the Fens in the 1980s. 47292 approaches Chainbridge with the 9H35 11:10 Wisbech to Whitemoor Speedlink trip working on 16 August 1988. The Wisbech branch is all that remains of the former through route from March King's Lynn. I think this is the only occasion that I have used a polarising filter in combination with the Pentax 6x7 on a railway subject, but here it accentuates the typical big sky of the fenland landscape. The loss of 1½ stops when using such a filter with ISO 100 film on medium format is no joke, but luckily here the train is slowing on the approach to a level crossing, so a shutter speed of only 1/250 sec could be used.

47292 approaches Standish Junction on 27 June 1991 with the 6M29 14:00 Taunton to Warrington Walton Old Junction Speedlink, conveying just three vans from Taunton Cider. With minuscule loads such as this, perhaps it was no surprise that the Speedlink wagonload service ended the following week. The trains may have been short, but there were plenty of them. An hour later 6B97 passed by, followed an hour after that, by 6B42.

47292 approaches Culham on 27 July 1991 with the 4O81 07:00 Coatbridge to Southampton Maritime freightliner. The short load was typical of this train at the time. This picture is taken from a bridge on Thame Lane, an old road that used to run from Culham village to Nuneham Courtney, until it was blocked by the construction of RNAS Culham in the 1930s.

There were far fewer freightliner trains through Oxford in the 1990s compared with today, and the ones that did run were usually shorter. 47292 passes Hinksey Yard on 29 July 1991 with the 4S59 13:10 Southampton Maritime to Coatbridge service.

Culham was always an excellent location for a summer evening's photography. 47292 heads north on 11 July 1994 with the 4M99 17:14 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. Note how faded the loco's paintwork is, although it would get a lot worse than this in the next few years!

This is clearly not what I was expecting! Having positioned myself in the ideal spot at Broad Marston on 17 April 1991, ready to photograph the 6B70 08:10 Worcester to Long Marston Speedlink trip, I was not impressed when 47293 rolled round the corner on its own, obviously running as 0B70. However, with ideal spring lighting, this record shot was taken. At least it left Long Marston shortly afterwards with a lengthy train.

The blackthorn is in flower on 17 April 1991 as 47293 departs from Long Marston with the 6B71 10:10 Long Marston to Worcester Speedlink trip. As with most MoD traffic, the loadings on this service varied considerably, depending on who we were at war with at the time! In this case, the first Gulf War had only just ended.

47293 passes Ashchurch on 17 April 1991 with the 6B53 Worcester to Gloucester Speedlink trip. The consist is now in reverse order compared with when I photographed it leaving Long Marston, as the train reversed at Worcester Shrub Hill. Although the lighting was getting very head on by 12:00, I'm still glad it didn't pass by in the cloud, which is clearly not very far away.

47293 passes Hinksey Yard on 1 August 1991 with the 4O75 11:25 Crewe Basford Hall to Southampton Maritime freightliner. In those days there were just a few daily freightliners through Oxford, amid a wide variety of other freights. Nowadays it is the complete reverse. 

47293 passes through the chalk cutting at Cholsey on 16 August 1991 with the 4S59 13:10 Southampton Maritime to Coatbridge freightliner. It seems an unlikely location, but the 1892 25 inch Ordnance Survey map shows two sets of mail pick up apparatus in this cutting.

With a varied selection of rusty steel in one form or another in the foreground, 47294 passes Hinksey Yard on 27 September 1986 with an unidentified freightliner. Surprisingly, it returned with another container train an hour later. In the background, a windsurfer is enjoying the warm weather on Hinksey Lake. This lake was formed by gravel diggings for the 'new' Great Western station at Oxford in 1850.

An hour after travelling in the other direction with another freightliner, 47294 heads north past Hinksey Yard on 27 September 1986 with an unidentified freightliner, which it has obviously swapped at Didcot. An interesting, and unexplained working.

47294 has less than a mile to go, as it passes Iver on 22 February 1990 with the 6V53 04:20 Humber to Langley oil tanks. Not only has the bridge from which this picture was taken been demolished, but the rough track that I drove up to get here has been lost, thanks to a massive new gravel pit.

47294 pulls out of Hinksey Yard on 5 July 1991 with the 6A82 07:08 Hinksey to Littlemore oil tanks. This had arrived a little earlier as the 6V54 04:00 Ripple Lane to Banbury. The working timetable indicates that the train split in Hinksey Yard, with this portion working a short distance down the Morris Cowley branch to the Littlemore oil terminal. As I had only just arrived as the loco was running round, and as the trees hide most of the yard from view, I cannot say for certain whether there was actually a Banbury portion on this day, or whether this was the whole train. This is one of just a handful of pictures that I have of Littlemore oil trains, hardly surprising as they usually ran on 'as required' basis.

Grey roof liveried 47295 passes the allotments next to Walton Well Road, Oxford, on 7 April 1990 with the diverted 6E50 09:41 Langley to Lindsey empty oil tanks. The train's normal route at the time was via the Midland Mainline.

47295 passes South Moreton on 15 August 1991 with the 6L58 14:20 Banbury to Ripple Lane oil empties. What is not apparent from this picture, is that 60039 Glastonbury Tor was approaching from the opposite direction with another tank train.

Viewed from the end of Micheldever station's island platform, 47296 heads south on 5 August 1995 with the 4O26 12:10 Lawley Street to Southampton freightliner. The loco is obviously in severe need of a repaint, but it would be another year before it acquired the then new Freightliner grey livery. Before that it would get even shabbier, and lose what little remained of its Railfreight Distribution decals.

A very tatty 47296 runs alongside the M40 motorway at Rowington on 5 June 1996 with the 4M99 15:58 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. Unfortunately since this picture was taken the insignificant bushes on the bank between the road and the railway have become very significant, virtually completely blocking the view.

How tatty does a loco have to get before it gets repainted? With a virtually non-existent front yellow warning panel, 47296 passes Barton-under-Needwood on 15 July 1996 with the 4V03 14:18 Lynemouth to Pengam aluminium ingots.

47296 approaches Goring on 30 December 1998 with the 4O24 03:45 Leeds to Southampton Maritime freightliner. This used to be my favourite photographic location between Didcot and Reading. The houses in the background are in the village of South Stoke.

47297 passes Claydon on 5 September 1987 with the 1E56 11:00 Paignton to Newcastle service. This was in the good old days, when the UK had an integrated railway, and railfreight resources could deputise for InterCity when required. Although now such trains are DMUs, if there was a problem today the train would just be cancelled!

47297 slowly traverses the Southampton Eastern Docks Branch at Northam Junction on 5 March 1994 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z36 04:26 Manchester Piccadilly to Southampton 'Hampshire Hog' railtour. 37375 is on the rear of the train. This view would be impossible today, as the footbridge from which it was taken has been demolished. Also, the view has changed somewhat, with the installation of a replacement footbridge directly in front of the roadbridge in the background. To complete the transformation, the waste ground on the right is now occupied by St Mary's football stadium, home to Southampton Football Club, and opened in 2001 at a cost £32 million.

Proceeded by two railmen with red flags, 47297 slowly runs alongside Test Road, as it arrives at Southampton Eastern Docks on 5 March 1994 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z36 04:26 Manchester Piccadilly to Southampton Eastern Docks 'Hampshire Hog' railtour. 37375 is on the rear of the train. I don't remember now whether there were any other photographers present, but the only pictures I have seen of 47297 in the docks, are a few presumably taken by tour participants, of it at the extreme end of the line.

47297 brings up the rear of the Pathfinder Tours 1Z36 12:31 Southampton Eastern Docks to Manchester Piccadilly 'Hampshire Hog' railtour, as it crosses Chapel Road, Southampton, on 5 March 1994. 37375 is at the front of the train.

47297 passes Kings Sutton in superb evening light on 31 May 1994 with the 4M99 17:16 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. Over a quarter of a century later, 4M99 still runs, although now unfortunately with a Class 66, rather than a much more photogenic Class 47.

With the chimney and cooling towers of Didcot Power Station all but invisible in the background haze, 47297 Cobra Railfreight passes South Moreton on 29 February 1996 with the 4O20 07:30 Morris Cowley to Southampton Rover cars for export.

47298 passes Claydon on 1 July 1986 with the 1V88 12:43 Newcastle to Plymouth parcels. This was running right behind the late running 3A38 19:30 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington parcels, thus providing the opportunity to photograph two van trains within a couple of minutes.

47298 Pegasus passes Didcot North Junction on 4 July 1991 with the 4M99 17:14 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. This train got even more interesting the following year, when the booked traction changed from a single Class 47 to a pair of 37s.

47298 Pegasus & 47219 Arnold Kunzler arrive at Andover on 19 April 1998 with the 6Z43 14:40 Haverfordwest to Ludgershall MoD special, conveying army vehicles for exercise 'Head First'. The train would shortly reverse onto the up line, using the crossover in the foreground, and then take the branch to Ludgershall, on the left.

47298 Pegasus & 47219 Arnold Kunzler leave Andover on 19 April 1998 with the 6Z43 14:40 Haverfordwest to Ludgershall MoD special, conveying army vehicles for exercise 'Head First'. Judging by the rusty track in front of the locos, nothing had been this way for a while. The train had arrived a little earlier from the London direction.

47298 Pegasus & 47228 axial pass Whitacre Junction in the rain on 13 June 1998 with the 6A02 08:53 Washwood Heath to Wembley Rover cars. Note how 47298 has also acquired its pre TOPS number D1100. Apologies for the poor technical quality of this picture, but it is the only occasion that I photographed a pair of RfD 47s on this working.

47299 heads back down the Cotswold Line after track relaying work at Ascott-under-Wychwood on Sunday 20 April 1986. It is pictured near Stonesfield, entering the cutting that takes the line through a ridge next to one of the many bends in the nearby River Evenlode.

Running exactly to time, 47299 passes Hinksey Yard on 5 July 1991, during the last week of Speedlink operations, with the 6V19 05:15 Bescot to Didcot, which on this occasion unusually was totally comprised of empty flats. The loco had received the unofficial name Ariadne the previous week.

47299 Ariadne passes Kings Sutton on 8 August 1991 with the 4M57 15:50 Southampton Maritime to Trafford Park freightliner. The loco had been transferred from Immingham to Tinsley a couple of months earlier, and Tinsley lost no time in applying one of their unofficial names, in this case a name from Greek mythology.

47299 heads north from Banbury on 17 May 1993 with the 4S59 12:32 Southampton Maritime to Coatbridge freightliner. The Hennef Way bridge hadn't been opened for very long when this picture was taken, which explains the lack of lineside vegetation.

47299 passes Up Hatherley on 28 August 1995 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z30 08:00 Bristol Temple Meads to Wigan North Western 'Crewe Excursioner' railtour. Although the use of a Railfreight Distribution Class 47 was interesting enough, the real highlight came on the return, when it was the turn of 59003 Yeoman Highlander & 59101 Village of Whatley.

The original batch of no-heat Class 47s occupied the number range 47301 to 47381, but in 1992 the number 47300 was added to the fleet when 47468 unusually had its ETS equipment removed. 47300 is pictured here heading north past Slindon on 21 August 1994 with Cowans Sheldon twin jib crane DRS78210. The loco returned later in the day in the company of 47356.

47300 & 47356 head south past Millmeece on the evening of 21 August 1994. After its conversion from Class 47/4 47468 in 1992, 47300 was employed by the departmental sector, but was stored unserviceable in 1995, and was cut up in 2002.

With its Freightliner grey livery turned brown with grime, 47301 Freightliner Birmingham passes South Moreton on 29 February 1996 with the 4O22 02:30 Garston to Southampton freightliner. Didcot Power Station is all but invisible in the mist in the background.

With a cheery wave and a beaming smile, this driver is obviously pleased to be photographed! 47301 Freightliner Birmingham approaches Wolvercote Junction on 14 August 1997 with the 4M99 16:50 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. You can tell that this is late on in the evening, as not only are the shadows lengthening, but there isn't the usual nose to tail traffic on the A34 Oxford ring road in the background!

47301 Freightliner Birmingham passes Hinksey Yard on 1 September 1999 with 4S59 15:13 Millbrook to Coatbridge freightliner. 47301 was withdrawn the following month, but reinstated briefly twice more before finally succumbing in the wake of deliveries of the new Class 66s in early 2001. It was broken up in January 2003.

A busy moment ay South Moreton on 1 December 1983. 47302 heads east with the 8A27 09:00 Severn Tunnel Junction to Acton mixed freight, while Class 117 DMU L411 (51388, 59498 & 51346) does its best to get in the way with the 2A28 12:01 Paddington to Oxford 'all stations' service. In the distance the late running 1B68 12:05 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads HST can just be seen approaching Didcot station. 47302 is a long way from home here, as at this time it was allocated to Thornaby.

47302 approaches Coaley Junction with the 9C04 14:54 Gloucester to Bristol East Depot departmental working on 17 April 1991. A welcome but slightly surprising choice of traction, as this train was booked for one of the local DCWA allocated locomotives. Tinsley's 47302 sports the original Railfreight livery with the addition of a red stripe. There were a number of permutations to this livery, but in addition to the larger white bodyside numbers, this loco also carries the Thornaby kingfisher logo, a reminder of its pre 1990 depot allocation. Not only was I lucky with the motive power, but also with the weather, as a brief patch of sunshine for once appeared exactly at the right moment!

The 4M99 15:58 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner was in trouble on 17 June 1996 when 47345 failed. Red stripe liveried classmate 47302 was called upon to assist and the pair are pictured passing South Moreton in the late evening light. Presumably not the image Freightliner would like to portray, with not only a failed locomotive, but one that it is the then new corporate colours, being rescued by an exceedingly tatty and patch painted loco without any Freightliner branding.

In dramatic lighting in between heavy showers, 47304 heads north through Oxford with the 6M23 10:12 Fawley to Longport LPG tanks on 22 April 1986. Note the variety of traction visible in the background, with a HST heading towards the station and Class 117 DMU and Class 50 in the carriage sidings. The gate visible by the notices in the foreground is the location of my only sighting of a steam loco in BR service, when as a child I saw Sir Winston Churchill's funeral train en-route to Hanborough in January 1965. My memories from that day are less of the train and more of playing on the edge of the stream in the foreground!

Absolutely filthy 47304 passes Cathiron on 9 September 1998 with the early running 4A36 14:15 Hams Hall to Wembley intermodal. It looks like the loco is near the end of its life, and indeed it was, being withdrawn five months later.

With the original Severn Bridge in the background, 47305 rounds the sharp curve into the ICI works at Severnside on 1 August 1990, at the end of its long all day journey with the 6V47 07:22 Haverton Hill to Severnside anhydrous ammonia. Despite appearances the train is actually approaching me, although the headlight not being on and the red tail lamp don't give that impression! There obviously seemed little point in altering these, as the train has just traversed the Severn Beach line in the background and has had to run round. This train was always instantly recognisable by the distinctive wagons, complete with barrier wagons at each end, and by the use of a Thornaby Class 47/3 (the Thornaby kingfisher logo can just be seen on the loco's side).

After taking a picture of 47305 rounding the curve into the ICI works at Severnside with the 6V47 07:22 Haverton Hill to Severnside anhydrous ammonia on 1 August 1990, I quickly crossed the road to get this shot of the train approaching the works. I have seen surprisingly few pictures of this location, and although I never got a picture of a train leaving the plant, this picture does give a good clear view of the chemical works, complete with its distinctive round storage tanks. The works shunter can just be seen in the background. The neatly mown field on the left soon degenerated into a jungle after the works closed in the late 1990s. The plant was demolished in 2008, and the site is now home to the Sita household waste disposal facility.

47305 approaches Wolvercote Junction on 13 June 1994 with the 6M79 15:08 Eastleigh to Crewe Basford Hall MoD stores. A well loaded train on this occasion, and an almost completely uniform rake of wagons. The Railfreight Petroleum livery is obviously wrong for this train, as would be the other versions of the triple grey livery that this loco at one time carried - Metals & Construction.

47305 crosses the Oxford Canal near Upper Heyford on 14 February 1995 with the 6V03 09:54 Fenny Compton to Didcot MoD Stores train. Not quite the perfect reflection I was hoping for, but shortly after this the wind speed increased, creating even more ripples, so I was lucky to get this. Just visible in the background is Heyford Common Lock.

47306 passes Croome on 14 May 1984 with what is presumably the 7V32 09:24 Tinsley to Margam steel empties, although the working timetable states that it ran on Fridays only, and this is a Monday. 47306 would not be a Tinsley allocated loco for anther three years.

47306 Goshawk is pictured at its home depot of Tinsley on 11 August 1990. This picture is slightly unusual in that the loco still survives, but virtually nothing else in the picture, except the pylon has survived the march of progress. Tinsley depot closed in 1998, and the line and bridge have now been removed.

A couple of horses graze in the field at Kings Sutton, unconcerned by the passing of 47306 and its featherweight load on 8 August 1991. After the demise of the Speedlink wagonload service, just a few weeks before this picture was taken, most such traffic was lost to rail. However, a dedicated MoD network remained, and other traffic sometimes hitched a ride on these trains. This is presumably the 6M79 15:08 Eastleigh to Crewe Basford Hall, but on this occasion has no MoD traffic at all, and is conveying just a single china clay wagon destined for the Potteries, probably originating from Furzebrook. This is exactly the kind of unremunerative train that brought Speedlink to an end!

47306 The Sapper passes Rumney on 8 November 1996 with the 6B03 09:18 Swansea Burrows Sidings to Newport Alexandra Dock Junction Connectrail feeder service. The three bogie ferry vans seem to have some random patch painting.

A Railfreight Distribution convoy at Clay Mills (Hargate). 47306 The Sapper, 47218 United Transport Europe, 47363 & 47125 head north on 28 March 1997. Only the plain colour scheme of 47363 spoils the livery uniformity, although two of the locos could certainly do with a wash!

47306 The Sapper brings up the rear of the 2D05 12:06 Cardiff Central to Bargoed service at Hengoed station on 18 March 2000. 47799 Prince Henry was at the front of the train, but as the train was already in the station when I arrived, I missed out on a picture of that!

Tinsley's unofficially named 47307 Bunting is reflected in the recently dredged lineside ditch, as it passes Oxford North Junction on 2 May 1990. As this doesn't remotely match up with anything in the working timetable, I assume it is a special Southampton Western Docks to Washwood Heath train of empty cartics.

On 6 May 1994, 47307 pulls slowly out of Didcot Yard, and approaches Didcot North Junction, with a short train of cartics, presumably heading for Morris Cowley. Earlier this train had briefly had 47145 Merddin Emrys attached to the front of it, for no obvious reason.

47308 & 47098 Oriole pass Didcot North Junction in the very last of the evening light on 3 May 1990 with the 6E30 17:18 Eastleigh to Haverton Hill Speedlink. Presumably 47098 was a failure, as the train was certainly very late. This location is now completely surrounded by houses and an industrial estate.

Much has changed at Kingham since this picture was taken on 7 May 1989. The vintage bullhead track has been replaced, the bay platform in the foreground has been removed and the area converted into an extended car park, the open ground on the left in the background is now in industrial use, and the trees have grown considerably! 47309 heads south with ballast empties from Moreton-in-Marsh. Work had been taking place on the down line near Ascott-under-Wychwood and the train had to go to Moreton to run round.

47309 The Halewood Transmission passes South Moreton (Didcot East) on 25 November 1993 with the 4O22 05:30 Crewe Basford Hall to Southampton Maritime freightliner. The coal and gas industry structures in the background have all now been demolished.

An almost monochromatic scene at Stroud on 15 March 1996, as 47309 The Halewood Transmission passes through the station in the rain with the 6V27 10:35 Longbridge to Swindon Rover car body panel empties. Stroud station is still full of Great Western atmosphere, with the original Isambard Kingdom Brunel designed Cotswold stone buildings still surviving, having thankfully managed to get through the 1960s and 1970s without succumbing to rationalisation, and the all too common replacement with bus shelter type structures.

47309 & 31235 pass Danemoor Green on 24 March 2002 with the 11:00 Dereham to Wymondham service, during the Mid Norfolk Railway's Diesel Gala. The 47 was still part of Freightliner's active fleet at the time, and would have almost another four years in traffic on the mainline, before finally succumbing to the Class 66 invasion.

47309 & 50019 Ramillies pass Danemoor Green on 24 March 2002 with the 14:00 Dereham to Wymondham service, during the Mid Norfolk Railway's Diesel Gala. This section of the line is now double track, with a new running line on the left, and the track on which these locos are running now an extended siding.

With Didcot Power Station in the background, contributing its 2,000 megawatts of power to the National Grid, 47310 approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 18 December 1985 with the 6V11 10:03 Wolverton to Stoke Gifford ARC stone empties. There's not much left from this picture. The loco has gone (scrapped in 2004), the tree on the left, the PW hut, and the brick bridge in the background have all gone, and of course Didcot Power Station was closed in 2013. The only plus point is that this location is now a four track section of mainline.

47310 passes Deepcut on 28 August 1987 with the 6Y50 09:25 Fawley to Holybourne crude oil empties. The tall bridge in the far distance is the B3015 Deepcut to Chobham Ridges road, imaginatively named Deepcut Bridge Road!

47310 passes South Moreton (Didcot East) at sunset on 28 August 1987 with the 6E30 17:18 Eastleigh to Tees Yard Speedlink. The site of the former Second World War marshalling yard behind the loco eventually came to life again a quarter of a century after this picture was taken, becoming a base for the Great Western Mainline electrification project.

47310 passes Narroways Hill Junction on 10 August 1989 with the 6M29 14:00 Taunton to Bescot Speedlink. This was basically a cider train, conveying the typically West Country apple beverage from the now closed Taunton Cider factory at Norton Fitzwarren. In addition, just visible at the rear of the train are a couple of empty chemical tanks from Bridgwater.

47310 Raven passes Flax Bourton with the 6B97 12:10 Tavistock Junction to Gloucester New Yard Speedlink on 5 April 1990. The IZA twin Cargowagon behind the loco contains bagged china clay for export via Dover. Behind that is a single empty bitumen tank returning to Ellesmere Port. In the centre of the train are four OTA wagons loaded with timber from Lapford, and destined for Warrington. Bringing up the rear is an empty PJA Cartic set returning to Halewood.

47310 Henry Ford  passes Claydon (Gloucestershire) on 2 July 1991 with the 6M08 18:20 Swindon to Longbridge Rover car body panels. This was running nearly an hour late, and the light had virtually gone. The man painting the windows of the mobile home in the background is wasting his time, it was demolished a few years later!

47310 Henry Ford  is slightly inappropriate traction for the 4M09 Cowley to Washwood Heath Rover cars. It is pictured here approaching Wolvercote Junction in the very last of the evening's light on 18 July 1994. Surely 47323 Rover Group Quality Assured would have been much appropriate!

47310 Henry Ford runs alongside the M40 motorway near Rowington on 5 June 1996 with the 4M04 16:00 Southampton Docks to Washwood Heath empty cartics. Unfortunately this comparison of transport types is no longer possible, due to trees having been planted between the road and railway.

47311 approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 27 October 1982 with the 6A08 03:00 Robeston to Langley oil tanks. What makes this picture particularly interesting is the inclusion of a short wheelbase van at the head of the formation, even more interesting is the fact that it is still in maroon livery, as late as 1982! 47311's grey roof clearly indicates that it was a Stratford allocated loco at the time. It was always good to photograph Stratford locos in the early 1980s, as this was virtually the only loco livery variation on BR.

Although the amount of freight traffic on the railways has declined considerably since the 1980s, one type of traffic has definitely increased. Whereas there is now a large number of intermodal trains passing through Oxford every day, in the 1980s there were very few. 47312 passes Wolvercote on 19 May 1986 with the 4M79 16:08 Southampton Maritime to Lawley Street freightliner.

In the days when Didcot North Junction was still largely surrounding by fields, 47312 heads north with the 6E30 16:58 Eastleigh to Haverton Hill Speedlink on 22 June 1989. Just visible above the third wagon is the water tower in the Great Western Society's Didcot Railway Centre.

With five different types of wagon, this train could easily be mistaken for a Speedlink service, but this picture was taken nearly two years after the wagonload Speedlink network was abandoned. 47312 passes Winwick on 25 March 1993 with the 6S61 Warrington Arpley to Dalry, which would cross the Pennines via the Calder Valley route, and then head to Scotland via the East Coast Mainline. This was because some of the traffic was dropped off at Tyne Yard. The red sheeted hoppers at the rear are conveying salt from Middlewich to Dalry. They were notoriously leaky, and the salt often caused track circuit problems!

47312 passes Hampton Gay on 4 May 1995 with the 4M99 17:14 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. The shabby and faded paintwork typifies a lot of the Railfreight Distribution liveried Class 47s at around this time.

Despite the application of sundry alternative liveries, BR blue was still the dominant colour on the national network in mid 1980s. On 27 June 1986 47313 ambles along the Great Western mainline at Compton Beauchamp (between Didcot and Swindon) with a late running Wolverton to Stoke Gifford ARC stone empties.

During a brief sunny spell on 18 April 1991, 47313 heads north through Oxford with the 4M15 14:58 Morris Cowley to Longbridge Rover cars. Clearly visible on the left is the course of the old LNWR (later LMS) route into Oxford which ran parallel with the GWR line from what is now Oxford North Junction to its own station at Rewley Road adjacent to the Great Western's station.

47313 takes the line leading into the Rover car plant at Highworth Junction, Swindon, on 26 October 1992. The train is the 6V09 05:50 Longbridge to Swindon car body panel empties, which at this time ran in a slightly later path on a Monday (as here), which gave a slightly better light angle.

47313 passes underneath the Gipsy Lane bridge at Swindon, as it approaches Highworth Junction on 26 October 1992 with the 6M03 10:38 Swindon to Longbridge Rover car body panels. I was not in the right position for this, as it left early, and I didn't hear it coming, but it is the only picture I have of a train passing under this bridge.

47313 crosses over the River Cherwell at Hampton Gay on 28 June 1993 with the 4M04 15:25 Southampton Western Docks to Washwood Heath empty cartics. The Kidlington to Woodstock branch line (closed in 1954) formerly occupied the bridge in the foreground.

47313 heads north from Banbury on 16 June 1994 with the 6M08 18:20 Swindon to Longbridge Rover car body panels. Even near the longest day, the shadows were always a problem at this location, which is near Hardwick Farm, close the M40 motorway.

47314 passes Hinksey Yard on 3 October 1990 with the well loaded 6A50 14:00 Bicester to Morris Cowley Speedlink. These wagons would soon be heading back in the opposite direction, as part of the 6M93 16:20 Morris Cowley to Bescot Speedlink.

Now this is what you call a proper train! With the wagons snaking round the reverse curve and out of sight into the distance, 47314 Transmark makes surprisingly light work of the climb to Harbury on 26 June 1991 with the 6V36 Longbridge to Morris Cowley car component empties. Of course the fact that the wagons are empty makes a big difference!

It is 05:30 on 14 June 1983, and while most of the residents of nearby Oxford are still asleep, the very first glimmer of sunlight starts to illuminate the scene at Hinksey Yard. 47315 slowly weaves across from the up relief line, over the main running lines, and into the yard. The working is the 7V12 01:53 Toton to Didcot Power Station MGR, which was not booked to do this, so presumably there was some problem with the train, or more likely, with the power station. At the time the Didcot coal trains were mostly in the hands of Class 56s.

47315 passes Orleton on 18 June 1984 with the 6M33 07:00 Llanwern to Dee Marsh steel coils. With semaphore signalling still in use on the route at the time, the impressive line of telegraph poles were still very much in use.

With Goole's iconic water towers dominating the background, 47315 stands in the town's up goods loop on 19 June 1999 with the stock from the Pathfinder Tours 1Z90 05:49 Bristol Temple Meads to Goole 'Spinning Spectre' railtour. 60025 had just moved the train into the loop, as the train was booked to stay at Goole for 90 minutes. Photo taken from a car park behind the signal box.

47316 runs through Pangbourne cutting on 28 April 1993 with the 4Z69 15:44 Southampton Western Docks to Morris Cowley empty cartics. This was clearly not a location for photographing anything travelling on the down main line!

Cotswold Rail 47316 Cam Peak brings up the rear of the Heartland Rail 1Z48 16:40 Peterborough to Shrewsbury 'Peterborough, Spalding and Lincoln Excursion' railtour at Ruskington on 30 April 2005. 47714 is leading. Needless to say the ineffective fence has since been replaced!

There was obviously a shortage of locomotives in the London area on 14 August 1980, as 47317 has been drafting in to work the 12:50 Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill service. Making a very rare visit to the Cotswold line, the 47/3 is pictured passing Shorthampton. Note the newly installed cable trunking on the left, which is about to make the steam age telegraph poles redundant.

Just after dawn on 4 July 1985, 47317 passes Hinksey Yard with the 7V22 02:40 Barrow Hill to Didcot Power Station MGR. This is one of the relatively few pictures that I have of Class 47s working to Didcot, as by 1985 Class 56s and 58s predominated.

47317 Willesden Yard heads east past Milton on 24 October 1989. This view has completely changed. Not only is the line now electrified, but the field in the foreground is now a car park for the local Land Rover dealer, and the cooling towers of Didcot Power Station have been demolished.

47317 passes Kings Sutton on 20 July 1995 with the 4S59 15:35 Southampton to Coatbridge freightliner. This clearly shows how tatty some Freightliner 47s had become by the mid 1990s, with the Railfreight Distribution decals almost faded to the same grey as the bodyside. Note also that the loco has just had its Willesden Yard nameplates removed.

47318 passes Milton Trading Estate with the 6B27 Theale to Robeston oil empties on 16 November 1988. Although sunny at this spot, the remains of the early morning fog is still hanging around over Didcot and virtually hiding Didcot Power Station, which would normally dominate the background here. Although partially obscured by steam from the cooling towers, the station's 655 feet tall chimney (in the centre of the picture) is all but invisible.

47319 passes Croome on 14 May 1984 with the 9B70 14:25 Worcester to Gloucester New Yard departmental working. In addition to the usual engineering vehicles, on this occasion the train also contains a couple of bitumen tanks.

47319 passes Llandevenny on 21 October 1985 with the Mondays only 6B79 07:10 Abercwmboi Phurnacite Plant to Severn Tunnel Junction loaded vacuum braked coal wagons. This was running 80 minutes late. Phurnacite is a smokeless fuel made from compressed anthracite dust, which although marketed as being a cleaner alternative to ordinary coal, caused a tremendous amount of pollution during its manufacture. The Abercwmboi plant (which closed in 1990) was infamous for the sulphurous smoke that filled the local valley.

47320 passes South Moreton on 12 September 1985 with an unidentified oil train. It is running too early for the 6C27 16:10 Theale to Robeston empties, and the presence of the four wheel TTA tanks at the rear also seems to discount this. Nothing else in the working timetable seems to fit. Possibly a Ripple Lane to Littlemore working?

47321 approaches Bayston Hill on 3 July 1985 with the 6M33 07:00 Llanwern to Dee Marsh steel coils. By 1985 it was a minor photographic victory to get a picture of a Class 47 without the slightly off-centre headlight, that was rapidly being added to the front of every class member.

47322 passes Claydon on 2 July 1991 with ten immaculate ICI TTA tank wagons. This could possibly be the 6E64 14:30 Baglan Bay to Doncaster Belmont Yard Speedlink, but the lack of any other type of wagons, and the unusually clean block rake of tanks, makes me think it could be something else.

47323 approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 21 December 1992 with the 6M14 09:26 Cardiff Tidal to Willesden Brent RfD service. This was the nearest thing there was in 1992 to a general merchandise freight train, the Speedlink wagonload network having finished the previous year. Work is underway to reinstate the relief lines, with a line of sleepers marking out the course of the new down line. Work has yet to start on the up relief.

47323 was named Rover Group Quality Assured at the Swindon Rover Works on 23 February 1994. It is pictured here in the drizzling rain, specially posed with a Cargowaggon inside the Rover Works after the naming ceremony. 47323 lost its new name after a little over two years.

47325 is almost as filthy as the vans it is hauling, as it passes St George's on 20 April 1985 with the 3A12 08:50 Carmarthen to Old Oak Common empty newspaper vans. Note the BSK at the front of the train, in addition to the usual BGs and GUVs.

47326 passes Stenson Junction on 16 October 1986 with the 6V60 09:05 Scunthorpe to Severn Tunnel  Junction MGR empties. All is now history, with the loco, wagons and even the track on the right having been scrapped. Even the destination of this train no longer has any freight connection, as Severn Tunnel Junction Yard and motive power depot closed almost exactly a year after this picture was taken.

A rather scruffy 47326 passes through Radley station on 20 July 1989 with the 6M23 10:30 Fawley to Longport LPG tanks. This view has changed considerably. A couple of communication masts now interrupt the view, and lineside tree growth has been considerable. The GWR footbridge has been replaced, and the whole station has been spruced up, including a much improved car park.

There is still frost on the ground as 47326 passes Millbrook on 30 November 1989 with a rake of bogie TEA oil tanks from Fawley to Eastleigh. The loco would be back an hour and half later with a different sort of tanks.

47326 passes Millbrook on 30 November 1989, whilst en-route from Eastleigh to Fawley with a rake of LPG tanks. A little earlier it had passed by in the opposite direction with a rake of oil tanks. Unfortunately the footbridge from which this picture was taken has now been closed.

47326 passes Potbridge on 16 March 1990 with the 6Y51 13:40 Holybourne to Fawley crude oil. The oil was piped to the Holybourne terminal from the Humbly Grove Oilfield, near Lasham. Note the two different designs of Second World War pillbox, and the standard Southern Railway concrete permanent way hut.

47326 passes Flax Bourton on 5 April 1990 with the 6V62 10:34 Fawley to Tavistock Junction tanks. This conveyed both fuel oil for BR depots, and bitumen for the Esso depot at Plymouth Cattewater. It was routed the long way round, via Bristol, as it dropped off tanks at Temple Meads for Bath Road depot. This traffic survived into the new millennium, but then the idiotic decision was taken to supply the railway's fuel requirements by road!

47326 rounds the sharp curve on the approach to Swindon station on 28 October 1992 with the 6V27 04:50 Longbridge to Swindon car body panel empties. It is passing a small engine shed that was situated at the west end of the station. Not to be confused with Swindon's main shed (82C), which was situated round the corner, adjacent to the Gloucester line.

47326 Saltley Depot Quality Assured passes Shoreham (the Kent village, rather than the Sussex seaside town) with the 6O55 10:50 Wembley to Dollands Moor Connectrail service on 25 March 1995. Shoreham station can be seen in the background.

47327 passes the site of Bletchingdon station on 17 August 1988 with the 6O36 13:10 Kilnhurst to Fawley Esso bitumen empties. This Wednesdays only working would soon be stopping at Oxford for a crew change, and then after traveling only a few more miles, stopping again at Didcot East Junction for another crew change!

Didcot North Junction, when it was still a rural location. 47330 heads north on 22 June 1989 with the 4M79 16:17 Southampton Maritime to Lawley Street freightliner. The train was booked for a crew change at Didcot Parkway station, which explains why it is not coming around the avoiding line from Didcot East Junction.

Speedlink's final day. 47330 Tren Nwyddau Amlwch / Amlwch Freighter passes Standish Junction on 5 July 1991 with the last 6M29 14:00 Taunton to Bescot Speedlink. With loads such as this, it is no wonder that the wagonload service was losing money!

The final 6L91 19:13 Gloucester New Yard to Dagenham Dock Speedlink passes Standish Junction on Friday 5 July 1991, hauled by 47330 Tren Nwyddau Amlwch / Amlwch Freighter. From the following Monday there would be virtually no wagonload freight trains in the UK (apart from MoD traffic), as anything that could not be moved onto block workings, would be lost to rail. The entire Speedlink network was withdrawn, after years of running at a loss.

Late on a cold but bright winter afternoon at Radley station on 11 December 1991. 47330 Tren Nwyddau Amlwch / Amlwch Freighter passes underneath the Great Western Railway footbridge (since replaced) with the 4O75 11:25 Crewe Basford Hall to Southampton Maritime freightliner.

With the chimney of the disused Shipton-on-Cherwell cement works just visible on the right, 47330 passes Hampton Gay on 6 August 1998 with the 4O18 05:17 Lawley Street to Southampton freightliner. The partial cleaning of the loco's bodyside almost looks like a livery variation at first glance, although the 'Psycho Bob' wording is a bit of a giveaway!

Sunshine and a little snow at Hinksey on 8 February 1986. 47331 heads south with the very early running 4O90 12:25 Lawley Street to Southampton Maritime freightliner. It has been a very long time since the ice rink and the other buildings on the western edge of Oxford could be seen from this vantage point. Mature trees now completely dominate this view.

A stone train derailed whilst passing through Bedwyn station on 6 May 1983, partially demolishing the up platform. Clean up operations are pictured the next day, with 47333 standing wrong line (the only one left!) with a lengthy spoil train. Of note is the very relaxed atmosphere, with completely open access to the platform. There were several interested onlookers (not just me) wandering around at will, something which I'm sure would not be tolerated today.

47333 climbs the gradient towards Chinley station on 20 October 1983 with the 6H30 13:23 Thorpe Bridge Junction to Peak Forest stone empties. The best of the day had passed (Class 40s in sunshine!), but this was still worth photographing.

47334 passes through the centre road at Oxford on 5 July 1980 with the 1O03 07:21 Liverpool Lime Street to Poole. Apologies for the poor framing, but it caught me by surprise when I was not in an ideal place on the platform. However, a picture of a Class 47/3 hauled passenger train is always worth including, especially as it is not using the platform line.

47335 passes through Winchester station on 28 June 1991 with the 4M88 13:42 Southampton to Willesden freightliner. The station car park looks suspiciously empty for a weekday afternoon, I bet it wouldn't be like that nowadays!

47335 passes East Usk Junction on 18 August 1995 with the 6M14 15:57 Newport Alexandra Dock Junction to Wembley Railfreight Distribution 'Connectlink' service. Although principally carrying steel products, this was actually a mixed traffic train.

47335 passes Marshfield on 27 August 1998 with the late running 6B03 09:18 Swansea Burrows to Newport Alexandra Dock Junction Enterprise service. With its faded Trainload Distribution livery and missing depot plaque, it definitely looks like this loco was living on borrowed time. It lasted for a few more months, but was withdrawn in February 1999. It then managed to hang around another seven years before being cut up.

47336 passes Ashchurch on 6 May 1989 with the 6E48 07:40 Hallen Marsh to Immingham Norsk Hydro fertiliser empties, just at the same moment as a cement lorry starts pouring the foundations on the building site next to the railway. 

47337 approaches Clink Road Junction on 11 May 1985 with the 1Z27 07:30 Bedford to Paignton special. This is something that has long since disappeared from the national network, the BR organised day excursion. Apologies for the very poor image quality, but I thought it worth including, showing as it does a normally freight only Class 47/3 hauling InterCity liveried Mk1 coaches.

47337 passes Mostyn on 30 March 1991 with the 7F18 Llandudno Junction to Ellesmere Port chemical tanks, unusually running on a Saturday. The train, which had originated at Associated Octel terminal at Amlwch, on Anglesey, is conveying both full and empty tanks. The four grey tanks at the front of the train are conveying ethylene dibromide, which was used in the manufacture of anti-knock compound for petrol. The white chlorine tanks are empty, having previously brought chlorine to the Amlwch plant to be used in the process of extracting bromide from sea water. The two brake vans and barrier wagons were used on this train due to the hazardous nature of the load.

47338 passes Hinksey Yard on 22 October 1985 with the 7V07 13:57 Barrow Hill to Didcot Power Station MGR. The Royal Corps of Transport containers in the foreground had arrived in the yard a little earlier from Bicester Army Depot. This was early days for containerised MoD traffic, with most stores still being conveying in a variety of four wheel vans.

47338 passes Oxford North Junction on 13 May 1987 with the 6V19 06:32 Bescot to Oxford Speedlink. A few years earlier this working used to throw up all kinds of unusual traction, with anything Bescot had spare being used. However, by this date it was usually Class 47 hauled.

47338 Cormorant passes Puriton on 2 July 1990 with the 6B97 12:10 Tavistock Junction to Gloucester Speedlink. This was one of Tinsley's unofficially named 47s, which saw red backed painted 'plates' applied to a large number of their locos in 1989/90.

47338 passes South Moreton on 28 August 1991 with the extremely lightly loaded 6V16 10:37 Willesden Brent to Morris Cowley RfD service. This was never a particular lengthy train, but it couldn't get any more uneconomic than this!

47338 Warrington Yard arrives at Didcot on 26 October 1992 from the Oxford direction, prior to taking over the 6V16 Wembley to Newport Alexandra Dock Junction mixed freight service, after 47222 has detached a pair of wagons for Morris Cowley.

47338 Warrington Yard accelerates away from Didcot on 26 October 1992 with the 6V16 Wembley to Newport Alexandra Dock Junction mixed freight service, after having just detached a pair of wagons (for Morris Cowley) in the station.

47338 Warrington Yard approaches Wolvercote Junction on 13 June 1994 with the 6M08 18:20 Swindon to Longbridge Rover car body panels. As can be guessed from the large number of pictures on this website taken at this location, this was my default choice for an evening's photography after work. There would be no point in trying it now, as this view no longer exists, due to the uncontrolled growth of the lineside vegetation.

47338 Warrington Yard just manages to avoid the worst of the late evening shadows, as it passes Overthorpe on 14 June 1994 with the 6M08 18:20 Swindon to Longbridge Rover car body panels. It looks like its been a long day for the secondman!

47339 passes South Moreton (Didcot East) on 1 December 1983 with eastbound oil tanks. According to the working timetable this could either be the 6M34 08:00 Llandarcy to Thame, or the 6A21 08:00 Llandarcy to Southall, and unfortunately as they both ran as required in the same path, there is little way of telling! Didcot Power Station in the background had still got nearly three decades of useful electricity generation ahead when this picture was taken.

47339 passes Brockhampton on 18 July 1988 with the 4M31 17:41 Swindon to Longbridge Rover car body panels. This was a location that could have done with a bit of extra height, be it ladder or pole. It certainly would now, as the last time I was there the roadside hedge had hidden this view completely!

During 1990 the 1M27 08:10 Bristol Temple Meads to Carlisle service was a good bet for a non ETH Class 47. Such was the case on 4 August when Railfreight red stripe liveried 47339 was in charge, seen here passing Alstone, as it accelerates away from Cheltenham station. It was a very hot day, so definitely no heating was required and the coaches aren't air conditioned, so it makes no odds that the loco can't work either!

47339 runs alongside the surprisingly empty M40 motorway at Rowington on 17 May 1993 with the 4M50 09:11 Southampton to Crewe Basford Hall freightliner. The motorway had only been open a few years, and the vegetation had not yet grown up to shield the railway from the road.

47339 passes Whitnash on 8 August 1998 with the 4O27 05:00 Coatbridge to Southampton freightliner. This loco was withdrawn the following year, and after a long period in store, was cut up by C.F. Booth of Rotherham in 2005.

47344 passes Goring on 13 September 1986 with the 1C18 08:30 Paddington to Weston-super-Mare HST replacement service. A rare chance for some top link passenger work for the nominally freight only 47/3! In order to power the Mk 3 HST coaches, converted Mk 1 generator coach ADB975325 is coupled next to the locomotive. The two rusty silencers for the internal diesel engine can clearly be seen in the roof. The train later worked back to the capital as the 1A37 11:05 Weston-super-Mare to Paddington.

47344 arrives at the Rover car plant at Swindon on 13 June 1996 with the 6V09 04:20 Longbridge to Swindon car panel empties, comprising a complete rake of the then brand new cube wagons. The train is pictured diverging from the Great Western Mainline at Highworth Junction. The Rover works (formerly British Leyland and latterly BMW) shared this remaining stub of the Highworth Branch with a Shell oil depot (the line just visible in the immediate foreground) and Cooper's scrapyard. Unfortunately all this traffic is now lost to rail. Even 47344 is now no more, having being withdrawn in 1999 and cut up by the Harry Needle Railroad Company at Kingsbury in 2002.

An unexpected bonus at Claydon (Gloucestershire) on 2 July 1991. 47345 has an unusual addition to its normal load, as it heads north in the last of the evening light with the late running 6M29 14:00 Taunton to Warrington Speedlink. Class 52 D1013 Western Ranger & Class 45 D120 had been exhibits at the Bristol Bath Road open day over the previous weekend, and were now hitching a ride back to the Severn Valley Railway. This view has changed considerably. The prefab building and caravan have gone, and a row of tall trees now block out the view of the Cotswold Hills.

47345 passes Hinksey Yard on 18 August 1998 with the 4S59 15:19 Millbrook to Coatbridge freightliner. This well known vantage point is from a footbridge that links New Hinksey (a suburb of Oxford) with the village of South Hinksey.

An unusual working for a Freightliner Class 47/3 on 17 June 2000. 47345 approaches Wolvercote Junction with the 5M13 Weymouth to Liverpool Virgin CrossCountry ECS. On a hot summer's day it would certainly have been very unpopular traction if there actually had been passengers (apart from the haulage enthusiasts), as there is no way that 47345 can work the air conditioning and you can't open the windows on these Mk 2. coaches!

With a cab full of trainee drivers, 47346 passes Milford Junction on 25 October 1995 with a southbound training run. Note the missing digits on the loco's bodyside number. The loco was stored a few months later, and cut up at Booth Roe, Rotherham in February 1998. It was not officially withdrawn until two months later!

Railfreight Metals locomotive, Network SouthEast coaches! 47347 passes Finedon Road on 21 May 1989 with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1T13 16:48 Leicester to St Pancras special, one of a number of unusual combinations of motive power and stock used during the 'InterCity Diesel Day'. 47347 had just been allocated to Crewe depot, although it is still carrying its former depot's Thornaby Kingfisher bodyside emblem. Note the long lines or redundant vacuum braked hoppers stored in the sidings in the background.

An unusual sight at Narroways Hill Junction, Bristol on 3 March 1994. There is just a single revenue earning wagon on the 6B19 09:40 Exeter Riverside to Alexander Dock Junction freight, but with three locos on the front. 47347 has 37229 & 37695 dead in tow. Definitely worth a picture, despite the grim weather conditions.

47348 St Christopher's Railway Home passes Clay Mills (Hargate) on 4 September 1991 with the 8E85 10:39 Cliffe Hill to Doncaster ballast. Unfortunately the weak sun was only very slowly burning off the early morning mist, so there isn't much of a background to this view!

47348 St Christopher's Railway Home brings up the rear of the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z33 07:18 Paddington to Long Marston 'Honey Monster' railtour on 29 July 1995, as it approaches Kineton Army depot. 33019 Griffon & 33057 Seagull can just be seen at the front of the train. Note the amount of rolling stock in store in the background at this time, which includes a number of withdrawn Southern EMUs. The triple high security fencing visible on the left explains why the site was chosen for secure storage!

Running twenty minutes late, 47348 St Christopher's Railway Home passes through Charlbury station on 29 July 1995 with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z33 07:18 Paddington to Long Marston 'Honey Monster' railtour. Class 47s were of course no stranger to this line in previous years, but not the no-heat 47/3 sub-class. In the 1990s the once relatively clear embankment on the right was becoming very overgrown, resulting in this fairly head on view. Out of sight on the rear of the train are 33057 Seagull & 33019 Griffon.

47348 St Christopher's Railway Home leaves Long Marston on 29 July 1995 with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z33 17:05 Long Marston to Paddington 'Honey Monster' railtour. The train had most unusually just done a circuit of the Army Depot behind LMS 3F 'Jinty' 0-6-0T 7298, which can be seen waiting in the centre of the picture.

47348 St. Christopher's Railway Home approaches Radley on 11 July 1997 with the 6Z18 15:36 Eastleigh to Carlisle Enterprise service. Conveying just MoD traffic this train fluctuated considerably in length depending on our military commitments at the time. At this point we were in between Gulf Wars so this short formation was typical! This is not a particularly photogenic spot, but in this case the loco and first wagon neatly fit in the gap between the pylon and the electricity pole.

47348 St Christopher's Railway Home passes the south end of Hinksey Yard (near Oxford) with the 1O38 09:10 Edinburgh to Bournemouth Virgin Cross Country service on 14 August 1999. Just one of many Virgin trains that had to resort to freight loco haulage during 1998 and 1999 when the availability of the rostered Class 47/8s reached a low ebb.

47349 pulls out of the up loop at Stratton St Margaret on 7 December 1996 with what is clearly the 4L87 Swindon to Tilbury 'Butterliner' empties, but what it is doing running on a Saturday morning is anyone's guess. The 1B14 09:00 Paddington to Swindon HST heads in the opposite direction. Terrible weather, but despite the foggy conditions, I have included this as it is one of the very few pictures I have of the 'Butterliner', and it is my only picture of anything using this loop.

Didcot North Junction, in the days when the town of Didcot was on the horizon, not sprawling all over the fields on either side of the line! 47350 heads north on 3 May 1990 with the 4M79 15:51 Southampton Maritime to Lawley Street freightliner. Note the scar on the bodyside where the British Petroleum nameplate has been removed.

47350 passes Cholsey on 3 July 1991 with the 6E30 17:18 Eastleigh to Haverton Hill Speedlink. As this was during the final week of the Speedlink wagonload freight service, I decided to get a second picture of the train at Culham, as I could easily drive around Didcot while it was stopped in the station.

47350 passes Culham on 3 July 1991 with the 6E30 17:18 Eastleigh to Haverton Hill Speedlink. I had photographed the train a little earlier at Cholsey. With small loads such as this, it was no surprise that the Speedlink service was about to be axed.

Motive power was obviously in short supply on the West of England line on 12 September 1992, as Railfreight's 47350 Scorpion was drafted in to help out. It is seen here passing Potbridge with the 1L05 10:15 Waterloo to Salisbury Network SouthEast service. This was by no means an isolated incident, as the loco worked a number of such trains during August and September.

47351 passes Silchester on 1 October 1988 with the 4O79 09:06 Ripple Lane to Southampton freightliner. Just visible in the distance is the spire of Stratfield Mortimer church, while partly obscured by the loco's exhaust, a tractor has just started harrowing the recently ploughed field.

A summer evening in the rural Cherwell Valley. 47351 is certainly not disturbing the cows at Hampton Gay on 26 June 1993, and only two of them seemed to have noticed me! The train is the 4M99 17:14 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. Partly hidden by the trees is the tower of Hampton Gay church, which stands completely on its own next to the railway, with the nearest building being the impressive ruins of the 16th Century Hampton Gay Manor. The few houses of the village are someway distant.

47352 passes Croome on 24 October 1985 with the 6V60 09:20 Scunthorpe to Severn Tunnel Junction MGR empties. All is now history. The plywood PW hut disappeared a long time ago, and the four wheel HAA wagons have also now vanished from the mainline. 47352 was withdrawn in 1993, and was eventually cut up at Frodingham in May 2000.

Wearing the exceedingly unimaginative all over grey engineers livery that predates the 'Dutch' civil engineers colour scheme, 47352 passes Moira West Junction, on the Coalville Line with eastbound ballast empties on 23 October 1989. The switchback nature of the track here is caused by mining subsidence. The line on the right leads to Rawdon Colliery.

47353 passes Compton Beauchamp on 15 December 1979 with the 3A02 08:15 Carmarthen to Reading parcels. This is one of the very pictures that I have of locomotives displaying four zeros in the headcode panel. This was the standard option after the use of headcodes on the front of trains was discontinued in 1976. The blinds were soon replaced by just a couple of white dots, which was becoming the norm by the time I took up photography. Apologies for the very poor quality of this image, but for me at least, it historically significant.

47353 passes Lock Wood, near Culham, on 30 May 1998 with the 4O30 12:47 Trafford Park to Southampton freightliner. The rear of the train is just passing over the bridge that spans the River Thames. Unfortunately this viewpoint has since disappeared with the increase in lineside vegetation.

A Cotswold Line engineer's train - 1980s style. After dropping ballast near Ascott-under-Wychwood during a Sunday line possession on 4 May 1986, 47355 makes its way back to Hinksey Yard with the (mostly) empties. It is pictured here passing Cornbury Park, just to the south of Charlbury. Notice the recent vegetation clearance on the right hand cutting side.

A pair of Fragonset locos visited the Mid Hants Railway for their Diesel Gala on 23 May 2004. The unlikely pairing of 47355 Avocet & 33108 Vampire are pictured passing Soldridge with the 12:06 Alton to Alresford service.

47356 passes Hinksey Yard on 12 May 1984 with the 4M60 12:20 Southampton Maritime to Lawley Street freightliner. There were many more freight trains through Oxford in the 1980s, but unlike today, very few of them were container trains.

Having arrived light engine from Oxford, 47356 prepares to leave the siding at Moreton-Marsh on 10 March 1985 with a ballast train for an engineering possession near Fawler, on the southern section of the Cotswold Line. This move would not be possible now, as all the sidings pictured here have now been lifted.

47356 approaches Charlbury on 10 March 1985 with a ballast train from Moreton-in-Marsh to an engineering possession near Fawler. Hardly ideal lighting, with the sun straight down the track, but definitely worth the chase, after I saw the train leave Moreton-in-Marsh.

47357 The Permanent Way Institution passes Winwick on 28 July 1992 with the 6M65 07:15 Mossend to Warrington departmental working, conveying a typical mixed load, which on this occasion includes a couple of HAA cal hoppers.

47358 Ivanhoe approaches Wolvercote Junction on 27 June 1995 with the 4M99 15:58 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. At this time it was one of the few Class 47s still to retain the original railfreight livery, and it certainly looks to be in need of a repaint. The unofficial name Ivanhoe had been applied at Tinsley the previous year, but was relatively short lived, having been removed from the still unrepainted loco by 1996.

47358 (unofficially named Ivanhoe) passes Clay Cross on 9 August 1995 with the 4V03 14:18 Lynemouth to Cardiff Pengam aluminium ingots. 47358 was to last another decade in traffic, but after lingering for a couple of years at T.J.Thomson's yard at Stockton, it was finally cut up in March 2009.

47358 passes Rowington on 5 June 1996 with the very short 4O29 14:30 Garston to Southampton freightliner. Note the slightly darker patch on the loco's bodyside, marking the site of the former unofficial painted name Ivanhoe. This view is totally impossible today, as the newly planted trees by the fence in the foreground are now full size trees, and completely obscure the railway.

Dramatic lighting at Wolvercote on 10 July 1987, as 47359 heads away from the gathering storm with the 4M79 16:19 Southampton to Lawley Street freightliner. This picture was taken from a public footpath crossing, which was closed and fenced off shortly afterwards.

Running 20 minutes early, 47359 passes Radley on 14 March 1991 with the 4O75 11:25 Crewe Basford Hall to Southampton freightliner. Its difficult to tell whether the tree on the right survived the drastic pruning, as the lineside garden now contains many others, that mostly block out the view of the field in the background.

During the early 1990s the 6M79 15:08 Eastleigh to Crewe Basford Hall MoD stores train was often used to move surplus locomotives north from Didcot. Even so, this convoy pictured approaching Wolvercote Junction on 11 June 1992 is spectacular. 47359 leads 47301 Centurion, 37073 Fort William / An Gearasdan, & 47296 on a lengthy train. This train is basically a continuation of the old Speedlink service, which since the abandonment of the Speedlink wagonload network in 1991 became a dedicated military stores train.

Both MGR trains from Didcot and the Shipton-on-Cherwell Cement Works are long gone. 47360 approaches Bletchingdon on 22 May 1982 with northbound empties from Didcot Power Station. There was nothing showing in the working timetable for this time on a Saturday evening, but on a weekday this would be the 6M55 18:30 Didcot Power Station to Mantle Lane.

An exceedingly grubby and faded 47361 Wilton Endeavour passes a field of poppies at Culham on 22 June 1995 with the 4M99 15:58 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. This was always a popular location to visit on a summer evening, but not long after this picture was taken it started to get very overgrown, and for a long time was nearly impossible for photography. Happily the vegetation was all cleared away for the much delayed electrification work, and two decades later, a similar picture could again be taken.

47361 Wilton Endeavour passes through the centre road of Oxford station on 9 September 1995 with a train of MoD stores. Presumably the 6V03 09:54 Fenny Compton to Didcot, in which case, unusually running on a Saturday. It makes an interesting comparison with a more normal Saturday train, the 4O22 02:30 Garston to Southampton freightliner, hauled by 47147.

A wave from the driver of 47361 Wilton Endeavour, as it passes Culham on 15 June 1999 with the 4M99 16:47 Southampton to Crewe Basford Hall freightliner. It's not often that this field is freshly ploughed in mid summer, but it certainly breaks up the normal all pervading greenness of this time of year.

47361 Wilton Endeavour passes the remains of Shipton-on-Cherwell Cement Works in fading light on 30 July 1999 with the 4M99 16:47 Southampton to Crewe Basford Hall freightliner. The cement works had been closed for over a decade when this picture was taken, and parts of the site were reverting to nature.

47362 approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 27 October 1982 with the 7A25 09:00 Severn Tunnel Junction to Acton mixed freight. This train was booked to spend nearly two hours in Swindon Cocklebury Yard, which explains why it has taken nearly five hours to get from Severn Tunnel Junction to Denchworth! Unfortunately I haven't got many photos of lengthy classic freight trains such as this from the vacuum braked era.

A line of vintage telegraph poles still run alongside the Welsh Marches Line at Orleton on 18 June 1984, as 47362 heads north with the 6M27 02:40 Waterston to Albion Gulf oil tanks. Running exactly to time, but on the wrong day of the week! This picture is taken from Tunnel Lane, which refers to the former Leominster Canal Tunnel just out of sight to the right of this picture. Now however, it could equally well refer to the tunnel of trees alongside the line, which has rendered this viewpoint impossible.

47362 passes Stoke Orchard on 21 July 1984 with the 1M53 10:20 Glasgow Central to Bristol Temple Meads service, which the loco worked from Birmingham New Street. As the Mk1 coaches do not have air conditioning, the fact that this is a non ETH 47/3 doesn't matter. With less freight trains at the weekend, this was a fairly common use of resources in the 1970s and 1980s, when the railway was one integrated organisation, and not drowning in a sea of bureaucracy!

Just dodging the encroaching shadows on 30 May 1989 at Wickwar Tunnel is 47362, heading into the light with the 6V47 07:22 Haverton Hill to Severnside anhydrous ammonia. A distinctive train, which was virtually always worked by a Thornaby Class 47/3 in the 1980s. The Thornaby kingfisher logo can just be seen above the bodyside number.

In failing light, 47362 heads south at Radley with a short train of commercial vehicles. I must appeal for help with the identification of this train, as I seem to have mislaid the details! As far as I remember it only ran for a short while in the 1991 period. Possibly Washwood Heath to Southampton? All information gratefully received. Passed Radley (near Oxford at 16:20).

47362 passes the lines of rusting ballast wagons in Hinksey Yard on 22 June 1998, as it heads north with the 6M18 15:36 Eastleigh to Carlisle 'Enterprise' service. This train was retained after the demise of the Speedlink network, principally for the conveyance of MoD traffic, which accounts for the vans at the head of the train.

47363 Billingham Enterprise approaches Wolvercote Junction on 20 June 1991 with the 4M99 17:14 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. This was the only time that I saw this loco whilst it was in its distinctive Railfreight red stripe livery, complete with Thornaby kingfisher depot logo.

47363 is less than a mile into its journey as it rounds the curve between Salisbury station and Fisherton Tunnel on 30 August 1998 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z28 07:57 Salisbury to Toton 'Toton Recall' railtour. This was one of a number of tours run in connection with the EWS Toton Open Day.

47363 takes the Reading line at Basingstoke with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z28 07:57 Salisbury to Toton 'Toton Recall' railtour on 30 August 1998. I had already seen this tour shortly after its departure from Salisbury, but as it was booked via Southampton, rather than the direct route via Andover, there was ample time to get ahead of it for this second picture.

47364 passes Basford Hall Junction, Crewe, on 3 July 1985 with the 8F21 12:40 Oakmoor to Ravenhead Junction sand train. These vintage vacuum braked MSV wagons were replaced by more modern PGA wagons the following year.

Old and new liveries at South Moreton (Didcot East) on 24 October 1989. 47364 & 47256 head east with a short engineers train. Presumably 47256 is being moved dead in tow, as this miniscule load certainly does not require two locomotives, and in any case Class 47s are not fitted for multiple working. 47364 returned a couple of hours later with a short ballast train.

47364 passes South Moreton (Didcot East) on 24 October 1989 with a short westbound ballast train. The overgrown area behind the train, which was formerly a Second World War marshalling yard, has now been redeveloped as an electrification depot for the overhead wiring of the Great Western Mainline.

47365 Diamond Jubilee passes Tackley with the 6E30 17:18 Eastleigh to Haverton Hill Speedlink on 19 June 1991, less than 3 weeks before the withdrawal of all Speedlink wagonload services in the UK. At 20:20 even in mid June it is difficult to find a location free from shadows, and I was getting worried here as the area of track in sun was rapidly shrinking, but luckily I managed to press the shutter at exactly the right moment as it appears that the sunlit area is exactly the same length as a Class 47!

Green circle multiple working fitted 47365 Diamond Jubilee & 47307 pile on the power, as they pull out of the loop at Willesborough on 11 May 1996 with a Dollands Moor to Wembley intermodal. This location is totally unrecognisable today. The trees have gone, and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (HS1) now parallels the old line. Bushes have grown up between the palisade fence and the line, and the open field on the right is now an industrial estate. Railfreight Distribution Class 47s are also unfortunately now a thing of the past!

47366 moves slowly over freshly laid track at Hanborough on 8 April 1984, as it heads back to Oxford with a motley rake of stock (including an ex GWR mess van at the rear of the train). It had been engaged in relaying work between Hanborough and Combe, and will shortly be followed by 47085, which can just be seen in the background. This will drop ballast on the newly laid track.

47366 passes South Moreton (Didcot East) on 11 December 1991 with three loaded ballast wagons. You can clearly see the marks left by the removal of The Institution of Civil Engineers nameplate. The plates had recently been transferred to 47975.

47367 (unofficially named Kenny Cockbird) approaches Wolvercote Junction on 18 July 1994 with the 6M08 18:20 Swindon to Longbridge Rover car body panels. At the time this was one of the last Class 47s still to retain the red stripe Railfreight livery.

The Stratford 47 Group's two Class 47s, 47367 Kenny Cockbird & 47596 Aldeburgh Festival pass Danemoor Green in failing light on 2 April 2016 with the 16:40 Dereham to Wymondham service, during the Mid Norfolk Railway's Diesel Gala.

Not long after sunrise on 14 June 1983, 47368 passes Hinksey Yard with what is presumably the late running 6O49 16:05 (the previous day) Haverton Hill to Eastleigh Speedlink. Booked here at 04:50, but that was just a little too early to be out photographing!

47368 passes Hargrave on 12 March 1987 with a Point of Ayr Colliery to Fiddlers Ferry Power Station MGR. A very misty day, with only weak sunshine, but plenty of interesting traffic, including the main reason for the visit - a last chance to photograph the few remaining Class 25s in their final week in traffic.

47369 runs along the down relief line at Duffryn on 15 August 1987 with what is presumably the late running 6V64 03:27 Albion to Waterston oil empties. Prior to electrification, there were some excellent photographic locations between Newport and Cardiff, although as most freight ran along the relief lines, shadows from lineside bushes were often a problem.

47370 approaches Wolvercote Junction in the last of the evening light on 29 August 1991 with the 4M99 17:14 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. Over two decades later this train still runs with the same headcode, but unfortunately the traction is now nothing like as interesting as this!

47370 Thunderbird catches the very last of the afternoon sun, as it passes through Radley station on 11 December 1991 with the 4S59 12:32 Southampton Maritime to Coatbridge freightliner. The Tinsley allocated loco had received its unofficial Thunderbird name a few weeks earlier.

With a train comprising mostly of blue P&O boxes, 47370 passes South Moreton on 11 July 1996 with the 4M99 15:58 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. Two decades later the headcode still survives in the working timetable, but unfortunately this viewpoint has been lost to Network Rail's controversial electfrication programme.

Lots of winter shadows at Southampton on 2 December 1998, as 47370 Andrew A Hodgkinson nears its destination with the 4O18 05:17 Lawley Street to Southampton Maritime freightliner. The rear of the train is still passing through Southampton Central station.

During the final week of the Speedlink wagonload freight service, on 4 July 1991, 47371 passes Cholsey with the 6E30 17:18 Eastleigh to Haverton Hill. Such was this train's slow passage through the Didcot area, that it was easily possible to get further pictures at South Moreton and Didcot North Junction!

47371 passes South Moreton (Didcot East) on 4 July 1991 with the 6E30 17:18 Eastleigh to Haverton Hill Speedlink. I had already photographed this at Cholsey, but as this was the final week of the Speedlink network, it was definitely worth the quick dash round to Didcot North Junction for a third shot of the train.

Virtually everything in this view has now changed beyond recognition. On 4 July 1991, during the final week of Speedlink wagonload freight operations, 47371 passes Didcot North Junction with the 6E30 17:18 Eastleigh to Haverton Hill Speedlink. In addition to the demise of this traditional mixed freight traffic, 47371 was later converted into a Class 57, as 57313 Thunderbirds Tracy Island, whilst the rural nature of this viewpoint has been replaced by an industrial estate on the right, and houses in the field behind the train.

47371 Stingray passes Potbridge on 21 March 1992 with the 4O79 09:36 Ripple Lane to Southampton freightliner. The loco would survive in traffic until 2000, then in 2004 would be converted into EMD engined 57313.

Without doubt the most photographed railway location between Oxford and Banbury, where a sunny evening always guarantees a gallery of photographers. 47371 passes Kings Sutton on 10 July 1997 with the 4S59 15:19 Millbrook to Coatbridge freightliner.

47372 passes Little Haresfield on 24 June 1989 with the 1V39 06:56 Rose Grove to Paignton InterCity service. I think I would rather have been a passenger in one of the blue and grey coaches on this train, as at least they had some opening windows. With 47372 unable to operate the air conditioning, it must have got quite warm inside the air-con fitted InterCity liveried Mk 2ds, with their sealed windows! In the 1980s every available (even if unsuitable) locomotive was pressed into service on summer Saturdays.

47372 passes Winwick on 30 October 1993 with the 6F14 10:28 Sellafield to Ellesmere Port empty chemical tanks. The four leading vehicles are Kemira branded TEA bogie tank wagons, which were used to transport nitric acid for British Nuclear Fuels. This was regular Saturday working at the time, but unfortunately ceased running a few years later.

47372 passes Sharnal Street on 7 May 1998 with the 4M49 15:39 Thamesport to Crewe Basford Hall freightliner. This location, on the line from the Isle of Grain, once boasted a station, despite being on open countryside. Not surprisingly, it closed in 1961.

47372 passes Kings Sutton on 27 July 1999 with the 4S59 15:13 Millbrook to Coatbridge freightliner. By this date a lot of Freightliner's Class 47s were starting to looking very tatty, so it was a pleasant surprise to see this remarkably clean loco.

47373 approaches Cheltenham on 17 March 1988 with the 6E48 07:40 Hallen Marsh to Immingham Norsk Hydro fertiliser empties. The trackwork in the loop on the left certainly isn't up to the standards of the mainline. There is a distinct dip in the track in the middle distance.

47373 passes Quedgeley on 6 May 1988 with the 6E48 07:40 Hallen Marsh to Immingham Norsk Hydro fertiliser empties. Note the mixture of solid and curtain sided ferryvans. The curtain sided IUA wagon in the centre of the train has clearly just been fitted with new curtains. The curtain sided vans were French registered, the others, German.

With the local landmark of Norton Water Tower prominent on the hill in the background, 47374 & 47336 pass Daresbury in a lucky patch of sunshine on 28 July 1992. The water tower, which was built in 1892, is part of the system that brings water from Lake Vyrnwy in Wales, to the Liverpool area. The 650,000 gallon tank supplies nearby Runcorn.

Still looking smart after its repainting and naming earlier in the year, 47375 Tinsley Traction Depot Quality Assured passes through Oxford on 3 October 1990 with the 4V01 07:14 Longbridge to Morris Cowley car carriers. Note the cleared former scrapyard site behind the loco, which is now Oxford station's main car park.

A very strange working is pictured passing Cholsey on 12 November 2007. 47375 & 47703 are working the 6Z50 11:35 Gloucester Horton Road to Wembley, comprising just a cargowagon and polybulk wagon! The low autumn sun certainly highlights the rather garish Riviera blue livery, which being clean rather shows up the filthy state of ex Fragonset liveried 47703.

47376 approaches Culham on 1 May 1982 with the 6M38 13:45 Didcot Power Station to Three Spires Junction MGR empties. Apologies for the poor quality of this image, but it is one of the few pictures I have of a Class 47 working an empty coal train from Didcot.

47376 slowly runs along the up relief line at Waltham St Lawrence on 5 March 1988 with a short engineer's train. At the head of the train is what appears to be an ex GWR Hawksworth coach, now pressed into departmental service.

With less than a mile to go before reaching its destination, 47376 Freightliner 1995 slowly passes Hirwaun in the rain on 6 January 2001 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z38 06:18 Manchester Piccadilly to Tower Colliery 'Power Porter' railtour. The change in gradient is very noticeable here.

Resistance is futile indeed, although resistance to what is not clear! Still in original unrestored Freightliner grey livery and minus its Freightliner 1995 nameplates, 47376 leads 47105 under the bridge at Southam on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway with the 11:30 Toddington to Cheltenham Racecourse service on 25 October 2003, during the line's Autumn Diesel Gala.

Unrestored Freightliner grey liveried 47376 & rail blue 47105 pass Southam on 25 October 2020 with the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's 12:20 Cheltenham Racecourse to Toddington service, during the line's Autumn Diesel Gala.

Just arrived at the railway, and still in its 'as bought' tatty Freightliner grey paintwork, 47376 partners 47105 during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala on 26 October 2003. The two locos are pictured passing Hailes with the 11:30 Toddington to Cheltenham Racecourse service.

47376 & 47105 accelerate away from Winchcombe on 26 October 2003 with the 12:20 Cheltenham Racecourse to Toddington service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. 47376 had arrived at the railway a few months earlier, to join 47105, which had been resident since 1994.

Still with its nameplates covered up, prior to its renaming, 47376 Freightliner 1995 passes underneath the roadbridge at Hailes on 24 September 2005 with the 10:42 Toddington to Winchcombe service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala.

Freshly renamed 47376 Freightliner 1995 passes Hailes on 24 September 2005 with the 12:40 Toddington to Cheltenham Racecourse service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. Unusually for a preserved locomotive, the loco had just been repainted in the same colour scheme as that which it arrived at the railway in.

Having just been renamed Freightliner 1995, 47376 passes Winchcombe's fixed distant signal near Hailes on 24 September 2005 with the late running 13:30 Cheltenham Racecourse to Toddington service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala.

47376 Freightliner 1995 passes Didbrook on 24 September 2005 with the late running 14:45 Winchcombe to Toddington service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. The loco had just received a fresh coat of Freightliner grey paint.

Newly named 47376 Freightliner 1995 passes Hailes on 24 September 2005 with the late running 14:22 Toddington to Winchcombe freight, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. Note the gunpowder van (G.P.V.) in the middle of the train.

47376 Freightliner 1995 passes Hailes on 29 October 2006 with the 16:15 Toddington to Cheltenham Racecourse service. This was the one diesel service on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway on this particular day. Although the sun is not really lighting the train, I like the low lighting across the fields and the atmospheric smoke effects in the background.

47376 Freightliner 1995 does its bit for the environment as it accelerates away from the speed restriction near Winchcombe with the 10:00 Winchcombe to Toddington train on 4 November 2006, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. The use of a long lens here has not only brought up the hills in the background, but also emphasised the slightly undulated nature of the track!

47376 Freightliner 1995 passes Dixton on 5 November 2006 with the 12:40 Toddington to Cheltenham Racecourse service. This was during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Autumn Diesel Gala. Unlike the Saturday, the sunny weather on the Sunday did not last all day. Around midday the clouds started appearing and 47376 is just faintly illuminated by a the last of the sun as it disappears into high cloud.

The driver of 47376 Freightliner 1995 puts on the power, as the loco pulls away from Gotherington, and approaches Dixton, with 13:30 Cheltenham Racecourse to Toddington service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala on 5 November 2006.

47376 Freightliner 1995 passes the recently neatly trimmed lineside at Hailes on 5 November 2006, with the 13:30 Cheltenham Racecourse to Toddington service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala.

47376 Freightliner 1995 passes Hailes, on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway with the 14:22 Toddington to Winchcombe freight on 5 November 2006, during the line's Autumn Diesel Gala. Although of course the 47/3 subclass were intended as purely freight machine, this is not quite the time of freight train that they spent most of their lives working!

In a brief and very luckily timed patch of sun (virtually the last of the day) 47376 Freightliner 1995 & 33109 Captain Bill Smith RNR are neatly framed by a couple of trees as they pass Dixton with the 13:35 Winchcombe to Cheltenham Racecourse service on 10 July 2009 during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. The 47 had just returned to service after overhaul and the Class 33 was visiting the line from the East Lancashire Railway.

47376 Freightliner 1995 passes underneath the roadbridge at Dixton on 10 July 2009 with the 14:10 Cheltenham Racecourse to Winchcombe service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala.

In the gathering gloom on 10 July 2009, 47376 Freightliner 1995 arrives at Toddington station with final service of the day during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala - the 17:50 train from Cheltenham Racecourse. Out of sight on the rear of the train is 33109. The day had been mainly given over to shunter operated trains, hence the presence of Drewry Class 04 look-alike 2574 on the right, which is wearing 1950s BR black livery along with the fictitious 11230 number.

47376 Freightliner 1995 arrives at Winchcombe with the 13:23 Gotherington to Toddington service on 23 May 2010. Due to a severe landslip near Gotherington, the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway has been forced to operate a top'n'tail service to Gotherington only. GWR Hall Class 4-6-0 7903 Foremarke Hall can just be seen on the rear of the train.

Running 45 minutes late due to a track circuit problem caused by the high temperatures, 47376 Freightliner 1995 departs from Winchcombe station with the 14:25 Toddington to Gotherington service on 23 May 2010. At least the late running has resulted in the sun being just about on the front! A landslip had closed the line to the south of Gotherington, and the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway was operating trains in top'n'tail mode. GWR 57xx 0-6-0PT 4612 is out of sight on the rear of this train, having just been removed from the Elegant Excursions special.

47376 Freightliner 1995 just catches the sun as it passes Dixton on 11 July 2010 with the 12:50 Toddington to Gotherington service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. Hiding behind the tree is visiting Class 25 D7612, which due to the landslip just the other side of Gotherington station, is working top'n'tail.

47376 Freightliner 1995 crosses Stanway Viaduct with the 10:25 Toddington Distant Signal to Gotherington service with classmate 47105 on the rear, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala on 2 October 2010. This marks the beginning of regular diesel hauled trains across the 1904 built structure, since it reopened to traffic in the spring. Unfortunately the early morning sun, which had successfully burnt off the fog, then decided to find some high cloud. Luckily it improved for the second train of the morning with 37248.

47376 Freightliner 1995 arrives at Toddington with the last train of the day during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railways Diesel Gala on 9 July 2011. The 17:50 from Laverton is a few minutes early as it makes its way towards platform 2. 1693 (47105) is on the rear of the train.

A bonus picture during the EMRPS photo charter on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway on 28 January 2012.  47376 Freightliner 1995 was used to position 1693 and its train in Toddington station, resulting in this picture of the Freightliner loco posed rather untypically on a rake of vacuum braked ballast hoppers.

A fleeting moment at Toddington on 28 January 2012, during an EMRPS photo charter. While 1693 was being positioned in Toddington station on a rake of ballast wagons, for a moment during the shunting operations, 47376 Freightliner 1995 was posed alongside, giving the photographers who were in the right position this chance to photograph both of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's resident Class 47s.

47376 Freightliner 1995 passes Stanton on 26 July 2013 with the late running 2L58 11:30 Cheltenham Racecourse to Laverton service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. The dull day was fortunate, as this location would be backlit virtually all day if the sun was out.

47376 Freightliner 1995 emerges from Greet Tunnel on 26 July 2013 with the 2C73 15:24 Laverton to Cheltenham Racecourse service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. Rosebay Willowherb provides some colour in the foreground.

47376 Freightliner 1995 passes Southam on 28 July 2013 with the 2C55 10:00 Toddington to Cheltenham Racecourse service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. The dark clouds over the Cotswold Hills in the background gives some idea of the odds of getting this picture in the sun!

With a wave from the driver, 47376 Freightliner 1995 passes Bishop's Cleeve on 25 July 2014 with the 2C55 10:00 Toddington to Cheltenham Racecourse service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala.

47376 Freightliner 1995 & 45149 round the curve at Southam on 25 July 2015 with the 2C53 09:20 Toddington to Cheltenham Racecourse service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala.

An extremely lucky break in the clouds at Southam on 25 July 2015. 47376 Freightliner 1995 passes the Rosebay Willowherb with the 2L54 10:10 Cheltenham Racecourse to Laverton service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala.

47376 Freightliner 1995 passes Dixton on 27 July 2018 with the 2B56 11:10 Cheltenham Racecourse to Broadway service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. After a sunny start, cloud was now rapidly building up, and this was the last picture that I managed to get in decent light.

47376 Freightliner 1995 accelerates away from Gotherington station, and passes Dixton on 26 July 2019 with the 2B54 10:25 Cheltenham Racecourse to Broadway service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala.

47376 Freightliner 1995 passes Hayles Abbey Halt on 28 July 2019 with the 2C63 12:45 Broadway to Cheltenham Racecourse service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. None of the trains during the gala called at this station.

47376 Freightliner 1995 heads north past Stanton on 28 July 2019 with the 2B64 14:10 Cheltenham Racecourse to Broadway service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. Visiting 50035 Ark Royal can just be seen on the rear of the train.

47376 Freightliner 1995 arrives at Winchcombe station on 12 October 2019 with the 2B54 10:25 Cheltenham Racecourse to Broadway service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. Although the trains were reasonably well loaded, the relative lack of people on the platform is probably due to the abysmal weather.

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's resident Freightliner liveried Class 47, 47376 Freightliner 1995 slowly approaches Toddington on 27 September 2020 with the 1C17 14:25 Broadway to Cheltenham Racecourse service.

47376 Freightliner 1995 approaches Gotherington on 27 September 2020 with the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's 1C17 14:25 Broadway to Cheltenham Racecourse service. The Scots Pine trees behind the loco are a typical feature of GWR stations.

Showing off for the cameras? A brief bust of power from 47376 Freightliner 1995, as it passes Stanton on 26 September 2021 with the 12:30 Broadway to Cheltenham Racecourse service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala.

47376 Freightliner 1995 passes Southam on 29 July 2022 with the 2B52 09:40 Cheltenham Racecourse to Broadway service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. The Rosebay Willowherb doesn't seem to mind the parched conditions!

The two resident Class 47s were in action for the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's 'Double Up Day' on 3 September 2023. 47376 Freightliner 1995 & 47105 are pictured slowly approaching Toddington with the 15:35 Broadway to Cheltenham Racecourse service.

With the very last rays of the setting sun just providing a little illumination, 47377 passes the site of Ashbury Crossing, near Shrivenham on 9 June 1987 with the 6V45 17:53 Willesden Brent to Severn Tunnel Junction Speedlink. Freight workings in Wales and the Gloucester area would be completely recast a few months after this picture was taken, with the closure of Severn Tunnel Junction Yard. The poor technical quality of this picture is due to the use of Kodachrome 200, to deal with the failing light. However, it is included as strangely (or perhaps not so given the time at which it ran) it is one of the few pictures I have of 6V45, and also for the variety of wagons in the consist.

47377 approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 25 November 1993 with the 6V99 13:53 Hamworthy to Cardiff Tidal steel empties. The newly laid down relief line has yet to see a train, and the up relief has yet to be laid, the formation having just been prepared.

When I was at Culham on 15 May 1997, there was a short period of amazing lighting, with Didcot Power Station fully lit against a background of dark clouds. Naturally I took full advantage of this, including a going away shot of 47377 working the 4O18 04:45 Lawley Street to Southampton freightliner. The bonus of this angle is that all six of Didcot's cooling towers are in the picture.

Just a short distance into its long journey, 47377 approaches Southampton on 2 December 1998 with the 4M55 10:18 Southampton to Crewe Basford Hall freightliner. At this point the railway is sandwiched between the residential Cliff Road on the right, and the busy A33 Mountbatten Way dual carriageway, which can be seen crossing over the line in the background.

47378 passes Water Eaton on 17 August 1988 with 6A49 11:31 Morris Cowley to Bicester Speedlink trip. Although this was running more or less exactly on time, the return working was over an hour early, possibly to do with the fact that it was just a single van!

Hardly a worthwhile load and certainly not very taxing for a Class 47! 47378 passes Water Eaton with a single VEA van as it works the 6A50 Bicester to Morris Cowley Speedlink trip working on 17 August 1988. The booked departure time from Bicester for this train was 13:56, but it passed me exactly an hour earlier! The traffic levels on this service and its successor which is run exclusively for the Ministry of Defence fluctuate wildly, usually depending on what worldwide conflicts our politicians have got us into at any particular time!

47378 emerges from Sandling Tunnel with the 6M94 16:52 Dover Town to Warrington Arpley Speedlink on 2 June 1989. Present day sheep will have far less room to graze in this field now, as the Channel Tunnel high speed line now slices through the centre of this view, closely paralleling the existing line and completely altering this view. In fact, even the road bridge from which this picture was taken from has now gone, replaced by a new bridge a short distance further back.

47378 pulls away from a signal check at South Moreton (Didcot East) on 30 April 1994 with the 4M60 13:16 Southampton to Lawley Street freightliner. The jungle of brambles and bushes on the left is the site of the wartime Moreton Sidings marshalling yard.

47378 passes Overthorpe (near Banbury) on 14 June 1994 with the 4M99 17:14 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. Not a particularly inspiring location, but one that I found whilst searching out alternatives to the nearby over used Kings Sutton vantage point.

The famous Great Western Railway water tower at Kemble is receiving some attention on 2 May 1997, as 47378 & 47286 Port of Liverpool slowly approach the station with the 6V22 16:03 Longbridge to Swindon Rover car panel empties. The locos feature the two different versions of Railfreight Distribution livery, although both covered in the standard 'freight grime'.

47379 passes Brimpton on 28 June 1991 with the 6L55 12:20 Westbury to Ripple Lane oil empties. The loaded train would have brought in the diesel fuel oil for Westbury's fleet of stone train locos. 47379 had been named Total Energy in 1986, and according to some sources the nameplates were removed in July 1991. However, at least on this side the plate had already gone some weeks before, although for some reason the Total logo still remains.

47381 approaches Aynho Junction on 28 April 1990 with the 6O32 05:41 Longport to Eastleigh LPG tanks. Kings Sutton church can just be seen in the background, above the first wagon, while in the meadows to the left the M40 motorway is still under construction. This would open to traffic in January 1991.

47381 passes Puriton on 2 July 1990 with the 6V62 10:34 Fawley to Tavistock Junction bitumen and fuel oil tanks. Although diesel fuel is messy, bitumen is a lot worse, so it is quite easy to tell which tanks are which in this train! The fuel oil was for the BR depots at Bristol Bath Road and Laira, and the bitumen was destined for Plymouth Cattewater.

47381 approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 3 November 1990 with the 6B33 09:57 Theale to Waterston empty oil tanks. This train may still run, even with the same headcode (albeit now to Robeston), but with quadrupling of the tracks, and bridge rebuilding, this scene had become radically different, even before the mismanaged electfrication programme ruined the view forever.

47385 approaches Wolvercote Junction on 30 June 1995 with the late running 4M04 15:25 Southampton Western Docks to Washwood Heath empty cartics. The oil stained bodyside does little to improve the loco's unbranded grey livery.

The setting sun gives a golden glow to 47391, as it approaches Cholsey on 22 July 1994 with what is presumably the late running 4O27 05:00 Coatbridge to Southampton freightliner. There probably aren't that many pictures of this loco carrying the number 47391, as it only had that identity for just over a year. With the introduction of TOPS, the originally numbered D1836 became 47355. In May 1994 it became 47391 upon the fitment of Green Circle Multiple Working equipment. However, in October 1995 it reverted to being numbered 47355.

The pioneer of the class, 47401 North Eastern approaches Wickwar Tunnel on 10 August 1985 with the 1M44 11:32 Penzance to Manchester Piccadilly service. Obviously still very much a passenger locomotive at this time, 47401 was allocated to Gateshead and would have a few more years of top link work before being transferred to Immingham. It would then spend its remaining years in BR service as a purely freight machine, principally working heavy oil trains.

47401 Star of the East passes Stoke Edith on 5 May 1991 with the 12:11 Ledbury to Hereford, one of a number of special trains run in connection with the Hereford Rail Festival. 31405 can just be seen on the rear. 47401 (which is also carrying its pre TOPS number D1500) only carried this non-standard livery for a short time, and shortly after this picture was taken it was repainted into its original livery of two tone green.

That white roof won't stay that pristine for long! Recently preserved by the 47401 Project, immaculate 47401 stands in the sunshine at Butterley on 23 July 1994, during the Midland Railway Centre's Diesel Gala. This close up view looking down from the bridge certainly shows off this slightly impractical colour scheme to advantage.

Locos from the original batch of twenty Class 47s built with ETH were never common on the Cotswold Line in the 1980s by virtue of their Gateshead allocation, but I did see 47402 Gateshead on the line on two separate occasions. On 8 July 1984 it worked the 16:10 Paddington to Hereford service, seen here passing Chilson. Apart from the lack of lineside vegetation, points to note here are the remnants of the steam age railway: bullhead track, platelayer's hut, and a telegraph pole lying just in front of the loco, as it was only a few years previously that they were felled.

47402 Gateshead passes Daylesford on Sunday 29 March 1987 with the 1A25 16:15 Hereford to Paddington service. This used to be an excellent Cotswold Line location, with clear views in both directions, from a farm occupation bridge in the middle of a field. Unfortunately it has been a long time since the view from the bridge was as clear and open as this! The fact that there was a shot both ways was very important on this occasion, as just one minute later 47560 appeared from the opposite direction.

D1501 passes Heap Bridge (the name of the local village, not a disparaging description of the railway architecture!) with the 2J65 09:35 Heywood to Rawtenstall service on 7 March 2010, during the East Lancashire Railway's Diesel Gala. For once the weather forecasters got it right, and not a single cloud was seen all day.

D1501 passes the site of the quarry at Heap Bridge with the 2J66 10:56 Rawtenstall to Heywood service on 7 March 2010, during the East Lancashire Railway's Diesel Gala. The vegetation has recently been cleared at this location, but note how the tree on the right has been left as photographic 'prop'! The coaching stock is virtually correct for the loco's livery, although quite how many vehicles still carried carmine and cream colours in 1962 is debatable.

With the overgrown sand quarry in the foreground, D1501 passes Heap Bridge on 7 March 2010 with the 2J75 12:05 Heywood to Rawtenstall service, during the East Lancashire Railway's Diesel Gala. Not only was this a completely sunny day, but there was hardly a breath of wind. Virtually all of the wind turbines that can just be seen on the horizon were stopped.

I do not normally bother with going away shots of trains worked by top'n'tail locomotives, but couldn't resist this one as the lighting is so good. On 7 March 2010, D1501 brings up the rear of the 2J84 16:16 Rawtenstall to Heywood service as it passes Burrs, during the East Lancashire Railway's Diesel Gala. Class 33 D6525 Captain Bill Smith RNR can be seen at the head of the train powering towards the next stop at Bury.

A cloud of typically black Sulzer moke erupts from D1501 as it crosses Roch Viaduct on 3 July 2011 with the 2J66 10:56 Rawtenstall to Heywood service, during the East Lancashire Railway's Diesel Gala. It is getting to grips with the gradient as it starts the arduous climb out of the valley of the River Roch (the river that gives its name to nearby Rochdale).

A Geordie in the south! 47403 The Geordie approaches Oxford North Junction on 10 May 1986 with the 1E31 14:13 Portsmouth Harbour to York service. 47403 was withdrawn four months later, and unusually then spent several years being used by the SAS as a training tool, at their Moreton-on-Lugg headquarters!

47403 The Geordie passes Pirton on 15 June 1986 with the 1E61 10:50 Penzance to Newcastle service. With a name like The Geordie, it is no surprise that the loco was allocated to Gateshead. A GD sticker can just be seen un the centre of the former headcode panel.

Just after the rain at Portway on 19 August 1985. 47404 Hadrian heads south past the wheat fields with the 1V74 08:28 Leeds to Cardiff Central service. New to Finsbury Park in 1962 (as D1503), it was only ever reallocated to Immingham, and Gateshead.

47404 Hadrian approaches Didcot North Junction on 9 December 1986 with the 1O03 07:10 Liverpool Lime Street to Poole service. Unlike today's trains, this had plenty of luggage and bike accommodation, with two BG vans at the front of the train.

Withdrawn 47404 stands amid the long grass and weeds at March on 16 August 1988. It had been withdrawn the previous year, but would remain in limbo at March until 1990, when it was dragged to Vic Berry's at Leicester for disposal. Another former Gateshead allocated loco, classmate 47419 is on the left.

47405 Northumbria races past Wolvercote Junction (near Oxford) with the 1O19 08:30 Liverpool Lime Street to Poole service on 26 January 1986. Note the oversize round plaque below the nameplate which carries the additional wording 'Northumbria Tourist Board Member'. This is the only picture I have of this particular locomotive, for although the original twenty ETH Class 47 'generators' were reasonably common through Oxford, this one evaded me. I obviously got my one picture of it just in time, as it was withdrawn just over month later and cut up at Crewe Works during 1988. Photo taken from a public footpath crossing, which has since been closed.

47406 is on unfamiliar ground as it passes Woodborough on 28 July 1988 with a BR Derby to Plymouth mystery excursion. 47406 was the only member of the original batch of ETH 'Generator' 47s (D1500 - D1520, latterly 47401 - 47421) to carry InterCity livery. This loco was withdrawn in 1990, and cut up a few years later by MRJ Phillips at Frodingham.

47406 climbs away from Bristol Temple Meads, and passes Horfield on 13 March 1989 with the 1S85 07:07 Plymouth to Glasgow Central service, which it would work as far as Birmingham New Street. This section of line was formerly quadruple track, and as of 2018, it is again.

47407 crosses Ribblehead Viaduct on 25 November 1989 with the 2E76 09:41 Carlisle to Leeds service. This is my only photograph of 47407, which like most of the non-standard first batch of 47/4s, was withdrawn early, in this case the following year, after sustaining severe fire damage.

47411 The Geordie passes a misty Marsden on 2 September 1987 with the 1E99 13:03 Liverpool Lime Street to Newcastle Provincial Railways service. This is my only picture of this locomotive, and as it was cut up in Frodingham in 1994 I am not likely to get any more!

An unusual working at Foxhall Junction on 31 July 1986. 47412 has just traversed the freight only curve from Didcot North Junction with an unidentified train which has just passed through Oxford, and is now heading for Swindon. Clearly not an ECS working, as several people can be seen through the windows.

47412 passes Stenson Junction on 16 October 1986 with the 1M55 08:35 Leeds to Birmingham New Street service. The loco, which had only ever carried two numbers (D1511 & 47412), and two liveries (two tone green and blue), was withdrawn the following year, and cut up at Booth Roe, Rotherham, in 1992.

The original ETS fitted 'generator' Class 47s were never common on the Cotswold Line, but they did make the occasional appearance in the 1980s. On 2 March 1985, 47413 passes Chilson with the 1A73 07:05 Hereford to Paddington service. 47413 was withdrawn in 1991, and after languishing at various locations in the north east, it was cut up in 1995 after yielding various spare parts for the Waterman Railways Class 47 fleet.

47419 sweeps round the curve at Claydon (near Banbury) on 2 June 1984 with the 1O03 07:15 Liverpool Lime Street to Poole service. This is my only picture of this particular 'Generator'. Although not particularly common in the Oxford area, the Gateshead allocated batch were all seen at some point on inter regional trains.

The last of the original batch of 'Generator' Class 47s, 47420 approaches Water Orton on 9 March 1985 with the 07:30 Reading to Leeds service. The loco entered service as D1519 in April 1963. It was withdrawn two years after this picture was taken, and cut up at Vic Berry's, Leicester.

47421 lays a smokescreen over Winchester on 28 June 1991, as it passes through the station with the 4S59 13:10 Southampton Maritime to Coatbridge freightliner. The loco would be withdrawn a few months later.

47422 passes Oxford North Junction on 13 May 1987 with the 1O03 08:08 Manchester Piccadilly to Poole InterCity service. The single track line to Bicester can be seen disappearing off into the bushes in the background.

Knighton level crossing, between Uffington and Shrivenham, was replaced by a road underbridge in the early 1970s. A decade later it was still possible to stand on the truncated road at the crossing site. With the old road in the foreground, 47423 heads west on 8 August 1988 with the 1A91 18:07 Paddington to Swindon service. The PW hut rather gets in the way, but the train is the usual short formation, formed almost entirely of first class vehicles.

After performing its booked crew change in Oxford station's centre road, 47423 gets underway again on 16 May 1990 with the 4V02 14:34 Longbridge to Morris Cowley car component empties. The 1B48 17:12 Paddington to Hereford HST has just arrived at platform 2. Note the change of gradient in the background.

47423 Sceptre passes Didcot North Junction on 10 September 1991 with the 1F38 16:20 Paddington to Oxford Network SouthEast service. At this time a number of scruffy Class 47s had been drafted in to work these Thames Valley trains, to supplement the NSE liveried locos, which in turn had replaced the Class 50s the year before.

47423 Sceptre passes Stoford on 21 June 1992 with the 1V09 08:55 Waterloo to Exeter St Davids Network SouthEast service. The loco was living on borrowed time, in fact it had already been withdrawn the previous month, only to be reinstated. The reprieve didn't last long, as on 12 July it failed whilst working the 1O39 15:43 Exeter St Davids to Waterloo, and it never worked again.

47424 passes Cogload Junction on 22 April 1988 with the 1V32 23:44 Edinburgh to Plymouth service. This was the overnight sleeper train from Scotland, although the sleeper coaches had been removed at Bristol Temple Meads. Note the unusual formation, with two BGs in the centre of the train.

47425 pulls out of Oxford station on 2 July 1985 with the 1F27 08:50 Oxford to Paddington service. If the blue liveried Class 47 with matching Mk1s doesn't date the scene, then the Morris Marina coupe with its unusual orange and blue paint job on the right certainly does!

47425 passes Culham on 13 May 1992 with the late running 1F44 17:20 Paddington to Banbury Network SouthEast service. The coaches may all be in NSE's colorful livery, but all the loco has to indicate its allocation is a tiny red, white and blue sticker below the cab window!

47425 slows down on the approach to Culham on 18 May 1992 with the 1F52 18:08 Paddington to Oxford Network SouthEast service. This train called at most stations in the Thames Valley, in the manner of the DMU services. The loco hauled Oxford trains usually only called at principal stations. It would not be long however before everything was a DMU! The Class 50s had gone two years earlier, and now various ex Railfreight sectors 47s, such as this former Tinsley loco, had been drafted in for the last few months of loco haulage.

47426 passes Berkswell on 28 September 1986 with the 1M34 06:50 Brighton to Manchester Piccadilly service, which it would work as far as Birmingham New Street. Berkswell station is actually in the village of Balsall Common. Berkswell is nearly a mile away, to the north.

A meeting of departmental and revenue earning freights at Winwick on 12 March 1990. 47426 heads north with the 6F36 11:00 Penmaenmawr to Tuebrook ballast, just as 86418 approaches from the opposite direction with the 6V93 07:30 Mossend to Stoke Gifford Speedlink. I remember thinking at the time that the 47 had ruined the picture of the Speedlink, but it actually makes quite an interesting picture, and I was lucky that it didn't actually block it out completely.

47426 Dibatag approaches Culham on 2 August 1991 with the 1F12 09:50 Paddington to Oxford Network SouthEast service. We didn't know it at the time, but Didcot Power Station, which can be seen in the background, was nearly half way through its ridiculously short 45 year lifespan when this picture was taken.

47426 Dibatag passes South Moreton on 15 August 1991 with the 1F40 16:20 Paddington to Oxford Network SouthEast service. The train would shortly cross over from the down main to the down relief line, before turning right at Didcot.

Oh dear, oh dear, who's been a naughty boy then! 47427 stands on the up relief line at Hinksey on 10 September 1987 with the derailed 4M42 04:10 Stoke Gifford to Calvert Avon binliner. If you look carefully at the wagon towards the rear of the train directly under the red signal, you will see that it is leaning at a drunken angle. The train had a few hours earlier caused the total closure of the route into Oxford, by ripping up the pointwork near the footbridge in the background, which explains the orange jackets visible in the background. Despite the local radio saying that the derailment was at Radley, I managed to track it down and secure this unique picture before going to work.

47427 passes through Radley station on 20 July 1989 with the 1M23 15:40 Poole to Manchester Piccadilly service. This view is no longer possible thanks to a large radio mast and an impenetrable wall of trees and bushes.

This picture is immediately dated not only by the fact that the loco and coaches are in the sadly missed corporate rail blue livery, but also by the fact that the hedgerows in the background still contain numerous dead elm trees killed off by Dutch Elm Disease which swept the country in the 1970s. 47430 passes the site of Ashbury Crossing near Shrivenham on 28 July 1980 with the 17:27 Paddington to Cheltenham service. Although over ten years after this picture was taken 47430 was allocated to Old Oak Common and would be expected to be seen here, at the time it was a Finsbury Park machine and something of a rarity on the Great Western Mainline.

47431 heads north at Didcot North Junction on 26 November 1989 with the 1M48 08:50 Paddington to Manchester Piccadilly service. Didcot's coal fired power station is dominating the background, as it did for over forty years.

In the last months of loco hauled operation of Thames Valley services, 47431 Silurian approaches Culham on 26 May 1992 with the 1F44 17:20 Paddington to Banbury Network SouthEast service. This view became progressively more obstructed by bushes over the following years, until the plans for electrification saw the lineside cleared again.

47432 approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 5 January 1985 with the 1A27 08:30 Cheltenham Spa to Paddington service. In later years the field behind the train was divided into two, and the rear half planted with trees, which obscured the view of Petwick Farm in the background.

47432 passes the staggered platforms at Albrighton station on 4 September 1991, as it heads west with the 1J26 13:40 Euston to Shrewsbury InterCity service. The 47 would have taken over the train at Wolverhampton.

47433 passes Fawler in the very last of the weak autumn sunshine on 12 November 1989. It is working the 1B31 13:45 Paddington to Hereford Network SouthEast service, the first northbound train of the day on a Sunday at the time. In addition to the fact that this was formerly a double track mainline, in the nineteenth century there was also an exchange siding running parallel with the line on the left here. This was for the nearby ironstone mine and brickworks. This small scale enterprise opened in 1853, and was connected to the mainline by a short branch. The works closed and the branch was lifted prior to 1900. The remains of a lime kiln can still be seen. This photo was taken from a farm occupation crossing.

47435 passes Lower Basildon on 25 January 1986 with the 1O27 06:45 York to Portsmouth Harbour service. After two decades of BR corporate blue, 1986 was starting to see new liveries appearing, but there was still plenty of the old order around - as here.

47436 passes Abbotswood on 6 July 1985 with the late running 1V90 10:45 Glasgow Central to Penzance service. The inclusion of a ScotRail Mk 2 coach in the train is a big clue as to where it has come from, even without knowing the working!

47436 Buznak passes Narroways Hill Junction, on the outskirts of Bristol with the 6M29 14:00 Taunton to Bescot Speedlink service on 16 April 1991, mainly conveying cider from Taunton Cider's factory at Norton Fitzwarren. This was the start of a busy period for freight activity at this location, with 6B97, 6B20 & 4B74 all seen during the next few hours. 47436 had received the unofficial name Buznak at Tinsley during the previous summer, at a time when the depot way busy applying these painted names (along with the Tinsley rose emblem) to as many Class 47s as it could get away with! The branch line leading off to the right is the line to Severn Beach via Avonmouth.

47437 emerges from Wickwar Tunnel on 10 August 1985 with the 1V52 10:20 Edinburgh to Plymouth relief service, which it had taken over at Birmingham New Street. This is something you don't get on today's totally inflexible railway. BR in the 1980s might have been inefficient, but it was a lot better at providing capacity where needed - as here on a summer Saturday.

47438 passes underneath the recently opened Hennef Way bridge at Banbury on 11 July 1987 with the 1M46 15:17 Weymouth to Manchester Piccadilly service. This was during the period when BR decided that a whole raft of loco hauled passenger trains should appear as named trains in the timetable. Consequently this, along with many others, was officially the 'Holidaymaker Express', although with no headboards, or any other special status, the whole thing was a bit pointless.

47438 passes South Moreton on 28 August 1991 with the 1F61 14:00 Oxford to Paddington Network SouthEast service. The former Tinsley allocated loco had just been transferred to Old Oak Common, to join various other cast off 47/4s in the Thames Valley NWRA pool. It would last less than a year in this role, before the end of loco hauled services to Oxford would see it withdrawn.

47439 passes the site of Bletchingdon station on 17 June 1983 with the 1M07 13:48 Brighton to Manchester Piccadilly service. The station closed to passengers in 1964, and freight the following year, but two decades later it was still possible to drive into the site, and photograph northbound trains passing underneath the roadbridge. This view is impossible today, as the whole area is covered by an industrial estate. The chimney of Shipton-on-Cherwell Cement Works in the background, has also gone.

47439 passes a very frosty Bourton on 28 December 1985 with the 1A26 08:57 Cardiff Central to Paddington service. The loco had just been allocated to Bescot, having previously been based at Gateshead. However, its grey roof clearly betrays that before that it was allocated to Stratford.

The road overbridge at Shorthampton, between Ascott-under-Wychwood and Charlbury, was one of my least favourite Cotswold Line locations in the 1980s, because it was so overgrown. This is one of the very few pictures that I took there at the time, and shows 47440 passing the flowering willow bushes with the diverted 1O09 08:12 Newcastle to Poole InterCity service on 18 April 1987. When the line was redoubled in 2011, all the lineside trees and bushes were removed, opening up the location for photography. I'm sad to say however, that they have now grown back again, and the location is as bad, if not worse, than this again!

47441 passes through Plumley station on 12 March 1990 with the 7F49 08:07 Tunstead to Oakleigh vacuum braked stone hoppers. Silver birch trees are colonising what was formerly the station's small goods yard. The station building has been refurbished since this picture was taken, and is now in private hands.

With no train behind it, I decided to try for a panning shot of 47441, as it passed Hinksey Yard on 1 August 1991. The loco had just been allocated to Old Oak Common, and would soon become a common sight working Network SouthEast trains out of Paddington.

47441 passes South Moreton on 15 August 1991 with the 1F38 16:20 Paddington to Oxford Network SouthEast service. This was one of my favourite Thames Valley photographic locations in the 1990s, but with the location having been desecrated by the Great Western Mainline electfrication scheme, it is not a spot that I will ever be visiting again!

47441 passes South Moreton (Didcot East) on the frosty and slightly misty morning of 11 December 1991 with the 1F39 10:00 Oxford to Paddington Network SouthEast service, which was running 15 minutes late. The loco needs a repaint - which it didn't get!

With less than two months to go before the end of Thames Valley loco hauled commuter trains, 47441 passes South Moreton on 18 May 1992 with the 1F46 17:38 Paddington to Didcot Network SouthEast service. This was an all stations stopping service, taking well over an hour.

47442 rounds the curve at Bayston Hill on 3 July 1985 with the 1V04 07:05 Holyhead to Cardiff Central service. The train has just passed the ground frame controlling the entrance to the quarry visible in the background. At this time the rail connection was still actively used. 47442 only ever carried two numbers during its life, being built as D1558. It never carried a name.

47443 passes Ascott-under-Wychwood on 30 June 1987 with the 1A10 06:04 Hereford to Paddington InterCity service. Although being near the longest day the sun is already well up by 07:40, unfortunately it is still rather head on at this location so early in the morning. Just visible in the background are Ascott-under-Wychwood's level crossing barriers, and the small corrugated iron hut (on the left) that marks the site of Ascott's former small goods yard, which was still in use as a coal yard at this time.

A clash of universities! 47444 University of Nottingham arrives at Oxford, the UK's premier university city (with apologies to the other place!) on 1 August 1986 with the 1M03 08:05 Portsmouth Harbour to Liverpool Lime Street service. Oxford University was founded in 1096, while Nottingham is a much more recent newcomer, being founded in 1798.

47445 passes Hinksey Yard on 14 June 1983 with the 1O01 06:00 Derby to Poole service, which it worked between Birmingham New Street and Reading. This was taken during a very productive early morning session on the footbridge near Whitehouse Road, where I arrived at 05:20!

Railfreight Distribution liveried 47445 passes Gloucester New Yard on 5 August 1989 with the 1V36 06:38 Milton Keynes to Penzance service. The 47 had replaced an electric loco at Coventry, although the DVT is still attached on the rear. On the right, the pier for the A4302 Metz Way roadbridge is taking shape.

47445 passes Culham on 22 June 1990 with the Fridays only 6M22 15:35 Gillingham to Ince & Elton Kemira (formerly UKF) fertilser empties. 47445 was withdrawn just over a year after this picture was taken, and was broken up at Booth Roe, Rotherham in 1994.

47446 passes Appleford on 12 September 1985 with the 1O03 06:50 Liverpool Lime Street t Poole service. Appleford Crossing Signal Box was still in use at this time, as can be seen from the signalman's arm holding onto the handrail!

47446 approaches Oxford on 17 January 1987 with the 1S39 08:34 Poole to Glasgow service. Despite the freezing conditions, this was running exactly to time. Trees now hide the then new houses in Gibbs Crescent in the background from view.

47446 Galtee More approaches Radley on 9 July 1991 with the 1F52 18:08 Paddington to Oxford Network SouthEast service. 47446 had arrived in the Thames Valley a few weeks previously, having been formerly allocated to Tinsley's Railfreight Distribution fleet, which is where it acquired its unofficial painted Galtee More name.

47446 Galtee More accelerates away from Culham station on 10 July 1991 with the 1F52 18:08 Paddington to Oxford Network SouthEast service. The stations between Didcot and Oxford were mostly served by DMUs, but in the early 1990s there were also a couple of loco hauled trains that called at peak times.

47446 Galtee More passes Hinksey Yard on 29 July 1991 with the 1F71 16:00 Oxford to Paddington Network SouthEast service. The Class 50s had finished, but there was still a year to go before these trains were downgraded to DMUs. A three coach Turbo is no substitute for seven Mk1s!

47447 arrives at Oxford station on 25 September 1987 with the 1A10 06:04 Hereford to Paddington service. Although rebuilt in 1971, the station retained this section of Great Western Railway canopy at the north end of platform 1. At this time the bay platform on the right was not in regular passenger use, having previously been used for trains from Fairford, until that branch line closed in 1962. The water tower on the left marks the site of Oxford MPD (81F). A Class 47 can be seen on the stabling point.

47448 Gateshead heads south from Colton Junction on 27 May 1990 with the 1M34 11:06 Newcastle to Liverpool Lime Street Regional Railways service. Note the vintage North Eastern Railway cast iron milepost in the foreground. I bet that no longer survives, at least not in that position!

47449 passes Croome on 9 April 1983 with the 1V87 09:15 Glasgow Central to Bristol Temple Meads service. This would have taken over from an electric loco at Birmingham New Street. During the previous year this train was often Class 45 hauled south of Birmingham, but by early 1983 it was usually either a 47 or 50.

47449 passes Pirton on 15 June 1986 with the 1S87 13:40 Plymouth to Edinburgh InterCity service. This was followed just five minutes later by the even more interesting 50030 Repulse on the 1M78 13:49 Plymouth to Manchester Piccadilly service.

47449 approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth with the 6V04 12:30 Calvert to Bath Avon binliner empties on 8 May 1987. The track worker on the left was placing detonators on the up line to warn of a broken rail. This did not go down well with the lady owner of the adjacent Upper Circourt Farm, who claimed the noise was frightening the horses. When told that detonators would be used all day and probably right through the night, she marched off intending to phone someone in authority to get it stopped!

47450 approaches Banbury on 24 April 1984 with the 1O01 06:00 Derby to Poole service. I would see this loco return later in the day on the 1M23 return working. Banbury's stone terminal was very basic in 1984, with no buildings whatsoever, and just an excavator to unload the wagons (vacuum braked 16 tonners in this case). If the rolling stock and stone depot have changed out of all recognition since this photo was taken, the one constant is unfortunately the rather un-photogenic pylon and high voltage power lines that stride across the scene!

Passing a cast iron British Transport Commission trespass warning notice, 47450 accelerates away from Oxford on 24 April 1984 with the 1M23 14:40 Poole to Liverpool Lime Street service, which it would work as far as Birmingham New Street. I knew what to expect on this train, as I had seen it earlier in the day working down south with 1O01. Needless to say you cannot get to this location now, and presumably the highly collectable sign has found its way into someone's collection!

47450 approaches Ashchurch on 28 June 1987 with the 1V32 23:50 Edinburgh to Bristol Temple Meads sleeper. This was the first time that I saw an InterCity liveried vehicle amongst the customary three Mk3 sleeping coaches on the train. The working timetable also lists this as a newspaper train.

47450 approaches Banbury on 28 April 1990 with the 1V97 15:18 Manchester Piccadilly to Paddington service. Around this time a lot of Class 47/4s were being fitted with extended range fuel tanks, and renumbered into the 47/8 range. 47450 was not so lucky, being withdrawn a year after this picture was taken, and then cut up at Booth Roe, Rotherham, two years later.

47451 passes Combe on 7 February 1987 with the 1A18 07:00 Hereford to Paddington 'Cathedrals Express'. I remember being disappointed at the time that this wasn't a Class 50, but now that everything on the Cotswold Line is a Class 800 DMU, even a humble Class 47/4 seems interesting!

Just before the lights went out at Wolvercote on 10 July 1987. After a surprisingly long period when the sun shone, but the background was a mass of black clouds, this was captured in the very last of the light, before the clouds finally won! 47451 passes Wolvercote with the 1M42 17:52 Paddington to Wolverhampton InterCity service (despite what the Network SouthEast stock may indicate). Note the fours in the loco's number are slightly smaller than the other digits.

A welcome bonus at Radley on 1 May 1990, as the 6E30 16:58 Eastleigh to Haverton Hill Speedlink produces a pair of Class 47s, one each of sub classes 47/4 and 47/3. The lengthening shadows are getting intrusive, but it was definitely worth taking a picture, as 47451 & 47306 Goshawk passed through the station. Clearly the spectacle is of no interest to the youth with the moped!

47452 passes Lyneham on 7 May 1987 with the 1B56 18:07 Paddington to Hereford 'Cathedrals Express'. Note that half the coaches are air-cons, with just a single first class vehicle in the then new InterCity livery. Directly behind that is a Mk1 buffet car. Its been a very long time since this embankment was completely free of bushes, as seen here.

47452 pulls away from Charlbury station on 8 May 1987 with the penultimate up loco-hauled 1A18 07:00 Hereford to Paddington 'Cathedrals Express'. HSTs took over this service from the following Monday. Although there is still some kind of a view from Cornbury Park bridge, a little to the south, this vantage point at the top of the cutting has long since disappeared amid the bushes.

47452 passes Ruckley (Between Shifnal and Cosford) on 4 July 1987 with the 1A63 15:33 Shrewsbury to Euston InterCity service. This was formerly the site of Ruckley Sidings, which were used in connection with a local sand quarry.

47453 Eland races through Radley station on 11 December 1991 with the late running 1F61 14:00 Oxford to Paddington Network SouthEast service. No ten frames per second laziness in those days, with just one chance to fire the shutter at the correct time, which I clearly didn't do here. At least on this occasion it is still in the frame!

Running 70 minutes early (as was often the case), 47454 approaches Oxford on 23 August 1985 with the 4V16 09:33 Washwood Heath to Morris Cowley empty cartics. This is the view from Walton Well Road, a quiet road that just gives access to Port Meadow.

47456 passes Oxford North Junction on 2 May 1990 with the 1M23 15:40 Poole to Manchester Piccadilly InterCity service. This superb viewpoint only existed for a short while. The ditch in the foreground had been dredged and the lineside vegetation cut back, but of course it soon became overgrown again. There had obviously been a Victorian rubbish dump in the area, as the dredged mud contained numerous old (and probably collectable) bottles and jars. Recent clearance in connection with the reinstatement of the down relief line has once again cleared the vegetation, but the view is now blocked by palisade fencing.

Viewed from the long since closed public footpath crossing at Hampton Gay, 47456 speeds northwards on 11 July 1989 with the 1M23 15:10 Poole to Manchester Piccadilly InterCity service. This was definitely the era of large logo 47s on passenger workings, as just ten minutes later 47638 appeared from the opposite direction.

With the shadows lengthening as the sun dips towards the horizon, 47457 Gazelle passes Narroways Hill Junction with the late running 4B74 16:30 Bristol West to Hereford freightliner on 16 April 1991. It was a very busy day for unofficially named Tinsley Class 47s, as I had already seen 47436 & 47630. This loco was to survive for less than a year after this photo was taken, and after languishing at Old Oak Common for several years was finally cut up on site by M.R.J Phillips.

Under a brooding sky and with the threat of rain, 47457 Gazelle passes the site of Coaley Junction station (closed in 1965) with the 6M29 14:00 Taunton to Warrington Speedlink service on 17 April 1991. The former Dursley branch line curved away to the left at the end of the siding in the background. A new station named Cam & Dursley was opened on this site in 1994 after much campaigning by locals, and therefore this view from the roadbridge is no longer possible. However the view from the new station's footbridge is very similar

47458 pulls away from Charlbury station on 9 May 1987 with the 1B56 18:12 Paddington to Hereford service. Usually time keeping on the Cotswold Line was pretty good in the 1980s, certainly far better than it is now, so it is noteworthy that this was running 15 minutes late. Unfortunately that late running meant that the sun had almost totally faded out into high cloud.

47458 speeds past Bruern on 2 July 1987 with the 1A10 06:04 Hereford to Paddington service. Unfortunately nowadays it is not just a case of a row of trees on the west side of the line providing a good backdrop. The few bushes that were on the east side of the line in the 1980s are now full size trees, making this view impossible - at least this early in the morning.

47458 passes Horfield on 13 March 1989 with the 3A12 06:45 Swansea to Old Oak Common empty newspaper vans. The two large gasholders have since been removed, and although I haven't revisited the location since, somehow I suspect the improvised corrugated iron fence has also disappeared!

47459 has full power applied, as it hauls its lengthy train of vans up the gradient form Patchway Tunnel on 17 December 1983. It is working the 3A12 08:55 Carmarthen to Old Oak Common empty newspaper vans. Note the difference in gradient between the two lines in the background, as they separate to approach the twin single bores of Patchway Tunnel on very different alignments. This photo is taken from the very end of Patchway station platform.

47459 races through Finstock station on 10 April 1987 with the 1A18 07:00 Hereford to Paddington 'Cathedrals Express'. The station had just been rebuilt on the opposite side of the line. Much better facilities were available for Cotswold Line commuters in those days, with a buffet car, and a BG next to the loco. No problem with bike storage in those days!

47459 approaches Oxford on 13 May 1989 with the 1O04 06:41 Wolverhampton to Poole InterCity service. A full rake of seven InterCity liveried Mk 2 aircons, with the additional of a Mk1 blue/grey restaurant car, and a full brake. Luxury provision compared with today's cross CrossCountry trains!

47460 passes the site of Killiecrankie station (closed in 1965) with the 1N36 17:35 Glasgow Queen Street to Inverness service on 13 July 1983. It would also be seen on the same train the following evening, at Blair Atholl. Although unnamed here, this loco started the trend for unofficial namings in 1978 when Stratford applied Great Eastern plates. These were soon removed, but further namings on the locos in the 1980s and 1990s were semi-officially tolerated, indeed, 47460 acquired one of the famous Tinsley unofficial names in 1991, when it was named Triton.

47460 arrives at Blair Atholl on 14 July 1983 with the late running 1N36 17:35 Glasgow Queen Street to Inverness service. Apart from the sleeper service, this was the last northbound passenger service of the day over the Highland Main Line. Note the Mk 1 buffet car parked in the siding.

47460 Triton heads north through Winchester on 28 June 1991 with the 4M57 15:50 Southampton Maritime to Trafford Park freightliner. The line on the left is Winchester Baltic Siding, which is used to stable EMUs that reverse in the station.

A little bit of Scotland in Oxfordshire! Sporting a Highland Rail stag emblem, 47460 Triton approaches Wolvercote Junction on 18 August 1991 with the 1M96 15:15 Poole to Wolverhampton InterCity service. The loco had been a Scottish stalwart since the late 1970s, but in October 1990 it was transferred south to Crewe, and then in January 1991 to Tinsley, where it acquired its unofficial Triton name. When this picture was taken it had moved back to Crewe, so its appearance in the Oxford area was not as unusual as the livery would suggest.

47462 passes Marshfield on 28 April 1984 with the 10:16 Cardiff to Paddington relief. However, all is not well here, as the train is being pushed from the rear by 37251. 47462 had shut down approximately a mile up the line, and after a short delay, the 37 was summoned from Cardiff to push the errant train to Newport, where it was terminated. Not a very good performance, failing just a few miles out, and then having to get pushed to the next station! Of course in 1984 there were plenty of spare locomotives available, and as they were all owned by one company, there was no problem in just using the nearest suitable one to quickly clear the line.

With 86221 BBC Look East in tow, 47462 Cambridge Traction & Rolling Stock Depot passes Reedham on 29 August 1992 with the 1P52 08:55 Liverpool Street to Great Yarmouth service. The 47 was attached at Norwich, but the electric loco was left on the train, and had a free trip to the East Anglian coast!

An amazing simultaneous departure at Great Yarmouth on 29 August 1992. 47462 Cambridge Traction & Rolling Stock Depot leaves the station with the 1P31 14:10 Great Yarmouth to Liverpool Street service, while 31191 runs alongside it with the (obviously early) 14:43 Great Yarmouth to Norwich Crown Point ECS. The two trains continued running side by side all the way to Breydon Junction, where the 31 took the Acle route, and the 47 headed for Reedham. 86221 BBC Look East is bringing up the rear of the London train.

47463 stands at Oxford station's platform 2 on the night of 30 January 1985, after arriving with the 1A52 17:08 Paddington to Oxford service. Usually the loco hauled trains from the capital to Oxford at the time took just less than an hour. However, this particular service was more like the DMU operated turns, as it was an 'all stations' service after Reading. Consequently it was on a very leisurely schedule! Note the mailbags being unloaded in the background.

Under a perfect cloudless blue sky, 47463 passes the site of Knighton Crossing (Between Uffington and Shrivenham) with the 1C67 17:42 Paddington to Plymouth InterCity service. This train only ran through to Plymouth on two dates during the summer 1989 timetable, this was 26 May, the other occasion being 25 August. On all other dates it terminated at Bristol Temple Meads.

47463 passes South Moreton on 15 August 1991 with the 1S04 14:20 Tonbridge to Edinburgh parcels. This picture is taken from a farm occupation bridge, which was a very pleasant location to spend a summer evening in the 1990s. Obviously there was no traffic (not even any farm vehicles whenever I was there), and the parapet was low enough to form an ideal seat. Now of course the replacement bridge cannot be sat on, in fact it is so ridiculously high that a ladder is required to see over the top!

47463 passes Clay Cross on 9 April 1992 with the 1V64 12:45 Newcastle to Plymouth parcels. Note the line up of cars on the right. This was a well used trackside location for watching the trains go by, although obviously not by photographers at this time of day, due to the angle of the sun. Access to this has since been blocked, and a more substantial fence erected.

47465 passes Rangeworthy on 5 May 1990 with the 1E06 14:28 Plymouth to Newcastle parcels. This used to be an excellent location for an evening's photography in the 1980s and 1990s, with clear views in both directions.

47465 Minerva approaches Standish Junction in miserable light on 27 June 1991 with the early running 6B42 17:40 Cardiff Tidal to Gloucester New Yard Speedlink. The unprofitable Speedlink wagonload service ended the following week.

47465 Minerva pulls away from Oxford station on 2 October 1991 with the 1F39 09:20 Network SouthEast service to Paddington. With a predominance of NSE liveried 47s working these trains, it was always worth while getting pictures of locos in any other liveries. Blue, large logo and parcels sector colour schemes turned up, and in fact this loco had only recently been transferred from Crewe's parcels fleet. Its time on Thames Valley services was very limited however, as just over a month after this picture was taken, it was withdrawn, never to work again.

47466 pulls out of Oxford station on 2 April 1983 with the 1O03 07:20 Liverpool Lime Street to Poole InterCity service. Just visible in the background is 50012 Benbow, which is waiting to follow it with the 1A21 11:15 Oxford to Paddington non-stop service.

47466 looks in need of a repaint, as it slows down for the approach to Moreton-in-Marsh station on Sunday 9 September 1990 with the 1A68 16:12 Hereford to Paddington service. It is pictured just to the south of the small hamlet of Dorn.

47467 passes Somerton on 22 October 1985 with the 1O27 06:45 York to Portsmouth Harbour service. As this is Oxfordshire, the Highland Rail logo on the cabside is a little out of place! This was an Inverness allocated locomotive, so its use on a train to Portsmouth was noteworthy, although it had worked a few non Scottish trains during 1985, including one to Penzance.

Inverness allocated 47467 (note the Highland Stag on the cabside) passes Hinksey Yard on 22 October 1985 with the 1E31 14:31 Portsmouth Harbour to York service. With the light fading, and no sign of its movement, I didn't wait to get the identity of the Class 47 waiting in the yard with the 6M93 16:20 Morris Cowley to Bescot Speedlink.

Just the right size gap for a short train of just four vans! 47467 passes the bus depot at Patchway on 29 April 1993 with the 1M91 16:30 Bristol Temple Meads to Crewe Royal Mail vans. The train is descending first of all towards Patchway Tunnel, then a little later the Severn Tunnel.

47468 approaches Cholsey on 18 February 1990 with the 1O66 13:38 Birmingham New Street to Three Bridges service. Five coaches suffices for this Sunday train from the West Midlands to Sussex. The train would return later as the 1M25 18:25 Three Bridge to Manchester Piccadilly, which the 47 would work as far as Birmingham.

47468 approaches Oxford station on 16 May 1990 with the 1M85 14:32 Tonbridge to Preston parcels service. At the time this was booked to call at Oxford to pick up mail. There was often a lot of traffic to pick up and some smart work was required so that the booked 18:05 to 18:13 stop was not extended, thereby delaying following passenger services.

Viewed from the uncomfortable location of the very busy A34 Oxford bypass, 47468 passes Wolvercote on 23 July 1990 with the 1M85 14:32 Tonbridge to Preston vans. Although on reverse curves and framed between the signal and the Wolvercote village bridge in the background, the location is not to be advised due to the volume of road traffic.

47469 Glasgow Chamber of Commerce passes Heyford on 6 October 1984 with the 1O27 06:45 York to Portsmouth Harbour service, which it had worked from Birmingham New Street. Even in the 1980s the bushes were a problem at this location, but it still makes an excellent picture, with an interesting collection of boats on the Oxford Canal.

This is something that has now completely disappeared from the national network - a combined passenger and newspaper train. With three GUVs full of newspapers at the head of the train, 47470 University of Edinburgh passes Killecrankie on 15 July 1983 with the 1S05 22:10 Euston to Inverness service. The silver buffers and generally clean appearance are because the loco was named a few days earlier, the ceremony being performed by the Right Honourable David Steele MP.

Long shadows at Radley on 1 December 1983, as 47471 Norman Tunna G.C. speeds southwards with the 1A07 10:20 Oxford to Paddington service. The trees on both sides of the line have grown considerably since this picture was taken, making this once clear location now virtually useless (for both morning and evening pictures).

47471 Norman Tunna G.C. speeds past the grass covered platforms of the long disused Challow station on 3 December 1983 with what is presumably the late running 1C24 10:15 Paddington to Pembroke Dock service. This location is virtually unrecognisable today. A huge signal gantry now makes this viewpoint impossible. Other changes include the removal of the old platforms, the reinstatement of the relief lines, and the open view across the fields in the background being obscured by a row of tall Lombardy Poplar trees. In addition to all this, the view will soon be changed even more the forthcoming Great Western Mainline electrification.

47471 Norman Tunna G.C. comes to the aid of disgraced GWR Castle Class 4-6-0 5029 Nunney Castle on 12 March 1994. I had waited for over two hours at Aisgill in the rain and later the driving sleet for Nunney Castle on the southbound 'Cumbrian Mountain Express' railtour, but had given up by the time it eventually passed by, hauled by 47471. I was so cold that I couldn't initially drive the car, but did manage to recover enough to get this picture of the train being watered at Garsdale. Poor coal was the problem, with Nunney Castle so short of steam at one point that it was down to walking pace, with the brakes starting to drag. Of course in those days there was no way of knowing what was happening further up the line, hence having to stand out in the arctic weather!

47471 Norman Tunna G.C. passes Rangeworthy on 8 May 1995 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z60 06:09 Wolverhampton to Penzance 'Grockle Grid' railtour. 56064 took over the train at Bristol Temple Meads. It is debatable as to which is the better form of traction, but there is no doubt that the weather got better further south!

Running half an hour late, 47472 approaches the site of Ashbury Crossing, near Shrivenham, on 14 July 1989 with the 1C67 17:42 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads service. Luxury passenger provision here, with well over half of the train being made up of first class MK1 coaches.

47472 passes Compton Beauchamp on 6 April 1990 with the 1C67 17:42 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads service. Mostly InterCity liveried Mk1s, but also including a Network South East Mk2 and a blue and grey Mk2. Note how open this view is, as this was in the days when BR kept lineside vegetation under control. Network Rail now don't bother!

47472 approaches Wolvercote Junction on 30 April 1990 with the 1F44 17:20 Paddington to Banbury Network SouthEast service. Note the red RTC flash underneath the driver's window. Ironically, the last few months of this loco's life was spent in the DCWA engineers pool (from December 1990) and it could therefore legitimately have worn the very similar DCWA stripe.

Lovely evening light at Heyford on 6 October 1979, as 47473 sweeps through the station with the 13:24 Manchester Piccadilly to Paddington service. In retrospect its a pity I didn't take more pictures in the late 1970s, when Rail Blue 47s still sported 'domino' headcodes, and were yet to be disfigured by off centre headlights. Captured with a Praktica PLC2 on Kodachrome 64. A superb film that would capture an amazing amount of detail, but a camera that wasn't quite in the same league!

47473 approaches Croome on 14 May 1984 with the 1E64 13:55 Cardiff Central to Leeds and Hull service. At the time of course a blue Class 47 on blue and grey Mk1s was just about the most mundane train imaginable, but now photographers would really appreciate such a sight. I expect passengers on today's Voyager equivalent would also love the comfort of a Mk1 over the claustrophobic interior of a Class 220!

47473 approaches the site of Chipping Campden station on the Cotswold Line with the 18:07 Paddington to Hereford service on 2 June 1984. The evening sun was just fading out into high cloud and there was only a trace of brightness when the train came. Chipping Campden station (which did not acquire the 'Chipping' in its name until 1952) was closed in 1966. Although a small country station it boasted two private sidings.

Viewed from a farm occupation bridge near Shorthampton, on the Cotswold Line on 8 June 1984, 47473 heads west with the 17:05 Paddington to Hereford service. This loco had a strange end to its life, inasmuch that it was still recorded on TOPS three months after it had been cut up! It was officially withdrawn in June 1998, even though workers from M.R.J. Phillips of Llanelly had cut it up at Crewe works during March.

47473 has just passed the site of Yarnton Junction, as it starts its journey over the Cotswold Line on 18 April 1987 with the diverted 1E63 10:40 Poole to Newcastle train, which it worked between Reading an Birmingham New Street.

47473 passes through Balcombe station on 2 May 1987 with the 1M07 12:15 Brighton to Liverpool Lime Street service. Note the unusual bridge in the background, which is constructed square on to the railway, even though the road above crosses at an oblique angle. This results in large triangular areas of vegetation covered ground above each portal. Also note how the platform extends underneath the arch. A single car parked in the very roughly surfaced car park marks this picture out as being from the 1980s. The area has now been considerably tided up, and the marked parking bays are usually full!

47473 passes Wolvercote on 4 May 1989 with the 1O90 10:44 Edinburgh to Brighton 'Sussex Scot'. Photo taken from a footpath crossing, which was closed shortly after this picture was taken. Walkers wanting to cross from Port Meadow to Wolvercote village, and the Oxford Canal, now have to use the bridge that can be seen in the background.

47473 passes Kingsbury on 31 May 1989 with the 1E27 07:31 Wolverhampton to York service. Just seven coaches, but a dedicated brake vehicle for bikes, etc, and a restaurant car. Proper passenger provision in the days of British Rail!

47473 speeds through Radley station on 6 August 1989 with the 1M48 08:10 Paddington to Manchester Piccadilly service. The total lack of cars in the car park is explained by this being a Sunday morning, although at this time there would only have been a few cars, even on a weekday.

47473 just manages to catch a patch of sunshine, as it passes Kings Sutton on 8 August 1991 with the 1M85 14:32 Tonbridge to Preston parcels. It may only be a short train of four vehicles, but they are in three different liveries!

47473 approaches Sleaford West Junction on 24 August 1991 with the 1E55 10:38 Skegness to Sheffield service. Sleaford station is in the background. The Network SouthEast coaches are definitely not very appropriate for Skegness!

47473 passes Narroways Hill Junction on 16 May 1992 with the 1S93 15:30 Paignton to Glasgow Central, which it would work as far as Birmingham New Street. Interesting enough, but the highlight of the evening was to come a couple of hours later, when D400 & 50033 passed by with the 'Chiltern Atmospheric 50' railtour.

47474 passes Lower Wick (Crossways) on a slightly misty 26 October 1985 with the 1V32 10:30 York to Exeter St Davids relief. Good old loco-hauled relief trains, in the days when the railway put the customer first! This location has, like many others all over the country, become hopelessly overgrown in recent years.

An appropriate choice of locomotive for a Royal Mail train. 47474 Sir Rowland Hill passes Engine Common on 5 July 1990 with the 1E43 14:15 Plymouth to Leeds parcels. The loco had been named Sir Rowland Hill a few months earlier, to commemorate the founder of the modern postal system.

47474 Sir Rowland Hill approaches Islip on the Bicester to Oxford line with the 4C13 11:11 Calvert to Bristol Avon Binliner on 12 December 1997. 47474  was new to traffic in July 1964 as D1602. It acquired its TOPS number in February 1974, and unlike a large number of its class was not renumbered again. It was withdrawn from Crewe in March 2000 and was finally cut up at TJ Thomson's at Stockton in 2005. This was an interesting time for photographing the Avon Binliner, for although a particular loco usually stayed on the train all week, there was a variety of different liveried Class 47s employed on the train at various times, a far cry from the repetitiveness of today!

47475 makes a smoky departure from Charlbury on 15 April 1983 with the 1A75 07:05 Hereford to Paddington service. In the 1980s passenger services on the Cotswold Line were worked either by Class 47s or 50s, which meant you either got a smoky or noisy departure from station stops! Naturally I was prepared for this volcanic eruption and had framed the picture using the two surviving telegraph poles, one of which still survives over a quarter of a century later by virtue of its use as lamp fixing.

47475 approaches Thrupp on 25 April 1986 with the 1S39 07:34 Poole to Glasgow Central service. Note the random positioning of the three InterCity liveried coaches towards the rear of the train. It has been a long time since this location was as open as this. Kidlington's Banbury Road bridge is prominent in the background, with the disused station building just visible through the arch.

Showing off its unique Regional Railways livery, 47475 passes Walton Well Road, Oxford, on 7 September 1991 with the 1V94 10:09 Birmingham New Street to Paddington service. Not ideal lighting, with the sun very head on, but this is one of only two occasions on which I saw this loco in this colour scheme.

Viewed from high above Middlehill Tunnel, 47476 heads towards Bath on 28 July 1988 with the 4V04 12:30 Calvert to Bristol Avon Binliner empties. This is a location that I should have visited more often, and also in better weather! However, the dull conditions did allow this wider view from the north side of the line, which clearly shows the village of Box in the background. The entrance to the world famous Box Tunnel can be seen on the left.

47476 passes through Oxford station's centre road on 26 May 1990 with the 1O06 07:18 Manchester Piccadilly to Poole InterCity service. This was one of the few passenger trains at the time that was not booked to call at Oxford, hence the use of the centre line, avoiding the platform. On this occasion it was running 40 minutes late, which has not improved the rather head on lighting.

47476 passes Engine Common on 5 July 1990 with the 1E03 13:32 Penzance to Leeds parcels. This location derives its name from the former local coal mines, part of a small coalfield that extended from Coalpit Heath to Rangeworthy, and once included 20 small pits.

47476 Night Mail approaches Standish Junction on 5 July 1991 with the 1E43 14:15 Plymouth to Newcastle Royal Mail vans. The bushes at the top of the cutting were starting to cause evening shadows, but now of course the bushes are not only at the top of the cutting, but most of the way down the slope, so the problem would now be a lot worse!

47476 Night Mail passes Duffryn in 4 April 1992 with the 5M06 10:25 Bristol Temple Meads to Swansea Royal Mail vans. The loco had received the Night Mail name at the Bristol Barton Road Open Day the previous year.

Viewed from the old road at the site of Knighton Crossing, 47476 Night Mail heads west along the Great Western Mainline under a cloudless sky on 23 June 1995 with the 1C53 16:02 Paddington to Plymouth Royal Mail vans. The parapet of the underbridge that replaced the crossing can be seen by the fifth vehicle.

47477 passes Hungerford Common 3 September 1984 with the 1C44 13:40 Paddington to Penzance service. Often a Class 50, but no such luck on this occasion. At least the sun was out, on a day when a lot of the interesting trains passed when the sun was behind the clouds!

47477 passes Hinksey Yard on 22 October 1985 with the late running 1O74 09:58 Manchester Piccadilly to Brighton service. The then recently opened Oxford Ice Rink dominates the skyline in the background of this view. It is still there now, but hidden from view by trees.

47477 passes Natton on 24 April 1986 with the 1V85 09:23 Newcastle to Penzance service. The whole train could do with a wash, but the loco is particularly dirty. Appearances may leave a lot to be desired, but at least the accommodation was superior to today's Voyager replacement!

An unexpected Class 47 meeting at Culham on 27 May 1989. Disappearing into the distance is 47598 with the 1F81 19:00 Oxford to Paddington to Oxford service, which was running ten minutes late. That delay is nothing compared with the 65 minute delay of the 1M31 15:15 Folkestone Central to Manchester Piccadilly, seen here heading north behind 47478.

47478 passes Aynho Junction on 28 April 1990 with the 1M88 06:40 Poole to Manchester Piccadilly service. 47478 retained its white roof livery right up until it was withdrawn in 1999. This may only be a six coach train, but it still has proper catering facilities, with a Mk1 restaurant buffet coach at the head of the train.

47478 passes Wetmore on 11 August 1990 with the 1V42 07:52 Leeds to Tenby service. A line of very tall trees on the right now makes this kind of early morning picture next to impossible. The bridge in the background, which served Wetmore Hall Farm, has since been removed. It's a pity that I never visited it, as it looks like it would have been an excellent location!

A heavy brake application whilst travelling light engine through Oxford, resulted in a small fire on the leading bogie of 47478 on 28 June 1991. It is seen here just to the south of the station, with smoke still pouring from the bogie.

47479 approaches Oxford with the 1M85 14:32 Tonbridge to Preston parcels on 18 July 1990. The train was booked to spend eight minutes at Oxford station, during which time there was often frenzied activity, as Royal Mail workers loaded several Brute's worth of mail sacks into the vans.

47481 passes Oxford North Junction on 12 February 1985 with the 1O27 06:45 York to Portsmouth Harbour service. I bet there weren't many passengers making the complete journey from Yorkshire to Hampshire on this bitterly cold day!

47482 makes its way slowly through the centre road at Oxford station on 7 January 1984 with the 3V19 04:50 Banbury to Old Oak Common empty newspaper vans. This train recessed at Oxford from 05:22 to 09:35 (or 09:20 on this particular morning). A classic BR blue scene, with a domino headcode 47, without headlight, and platforms full of Brute trolleys. In the middle of winter the station canopies tended to shade the up lines (even the centre line) for much of the day, but luckily the 1970s modernisation left a gap between the then new canopy and the truncated remains of the old GWR canopy, seen here. At least this gap allowed a fully lit view of the locomotive, if not the whole train.

47482 makes a smoky departure from Oxford on 3 March 1984 with the 13:15 Oxford to Paddington service formed entirely of Mk 2 stock, albeit with a mixture of early and air conditioned types. The train is passing the site of Hinksey North signal box at the north end of Hinksey Yard, which was largely disused at the time. A fine picture from the sadly missed corporate blue era, when Thames Valley passengers had a high quality comfortable train service to take them to the capital! A point of interest for railway modellers is the non-standard arrangement of the former headcode box. Rather than the normal marker lights surrounded by rubber grommets, 47482 appears to just have a pair of painted white dots.

Running ten minutes early, 47482 passes Bathampton Junction on 5 April 1990 with the 3A12 06:45 Swansea to Reading empty newspaper vans. A picture that would be impossible to replicate today, as 47482 was withdrawn in 1993 and cut up shortly afterwards, and of course newspapers are no longer conveyed by rail. More importantly however, this view is no longer possible because the farm occupation bridge I am standing on has since been demolished!

47482 sweeps round the curve on the approach to Heyford on 24 May 1990 with the 1M85 14:32 Tonbridge to Preston parcels. This viewpoint no longer exists, as tall trees now border the line on both sides, no doubt contributing to rail adhesion problems in the autumn.

47482 glints in the setting sun on 7 November 1990, as it approaches Cowley Bridge Junction with the 1E43 14:15 Plymouth to Leeds mail. The yellow late afternoon light only accentuates the brown dirt covering the bodyside. The line on the extreme right is the exit from Exeter Riverside Yard.

47483 passes Ponthir in lovely evening light on 4 September 1986 with the 1V66 17:25 Cardiff Central to Crewe service. Photo taken on some good old 1970's technology - a Pentax 6x7 with 105mm Takumar lens, on Kodak Ektachrome EPN100 at 1/1000sec f3.5.

47483 arrives at Shipton station on 9 May 1992 with the Cotswold Line Promotion Group 1Z40 07:00 Oxford to Newcastle 'Cotswold Tyne Express' railtour, as a small group of CLPG members get ready to board their train. Apparently the tour was banked up the Lickey Incline by 58005. 47483 failed at York and was removed from the train in favour of 47500 Great Western, which being a GW150 green liveried loco would have been more appropriate choice in the first place for a train from the Cotswold Line. Whatever the fault was with 47483, it must have been serious, as this was the loco's final passenger working.

47484 Isambard Kingdom Brunel passes Claydon (near Banbury) with the 1M88 06:33 Poole to Manchester Piccadilly service on 2 June 1984. Surprisingly considering this had always been a Western Region locomotive, this was my first picture of this locomotive, and my only picture of it in blue livery (apart from a light engine shot). The following year it was repainted into brunswick green livery in connections with the GWR 150 celebrations. From then on I saw it frequently! If I've only got one picture of it in blue, at least its a good one, with a very lucky patch of sun illuminating just the train, with a background of dark clouds - perfect!

47484 Isambard Kingdom Brunel passes Chilson on 16 June 1985 with the BR sponsored Marylebone to Worcester Shrub Hill 'Sunday Lunch Pullman' railtour. This had been steam hauled to Banbury, and then travelled to Worcester via the Cotswold Line, after a reversal at Oxford. Unfortunately I wasn't so lucky with the light when the train returned later in the day.

47484 Isambard Kingdom Brunel passes Moreton-in-Marsh on 16 June 1985 with the BR sponsored Worcester Shrub Hill to Marylebone 'Sunday Lunch Pullman' railtour. The outward run had been steam hauled to Banbury, and then diesel hauled over the Cotswold Line, after a reversal at Oxford.

47484 Isambard Kingdom Brunel passes Hinksey Yard in soft early morning light on 4 July 1985 with the 1F13 06:53 Oxford to Paddington service. This would shortly be calling at Radley, Culham and Appleford. Apart from one single train, in 2018 none of these stations now have a direct service to London, let alone a loco hauled one!

47484 Isambard Kingdom Brunel approaches the level crossing at Appleford on 12 September 1985 with the 1A18 07:00 Hereford to Paddington 'Cathedrals Express' service. This of course being the Great Western 150 year, the four GWR green 47s were naturally in demand for specials and were usually kept spotless, although it seems that even among the four there was a hierarchy, with 47484 and 47500 definitely receiving better treatment. Lots of silver and white paint has been used to good effect here.

Very close to being a ruined picture! 47484 Isambard Kingdom Brunel passes Llandevenny on 21 October 1985 with the 1O79 12:05 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour service, while 37257 heads west with a rake of HEA coal empties. In the background the Bishton flyover carries the up relief line over the main running lines.

47484 Isambard Kingdom Brunel emerges from the fog at Crofton on 23 September 1986 with the 1X02 Paddington to Honiton (via Taunton) Royal Train, conveying HRH The Duchess of Kent. Presumably this train then worked back to London via Salisbury.

47484 Isambard Kingdom Brunel opens up, after having just weaved across from the up relief to the up main line near Woodley on 14 June 1987 with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z04 08:40 Paddington to Barnstaple 'Devon Belle' railtour. Needless to say, the slightly amateurish looking fence in the foreground has since been replaced by the inevitable palisade variety.

Crisp early morning light at Daylesford on 6 August 1987, as 47484 Isambard Kingdom Brunel passes milepost 86¾ with the 1A10 06:04 Hereford to Paddington InterCity service. Although the shadows from the lineside bushes were not a problem at 07:35 in 1987, the same would not be true today!

47484 Isambard Kingdom Brunel makes a typically smoky departure from Moreton-in-Marsh station on 5 August 1990 with the 1A68 16:12 Hereford to Paddington service. A quarter of a century later the semaphore signals still survive, but the sidings do not.

As the last of the evening sunshine fades away into high cloud, 47484 Isambard Kingdom Brunel approaches Wolvercote Junction on 28 August 1990 with the 1F44 17:20 Paddington to Banbury Network SouthEast service. This would shortly be calling at both Tackley and Heyford stations. Luxury provision compared with the Class 165 used today!

By late 47484 Isambard Kingdom Brunel had been reduced to menial work such as this short ballast train, pictured at Hinksey Yard, Oxford on 3 October 1990. It was not all bad news however, as it briefly regained some of its former status a few years later. This view also gives an indication of the downturn in parcels traffic, with the entire length of the back siding (a similar distance out of sight to the left) taken up with withdrawn GUV and BG vans.

GW150 green liveried 47484 Isambard Kingdom Brunel ambles along the up relief line at South Moreton on 28 August 1991 with six empty ballast wagons and a 'Shark' plough brake van. This was during the short period that the loco was allocated to the DCWA civil engineer's pool.

Its glory days working Western Region passenger trains now behind it, 47484 Isambard Kingdom Brunel rests between departmental duties at Swindon on 28 October 1992. It had been a civil engineer's loco for over a year, but had just been further downgraded by being transferred from the DCWA pool to the DCWW restricted use fleet. Happily it would later be back on front line duties.

With an appropriate 'Cheltenham Flyer' headboard, 47484 Isambard Kingdom Brunel approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 16 March 1994 with the 1Z46 09:03 Paddington to Cheltenham Gold Cup special. The up relief line on the left was not yet then in use, and although ballasted, hadn't yet been tamped, which explains the less than straight alignment. That didn't prevent engineering trains using it, such as 37098 which can be seen in the distance.

A lucky patch of spring sunshine at Badgeworth on 17 March 1994, as 47484 Isambard Kingdom Brunel heads for the races with the 1Z46 09:03 Paddington to Cheltenham Gold Cup special. An appropriate choice of traction for such a train, and with an equally appropriate 'Cheltenham Flyer' headboard. 47484 would return the happy (assuming they had bet on the winner 'The Fellow') punters to the capital with the 1Z90 18:20 Cheltenham to Paddington.

47484 Isambard Kingdom Brunel passes Whiteball on 2 May 1994 with the Flying Scotsman Services 1Zxx 08:50 Paddington to Exeter St Davids railtour. This was one of a number of special trains heading for the Exeter Rail Fair.

On a bitterly cold 4 January 1986, with frost on the ballast and vegetation, 47485 passes Kenilworth with the 1S39 07:34 Poole to Glasgow Central service. The 47 would be replaced by an electric loco at Coventry. Even by 1986 rail blue was still the predominant livery on the national network, or during the winter months rail blue and dirt, as seen here! A single InterCity livery coach has appeared in the otherwise uniform rake of blue and grey stock.

A meeting of Class 47/4s at Oxford North Junction on 13 May 1987. 47485 waits in the loop with the early running 6A49 11:31 Morris Cowley to Bicester Speedlink, while 47466 overtakes it with the 1S39 08:34 Poole to Edinburgh 'Wessex Scot'.

Running 30 minutes early, 47485 passes South Moreton on 28 August 1991 with the 1A71 13:43 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington parcels. Although in decline, there was still plenty of parcels traffic on the railway in the early 1990s, making use of standard BG & GUV vehicles.

47485 passes a group of recently completed, but as yet unoccupied, houses at Great Bedwyn, as it heads towards London on 3 July 1992 with the 1A90 12:12 Penzance to Paddington parcels. The tower of Great Bedwyn church can be seen in the background. A poor quality image, but this is my only photo of this particular train.

47486 passes through Radley station on 28 November 1981 with the 1O19 07:55 Newcastle to Poole service. The low sun not only highlights details such as the locomotive's handbrake wheel, but also the shadow of the footbridge (complete with solitary photographer!). Much has changed at Radley since this picture was taken. Naturally there are no longer any Rail Blue 47s on trains of matching stock, but also the completely empty bank between the railway and the road in this view is now covered with trees. Also, the bridge has been replaced, and a large radio mast has been erected near the small hut on the left. On the plus side, the amount of passengers actually using Radley station has increased considerably since 1981.

47488 passes South Moreton (Didcot East) on 1 December 1983 with the 1O15 09:20 Manchester Piccadilly to Poole service. Note the inclusion of two BG vans at the head of the train, one of which looks like it's on its first journey since overhaul, with gleaming paintwork, even down to red painted coil springs. In the background, Didcot's coal fired power station is hard at work supplying power for the national grid, something it would be doing for nearly another three decades.

47488 passes Hinksey Yard on 6 May 1988 with the 1M23 14:58 Poole to Liverpool Lime Street service. A decade later this loco would become one of number of Class 47s that have returned to the mainline repainted into the class's first livery - two tone green.

47488 meanders through the Esk Valley at Glaisdale with the Eagle Railtours 1Z45 16:27 Whitby to Worcester Shrub Hill 'North York Moors Explorer' railtour on 15 May 1999. DRS 37611 & 37612 are hiding in the trees at the rear of the train.

47488 & 55019 Royal Highland Fusilier pass through Frodsham station on 4 March 2000 with the Regency Rail Cruise's Cardiff to Fort William 'Monarch of the Glen' railtour. Despite appearances I did not turn the station nameboard near 47488 so that it faced me and therefore clearly indicated the location!

47489 passes South Moreton (Didcot East) on 13 October 1985 with the late running 1O19 08:22 Liverpool Lime Street to Poole service. At the time, new liveries such as large logo and Railfreight grey were creeping onto the scene, and plain blue seemed very dull. How times have changed!

47489 heads south at Exminster on 22 April 1988. Nowadays, with readily available gen, no train is unidentifiable, but in the 1980s, with no mobile phones or sources of information, things were very different. This clearly looks like an inter-regional train, but there was nothing scheduled anywhere near the time (17:00). Any information would be gratefully received.

I have only got a few pictures of the 'pseudo HST', with generator van ADB975325 and a barrier vehicle sandwiching HST coaches, and towed by whatever spare loco was available (I only ever saw Class 47s). By the time the stock was painted into InterCity colours its use was getting less frequent, and now of course with privatisation there is no possibility of this kind of flexibility, and cancellation is the only option! On 22 October 1988, 47489 leads what is presumably (confirmation anyone?) the 1B14 09:00 Paddington to Swansea service past Circourt Bridge, Denchworth.

47489 provides a little variation from the ever present HSTs on the Great Western Mainline, as it passes Baulking with the 1A32 09:10 Swansea to Paddington service on 8 April 1989. Despite appearances this is an InterCity train, not a Network SouthEast service. After all not even a Weakest Link contestant would think that Swansea is in the South East! During 1988/9 winter timetable this train only ran on sporadic dates. Every Monday, but other days of the week it was a good idea to consult the timetable! This is a Saturday, and in addition to 8 April, it only ran on 22 October, 11 and 18 February, and 1 April.

47489 Crewe Diesel Depot Quality Approved passes the leaning signal box at Singleton on 15 February 1992, as it works the 13:50 Burn Naze to Preston section of the Hertfordshire Railtours 1T32 'Lune Ranger' railtour. 20016 & 20081 can just be seen on the rear of the train.

47489 Crewe Diesel Depot Quality Approved passes Denchworth on 17 August 1992 with the 1A71 13:43 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington Royal Mail vans. A very heavily backlit picture, but it does show the beginning of the new down relief line in the background, marked out by a wobbly line of new concrete sleepers.

47490 approaches Culham on 5 May 1984 with the late running 1M14 13:07 Paddington to Liverpool Lime Street InterCity service. A completely ordinary scene in 1984, but a Rail Blue 47 hauling a rake of blue and grey Mk2s on the mainline would be a major photographic event if it happened today!

What is the furthest a Trans-Pennine liveried coach has strayed from the North of England? This is obviously not a record, but the lead coach is still a long way from home, as it heads down the Thames Valley at the front of the 1O09 08:12 Newcastle to Poole service on 31 January 1987. Mixed rakes were common at this time, and the InterCity liveried Mk1 catering vehicle is very typical. The unusual train is pictured passing Cholsey, powered by 47490.

47490 Bristol Bath Road passes Little Haresfield with the 08:22 Nottingham to Paignton 'InterCity Holidaymaker' on 24 June 1989. This loco only carried the Bristol Bath Road name for a relatively short time. It was named, naturally enough, at Bristol Bath Road depot on 22 September 1988, but by June 1991 it had surrendered its plates to sister loco 47805.

47490 Bristol Bath Road approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 24 October 1989 with the 1A27 09:03 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington service. This route was dominated by HSTs at the time, but this train was booked for a Class 47. In view of the perfect autumn light, it's a pity that I didn't take this on Fujichrome 100 with the Pentax 6x7, rather than Fujichrome 50 with a 35mm Canon A1, but this was before I bought a second Pentax 6x7 body, and at the time the Pentax was loaded with Ilford XP1 black and white film.

47491 Horwich Enterprise catches the last of the weak evening sunshine, as it pulls away from Charlbury station on 14 April 1987 with the 1B46 17:00 Paddington to Hereford service. There was roughly 50/50 chance whether this train would be Class 47 or 50 hauled during its last few months of loco hauled operation in 1987.

A Sunday engineering possession sees a pair of Class 47/4s on very different duties at South Moreton (Didcot East) on 26 November 1989. 47491 Horwich Enterprise runs along the up relief line with the 1O06 06:45 Manchester Piccadilly to Southampton service, while GW150 green liveried 47484 Isambard Kingdom Brunel stands on the up main line, facing the wrong direction with a short engineer's train, which includes a Mk1 coach, presumably used as a mess and equipment van.

47491 Horwich Enterprise passes Winwick on 12 March 1990 with the 6T71 Ravenhead Junction (St Helens) to Warrington Arpley Speedlink trip, conveying single chemical tanker from Hays Chemicals, for delivery to Roche Products at Dalry. It would work north on the Warrington to Carlisle Speedlink, then to Falkland Yard, and finally Dalry.

47492 passes Ashchurch on 2 June 1985 with the 1V32 23:40 Edinburgh to Bristol Temple Meads sleeper. Note the fine Midland Railway crossing keeper's cottage at Northway level crossing in the background. Unfortunately this was demolished shortly afterwards.

Definitely an enterprising Scot! 47492 The Enterprising Scot passes South Moreton on 2 August 1991. Complete with Highland stag and ScotRail branding, this was certainly out of place in the Thames Valley. The loco had been transferred from Inverness to Crewe the previous October. It would lose its nameplates in early 1992, but would retain its obsolete ScotRail livery until 1995.

ScotRail in Northamptonshire (with the Oxfordshire border just off to the right)! 47492 passes Kings Sutton on 20 July 1993 with the 1E45 16:30 Swindon to Newcastle Royal Mail vans. The loco not only retains its ScotRail branding, but also the Highland Rail stag logo from its time based at Inverness. Despite not having been a Scottish loco for a couple of years, it managed to hang on to this now inappropriate livery, getting progressively more tatty, until a repaint into Res red livery in 1995.

Viewed from the end of Combe station's sleeper built platform, 47497 heads down the Evenlode Valley on 21 August 1982 with the 1A75 07:05 Hereford to Paddington service. The piles of timber on the left belong to the Blenheim Estate's Combe Sawmill.

Viewed from high above the entrance to Standedge Tunnel, at Marsden on 2 September 1987, 47497 is about to plunge into the gloomy depths with the 1M26 12:25 Newcastle to Liverpool Lime Street service. Unfortunately I only have a few pictures of Trans Pennine 47s at work, but then of course in 1987 there was plenty to keep me occupied nearer home!