47801 passes Bromsgrove station on 23 September 1989 with the 1E29 06:10 Plymouth to York service. Only five coaches, but it does include a buffet restaurant vehicle! This view has changed completely since this picture was taken. A second platform and footbridge was added the following year, obviating the need for down trains to cross over to access the single platform seen here. In 2016 a brand new station, situated in the background of this view, was opened, replacing this one. The prominent oil depot storage tanks have also now gone.

On 14 March 1990, 47801 passes the last remnants of the lineside orchards that presumably give the nearby village of Stoke Orchard its name. It is working the 1V51 08:50 Glasgow Central to Penzance 'Cornish Scot'. This locomotive only carried the number 47801 for a relatively short time, from September 1989 until February 1992. Prior to be renumbered into the 47/8 series it carried the number 47551, which is what it reverted to in 1992! It must also be a candidate for the most renumberings (if not actual different numbers carried). It entered service in July 1964 as D1746, becoming 47551 with the advent of TOPS in 1974. However, this was briefly changed to 47153, before reverted back to 47551. After the period as 47801 and subsequent switch back to its old favourite number, 47551, it changed yet again to 47774 in 1993. Any further chance of renumbering was ended by it being cut up in 2006!

47801 speeds through Kings Sutton on 17 March 1990 with the 1O12 07:50 Glasgow Central to Poole 'Wessex Scot'. The 47 would have taken over the train at Birmingham New Street. This is long before Kings Sutton station acquired a footbridge, and before the trees on the left got so large as to cause problems with shadows!

47801 approaches Winchester on 28 June 1991 with the 1O11 08:44 York to Poole service. A couple of months later this loco was withdrawn, only to be reinstated a few months later, this time on Network SouthEast duties. It was then renumbered back to 47551 for a year, before being converted to a 47/7 and numbered 47774.

Despite appearances, this is not an InterCity train, but is in fact a Network SouthEast service. 47801 passes South Moreton (Didcot East) on 29 January 1992 with the 1F57 13:00 Oxford to Paddington. A Class 47/4 with NSE stock, rather than a long range fuel tank Class 47/8 hauling IC liveried Mk2s would be more normal on this service.

47802 passes through a frosty landscape at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 7 December 1991 with the Pathfinder Tours 07:45 Gloucester to Dover 'Kentish Belle Executive' railtour. Although the background is still shrouded in mist, the sun had broken through in the foreground just in time for this train.

47802 brings up the rear of the 1Z43 09:06 Sunderland to Kings Cross Grand Central Railways crew training run at Offord Cluny on 16 August 2007. 47237 is at the front of the train. St Peter's church at Offord D'Arcy can be seen in the background.

With frost on the ballast and trackside brambles and the last of the autumn leaves on the trees, 47802 passes Compton Beauchamp with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z52 07:33 Paddington to Ludlow 'Ludlow Castle Medieval Christmas Fayre' railtour on 24 November 2007. 47832 can be seen on the rear of the train. The day started with some sunshine, so I decided to go to the spot near the site of Knighton Crossing, which is ideal with the sun out. Naturally, as soon a I stopped the car, the sun went in, so I got straight back in the car and went to this spot instead, which in the autumn and winter is only suitable with the sun in!

Running an hour late, 47802 leads the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z55 07:24 Tonbridge to Worcester Shrub Hill 'Worcester Christmas Fayre' Railtour past Uffington on 1 December 2007, with 47790 on the rear. Five different liveries in an eleven coach rake must be something of a record! When I was notified that the tour had passed Denchworth the sun was behind a cloud and it seemed it was touch an go as to weather it would be sunny, as there was a bank of clouds near the horizon. Luckily just before the train arrived, the sun slowly broke through. The hour's delay also meant that the sun was now fully on the nose - a perfect result!

47802 Pride of Cumbria & 47841 pass the site of Bletchingdon station on 3 September 2012 with the Cruise Saver Express 1Z83 10:59 Glasgow Central to Southampton Docks boat train. As I suspected, the shadows were beginning to cause a problem here, and I was contemplating finding an alternative spot (not easy on this stretch of line), when the sun descended into some high cloud, and got progressively weaker. By the time the 47s came into view the sun had virtually disappeared. At least it solved the shadow problem!

With the soon to be closed Didcot Power Station in the background, 47802 Pride of Cumbria & 47810 Peter Bath MBE 1927-2006 pass South Moreton on 8 September 2012 with the 1Z83 12:09 Bristol Temple Meads to Kings Cross 'Africa Express' railtour. Note the specially painted 'graffiti' buffers. 47805 is on the rear of the train.

47802 Pride of Cumbria heads a varied rake of stock past South Moreton (Didcot East) on 13 September 2012 with the 5Z84 08:39 Crewe to Eastleigh Cruise Saver ECS, with 47805 on the rear. Because of track problems further north, it was running nearly an hour late. Coincidentally this is just one bridge away from where I photographed the same locomotives just five days before.

47802 brings up the rear of the Railway Touring Company 1Z33 07:05 Victoria to Cardiff Central 'Cardiff Christmas Express' railtour at Knighton on 21 November 2023. ' Black Five' 4-6-0 44871 at the front of the train has just given a pleasant surprise to a group of rail workers doing some vegetation clearance in the distance.

47803 Woman's Guild crosses the River Avon at Eckington on 19 June 1989 with the 1V62 16:18 Manchester Piccadilly to Plymouth InterCity service, which it would have worked from Birmingham New Street. Although the original 6X7 transparency looks pretty sharp, it's in situations like this were I would have liked the Pentax 6x7 to have had a 1/2000sec shutter speed. I'm not sure how reliable it would have been though, had Pentax ever managed to engineer it, because there were often problems of uneven exposure at the 1/1000sec setting!

47803 Woman's Guild passes Hinksey Yard on 29 July 1991 with the 1M17 14:03 Paddington to Liverpool Lime Street InterCity service. This photo is taken from one of the two footbridges that cross the line in the Hinksey area. The other one can be seen in the background.

In the mid 1990s, 47803 carried a striking livery based on the InterCity colour scheme, but with the entire upper bodyside in yellow instead of grey. Originally it also had the word 'Infrastructure' in huge letters along the bodyside. With a good coating of grime still not toning down this bright apparition, it pulls away from Oxford station on 27 December 1993 with the 1O12 07:10 Edinburgh to Bournemouth 'Wessex Scot'.

47803 passes Badgeworth on 17 March 1994 with the 1Z36 09:10 Manchester Piccadilly to Bristol Temple Meads relief. This was in connection with the Cheltenham Gold Cup. A relief train was an additional train run at short notice to cope with extra demand, something which is virtually impossible with today's extremely inflexible privatised railway.

47804 races through Beaulieu Road station on 30 November 1989 with the 1O09 08:18 Manchester Piccadilly to Poole service. Not a very good picture, due to the shadows, but this is my only picture of a Class 47 in the New Forest. The Beaulieu Road name is a clue that the station is in the middle of nowhere. Just a few houses and a hotel where the B3056 road crosses the railway. The village of Beaulieu is over 3 miles distant.

47804 passes Usan signal box with the 1H79 13:27 Edinburgh to Keith 'Royal Scotsman' luxury train on 5 May 2008. This train was running 14 minutes late, having been delayed by the preceding National Express East Coast HST service and then the 16:41 Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street service, which it had to wait to clear the single line section which is just about to enter. This is day one of a five day land cruise that takes in Kyle of Lochalsh, Boat of Garten and Dundee.

47804 brings up the rear of the Kirklees Green Party 1Z13 06:15 Sheffield to Salisbury 'Mid Summer Salisbury Spire' railtour at Bishops Itchington on 23 June 2009. 47826, complete with its unusual Scarborough Spa Express branding, was leading.

47804 passes Hambleton on 30 November 2019 with the Railway Touring Company 1Z10 07:11 Ealing Broadway to York 'York Yuletide Express' railtour. The 47 was deputising for the unavailable LNER A4 4-6-2 60009 Union of South Africa. The 1E09 09:30 Edinburgh to Kings Cross LNER HST can just be seen disappearing into the distance.

47804 brings up the rear of the 1Z47 08:23 Birmingham International to Weymouth Northern Belle luxury charter at Yarnton on 9 July 2022. Classmate 47826 is leading. July finally sees some variation in the colour of the landscape, with the yellow grass a welcome change from the green monotony of late May and early June.

47805 passes Claverham on 10 August 1989 with the 1M09 08:47 Plymouth to Liverpool Lime Street service. As one of the later Class 47/4 conversions, this loco (as 47650) had already been fitted with long range fuel tanks, but in mid 1989 it was decided to renumber these long range locos into the 47/8 series. This explains why the 805 part of the number is cleaner than the 47 part!

47805 passes Badgeworth on 28 September 1989 with the 1S85 07:07 Plymouth to Glasgow Central service. Over three decades of progress have seen this twelve coach loco hauled train replaced by a four car DMU!

Still looking immaculate after its naming at the Bristol Bath Road Open Day, just a few days earlier, 47805 Bristol Bath Road emerges from Wickwar Tunnel on 5 July 1991 with the 1V54 11:44 York to Swansea InterCity service.

47805 Bristol Bath Road has just passed its namesake depot, as it climbs Ashley Down Bank, and passes Narroways Junction on 16 May 1992 with the 1M42 16:08 Paignton to Liverpool Lime Street InterCity service.

47805 Bristol Bath Road passes Chilson on 14 June 1992 with the 08:30 Wolverhampton to Poole InterCity service. During the 1992 summer timetable these inter-regional trains were diverted onto the Cotswold Line from their normal route via Banbury, giving a welcome return of loco hauled trains to the route. Despite appearances, this photo is actually taken from the right side of the railway fence!

47805 Bristol Bath Road passes Narroways Hill Junction on 3 March 1994, as it climbs away from Bristol with the 1M40 11:44 Plymouth to Liverpool Lime Street service. The Severn Beach line can be seen coming in from the right.

With the now demolished Didcot Power Station dominating the background, 47805 passes Culham on 16 August 1997 with the late running 1S54 07:38 Reading to Edinburgh service. What makes this picture particularly noteworthy are the two freshly painted Virgin Mk3 coaches on the rear of the train. These are presumably hitching a ride north after being repainted, as Mk2s were the normal vehicles on this train, and the Mk3s have clearly been added to the normal seven coach rake.

47805 passes Purley-on-Thames on 25 June 1999 with the 1O09 08:17 Manchester Piccadilly to Bournemouth 'Pines Express'. The mix of old InterCity and new Virgin liveries was commonplace at the time. Unfortunately I only visited this location a couple of times.

47805 passes Croome on 29 December 1999 with the late running 1V48 11:17 Manchester Piccadilly to Bristol Temple Meads Virgin CrossCountry service. Nearly three years after taking over the franchise, and still not everything had been painted red!

It's a lot quicker by train! With a contraflow system causing long traffic jams on the M5 motorway in the background, 47805 approaches Tiverton Parkway on 14 May 2000 with the 1V84 15:10 Birmingham New Street to Penzance Virgin Cross Country service. Despite the hazy conditions, Burlescombe church can just be seen in the background.

47805 accelerates away from Banbury on 20 July 2000 with the 1S54 05:50 Bournemouth to Glasgow Virgin CrossCountry service, while in the sidings, 60020 waits patiently while its Redland self discharge train is unloaded.

47805 Pride of Toton passes Engine Common on 29 March 2002 with the 1V50 11:33 Preston to Penzance Virgin CrossCounty service. The loco had only received its new name a few weeks previously. Ironically its former name (Bristol Bath Road) also reflected its owning depot at the time.

Deputising for a HST, 47805 Pride of Toton rounds the curve at Water Orton on 11 August 2002 with the 1S44 10:40 Plymouth to Edinburgh Virgin CrossCountry service. This loco took over from 47854 Women's' Royal Voluntary Service at Gloucester.

The 09:55 Cardiff Central to Newport rugby special passes Marshfield on 4 March 2006, with 47805 leading and 47847 on the rear. This was one of a series of specials run in connection with the Powergen Cup Rugby Semi-Finals Double Header (London Wasps v Leicester Tigers and Bath v Llanelli Scarlets).

47805 runs along the up relief line at Marshfield on 4 March 2006 with the 10:55 Cardiff Central to Newport, one of a series of specials run in connection with the Powergen Cup Rugby Semi-Finals Double Header (London Wasps v Leicester Tigers and Bath v Llanelli Scarlets). 47847 is on the rear.

47805 Talisman brings up the rear of the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 05:26 Southampton to York 'Ouse-Humberman' railtour at Ackworth on 7 May 2007. 37603 & 37604 are at the front of the train. Ackworth village consists of three parts: High Ackworth, Low Ackworth and Ackworth Moor Top.

On 13 February 2008, 47805 Talisman worked the 5Z91 11:15 Derby Litchurch Lane to Laira stock move conveying refurbished First Great Western Mk3 HST coaches 41017, 41018, 42202, 42003, 42284, 42285, 44036, 40210, 40205, sandwiched between barrier vehicles 6348 & 6338. Even though it had pulled out of Ashchurch loop two miles previously, it still had full power applied and was clagging well as it passed Tredington running virtually to time. I thought this picture was going to be a write off, as despite it being sunny virtually all the way there, this location was enveloped in thick fog when I arrived, but luckily the sun soon got to work and burnt off the mist in plenty of time!

47805 Talisman & 47839 Pegasus do their bit for the environment as they pass Hinksey on 24 September 2009 with the 6Z48 13:05 Burton upon Trent to Dollands Moor Colas Rail steel empties. Obviously the driver is an enthusiast, as it seems he repeated this clagging performance for various groups of photographers on various bridges along the route. Although the Colas liveried locos were a novelty, these hired in Riviera Trains locos in their more conventional colour scheme are much more photogenic.

Despite the poor weather on 5 November 2009, I ventured out to Kings Sutton to photograph the 6Z48 13:05 Burton upon Trent to Dollands Moor Colas Rail steel empties. Not only is the traffic about to finish, but the fact that a single blue Class 47 was scheduled to work with a lengthy train of fifteen wagons was definitely not to be missed! It was virtually dark by the time 47805 Talisman passed through Kings Sutton station, resulting in this picture being taken at ISO 1600 with the lens wide open.

A mere 26 minutes after it passed Compton Beauchamp in the other direction led by 47790, the 1Z13 14:52 Salisbury to Oxford Northern Belle luxury lunch excursion demonstrates the advantage of top and tail working on 7 July 2012, as 47805 speeds away from the dark clouds over Swindon, where the train has just reversed.

Running an hour late due to a combination of problems, including the need to isolate a defective traction motor, 47805 John Scott 12.5.45 - 22.5.12 leads the Pathfinder Tours 1Z10 05:35 Bristol Temple Meads to Scarborough 'York, Moors and Scarborough Explorer' railtour past Compton Beauchamp on 8 June 2013. 47802 Pride of Cumbria is on the rear of the train. The late running has resulted in an improved lighting angle, and certainly much better than when I saw this particular loco at the same location the previous year.

47805 John Scott 12.5.45 - 22.5.12 & 47501 Craftsman pass Dalnacardoch on 26 June 2013 with the Compass Tours 1Z42 06:42 York to Aviemore 'Highland Clansman' railtour. In the background is the valley of the River Garry, with traffic on the A9 Perth to Inverness road just visible in the distance.

47805 John Scott 12.5.45 - 22.5.12 & 47501 Craftsman approach Islip on 21 February 2014 with the 4Z30 09:12 Bicester Central Ordnance Depot to Crewe, comprising a couple of Mk 2 coaches, and a couple of flats. As the Bicester to Oxford line is closed for major rebuilding work (hence the stacked Portakabins on the right), there would be no passenger trains to regulate this working, and so an early departure was possible. However, in the event, it was running exactly to time. Just visible in the undergrowth beneath the tree is an isolated section of track that is all that remains of the entrance into the former oil depot. This presumably will soon be swept away during track relaying.

47805 John Scott 12.5.45 - 22.5.12 speeds past the site of Oaksey halt on 4 March 2014 with the 5Z28 09:24 Eastleigh to Crewe ECS, which includes an interesting mix of liveries. This was running over an hour late, which was fortunate, as the lighting had improved from impossibly backlit to just very backlit! It had actually left Eastleigh not far short of two hours down, but managed to regain all its lost time, arriving at Crewe exactly on time! The cleared station site in the foreground, and the machinery compound behind the loco are all part of the work to reinstate the double track on this section of the Swindon to Gloucester line. I particularly wanted to photograph this train here, as it shows it running on what will soon be the 'wrong' line, with the new uncommissioned down line in the foreground.

D1935 (47805) Roger Hosking MA 1925 - 2013 & D1944 (47501) Craftsman pull away from a signal check at Wolvercote Junction on 21 April 2018 with the 1Z29 15:05 Crewe to Oxford private charter. D1935's nameplate had been unveiled earlier in the day. This was not where I would have chosen to photograph this, but as the midday cloud cleared away in the afternoon, I had left it too late to go to the ideal spot at Banbury. This location, though backlit, had the advantage of being free of shadows, and the nearest spot to home!

With what appeared to be just the rear coach full of dining guests, D1935 (47805) Roger Hosking MA 1925 - 2013 & D1944 (47501) Craftsman pass Challow on 20 July 2018 with the Locomotive Services Ltd 1Z50 13:19 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads private charter, although in the event it didn't actually start from Paddington. Because the train started out as the very late running 5Z50 07:45 Crewe to Paddington ECS, it didn't run round in Hanwell Bridge Loop as booked, but carried on to Reading, where it picked up the passengers, who had been taken there in advance.

D1935 (47805) Roger Hosking MA 1925 - 2013 has just exited the north end of Didcot Yard, and approaches Didcot North Junction on 2 August 2018, running as the 0Z27 07:34 Didcot to Crewe light engine. I don't very often take pictures of light engines, but when it is a two tone green Class 47 in perfect early morning light, why not!

D1935 (47805) Roger Hosking MA 1925 - 2013 passes South Marston on 12 March 2020 with the 5Z47 11:31 Long Marston to Eastleigh Arlington ECS, conveying a rake of former GWR HST coaches. Hidden by one of the overhead electfrication posts, D1924 (47810) Crewe Diesel Depot is bringing up the rear. I would normally have chosen a much better location that wasn't backlit, but I wasn't going to miss 37401 Mary Queen of Scots, which passed by in the other direction, half an hour earlier.

D1935 (47805) Roger Hosking MA 1925 - 2013 passes Savernake on 18 July 2020 with the Statesman Rail 1Z37 05:37 Peterborough to Paignton 'English Riviera Statesman' railtour. After four months without any railtours, due to the coronavirus pandemic, this was a welcome return of some heritage traction on a mainline passenger train. I had chosen this location, as it was a cloudy morning, and it would be possible to get a decent shot at what would normally be an impossibly backlit spot. Typically there were a few worrying moments when the sun peaked through the clouds! This is the site of Savernake Low Level Station. The High Level station, on the former MSWJR, was just a short distance to the left of this picture. Note the remains of the removed crossover.

D1935 (47805) Roger Hosking MA 1925 - 2013 & 47593 Galloway Princess pass Stoke Orchard on 27 September 2020 with the Statesman Rail 1Z75 10:40 Penzance to York 'Cornish Riviera Statesman' railtour. This was the return working of a three day tour.

D1935 (47805) Roger Hosking MA 1925 - 2013 brings up the rear of the Saphos Trains 1Z60 06:40 Kidderminster to Bristol Temple Meads' Great Western Envoy' railtour at Challow on 6 October 2021. Hidden by the bushes, LMS Royal Scot Class 4-6-0 46100 Royal Scot is at the front of the train. What I hadn't noticed at the time, is the two USAF Rockwell B-1 Lancer supersonic bombers flying in to RAF Fairford. They can be seen making a turn, directly above the locomotive.

D1935 (47805) Roger Hosking MA 1925 - 2013 & D1924 (47810) Crewe Diesel Depot take the up relief line at Wolvercote on 14 November 2021 with the Locomotive Services Ltd 5Z47 08:19 Crewe to Oxford ECS. This was the empty stock for the 1Z17 11:24 Oxford to Crewe (via the Severn Tunnel and Hereford) private charter. The weather may have been grim, but the fine display of autumn colours helps to brighten up the picture.

D1935 (47805) Roger Hosking MA 1925 - 2013 passes Heyford on 11 June 2022 with the Saphos Trains 1Z60 06:18 Dorridge to Kingswear 'English Riviera Express' railtour. This should have started from Solihull at 06:10, but cable thieves had damaged the signalling system in the Tyseley area, resulting an amended and late departure. The train was now running 32 minutes late.

D1935 (47805) Roger Hosking MA 1925 - 2013 brings up the rear of the 5Z47 14:06 Chaddesden Sidings to Southall ECS at Shrewley on 24 July 2022. D1944 (47501) Craftsman is hidden by the bushes, at the front of the train. This was the stock from the previous day's 'Cornish Riviera Statesman' railtour.

D1935 (47805) Roger Hosking MA 1925 - 2013 passes Wolvercote Junction on 25 October 2022 with the 5Z43 08:22 Crewe to Eastleigh Arlington ECS, conveying a Mk1 barrier vehicle, two 'Staycation Express' HST Mk3s, and a Pullman Mk2.

D1935 (47805) Roger Hosking MA 1925 - 2013 brings up the rear of the 5Z29 13:30 Banbury to Southall Loco Services ECS at Culham on 20 August 2023. 47593 Galloway Princess can be seen at the front of the train.

D1935 (47805) Roger Hosking MA 1925 - 2013 passes Uffington on 25 November 2023 with the Statesman Rail 1Z88 05:43 Chesterfield to Bath Spa 'Bath Christmas Statesman' railtour. Hidden by the bushes at the rear of the train is 47712 Lady Diana Spencer.

D1935 (47805) Roger Hosking MA 1925 - 2013 brings up the rear of the Saphos Trains 1Z48 15:50 Worcester Shrub Hill to Northampton 'Cotswold Explorer' railtour at Churchill Heath on 16 March 2024. LMS Royal Scot Class 4-6-0 46100 Royal Scot is at the front of the train.

Tatty large logo liveried 47806 passes Adlestrop on 1 April 1990 with the 1B40 16:10 Hereford to Paddington service. Luxury Cotswold Line travelling, with two first class coaches, and a dedicated buffet car, in the six coach formation.

Low midsummer evening lighting at Heyford on 19 June 1991 as 47806 heads northwards with the 1M40 16:25 Weymouth to Manchester Piccadilly service. Not much problem with the timekeeping here. The 1991 working timetable has this passing Heyford at 19:55, and this picture was taken at exactly 19:55. Of course people would have you believe that in the bad old days of BR nothing ever ran to time!

47806 arrives at Charlbury station on Sunday 8 September 1991 with the 1M39 12:03 Paddington to Manchester Piccadilly InterCity service. The nearest car in the then very small car park is my Opel Manta. This was the car that covered a huge mileage during 1991, as I used my recession induced four day week to good effect, by doing lots of railway photography. All kinds of locations were visited, but my abiding memory of 1991 is repeatedly travelling down the A303 to photograph Class 50s on the West of England line.

47806 passes Earlswood station on 9 August 1997 with the 1S76 09:20 Brighton to Preston Virgin CrossCountry service, while a Class 73 hauled Gatwick Express disappears into the distance. This loco lives on as the rebuilt 57309.

Despite local protests, the semi-derelict Hinksey Yard, near Oxford, was converted into a 'virtual quarry' in the late 1990s, to become a hub for local engineer's and ballast trains. Work is well under way on 18 August 1998, as 47806 passes the site with the 1O40 10:40 Edinburgh to Brighton 'Sussex Scot'.

47806 approaches Tiverton Parkway on 11 August 1999 with the 1V50 08:40 Glasgow Central to Penzance Virgin CrossCountry service. The traffic on the M5 motorway in the background was at a total standstill because of an accident a little further to the north. This was not helped by the traffic being heavier than normal due to people returning from the West Country after witnessing the total solar eclipse. Luckily I managed to avoid this traffic jam by using local roads to get to the next junction.

47807 passes Gloucester New Yard on 5 August 1989 with the 1S49 08:07 Bristol Temple Meads to Edinburgh service. With the Speedlink wagonload freight network still in operation, there is still plenty of varied freight vehicles stabled in the yard. In fact, a couple of years previously the amount of freight handled here had increased considerably, after the closure of Severn Tunnel Junction as a freight handling centre.

47807 approaches Narroways Hill Junction on 10 August 1989 with the 1V51 08:50 Glasgow Central to Penzance service. This loco was only in large logo livery for a few months whilst numbered 47807. It acquired the livery when renumbered from 47055 to 47652 in 1986.

47807 passes the site of the former LMS Stonehouse (Bristol Road) station on 25 April 1990 with the 1S85 07:07 Plymouth to Aberdeen 'Devon Scot'. The former station master's house can be seen in the background. The site of the station on the left had, until a couple of years before this picture was taken, been used as a domestic coal depot.

A Network SouthEast train gets some InterCity haulage at Radley on 1 May 1990. 47807 passes through the station with the 1F44 17:20 Paddington to Banbury service. Thirty years later, if you want a direct train from London to Banbury, you don't come this way, you have to go via Marylebone.

47807 passes through the disused Tiverton Junction station on 1 August 1990 with the 1M09 08:45 Plymouth to Liverpool Lime Street service. Four years after the station was replaced by nearby Tiverton Parkway, everything is still intact, although grass is taking over the platforms. The Lloyd Maunder meat processing plant in the background was originally rail connected.

47807 passes Wetmore on 11 August 1990 with the Pathfinder Tours 06:45 Swindon to Newcastle-upon-Tyne 'Tyne Garden Festival Executive' railtour. Tour participants could either visit the National Garden Festival, or Beamish Open Air Museum. As this was one of Pathfinder's 'Executive' tours, aimed at the tourist rather than the rail enthusiast market, traction was a Class 47/8, which being still commonplace on normal trains, would not have been appreciated on an enthusiast tour!

47807 arrives at Kingham station on 8 September 1991 with the 1O10 08:15 Carlisle to Poole InterCity service. Kingham never had such a good service! The villagers had a direct train service to the south coast, and even more amazingly on a train that had come all the way from Carlisle. It's strictly Paddington or Hereford now!

47807 passes a row of freshly pollarded horse chestnut trees at South Moreton on 30 April 1994, as it heads towards Didcot with the 1M50 14:20 Brighton to Manchester Piccadilly service. Note the white paint on the bridge in the background, presumably a sighting relic from the days of semaphore signalling.

47807 crosses the Oxford Canal near Upper Heyford on 14 February 1995 with the 1O66 07:17 Manchester Piccadilly to Brighton InterCity service. Not much margin for error in firing the shutter here, and with the Pentax 6x7 not having a motor drive, there was just one chance of getting it right!

One of the more bizarre liveries to appear on a Class 47 was the Porterbrook purple and white colour scheme that was applied to 47807 in the late 1990s. It is pictured here arriving at Oxford on 16 August 1997 with the 1M20 08:48 Paddington to Manchester Piccadilly Virgin CrossCountry service.

47807 The Lion of Vienna passes Kings Sutton on 19 May 1998 with the 1M79 16:47 Reading to Liverpool Lime Street Virgin CrossCountry service. This was running just five minutes behind the late running 1M50 14:20 Brighton to Manchester Piccadilly service.

47807 The Lion of Vienna passes Silchester on 28 June 1998 with the 1O10 11:33 Manchester Piccadilly to Bournemouth Virgin CrossCountry service, which it had taken over at Birmingham New Street. So commonplace at the time, that some photographers often ignored them. How times change!

47807 The Lion of Vienna passes Defford on 17 July 2000 with the 1E61 15:55 Plymouth to Leeds Virgin CrossCountry service. The loco's name commemorates Nat Lofthouse (1925-2011), celebrated Bolton Wanderers footballer, who earned the nickname after scoring his second goal in England's 3–2 victory over Austria in 1952.

Early morning at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 24 October 1989. 47808 heads towards London with the 1A17 07:26 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington service. Pet wick Farm, and the houses near the site of Challow station, can be seen in the background.

47808 catches the last of the sunshine, ahead of the dark clouds coming in from the west, as it passes through the remains of the disused Challow station on 20 January 1990 with the 1A32 09:06 Swansea to Paddington service. A Class 47 hauled train on this line was the exception at this time, so was the fact that it was booked non-stop from Newport to Reading, missing out the normal stops of Bristol Parkway, Swindon and Didcot.

47808 approaches the site of Ashbury Crossing, near Shrivenham, on 25 July 1990 with the 1C71 18:47 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads InterCity service. This was a favourite location to take pictures from the north side of the line on late summer evenings.

Running half an hour late, 47808 passes Abbotswood on 26 June 1991 with the 1V35 06:05 Derby to Plymouth service. The late running has helped reduce the shadows, but because of the lineside bushes, even near the longest day this location is awkward for photography in the morning.

47808 passes Claydon on 2 July 1991 with the 1M38 15:44 Plymouth to Derby service. This used to be an excellent photographic location, with clear views in both directions, both in the early morning and the late evening. Unfortunately this evening view of trains heading north has now been lost to three decades of tree growth.

47809 Finsbury Park passes Spetchley on 22 July 1989 with the 1V42 07:59 Leeds to Tenby 'InnerCity Holidaymaker'. If the loco's number looks crisp and clean, that is because it was only renumbered from 47654 a couple of weeks earlier.

47809 Finsbury Park passes Stonesfield on 6 August 1989 with the late running 1O06 06:35 Manchester Piccadilly to Poole service, which during 1989 ran via the Cotswold Line. The loco had only just been renumbered from 47654, but as can just be seen here, for a while it ran with the 8 missing from the number 47809.

47809 Finsbury Park passes Engine Common on 5 July 1990 with the 1V55 13:11 Newcastle to Cardiff Central service. This was deputising for an unavailable HST. This seems to be a not uncommon occurrence, as I have seen several other pictures of this train being worked by a 47 instead of a HST.

47809 Finsbury Park slowly approaches Moreton-in-Marsh on a very misty 13 April 1991 with the Nenta Train Tours 'Heart of England Circular' railtour. This would be held at Moreton's home signal, easily allowing another picture to be taken, after a short walk to the station.

47809 Finsbury Park stands at the down home signal at Moreton-in-Marsh on a very gloomy 13 April 1991 with the Nenta Train Tours 'Heart of England Circular' railtour. Due to a late running HST still occupying the single track section from Evesham, the tour was stuck here for half an hour. The train had originated from Norwich, and had travelled via London to Oxford. After traversing the Cotswold Line, the return route would be via Birmingham, Leicester and Ely.

This Network SouthEast coach is off on its holidays, well away from its home territory! 47810 passes Malago Vale on 21 September 1990 with the 1V35 06:05 Derby to Plymouth InterCity service. My main reason for getting to this location in the early morning was to photograph the Class 50 hauled 9C05 08:27 Bristol East to Exeter Riverside engineer's train.

47810 passes Hinksey Yard on 25 June 1993 with the 1M50 14:20 Brighton to Manchester Piccadilly service. Some photographers ignored the InterCity liveried Class 47/8s at the time, as they were so commonplace. Yesterday's commonplace is tomorrow's history!

47810 passes Whitehall on 2 May 1994 with the 1M56 10:15 Plymouth to Manchester Piccadilly service. Not many cameras from the 1970s had a top shutter speed of 1/2000sec, but this feature came in useful for this broadside view, taken using my Canon F1.

47810 Porterbrook passes Milford Junction on 30 August 1997 with the 5M25 16:51 York to Derby Etches Park ECS. The train had worked north earlier in the day as the 1E32 09:00 Poole to York Virgin CrossCountry service. Most pictures taken at this location feature freight trains, as in the 1990s there was a constant procession of freight services passing here, mostly coal trains to the Aire Valley power stations.

47810 Porterbrook is pictured near Mortimer (between Basingstoke and Reading) with the 1S49 06:36 Poole to Edinburgh Virgin Cross Country service on 28 July 2001. There wasn't much waiting around here, as I had only just crossed the line via the footpath crossing, when I could see the train coming. So total standing around time at this location, less than a minute!

With less than a month to go before Virgin CrossCountry services would be downgraded to Voyager DMU operation, 47810 Porterbrook passes Didcot North Junction on 22 July 2002 with the 1M02 06:00 Paddington to Manchester Piccadilly service.

47810 Peter Bath MBE 1927-2006 passes Wolvercote on 15 December 2012 with the final DRS hauled Cruise Saver Express - the 1Z92 10:33 Southampton Eastern Docks to Edinburgh. 47501 Craftsman is on the rear of the train. Unfortunately the timings of this particular train meant that for most of the locations around Oxford it would be coming directly out of the sun. However, this spot is slightly less backlit than some, and it seemed a shame to waste Network Rail's recent efforts at tree clearance, until which this view was impossible!

D1924 (47810) Crewe Diesel Depot brings up the rear of the 5Z47 11:31 Long Marston to Eastleigh Arlington ECS at South Marston on 12 March 2020. Two barrier vehicles sandwich a rake of former GWR HST coaches. D1935 (47805) Roger Hosking MA 1925 - 2013  is leading. The digger in the field on the left is preparing a new footpath deviation. Directly above this, Westmill Wind Farm can be seen on the horizon.

D1924 (47810) Crewe Diesel Depot approaches Tackley station at high speed and in miserable light on 30 March 2022 with the Statesman Rail 1Z50 05:39 Crewe to Portsmouth Harbour 'Portsmouth Harbour Statesman' luxury charter. 47593 Galloway Princess is bringing up the rear.

D1924 (47810) Crewe Diesel Depot passes Slindon on 10 July 2022 with the 5Z62 13:28 Banbury to Crewe ECS. 47593 Galloway Princess is bringing up the rear. This is the empty stock off the previous day's Saphos Trains 1Z60 06:40 High Wycombe to Kingswear 'English Riviera Express' railtour.

D1924 (47810) Crewe Diesel Depot brings up the rear of the Saphos Trains 1Z46 05:30 Peterborough to Worcester Shrub Hill 'Cotswold Explorer' railtour at Badgeworth on 15 November 2023. Rebuilt West Country Class 4-6-2 34046 Braunton is at the front of the train. This location is now too overgrown for a shadow free picture at this time of year, unless it is a going away shot like this. The traffic lights on the bridge made the dash across the very busy road a bit less risky!

D1924 (47810) Crewe Diesel Depot passes Yarnton on 22 March 2024 with the 5Z20 09:47 Eastleigh Arlington to Crewe barrier vehicle move. There was almost no chance of the sun coming out, which was just as well, as this location would have been extremely backlit. Despite the weather, I was surprised that there was nobody on the footbridge in the background, as it is a very well known spot with local photographers.

D1924 (47810) Crewe Diesel Depot & 47712 Lady Diana Spencer emerge into the early morning sunshine from the darkness of Croome Perry Wood, as they head south on 29 June 2024 with the Statesman Rail 1Z64 05:20 Wolverhampton to Penzance 'Cornish Riviera Mazey Day Statesman' railtour. We were very lucky to get this in sun, as can be guessed from the dark clouds in the background.

D1924 (47810) Crewe Diesel Depot & 47712 Lady Diana Spencer pass Rousham on 24 July 2024 with the Statesman Rail 1Z69 06:05 Dorridge to Penzance 'Cornish Riviera Statesman' railtour. Luckily the sun had just broken through the fog, although some mist is still evident in the background. I chose this location, as although slightly compromised by lineside bushes, it is one of the very few spots in the Oxford area that would be shadow free at this time of the morning (07:13). Well worth the long walk along the Oxford Canal towpath!

Surrounded by a haze of smoke from Southern Railway West Country Class 4-6-2 34046 Braunton, D1924 (47810) Crewe Diesel Depot brings up the rear of the Steam Dreams 1Z46 13:00 Cardiff Central to Paddington 'Welsh Dragon' railtour at Minety 19 September 2024.

D1924 (47810) Crewe Diesel Depot passes through Reading Green Park station on 12 October 2024 with the Statesman Rail 1Z93 05:42 Crewe to Portsmouth Harbour railtour, which was appropriately titled 'Portsmouth Harbour Statesman'.

Didcot North Junction, pictured in the days when it was surrounded by green fields, rather than industrial estates and houses. 47811 heads north on 4 July 1991 with the 1M40 17:10 Poole to Manchester Piccadilly service.

On 26 March 1994, 47811 unusually passes through the platform road at Totnes with the 09:18 Manchester Piccadilly to Plymouth survive, while 43146 waits in the centre road with a HST ECS working heading for Laira. As the 47 hauled train is not booked to call at Totnes it would normally have used the centre road. This excellent viewpoint from the A381 bridge would be even better without the tree on the right which restricts the choice of angles from which to take the picture!

An unusual pairing of First Great Western green liveried Class 47s break through the early morning fog at Aller on 11 August 1999. 47811 & 47816 Bristol Bath Road Quality Approved are working the 5A32 04:00 Laira Carriage Sidings to Exeter St Davids ECS. The all over dark green livery applied by First in the late 1990s was certainly not a very inspired choice. Not a patch on the original two tone green, or even the GW150 livery from 1985.

47811 passes Padworth on 28 July 2001 with the 1C17 09:30 Paddington to Penzance First Great Western service. The two Motorail vans at the head of the train were a short lived experiment. As BR had axed he Motorail service a few years earlier due to massive losses, it was obvious this wasn't going to succeed. Despite appearances, this picture is taken from a public footpath crossing.

47811 speeds past Bruton on 24 August 2002 with the 1C17 09:30 Paddington to Penzance First Great Western service. Unfortunately FGW's drab dark green livery does not provide much of a colour contrast with the predominantly green summer landscape.

47812 catches the very last of the weak evening sunshine, as it passes Rangeworthy on 10 August 1989 with the 1V62 16:18 Manchester Piccadilly to Plymouth InterCity service. The train has just emerged from Wickwar Tunnel, which is situated just beyond the bridge in the background. Incidentally, although this well known location is in Gloucestershire, you will find a picture of this spot on Flickr labeled as Rattery, in Devon!

Buddleia and other weeds are starting to colonise the disused Malago Vale Carriage Sidings on 5 April 1990, as 47812 heads towards the next stop at Bristol Temple Meads, with the 1M56 12:00 Plymouth to Manchester Piccadilly service. A housing estate now occupies this site.

47812 passes Narroways Hill Junction in superb evening light on 16 April 1991 with the 1M38 15:44 Plymouth to Derby service. The houses of Easton and Whitehall form the backdrop to this panoramic view of the eastern side of Bristol.

Matching loco and Mk1 & 2 coaching stock at Wolvercote Junction on 29 August 1991. 47812 heads north with the 1M25 15:40 Poole to Manchester Piccadilly InterCity service. Luckily there are far less shadows in this view from the A40 compared to the view from the A34 bridge in the background. Not that you would want to stand there, as there is no footpath or even access.

47812 leaves Moreton-in-Marsh station on 26 April 1992 with the 1A68 16:12 Hereford to Paddington service. This was unusually running 50 minutes late, and had severely delayed 150129, which can be seen in the background, waiting to access the single section to Evesham.

Off to see the horses, but not this one! 47812 passes Circourt Bridge, Denchworth on 14 March 1995 with a Paddington to Cheltenham special for the Gold Cup Festival. In the 1980s and 1990s there were usually at least three loco hauled specials to the event, with the majority traversing the Great Western Mainline.

Soft evening lighting at Cockwood Harbour on 3 May 1999. 47812 passes the collection of little boats, as it heads south with the 1V50 08:40 Glasgow to Penzance Virgin CrossCountry service. Although the foreground is interesting enough, I never did get a picture here when the tide was in. Water looks better than mud!

47812 arrives at Bodmin Parkway station on 24 October 2000 with the 1M56 08:48 Penzance to Manchester Piccadilly Virgin CrossCountry service. This was merely a stopping off point en-route to visit the Lizard, in order to tick off my visits to the four extreme compass points of the UK mainland (Ardnamurchan Point, Dunnet Head, Lowestoft, and finally the Lizard).

47812 Pride of Eastleigh passes Yarnton with the 1O14 15:10 Liverpool to Poole Virgin Cross Country service on 10 April 2002. The soft evening light is ideal for a situation such as this when the train is coming out of the shadows. The location is on a little used footpath between the village of Yarnton and the A44 road. Subsequently a footbridge was erected here, although on all my photographic visits since I have yet to meet anyone actually using it!

47812 passes Broken Cross (between Gloucester and Lydney) with the 1Z37 08:03 Manchester Piccadilly to Cardiff football special on 29 February 2004. After not having much luck with the sun for the preceding 1Z78 07:22 Bolton to Cardiff special, a brief burst of sunshine provides perfect illumination here. However it was only just in time, as the clouds were rolling in fast. Note that the field in the background is already partly in shade. The loco is in Virgin CrossCountry livery, with the branding painted out and a small Freightliner logo applied under the cab window.

47812 brings up the rear of the EWS/Arriva Trains Wales 1Z26 07:55 Southend Central to Cardiff Central football special at the site of Ashbury Crossing, near Shrivenham, on 10 April 2005. 47815 was the lead locomotive. Note the Freightliner sticker underneath 47812's side window. Virgin had dispensed with their Class 47s after they replaced proper trains with Voyager DMUs a few years earlier.

47812 (showing its original pre TOPS number D1916) takes the Swindon line at Standish Junction with the 5Z65 15:30 Cardiff Canton to Old Oak Common empty coaching stock on 10 September 2006. The train was routed the long way around via Gloucester as the Severn Tunnel was closed. Unbelievably, given the fact that there are only a few locations where the sun would be on the nose for this train, there were no other photographers on this bridge! The train was held at signals just after passing me, as it was right behind the late running diverted 14:30 Swansea to Paddington HST. Five different coaching stock liveries in a ten coach train must be something of a record!

47812 (D1916) heads through the dappled shade at Bowbridge (near Stroud) on 10 September 2006 with the 5Z65 15:30 Cardiff Canton to Old Oak Common empty coaching stock, diverted from its more direct route by the closure of the Severn Tunnel. I was only able to get this second shot of the train, as it was held at signals after I saw it earlier at Standish Junction.

47812 brings up the rear of the 1Z50 09:35 Cardiff to Gloucester rugby special at Kears Wood, near Lydney, on 17 March 2007. 47815 Abertawe Landore is leading. The River Severn can be glimpsed in the distance.

I do not often bother with going away shots, but in this instance it was worth it. 47812 brings up the rear of the 1Z51 12:35 Cardiff to Gloucester rugby special at Snipehill Bridge, near Chepstow on 17 March 2007. These Cardiff to Gloucester trains and a series of Cardiff to Swansea specials were run in connection with the Six Nations Wales versus England match at the Millennium Stadium.

47812 passes Wye Valley Junction with the 2Z59 13:58 Gloucester to Cardiff rugby special on 17 March 2007. The disused Wye Valley Branch (latterly cut back to Tidenham Quarry) can be seen climbing steeply away from the main line. The track although heavily overgrown still remains in situ, and even the connecting point blades and signal are still in place, despite the point crossing being replaced by plain rail. Infuriatingly, although it was mostly sunny, small clouds kept appearing, and one has caught the sun here taking the edge of what would have been a perfect shot.

47812 (clearly showing its original pre TOPS number D1916) passes Hatton with the 6Z48 13:05 Burton upon Trent to Dollands Moor Colas Rail steel empties on 29 October 2009. As this train is coming to the end of its period of operation, I made the effort to get this picture despite the poor weather. The fact that a two tone green 47 with full yellow ends was booked for this week's run was the clincher, as I am old enough to remember these locos working freights in this colour scheme, albeit not with these wagons, and definitely not as clean as this! Unfortunately I didn't have a decent camera in those days.

D1916 (47812) passes Uffington on 23 July 2012 with the 5Z31 09:30 Bristol Barton Hill to Wembley ECS, conveying a single Mk3 coach, freshly outshopped in retro blue and grey livery. Normally single coach moves look a little strange on the mainline, but I quickly realised that the small lineside copse would make an excellent and appropriately sized background, so I swung round for a more side on view.

D1916 (47812) was entrusted with the 6Z31 13:31 Cardiff Canton to Chaddesden refurbished scrap hoppers move on 24 July 2012. It is seen here passing Defford running over one and a half hours late. This was fortunate, as it meant the lighting was much better, with the sun (just!) on the front. Notice how the refurbishment has involved a repaint, but only along the top and around the area where the wagon data panels are. Exactly how expensive is black paint?

47812 has 37800 & EMU 375910 in tow, as it passes Stewartby on 9 June 2017 with the 5Q72 14:11 Derby Litchurch Lane to Wembley ECS. 375910 was being returned to Southeastern, after refurbishment. These moves are normally worked by 37800 alone. I was extremely lucky to get this picture in the sun, and while the sun isn't fully out in the background, it is a massive improvement over what the light was like just seconds earlier. As 47812 approached the signal in the background there was still no sign of the sun coming out, then all of a sudden the clouds parted!

47812 passes Fritwell in dismal light on 26 August 2017 with the 1H95 17:34 Birmingham Moor Street to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Classmate 47813 is on the rear. The hiring in of these locos was to increase capacity in connection with the closure of Euston for engineering works.

Due to an engineering blockade at Euston station over the 2017 August Bank Holiday, Chiltern Railways hired in a pair of Rail Operations Group Class 47s and a set of Mk2 Riviera Trains stock to work additional London to Birmingham trains. 47812 is seen here approaching High Wycombe of 27 August 2017 with the 1Z18 09:40 Birmingham Moor Street to Marylebone. Out of sight around the corner, classmate 47813 is on the rear of the train.

47812 passes Claydon (Oxfordshire) on 27 August 2017 with the 1Z47 15:40 Birmingham Moor Street to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. 47813 can be seen on the rear. Both of these Rail Operations Group 47s were hired in to provide additional capacity, as Euston was closed over the weekend for engineering works.

Running exactly to time, 47812 passes Aldington on 11 April 2018 with the 6Z86 13:12 Long Marston to Eastleigh Arlington, conveying a rake of JSA bogie covered steel coil carrying wagons. This Rail Operations Group operated train had originally been booked to travel via Oxford, after a reversal at Worcester. I thought this was too good to be true, and sure enough a revised path appeared, taking it the long way round via Birmingham, adding well over three hours to the journey time! The track clearance gang have been busy here, albeit only on one side of the line. Note the new houses in the background, as yet another green field succumbs to the outward expansion of Evesham.

47812 & 47813 pass Fiddington on 16 July 2018 with the 5V81 06:30 Leicester to Portbury Automotive Terminal ECS, conveying six barrier vehicles in readiness for the following day's movement of brand new imported Trans Pennine Mk 5 coaches to Manchester. The 47s had left Leicester over an hour late, and managed to get even later, passing me 136 minutes down. Apart from the very long wait, this was good news, as they passed in some very welcome weak sun, which there definitely wouldn't have been at the booked time!

Another set of Spanish built Mk 5 coaches for the Trans Pennine loco hauled services was moved from Portbury to Manchester on 2 October 2018, the second occasion on which barrier vehicles have not been used. Rail Operations Group 47812 passes Steeple Aston at speed on 2 October 2018 with the 5Q32 09:41 Portbury Automotive Terminal to Longsight ECS. I had chosen this remote location, as the traffic free farm occupation bridge would easily allow a quick change of position to get a photograph of the brand new driving trailer vehicle at the rear of the train.

47812 & 47813 pass Wolvercote Junction on 31 October 2018, running as the 0O86 10:00 Leicester to Eastleigh Arlington. I wouldn't normally go out specifically to photograph a light engine move, but as I was already at the location, why not!

47812 passes Moreton-in-Marsh on 8 December 2022 with the Northern Belle 1Z08 12:34 Gloucester to Oxford luxury dining charter. 57313 Scarborough Castle is bringing up the rear. The sun was intermittently trying to peak out from behind a bank of cloud in the west, but not unfortunately not at the right time!

47812 brings up the rear of the late running Northern Belle 1Z15 08:34 Paddington to Evesham 'Gold Cup Special' charter at Whitehill (between Combe and Finstock) on a very dull 17 March 2023. 57313 Scarborough Castle is providing the power at the front of the train.

47812 brings up the rear of the late running Railway Touring Company 1Z31 10:03 Margate to Cheltenham Spa 'The Great Britain XVI' railtour at Minety on 13 April 2024. LMS 'Black Five' 4-6-0s 44871 & 45407 The Lancashire Fusilier are providing the power at the front of the train. Until this train appeared, I hadn't noticed the very obvious change of gradient in the background.

Running 50 minutes late, 47813 approaches Ascott-under-Wychwood on 15 July 1990 with the 1O06 07:20 Manchester Piccadilly to Poole service. Inter-regional trains were diverted via the Cotswold Line on Sundays throughout the summer 1990 timetable, and although I took quite a few pictures, with hindsight I definitely should have taken more! This location has changed considerably since the 1990s, and a full grown wood now prevents any chance of replicating this view.

47813 passes the disused signal box at Exminster on 16 September 1990 with the 1M85 15:51 Plymouth to Manchester Piccadilly service. The signal box was dismantled in 2006, with the intention of it being re-erected at Broadway, on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway. Unfortunately that project came to nothing, and after salvaging various parts, it was destroyed.

47813 passes Millmeece on 21 August 1994 with the 1S91 13:10 Plymouth to Edinburgh service. Like a number of Class 47s this loco has carried a lot of liveries. Two tone green (with and without full yellow ends) and BR blue (with and without a grey roof) preceded this InterCity livery. Afterwards came: Great Western green, First Great Western green, Cotswold Rail, DRS, and finally Rail Operations Group blue.

47813 S.S. Great Britain speeds past Taplow on 26 January 2000 with the 1A29 06:30 Plymouth to Paddington First Great Western service, deputising for the usual HST. At this time the only booked work for FGW's Class 47s were the sleeper trains, and associated ECS moves.

47813 S.S. Great Britain passes Great Cheverell on 20 June 2001 with the 1C44 14:33 Paddington to Plymouth First Great Western service. The loco would later return with the 1A88 18:40 Plymouth to Paddington, before working the 1C99 23:50 Paddington to Penzance sleeper.

47813 & 47714 darken the sky as they accelerate through Kennett (between Ely and Bury St Edmunds) with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z47 08:18 Wolverhampton to Norwich 'New Musical Express' railtour on 8 October 2005. 47813 was named John Peel after the legendary DJ later in the day, and the covered up nameplate can be seen in this view.

On 21 August 2006, another rake of off lease stock was moved from Oxley to Long Marston for secure storage. 5Z87 08:20 Oxley to Long Marston is pictured arriving at its destination hauled by 47813 John Peel , with 47828 Joe Strummer dead in tow. Behind them are 87023 & 87003, followed by eleven Mk3 coaches, including a recently refurbished buffet car and a First Great Western sleeper. The shear lunacy of the privatised railways is brought into focus by scenes such as this. Passengers are forced to put up with short, cramped, inferior trains, while high quality rolling stock such as this is stored. This is not an isolated example, Long Marston is full of complete rakes of stock, some freshly refurbished.

In warm autumnal evening light on 7 October 2006, 47813 John Peel approaches Shrivenham with the 5Z47 14:00 Oxley to Gloucester empty stock working, conveying two Virgin liveried Mk 3 coaches. This train had to go the long way round via Oxford as there were engineering works between Cheltenham and Gloucester. Despite it being a largely sunny day, a large cloud was obscuring the sun when the train was due, and the sun only broke through as the 47 appeared under the footbridge in the background. Had it been a just few seconds earlier it would have been a very different picture! I had popped out specifically for this one train, after I had heard that it had passed Banbury.

47813 John Peel passes Broad Marston on 1 November 2006 with the 6Z47 09:00 Gloucester Yard to Long Marston train of IZA wagons for storage. Unfortunately this was running an hour and a half late, which resulted in the already backlit shot becoming very difficult.

47813 John Peel waits at Honeybourne for the passage of 165112 with the 13:25 Oxford to Worcester Foregate Street First Great Western service on 1 November 2006. The 47 has just traversed the single track branch from Long Marston with the 6Z48 12:00 Long Marston to Bescot stock move, running nearly two hours late. The loco had worked up the branch in the morning with a much lengtheir train of the same type of IZA wagons. A bizarre situation, where wagons go into and out of store on a weekly basis! Given the limited number of locations that would be relatively free of shadows, I was surprised that I was the only person at Honeybourne to witness this train coming off the branch.

A Network Rail employee stands by the ground frame hut as 47813 John Peel weaves across from the Long Marston branch onto the mainline with the very late running 6Z48 12:00 Long Marston to Bescot freight stock move on 1 November 2006. Already two hours late, any later would have resulted in the encroaching shadows completely spoiling the picture..

A very unusual working on the Cotswold Line took place on 5 May 2007 when 47813 John Peel worked the 1Z87 18:44 Oxford to Moreton-in-Marsh special with classmate 47818 on the rear. The train was in connection with a 'Street Gig' taking place at Charlbury featuring the group Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly (aka Sam Duckworth). An inspired choice of locomotive, as the late John Peel would certainly have championed such an event. The empty stock originated from East Ham, and would return there via Bristol, and as the passengers all got out at Charlbury, this must rank as one of the highest mileage ECS movements in relation to the minimal passenger mileage (131/4 miles in each direction) in recent years! The train is pictured having just passed the site of the former Yarnton Junction station. Thanks to David for the event gen.

Very much a grab shot, but an interesting passing picture at Kemble on 1 September 2007. While D1015 Western Champion waits for the correct departure time with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z52 05:35 Ealing Broadway to Aberystwyth 'Alliance Cambrian Coast Express' railtour, 47813 John Peel speeds through with the 5Z70 06:30 Gloucester Horton Road to Old Oak Common stock move conveying First Great Western HST power car 43140. The railtour had arrived a couple of minutes early, and I was making my way down the platform to witness the departure, when the 47 unexpectedly came into view. I particularly like the reflection of 47813's front end on the side of the 'Western'.

Freshly painted in Rail Operations Group's revised livery, 47813 brings up the rear of the 1Z18 09:40 Birmingham Moor Street to Marylebone Chiltern Railways additional service at High Wycombe on 27 August 2017. 47812, at the head of the train, is just about to pass underneath the roadbridge next to the station.

47813 looks superb in its recently applied revised Rail Operations Group livery, as it approaches Hatton North Junction on 27 August 2017 with the 1Z33 13:00 Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street Chiltern Railways service. After a brisk drive from the High Wycombe area, where I couldn't find a decent location to photograph this, I was glad to get this in full sun, despite some nearby very localised thin cloud. The curve has even hidden the Anglia Railways liveried coach on the rear. Perfect!

47813 passes Yarnton on 14 September 2017 with the 6Z86 13:22 Long Marston to Eastleigh Arlington, conveying just four KFA freightliner flats. Initially I wasn't going to bother with this, as photographically four flats are hardly any more interesting that a light engine. However, when I found out that Rail Operation Group's recently repainted 47813 was the motive power, I changed my mind! I chose this view from the footbridge in the fields near Yarnton, as I guessed that it would just be free enough of shadows, at least for the loco, and because there is no chance of a decent picture here for a normal size train. In the event it was only just clear of shadows, and only a couple of minutes before the sun disappeared into a huge bank of black clouds!

Running 84 minutes late, 47813 passes Little Haresfield on 5 June 2018 with the 6O86 09:00 Long Marston to Eastleigh Arlington, conveying thirteen JSA bogie covered steel coil carrying wagons. A welcome sight, as the wagons are obviously destined for refurbishment and reintroduction into traffic, after spending some time out of use in Long Marston's huge storage facility.

What happens when you go to photograph a train at one of the few locations where the sun will be on the front? The answer of course is that the sun goes behind a cloud at the crucial moment! 47813 & 47812 pass Badgeworth on 15 June 2018 with the 5Q32 09:00 Portbury Automotive Terminal to Manchester International Depot (Longsight) ECS. The first five vehicles are newly imported Mk5 coaches for the forthcoming Trans Pennine loco hauled services, the last vehicle of the five being a driving trailer. Behind the new coaches are a raft of six barrier vehicles.

47813 & 47812 pass Up Hatherley on 17 July 2018 with the 5Q32 09:00 Portbury Automotive Terminal to Manchester International Depot (Longsight) ECS. This is the third train of newly imported coaches for the new Trans Pennine loco hauled services. This was running 37 minutes late, and the superb sunshine was certainly not guaranteed, with masses of cloud building up all around.

Running 97 minutes late, 47813 passes Standish Junction on 24 July 2018 with the 6O86 09:00 (10:29 actual) Long Marston to Eastleigh Arlington, conveying 12 VTG JSA steel coil wagons, which are going to have their hoods removed.

Viewed from Haresfield Beacon, on the Cotswold escarpment, 47813 Jack Frost & 47815 Lost Boys 68-88 pass Standish Junction on 11 April 2019 with the 5L46 08:35 Laira to Ely Papworth Sidings ECS, conveying yet another set of HST coaches for storage. Standish church can be seen on the right, and on the extreme left of the picture is the well known roadbridge at Standish Junction. The River Severn can be seen in the background, with the Forest of Dean beyond.

47813 Jack Frost passes Badgeworth on 22 October 2019 with the 5Q81 10:01 Leicester to Portbury Automotive Terminal ECS, conveying six barrier vehicles for the following day's TransPennine stock move. 37884 Cepheus is bringing up the rear.

47813 Jack Frost passes Burbage Common on 16 March 2020 with the 5Q78 09:57 Loughborough Brush to Canton Pullmans ECS, conveying newly converted bi-mode unit 769003 (formerly a Class 319 EMU). The train also includes six barrier vehicles.

47813 Jack Frost passes Evesham Signal Box on 29 May 2020 with the 5V94 10:18 Crewe Carriage Sidings to Long Marston, conveying four Transport for Wales Mk3 coaches for storage. Not the prettiest of locations, with all the lineside clutter, but I wanted to photograph this train at an identifiable Cotswold Line location, and this was the nearest!

47814 approaches Cholsey on 18 February 1990 with what is presumably the late running 1O10 09:20 Liverpool Lime Street to Poole InterCity service. This is yet another one of the non-standard liveries that were appearing at this time. In this case, the large logo colour scheme, but without the usual large numbers.

With Bleadon Hill in the background, 47814 passes Lympsham on 25 April 1990 with the 1V59 08:20 Edinburgh to Penzance 'Cornish Scot'. The loco is carrying a hybrid livery, with the large BR double arrow symbol of the by then quite common 'large logo' livery, but without dark window surrounds, and only a small number.

With some late flowering Cow Parsley bordering the newly planted field in the foreground, 47814 heads north at the classic location of Defford on 16 June 1996 with the 1M87 14:03 Plymouth to Manchester Piccadilly service.

Viewed from Walton Well Road, and with the Aristotle Lane footbridge in the background, 47814 Totnes Castle approaches Oxford on 6 March 1999 with the 1O30 06:05 Preston to Brighton Virgin CrossCountry service.

With Didcot's coal fired power station dominating the background, 47814 Totnes Castle passes South Moreton (Didcot East) n 4 December 1999 with the 1V93 09:17 Manchester Piccadilly to Paddington Virgin CrossCountry service.

The last of the light from the setting sun gives a golden glow to 47815, as it passes Rangeworthy on 5 May 1990 with the 1V60 14:42 York to Bristol Temple Meads InterCity service. As Network Rail now no longer maintain the trackside, this view has unfortunately, like many others, been lost to the growth of uncontrolled vegetation. A pity, as this was a pleasant spot to spend a summer evening, photographing trains. Wickwar Tunnel is just beyond the bridge in the background.

47815 catches the very last of the weak evening sun, as it fades out into high cloud on 11 May 1994. The loco is passing the site of Bletchingdon station with the late running 1O14 15:18 Manchester Piccadilly to Poole service.

To mark the end of Class 47s in front line service, First Great Western ran a special train from Paddington to Plymouth on 11 December 2004. 47815 Abertawe Landore is pictured passing Langley Burrell with the 1Z30 07:18 Paddington to Penzance, with 47811 dead in tow on the rear. Due to an AWS fault on 47815, the train was worked forward from Plymouth by 47811. Many locations were in dense fog this morning, and I did well here to get a bit of weak winter sunshine, contrasting well with the misty background. This is only half an hour after sunrise, but the fog soon rolled back in again, and by all accounts very few photographers got this train in as good as light as this.

47815 passes the site of Ashbury Crossing, Shrivenham, on 10 April 2005 with the EWS/Arriva Trains Wales 1Z26 07:55 Southend Central to Cardiff Central football special, in connection with the LDV Vans Trophy final between Wrexham and Southend. 47812 was bringing up the rear.

47815 Abertawe Landore approaches Kears Wood near Lydney with the 1Z50 09:35 Cardiff to Gloucester rugby special on 17 March 2007. Classmate 47812 was on the rear. A bizarre mix of the 1960s and the 21st century, with a pair of two tone green 47s on turquoise Arriva Mk 2 coaches. Naturally the sun was out just a few minutes before the train came into view!

47815 Abertawe Landore brings up the rear of the 2Z53 10:58 Gloucester to Cardiff rugby special on 17 March 2007 at Wye Valley Junction Tunnel. This was one of a number of specials on this route using a pair of heritage Class 47s.

47815 Abertawe Landore powers away from Chepstow with the 1Z51 12:35 Cardiff to Gloucester rugby special on 17 March 2007. The bridges in view here are the Mead Farm occupation bridge, Wye Valley Junction bridge, and the short tunnel under the A48 Tutshill bypass. The location is Snipehill Bridge.

47815 Great Western slowly approaches Thorne Junction on 21 July 2014 with the 6E88 12:39 Middleton Towers to Goole Glassworks sand train. On the right can be seen the works involved in the removal of the spoil from the landslide that occurred in February 2013, which completely blocked all four lines just beyond the bridge ion the background.

47815 Great Western takes the Guardian glass factory line at Potters Grange Junction, Goole on 21 July 2014 with the 6E88 12:39 Middleton Towers to Goole Glassworks sand train. Taken just as the sun was setting, the very last rays of light give a pink tint to the buildings in the background, especially noticeable on Goole's distinctive white 1927 built concrete water tower.

47815 brings up the rear of the Rail Operations Group 1Z37 09:00 Derby to Worcester Shrub Hill (via Hereford and Chepstow) 'Class 37/8 Thrash Bash' railtour at the western approach to Ledbury Tunnel on 23 October 2016. 37800 & 37884 at the head of the tour have just entered the tunnel.

47815 approaches Balderton Crossing, Claypole, on 11 March 2017 with the 1Z47 12:58 Lincoln to Finsbury Park football special. This was taking Lincoln City fans to see the FA cup quarter final match with Arsenal. I hope they enjoyed the vintage traction on the way down more than the match, as they lost 5-0! This picture was nearly ruined by 66197 coming the other way with the 4D56 11:32 Biggleswade to Heck Plasmor block empties, which precluded a going away shot of 37884 on the rear of the footex.

47815 passes the rear of Honeybourne station, on the start of the freight only line to Long Marston, with the 5V67 10:30 Cricklewood to Long Marston on 20 March 2017, conveying a pair of off lease Class 319 EMUs for secure storage. 319452 in ghostly white and 319454 in debranded First Capital Connect livery are sandwiched between barrier vehicles ADB 975875 & ADB 977087.

47815 passes Aldington on 21 March 2017 with the 5V67 10:30 Cricklewood to Long Marston, conveying off lease EMUS 319372 & 319373 for storage. At the last minute the sun decided to come out, resulting an exceedingly backlit image. Previously it was cloudy, with intermittent rain, so this was not what I expected, and I would have chosen somewhere else! This was the second train of the week, 47815 also working the previous day's train.

Running 19 minutes late, 47815 Lost Boys 68-88 & 47812 pass Badgeworth on 4 December 2018 with the 5Q32 10:24 Portbury Automotive Terminal to Crewe ECS, conveying brand new Spanish built TransPennine EMU 397003. This is the first imported Class 397 to be moved by rail, the previous ones going by road. Admittedly the early morning sunshine had given way to very dull conditions, but I was still surprised to be the only person at this well known location to record this historic working.

47815 Lost Boys 68-88 & 47812 pass Gossington in crisp winter sunshine on 17 December 2018 with the 5L46 09:00 Laira to Ely Papworth Sidings ECS, conveying another rake of off lease GWR HST Mk3 coaches for storage. Unfortunately most locations in the Bristol and Gloucester area would be horribly backlit for this train, even if it wasn't running late (which it was). This spot was chosen as it is considerably less backlit than most. Photo taken from a public footpath crossing.

47815 Lost Boys 68-88, 47813 Jack Frost & 37611 Pegasus pass Defford on 25 March 2019 with the late running 5V81 10:26 Leicester to Portbury Automotive Terminal barrier vehicles. There was also actually a path for a Portbury to Crewe stock move, but that clearly wasn't going to run if the barriers were still on their way south!

Running over three hours late, 47815 Lost Boys 68-88 & 47813 Jack Frost approach Cam & Dursley station on 26 March 2019 with the 5Q42 09:39 (in theory!) Portbury Automotive Terminal to Crewe ECS, conveying brand new shrink wrapped TransPennine EMU 397004. 37611 Pegasus is bringing up the rear. Problems with 47813 later caused the train to be put in Eckington loop, delaying it even further. Little did I realise that a Voyager was bearing down on me at high speed, and unbelievably in the nine seconds between this picture, and the one of 37611 on the rear, the Voyager had passed by, narrowly missing messing up one or other of the pictures!

The hawthorn is in full bloom at Up Hatherley on 13 May 2019, as 47815 Lost Boys 68-88 heads north with the 5L46 10:36 Bristol St Phillips Marsh to Ely Papworth Sidings ECS, conveying another rake of off lease GWR HST Mk3 coaches for storage. Luckily this was running 50 minutes early, which meant the sun was still fully on the front.

Taking London Northwestern Railway EMU 350125 for repair, 47815 Lost Boys 68-88 brings up the rear of the 5Q94 09:12 Northampton EMD to Long Marston ECS at Badsey on 9 May 2020. 47848 is the leading locomotive. The train is approaching the site of Littleton & Badsey station (closed in 1966).

Another waste of perfectly good resources. 47815 Lost Boys 68-88 runs along the down relief line at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 27 May 2020 with the 5Q76 07:36 Ely Papworth Sidings to Newport Docks (Sims Group). While GWR's customers now have to put up with the hard seats of the Class 800 EMUs, these superior quality Mk3 HST coaches are going for scrap.

Running 36 minutes early, 47815 Lost Boys 68-88 passes Uffington on 8 June 2020 with the 5Q76 07:36 Ely Papworth Sidings to Newport Docks (Sims Group) HST coaches for scrap. In addition to he usual GWR vehicles, this train also contains three former Grand Central coaches.

47815 Lost Boys 68-88 brings up the rear of the 5E23 10:47 Laira to Doncaster Works stock move at Portway on 15 September 2020. 43029 was leading this most unusual train, which also included power cars 43027 & 43022.

Running five minutes early, 47815 Great Western passes Thrupp on 23 July 2022 with the 1Z74 07:10 Hull to Winchester Northern Belle luxury charter. Despite a poor forecast, it had been a mostly sunny morning, so I decided to visit this location, even though the sun angle is a bit head on. Shortly after the train had passed it started to cloud up from the west, and within half an hour it was almost totally cloudy.

The InterCity liveried Mk1 coaching stock with the white roofs and white wheel rims certainly looked impressive, but must have been a nightmare to keep clean! 47816 leads the immaculate rake at Banbury on 28 April 1990, as it heads south with a 17:30 Stratford-upon-Avon to Paddington charter.

In the days when we had an integrated railway, a failed HST would usually result in a loco being placed on the front, rather than just canceling the train, as happens for virtually any kind of unexpected fault nowadays. 47816 is pictured passing Compton Beauchamp on 3 May 1995 with an unidentified failed HST, possibly the 1B50 17:30 Paddington to Carmarthen service.

From a viewpoint that is no longer possible due to the growth of lineside vegetation, 47817 weaves across from the double track onto the start of the long single track section of the Cotswold Line at Ascott-under-Wychwood. It is working the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 Manchester to Whatley 'Mendip Quarryman' railtour on 31 March 1990. An easy location to get to, as it just meant standing on the side of the road behind the signal box! A little bit of extra height would have been an advantage to show the track layout, but at least the snaking coaches show that it is coming off the double track. Note the point rodding from the signal box leading to the point underneath the locomotive.

47817 approaches King ham on 13 June 1993 with the 1M48 09:03 Paddington to Birmingham New Street service. Although most loco hauled trains over the Cotswold Line had finished several years earlier, this was a timetabled weekend diversion from the Banbury line.

47817 accelerates away from Kingham station on 22 August 1993 with the 1S39 10:05 Poole to Glasgow Central InterCity service, which it would work as far as Birmingham New Street. The Cotswold Line had a fantastic weekend service in 1993, with through trains to the south coast and Scotland, all thanks to planned engineering work on the Oxford to Banbury line.

Weak autumnal sunshine at Croome on 4 November 1994, as 47817 rounds the curve with the 1V48 12:17 Manchester Piccadilly to Plymouth service. There is plenty of autumn colour in Croome Perry Wood in the background, but clearly a photo taken from the other bridge would unfortunately be in deep shade!

47817 approaches Wolvercote Junction on 30 June 1995 with the 1M79 16:53 Reading to Liverpool Lime Street InterCity service. This useful photographic location for northbound trains leaving Oxford, where the sun was on the front from around 16:00 during the summer, has unfortunately now been completely obliterated by vegetation.

Porterbrook liveried 47817 approaches Radley station at speed on 11 July 1997 with the 1O14 15:10 Liverpool Lime Street to Poole Virgin CrossCountry service. After over a decade, the red painted Network SouthEast lampposts have faded to a salmon pink.

47817 The Institution of Mechanical Engineers passes Burn on 25 May 2002 with the 1E33 12:07 Bristol Temple Meads to Newcastle Virgin CrossCountry service. 47817 was withdrawn three months later, for conversion into 57311.

47818 crosses the River Avon at Eckington on 19 June 1989 with the 1M79 15:30 Plymouth to Liverpool Lime Street service. This location is popular with fishermen, and as can be seen in the background, dog walkers.

47818 approaches Wolvercote Junction on 11 July 1990 with the 1M61 17:50 Paddington to Liverpool Lime Street service. Not only is the rail traction in this picture historic, so is the road transport. Smeeton Panton removals have now become Britannia Smeeton Panton!

In the very last rays of the setting sun, 47818 speeds past the site of Yarnton Junction on 13 January 1991 with the 1B29 14:10 Paddington to Hereford Network SouthEast service. The flat area in the immediate foreground is where the former branch line to Fairford curved away to the south. I am standing in the middle of the old formation (behind the BR fence) with the edges of the very shallow cutting visible on both sides. The line closed to passengers in 1962, but was retained for freight as far as Witney until 1970.

47818 passes Alstone on 18 April 1992, as it accelerates away from Cheltenham with the 1E30 07:52 Swansea to York service. The spire of St Mark's church can be seen in the background, and in the far distance is the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills.

47818 has just passed underneath the M5 motorway near Exminster on 2 May 1994, as it heads south with the 1V46 09:18 Manchester Piccadilly to Plymouth InterCity service. This photo is taken from a farm track bridge that leads from the village to the low lying fields by the estuary of the River Exe.

47818 passes Cockwood Harbour on 2 May 1994 with the 1E61 15:55 Plymouth to Leeds service. Just like every other time that I visited this location, the tide is out. In this case so much so that two people can be seen on the right, walking across the exposed sand by the estuary of the River Exe.

47818 passes Chilson on 7 August 1994 with the 1S39 09:35 Poole to Glasgow Central service. Although this part of the Cotswold Line was redoubled in 2011, no attempt whatsoever was made to cut back the lineside vegetation that encroached on the line at this location, and unfortunately this view is no longer possible.

47818 passes Evesham Signal Box on 20 August 1995 with the 1O09 10:30 Wolverhampton to Poole InterCity service. Summer Sundays during 1995 brought the welcome sight of regular diverted inter-regional loco hauled trains to the Cotswold Line.

47818 approaches Wolvercote Junction in hazy light on 8 April 1997 with the 1M79 16:48 Reading to Liverpool Lime Street service. Just behind the loco is the start if the up goods loop, which runs from here to Oxford.

The two horses in the field take no notice, as 47818 approaches Mortimer on 28 June 1998 with the 1O21 14:07 Manchester Piccadilly to Bournemouth service. The entire train retains the InterCity livery, despite being operated by Virgin CrossCountry.

The 1V35 06:36 Wolverhampton to Plymouth Virgin CrossCountry service was normally routed via Cheltenham, but on 13 November 1999, the train was diverted via Oxford, and only went as far as Bristol Temple Meads. 47818 is pictured sweeping round the curve near Tackley. This loco was unusual in having oval buffers at No.1 end, and round buffers at the other end.

47818 passes through a snowy landscape at Walton Well Road, Oxford, on 19 December 1999 with the 1O08 08:45 Wolverhampton to Poole Virgin CrossCountry service. This was a Sunday, which explains why nothing has disturbed the snow lying on both the up and down relief lines.

47818 Strathclyde carries a slightly inappropriate name for this location, as Worting Junction is a long way from Scotland! It s pictured passing the junction near Basingstoke on 16 July 2001 with the 1M01 06:40 Poole to Liverpool Lime Street Virgin Cross Country service.

47818 Strathclyde passes Defford on 23 April 2002 with the 1E61 15:50 Plymouth to Leeds Virgin CrossCountry service. The use of a long lens (in order to clear some foreground shadows) has compressed the perspective, making Eckington church seem nearer than it really is.

47818 & 47790 Galloway Princess pass Wolvercote on 2 August 2011 with the Cruise Saver Express 1Z57 05:50 Edinburgh to Southampton Eastern Docks private charter. Only running two minutes late, but that was enough for the previous ten minutes of unbroken sunshine to be interrupted by an extremely large black cloud. I though this was going to be a total write off, but the sun just managed to find a small hole in the cloud for a few seconds to spotlight the locomotives, if not the train. Not ideal, but it could have been a lot worse!

47818 passes Whitnash on 27 September 2013 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z47 05:37 Salisbury to Penrith 'Autumn Highlander' railtour. As the name implies, this is just the very start of a four day Scottish extravaganza. As I had to visit Warwick on one day this week, it made sense to opt for this Friday, and stop en-route off to get a lowland shot of the Highlander!

47819 passes Puriton on 2 July 1990 with the late running 1V53 09:44 Glasgow Central to Penzance 'Cornish Scot'. Brent Knoll can be seen in the background. This may only be 449 feet high, but as it is the only significant hill in the area, it dominates most viewpoints in the Highbridge area.

47819 approaches Culham on 17 June 1992 with the 18:50 Ascot to Manchester Piccadilly race special. Two catering vehicles and seven first class vehicles make up the immaculate Mk1 InterCity liveried set of coaches.

47819 passes Shipton station on 27 September 1992 with the 08:00 Liverpool Lime Street to Poole service. This was the last day of the summer timetable, which saw a number of inter regional trains diverted away from the Oxford to Banbury line at weekends, bringing real loco hauled trains briefly back to the Cotswold Line.

47819 crosses over the River Swale at Morton-on-Swale on 28 December 1992 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 05:20 Swindon to Redmire 'Wensleydale Explorer' railtour. This was one of a number of tours run over the Christmas period, to mark the closure of the line.

47819 passes Great Crakehall on 28 December 1992 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 05:20 Swindon to Redmire 'Wensleydale Explorer' railtour. Note the rusty track. The train had started out from Swindon behind 47809, but that was replaced at Derby due to a fault.

The impressive rock outcrops at Leyburn Shawl make an excellent backdrop to the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 05:20 Swindon to Redmire 'Wensleydale Explorer' railtour, as it slowly traverses the Wensleydale branch on 28 December 1992 behind 47819. 37716 British Steel Corby & 37884 Gartcosh can just be seen on the rear of the train.

Marking the closure of the Wensleydale line, 47819 brings up the rear of the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 13:30 Redmire to Swindon 'Wensleydale Explorer' railtour at Leyburn Shawl on 28 December 1992. 37884 Gartcosh & 37716 British Steel Corby were leading.

47820 approaches Bromsgrove on 23 September 1989 with the Pathfinder Tours Swindon to Blackpool North 'Lakes & Lights Executive' railtour. The Executive series of trains run by Pathfinder at the time were aimed at the leisure, rather than the enthusiast market, and so usually featured Class 47s. 47820 had only just been renumbered from 47665 a few days earlier.

47820 heads north from Oxford on 7 April 1990 with the 1M88 06:40 Poole to Manchester Piccadilly service. The area behind the train, and the carriage sidings in the background, was formerly Oxford's steam loco depot (81F).

A slight InterCity / Network SouthEast identity crisis at Didcot North Junction on 6 May 1990. 47820 heads north with the 1M48 09:10 Paddington to Manchester Piccadilly service, through what was then largely open fields. An industrial estate now occupies the field behind the train.

47820 arrives at Oxford on 28 June 1991 with the late running 1M01 05:40 Poole to Liverpool Lime Street service. On the left is a short train of signal & telegraph department vehicles, including wagons containing reels of signaling cable, several open wagons, and a brake van, nearly all of which are in their then new red and yellow livery.

47820 pulls away from Kingham station on 31 May 1993 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z40 07:22 Oxford to Penzance railtour. It might seem slightly odd, heading north in order to go to Cornwall, but this train was picking up passengers at most Cotswold Line stations. It would then run round at Worcester Shrub Hill. The wide grassy area in the foreground has since been planted with trees, and this view is no longer possible, as it is completely blocked by a full grown wood.

Having just dropped off its passengers at Cheltenham station, 47820 passes Badgeworth on 17 March 1994 with the 'Statesman Gold Cup' ECS, heading to Worcester, via Gloucester. Whilst the InterCity liveried Class 47 was pretty standard at the time, the red and gold Statesman colour scheme was certainly very eye catching.

47820 passes Manea on 15 January 1995 with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z36 08:32 Kings Cross to Orton Mere 'Brown Cow' railtour. Admittedly it was an extremely dull winter day, but I was still surprised to be the only person here to witness this, but then we forget just how mundane an InterCity liveried Class 47/8 was at the time. How times change!

The Long Drove level crossing at Waldersea is opened on 15 January 1995, so that 47820 can continue its slow journey up the Wisbech branch with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z36 08:32 Kings Cross to Orton Mere 'Brown Cow' railtour. As can be seen by the shiny rails, the Wisbech line was still in use at this time, with a daily train of pet food from the Spillers factory. Unfortunately that traffic ceased in July 2000, and since then the line has been closed. In 2003 the Wisbech March Railway Group was formed to preserve the line. Trading as the 'Bramley Line', they have cleared some vegetation, and installed a siding on the wasteland in the left of this view, exactly where Waldersea Siding was in steam days.

47821 Royal Worcester just manages to catch a tiny patch of sunshine, as it speeds past Purton on 15 March 1990 with a Paddington to Cheltenham Festival Gold Cup Special. Swindon is just visible in the far distance, although it wouldn't be seen nowadays, as there has been considerable tree and bush growth in the last quarter of a century!

Having just left Oxford station, 47821 Royal Worcester passes Hinksey Yard on 5 May 1991 with the 1O04 05:01 Stockport to Poole service. Even though this is a short train, the Voyager replacements are even shorter, and you certainly can't get a direct train from Stockport to Poole anymore. Progress?

47821 Royal Worcester calls at a foggy Evesham on 26 September 1992 with the Pathfinder Tours 06:50 Reading to Carlisle 'Pennine Fells Explorer' railtour. As this had arrived at the station 15 minutes early, there was enough time to drive to Pershore for a second picture, while it waited for a DMU to come off the single line from Worcester.

47821 Royal Worcester arrives at Pershore station on 26 September 1992 with the Pathfinder Tours 06:50 Reading to Carlisle 'Pennine Fells Explorer' railtour. This was a bonus shot, as I had already photographed it at Evesham, but as it was running early, it was held there until a DMU cleared the single line from Worcester.

The last booked loco hauled train worked over the Cotswold Line on Sunday 16 May 1993. Suitably cleaned up for the occasion, and with an appropriate 'Cathedrals Express' headboard, 47821 Royal Worcester pulls away from Charlbury station with the 1B36 15:37 Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill. It would return later with the 1A86 19:05 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington. With hindsight perhaps I shouldn't have parked my car (the red BMW 325i) in such a prominent position! This was changed the following year for a Honda Accord, perhaps not as prestigious or fast, but a hell of a lot more reliable. I'm sure the BMW wouldn't have got to over 400,000 miles, as it was enough trouble at 98,000 miles, when I sold it!

47821 Royal Worcester arrives at Evesham station in the pouring rain on 16 May 1993 with the 1A86 19:05 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington InterCity service. The was advertised as the final loco hauled train on the Cotswold Line, hence the polished silver buffers. The previous down working had even carried an appropriate 'Cathedrals Express' headboard. The car park nature reserve on the left has since been improved, and there is no longer any place for cow parsley or buttercups! Not that you would be able to tell now, as a row of trees now partially blocks this view.

47822 approaches Oxford on 7 April 1990 with the 1O06 07:18 Manchester Piccadilly to Reading service. Note the non-standard livery. Large logo, small numbers, black window surround and red buffer beam. It lost this distinctive colour scheme in favour of the InterCity Swallow livery later in the year.

7am on the frosty morning of 14 April 1990. 47822 passes Ashchurch with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z36 Swindon to Dundee 'Tay-Forth Centenarian' railtour. All was well here, but things didn't go quite to plan later in the tour. 26001 & 26005 took over the train at Edinburgh, but due to the driver not signing part of the requested route north of Edinburgh, the route had to be changed. Things got worse after that, as on the return from Dundee 26005 suffered a traction motor flashover, and was found to be on fire when the train stopped for a photo stop at Markinch. A delay ensued while 47822 was summoned to replace the 26s. Unfortunately 47822 then failed at Kings Norton, and had to be rescued by 47852!

47822 passes Rewe on 5 May 1990 with the 1S71 07:20 Penzance to Glasgow Central 'Cornish Scot'. This was one of a small number of Class 47s that wore the large logo livery, but without the usual large white numbers. Instead it has difficult to read small black numbers low down on the yellow cab side.

During the summer 1995 timetable, Inter-regional trains that would normally travel via Banbury, were booked via the Cotswold Line on Sundays, giving the line's residents a much wider choice of destinations! On 9 July 1995, 47822 speeds rounds the curve through Shipton station with the 1M84 13:40 Paddington to Manchester Piccadilly.

47822 Pride of Shrewsbury passes Whitnash on 8 August 1998 with the 1O38 09:10 Edinburgh to Bournemouth Virgin CrossCountry service. This train often produced unusual motive power during 1998, including Class 31s and even a 56. No such luck on this occasion, but still a record of a sadly missed era.

Running 40 minutes late, 47823 approaches Iver on 22 February 1990 with the 1V92 05:51 Wolverhampton to Paddington service. The Mainline liveried loco, and matching InterCity coaches, made a nice change from the predominance of Network SouthEast colours at this location.

47823 passes underneath the Hennef Way bridge, as it leaves Banbury on 28 April 1990 with the 1E90 16:57 Paddington to Sheffield service. The track on the right is the headshunt for the nearby stone terminal.

Late on a summer evening at Culham on 10 July 1991, with the shadows lengthening, 47823 heads north with the 1M31 17:16 Folkestone Central to Manchester Piccadilly service. This was the only direct train of the day from the Kent port to travel through Oxfordshire.

After a token exchange at Evesham Signal Box, 47823 S.S. Great Britain gets under way again on 12 December 1992 with a Birmingham to Didcot railtour. The modest five coach load was because the return from Didcot would be behind LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0 46521.This location has changed dramatically. The steel framework of some new industrial units can be seen on the right. The car park for yet more industrial units now occupies the waste ground in the foreground.

47823 S.S. Great Britain passes Kingham on 12 December 1992, en-route from Didcot to Kidderminster with a couple of coaches, one of which is of GWR origin. This was a stock move from the Didcot Railway Centre to the Severn Valley Railway. The loco had earlier worked a railtour from Birmingham, which would shortly return to Kidderminster behind LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0 46521.

47823 S.S. Great Britain passes Claydon (Gloucestershire) on 7 August 1993 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z43 06:17 Swindon to Newcastle 'North Briton' railtour. 47823's nameplates had been changed a few months previously, from the former standard red backed plates, to the black ones seen here.

With the Kirkby Thore gypsum works prominent in the background, 47823 S.S. Great Britain heads north over the Settle & Carlisle line on a very dull 5 February 1994 with the Rail UK 1Z36 07:51 Peterborough to Carlisle 'Settle Carlisle Thunderer' railtour. The Kirkby Thore works produces plaster and plasterboard both from locally quarried gypsum, and more recently from the synthetic gypsum produced by the flue gas desulphurisation process used at certain coal fired powered stations, principally Drax. Although the weather is bad, it looks like it is even worse further south, judging by the carriage roofs!

47823 S.S. Great Britain passes Badgeworth with the immaculate InterCity liveried Bounds Green set of Mk1 coaches, as it heads for Cheltenham on 17 March 1994 with the Paddington to Cheltenham Tote Credit Gold Cup special. Although I missed out on the era of Class 33s on these trains, in 1994 there were still several loco hauled specials on each day of the Gold Cup Festival.

47824 Glorious Devon passes Oxford North Junction on 20 July 1990 with the 1M61 17:50 Paddington to Liverpool Lime Street service. This was running 20 minutes late. Although unfortunately partly hidden by the shadows from the Aristotle Lane footbridge, note that the fifth coach is a ScotRail liveried vehicle.

Despite already being half an hour late, there is still time to wash the windscreen with a broom at Oxford on 24 July 1990, as 47824 Glorious Devon calls at the station with the 1O90 11:33 Glasgow Central to Brighton 'Sussex Scot'. The steel and glass buildings and footbridge had only just opened in 1990, although a section of Great Western Railway canopy survived both this and the previous 1971 rebuilding. It can be seen above the rear four coaches in this view.

Glorious Devon in Glorious Oxfordshire! 47824 Glorious Devon passes Cropredy in a lucky patch of sunshine on 19 April 1991 with the late running 1O13 09:00 Edinburgh to Poole 'Dorset Scot'. This is a location that I only used a few times, before the bushes on the left grew so tall that the line was in shade for a lot of the time.

47824 Glorious Devon passes South Moreton (Didcot East) on 11 December 1991 with the late running 1V94 11:06 Birmingham New Street to Paddington service. The freezing cold and the ever present traffic crossing the narrow bridge didn't prevent me spending several hours at this spot, which like a lot of locations in the area, no longer exists, due to the electrification of the route.

47825 Thomas Telford passes Claydon on 28 May 1989 with the Pathfinder Tours 06:45 Swindon to Pwllheli 'Snowdonia Executive' railtour. The 47 would be replaced by a pair of 37s at Wolverhampton. These 'Executive' tours were largely ignored by photographers at the time, as they principally featured Class 47/8 haulage. There would be a lot more interest nowadays!

47825 Thomas Telford passes South Moreton in near white out conditions on 9 February 1991 with the 1S76 09:18 Brighton to Glasgow Central service. Despite the atrocious conditions, this was only a few minutes late. In those days, good old BR was more adept at coping with bad weather!

47825 Thomas Telford passes Standish Junction on 27 June 1991 with the 1V53 09:44 Glasgow Central to Plymouth service, which it had taken over at Birmingham New Street. The actual junction is just around the corner.

47825 Thomas Telford passes Portway on 22 January 1992 with the 1V54 11:41 York to Swansea service. This has always been a very popular location for an afternoon's railway photography, and over the years many thousands of photos must have been taken both here, and at the bridge near Elford in the background.

A perfect summer morning at Rangeworthy on 13 August 1994. 47825 Thomas Telford heads south with the 1V41 08:10 Liverpool Lime Street to Paignton 'InterCity Holidaymaker'. Wickwar Tunnel is just beyond the bridge in the background.

47825 Thomas Telford passes Spetchley on 4 June 1996 with the 1E40 16:50 Plymouth to Sheffield service. The footbridge at Spetchley is the ideal location for late summer evening photography, with no problems with encroaching shadows, even at 20:15.

Twin headlight fitted 47825 Thomas Telford heads south along the West Coast Mainline at Dunston on 3 May 1997 with the 1V94 09:17 Manchester Piccadilly to Reading service. At various other times during this train's history it would run to Paddington, or during the summer months become the 1V50 to Paignton.

47826 speeds past the site of Flax Bourton station on 5 April 1990 with the 1V59 08:20 Edinburgh to Penzance 'Cornish Scot'. A complete rake of InterCity liveried stock with matching locomotive - a surprisingly rare occurrence at the time! Unfortunately the uniform colour scheme is slightly spoilt by the shabby condition of the loco. If you look carefully you can see that the roof area above the cabs should be yellow just like the front end!

47826 just avoids the early morning shadows at Walton Well Road, Oxford,, as it heads north with the 1S52 06:03 Paddington to Glasgow Central InterCity service on 26 May 1990. You would not normally think of journeying from London to Scotland via Oxford, and this was one of those oddities that littered the 1980s & 1990s passenger timetables. It was also the first early morning departure from Paddington to Oxford on a Saturday morning at the time. Note the full catering vehicle at the head of the train, not bad when there are only seven coaches in total!

47826 speeds past Standish Junction on 1 July 1990 with the 1V56 13:50 York to Swansea (via Bristol Parkway). Apologies for the poor technical quality, but this is from a 35mm Ektachrome 100 transparency. Quite why I was experimenting with Ektachrome I cannot now recall, but it is unfortunately nothing like as good as Kodachrome 64. The reason the picture wasn't taken on my Pentax 6x7 is that this was the first sunny spell of the day, and the big Pentax was consequently loaded with black and white film.

47826 passes Tackley on 19 July 1991 with a race special returning from Royal Ascot. This was before the trees on the right were removed, which now allows a much clearer view of northbound trains from a few yards further down the line.

47826 passes Aynho on 2 November 1994 with the 1V96 09:10 Edinburgh to Reading service. The old station building had just been converted into a private residence, the caravan presumably being temporary accommodation while the work was carried out. The small trees planted in the newly created garden are a lot larger now! Trees have also grown up on the other side of the line, blocking off the view of the Banbury to Marylebone line, which can clearly be seen in this view. Also, Aynho Junction flyover can just be seen in the background, behind the station building.

47826 speeds past Bredicot on 29 September 1995 with the 1V46 09:10 Liverpool Lime Street to Plymouth InterCity service. This photo was taken with a 'built like a tank' totally mechanical 1970s original series Canon F1, which was one of the very few cameras of that vintage that boasted a top shutter speed of 1/2000sec, which came in very handy here.

47826 approaches Banbury on 27 March 1999 with the 1O30 06:05 Preston to Brighton Virgin CrossCountry service. 47826 was one of the last of the class to retain the attractive InterCity livery, finally succumbing in 2007, when it received the universally derided West Coast Railways sludge brown.

47826 approaches Wolvercote Junction on 17 June 2000 with the 1M32 14:40 Portsmouth & Southsea to Blackpool North Virgin CrossCountry service. Two decades later there are no direct trains through Oxford serving either of these seaside resorts!

47826 Springburn passes Stoke Works on 17 August 2002 with the 1V52 15:56 Birmingham New Street to Penzance service. A lot of Virgin CrossCountry trains had already gone over to DMU operation, but just two days after this picture was taken the Class 47s would be removed completely.

The sole remaining Class 47 in Intercity livery, 47826 Springburn passes through Croome Perry Wood with the 5Z01 12:05 Carnforth Steamtown to Bristol Temple Meads inspection saloon on 16 August 2006, running 68 minutes early! It had just been raining, and the air was so still I could hear the level crossing siren at Pirton Crossing nearly a mile away as the train approached. From this spot you can also see for several miles along the long straight towards Abbotswood, although here it is blotted out by the result of 47826's rapid acceleration away from a PW slack.

47826 Springburn passes Compton Beauchamp on 17 August 2006 with the 2Z01 08:10 Bristol Temple Meads to Kensal Green inspection saloon. Unfortunately this was in hardly any better light than the day before when it worked down from Carnforth. Note the amount of rail sections lying around, even in the 'four foot'.

With the bodyside covered in slightly inappropriate Scarborough Spa Express advertising, 47826 passes Bishops Itchington on 23 June 2009 with the Kirklees Green Party 1Z13 06:15 Sheffield to Salisbury 'Mid Summer Salisbury Spire' railtour. More conservatively liveried 47804 is out of sight on the rear of the train.

47826 leads the Railtourer 1Z79 06:29 Cleethorpes to Oxford 'Oxford and the Cotswolds' railtour through the rain at Cornbury Park, Charlbury on 28 April 2012. The train is just coming off the newly installed section of double track, and whilst 47826 is now on the single track section to Wolvercote Junction, the rear locomotive (47851) is still on the new section. At this point the train was fifteen minutes ahead of schedule, which meant that instead of the booked full line speed run through Charlbury station (just out of sight around the corner in the background), it had been signal checked, as the northbound First Great Western Turbo unit had only just cleared the section. This was lucky, as not only did it mean less time hanging around in the rain, but also resulted in 47826 clagging away nicely as it built up speed again.

47826 passes Kemble on 12 May 2022 with the 1Z60 07:37 Sheffield to Bath 'Northern Belle' luxury charter. It was a pity that the sun wasn't out fully on the bridge and station in the background, but at least the first half of the train is in full sun, which given the amount of cloud, was extremely lucky. Extensive vegetation clearance and bank stabilisation has taken place here, and although there was always a view from the other side in the afternoon, this is the first time that I cam remember there being a clear view for southbound trains in the morning.

47826 passes Yarnton on 9 July 2022 with the 1Z47 08:23 Birmingham International to Weymouth Northern Belle luxury charter. 47804 is hidden by the A44 roadbridge, on the rear of the train. 47826 looks like it needs some paintwork attention to the roof.

47827 passes Gloucester New Yard on 5 August 1989 with the 1E29 06:10 Plymouth to York InterCity service. The loco would fail later in the day, whilst working the returning 1V53 13:05 York to Plymouth, and would be rescued by 47443.

InterCity loco, Network SouthEast coaches. 47827 passes Iver on 22 February 1990 with the 1F26 14:15 Paddington to Oxford service. Iver station is in the background, with the concrete bridge of the M25 motorway just behind it.

The driver of 47827 checks for the guard's signal to depart at Oxford station on 24 July 1990. The train is the 1M23 15:40 Poole to Manchester Piccadilly InterCity service. In the background is the then recently opened footbridge, which replaced the earlier subway.

47827 passes Malago Vale on 21 September 1990 with the 1S85 07:10 Plymouth to Aberdeen 'Devon Scot', which it would work as far as Birmingham New Street. Parson Street station is just beyond the bridge in the background.

47828 is so filthy that it almost looks like it is wearing the 1980s Railfreight grey colour scheme, rather than the blue large logo livery. It is pictured passing through the cutting at South Moreton on 18 March 1990 with the 1O06 07:40 Manchester Piccadilly to Poole service. Note the unusual inclusion of a Royal Mail red van at the rear f the train.

47828 passes Ascott-under-Wychwood signal box on 7 July 1991 with the 1O06 08:30 Wolverhampton to Poole service. It looks like the train is composed of just a couple of coaches, but the rest of the train is hidden, as it is just coming off the double track section of the Cotswold Line. I think the signalman must have had to get out of the passenger side of his car, as it is parked extremely close to the fence!

A man walks his dog along the Oxford Canal towpath near Upper Heyford on 14 February 1995, just as 47828 crosses over the bridge with the 1M01 06:42 Poole to Liverpool Lime Street InterCity service. The bridge next to Heyford Common Lock can be seen in the background.

47828 heads south at Clay Cross on 9 August 1995 with the 1V65 16:43 York to Bristol Temple Meads service. It may only be the relief line, but the track on the left is in serious need of a visit from the weedkilling train!

47828 passes Cullompton on 5 April 1997 with the 1V46 09:30 Glasgow Central to Paignton Virgin CrossCountry service. Unfortunately I didn't get the loco's number at the time, but I have managed to identify it by matching up various details (lights, handrails, etc) with other pictures, and eliminating all the other Class 47/8s! The M5 motorway can be seen on the right, with the sign for junction 28 in the background.

47828 pulls out of Oxford station on 16 August 1997 with the 1O66 07:17 Manchester Piccadilly to Brighton Virgin CrossCountry service. The weed choked sidings were hardly a good advert for the city of Oxford, although perhaps preferable to the former scrapyard!

47828 Severn Valley Railway Kidderminster Bewdley Bridgnorth passes Powderham on 29 June 2002 with the 1M25 16:17 Paignton to Manchester Piccadilly Virgin CrossCountry service. This train was noteworthy for having a DVT in the consist, so a side view was chosen to give a clear view of 82145 coupled behind the locomotive.

The gate is about to be shut behind 47828 Joe Strummer & 47813 John Peel, as they leave Long Marston on 21 August 2006, after having brought in a lengthy rake of stock, and a couple of Class 87 electrics. Light engine moves are not particularly interesting, but this makes a good close up picture a pair of clean Cotswold Rail locos.

47828 Joe Strummer & 47813 John Peel pass Badgeworth in a freak patch of late afternoon sunshine on 31 October 2006. I wouldn't normally bother to photograph a pair of light engines heading away from the camera, but the fact that they are fully lit, amid a mass of dark shadows, makes for an interesting picture.

47828 Joe Strummer & 47813 John Peel provided super power for the Heartland Tours 1Z47 10:29 Gloucester to Westbury 'Festive Mystery Tour' on 16 December 2006. With a load of just five Mk 3 coaches (Virgin, Cotswold Rail, & First Great Western liveries) the tour is seen here passing Naas Crossing at Quedgeley at speed, perhaps trying to make up for the twenty minute late departure. The locos have certainly tried darkening the sky with their exhausts as they opened up a few moments before I took this picture! This once completely open location now has a couple of ash trees causing foreground shadows, hence the use of a 200mm lens.

47828 Joe Strummer & 47813 John Peel pass Shrivenham with the Heartland Tours 1Z47 10:29 Gloucester to Westbury 'Festive Mystery Tour' on 16 December 2006. The tour had traveled via Bath, Newbury and Reading, and would later return to Gloucester via Bath. Having caught up a little time, the tour was now only ten minutes late.

47828 speeds through the tree lined cutting near Steeple Aston (between Banbury and Oxford) with the 1Z39 07:04 Derby to Bath Northern Belle on 21 September 2013. Out of sight at the rear is sister loco 47501. New signalling troughing is obviously about to be laid. Let's hope Network Rail do a better job with that than the lineside fencing. The farmer was telling me that they didn't complete the job properly, allowing one of his cows to stray onto the line!

47828 & 47614 pass Yarnton on 31 July 2021 with the Statesman Rail 1Z47 16:37 Weymouth to Chester 'Dorset Coast Statesman' railtour. I had hoped for some late evening sunshine after the rain, but unfortunately that didn't happen!

47828 passes Wolvercote on 28 August 2021 with the Statesman Rail 1Z68 05:52 High Wycombe to Kingswear 'Dartmouth Royal Regatta Statesman' railtour. This tour was originally booked to travel via the Bicester to Oxford line, but as that line was closed for engineering works, the train had to go to Banbury and then reverse. 47614 had been leading from High Wycombe, and was now taking it easy on the rear of the train.

47828 brings up the rear of the Inter City 1Z40 06:25 Preston to Plymouth 'Devonian Double' railtour at Pandy on 30 October 2021. Hidden by the trees at the front of the train are the even more photogenic pair of Class 40s, D213 Andania & D345.

47828 & 47614 pass Hinksey Yard on 10 August 2022 with the Saphos Trains 1Z65 05:18 Birmingham International to Shrewsbury 'Welsh Marches Express' railtour. I chose this location, as it is just about the only spot anywhere in the Oxford area where the sun would be on the front, and at least the front of the train relatively free of shadows at 07:00.

47828 & 47614 pile on the power for the ascent of Sapperton Bank, as they pass St Mary's Crossing on 31 August 2022 with the Statesman Rail 1Z24 06:11 Wolverhampton to Weymouth 'Dorset Coast Statesman' railtour. Unfortunately the weather forecast was totally wrong. Instead of the predicted sunny early morning, followed by more cloud later, the reverse happened, and in the Stroud area it was almost completely cloudy. This was particularly annoying, as this is one of the few locations in the Golden Valley that would have been perfectly lit at this time of year.

47828 brings up the rear of the Statesman Rail 1Z41 06:00 Carnforth to Bristol Temple Meads 'Bath & Bristol Christmas Statesman' railtour at South Marston on 7 December 2022. Hidden by the electfrication ironmongery at the front of the train is 47593 Galloway Princess.

47828 passes the site of Purton station on 11 April 2024 with the Statesman Rail 1Z60 05:22 Stafford to Windsor & Eton Riverside 'Royal Windsor Statesman' railtour. 47712 Lady Diana Spencer is bringing up the rear. The 1960 built flat roofed former station building has been sheltering this couple of military vehicles for several years.

A very unusual doubled headed train on the Cotswold Line. In fact this is the only occasion that I saw a pair of Class 47s on service train on the line. 47472 failed prior to departure with the 1B40 16:10 Hereford to Paddington service on Sunday 16 July 1989. 47829 was summoned from Cardiff to assist, and the pair are pictured passing Evenlode, surprisingly in view of the circumstances, running only a few minutes late. Obviously 47472 would have been taken straight to Old Oak Common for rectification, and as the loco had only just been allocated there from Crewe, I expect the Western Region men were not too happy about getting someone else's unreliable cast off!

47829 passes Cockwood Harbour on 19 March 1994 with the 1M48 15:44 Plymouth to Derby service. The small tidal harbour is enclosed by the railway on one side and the Starcross to Dawlish Warren road on the other.

A sunny, but unfortunately slightly misty, winter's afternoon at Old Denaby on 9 December 1995. 47829 rounds the curve with the 1V56 12:03 Newcastle to Plymouth service. The River Don is behind the trees on the left.

47829 approaches Didcot North Junction on 4 December 1999 with the 1O30 07:17 Manchester Piccadilly to Brighton Virgin CrossCountry service. Even over two years after the launch of the brand, a complete train in Virgin colours like this was by no means a certainty.

There is still some frost on the tracks as 47829 rounds the curve at Redbridge on 23 December 2001 with the 1M84 10:05 Poole to Manchester Piccadilly Virgin Cross Country service. The A35 Totton to Southampton road can be seen in the background, while just out of sight to the left is the tidal River Test. Note the remains of the level crossing in the foreground, that formerly gave access to the extensive railway yards that were at one time situated on the land between the station and the river.

47829 speeds through Heyford station on 29 March 2002 with the 1M01 06:40 Poole to Liverpool Virgin CrossCountry service. The railway runs parallel to the Oxford Canal at this point (this photo is taken from the canal towpath), and presumably this Police liveried apparition may have been a bit of a surprise to any narrowboat owners who happened to glance up when they heard it passing!

Surely the strangest colour scheme applied to a 47! Police liveried 47829 passes Tupton with the 1M68 14:32 Newcastle to Birmingham New Street Virgin CrossCountry service on 7 April 2002. This bizarre livery had not long been applied when this picture was taken, and was designed to highlight railway trespass and vandalism.

47829 grabs the attention of numerous photographers, as it passes the well known location of Langstone Rock, near Dawlish, on 29 June 2002 with the 1M56 08:48 Penzance to Manchester Piccadilly Virgin CrossCountry service.

47829 adds some colour to the gloomy weather at Water Orton on Sunday 30 June 2002, as it passes through the station with the diverted 1A54 14:19 Wolverhampton to Euston, which it worked between Birmingham New Street and Nuneaton. The DVT directly behind the locomotive is 82149 (easily read off the original 35mm Fujichrome slide).

By Summer 2002 there were very few remaining loco hauled Virgin Cross Country services through Oxford. One of those still booked for Class 47 haulage was the 1M02 06:00 Paddington to Manchester Piccadilly service, seen here at Aynho on a very misty 19 July 2002. The sun was trying unsuccessfully to burn through the murk, but the Police livery of 47829 certainly brightens up an otherwise dull scene!

47829 pulls out of Banbury station on 3 August 2002 with the 1S54 08:30 Banbury to Glasgow Central Virgin CrossCountry service. 47840 North Star is hiding under the station's 1950s concrete canopy, on the rear of the train. The reason that the train is heading north from the southbound platform, is that it had arrived a few minutes earlier as the 1O04 05:19 Manchester Piccadilly to Banbury, deputising for an unavailable HST.

47830 speeds past Radley with the 08:25 Glasgow Central to Poole 'Wessex Scot' on 14 March 1991. The loco is wearing the variation of large logo livery in which the large bodyside numbers are replaced by a small set of black numbers on one cab side - much harder to read at speed! Unfortunately the tree pruning visible on the right was not maintained, and this location got progressively more overgrown in later years.

47830 arrives at Charlbury station on 2 July 1995 with the 1M84 13:40 Paddington to Manchester Piccadilly service. The Cotswold Line had an excellent Sunday service during the 1990s, with through trains to the north which were unavailable during the rest of the week. This was due to them being diverted from the Banbury Line. I would imagine that the Honda is the only one of the cars in the car park that survives to this day!

47830 passes through Newbury Racecourse station on 25 June 1999 with the 1C42 14:32 Paddington to Penzance First Great Western service. This train only ran on Fridays until 9 July. From then until 3 September it ran every weekday.

95mph versus 5mph! A narrowboat on the Kennet & Avon Canal near Crofton is overtaken by 47830 hauling the 1C17 09:30 Paddington to Penzance First Great Western service on 23 June 2001. Note the inclusion of the two Motorail vans at the head of the train. Believe it or not, this was a case of perfect timing, with the boat just happening to come along when the train was due. No Photoshop trickery has been used, and this is a straightforward scan from the original 6x7 slide.

Viewed from the embankment of the then new Newbury bypass, 47830 passes Enborne on 13 April 2002 with the 1A45 08:17 Penzance to Paddington First Great Western service. This was the loco's only booked working on Saturdays at this time, apart from being dragged the short distance to Old Oak Common on the rear of the 5A45 14:18 ECS.

47830 passes Oath (in the Somerset Levels) with the 1C33 12:33 Paddington to Plymouth First Great Western service on 19 August 2002. The rather drab livery almost matches the coaching stock, but with First Great Western changing their mind so frequently with regard to liveries at the time the whole emphasis would soon shift away from green.

47830 Beeching's Legacy pulls out of Haresfield Loop on 9 April 2016 with the 5Z56 06:00 Kilmarnock Barclay Sidings to Laira ECS, conveying a freshly refurbished set of HST Mk3 coaches. This was running over two hours early, and by continuing to miss out booked layovers in various loops, managed to increase that later to being over three hours early! I was extremely lucky that it did in fact go into Haresfield Loop for a short while, as my original plan was to photograph it from the bridge in Haresfield village, approximately half a mile north of this spot. However, despite leaving home when the train was still in Birmingham, and with what I thought was plenty of time to get there, it passed by just as I was walking up to the bridge, and before I could get my camera out. As it was completely dull on both the drive here, and on the way back home again, I was extremely surprised when the sun came out just at the right time for once!

47831 Bolton Wanderer passes Claverham on 10 August 1989 with the 1V45 09:18 Manchester Piccadilly to Plymouth service. This was a weekday. Had it been a Saturday this train would have gone to Paignton, and been Class 31 hauled.

47831 Bolton Wanderer approaches Kingham on 22 August 1993 with the 1O09 08:26 Liverpool Lime Street to Poole InterCity service, which it had worked from Birmingham New Street. This was during the brief period when the Cotswold Line was used for cross country services at the weekend. This particular viewpoint is no longer accessible, and even if it were the growth of the lineside trees would mean that very little of the line could be seen!

The hawthorn is in full bloom, as 47831 Bolton Wanderer passes Kings Sutton on 19 May 1998 with the late running 1M50 14:20 Brighton to Manchester Piccadilly Virgin CrossCountry service. Just five minutes later the reverse combination of loco/coach liveries passed by.

Desirable residence for sale, excellent views but occasional under floor noise and vibration! 47831 Bolton Wanderer & 47844 burst out of Clayton Tunnel on 15 November 1998 with the 1S76 12:20 Brighton to Birmingham New Street Virgin CrossCountry service. Joking aside, apparently it is actually quite quiet inside the unique Tunnel Cottage, which sits a little incongruously between the turrets of the Grade 2 listed structure. But then, you don't get Sulzer powered locos passing underneath nowadays, only near silent EMUs!

Late evening at Hinksey on 6 June 2000. 47831 Bolton Wanderer heads north with the 1M81 18:18 Bournemouth to Manchester Piccadilly Virgin CrossCountry service. Due to lack of capacity at Reading station, this train was booked via the West Curve, avoiding the station.

47831 Bolton Wanderer rounds the curve at Yate on 29 March 2002 with the 1V48 11:15 Manchester to Bristol Temple Meads Virgin CrossCountry service. It would be just a few months before this and all other Virgin trains were 'upgraded' from comfortable loco-hauled Mk2 stock, to cramped and noisy Voyagers.

Even near the longest day, the shadows are starting to get in the way at Croome on 27 June 2002, as 47831 Bolton Wanderer heads northwards with the 1E67 15:50 Plymouth to Leeds Virgin CrossCountry service. Every opportunity was being taken to record these mundane workings, as loco haulage on these trains would end in less than two months time.

47831 Bolton Wanderer passes between the red sandstone cliffs and the sea, on the approach to Dawlish on 29 June 2002. It is working the 1C05 07:00 Bristol Temple Meads to Paignton Virgin CrossCountry service. There was just a few weeks to go before Virgin would replace all their 47s with Voyagers, hence my rather belated trip to Devon to get some pictures at this iconic location.

47831 Bolton Wanderer passes Bredicot on 13 July 2002 with the 1V45 09:15 Manchester Piccadilly to Paignton service. This Virgin CrossCountry Saturday train used a hired in Virgin West Coast Mk3 set, which explains the DVT at the front of the train.

47832 Tamar passes Badgeworth on 5 August 1989 withthe 1E33 08:20 Tenby to York 'InterCity Holidaymaker'. BR were stretching it a bit giving this train (along with many others at the time) that name, as I'm not sure how many people would travel from West Wales to Yorkshire for their holidays. Clearly not many, as five second class coaches was sufficient.

47832 Tamar passes Culham on 22 June 1990 with the 1M40 17:10 Poole to Manchester Piccadilly InterCity service. This was running 15 minutes late, which meant it was only just a few minutes in front of 47583 County of Hertfordshire, which was working the 1F60 18:40 Paddington to Oxford Network SouthEast service. Note the inclusion of a ScotRail liveried coach midway along the train

47832 Tamar passes Kings Sutton on 20 July 1993 with the 1M79 16:54 Reading to Liverpool Lime Street service. This location has remained almost vegetation free ever since this picture was taken, which is a rarity. Although I don't remember it, in the 1960s the view was partially obscured by signal telegraph wires.

47832 passes the snow covered fields at Manningford Bruce on 29 December 2000 with the 1C36 12:03 Paddington to Penzance First Great Western service. This particular train was only loco hauled on a few selected dates throughout the winter timetable. 47832's livery isn't the most inspired, and for once the coaching stock is in a more attractive livery than the loco.

47832 Tamar passes Compton Beauchamp on 21 May 2001 with the 1A28 06:30 Plymouth to Paddington First Great Western service. For some reason I have very few pictures of this train, which is odd, considering it was a very welcome loco hauled train amid a sea of HSTs, and it passed this location at an ideal time for photography. Whereas now something like this on my home patch would be well recorded, in those days I was still chasing all over the country photographing classic traction on freight, a pursuit that would soon come to an end with the spread of the Class 66s!

47832 Tamar passes Circourt Bridge, Denchworth on 23 December 2001 with the diverted 1C44 13:15 Paddington to Penzance First Great Western service. A nice clean rake of Mk2s in the short lived 'fag packet' green colour scheme.

47832 Tamar passes a slightly misty Bourton on 21 September 2003 with the 1C28 09:15 Paddington to Penzance First Great Western HST replacement service. It would return to the capital later in the day with the 1A99 21:00 Penzance to Paddington.

The unique Victa Westlink Rail liveried 47832 brings up the rear of the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z52 07:33 Paddington to Ludlow 'Ludlow Castle Medieval Christmas Fayre' railtour at Compton Beauchamp on 24 November 2007. 47802 was the lead locomotive. Victa Westlink Rail only operated for about a year, making it one of the shortest lived privatised rail companies.

47832 Solway Princess passes Yarnton on 2 January 2009 with the late running 1Z79 10:00 Southampton Western Docks to Manchester Piccadilly DRS Cruise Liner special, with classmate 47802 Pride of Cumbria on the rear of the train. The tour had previously worked south on 11 December 2008. The lighting was very difficult for this picture, as the sun was virtually directly behind the train, so it was probably fortunate that the sun had actually gone into a bank of cloud by the time the train came. Incidentally the dark blob in the field in the background is not a technical fault but a solitary black sheep!

Gleaming in the late summer sunshine, 47832 Solway Princess approaches Didcot North Junction on 8 September 2012 with the 1Z78 07:44 Gobowen to Bath Northern Belle luxury excursion. Gobowen is definitely a new one on me for the starting point of a special train! 47790 Galloway Princess is on the rear of the train.

The white roofed InterCity liveried rake of Mk1 coaches used on charters in the 1990s certainly did look smart, but they must have been a real pain to keep clean. 47833 passes through Wellingborough station on 13 June 1992 with the BR InterCity 09:00 St Pancras to Derby 'Chatsworth' luxury charter. From Derby, participants were taken by coach for a tour of Chatsworth House. The £70 fare included breakfast on the way out, and dinner on the way home in the evening.

47833 approaches Radley on the evening of 9 July 1991 with the 1M61 17:50 Paddington to Derby service. At Birmingham New Street it was replaced by classmate 47831. Note the inclusion of two Mk1 catering vehicles.

D1962 (47833) Captain Peter Manisty RN passes Denchworth on 14 March 1993 with the Pathfinder Tours 09:40 Bristol Temple Meads to Stratford-upon-Avon 'William Shakespeare Express' railtour. The huge signal gantry had only just been erected, and its signals were yet to be connected up. Also of note is the fact that there are only three lines. The down relief has been laid, but work has yet to start on reinstating the up relief.

Some photographers complain about obtrusive headboards on special trains. Well, there is certainly something to complain about here! D1962 (47833) Captain Peter Manisty RN pulls away from Moreton-in-Marsh station, and past the then recently opened Budgens supermarket, with the Slough & Windsor Railway Society 10:00 Slough to Kidderminster VSOE railtour on 24 April 1993. This was advertised as the 'Orient Express' railtour, but judging by the jumbo headboard is actually 'The Triangle'.

Early morning at Banbury on 30 August 1993 sees the meeting of two very differently coloured Class 47/8s. D1962 (47833) Captain Peter Manisty RN calls with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z44 05:50 Paddington to Scarborough 'North Yorkshireman Explorer' railtour, while in the background the 1S59 06:00 Paddington to Edinburgh InterCity service waits to follow the tour out of the station.

D1962 (47833) Captain Peter Manisty RN passes Normanton on 30 August 1993 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z44 05:50 Paddington to Scarborough 'North Yorkshireman Explorer' railtour. The wide flat area on the right was once an extensive area of sidings. The remains of St John's Colliery can be seen in the background.

47834 Fire Fly passes Alstone, on the approach to Cheltenham, with the 1V42 07:52 Leeds to Tenby service on 4 August 1990. Note the loco's unusual two part nameplate. When this loco was in plain blue livery, running as 47609, the nameplate had a black background, and the area around the plates was surrounded by lining.

47834 Fire Fly approaches Wolvercote Junction on 20 June 1991 with the 1M61 17:50 Paddington to Liverpool Lime Street InterCity service. The 1960s built Wolvercote Flyover in the background, although receiving attention here, was completely rebuilt in 2010.

Looking absolutely immaculate, and paired up with an equally pristine rake of InterCity liveried Mk1s, 47834 Fire Fly passes Compton Beauchamp on 30 June 1991 with a Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington charter, run in connection with the 150th anniversary celebrations held at Box Tunnel. The massive headboard reads: 'Triple Gold Anniversary'.

47835 Windsor Castle passes Shrivenham on 4 August 1991 with what is presumably a special train to the Gloucester Rail Day. Just ten minutes later there was another train that definitely was going to the open day, this time using Class 33s, although with a similar set of Network SouthEast coaches.

47834 Fire Fly passes Chilson on 31 August 1991 with the Aerospace Travel Victoria to Moreton-in-Marsh VSOE special. This superb Cotswold Line location has long since vanished, thanks to uncontrolled lineside growth. The 17th century Chadlington Manor can just be seen through the haze, in the trees directly above the locomotive.

47834 Fire Fly passes the site of Chipping Campden station (closed in 1966) on 31 August 1991 with the Worcester to Moreton-in-Marsh ECS for the returning Aerospace Travel Moreton-in-Marsh to Victoria VSOE special. Even though this is long before any internet gen sites, and the train is only the empty stock working of an unadvertised special, the news that the Venice Simplon Orient Express coaches were going to make a trip over the Cotswold Line has obviously become common knowledge. A family group has gathered at the footpath crossing to watch the unusual spectacle.

47834 Fire Fly leaves Moreton-in-Marsh station on 31 August 1991 with an Aerospace Travel sponsored Moreton-in-Marsh to Victoria VSOE special. Obviously this was well advertised locally, judging by the crowds on the footbridge, platform, and even along the lineside. An Aerospace Travel banner has been draped across the footbridge.

Royal train favourite 47835 Windsor Castle was used for the Pathfinder Tours Swindon to Carlisle 'Pennine Executive' railtour on Saturday 17 March 1990. The following morning it worked the empty stock from Swindon to Old Oak Common, and is seen here passing South Moreton (Didcot East) in less than ideal head on lighting.

47835 Windsor Castle heads west past Bathampton on 5 April 1990 with the Royal Train. Unfortunately, this corresponded with a small cloud drifting across the sun, which annoyingly followed the train along the line as it came into view. It was also the only cloud of the entire day! This really is the Royal Train, unlike a lot of the footage shown in Channel Five's 'Secrets of the Royal Train', which was padded out with endless repeated shots of all kinds of trains. Bizarrely, they also referred to the Royal Train as Britain's 'Most luxurious locomotive', which is odd when they often refer to LNER A3 steam locomotive 4472 Flying Scotsman as a train!

Out of the darkness, into the light! Royal train favourite loco 47835 Windsor Castle passes Hinksey Yard on 27 December 1991 with the 1V94 11:06 Birmingham New Street to Paddington service. Perhaps the black smoke is the result of the driver trying to make up time, as this was running 25 minutes late!

The field in the foreground can't be many days away from being harvested, as 47836 passes Defford on 21 July 1990 with the 1S91 12:15 Penzance to Glasgow Central service. Note the BG coach at the front of the train, giving many times more space for luggage, bikes, etc, than the modern equivalent of this train.

47836 leaves Oxford station on 2 October 1991 with the 1O06 06:18 Manchester Piccadilly to Poole service. With a set of sealed window air-cons, the enthusiast has picked the opening vestibule window behind the loco to enjoy the Sulzer noise!

47836 approaches Wolvercote Junction on 11 June 1992 with the 1M61 18:32 Reading to Birmingham New Street service. This was quite a short working for a loco-hauled train, as most cross country trains through Oxford at the time either started at Paddington or the south coast, and usually travelled further north than Birmingham.

47837 leaves Oxford station on 28 June 1991 with the 1O06 06:18 Manchester Piccadilly to Poole service. This loco suffered fire damage shortly after this picture was taken, and as a consequence became the first Class 47/8 to be withdrawn.

47838 heads north from Oxford on 8 September 1990 with the 1M88 06:40 Poole to Manchester Piccadilly service. This view from Walton Well Road has changed completely. In the 1990s the allotments and distant trees gave the impression that this a rural location, even though it is only a few hundred yards from the centre of Oxford. However, the view is now blighted by ugly student accommodation blocks, a signal gantry, and uncontrolled lineside vegetation growth.

47839 passes Lower Basildon on 2 September 1990 with 1M96 14:15 Poole to Manchester Piccadilly service. Although this is an InterCity train, a solitary Network SouthEast coach seems to have sneaked its way into the formation!

The sun breaks through the clouds at Berkswell on 25 April 1996, and provides a bit of back illumination for 47839, as it races through the station with the 1O14 15:10 Liverpool Lime Street to Poole service. Prior to the palisade fencing and lineside bushes, the view from the station's car park was uninterrupted in both directions.

A mix of InterCity and Virgin liveries at Banbury on 8 August 1998, as 47839 passes the stone depot with the 1O40 10:40 Edinburgh to Brighton 'Sussex Scot'. Banbury Junction was formerly situated near the rear of the train, where the former LNER line to Woodford Halse and Rugby diverged to the right.

47839 passes Didcot North Junction on 31 July 1999 with the 1O38 09:10 Edinburgh to Bournemouth Virgin CrossCountry service. A commonplace picture at the time, with passengers still having three years in which to enjoy comfortable quiet Mk2 coaches, before the complete take over by noisy cramped Voyager units.

47839 brings up the rear of the 1S54 05:50 Bournemouth to Glasgow Virgin CrossCountry service, as it arrives at Oxford station on 7 April 2001. The lead locomotive is 47741 Resilient. The new building under construction in the background is Oxford's Youth Hostel.

47839 passes Crosby Garrett on 30 October 2003, whilst on Settle & Carlisle route learning duties. I wouldn't normally bother taking such light engine moves, but it was the only thing that passed in sunshine, and the autumn colours do look spectacular!

47840 North Star passes Radley Ground Frame, just to the south of Radley station, as it heads north on 15 May 1992 with the 1M31 18:32 Reading to Birmingham New Street service. The ground frame worked a pair of crossovers.

47840 North Star passes Standish Junction on 10 April 1997 with the 1V35 06:04 Derby to Plymouth service. This was in the very early privatisation era, with Virgin CrossCountry having just taken over operations, but not yet painted any stock in their new colours.

47840 North Star approaches Wolvercote Junction on 18 May 1998 with the 1M50 14:20 Brighton to Manchester Piccadilly Virgin CrossCountry service. This loco would survive right to the end of loco hauled cross country workings, and would in fact be one of the locos to work the final train in 2002.

With Dawlish Warren station just visible in the background, 47840 North Star rounds the curve at Langstone Rock on 29 June 2002 with the 1V37 08:16 Birmingham New Street to Paignton Virgin CrossCountry service. This was just a couple of months before Virgin downgraded their trains from comfortable loco hauled stock to claustrophobic Voyagers.

47840 North Star brings up the rear of the 1S54 08:30 Banbury to Glasgow Central Virgin CrossCountry service, as the train passes Banbury North Signal Box on 3 August 2002. 47829 can just be seen on the front of the train, weaving across the crossover to gain the correct running line. The train had arrived a little earlier as the 1O04 05:19 Manchester Piccadilly to Banbury.

On 19 August 2002, Virgin Cross Country ran their final loco hauled train, prior to total Voyager operation. 47840 North Star (renumbered 47077 for the day) & 47847 Railway World Magazine / Brian Morrison pass Silverton with the 1M56 08:46 Penzance to Manchester Piccadilly service. The headboard reads 'Cross Country Locomotive Farewell'. This was probably about the furthest north that anyone got a picture of this train in the sun, and its only just out here! Even further south there were only a few lucky spots for the sun, so for once I went to the right location!

I felt I could not let the heavy snowfalls on 8 & 9 February 2007 pass without at least some photographic record, but unfortunately once the roads were clear enough to travel the snow was already melting. The sheer dullness of the present day scene is exemplified by the fact that I went out for a blue light engine 47, unthinkable even a few years ago! 47840 North Star passes Uffington with the 0Z77 08:00 Crewe Basford Hall to Old Oak Common, via Hereford, Worcester and Bristol Parkway. Note the forlorn leaning former up loop signal which now has no track to control after the lifting of the loops here a few years ago. It remained lit for a long time after the track to which it referred had been lifted!

On 6 March 2007, In superb crisp early spring sunshine, 47840 North Star passes Badgeworth with the 5Z47 09:30 Derby to Laira empty stock move, conveying a recently refurbished Mk 3 HST set (allegedly 40901, 40904, 44055, 42305, 42304, 42303, 42066, 41160, & 41086, although I did not note the numbers!). The striking new First Great Western livery contrasts markedly with the 'fag packet' livery of the two barrier vehicles. Already running late, this train had sat in the loop at Ashchurch to let several trains past, consequently it was 75 minutes late here.

Running 55 minutes early, 47840 North Star approaches Kintbury with the 5F70 12:08 Laira to Old Oak Common stock move on 2 April 2007, conveying Mk 2 barrier coaches 6427 & 9488, with HST power car 43010 bringing up the rear. Pending its entry into preservation this loco sees a lot of use on such stock transfers.

47840 North Star & 47828 Joe Strummer pass through Croome Perry Wood in the rain on 28 May 2007 with the Heartland Rail 1Z47 08:10 Derby to Minehead railtour taking 47840 to its new home on the West Somerset Railway. It had been repainted into original two tone green a few days earlier and also had its original pre TOPS number D1661 applied. This would be the final main line run for 47840, which as 47077 was one of the earliest Class 47s to be named, in March 1965. 45112 can just be seen on the rear of the six coach train, which incidentally is made up of three different liveries!

A train that linked two of the largest ports in the UK. 47841 The Institution of Mechanical Engineers approaches Oxford on 7 September 1991 with the 1O99 06:40 Liverpool Lime Street to Dover Western Docks service.

47841 Spirit of Chester passes through Yatton station on 30 June 2001 with the 1S66 08:58 Paignton to Edinburgh Virgin CrossCountry service. The canopy on the right formerly provided cover for the Clevedon branch line bay platform.

47841 Spirit of Chester approaches Redbridge on 23 December 2001 with the 1S39 09:05 Poole to Preston Virgin Cross Country service. The A35 Totton to Southampton road in the background looks surprisingly free of traffic. It always seems to be very busy whenever I need to use it!

After the failure of 47851 Traction Magazine the previous day, the errant two tone green 47 was included in the consist of the 1S48 07:15 Bristol Temple Meads to Edinburgh 'Midland Scot' Virgin Cross Country service on 17 July 2002. In beautiful crisp early morning light the train is pictured storming up the Lickey Incline at Vigo headed by 47841 Spirit of Chester. There was just over a month to go before Class 47 passenger haulage would come to end to be replaced by the ubiquitous 'Voyager' units.

The tide is in at Starcross on 29 June 2002, as 47841 Spirit of Chester passes through the station with the 1C23 10:33 Paddington to Paignton Virgin CrossCountry service. Hidden at the back of the train is 47854 Women's Royal Voluntary Service.

47842 passes through Radley station on 9 July 1991 with the 1V97 15:18 Manchester Piccadilly to Paddington service. This loco was only numbered 47842 for three years. In early 1993 it briefly reverted to its earlier 47606 number, before being renumbered 47778 later that year.

I very rarely take pictures on stations, but occasionally I used to spend a few hours on Oxford station in the days before you were regarded as a criminal for simply being on the platform with a camera. On a brilliantly sunny 24 July 1990, passengers board the 1M61 17:50 Paddington to Liverpool Lime Street InterCity service headed by 47843. The footbridge in the background had only just opened at this time, replacing the earlier subway. 47052 can just be seen lurking in shadows in the bay platform

47843 leaves Oxford station on 2 October 1991 with the 1O99 06:40 Liverpool Lime Street to Dover Western Docks service. The area of wasteland in the foreground was formerly a rail served scrapyard. The remains of the compound in the centre of the picture used to house the scrapyard's oxygen tanks.

Superb winter light at Croome on 10 January 1998. 47843 heads towards Cheltenham with the 1V48 12:17 Manchester Piccadilly to Plymouth service. This location is perennially popular with photographers, because it is shadow free, even with a low sun such as this.

47843 passes the former Aynho station building (now a private residence) with the 1O08 08:25 Wolverhampton to Poole Virgin CrossCountry service on 18 April 1999. I wonder if the novelty of living so close to a railway line wears off after the rumble of nighttime freight trains disturbs your sleep!

47843 passes underneath the footbridge at Barnt Green station on 6 May 2000 with the 1V39 06:40 York to Bristol Temple Meads Virgin CrossCountry service. The footbridge was replaced in 2015 in order to accommodate the extension of the overhead electfrication to Bromsgrove. Surprisingly, some thought went into the new bridge's design, and as far as possible it mimics the design of the old one. As can from seen from the background, in 2000 the overhead wires didn't pass the bridge, but did continue on to Redditch, on the tracks to the right.

Suitably sombre weather for the final loco hauled 1E26 09:05 Birmingham New Street to Newcastle Virgin CrossCountry service on 26 May 2002. 47843 Vulcan does the honours, seen here passing Ulleskelf. Due to Sunday engineering work, the train had travelled via Toton and Barnsley.

With just a couple of days to go before the final Virgin CrossCountry Class 47 operated train, someone is clearly enjoying themselves as 47843 Vulcan accelerates away from Banbury on 17 August 2002 with the 1M02 06:00 Paddington to Manchester Piccadilly service.

47843 Vulcan accelerates away from Shrewsbury, and approaches Sutton Bridge Junction on 27 March 2004 with the 1V77 09:13 Crewe to Cardiff Central rugby special. Unfortunately the loco failed later at Abergavenny, and had to be pushed by 47853 Rail Express, which was working the following rugby special, the 1Z55 09:55 Crew to Cardiff Central!

47843 Vulcan has 999506 Amanda in tow, as it approaches Creswell on 21 February 2007 with 2Z02 13:01 Sheffield to Derby inspection saloon. The use of a very long telephoto lens has certainly emphasised the mining subsidence! 

47843 Vulcan slowly pulls out of the sidings at Thoresby Colliery Junction with inspection saloon 999506 Amanda on 21 February 2007. Running as 2Z02 13:01 Sheffield to Derby, It was touring the Nottinghamshire freight lines, and had just spent 45 minutes parked just out of view behind the signal box. Thoresby Colliery box is an LNER design and dates from 1926. I was very fortunate with the light here, as the clouds had only cleared shortly before the 47 was due to leave, but the sun then sank into a bank of cloud in the west a few minutes after this picture was taken

47844 Derby & Derbyshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry passes Defford on 8 June 1993 with the 1M48 15:44 Plymouth to Derby service. The loco is carrying one of the thin cheap looking reflective style nameplates, which were briefly applied to locomotives in the 1990s.

Shortly after emerging from Wickwar Tunnel, 47844 catches the early morning light at Rangeworthy on 28 October 1994, as it heads south with the 1V35 06:43 Wolverhampton to Plymouth service. Note that the loco appears to be temporarily missing its Derby & Derbyshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry nameplate.

47844 Derby & Derbyshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry crosses the River Avon on 26 June 1995 with the 1V65 16:43 York to Bristol Temple Meads InterCity service. It may be 20:05, but just a few days away from the longest day, and on a cloudless day, there is still plenty of light.

During the summer 1995 timetable, Inter-regional trains to the South Coast were diverted via the Cotswold Line on Sundays. 47844 Derby & Derbyshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry is seen here at Moreton-in-Marsh on 2 July 1995 with the 1O09 10:30 Wolverhampton top Poole service. After its enforced long wait in the station, 165103 can now proceed northwards with the 10:20 Paddington to Great Malvern service.

Yet another of my many photographs taken at Wolvercote Junction, a location that has now become totally overgrown. 47844 heads north on 7 August 1998 with the 1M50 14:15 Brighton to Preston Virgin CrossCountry service.

The longest day, and even at 20:20 the shadows from the bushes at Culham are only just starting to be a nuisance, as 47844 heads north with the 1M81 18:18 Bournemouth to Manchester Piccadilly Virgin CrossCountry service. The date is 21 June 2001, and what was formerly an excellent location for evening photography, was getting a bit overgrown.

47845 County of Kent passes Alstone, as it accelerates away from Cheltenham station (just out of sight in the distance) with the 1E30 08:55 Swansea to York service on 4 August 1990. Only four Class 47s carried this unusual livery.

47845 County of Kent passes the site of Checker House station (between Worksop and Retford) with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z36 05:33 Salisbury to West Burton Power Station 'Cottam Picker' railtour on 28 November 1992. This isolated station was closed to passengers as early as 1931, but remained opened for goods traffic until 1963, which explains the loading gauge visible above the first coach. I kept meaning to go back to this location for some freight pictures, but despite passing over the bridge many times, never did get around to it. Now the steam age relic loading gauge has been removed and a giant radio mast has taken its place, so the opportunity for further photos has been lost.

47845 County of Kent slowly approaches West Burton Power Station on 28 November 1992 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z36 05:33 Salisbury to West Burton Power Station 'Cottam Picker' railtour. In a few yards the train would diverge from the Retford to Gainsborough line, and complete a circuit of the power station.

47845 County of Kent rejoins the Gainsborough to Retford line, after doing a circuit of West Burton Power Station (just out of sight to the right) with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z36 05:33 Salisbury to West Burton Power Station 'Cottam Picker' railtour on 28 November 1992. The house marks the site of the former Great Northern Railway Sturton Crossing, on the Sturton-le-Steeple to Saundy road, which was realigned to the west. This picture is taken from the new bridge.

47845 County of Kent brings up the rear of the Pathfinder Tours 1Z36 11:23 West Burton Power Station to Salisbury 'Cottam Picker' railtour at Hall Lane Junction (near Staveley) on 28 November 1992. The train is heading for Oxcroft Colliery, appropriately led by 58044 Oxcroft Opencast. The tour didn't quite make it to the colliery, due to a line blockage.

47845 County of Kent heads east near Grove on 20 February 1993 with two Mk 2 barrier vehicles. Note the recently reinstated down relief line in the foreground. At this time the up relief line had yet to be added. In the background is the then recently rebuilt Denchworth road bridge, with the original Circourt Bridge just visible in the far distance. This location, which is a footpath crossing near the Denchworth to Grove road, will probably become one of my default photographic viewpoints in the area once the electrification has ruined most of my other favourite spots!

47845 County of Kent passes Hinksey Yard on 25 June 1993 with the 1M79 16:54 Reading to Liverpool Lime Street service. Note the line of girders across the centre of the picture, marking the course of one of the many small streams in the area.

47846 Thor passes through Radley station on 1 May 1990 with the 1M23 15:40 Poole to Manchester Piccadilly InterCity service. This was one of several 47/8s that sported this unusual livery around this time. A sort of large logo colour scheme, without the logo!

47846 Thor (with freshly painted silver buffers) passes Hinksey Yard on 5 July 1991 with the 1O06 06:18 Manchester Piccadilly to Poole service, which seems to be composed almost entirely of first class Mk 2 vehicles.

During the summer of 1991 the Cotswold Line enjoyed a fantastic service on a Sunday, with cross country trains diverted via the line, and calling at the principal stations. 47846 Thor leaves the Cotswold Line at Wolvercote Junction on 8 September 1991 with the 1O09 08:00 Liverpool Lime Street to Poole service.

47846 Thor passes Rangeworthy on 13 August 1994 with the 1S66 08:33 Paignton to Glasgow Central service, which it would work as far as Birmingham New Street. This loco (as D1677) received the name Thor in August 1966, after it was transferred from D1671, which had only carried the name for a few months, until it was destroyed in a collision near Bridgend.

Prior to introducing the first of their many colour schemes, First Great Western painted 47846 Thor plain white. This ghostly apparition is pictured passing Compton Beauchamp on 28 May 1997, heading west with a HST set, presumably an Old Oak Common to Bristol St. Philip's Marsh ECS move.

47846 Thor passes Woodborough on 15 March 2000 with the 1C50 15:33 Paddington to Penzance First Great Western service. This is a substitute for the booked HST. Thor would survive for another two years as a Class 47, before being rebuilt into a Class 57.

47847 races through the diminutive Ascott-under-Wychwood station on 25 June 1995 with the 13:40 Paddington to Manchester Piccadilly service, which as in previous years during the 1990s was one of a number of cross country trains diverted via the Cotswold Line on a permanent basis on summer weekends.

47847 Railway World Magazine / Brian Morrison approaches Kings Sutton on 30 March 2002 with the 1S87 14:18 Paddington to Glasgow Virgin CrossCountry service. The bushes behind the train hide the site of the former junction of the line to Kingham and Cheltenham.

47847 Railway World Magazine / Brian Morrison & 47840 North Star pass Fiddington on Sunday 18 August 2002 with the 1V84 10:03 Glasgow Central to Penzance Virgin CrossCountry service. The reason for the double heading was to work both locomotives down to West Country for the following day's final Class 47 hauled CrossCountry train - the 1M56 08:46 Penzance to Manchester Piccadilly. As Class 47/8s are not fitted for multiple working, both locos were individually crewed.

With a wave from the driver, 47847 Railway World Magazine / Brian Morrison passes Creech St Michael on 24 August 2002 with the 1V45 09:13 Liverpool to Plymouth Virgin CrossCountry service. The train is composed of a West Coast Mk 3 set with DVT 82138 directly behind the locomotive.

47847 lays down some clag as it climbs the grade out of the Severn Tunnel and passes through Pilning station with the Cardiff to Kensington Olympia football special on Sunday 7 August 2005. This was one of two trains run in connection with the Chelsea versus Arsenal Community Shield match at the Millennium Stadium. A nice golden glint, but it was getting very difficult to shade the lens, with the sun almost directly behind the train!

The prospect of a couple of Class 47 hauled railtours passing through Cheltenham within a couple of hours on 28 April 2007, plus the perfect weather conditions was too good an opportunity to miss. The Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z30 05:55 Minehead to York 'Eternal City of York' tour was hauled by 47847 & 47815 Abertawe Landore, seen here at Up Hatherley on the outskirts of Cheltenham. This location was selected as it is one of the few spots in the area where the sun is on the front for a northbound train at this time in the morning.

In perfect low winter sunshine, 47847 rounds the curve at Wolvercote Junction (near Oxford) with the 5Z47 10:00 York to Old Oak Common ECS on 10 December 2007. The stock had  been used on the previous day's York to Lincoln railtour, when 47847 worked top'n'tail with LMS 5MT 4-6-0 45407. Note the mismatched patch painting on the loco! The line diverging to the left in this picture is the Cotswold Line, which since 1971 has been single track as far as Ascott-under-Wychwood.

As I was already in the area it seemed a pity not to photograph 47847 with the 5Z47 08:54 Doncaster to Long Marston on 22 January 2008, despite the dull conditions. It occurred to me that the location at Aldington (near Evesham) would be ideal, as the view is from the north side of the line (therefore hopeless if the sun is out), and the short visible gap would ideally suit this three coach train. With Evesham Abbey in the background, and in atrocious light, 47847 puts on the power hauling former GNER Mk3 buffet 40811 sandwiched between barrier vehicles 6344 & 6346. Note that the coach is in the intermediate livery with a white stripe and the GNER branding replaced by National Express East Coast wording - certainly a first for the Cotswold Line!

47848 passes Lympsham on 25 April 1990 with the 1V54 13:20 Liverpool Lime Street to Plymouth service. Note the unusual livery. This was the second Class 47/8 in a non standard colour scheme that I had photographed here on this occasion, 47814 having passed by and hour and a half earlier. Usually early morning fog clears during the day, but on this occasion the opposite happened, with fog rolling in from the sea during the afternoon and blotting out the background.

47848 approaches Gloucester on 27 April 1993 with the 1V54 11:05 York to Swansea service. Despite the train already heading in the right direction for the direct route to South Wales, it would in fact reverse in Gloucester station, as it was booked via Bristol Parkway and the Severn Tunnel, using the line that can just be seen in the foreground. Note the Gloucester No.2 ground frame in the foreground, the banner repeater signal on the left, and the Kemira fertiliser depot in the background.

47848 leaves Gloucester on 27 April 1993 with the 1V54 11:05 York to Swansea service. The train had arrived ten minutes earlier, and the loco had then run round the train in Gloucester station. This view, from the then newly opened Metz Way, is full of interest. Horton Road level crossing is in the centre of the picture, with the remains of Gloucester Horton Road Depot behind. A tamper, Class 08, 37, 60 and a pair of 31s are in residence. Both Gloucester Cathedral and St Peter's Catholic church in the background are encased in scaffolding, whilst undergoing repairs.

47848 passes Aynho Junction on 22 July 1993 with the 1M50 14:20 Brighton to Manchester Piccadilly service. The line to Marylebone can be seen climbing and curving away to the left above the train. Trains from Marylebone would cross the flyover that can just be seen in the background, and then join this route a short distance north of this location.

47848 approaches Abbotswood on 21 July 1996 with the 1M87 14:03 Plymouth to Manchester Piccadilly service. Not much chance of a rogue cloud spoiling the picture on a day like this! The ideal weather for the combination of a Pentax 6x7 and Fujichrome 100.

47848 passes Defford on 17 May 1998 with the 1V56 13:14 Manchester Piccadilly to Bristol Temple Meads service. A full train of InterCity liveried stock, with no mention of Virgin CrossCountry, who were by this date the franchise operator.

47848 Newton Abbot Festival of Transport rounds the curve on the approach to Heyford station on 8 April 2002 with the 1O14 15:10 Liverpool Lime Street to Poole Virgin CrossCountry service. The additional round plate above the nameplate repeats the wording, but with addition of the date: 2000.

47848 Newton Abbot Festival of Transport passes the public footpath crossing at Haresfield on 1 June 2002 with the 1V37 06:00 Preston to Paignton Virgin CrossCountry service, which it had worked from Birmingham New Street,. Directly behind the locomotive is DVT 82132 West Midlands.

A classic viewpoint and classic traction, but not for much longer. During the final few weeks of Class 47 haulage on Virgin CrossCountry trains, 47848 Newton Abbot Festival of Transport passes Culham with the 1M02 06:00 Paddington to Manchester Piccadilly service. The date is 10 July 2002.

After Virgin CrossCountry downgraded their passenger experience by replacing their loco hauled trains with Voyagers in 2002, a large number of Virgin liveried Class 47/8s naturally became surplus to requirements. One such was 47848 Newton Abbot Festival of Transport, which was snapped up by Freightliner Heavy Haul. It is seen here passing South Moreton on 9 October 2003 with the 6M16 13.48 Southampton Western Docks to Crewe Gresty Lane Ford cars and vans. The only evidence of the new operator is a small Freightliner sticker on the cabside.

47848 Titan Star & 47839 Pegasus storm through the centre road of Oxford station with the 6Z48 13:05 Burton upon Trent to Dollands Moor Colas Rail steel empties on 10 September 2009. The hired in Riviera Trains locos make a welcome change from the slightly gaudy Colas locomotives normally employed on this working, and the Oxford Blue livery is not that far removed from BR's own corporate livery. I really thought that this picture wouldn't be in the sun, as it wasn't until the locos were actually through the station that it came out, not a second too soon! Unfortunately a few miles further on 47848 ran into problems and the train came to a stand on Didcot East Curve with the firebells ringing. A small battery box fire resulted in the loco having to be shut down and the train was taken forward after a 90 minutes delay with 47839 doing all the work. Certainly a wise decision to use two locos! 47848 was dumped at Reading and 47839 carried on solo.

Rail Operations Group 47848 Titan Star & 47812 pass Bredicot on 18 June 2016 with the 5V47 05:15 Kilmarnock Barclays Sidings to Laira ECS, conveying the second set of HST coaches to be painted in GWR's new green livery. I seem to be having a run of very good luck with this train, by managing to get it in full sun every time, and by not getting caught out by its notoriously early running! On this occasion I was extremely lucky to get it in sun, as it was an almost totally cloudy day, and this patch of sunshine only lasted for a few minutes! It was only running 21 minutes early at this point, but by missing out booked layovers in various loops it managed to reach Exeter 174 minutes early!

47848 passes Badsey on 9 May 2020 with the 5Q94 09:12 Northampton EMD to Long Marston ECS, conveying London Northwestern Railway EMU 350125 for repair. 47815 Lost Boys 68-88 is bringing up the rear. Both locos feature 'Thank You NHS' branding.

47848 brings up the rear of the Pathfinder Tours 1Z40 07:07 Burton-on-Trent to Salisbury 'Winchester Christmas Excursion' railtour at Uffington on 25 November 2023. Although not ideal, as the front of the train, with leading loco D345 is hidden by lineside bushes, this location does include plenty of autumn colour. Just 14 minutes later, another Class 47 on a railtour appeared from the opposite direction.

47849 passes Didcot North Junction on 3 May 1990 with the 1M23 15:40 Poole to Manchester Piccadilly service. This clearly shows the order in which coaching stock was painted into the then new InterCity colours, with restaurant vehicles and BGs being the last in the line to be repainted.

47849 passes South Moreton (Didcot East) on 24 January 1998 with the 1V94 09:17 Manchester Piccadilly to Paddington service. An everyday scene then, but doubly historic now, as not only are there no longer any regular loco hauled passenger trains here, but Didcot Power Station's cooling towers have also disappeared from this view!

47849 approaches Eastleigh on 25 June 1999 with the 1M01 06:40 Poole to Liverpool Lime Street Virgin Cross Country service. It looks like a visit from the weedkilling train is long overdue, especially on the line curving off to the left into Eastleigh Works!

47849 Cadeirlan Bangor Cathedral passes Aynho on 20 July 2000 with the 1O30 07:17 Manchester Piccadilly to Brighton Virgin CrossCountry service. There was a lot of cloud about, but this was one of those lucky days when all the trains passed in sunshine.

47849 Cadeirlan Bangor Cathedral passes the site of Bletchingdon station on 1 August 2001 with the 1O14 15:10 Liverpool Lime Street to Poole Virgin CrossCountry service. Apart from the fact that there is an industrial unit on the left occupying part of the former site, there is now no trace that Bletchingdon station ever existed.

A frosty morning at White Waltham on 2 December 2001. 47849 Cadeirlan Bangor Cathedral heads west with the 1S52 09:10 Paddington to Preston Virgin CrossCountry service. This could be one of the last pictures of this loco in action, as it caught fire six days later whilst working a train at Kenilworth. It was originally going to be rebuilt as a Class 57, but it was discovered that it had a bent frame, so was scrapped instead.

47850 approaches Oxford under leaden skies on 17 March 1991, as it prepares to call at the City's station with the 1M48 08:50 Paddington to Wolverhampton service, which it would work as far as Birmingham New Street.

47850 unusually has a Royal Mail NEA full brake in the consist, as it passes Didcot North Junction on 24 March 1991 with the 1M48 08:50 Paddington to Wolverhampton service. The colourful combination helps liven up the miserable conditions! An industrial estate now occupies the field on the right.

47850 & 47807 pass Narroways Hill Junction on 6 May 1994 with the 1M56 10:15 Plymouth to Manchester Piccadilly InterCity service. This train was booked for a doubled header on Fridays at this time between Bristol Temple Meads and Manchester. The line diverging to the right leads to Avonmouth and Severn Beach.

47850 passes Defford on 4 November 1994 with the 1V49 09:43 York to Exeter St Davids service. Remnants of Defford station's platform can just be seen in the grass next to the milepost in the foreground. The station closed in 1965.

47851 is glimpsed through the lineside bushes at Radley, as it speeds southwards on 14 March 1991 with the 1V96 12:18 Manchester Piccadilly to Paddington InterCity service. This was in the days when there was no problem taking your bike on the train. Just think how many bicycles could be fitted in that BG van behind the loco!

47851 passes Briton Ferry on 15 April 1991 with the 1V54 11:44 York to Swansea InterCity service. This is the site of Briton Ferry station, which closed in 1864. However, since this picture was taken, a new station has been opened on the site, completely changing this view, as the staggered platforms with their long sloping footbridges to the road have filled in the waste ground seen here.

47851 approaches Didcot North Junction on 29 February 1996 with the 1O66 07:17 Manchester Piccadilly to Brighton InterCity service. This was such a commonplace sight at the time, that some photographers didn't bother too much with scenes such as this, as it was "Only a 47". How times have changed!

47851 passes Spetchley on 9 June 1996 with the 1E34 15:40 Plymouth to Leeds service. Note the buffer stop on the left, which along with the rest of the loop on that side of the line, was lifted shortly afterwards. The loop on the right is still in situ.

47851 passes South Moreton (Didcot East) on 4 December 1999 with the 1O71 07:36 Blackpool North to Portsmouth Harbour Virgin CrossCountry service. This was substituting for an unavailable HST, which explains the presence of 47810 Porterbrook on the rear of the train, there being no loco run round facilities at Portsmouth.

47851 Traction Magazine approaches Radley station at speed on the morning of 4 July 2002 with the 1M02 06:00 Paddington to Manchester Piccadilly Virgin Cross Country service. With only just over a month to go before the end of loco hauled services on the route, every available opportunity was taken to photograph as many workings as possible. Naturally the combination of two tone green 47851 and a perfect sunny morning was too good to miss, despite the early start.

Shrivenham is the location here, chosen as it would be one of the least backlit spots on the Great Western Mainline between Didcot and Swindon for the 1Z29 07:15 Paddington to Plymouth 'Devonian' railtour on 7 October 2006. Even so, the sun is still well behind the train as 47851 (D1648) Traction Magazine heads west, prior to handing over the tour to LMS 4-6-2 No.46201 Princess Elizabeth at Taunton. 47826 Springburn can just be seen on the rear of the train.

47851 (D1648) Traction Magazine passes Alstone with the Green Express Railtours 1Z79 06:28 Skipton to Bath 'Georgian Bath Explorer' railtour on 28 April 2007, with 47245 hidden by the bushes on the rear of the train. I little thought that when I photographed 47853 at the same location two weeks previously that I would be back so soon! Unfortunately several potential locations that I investigated in the Cheltenham area were either overgrown or not ideal with regard to the angle of the sun. However, it is interesting to note the change in the vegetation in just two weeks.

47851 brings up the rear of the Nenta Train Tours 1Z43 17:35 Worcester Shrub Hill to North Walsham 'Cotswolds Adventurer' railtour, as it speeds through Kingham station on 16 April 2016. It looks like someone forgot to remove the headboard, which should by rights be on the lead locomotive, 57313, which is out of sight under the road bridge.

47852 passes Oxford North Junction on 20 July 1990 with the 1M31 17:16 Folkestone to Manchester Piccadilly service, which it worked as far as Birmingham New Street. 47852 was one of four locos to receive this non-standard livery, which was the result of removing the large logo and numbers from the so called 'large logo' colour scheme. The other locos were: 47845, 47846 & 47850.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s it was quite common for Summer Saturday holiday trains to the West Country to still have the DVT attached to the stock. Such is the case here as 47852 passes Alstone (Cheltenham) with the 07:31 Wolverhampton to Penzance InterCity Holidaymaker service on 4 August 1990. DVT 82152 is coupled directly behind the loco. 47852 is carrying an unusual livery variation, with wrap around yellow ends with black numbers, but no BR insignia.

A meeting of InterCity Class 47s at Kings Sutton on 8 August 1991. 47853 heads north with the 1M61 17:50 Paddington to Derby service, just as 47804 passes by in the opposite direction with the 1O90 11:26 Glasgow Central to Brighton ' Sussex Scot'. A mix of Mk1 and Mk2 stock in both trains, with all vehicles being in InterCity livery, although 47853 lacks any bodyside branding.

Viewed from inside the now demolished Aynho Junction Signal Box, 47853 heads south on 27 July 1993 with the late running 1O13 12:06 York to Poole service. The box was situated in the vee of the junction with the Marylebone line. The down Marylebone line can be seen coming in from the left, while the up line is diverging to the right of the 47. Even at this remote location in fields not far from the Oxford Canal virtually all the windows have been smashed by vandals.

47853 rounds the curve at Yate on 6 August 1998 with the 1M31 15:55 Plymouth to Manchester Piccadilly Virgin Cross Country service, proving that even as late as 1998 it was still possible to see a complete train made up of InterCity liveried vehicles. The local farmer is obviously taking no chances and has used sheets of corrugated iron to prevent his stock escaping onto the railway.

With a rake of Virgin liveried Mk 3s and DVT 82146 in tow, 47853 passes Bunbury on 10 July 1999 with the 1A38 08:52 Holyhead to Euston Virgin West Coast service. Interesting enough, but my main reason for visiting this spot was to get a picture of 37403 on the 1K61 10:22 Bangor to Crewe.

Sunday diversions at Whitacre Junction on 30 June 2002. 47853 (D1733) Rail Express passes the public footpath crossing with the 1A43 12:28 Wolverhampton to Euston Virgin West Coast service, which it was dragging between Birmingham New Street and Nuneaton. DVT 82104 is directly behind the loco, and 86254 is out of sight on the rear of the train.

XP64 liveried 47853 (D1733) Rail Express passes Badgeworth on 16 July 2002 with the 1V50 08:40 Glasgow to Penzance Virgin Cross Country service. Just one month later the luxury of Class 47 hauled air-con Mk2s would be replaced by the claustrophobic discomfort of Class 220/221 Voyagers.

With just a month to go before Virgin Cross Country ditched their proper loco hauled trains, in favour of DMUs, XP64 liveried 47853 (D1733) Rail Express accelerates away from Bristol Parkway station on 17 July 2002 with the late running 1M56 08.46 Penzance to Manchester Piccadilly service.

47853 (D1733) Rail Express crosses the River Avon at Eckington on 28 July 2002 with the 1M90 15:50 Plymouth to Manchester Piccadilly Virgin CrossCountry service. This was a welcome bonus, as this train was supposed to be a HST on Sundays. The man in the boat on the left is obviously not interested in railways, as he is not even looking up at this unique liveried loco!

Still wearing its XP64 heritage repaint from the previous year's Virgin CrossCountry loco hauled finale, 47853 Rail Express passes Ebbw Junction on 22 February 2003 with the 1Z42 10:46 Crewe to Cardiff Central rugby special. The livery is an accurate representation of the experimental 1964 colour scheme that eventually led to the more subdued Rail Blue livery. Apart from the modern name, the only difference is the application of TOPS standard size (larger than the original) numbers.

47853 Rail Express brings up the rear of the Pathfinder Tours 1Z56 05:34 Reading to Harworth Colliery 'Joint Line Jester' railtour on 17 January 2004, as it approaches its destination, 56062 is leading. Note the change in gradient.

XP64 liveried 47853 Rail Express throws out some typical Brush Type 4 clag on 17 January 2004 as it passes under the A1(M) shortly after departing from Harworth Colliery with the Pathfinder Tours 'Joint Line Jester' railtour, now running as the 1Z57 11:40 Harworth Colliery to Reading.

After nearly a month of dull weather, 23 January 2007 dawned clear and bright, so a trip was made to Evesham to see 47853 Rail Express on the 5Z59 07:30 Chaddesden to Long Marston, conveying four Mk 2 coaches for storage. With a touch of frost on the sleepers and Evesham's austere signal box in view the train is pictured slowing for the token exchange, which now takes place on the station platform.

After working in to Long Marston with four coaches for storage, 47853 Rail Express was booked to take out a rake of wagons as 5Z59 12:35 Long Marston to Chaddesden on 23 January 2007. Initially it looked like just four wagons would be leaving. Then the shunter seen standing on the right added a long rake to the rear of the initial four, and then spent over an hour shunting a couple of wagons out of the middle of the rake! In the end half the train was left behind (seen in the distance). Typically all this happened in full sun, only for the light to dip when the train left. 

47853 Rail Express is pictured passing Broad Marston with the 5Z59 12:35 Long Marston to Chaddesden on 23 January 2007. After protracted shunting at Long Marston, this was running 80 minutes late. After a disappointing picture of the train leaving Long Marston due to the head on angle of the sun, and the fact that it was partly obscured by cloud, a much better picture was to be had here, less than a mile from the depot on the single track freight only branch towards Honeybourne. This locomotive is finished in the XP64 experimental livery that it previously carried in the 1960s, as a forerunner to the corporate blue livery.

47853 Rail Express is pictured here at Honeybourne waiting to gain access to the Cotswold Line seen on the right, with the 5Z59 12:35 Long Marston to Chaddesden working conveying a rake of wagons removed from storage on 23 January 2007. The long lens used here has flattened the perspective, emphasizing the Cotswold Hills in the background.

47853 Rail Express rejoins the Cotswold Line at Honeybourne with the 5Z59 12:35 Long Marston to Chaddesden working conveying a rake of wagons removed from storage on 23 January 2007. Protracted shunting at Long Marston had resulted in some wagons being left behind, due to brake problems, and yet at least two of these wagons were running with their brakes isolated.

47853 Rail Express passes Alstone (Cheltenham) with the Compass Tours 1Z41 05:59 Preston to Minehead 'West Somerset Express' railtour on 14 April 2007, running 35 minutes late. Here we see two obsolete blue liveries. The loco is painted in XP64 chromatic blue, the forerunner of the BR corporate blue livery that dominated the railways in the 1970s, while the coaches (apart from the two Virgin liveried vehicles half way down the rake) are in the now superceded Anglia Railways turquoise livery. 47847 is on the rear of the train, just hidden by the bushes.

Two modes of transport, with the passengers on one off to see a different sort of transport! 47853 Rail Express & 47790 Galloway Princess run alongside the Oxford Canal at Heyford, as they head for the races with the 1Z36 06:49 Manchester Victoria to Ascot Northern Belle Royal Ascot Ladies Day luxury special on 19 June 2014. Note the immaculate station garden, with the Heyford name spelled out in miniature hedging.

47854 Women's Royal Voluntary Service leaves Basingstoke with the 1S39 09:05 Poole to Glasgow Virgin CrossCountry service on 30 August 1998. 47854 is the highest numbered 47/8, and still survives in use on the national network, unfortunately now in the awful West Coast Rail sludge brown livery.

47854 Women's Royal Voluntary Service brings up the rear of the 1C23 10:33 Paddington to Paignton Virgin CrossCountry service at Starcross on 29 June 2002, The bushes that are sprawling all over the platform are hiding 47841 Spirit of Chester at the front of the train. Brunel's atmospheric railway pumping house can be seen in the background.

47854 passes Broken Cross (between Gloucester and Lydney) on 29 February 2004 with the 1Z77 07:11 Bolton to Cardiff Central football special. The Bolton fans would not have a good day, as their team lost to Middlesbrough in the Football League Cup Final at the Millennium Stadium.

In superb low winter sunshine, 47854 rounds the curve into Aber station (near Caerphilly) with the 1Z41 14:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service on 4 December 2005. This was one of a number of special loco hauled services over the line to mark the impeding end of the Class 37 haulage over the route. The train is just crossing over the Caerphilly to Nantgarw road.

With a non-operational headlight, which would probably cause it to be failed nowadays, 47854 passes Marshfield on 4 March 2006 with the 2N11 10:58 Newport to Cardiff rugby special. 37411 Caerphilly Castle is bringing up the rear.

The grey clouds hang over the mountains as 47854 passes Dalnacardoch with the Royal Scotsman 1H82 14:29 Kingussie to Perth portion of the 5 day 'Classic' tour on 10 June 2007. This is a railtour with a difference as each person has paid £3080 for the luxury experience! Although only a short distance from the busy A9, Dalnacardoch feels like the middle of nowhere, with the only buildings visible being Dalnacardoch Lodge (the white building in the distance), and the derelict signal box on the other side of the bridge. The principal traffic over the roadbridge are sheep moving from one field to another!

47854 is pictured here just a few miles from its destination as it passes Thrupp with the Green Express Railtours 'Shakespeare & Dreaming Spires of Oxford' Land Cruise on 11 April 2009. Having already completed the Shakespeare part of the tour it is now heading for Mathew Arnold's dreaming spires, running as the 1Z74 14:10 Stratford-upon-Avon to Oxford. The tour had originated from Huddersfield at 06:34 as the 1Z73 to Stratford. Even though this location is fairly near to where I live, surprisingly I hadn't used it before. It was deliberately chosen as although the whole train cannot be seen, it is neatly framed by the blackthorn in full bloom. Due to the several reversals en-route the tour was being worked top'n'tail, with 57601 well out of sight on the rear of the train.

The only occasion that I saw the unique 47901 working a train was on 11 March 1986, when I happened to be at Fairwood Junction when it passed by with the 7O83 12:09 Whatley to Fareham ARC stone train. In 1974, as a test bed for the forthcoming Class 56 project, 47046 received an engine transplant in the form of the Ruston Paxman 16RK3CT 3250 hp unit and in view of its non-standard status was renumbered to 47601. It was later renumbered to 47901 and acquired an even more powerful engine - the 3300hp Paxman 12RK3ACT, as destined for use in the Class 58. After its period of evaluation was over, it settled down to work out of Westbury, as pictured here. It did however spend long periods out of traffic, due to its non-standard specification. It was withdrawn in March 1990 and cut up at MC Metals, Glasgow two years later.

47971 Robin Hood passes Brent Knoll on 1 August 1990 with the 1V35 06:05 Derby to Plymouth InterCity service. This seems to be an all first class train, as apart from the catering vehicle in the centre of the train, the only non first class accommodation is half of the rear coach, and that is the guard's compartment of the BFK.

47971 Robin Hood passes Burton Salmon on route learning duties on 12 March 1997. Note the application, in a very small typeface, of the loco's original D1616 number, next to the cab door. 47971 was withdrawn in 2000, and cut up two years later.

During the 1980s various members of the Class 47/4 fleet were renumbered into the 479xx series for departmental use. This did not stop them from being used on passengers services, as we can see here. 47972 (the former 47545) speeds past Spetchley on 22 July 1989 with the 1V45 09:18 Manchester Piccadilly to Paignton service, which it had taken over at Birmingham New Street. Interestingly this is a full week before the official renumbering date, although the cleared area around the number does show that the change has only just taken place.

On an very dull 14 February 1992, 47972 slowly leaves the virtually derelict yard at Banbury with ATP Demonstrator unit 977776 & 977775. This was formerly Class 114 DMU 54904 & 55929. Rather more permanent houses have now replaced the caravans seen here, and most of the track in the background has been lifted.

47972 The Royal Army Ordnance Corps passes Shrivenham on 1 November 1994 with the 1Z05 08:20 Worcester Shrub Hill to Cardiff track testing special, including the High Speed Track Recording Coach DB999550. 47972 was painted into this distinctive Central Services livery prior to its naming at MoD Kineton in 1993. As a departmental locomotive (at this time allocated to Crewe depot in pool CDJC) its job was to work test trains over the national network from the Derby Railway Technical Centre.

For a short period during 1988/9 the erstwhile 47561 was renumbered into the departmental series as 97561, before becoming 47973. During this time it was repainted into Midland Counties Railway red livery and named Midland Counties Railway 150 1839-1989 in connection with that railway's anniversary. A week after naming, it is pictured taking the Swindon line at Standish Junction with the BR East Midlands Area 1Z16 07:45 Derby to Bristol Temple Meads 'Avonian' railtour on 30 May 1989.

Looking superb in the late afternoon sun, 97561 Midland Counties Railway 150 1839-1989 approaches Wickwar Tunnel on 30 May 1989 with the BR East Midlands Area Bristol Temple Meads to Derby 'Avonian' railtour. This loco only spent a few months numbered as 97561, before changing to 47973. It had previously carried the numbers D1614, 47034 & 47561.

One of the more striking liveries applied to a Class 47 was the maroon colour scheme acquired by 47973 Midland Counties Railway 150 1839-1989 in 1989 to commemorate that railway company's anniversary. Upon being repainted it was numbered 97561, but this was changed to 47973 in July 1989. It is seen here at the Gloucester Rail Day on 17 September 1989. The hand painted BR double arrow logo definitely looks a little non-standard and amateurish! Like most photographers in the 1980s and 1990s, I used transparency film for all serious work, as almost without exception colour negative film was of very poor quality. However, this is taken on the short lived Kodak Ektar 25 negative film, an unbelievably sharp and grain free film, which at ISO 25 was also ridiculously slow! Due to this slow speed and the fact that at the time an image on negative film was of no practical use for projection or publication, my experiment was confined to just a couple of films.

Derby Research allocated 47973 Derby Evening Telegraph approaches Stenson Junction on 22 January 1992 with what is presumably the late running 2D88 09:15 Crewe to Nottingham service. This was occasionally loco hauled around this time, substituting for an unavailable DMU, and which on these occasions usually terminated at Derby. On the left, 58029 prepares to leave Willington Power Station with MGR empties. This was certainly a morning for interesting Class 47 workings, as just five minutes later, unique liveried 47145 Merddin Emrys passed by in  the opposite direction with the 6G07 10:35 Toton to Bescot freight.

47974 provided super power for the 2M58 08:30 Lincoln to Birmingham New Street Regional Railways service on 11 September 1990. In place of the usual DMU, passengers were treated to three Network SouthEast Mk2 coaches. This unusual combination, which apparently worked as far as Derby, is pictured here at Beeston. 47974 had been renumbered from 47531 exactly three months before this photo was taken, the 479xx series being reserved for departmental duties, principally from the Railway Technical Centre at Derby. However it didn't retain this identity for long, being changed back to 47531 in April 1992.

47976 Aviemore Centre approaches Lichfield on a very dull and misty 28 August 1991 with the BBC sponsored 1T29 Derby to Blackpool 'BBC Afternoon Special' Radio 1 charter. I know most of the participants probably didn't care, but you would have thought they could have found a cleaner loco!

47976 Aviemore Centre passes Ludgershall on 6 August 1998 with the 1Z13 07:25 Derby to Derby (via Banbury, Marylebone & Aylesbury) Serco test train. Although this looks perfectly normal, the train is in fact running on the yet to be commissioned reinstated up line. Passenger trains were still using the line on the left.

47976 Aviemore Centre is well off the beaten track here. It is passing Launton on 6 August 1998 with the 1Z13 07:25 Derby to Derby (via Banbury, Marylebone & Aylesbury) Serco test train. For those interested the train consists of vehicles 999508, 977422, 977802, 977468 & 977905. Note the slewing of the track from one side of the formation and back again in the background.

47976 Aviemore Centre passes the Banbury Road stone terminal, near Water Eaton, on 6 August 1998 with the 1Z13 07:25 Derby to Derby (via Banbury, Marylebone & Aylesbury) Serco test train. This location has been transformed beyond recognition since this picture was taken, and is now the site of Oxford Parkway station, which is due to open in October 2015, as part of Chiltern Railway's new route from Oxford to London, via Bicester.