The good old days! What could be better than a rail blue Class 50 on a train of blue and grey stock complete with blue GUV, pictured in lovely soft early morning spring light. 50001 Dreadnought pulls away from Oxford station on 2 April 1983 with the 1A10 06:00 Hereford to Paddington service. The loco, which is surprisingly clean for a Class 50 at the time was the fourth of the class to be refurbished and one of only six to be released from Doncaster in the original livery. Note the crudely applied number one on the former headcode box. 

50001 Dreadnought stands in the rain at the end of Oxford station's platform 1 on 24 March 1984, prior to working the 1A59 08:20 service to Paddington. A slightly different angle to normal, but this side view does give a clear view of one of the six Class 50s that were returned from refurbishment at Doncaster still painted in corporate BR blue. 

50001 Dreadnought has just arrived at platform 2 at Oxford station on the evening of 30 January 1985 with the 1F38 17:30 service from Paddington. Whereas most Class 50 hauled trains did the run from London to Oxford in about an hour, because this one stopped at all stations between Reading and Didcot, it took nearly twice that! Dreadnought would shortly take the train the short distance to the carriage sidings, where it would wait for several more hours, before bringing the stock back to the station for the 1F51 23:05 departure for Paddington.

50001 Dreadnought finds a lucky patch of sunshine, as it passes Worting Junction on 24 May 1986 with the 1V09 09:10 Waterloo to Exeter service. This is one of my earliest pictures of Class 50s on the former Southern Railway West of England route. At the time there was plenty of Class 50 action in my local area, and it was only because I was en-route to Croydon for non railway purposes that I called in here. It would be a different story a few years later, when in 1991, I would spend virtually every free moment photographing 50s on the route.

An easy race! 50001 Dreadnought runs parallel with a Mk2 Ford Escort estate on the approach to Combe with the 1A25 08:00 Hereford to Paddington service on 4 October 1986. Although by this date Network SouthEast had been launched, the Cotswold Line was still predominantly rail blue, with just one Inter City coach breaking up the uniformity here.

50001 Dreadnought passes Deepcut on 28 August 1987 with the 1O15 09:38 Exeter St Davids to Waterloo Network SouthEast service. Probably because the class was so common in the Oxford area, this is one of the few occasions that I spent a day photographing 50s on the former Southern Railway route to the west, before the frantic activity of their last days in 1991. Dreadnought's large logo livery is getting a little tatty, and it wouldn't be long before it would be repainted into NSE red, white & blue. It would skip the first two versions of this livery and emerge in the final form.

50001 Dreadnought passes West Hatch (between Salisbury and Gillingham) on 31 August 1987 with the 1V11 11:10 Waterloo to Exeter St Davids Network SouthEast service. Just visible in the background is the crossing keeper's cottage at Tisbury Gates.

50001 Dreadnought arrives at Kingham on 4 September 1988 with the 1A67 16:15 Hereford to Paddington Network SouthEast service. The passengers are in for a touch of luxury on this occasion, as the train is made up entirely of first class Mk2 InterCity stock. On the left in the background is the abutment of the bridge that carried the Banbury to Cheltenham route across the line.

50001 Dreadnought passes Combe on 2 October 1988 with the 1B31 13:45 Paddington to Hereford service. Only the rear coach spoils an otherwise completely uniform rake of Network SouthEast Mk.2s, the loco also being in matching NSE livery (the second version but before a darker a shade of blue was used). Ironically two years previously I had photographed the same locomotive in a very similar spot, but coming from the opposite direction.

50001 Dreadnought pulls away from Whitchurch station on 17 June 1989 with the 1O16 06:45 Exeter to Waterloo Network SouthEast service. This is one of the few pictures that I took on this line before 1991. With the imminent demise of the 50s, 1991 turned into a mad panic year, with virtually every spare day spent photographing them on the route to make up for lost time!

50001 Dreadnought passes Potbridge (between Woking and Basingstoke) with the 1L09 12:15 Waterloo to Salisbury Network SouthEast service on 16 March 1990. The train is passing between a pair of Second World War pillboxes, part of an extensive network in the area, forming one of several invasion stop lines.

With the church of St John the Baptist prominent in the background, a filthy 50001 Dreadnought pulls away from Tisbury with the 1V09 09:15 Waterloo to Exeter St Davids service on 2 February 1991. I had taken very few photos on the Waterloo to Exeter line prior to this, but the impending withdrawal of the Class 50s meant that virtually all free time during 1991 was devoted to photographing them on this former Southern Railway route. Obviously in previous years there were plenty of 50s in my native Oxfordshire to keep me busy!

So filthy that you can hardly tell what colour it is, 50002 Superb leaves the Cotswold Line at Wolvercote Junction on 27 March 1982 with the 1A75 07:07 Hereford to Paddington service. In common with most railway locations at the time, the effects of the reduction of lineside vegetation clearance after the end of steam had yet to take effect. The sweeping curve of the first part of the Cotswold Line is visible all the way to the site of Yarnton Junction (just out of sight to the left), where the former Fairford line diverged.

50002 Superb doesn't really live up to its name here, as its tatty external condition matches the miserable weather conditions at Hinksey on 12 March 1983. It is passing the contaminated ground that marks the site of Oxford gasworks with the late running 2A85 11:05 Oxford to Paddington service. Superb's less than superb condition would soon be rectified, as before the end of the month it would be called to Doncaster Works for refurbishment, emerging later in the year in gleaming large logo livery.

50002 Superb approaches Walton Well Road, Oxford, on 24 April 1984. This is not quite what it appears, as it is in fact the empty stock off the 1A44 16:10 Paddington to Oxford service, which has just deposited its passengers at the station, just out of sight around the corner. A few minutes later the loco would cross over and propel the stock into Oxford's up carriage sidings.

50002 Superb passes Hinksey Yard in miserable light on 8 May 1985 with the 1F30 16:10 Paddington to Oxford service. You would expect this loco to spend all day shuttling backwards and forwards to London on these trains, by not so. On this occasion it stuck to its booked diagram, which was: 5A48 08:40 Laira Carriage Sidings to Paignton ECS, 1A48 11:05 Paignton to Paddington, 1F30 16:10 Paddington to Oxford, 1F47 18:35 Oxford to Paddington, and 3M15 20:50 Paddington to Birmingham parcels.

50002 Superb passes through Heyford station on 14 September 1985 with the 1O15 09:00 Manchester Piccadilly to Weymouth service, which it had taken over at Birmingham New Street. Laira didn't like to let its locos spend too long off region, and it had only worked up to the West Midlands a little earlier that morning with the 1E54 06:50 Paddington to Hull. Note the raised section of platform in the foreground and on the opposite platform, which was a temporary measure to combat the large gap resulting from the cant of the track. The corner of the station building can also just be seen. This was redundant at the time and has since been removed.

50002 Superb approaches Grateley on 19 April 1986 with the 1O10 09:38 Exeter St Davids to Waterloo service. In my opinion this is probably just about the best livery to be applied to a Class 50. The 'Large Logo' colour scheme, but with the replacement of the light grey roof with a much more practical black, and the addition of red buffer beams. Surprisingly this is still an excellent photographic location, perhaps even better now as the background trees have grown, but the present use of Class 159s on the route is hardly an improvement!

50002 Superb passes FWP Matthews flour mill at Shipton with the 1A18 07:00 Hereford to Paddington 'Cathedrals Express' on 19 July 1986. The lamp posts on the right indicate the presence of Shipton station, but neither this nor most of the other services on the line stop at this diminutive halt. Apart from the vehicles (both road and rail!) this view is pretty much the same nowadays, if only one could see it, as uncontrolled tree growth has now obstructed this viewpoint. However, FWP Matthews is still a thriving family owned business producing high quality organic flour.

The large logo livery applied to the Class 50s was considerably enhanced on some machines by the addition of a black roof. This side view of 50002 Superb passing the site of Yarnton Junction on 19 September 1986 shows this to good effect. The train is the 1B46 17:00 Paddington to Hereford service. I am standing in the 'v' of the former Junction with the 22 mile long Fairford Branch, the actual junction and station being a couple of hundred yards to the right of this picture.

Consecutively numbered 50002 Superb & 50003 Temeraire are pictured leaving Oxford with a ridiculously easy load on 26 July 1987. They are working the 3A88 09:00 Oxford to Old Oak Common empty newspaper vans, a working that was booked for double headed Class 50s purely as a balancing move, as such a featherweight load is obviously a waste of the use of even a single 50. This is one of my favourite pictures of the many I took at this location in the 1980s. Note the two signal engineers attending to the outermost signal on the gantry. Close inspection of the original 6x7 transparency shows that they have got the back off the up through road 'feathers'.

50002 Superb certainly lives up to its name as it races through Winchfield on 28 August 1987 with the 1V15 15:10 Waterloo to Exeter St Davids Network SouthEast service. Although a bit of a shock at the time, the original version of Network SouthEast livery was certainly impressive on the Class 50s, and in my view preferably to the later version. It has to be said the inclusion of so much white in the livery was bound to show up the dirt, but at least the roof was painted black!

A picture that can best be described as atmospheric! 50002 Superb & 50034 Furious emerge from the fog at Kennington Junction on Sunday 30 August 1987 with the 3A88 09:00 Oxford to Old Oak Common empty newspaper vans. I certainly wouldn't bother to take a picture of a modern day Class 66 hauled train in such poor conditions, but the prospect of a pair of Network SouthEast liveried 50s on the usual ridiculously short load of just four vans was certainly worth the effort. This is also taken from a location that is no longer accessible, although it has to be said that the fog does hide the pylons that cross the line in the background. The dull conditions required the use of the very grainy (but sharp) Kodachrome 200.

50002 Superb passes Wilmington on 6 July 1991 with the 1V15 15:15 Waterloo to Exeter St Davids Network SouthEast service. For some odd reason, this is the only occasion that I visited this spot whilst spending what like seemed like the majority of 1991 pursuing the Class 50s on the Waterloo to Exeter line.

50002 Superb passes through Winchfield station on 31 July 1991 with the 2V13 12:55 Waterloo to Exeter St Davids Network SouthEast service. Nice, but I much prefer the view of the same loco at the same location four years earlier, when it was in the original NSE livery, on the main line, and the bushes weren't so intrusive!

50002 Superb arrives at Sherborne station on 15 August 1991 with the 1V11 11:00 Waterloo to Exeter St Davids Network SouthEast service. The NSE red lamp posts have not weathered well, with all except the very base of the one on the left turning almost to salmon pink!

402 pulls out of Churston station on 20 June 1992 with the 09:00 Kingswear to Paignton freight. This was the first northbound train of the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway's Diesel Gala, and unfortunately before the appearance of the sun, which when it did come out, shone for the rest of the day.

Making its preservation debut at the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway's Diesel Gala Weekend on 20 June 1992, 402 arrives at Kingswear station with the 10:20 service from Paignton. The loco had be withdrawn from mainline use the previous September, and was immediately purchased by the Devon Diesel Society.

402 leaves Kingswear on 20 June 1992 with the 11:45 service to Paignton, during the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway's Diesel Gala Weekend. Amongst the classic cars on the left, which include a BMW 635CSi and a Ford Capri, there is a fourth generation Honda Accord. Before anyone asks, this is not mine, as at the time I was driving a BMW 325i!

402 climbs Goodrington Bank on 20 June 1992 with the 13:25 Paignton to Kingswear service, during the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway's Diesel Gala. Note the rake of Mk1 coaches stabled in BR's Goodrington Carriage Sidings. Just one rake by the 1990s, but the sidings used to be used to capacity on summer Saturdays in steam days.

402 (50002) leaves Paignton on 20 June 1992 with the 16:40 demonstration freight to Kingswear. The loco had just received a repaint into BR blue, with early 1970s pre TOPS numbers, and was taking part in the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway's Gala Weekend.

With the farmer baling hay in the background, 402 (50002) passes Greenway on 20 June 1992 with the 16:40 Paignton to Kingswear freight, during the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway's Diesel Gala. The loco had just entered service on the railway, being the first Class 50 to be preserved.

Completely dwarfed by the landscape, 402 crosses Greenway Viaduct on 20 June 1992 with the 18:11 Kingswear to Churston freight, during the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway's Diesel Gala. The Britannia Royal Naval College can just be seen amid the trees on the far bank of the River Dart.

A pair of thoroughbred 100 mph locos of markedly different design, seen here working at a quarter of their maximum speed. 402 & D9016 Gordon Highlander pass the caravans at Goodrington on 21 June 1992 with the 15:20 Paignton to Kingswear service, during the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway's Diesel Gala.

50002 Superb approaches Paignton on 19 June 1993 with a train from Kingswear, during the Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway's Diesel Gala. In the background a HST (with 43082 leading) waits for its next turn of duty in Goodrington Carriage Sidings. What is not apparent from this photo is that 37174 was approaching from the opposite direction with the empty stock from the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z43 06:16 Derby to Paignton 'Paignton Decorator' railtour.

A Fifty amid the foxgloves. 50002 Superb climbs away from Goodrington on 19 June 1993 with the 14:10 Paignton to Kingswear service, during the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway's Diesel Gala. Mid June is certainly not the best time to be taking pictures during the middle part of the day, but the flower filled cutting definitely compensates for the overhead lighting.

50002 Superb lives up to its name, as it passes Waterside caravan park, near Goodrington, on 19 June 1993 with the 17:20 Kingswear to Paignton service, during the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway's Diesel Gala. The family enjoying the sunshine by their caravan don't seem too bothered by the noisy machine behind them!

50002 Superb crosses Hookhills Viaduct on 20 June 1993, whilst en-route from Paignton to Kingswear during the Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway's Diesel Gala. Superb never quite looked like this in BR service, as after refurbishment it was outshopped in large logo livery. Only six locos looked exactly like this (50001, 50006, 50013, 50017, 50019 & 50047).

With the Devon Belle observation coach directly behind the loco, and in a very lucky patch of sunshine, 50002 Superb crosses Hookhills Viaduct on 20 June 1993, whilst en-route from Kingswear to Paignton, during the Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway's Diesel Gala.

50002 Superb & D400 accelerate away from Hookhills Viaduct on 16 October 1993 with the 10:15 Paignton to Kingswear service, during the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway's Class 50 Day. Superb is living up to its name, having recently been painted BR blue, whilst D400 is looking slightly tatty after over two years of use since it was repainted into blue at the behest of Rail magazine.

50002 Superb pulls out of Churston station on 16 October 1993 with the 11:00 Kingswear to Paignton service, during the Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway's Class 50 Event. The locomotive workshop that dominates this view had only just been completed when this picture was taken.

50002 Superb gleams in the autumn sunshine, as it rounds the curve near Broadsands on 16 October 1993 with the 12:25 Paignton to Kingswear service, during the Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway's Class 50 Event.

50002 Superb climbs Goodrington Bank with the 16:30 Paignton to Kingswear service on 16 October 1993, whilst taking part in the Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway's Class 50 Spectacular. Perfect low autumnal lighting, waves on the beach, and a blue almost unrefurbished (if you ignore the headlight) Class 50, what more could you ask for? Perhaps the Goodrington Water Park in the background above the train doesn't exactly add to the view, but otherwise an excellent picture.

An unusual English Electric combination at Hookhills Viaduct, on the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway, on 25 May 1996. 50002 Superb & 73133 The Bluebell Railway cross the four arch viaduct with the 09:20 Kingswear to Paignton service, during the line's Diesel Gala. Both locos may feature engines from the same manufacturer, but there is a world of a difference between the Class 50's 16 cylinder, 247 litre, 2,700hp unit and the much more modest 4 cylinder, 62 litre, 600 hp one in the Class 73!

50002 Superb climbs Goodrington Bank with the 17:52 Paignton to Kingswear service on 25 May 1996, during the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway's Heritage Weekend. Ironically less than three years before I had photographed the loco at the same location, albeit when it was different livery, and from a slightly different angle.

50003 Temeraire arrives at Honeybourne station on 23 January 1982 with the 1A51 11:46 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington service. The station, which had only been reopened a few months, boasted very basic facilities in 1982, basically just one seat!

Immediately recognisable by its unpainted window surrounds, 50003 Temeraire passes Ruscombe in the rain on 28 May 1983 with the 1A21 11:15 Oxford to Paddington service. With ten coaches of air conditioned luxury, this proves that not everything has improved in the last three decades!

50003 Temeraire could always be recognised from a distance in the early 1980s by its white window frames. It is seen here arriving at Kingham on 4 June 1983 with the 07:05 Hereford to Paddington service. This was the time before Kingham became a busy commuter station and well before the era of the full properly surfaced pay and display car park! Note the old bridge abutment in the background, which was an excellent spot for photography in the 1980s, prior to the rampant tree and bush growth of recent years.

Someone is obviously enjoying the haulage by 50003 Temeraire at Goring on 5 November 1983! The loco is working the 2A36 13:01 Paddington to Oxford. This is a very humble duty for a Class 50, as after Reading it took on the role of a local train, calling at most stations. Here it is still accelerating away from Goring & Streatley, and will have hardly got up to speed before having to slow down for the next stop at Cholsey. It almost seems that someone is celebrating Guy Fawkes Night a little early, as smoke from a bonfire drifts across the track in the background, adding to the already misty atmosphere.

It may only be an archetypal platform end grab shot, taken by leaning over the wire fence at Kingham, but the amount of detail visible on the original 6x7 slide is stunning. Every dead insect on the front end is clearly visible! Exactly on time, 50003 Temeraire gets the green flag and is about to set off with the 1B46 17:05 Paddington to Hereford service on 23 July 1985.

50003 Temeraire passes the site of Yarnton Junction, where the former Fairford branch line diverged from the Oxford to Worcester 'Cotswold Line'. The train is the 1B40 16:10 Paddington to Hereford on 29 June 1986. The loco carries the modified version of large logo livery, complete with black roof and red buffer beams, arguably the smartest and certainly the most practical version of this livery. The bank of rubble on the left is the site of the former station platform.

50003 Temeraire pulls away from Charlbury station on 31 August 1986 with the 1A25 16:15 Hereford to Paddington service. Although it would usually be needed now, the provision of a nine coach train on a Sunday in the 1980s was probably a little generous. No overcrowding on this train!

50003 Temeraire speeds through Weybridge on 3 September 1988 with the 1V17 17:10 Waterloo to Exeter Network SouthEast service. The loco is wearing the revised NSE livery, but in its first form, with a lighter shade of blue than the final repaints.

50003 Temeraire emerges from Buckhorn Weston Tunnel on 25 May 1991 with the 1O35 10:20 Exeter St Davids to Waterloo Network SouthEast service. The loco had just over a month left in traffic. It was officially withdrawn on 15 July, after suffering a main generator flashover whilst working the 1V22 20:40 Waterloo to Yeovil Junction on 1 July.

50004 St Vincent speeds past Stoke Orchard with the 1V72 09:00 Leeds to Penzance service on 13 March 1982. Bredon Hill can be seen on the right above some of the old orchards from which the nearby village is obviously named. This is near the site of Cleeve station, so called to avoid confusion with Bishops Cleeve station on the nearby former GWR Cheltenham to Stratford line. The village of Bishops Cleeve is located between the two routes.

50004 St Vincent & 50034 Furious pass Hinksey Yard on 14 June 1983 with the 1A22 08:50 Paddington to Oxford non-stop service. Very much a grab shot, as I was more intent on getting a picture of 31158, which was rapidly approaching from the other direction. Although Hinksey Yard is obviously much depleted since it wartime heyday (note the grass covered area directly above the locomotives), it is still fairly busy in this view. It would later become more or less completely deserted, prior to its recent renaissance.

50004 St Vincent passes Wolvercote on a very dull 17 June 1983 with the 1A51 05:55 Hereford to Paddington service. It appears that the number is in a slightly thinner than standard typeface, something which had obviously been corrected by the end of the year.

How different Hinksey Yard looked in the 1980s! 50004 St Vincent passes the empty yard on 28 July 1983, as it nears journey's end with the 1A38 14:15 Paddington to Oxford service. It's original freight marshalling use a thing of the past, occasional staging of trains, and later storage of redundant stock, was all it was used for until it was turned into a ballast stockpile in the late 1990s.

50004 St Vincent passes the site of Moreton Sidings, between South Moreton and Didcot with the 11:15 Paddington to Oxford service on 1 December 1983. Before the obsession with health & safety, and the modern day security worries, it was quite common for enthusiasts to park on the site of the sidings to watch trains go by, just as the man in the white car is doing here. If you tried this now of course you would be evicted by the first Network Rail employee that turned up!

50004 St Vincent leaves Gloucester station on 6 July 1985 with the lengthy 3B42 09:15 newspaper empties to Swindon. Judging by the clouds, I was lucky with the sun here, doubly so, as a few minutes earlier, classmate 50006 Neptune had also been photographed in full sun.

50004 St Vincent passes the site of Ashbury Crossing, near Shrivenham, on 29 December 1985 with the 1C17 08:05 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads service. I have used a slightly wider than usual viewpoint here, in order to include the frozen floods in the foreground. It's a pity there wasn't a bit more water in the field, as then I might even have got a reflection of the loco!

50004 St Vincent passes West Drayton on 6 November 1986 with the 1F23 08:16 Newbury to Paddington Network SouthEast service. I only ever visited this location twice, and the second time was after the Class 50s had finished. Therefore this is yet another Class 50 picture taken here on this superb autumn morning. However, you can never have enough Class 50s!

The last of the evening sunshine illuminates 50004 St Vincent as it passes through Radley station with the 1M42 17:52 Paddington to Wolverhampton InterCity service on 27 August 1987. A rare escape into the Midland Region for a Class 50 at the time. 50004 would have spent most of the day shuttling between Oxford and London, and after reaching the Midlands, would promptly return with the 1V20 20:00 Wolverhampton to Oxford, in readiness for the mornings Thames Valley duties.

50004 St Vincent glints in the last rays of the setting sun on 10 April 1988, as it speeds past the site of Yarnton Junction with the 1A67 16:15 Hereford to Paddington Network SouthEast service. This is my final picture of this particular locomotive, despite the fact that in remained in service for another two years. It was transferred to the DCWA engineers pool a month after this picture was taken, and thereafter completely eluded me.

50005 Collingwood approaches what is now Cam & Dursley station, but was then (29 October 1983) just called Coaley Junction. It is working the 1V76 09:20 Liverpool Lime Street to Penzance service. Quite why I have cropped the picture so tightly I cannot now recall, possibly I didn't see it coming, but surely I would have heard a Class 50!

Looking a little lopsided, with only one headcode box marker light working, 50005 Collingwood stands in Gloucester station on 12 November 1983 with the 2B09 07:05 Worcester Shrub Hill to Bristol Temple Meads service.

50005 Collingwood rounds the curve past Hungerford Common on 3 September 1984 with the 1A71 09:32 Penzance to Paddington service. Hungerford station can just be seen in the background. Unfortunately lineside vegetation has now made this viewpoint all but impossible.

50005 Collingwood passes Evenlode on 16 February 1985 with the 1A75 07:05 Hereford to Paddington service. This is on the double track section of the Cotswold Line just south of Moreton-in-Marsh. The snow had been around for several days, but hadn't completely disappeared by the time the weekend came, and luckily the sun came out creating these ideal photographic conditions.

The driver of 50005 Collingwood watches me take a picture of his loco from the end of the car park at Kingham station on 17 May 1985. The train is the 1B46 17:05 Paddington to Hereford service. This rough gravel area is now part of the massively extended car park, but in the 1980s it merely led down to where British Rail kept one of their vans. The car park now has space for 150 cars, but in the days of the Class 50s there was usually less than ten cars, and sometimes just mine and one or two others!

A work stained 50005 Collingwood passes Chilson with the 1B16 09:55 Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill service on 31 August 1986, running approximately 20 minutes late. This location, which is incidentally the site of Charlbury water troughs, has become progressively more grown up since this photo was taken, although the dead elm tree in the background had gone by the following year. It used to be a favourite photographic spot of mine, as it is one of the few locations on the Cotswold Line where the sun is on the nose as early as midday (as here) for northbound trains. 

The fast and slow means of getting from Oxford to London in the 1980s stand next to each other at Paddington station on 22 November 1986. 50005 Collingwood wats in platform 9, with Pressed Steel Class 117 DMU L415 (51351, 59503 & 51393) in platform 10.

One of the very few occasions on which I saw a Class 50 in the revised version of Network SouthEast livery on the Cotswold Line. 50005 Collingwood passes Shorthampton on a very gloomy 8 May 1988 with the 1B33 14:00 Paddington to Hereford Network SouthEast service.

50005 Collingwood passes Chilson with ballast empties returning from Sunday Cotswold Line engineering work on 22 May 1988. The loco was not officially allocated to the DCWA engineers pool for another two months. I only ever saw two Class 50s used on engineering work on the Cotswold Line, 31s & 47s being more normal motive power for the extensive work carried out on the southern section of the line in 1984-6. The later version of Network SouthEast livery on a loco employed on an engineers train is certainly noteworthy.

50006 Neptune heads east along the Great Western Mainline near Baulking on 21 June 1980 with the 1A01 08:31 Cheltenham to Paddington service. Despite appearances, this is taken from a public footpath crossing. Despite the poor quality (Praktica PLC2), I have included this view as it shows Neptune in its recently refurbished condition, with a blanking plate where the central headlight would later be positioned. Note also the line of dead elm trees in the background, a legacy of the Dutch Elm Disease outbreak of the 1970s.

50006 Neptune passes the site of Challow station on 12 August 1980 with the 1A01 08:31 Cheltenham to Paddington service. 50006 was the first Class 50 to be refurbished, and in common with the first few released to traffic was outshopped in plain blue livery and with the position for the new headlamp covered with a blanking plate, allegedly due to shortage of parts. It is seen in this condition here. Long before the reinstatement of the relief lines, the remains of Challow station are gradually being taken over by nature, and the well known local scrap and recycling firm Haynes of Challow were still using the old station site to store their vehicles.

50006 Neptune arrives at Kingham station with the 15:00 Paddington to Hereford service on 17 April 1982. All was not well with the loco, as it was misfiring badly. The explosive banging noise as it departed in a cloud of blue smoke was something I have never heard before or since from a loco in normal service (possibly a stuck exhaust valve?). Although still in rail blue livery, the loco is in refurbished condition (note the headlight and lack of sand fillers on the bodyside). It was in fact the first Class 50 to be refurbished, returning to traffic in November 1979.

50006 Neptune pulls away from a signal check on the approach to Oxford station on 2 April 1983. It is working the 1M37 09:50 Paddington to Liverpool Lime Street service, which it would work as far as Birmingham New Street. This view is virtually unrecognisable now. Not only are Class 50 hauled passenger trains unfortunately a thing of the past, but this formerly open location has been compromised by rampant tree growth. The Great Western goods shed on the left has also long since gone.

50006 Neptune passes Croome on 14 May 1984 with the 1S71 07:30 Penzance to Glasgow Central service, which it would work as far as Birmingham New Street. A very misty day, with hardly any detail visible on Bredon Hill in the background.

50006 Neptune darkens the sky as it leaves Gloucester with the 1S61 07:47 Cardiff Central to Edinburgh service on 6 July 1985, which it would work as far as Birmingham New Street. Classmate 50004 St Vincent can be seen on the right waiting to follow it out with the 3B42 09:15 Gloucester to Swindon newspaper empties. Gloucester cathedral dominates the skyline in the background.

50006 Neptune approaches Moreton-in-Marsh on 18 June 1986 with the 1B56 18:07 Paddington to Hereford 'Cathedrals Express' service. One of my lesser photographed Class 50s, this was in fact the last time I saw it in action, even though it was to survive in traffic for nearly another year. After being withdrawn due to a main generator defect, it was dragged around the country a fair bit before finally ending its days at Vic Berry's at Leicester. From Laira it was taken to Crewe for component recovery, before being towed back down to Bristol, before heading north again!

Not a very good quality picture, but my only sighting of 50007 Hercules on the Cotswold Line prior to its transformation into green liveried Sir Edward Elgar. On 20 February 1982 it speeds through Hanborough station with the 12:50 Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill service. Note the recent felling of the steam age telegraph poles. This location is now a complete tunnel of trees, but here the view of Hanborough station (complete with disused down platform) is uninterrupted.

A very poor picture of 50007 Hercules, but included for its historically interest. Just a matter of days before it was called to Doncaster Works for refurbishment (and not a moment too soon judging by the deplorable state of the bodywork), Hercules pulls into platform 1 at Oxford station with the ECS for the 08:10 departure for Paddington on 4 September 1982. Despite the fact that there was only a few minutes to wait until departure time, the driver shut down the engine once he had reached the end of the platform. Perhaps the loco was in such poor condition that it wasn't the driver who shut it down!

A busy moment at Oxford on 2 April 1983. 50007 Hercules departs with the 1V68 08:20 Liverpool Lime Street to Paddington service, which it had worked from Birmingham New Street. 47559 has just arrived at platform 2 with the 1M50 09:00 Brighton to Manchester Piccadilly, whilst an unidentified Class 121 'bubble car' waits in the down carriage siding with its trailer 54281 (L281). This is the only picture I have of 50007 in large logo livery. It is still looking reasonably clean here, having only been released from Doncaster Works a few weeks previously. This colour scheme was relatively short lived on this loco, as the following year it received a repaint into green, and lost its Hercules name in favour of Sir Edward Elgar.

50007 Sir Edward Elgar stands in the rain at Oxford station on 24 March 1984 with the Class 50 Railtours 1Z36 07:40 Paddington to Carlisle 'Border City' railtour. In those Kodachrome 64 days, there was no other choice of local location to photograph this, as the light was so poor the exposure was 1/60sec f2.8 (note the moving windscreen wiper). It was purely a record shot, as I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, as the loco had only just been painted into this non-standard green livery, complete with cast numberplates, nameplates and crests.

Just over two months after being repainted into GW150 green livery and renamed Sir Edward Elgar, 50007 (formerly Hercules) passes Marshfield on 28 April 1984 with the Lea Valley Railway Club 1Z30 07:00 Paddington to Fishguard Harbour 'Pembroke Coast Freighter' railtour. To justify the tour's name, it also visited Waterston and Robeston oil terminals, as well as the Trecwn and Coedbach freight only branches.

A meeting of two classic loco classes at Hungerford Common on 3 September 1984. 50007 Sir Edward Elgar heads west with the 09:40 Paddington to Penzance, while 47240 passes with the what is presumably a HST substitute on the 06:28 Penzance to Paddington. Of course if such a situation arose today with a rail blue 47 approaching from one direction and a green 50 from the other, there would be some hesitation as to which to photograph. In 1984 it was simple, Sir Edward Elgar was green, and virtually everything else was blue!

50007 Sir Edward Elgar leaves Moreton-in-Marsh station on 16 June 1985 with the 1A25 16:15 Hereford to Paddington service. Compared with today, its amazing just how open this view is. Todenham Road crossing keeper's cottage on the former Shipston-on-Stour tramway can be seen in the background, in the centre of the picture, directly in front of the trees.

50007 Sir Edward Elgar arrives at Oxford on 2 July 1985 with the 1E54 06:50 Paddington to Hull service, which it would work as far as Birmingham New Street. Nowadays it seems odd that you could catch a train from London to Hull that would leave from Paddington and travel via the Thames Valley and the Midlands! Even as late as the mid 1980s this view looks remarkably tidy and free of the rubbish (to say nothing of the lineside vegetation) that would appear later.

50007 Sir Edward Elgar passes South Moreton on 12 September 1985 with the 1O15 09:00 Manchester Piccadilly to Poole service, which it had taken over at Birmingham New Street. Earlier in the day it had worked to Birmingham with the 1E54 06:50 Paddington to Hull. Note the provision of two BG vans at the head of the train.

50007 Sir Edward Elgar passes the site of Yarnton Junction on 9 September 1986 with the 1B46 17:00 Paddington to Hereford service. I'm not sure why I didn't let the loco get a little nearer to the 40mph sign (no 10 framers per second drives in those days!), but I was probably worried about not having the tree in the background appearing to stick out of the roof.

50007 Sir Edward Elgar weaves onto the single track section of line at Ascott-under-Wychwood with the 1A18 07:00 Hereford to Paddington 'Cathedrals Express' on 10 September 1986. There is a rail enthusiast cat in this picture, which although not very obvious here, can clearly be seen on the original 6x7 Ektachrome slide. Sitting on the end of the wall on the left of the picture a tabby watches as the loco passes by. Usually the racket from a Class 50 sends most animals scurrying for cover, but this cat just sat and watched the train go by!

50007 Sir Edward Elgar passes Frampton Mansell on 20 June 1987 with the BR InterCity 09:00 Paddington to Hereford 'Elgar' railtour. With a name like that, it was obvious what was going to be the booked loco for this train! Unfortunately finding a location was a problem, as the train would be severely backlit all the way, and with a high summer sun to contend with as well. Whist this view does show the Golden Valley in the background (although hardly golden at this time of year), bushes are unfortunately obscuring Frampton Mansell Viaduct, at the rear of the train. This was a relatively common viewpoint in steam days, but I have not seen any pictures taken here in the last couple of decades.

50007 Sir Edward Elgar speeds past Winchfield on 28 August 1987 with the 1O18 12:18 Exeter St Davids to Waterloo Network SouthEast service. A year after the launch of Network SouthEast, just the first two coaches give any clue to the new organisation.

A far cry from its glory days as a passenger loco or its present day role as a preserved loco, 50007 Sir Edward Elgar ambles down the relief line at Pilning on 13 March 1989 with a train of track panels destined for South Wales. It is about to be overtaken by an HST before resuming its journey through the Severn Tunnel. 50007 was only allocated to the DCWA engineers pool for a short while (8 October 1988 to 14 May 1989), so pictures of it on such mundane duties such as this are not common. This is the only picture I have of it on anything other than a passenger train while in BR service.

50007 Sir Edward Elgar arrives at Windsor & Eton Riverside on 10 December 1989 with the 10:13 service from Staines. This was part of the Windsor & Eton Gala Day, and as if the prospect of a Class 50 on the Windsor branch wasn't special enough, the stock provided was Class 438 4-TC trailer set 8018.

An unusual and undemanding load for 50007 Sir Edward Elgar on 10 December 1989. As part of the Windsor & Eton Gala Day, a number of specials were run on the Staines to Windsor line. This is the 13:13 Staines to Windsor & Eton Riverside, seen passing Staines Moor. The train is formed from Class 438 4-TC trailer set 8018. Unfortunately this was a miserably dull day, so this is a good old grainy 35mm Kodachrome 200 transparency.

50007 Sir Edward Elgar runs alongside the River Teign estuary at Shaldon Bridge on 16 September 1990 with the 1O41 14:45 Plymouth to Waterloo Network SouthEast service. Very dodgy lighting, but still worth a picture while I was waiting for 50031 Hood, which was coming from the other direction with the Pathfinder Tours 'Taw Retour' railtour.

Making a change from the normal Exeter St Davids to Waterloo trains on the route, 50007 Sir Edward Elgar arrives at Gillingham station on 2 February 1991 with the 1O86 09:15 Plymouth to Brighton Network SouthEast service. Note the rail served Kemira fertilser depot in the background.

A miserable day at Andover on 9 March 1991. 50007 Sir Edward Elgar arrives at the station with the 1O32 06:45 Exeter St Davids to Waterloo Network SouthEast service. This was the first up train of the day from Exeter at the time. On the right is the ground frame giving access to the sidings and the Ludgershall branch.

50007 Sir Edward Elgar is just about to dive under the B3089 Salisbury to Dinton road at Baverstock on Saturday 6 April 1991, whilst working the 1O35 10:20 Exeter St Davids to Waterloo Network SouthEast service. Strangely, I have only ever taken two pictures at this location.

50007 Sir Edward Elgar emerges from Buckhorn Weston Tunnel on 14 April 1991 with the 1O37 13:30 Yeovil Junction to Waterloo Network SouthEast service. Until January this train had started from Exeter, and from the week after this picture was taken, it would commence from Honiton.

50007 Sir Edward Elgar accelerates noisily away from Grateley station (just visible underneath the bridge in the background) with the 1L05 10:15 Waterloo to Salisbury Network SouthEast service on 20 April 1991. This was one of my favourite locations on the Waterloo to Exeter line during the mad '50 chasing' days of 1991, as it had uninterrupted views in both directions. Not so now!

50007 Sir Edward Elgar passes Old Basing with the 09:55 Honiton to Waterloo service on 28 April 1991. This celebrity loco was withdrawn a few months later, but was reinstated with the engine from 50046, and so lived on until the end of the class on the mainline in 1994. This section of line is virtually dead straight all the way from Basingstoke to Farnborough and was well known for fast running in the last days of Southern steam.

50007 Sir Edward Elgar climbs towards Buckhorn Weston Tunnel on 6 July 1991 with the 2O83 11:50 Exeter St Davids to Waterloo Network SouthEast service. There was plenty of warning of approaching trains at this spot, with a clear view all the way to Templecombe, some four miles distant.

50007 Sir Edward Elgar & D400 have just passed Aynho Junction with the Rail / Network SouthEast Waterloo to Carlisle 'Carlisle Fifty Farewell' railtour on 11 April 1992. The sun finally having come out, after hiding behind banks of mist for much of the morning. This however, was not a taste of things to come, as the weather was just plain dull later in the day at Greenholme!

The solitary sheep in the field at Greenholme pays no attention whatsoever as 50007 Sir Edward Elgar & D400 sweep past with the Rail / Network SouthEast Waterloo to Carlisle 'Carlisle Fifty Farewell' railtour on 11 April 1992. Network SouthEast stock on the West Coast Mainline - whatever next!

On the final day of Class 50 working on the Waterloo to Exeter line, 24 May 1992, 50007 Sir Edward Elgar & D400 speed through the abandoned Seaton Junction station with the 10:55 Waterloo to Exeter St Davids Network SouthEast service. Despite being closed in 1966, much of the railway infrastructure survives at Seaton Junction, including two convenient concrete footbridges, from one of which this photo was taken.

Complete with suitably large headboard, 50007 Sir Edward Elgar & D400 pull away from Tisbury on 24 May 1992 with the final Class 50 hauled service train - the 1V17 16:55 Waterloo to Exeter Network SouthEast service, which the 50s worked from Salisbury. The locos would be retained for another two years for railtour use.

The middle of June is not the best time for photography, as in addition to the sun being too high in the sky, everything in the countryside is the same shade of green. So what's the best colour of locomotive to be heading a train in such conditions? Even the Class 50 is getting in on the green act as 50007 Sir Edward Elgar leads a more conventionally liveried D400 past Lostock Gralam on 13 June 1992 with the SRR/TV50G 1Z36 08:09 Waterloo to Chester 'Court Chester' railtour.

50007 Sir Edward Elgar & D400 approach Gobowen on 13 June 1992 with the SRR/TV50G 1Z36 15:58 Chester to St Pancras 'Court Chester' railtour. The train actually left Chester over half an hour late, but had already made up a lot if time, being just ten minutes behind time here. Unfortunately a diversion after Stafford resulted in some much more serious delays later on.

On a very gloomy 7 November 1992, 50007 Sir Edward Elgar & 50033 Glorious pass the disused (and since demolished) signal box at Water Orton with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z42 05:17 Eastleigh to York 'Minster Marauder' railtour. By this date all the Class 50s with the exception of the two machines pictured here and pioneer locomotive D400 had been withdrawn from service. These three locos were then used for railtours until final withdrawal in March 1994.

50007 Sir Edward Elgar & 50033 Glorious speed past Toton on a miserably dull 7 November 1992 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z42 05:17 Eastleigh to York 'Minster Marauder' railtour. I felt I had to include this picture, despite its very poor technical quality (poor weather and Fujichrome RF50 is not an ideal combination!), as a pair of Class 50s passing Toton depot was at the time an extremely unusual occurrence. Also, the sheer quantity of classic traction in the view is amazing, with various examples of Class 08, 20, 31, 37, 56, 58 & 60 all clearly visible, to say nothing of the pair of 50s in the foreground. Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station can be seen in the gloom in the background.

With Gloucester cathedral dominating the background, 50007 Sir Edward Elgar & D400 approaches the site of Over Junction on 23 January 1993, running wrong line with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z36 05:46 Manchester Piccadilly to Knighton 'Knighton Horse' railtour. I wouldn't normally bother venturing out in the rain for a railtour nowadays, but a pair of Class 50s is always worth a picture.

50007 Sir Edward Elgar & D400 cross Knucklas Viaduct in pouring rain on 23 January 1993 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z36 05:46 Manchester Piccadilly to Knighton 'Knighton Horse' railtour. With driving rain, and extremely low light levels, this was a very difficult picture to capture on ISO 100 film! Luckily the train was moving fairly slowly.

23 January 1993 turned out to be one of the worst days on which I have photographed a railtour, with virtually constant rain. 50007 Sir Edward Elgar & D400 worked the Pathfinder Tours 1Z36 05:46 Manchester Piccadilly to Knighton tour, appropriately called the 'Knighton Horse'.

Just getting into their stride after leaving Knighton, 50007 Sir Edward Elgar & D400 pass Stowe in absolutely atrocious light on 23 January 1993 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z36 15:20 Knighton to Manchester Piccadilly 'Knighton Horse' railtour. Stowe Mill, on the River Teme, can be seen in the background.

Unfortunately running ten minutes late, which meant the best of the light had gone, as the sun had started to sink into some cloud near the horizon, 50007 Sir Edward Elgar & D1962 (47833) Captain Peter Manisty RN pass Colton Junction on 30 August 1993 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z44 17:10 Scarborough to Paddington 'North Yorkshireman Explorer' railtour. Most of the tour was worked by D1962 on its own, 50007 only being added at York, and detached at Reading.

50007 Sir Edward Elgar & D400 pass Pilning on 19 September 1993 with the 08:15 Plymouth to Newport special, heading for the Newport Rail Fair. This was just ten minutes behind 56048 with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z56 08:45 Paddington to Newport 'Flying Dutchman' railtour, which was also heading for the open day.

50007 Sir Edward Elgar & 50033 Glorious pass the golf course at Carlyon Bay on 26 September 1993 with the BR InterCity 1Z50 13:30 Plymouth to Penzance 'Royal Duchy' railtour. The smoking chimneys of the china clay dries at Par can just be seen in the extreme distance on the right.

After working an InterCity charter from Paddington, 50007 Sir Edward Elgar & 50033 Glorious worked the 11:45 Paignton to Kingswear service on 16 October 1993, as part of the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway's Class 50 Day. Making a superb sight and sound at Hookhills Viaduct, the visiting pair are seen here in charge of a selection of Great Western coaching stock, which includes an autocoach directly behind 50033.

50007 Sir Edward Elgar approaches Britannia Crossing on 16 October 1993 with the 13:45 Kingswear to Paignton freight, during the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway's Class 50 event. 50007 was briefly in the DCWA engineer's pool, but would never have worked such a short mixed train!

50007 Sir Edward Elgar cautiously approaches Britannia Crossing on 16 October 1993 with the 15:05 Paignton to Kingswear service, during the Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway's Class 50 Event. A whole day of Class 50 action amid the spectacular Devon scenery, and all in full sun. Definitely worth the 350 mile round trip! I am particularly pleased with this picture, with the boats and swan in the foreground making an ideal composition.

Nicely lit by the very low late afternoon sun, 50007 Sir Edward Elgar passes Waterside Caravan Park, Goodrington, on 16 October 1993 with the 16:30 Kingswear to Paignton service, during the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway's Class 50 Day. This fantastic event featured 50007, D400 & 50033 from BR, as well as preserved 50002 & 50042.

50007 Sir Edward Elgar & D400 stand at Fishguard Harbour station in the rain on 8 January 1994 with the Pathfinder Tours 'Dyfed Dub Dub' railtour. Having already visited various West Wales freight installations, including the now closed Waterston Branch, the tour participants were now given an hour to sample the delights of the remote Welsh outpost of Fishguard, where there was probably very little to do on a wet January afternoon! The train would soon depart as the 1Z16 16:09 Fishguard Harbour to Crewe.

50007 Sir Edward Elgar & 50033 Glorious approach West Ruislip on 19 February 1994 with the Class 40 Appeal Crewe to Exeter St Davids (via Paddington) 'Class 50 Western Memorial Railtour'. A very hazy morning, and the weather had only got marginally better by the time the train headed out of Paddington, along the Great Western Mainline.

After reversing at Exeter St. Davids, the Pathfinder Tours '50 Terminator' railtour is seen here passing through Totnes, hauled by 50007 Sir Edward Elgar & 50050 Fearless, running as the 1Z07 13:17 Exeter St. Davids to Penzance on 26 March 1994. This was the farewell tour to the Class 50s on the mainline. Ironically I turned up at this spot to see 50031 Hood return to the mainline in Autumn 1997 in similarly perfect sunny conditions.

50007 Sir Edward Elgar approaches Bewdley on 2 October 2004 with the 10:25 Kidderminster to Bridgnorth service, during the Severn Valley Railway's Diesel Gala. Authentically tatty green paint, just like I remember it on the Waterloo to Exeter route in 1991!

'A symphony in green' (with apologies to the late Sir Edward Elgar). Elgar never got around to writing a green themed symphony, slightly surprisingly considering the pastoral nature of much of his music. I'm not sure what he would have made of this either, and I don't mean the odd combination of a green Class 50 on green Southern stock, running through the Leicestershire countryside! 50007 Sir Edward Elgar passes Woodthorpe on the Great Central Railway with the 2A10 11:00 Loughborough to Leicester North service on 12 September 2009, during the line's Diesel Gala. This is the first time that a Class 50 has visited this line.

50007 Sir Edward Elgar approaches Quorn & Woodhouse with the 2A30 14:25 Loughborough to Leicester North service, during the Great Central Railway's Diesel Gala on 12 September 2009. This loco was probably the highlight of the event, as the railway has never played host to a Class 50 before.

The highlight of the Mid Norfolk Railway's spring Diesel Gala over the weekend of 4-6 April 2014, was the return to traffic of 50007, freshly repainted into original BR blue, and with reinstated Hercules nameplates. Looking superb (no, hang on, that's 50002!), 50007 Hercules passes Crownthorpe on 5 April 2014 with the 1W09 12:39 Dereham to Wymondham Abbey service, with 31108 on the rear. Unfortunately the day's earlier sunshine had disappeared, although a little bit of brightness was just breaking through the clouds.

50007 Hercules rounds the curve at Kimberley Park on 5 April 2014 with the 1D12 14:35 Wymondham Abbey to Dereham service, during the Mid Norfolk Railway's Diesel Gala. Although it's always nice to see a Class 50 working, and the finish is excellent, I was not one of those people who objected to 50007 being in green livery as Sir Edward Elgar. Non authentic it may have been, but it did look smart. To be pedantic, this isn't authentic either, as the loco is in refurbished condition (headlight, plated over sand fillers, etc). 50007 was never in this condition in BR blue livery, only 50001, 50006, 50013, 50017, 50019 & 50047 ever wore BR blue livery after refurbishment.

Looking immaculate after its recent repaint into BR blue livery, 50007 Hercules passes Danemoor Green on 5 April 2014 with the 1W15 15:30 Dereham to Wymondham Abbey service, during the Mid Norfolk Railway's Diesel Gala.

50007 (D407) Hercules, 50017 Royal Oak & 37905 (D6836) pass Brentingby on 31 March 2016 with the 5Z50 12:10 Leicester to Dereham stock move, heading for the Mid Norfolk Railway Diesel Gala. Behind the 37 are three prototype liveried HST coaches, the prototype power car 41001, and 50050 Fearless (D400) bringing up the rear. Unfortunately, after a sunny morning, this passed by under a very large dark cloud. What a pity, as the sun would have been perfect at this location.

50007 Hercules & 50050 Fearless pass Kimberley Park on 2 April 2016 with the 14:20 Wymondham to Dereham service, during the Mid Norfolk Railway's Diesel Gala,. The locos carry their pre TOPS numbers (D407 & D400) at the other ends.

50007 Hercules, 50050 Fearless & 47749 pass Standish Junction in superb light on 30 April 2016 with the 0Z50 10:43 (in theory!) Washwood Heath to Bristol St Philips Marsh loco move. This was in connection with the May Bank Holiday St Philips Marsh Open Day. This was running 38 minutes early, although earlier in its journey its early running had been double that. Note the covered nameplates on 47749. It would be named City of Truro at the open day.

D407 Hercules & D400 Fearless pass Wolvercote Junction on 11 June 2016 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z50 04:48 Derby to Swanage 'Purbeck & Bomo Explorer' railtour. The locos are carrying their TOPS numbers (50007 & 50050) on the other side, which is obviously more appropriate for named Class 50s. I had particularly wanted to photograph this train here, as although I have various pictures of Class 50s coming off the Cotswold Line, for some reason I never took a picture of a Class 50 approaching Wolvercote Junction from the Banbury direction. Given the identifiable location, I was a little surprised to be the only person at this particular spot.

D407 (50007) Hercules, 50049 Defiance, D821, 50044 Exeter, 50035 Ark Royal & D1015 Western Champion pass Oaksey on 4 September 2017, running as the 0Z50 11:50 Old Oak Common to Kidderminster. The locos were returning to the Severn Valley Railway, after being displayed at the Old Oak Common Open Day. The grassy bank in the foreground marks the site of Oaksey station, which closed, along with all the other small stations on the Swindon to Gloucester line, in 1964.

50007 Hercules & 50049 Defiance pass Claydon (Gloucestershire) on 16 September 2017 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z50 06:13 Burton upon Trent to Kingswear 'Torbay & Dart Explorer' railtour. The 50s had taken over from 66129 at Worcester Shrub Hill. It was not originally my intention to photograph this train here, but as it was totally cloudy when I arrived in the area, I chose this location as it gives a wider view from the west side of the line. The tour was half an hour late, by which time the weather had changed considerably, and when the train came into view the sun was fully out. Luckily the lineside bushes have recently been cut down, so while the viewpoint is a little head on from the east side, at least it is fully lit. On the plus side, I like the colour contrast of the brown shredded vegetation on the right.

50007 Hercules & 50049 Defiance pass Nethertown on 14 April 2018 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z52 14:05 Carlisle to Birmingham International 'Cumbrian Hoovers' railtour. Needless to say, with such a superb location, unbroken sunshine, and the extreme rarity of Class 50s on the line, this remote location was packed with photographers!

A welcome return of Class 50s to the Cotswold Line. 50007 Hercules & 50049 Defiance (masquerading on this side only as 50006 Neptune & 50011 Centurion respectively) arrive at Moreton-in-Marsh on 8 September 2018 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z54 15:35 Weymouth to East Midlands Parkway 'Wessex Wanderer' railtour. The train was not booked to stop here, but the late running 1W07 17:22 Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street HST had not yet cleared the section, so the 50s came to a stand in the station. This was very fortunate, as it was getting dark, and although it would have been possible to take a picture of the train moving at speed, this slow moving train 'only' required the use of ISO1600! The last time Class 50s passed this way was in 1999, with another Pathfinder Tour, the 1Z90 08:14 Reading to York 'Hunslet Hoover'. Regular Class 50 passengers working over the route ceased in 1989.

50007 Hercules & 50049 Defiance (masquerading on this side only as 50006 Neptune & 50011 Centurion respectively) pass Great Bourton on 23 September 2018 with the GBRf Charity Railtours 1Z44 15:00 Crewe to Paddington 'Out of the Ordinary' railtour. This was the final day of a four day tour. 73107 Tracy & 73141 Charlotte are bringing up the rear. After standing in the evening sunshine for some time, I was not impressed when the sun went behind a large cloud just as the train was due. The train was running 11 minutes late, and it looked like the cloud might have moved out of the way in time. It's a pity the train wasn't 12 minutes late, as although the sun was starting to come out, it was a lot brighter shortly afterwards!

50007 Hercules (masquerading on this side only as scrapped 50006 Neptune) arrives at Arley on 4 October 2018 with the 11:30 Kidderminster to Bridgnorth service, during the Severn Valley Railway's Class 50 Golden Jubilee Gala.

50007 slowly passes the back of Honeybourne station on 23 January 2019, as it commences its journey along the freight only Long Marston branch with the 5Z50 08:30 St Philips Marsh to Long Marston ECS, conveying a set of off lease GWR HST coaches for storage. A surprising and very welcome choice of motive power for this train, which is the result of the close relationship between the Fifty Fund and GBRf, the train's operator. 50007 was at Eastleigh, in preparation for its repainting into GBRf colours, which explains the missing nameplate, and the patched front end.

Ignore the 50006 on the cabside, this is in fact the unnamed 50007, seen here approaching Honeybourne on 23 January 2019 with barrier wagons 6348 & 6336, running as the 5Z51 14:10 Long Marston to St Philips Marsh. This was the return working of the 5Z50 08:30 St Philips Marsh to Long Marston, which had brought in an off lease set of HST coaches for storage.

50007 passes Bredon at speed on 24 January 2019 with the 5Z50 08:30 St Philips Marsh to Long Marston ECS, conveying a short rake of off lease GWR HST coaches for storage. This was the second day that this vintage loco had been pressed into service on this duty, but unfortunately on this occasion the weather was miserable. However, the dull day did mean that I could use this location, which would not have been possible had the sun been out. Note the orchard in the background, a once very common feature of the area.

50007 passes Stoulton on 24 January 2019 with the 5Z50 08:30 St Philips Marsh to Long Marston ECS, conveying a set of off lease GWR HST coaches for storage. Note the area of filler under the side window, which is preparation for the loco's imminent repaint into GBRf colours. Like a lot of formerly neglected Cotswold Line locations, this spot has received a much belated visit from the chainsaw gang, opening up the view nicely. I hadn't noticed it when I took the picture, but the tower of Stoulton church can just be seen in the distance, on the left. The bridge in the background is the site of one of the Cotswold Line's very few accidents, when a train became derailed in 1984.

50007 (masquerading on this side only as 50006) passes Bretforton on 24 January 2019 with the 5Z51 14:10 Long Marston to St Philips Marsh barrier vehicles. This was running in the path of the 1W25 12:21 Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill GWR service, which had been cancelled due to yet another signalling problem between London and Reading.

50007 passes Badgeworth on 30 January 2019 with the 5Z50 08:33 St Philips Marsh to Long Marston ECS, conveying a very mixed rake of off lease GWR HST coaches for storage. This had left Bristol 97 minutes late, but had managed to almost knock off an hour off that deficit when it passed the gallery of photographers at this well known location. There was a great deal of anxiety, as the 6V05 09:15 Round Oak to Margam steel empties was approaching from the rear, and just a few seconds after I pressed the shutter, this view was blocked off completely!

Running an hour late, 50007 passes Stoulton on 30 January 2019 with the 5Z50 08:33 St Philips Marsh to Long Marston ECS, conveying a rake of off lease GWR HST coaches for storage. This is not a location that I had visited previously, and cannot remember seeing any other photos taken here. Note the exceedingly knackered shed on the right, with a bush growing inside it!

50007 passes Lower Moor on 30 January 2019 with barrier vehicles 6348 & 6336, running as the 5Z51 14:10 Long Marston to Reading Traincare Depot. This fantastic winter afternoon light was a bit of a fluke, as the sun was on the very edge of a huge black cloud.

50007 Hercules tows freshly painted 50033 back to the Severn Valley Railway on 29 August 2019, seen here passing Up Hatherley, running as the 0Z50 09:34 Eastleigh Works to Kidderminster. This had actually been cancelled and then reinstated, after a rumour that it would run via Oxford (which would have been handy for me!). In the event it left 103 minutes late, and was just over an hour late when it passed me. Note that 50033 is numberless and nameless (on this side only).

Running exactly to time, 50007 Hercules (masquerading on this side as 50014 Warspite) & 50049 Defiance pass Hinksey Yard on 9 December 2019 with the 5Z50 10:32 Kidderminster to Reading Traincare Depot ECS, conveying a pair of GWR barrier vehicles, which had been used on the previous week's Laira to Long Marston Mk3 stock move. It has been thirty years since I last photographed a Class 50 at this location!

50007 Hercules approaches the site of Stoulton station at high speed on 23 January 2020 with the 5Z50 09:00 Laira to Long Marston, conveying former ScotRail Caledonian Sleeper Mk3 coach 10706. 50049 Defiance is bringing up the rear. The weather was awful, with thick cloud and persistent light drizzle. Luckily however it was free of the fog that was covering the Cotswold Hills just a few miles to the south east.

50007 Hercules (masquerading on this side as 50014 Warspite) passes Bourton on 22 January 2020 with the 5Z50 11:03 Wembley InterCity Depot to Laira ECS, conveying former ScotRail Caledonian Sleeper coaches 10551, 10553 & 10706. 50049 Defiance is bringing up the rear. In really dull weather such as this, I try to use locations that would be impossible if the sun was out. As the overhead masts just to the east of the roadbridge at Bourton are only on the south side of the line, I thought there out to be a shot from the north side of the line. Unfortunately I had forgotten just how close the domestic electricity poles on the left were, consequently a really wide view is not possible.

50007 Hercules passes Wolvercote on Sunday 22 March 2020 with the 5Z50 12:45 Reading Traincare Depot to Kidderminster ECS, taking GWR Mk3 coach 12161 to the Severn Valley Railway. 50049 Defiance is bringing up the rear.

50007 Hercules passes Elmbridge on 23 March 2020 with the 5Z44 09:16 Long Marston to Laira, conveying GWR Mk3 coach 12161, and HST power car 43091. 50049 Defiance is bringing up the rear. This was running an hour early, and unfortunately corresponded with a period of thin cloud taking the edge off the light.

50007 Hercules brings up the rear of the 0Z86 09:46 Chaddesden to Long Marston stock move at Lower Moor on 27 March 2020. 50049 Defiance is leading the train, which is conveying former East Midlands Trains HST power cars 43061 & 43075 for storage.

50007 Hercules (masquerading on this side as 50014 Warspite) emerges from Foley Park Tunnel on 18 September 2020 with the Severn Valley Railway's 17:00 Kidderminster to Bridgnorth service. As this is such a well known location, I was extremely surprised to be the only photographer present, especially in view of the perfect weather conditions.

50007 Hercules brings up the rear of the 5Z51 12:23 Long Marston to Newport Docks (Sims Group) at Upper Moor on 6 October 2020. This was conveying a rake of HST Mk3 coaches for scrapping. 50049 Defiance is the lead locomotive.

Running 19 minutes early, 50007 Hercules passes Defford on 6 October 2020 with the 5Z51 12:23 Long Marston to Newport Docks (Sims Group), conveying a rake of HST Mk3 coaches for scrapping. 50049 Defiance is bringing up the rear. Both locomotives are nearly a decade older than the coaches!

50007 Hercules approaches Clayfield Crossing, Bretforton, on 4 November 2020 with the 5Z50 06:29 Leicester to Long Marston barrier vehicle move. This was in preparation for taking a rake of former LNER HST coaches for scrapping. 50049 Defiance is bringing up the rear.

50007 Hercules (masquerading on this side as 50014 Warspite) passes Tredington on 4 November 2020 with the 5Z51 11:35 Long Marston to Newport (Sims Group) ECS, conveying a rake of former LNER HST coaches for scrapping. After a sunny morning, a large bank of cloud was slowly moving down from the north, and I was quite glad that I had decided to come here, rather than one of the more familiar locations further north. The dark clouds provide a stunning background here, but it was only a few minutes later that they covered the sun.

50007 Hercules (masquerading on this side as 50014 Warspite) arrives at Honeybourne on 17 December 2020, running as the 0Z91 09:23 (08:41 actual) Bromsgrove to Long Marston light engine. This was originally meant to be the 08:10 from Bescot, but instead the loco arrived at Bromsgrove the previous evening, as the 0Z51 18:49 from Chaddesden Sidings.

Running half an hour early, 50007 Hercules (pretending to be scrapped 50014 Warspite) passes Broad Marston on 17 December 2020 with the 5Z92 12:32 Long Marston to Burton upon Trent Wetmore Sidings, conveying off lease HST power cars 43196, 43071, 43086 & 43075. This early running allowed another picture to be taken on the Cotswold Line, as the train had to wait at Honeybourne to allow a couple of GWR IETs to pass by.

50007 Hercules passes Bretforton on 17 December 2020 with the 5Z92 12:32 Long Marston to Burton upon Trent Wetmore Sidings, conveying off lease HST power cars 43196, 43071, 43086 & 43075. I was really surprised to get this in some weak sun, as although it looks like a sunny day, the blue sky in the background is deceptive. Masses of dark clouds had rolled in from the west (as forecast), and it was the start of a very dull afternoon. A small hole in the cloud gave a couple minutes worth of sun just at the right moment.

50007 Hercules (masquerading on this side as scrapped 50034 Furious) & 50049 Defiance take the Swindon line at Standish Junction on 3 July 2021 with the Belmond British Pullman 1Z96 16:40 Worcester Shrub Hill to Victoria 'Historic Worcester' VSOE railtour. The sun had come out briefly just before the train was due, but unfortunately was just starting to fade away again as it came into view. However, just a few minutes later it had gone completely. This partially sunny picture is a much better result than I initially was expecting to get, as just 15 minutes earlier it had been extremely dark and pouring with rain. The headboard reads: '1991 - 30 Years of Preservation - 2021 The Fifty Fund'.

50007 Hercules & 50049 Defiance pass Blanchworth on 18 September 2021 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z67 06:04 Birmingham New Street to Penzance 'Mazey Day Cornishman' railtour. I was very lucky with the sun here, as a large area of cloud was moving in from the west (as can be seen in the background), and the sun disappeared just after the train had passed.

50007 Hercules (masquerading on this side as 50034 Furious) & 50049 Defiance pass Lower Wick on 25 September 2021 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z52 05:58 Eastleigh to Kingswear 'Champion Torbay Express' railtour. As can be guessed from the headcode and the tour's name, this should have been hauled by Class 52 D1015 Western Champion, but that unfortunately failed its mainline test run a week earlier. Note the lorry crossing the further of the two bridges in the background. This is M5 motorway, near Michaelwood services.

50007 Hercules & 50049 Defiance pass Lympsham on 26 March 2022 with the UK Railtours 1Z50 07:35 Paddington to Paignton 'Springtime Hoovering in Devon' railtour. I was a little surprised to be the only photographer here, as although there are obviously a lot of excellent locations further south, this is certainly one of the better spots in the Bristol area, with the perfect lighting angle.

50007 Hercules brings up the rear of the Branch Line Society 1Z38 05:08 Eastleigh to Portsmouth & Southsea 'Ore No More' railtour at Portcreek Junction on 23 April 2022. 50008 Thunderer has already disappeared around the corner, at the head of the train. The train is just passing underneath the A27 dual carriageway.

The sun breaks through the clouds just in time, as 50007 Hercules passes Portcreek Junction on 23 April 2022 with the Branch Line Society 1Z40 08:11 Portsmouth & Southsea to Bognor Regis 'Ore No More' railtour. 50008 Thunderer is bringing up the rear.

50007 Hercules heads south from Littlehampton Junction on 23 April 2022 with the Branch Line Society 1Z42 09:48 Bognor Regis to Littlehampton 'Ore No More' railtour. This was travelling quite slowly, as it was just two minutes behind the 1H10 08:15 Victoria to Littlehampton EMU.

50007 Hercules (masquerading on this side as 50034 Furious) brings up the rear of the Branch Line Society 1Z44 10:20 Littlehampton to Brighton 'Ore No More' railtour, as it speeds through Angmering station on 23 April 2022, led by 50008 Thunderer.

As the lighting was going to be very backlit wherever I went on the Newhaven line for the Branch Line Society 1Z50 12:52 Newhaven Marine to Eastbourne 'Ore No More' railtour on 23 April 2022, I opted for an arty shot of 50007 Hercules at Tarring Neville, with a large clump of rushes in the foreground. This is the typical landscape of the lower reaches of the River Ouse.

50007 Hercules (masquerading on this side as 50034 Furious) pass Beddingham on 23 April 2022 with the Branch Line Society 1Z52 14:30 Eastbourne to Cannon Street 'Ore No More' railtour. Unfortunately the earlier sunshine had now become quite weak.

50007 Hercules & 50008 Thunderer slowly approach Standish Junction on 24 April 2022 with the 5Z55 13:50 Eastleigh to Burton on Trent Wetmore Sidings ECS. This was the returning stock from the previous day's Branch Line Society 'Ore No More' tour of the Sussex coast. Hercules would be detached at Kidderminster, leaving Thunderer to carry on alone to Burton on Trent.

A brief burst of sunshine amid the clouds, as 50007 Hercules heads south past Eardington on 21 May 2022 with the 10:35 Bridgnorth to Kidderminster service, during the Severn Valley Railway's Spring Diesel Gala.

50007 Hercules passes Chilson on 19 June 2022, running as the 0Z50 09:49 Acton to Kidderminster light engine. The loco was returning to the Severn Valley Railway, after working the previous day's 'Devon Pullman' railtour.

50007 Hercules brings up the rear of the early running 5Z11 08:10 Eastleigh to Leicester barrier vehicle move at Tackley on 29 March 2023. 56098 is at the front of the train. The barrier vehicles had been used on the previous day's 5Q10 09:15 Derby Litchurch Lane to Eastleigh Class 701 EMU delivery run.

50007 Hercules passes the site of Grange Court Junction on 19 June 2023 with the 5Z50 09:25 Cardiff Canton Sidings to Long Marston ECS, taking brand new DMU 756003 for display at the Rail Live event. This was running 20 minutes early, which was perfect, as although there was a lot of cloud about, at that particular moment there was a large area of blue sky where it mattered!

Running 72 minutes late, 50007 Hercules passes Cheltenham on 23 June 2023 with the 5Z50 10:30 Long Marston to Cardiff Canton Sidings ECS, taking Transport for Wales DMU 756003 back home, after its visit to the Rail Live event. Unfortunately 800022 has got in the way whilst working the 1G13 11:31 GWR service from Paddington.

50007 Hercules runs alongside the New Cut (an artificial channel linking the Rivers Yare and Waveney) at Haddiscoe on 15 July 2023 with the Branch Line Society 1Z70 06:48 Derby to Lowestoft 'Merry Wherry' railtour. 50008 Thunderer is bringing up the rear.

The Branch Line Society 1Z76 16:12 Great Yarmouth to Lowestoft 'Merry Wherry' railtour approaches Somerleyton station on 15 July 2023, with 50007 Hercules leading, and 50008 Thunderer bringing up the rear. On the left is the Somerleyton Swing Bridge, with adjacent signal box. The single red flag indicates that bridge is in operation, and will open as required for river traffic. Two red flags would indicate that the bridge is out of service.

50007 Hercules brings up the rear of the Pathfinder Tours 1Z50 06:20 Tame Bridge Parkway to Paignton 'The English Riviera Airshow' railtour at Kennington on 1 June 2024. Hidden by the trees, at the front of the train, is D1015 Western Champion. Note the areas of primer on 50007's cab. This is preparation for the loco being repainted into large logo livery.

50007 Hercules (masquerading on this side as scrapped 50034 Furious) & 50049 Defiance pass Croome on 29 June 2024 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z69 06:10 Dorridge to Penzance 'Mazey Day Cornishman' railtour. This is the loco's last train before they are due to be painted into the popular large logo livery.

Smell the paint! 50007 & 50049 pass Yarnton on 9 August 2024, returning to the Severn Valley Railway as the 0Z50 10:21 Eastleigh Works to Kidderminster SVR. The pair had just been repainted into large logo livery, after several years of being in GBRf colours. Both locos are nameless, as the Hercules and Defiance plates were removed prior to their earlier trip to Eastleigh.

50007 Hercules & 50049 Defiance pass Up Hatherley on 24 August 2024 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z72 06:05 Taunton to Aberdeen 'Grampian Highlander' railtour, day one of a three day tour of Scotland. For some reason this left Gloucester much earlier than booked, and was running 16 minutes early here. It then had to wait in Cheltenham station until the booked departure time, in the process holding up a couple of other trains. I was surprised that there were no other photographers at this well known location. The weather may have been poor, but this is the loco's first outing since being painted into large logo livery. Although it had been raining earlier, and would start raining again almost immediately after, while I was waiting here it had very conveniently stopped.

Almost like the good old days on the Cotswold Line, but on this occasion unfortunately only a light engine! 50007 Hercules races through Charlbury station on 28 November 2024, running as the 0O50 10:36 Kidderminster Severn Valley Railway to Eastleigh. The Brunel designed grade II listed station building can be seen in the background.

A real blast from the past! 50008 Thunderer approaches Ufton Nervet level crossing on 16 September 1978 with the 1B74 12:23 Paddington to Paignton service. The loco had only been named two weeks previously, and was to wait another year before the ship's crests were added. It is still in unrefurbished condition, and at this time less than half way through its career on the national network, having being transferred from the London Midland Region to the Western Region two years before as a replacement for the Class 52 'Westerns'. This was one of my earliest railways photos, taken using a Praktica PLC2 and Kodachrome 64 film.

A damp and gloomy autumn morning at Shipton station on 13 October 1979. 50008 Thunderer approaches the diminutive Cotswold Line station at speed with the 1A07 08:08 Hereford to Paddington service. The old loading dock can be seen in the foreground, whilst just visible to the right of the train are the foundations of the goods shed. This was a substantial timber built structure, that survived until the cessation of goods services in 1965.

Its hard to believe now, but there was once an almost completely unobstructed view of Frampton Mansell Viaduct from the nearby field. On 28 August 1982, 50008 Thunderer crosses the viaduct with the 1A89 08:24 Cheltenham to Paddington service. Unfortunately I have few pictures of Class 50s on this line, as I spent most of my time photographing them on the other route across the Cotswolds - the Oxford to Worcester line.

50008 Thunderer approaches Grintleyhill Bridge, near Combe with the 08:05 Hereford to Paddington service on 17 September 1983. A typical late summer day that had started sunny but soon started to cloud up. Judging by the ominously dark clouds in the background and the fact that Whitehill Bridge in the background is already in shade, I think I was lucky to get this picture in the sun. This section of track was singled in 1971 and even now (2009) is not included in the Cotswold Line re-doubling plans.

50008 Thunderer races along the single track section of the Cotswold Line to the south of Charlbury, passing near to the village of Stonesfield with the 1A73 07:05 Hereford to Paddington service on 8 June 1984. Obviously fairly fresh from a repaint, the light grey roof is still reasonably clean apart from around the four exhaust ports. The inclusion of a GUV at the head of the train was typical for the period, giving far more storage for bicycles and other bulky items than is available on the equivalent train today!

With North Aston Hall Farm just visible in the haze on the horizon, 50008 Thunderer speeds past Somerton on 22 October 1985 with the 1O15 09:00 Manchester Piccadilly to Poole service. Large logo livery with a black roof and red buffer beams is probably the livery that suited Class 50s the best, although strangely the black roof was not a standard feature. The more common light grey roof was obviously going to end up mostly black anyway! This picture is taken from the public footpath that links Somerton village to Somerton Crossing.

50008 Thunderer speeds through Radley station with the 3A88 09:00 Oxford to Old Oak Common empty newspaper vans on 16 August 1987. Although the load of four empty vans may seem a ridiculous use of a Class 50, this train was actually booked for a pair of 50s, and indeed this is one of the few occasions I saw a single loco on it. The use of two locos was purely to get them back to Old Oak Common for the Monday morning rush hour trains. 

50008 Thunderer passes West Hatch on 31 August 1987 with the late running 1V13 13:10 Waterloo to Exeter St Davids Network SouthEast service. Although the Class 50s were not always the most reliable locomotives on this route, this was one of the few occasions (other than a few total failures) that I encountered any noticeable late running.

50008 Thunderer leaves Oxford with the 1F45 11:00 Network SouthEast fast service to Paddington on 21 October 1988. Strangely 50008 had been allocated to the DCWA engineers pool a couple of months prior to this picture and should therefore have been restricted to low speed departmental workings. Admittedly this was the last day that I saw it operating regular passengers trains, although of course in 1991 it was repainted into 'Laira Blue' and became a railtour locomotive. Note the revised shape crest above the nameplate, which was applied in 1986.

50008 Thunderer arrives at Oxford station on 21 October 1988 with the 1F32 14:15 Paddington to Oxford Network SouthEast service. The offices of W. Weddel & Co Ltd in the background disappeared, along with the adjacent scrapyard, with the construction of Oxford Station's new car park in the late 1990s.

50008 Thunderer waits at Oxford station on 21 October 1988. It has just arrived from the up carriage sidings and will shortly be working the 1F71 16:00 Oxford to Paddington Network SouthEast service. This view shows Oxford station after the 1971 modernisation, which saw the construction of a range of flimsy wooden buildings on the up platform, hardly better than the ramshackle GWR buildings they replaced. The canopy above the first three coaches dates from this time, while in the background can be seen the truncated remains of the original Great Western canopy. In 1990 the station was rebuilt again, this time with a footbridge replacing the former subway.

A ridiculously easy job for a Class 50! 50008 Thunderer heads north past Worle on 25 April 1990 with an inspection saloon (probably DB999509). Just two days earlier Thunderer came to the aid of the 09:22 Penzance to Glasgow HST, which had failed at Bristol Temple Meads. The 50 dragged the errant HST to Sheffield, where the train was terminated. Whether any notice was taken of the 60mph maximum speed restriction of the DCWA allocated 50 is an interesting question! Whilst this picture of Thunderer on an inspection saloon is interesting, how much more interesting would a picture of it dragging a HST be, especially in the Sheffield area. Ah well, another one that got away!

50008 Thunderer passes Lympsham on 25 April 1990 with the 6C55 14:37 Bristol East Depot to Exeter Riverside departmental working, on this occasion it is hauling a Plasser & Theurer RM 62 Ballast Cleaner (all now scrapped), rather than the usual rake of ballast hoppers. Thunderer spent the whole of 1990 allocated to the DCWA engineer's pool, but with very limited information about its day to day workings, it was difficult getting many pictures.

Unfortunately severely backlit, but a DCWA Class 50 at work was always worth recording. 50008 Thunderer trundles past Willand on 1 August 1990 with the 7C56 13:35 Meldon Quarry to Bristol East ballast. These were certainly the good old days, as within half an hour a similar working was photographed heading in the opposite direction behind 50032.

50008 Thunderer brings up the rear of the Pathfinder Tours 1Z16 23:20 Manchester Piccadilly to Penzance 'Cornish Centurion' railtour at Foxhole on 26 January 1991. The tour was heading for Drinnick Mill, which can be seen in the background.

In appalling light on 26 January 1991, 50008 Thunderer comes off the Drinnick Mill line at Burngullow Junction with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z16 'Cornish Centurion' railtour. The loco had been freshly painted into this unusual variation of Rail Blue (later to be dubbed 'Laira Blue') especially for this tour. Since this picture was taken this section of the Cornish mainline has been redoubled.

50008 Thunderer traversed the Newquay line as far as Bugle on 26 January 1991 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z16 'Cornish Centurion' railtour. It is seen here passing Luxulyan. Just out of sight around the corner on the rear of the train is 50015 Valiant, waiting to work the train back to Par.

50008 Thunderer brings up the rear of the Pathfinder Tours 1Z16 11:19 Penzance to Bristol Temple Meads 'Cornish Centurion' railtour at Lostwithiel on 26 January 1991. 50015 Valiant can just be seen at the front of the train.

50008 Thunderer passes through Par station in atrocious weather on 4 May 1991 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z16 Manchester Piccadilly to Penzance 'Cornish Centurion 2' railtour. Classmate 50015 Valiant is hidden by the bridge on the rear of the train.

50008 Thunderer & 50015 Valiant draw admiring glances both from the railtour passengers on the platform, and passers by on the road above, as they wait at Penzance on 4 May 1991, prior to working the Pathfinder Tours 1Z16 'Cornish Centurion 2' railtour, returning to Manchester Piccadilly.

50008 Thunderer & 50015 Valiant approach St Blazey on 4 May 1991 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z16 'Cornish Centurion 2' railtour. The train had just traversed the Newquay line as far as Bugle, led by 37673. The tour was supposed to have visited the Falmouth branch, but this was omitted due to late running.

With the houses of Saltash in the background, 50008 Thunderer & 50015 Valiant slowly negotiate Brunel's Royal Albert Bridge on 4 May 1991 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z16 'Cornish Centurion 2' railtour. The tour was heading back to Manchester Piccadilly, after having visited Drinnick Mill, Carne Point and Plymouth. The 50s would work the train as far as Bristol. The tour was a re-run of the 26 January 1991 train, which followed much the same route and used the same locomotives.

Easily outpacing the traffic on the nearby M5 motorway, 50008 Thunderer & 50015 Valiant approach Cullompton on 4 May 1991 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z16 Penzance to Manchester Piccadilly 'Cornish Centurion 2' railtour. This was a re-run of the hugely popular 'Cornish Centurion' railtour than ran four months earlier, and saw both of these locomotives appear in public for the first time in these distinctive liveries. Thankfully this second train was blessed with much better weather.

I do not normally bother photographing light engine convoys, but with one of my favourite Class 50s providing the power this one just had to done, despite the gloomy weather. Passing the site of Coalpit Heath station on 25 May 1991, celebrity pair 50008 Thunderer & 50015 Valiant haul 31511, 37904, & 37889 from Bristol Bath Road to Coalville, where all the locos would be on display at the open day. At this time both 50s were in the NWXC (Network SouthEast reserve) pool. In June 1991 they were both transferred back into the DCWA departmental pool, from which they had both been taken to be repainted into these one off liveries in January 1991. However, in their second time in the DCWA pool they did virtually no departmental work.

50008 Thunderer & 50015 Valiant pass Wrenbury with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z16 07:00 Hereford to Carlisle 'Wye Knot' railtour on 12 October 1991. Apologies for the poor technical quality of this picture, caused by the atrocious lighting conditions, which was really stretching the capabilities of the colour films of the time. However, every working of Thunderer whilst it was in 'Laira blue' livery is worth recording. For those interested this picture was taken with a Canon A1 on Kodachrome 200 at 1/1000sec f1.4, so obviously nothing at all in reserve if it got even slightly darker!

50008 Thunderer & 50015 Valiant pass Chilson on 19 October 1991 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z16 07:58 Paddington to Cardiff (via Worcester and Swindon) 'Hoover Hoop' railtour. This used to be one of my favourite locations on the Cotswold Line, and during the 1980s I took many pictures here, including numerous Class 50s. However, regular Class 50 haulage on the route had ended a couple years earlier, and this was my first picture of a double headed railtour at this spot. Already the location is becoming very overgrown, and in recent years this viewpoint has disappeared completely, as Network Rail now no longer carry out any lineside maintenance.

50008 Thunderer & 50015 Valiant have just emerged from Box Tunnel on 19 October 1991, and are about to enter Middlehill Tunnel with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z16 07:58 Paddington to Cardiff 'Hoover Hoop' railtour. I was surprised at the number of people on the road bridge at Box, as clearly the picture of the train exiting the tunnel would be completely ruined by shadows!

The sun glints off 50008 Thunderer & 50015 Valiant as they climb the 1 in 73 gradient at Torre, on the Paignton branch, with the 1Z37 00:30 Manchester Piccadilly to Newquay 'Valiant Thunderer' railtour on 23 November 1991. This was the loco's final railtour, with both machines having high engine hours, 50015 especially so, at over 10,000 hours.

50008 Thunderer & 50015 Valiant bring up the rear of the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 00:30 Manchester Piccadilly to Newquay 'Valiant Thunderer' railtour at St Dennis Junction on 23 November 1991. Out of sight at the front of the train is 50033 Glorious.

50008 Thunderer & 50015 Valiant glint in the setting sun, as they cross Tregoss Moor on 23 November 1991 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 14:20 Newquay to Manchester Piccadilly 'Valiant Thunderer' railtour. Note the significant hump in the background, as the line crosses the A30 road. The gradient is hiding 50033 Glorious, which is bringing up the rear.

Shortly after sunset on 23 November 1991, 50008 Thunderer & 50015 Valiant pass through Bodmin Parkway station with the 1Z37 14:20 Newquay to Manchester Piccadilly 'Valiant Thunderer' railtour. Geoff Hudson, the BR area fleet manager who did so much to maintain the Class 50s during their last years at Laira can be seen standing up inside Thunderer's cab.

Newly arrived at the East Lancashire Railway, 50008 Thunderer passes Ewood Bridge on 4 October 1992, whilst en-route from Rawtenstall to Bury Bolton Street. The A56 road bridge dominates the background, with the houses of Townsend Fold visible in the distance.

The highlight of the East Lancashire Railway's Diesel Gala on 6 & 7 March 2010 was the return to service in 'Laira Blue' livery of 50008. The immaculate loco is seen here passing Heap Bridge on Sunday 7 March with the 2J77 13:05 Heywood to Rawtenstall service. Although the shade of blue looks a little light, and the omission of the Thunderer nameplates gives the game away, this is certainly an excellent recreation of the 1991 period, and a welcome return to service of one of my favourite Class 50s.

50008, resplendent in its freshly applied 'Laira Blue' livery passes Burrs in superb late afternoon light with the 2J87 15:45 Heywood to Rawtenstall service, during the East Lancashire Railway's Diesel Gala on 7 March 2010. The return to traffic of the erstwhile Thunderer in this 1991 DCWA engineers pool livery was certainly the highlight of this event. 40145 East Lancashire Railway can be seen hitching a ride on the rear of the train.

The old 1991 railtour pair reunited again in 2015! 50008 Thunderer & 50015 Valiant make a fine sight, as the pass Castor on 11 April 2015, during the Nene Valley Railway's Diesel Gala. They are working the 1E48 12:02 Wansford to Peterborough service. Despite the visiting Class 31, 56, 60 & 66, this pair of classic machines was definitely the highlight for me!

50008 Thunderer & 50015 Valiant pass Castor on 11 April 2015 with the 1M48 12:50 Peterborough to Wansford service, during the Nene Valley Railway's Diesel Gala. This pair were virtually inseparable during 1991, when despite being officially DCWA engineer's locos, they worked several railtours, with 50008 in the livery we see here, and 50015 in 'Dutch' engineer's livery.

50008 Thunderer passes Castor on 11 April 2015 with the 1E52 14:42 Wansford to Peterborough service, during the Nene Valley Railway's Diesel Gala. With the viewpoint now getting very backlit, I opted for a wide angle view to include the lineside bush, and make the most of the dramatic sky. Also of course, the wider angle lens that you use, the further the pylon recedes into the background! Not much of a load for a Class 50!

Looking fantastic in its 1990s 'Laira Blue' livery, 50008 Thunderer passes Castor on 11 April 2015 with the 1M52 15:30 Peterborough to Wansford service, during the Nene Valley Railway's Diesel Gala. Although of course there were numerous photographers all along the lineside, I was surprised to be the only person in this position, which seems odd, as the inclusion of the signal obviously adds to the picture. With plenty of cloud now building up, I was relived to get this picture in the sun, as for me it is the shot of the day, despite the foreign coaches!

50008 Thunderer approaches Bewdley on 19 May 2016 with 'fake wood' vinyl covered 4-TC trailer set 428, during the Severn Valley Railway's Diesel Gala. It is working the 16:37 Kidderminster to Bewdley service. Whilst waiting for this train, I witnessed the unusual sight and sound of the keepers in the nearby West Midland Safari Park calling in the rhinos to their pen, as the park was closing. They were a little reluctant to go!

50008 Thunderer & 56303 pass Burton Salmon on 6 May 2017 with the 5Z50 10:30 York Holgate Sidings to Derby RTC ECS. This was a loaded test run for Thunderer, after the previous day's light engine test from Washwood Heath. The extremely mixed rake of coaching stock had been moved to York by 56303, which was included in this train for insurance purposes. It is over a quarter of a century since I last saw Thunderer on the mainline!

50008 Thunderer passes Up Hatherley on 7 July 2017 with the 4Z01 08:50 Okehampton to Chaddesden Sidings, conveying Network Rail rail grinders DR79304, DR79303, DR79302 & DR79301. This was running exactly one hour early. Although Thunderer never did much real engineer's work once it had been painted into this 'Laira Blue' livery in 1991, this still invokes the good old days of DCWA allocated departmental Class 50 workings.

50008 Thunderer approaches Standish Junction in a brief burst of unexpected sunshine on 13 January 2018 with the 4Z03 08:00 Okehampton to Chaddesden Sidings, conveying Network Rail rail grinders DR79501, DR79502, DR79503, DR79504, DR79505, DR79506 & DR79507. 56104 can be seen on the rear of the train. Although not originally booked to do so, the train reversed at Gloucester, but this proved to be a mistake, as 56104 promptly failed. Good old Thunderer had to take over at Eckington loop, but not before the train was nearly two hours late!

Well worth getting up at 05:30 for! 50008 Thunderer passes Stoke Prior on 12 February 2018 with the 6X50 06:50 Long Marston to Doncaster West Yard Railvac move. I wouldn't normally bother to get up so early for a single Railvac working, but as it was Thunderer, and as there was guaranteed sunshine, the effort was made. It is seen here about half an hour after sunrise.

50008 Thunderer passes Harrowden Junction on 19 March 2018 with the 6Z50 12:29 Chaddesden to Wembley, conveying eleven empty PNA wagons. Although Thunderer was allocated to the DCWA engineer's pool in the latter half of 1991, after being painted in this 'Laira Blue' livery, it unfortunately hardly ever worked trains like this. This therefore was a welcome opportunity to get a picture of one of my favourite locomotives on a 'real' freight train.

50008 Thunderer arrives at Long Marston on 23 April 2018 with the 6X50 11:40 Toton to Long Marston, conveying Railvac 99 709 515 004-8. Class 50s are almost unknown on the Honeybourne to Long Marston line, despite them being the most common form of motive power on the nearby Cotswold Line in the 1980s. Therefore I was determined to get a picture of this train on the branch. Thunderer had previously visited the line a few months earlier, but so early in the morning that I had to photograph it further north at Stoke Prior.

50008 Thunderer slowly departs Long Marston on 23 April 2018, running as the 0Z51 17:00 Long Marston to Leicester light engine. A little earlier it had arrived as the 6X50 11:40 Toton to Long Marston, conveying Railvac 99 709 515 004-8.

Running 83 minutes late, 50008 Thunderer arrives at Long Marston on 18 September 2018, running as the 0Z68 06:39 Leicester to Long Marston light engine. The newly applied sticker below the loco's number reads: 'Hanson & Hall Rail Services Solutions'.

50008 Thunderer arrived at Long Marston on 18 September 2018 in weak sunshine, and departed 40 minutes later in miserably dull conditions, but predictably between the two there was a short period of brilliant sunshine. Therefore I couldn't resist taking this picture of the loco bathed in sunshine as it waits at the still closed gates, after arriving as the 0Z68 06:39 from Leicester. This picture gives a good overall view of the Long Marston site, showing the huge variety of stock that is stored there.

50008 Thunderer leaves Long Marston on 18 September 2018 with four flats, running as the 4Z68 11:38 Long Marston to Wembley. There was certainly no chance that this would leave at 11:38, as at that time Thunderer was approaching Pershore, on its way here as the 0Z68 light engine, running 95 minutes late! Consequently this is leaving Long Marston at 13:00.

50008 Thunderer worked a series of freight trains during the Severn Valley Railway's Class 50 Golden Jubilee Gala in October 2018. It is seen here passing Foley Park with the first of these - the 10:25 Kidderminster to Highley on Thursday 4 October 2018.

50008 Thunderer slowly passes through Arley station on 4 October 2018 with the 12:25 Highley to Kidderminster freight, during the Severn Valley Railway's Class 50 Golden Jubilee Gala. The privately owned loco was one of the star attractions at the gala, although any haulage enthusiasts would be out of luck, as it was used exclusively on freight trips throughout the event.

50008 Thunderer approaches Foley Park Tunnel on 4 October 2018 with the 15:55 Highley to Kidderminster freight, during the Severn Valley Railway's Class 50 Golden Jubilee Gala. Very backlit, but I never pass up the opportunity to photograph Thunderer!

A fantastic end to a great day's photography, on what turned out to be a much sunnier day than expected. 50008 Thunderer is bathed in golden late afternoon sunshine, as it emerges  from Foley Park Tunnel on 4 October 2018 with the 17:25 Kidderminster to Bewdley freight, during the Severn Valley Railway's Class 50 Golden Jubilee Gala.

Not much of a load for a Class 50! 50008 Thunderer passes Up Hatherley on 13 July 2019 with the late running 5Z21 08:21 Wembley to Bristol Barton Hill ECS, conveying Chiltern Railways Mk3 coach 12615, which was needing repairs to its toilet tank. Instead of being routed via the Great Western Mainline, this went the long way round via Birmingham, which meant that I could get a picture away from the dreaded overhead catenary. An added bonus was the fact that this managed to pass me during a very surprising few minutes of sunshine, amid all the clouds. As this is such a short train, I decided to go for a close up side view, and as it wasn't hanging around, I selected a shutter speed of 1/4000sec to make sure it was pin sharp. 

Despite the fact that there is no load, I couldn't resist this picture of my favourite surviving Class 50, especially as the light was so good. 50008 Thunderer passes Uffington on 24 July 2019, running as the 0Z51 09:03 Bristol Barton Hill to Willesden light engine. This was running half an hour early, and I had only just arrived at the location, with just minutes to spare. The loco was doing a lot of running around on its own, as a little earlier it had worked the 0Z50 05:21 Willesden to Bristol Barton Hill, and the previous day, the 0Z50 13:05 Whitemoor Yard to Willesden.

Pictured just a few miles into its first railtour for over 27 years, 50008 Thunderer passes Draycott on 27 July 2019 with the Branch Line Society 1Z08 07:57 Derby to Carlisle 'The Return of Thunder Vac' railtour. 67002 is bringing up the rear. Despite the awful weather (which got considerably worse!), I wasn't going to miss Thunderer's return to passenger work on the mainline, especially as I had photographed its last tour in November 1991.

Monsoon conditions at Church Fenton on 27 July 2019, as 50008 Thunderer rounds the curve from the Leeds line with the Branch Line Society 1Z08 07:57 Derby to Carlisle 'The Return of Thunder Vac' railtour. This was Thunderer's first mainline railtour since 1991, and naturally attracted numerous photographers, despite the atrocious weather. It's nice to see a railtour powered by just a single Class 50, rather than the usual pair, and for once without a headboard.

50008 Thunderer passes Aisgill in the rain on 27 July 2019 with the Branch Line Society 1Z10 15:34 Carlisle to Derby 'The Return of Thunder Vac' railtour. Although Wild Boar Fell is almost lost in the cloud, there is still no mistaking this iconic location, and this is why I particularly wanted a picture of Thunderer at somewhere that is unmistakably Settle & Carlisle. Definitely not ideal photographic conditions, with the rain blowing straight into the lens, but certainly worth the effort. Although it was raining here, that was nothing compared with just a few miles further south, and for the first part of my drive home on the M6, when the torrential rain, floods, and spray resulted in some difficult driving.

One day late! 50008 Thunderer passes Salwarpe on 9 August 2019 with Railvac unit 99 709 515 005-5 and Ballast Feeder 99 709 552 020-8, running as the 6X25 10:07 Doncaster Up Decoy to Long Marston. This should have run the previous day from Whitemoor Yard, but after Thunderer had travelled light engine from Leicester, it was discovered that the vehicles were actually at Doncaster!

50008 Thunderer passes Stoulton on 9 August 2019 with the 6X25 10:07 Doncaster Up Decoy to Long Marston, conveying Railvac unit 99 709 515 005-5 and Ballast Feeder 99 709 552 020-8. The brief burst of sunshine only appeared after the train had come into view.

Running nearly two hours early, 50008 Thunderer passes Aldington on 2 September 2019 with the 6X50 14:50 Long Marston to Doncaster Wood Yard, conveying Railvac unit 99 709 515 005-5 and Ballast Feeder 99 709 552 020-8. I was prepared for the early running, as no way would it have needed the booked two and a half hours at Long Marston after the arrival of the light engine, just to couple up to a couple of track machines! Consequently I was not surprised when it left at 13:00 rather than 14:50!

50008 Thunderer passes the site of Ashbury Crossing, Shrivenham, on 5 October 2019 with the 5Z39 12:36 Wembley to Bristol Barton Hill ECS. This was conveying six Chiltern Railways Mk3 coaches for modifications. As this left Wembley 39 minutes early, I also left home early, as on previous occasions (especially when an earlier similar train ran via Birmingham), the early running just increases, as the train misses out booked stops. Of course on this occasion that didn't happen, and after a very long wait on Ashbury footbridge, this passed me a mere three minutes early!

50008 Thunderer goes for a pointless jaunt along the up relief line at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 16 November 2019 with the 5Z40 09:06 Bristol Barton Hill to Wembley ECS, conveying six refurbished Chiltern Railways Mk 3 coaches. With no other trains around, I would have expected this to be routed along the up main, but instead it was diverted into the loop at Challow, and went straight out the other end at Wantage Road without stopping. In the still air, it could be heard accelerating away from Wantage Road for several minutes, even though that was over two miles away!

With six Chiltern Railways Mk 3 coaches in tow, 50008 Thunderer runs along the down relief line at Challow on 16 November 2019 with the 5Z41 12:42 Wembley to Bristol Barton Hill ECS. Unfortunately the earlier sunshine had completely disappeared, and it was now getting quite dark. The few minutes that the train was stopped in the loop allowed me just enough time to walk back down the field to where it had stopped, and get a picture of the nameplate.

Running 95 minutes late, 50008 Thunderer passes Uffington on 7 December 2019 with the 5Z20 09:06 (10:41 actual) Bristol Barton Hill to Wembley ECS, conveying six refurbished Chiltern Railways Mk 3 coaches. If this had run at anywhere near the correct time it would have been in full sun, but by the time it appeared the light had collapsed completely. Luckily I hadn't wasted several hours at the lineside with nothing but Class 800s to photograph, as I only left home when it was actually reported as having left Bristol.

Looking immaculate in its freshly applied Hanson & Hall grey livery, 50008 Thunderer passes Oakley on 9 June 2021 with the 5Z50 09:17 Eastleigh Arlington to Westbury test run. 67028 was added to the train for insurance, and at one point it seemed like it would work the train single-handed, as there was a brake problem on Thunderer. Thankfully that got fixed, and the train departed Eastleigh 75 minutes late. It had halved that deficit by the time it got here, and although the late running has resulted in the sun no longer being on the bridge in the background, at least it is still on the front of Thunderer.

Interesting train, awful lighting! 50008 Thunderer & 67028 pass Heywood on 9 June 2021 with the 5Z50 09:17 Eastleigh Arlington to Westbury test run. I had intended to go to Broughton Gifford for this, but as it was picking up time, after a 75 minute late start, I decided not to risk the extra mileage, in case I missed it en-route. The horrible high midday lighting is made worse by the fact that the sun is only just on this side of the train.

50008 Thunderer & 67028 pass Upton Scudamore on 9 June 2021 with the 5Z51 14:25 Westbury to Eastleigh Arlington test run. Even though this cutting is now heavily overgrown, if the sun had been out, it would have perfectly lit, and almost shadow free, so of course the sun disappeared shortly before the train came!

The welcome return of 50008 Thunderer to the southern end of the Cotswold Line, albeit as a light engine. The Hanson & Hall liveried locomotive is seen here passing Cassington on 24 January 2022 with the 0Z50 10:14 Kings Norton On Track Plant Depot to Wolvercote Junction route learner.

After having just reversed at Wolvercote Junction, 50008 Thunderer passes Cassington for the second time on 24 January 2022 with the now late running 0Z51 13:38 Wolvercote Junction to Kings Norton On Track Plant Depot route learner. It was certainly a day for heritage traction on the Cotswold Line, as less than an hour later 37611 Pegasus followed with the 5Q94 10:31 Wimbledon Park Carriage Sidings Depot to Long Marston stock move.

Running 95 minutes late, Hanson & Hall 50008 Thunderer arrives at Honeybourne on 10 February 2022 with the 5Q96 11:36 Tyseley to Long Marston, conveying yet to be commissioned West Midlands Railway DMU 196108 for short term storage. The train has just passed Honeybourne North Junction, where the Long Marston line diverges from the Cotswold Line, which can be seen on the left. It is slightly ironic that this brand new DMU (which in theory could be driven here under its own power), is being towed by a 54 year old locomotive, whose original main line career ended three decades ago!

50008 Thunderer passes Bretforton on 11 February 2022 with the 6Z50 12:44 Honeybourne Sidings to Kings Norton On Track Plant Depot, conveying the two barrier vehicles that had been used on a Class 196 DMU move to Long Marston the previous day. Due to that train's late running, the crew were out of hours, so Thunderer spent the night at Honeybourne.

50008 Thunderer passes Yarnton on 17 February 2022 with the 6Z50 11:26 Eastleigh to Kings Norton On Track Plant Depot barrier vehicles. It was lucky that I had arrived here a little early, as it was running nine minutes early, having not stopped at Oxford as booked. It was also lucky that the sun was behind some thin cloud, as this location would otherwise be exceedingly backlit. Instead, there is just enough brightness to give some contrast to the picture.

50008 Thunderer passes Fritwell on 28 March 2022 with the 5Z43 10:58 Loughborough Brush to Princes Risborough, conveying DATS HST power cars 43054 & 43066, with Mk3 test coach 40728 sandwiched in between. These were en-route to the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway, for use in the following weekend's Diesel Gala. I particularly wanted a picture of this on the Chiltern Line, as virtually nothing other than DMUs, and the Class 68 hauled passenger trains use this route. With an unexpectedly sunny afternoon, what could possibly go wrong? All was going well until the train sat at Banbury for ages. It finally got going, and passed here running 72 minutes late, which meant that the sun was now only just glancing across the front.

50008 Thunderer approaches Horsenden Lane on 2 April 2022 with the 1P01 09:20 Chinnor to Princes Risborough service, during the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway's Diesel Gala. This highly unusual train features Class 411/9 3-CEP 1198, with DATS HST power car 43066 bringing up the rear. After not appearing on its booked diagrams until the late afternoon on the previous day, by which time the weather had deteriorated, it was with much relief that Thunderer worked this early morning train, while there was still virtually no chance of the picture being ruined by clouds!

50008 Thunderer brings up the rear of the late running 1C02 09:50 Princes Risborough to Chinnor service, as it accelerates away from Horsenden Lane on 2 April 2022, during the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway's Diesel Gala. Visiting HST power car 43066 is leading the train.

50008 Thunderer approaches Horsenden Lane on 2 April 2022 with the 1P05 11:30 Chinnor to Princes Risborough service. The visiting Hanson & Hall loco was one the highlights of the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway's Diesel gala, the other highlight being DATS HST power car 43066, which can just be seen on the rear of the train.

Running 45 minutes late, 50008 Thunderer passes Wainhill on 3 April 2022 with the 1P03 09:50 Chinnor to Princes Risborough service. The Hanson & Hall loco was one of the star attractions at the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway's Diesel Gala, and is seen here paired with the line's Class 411/9 3-CEP EMU 1198.

50008 Thunderer passes Wainhill on 3 April 2022 with the 1C02 10:20 Princes Risborough to Chinnor service. This turned out much better than expected, as due to the train being 45 minutes late, the sun was now glancing across the front end, which wouldn't have been the case at the booked time. This late running seemed to be a common feature of the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway's 2022 Diesel Gala! Despite it still being before midday, with the clouds building up rapidly, it was now time to call it a day!

50008 Thunderer & 50007 Hercules (masquerading on this side as 50034 Furious) pass Churchill Heath on 22 April 2022 with the Branch Line Society 1Z50 11:02 Burton-on-Trent to Eastleigh 'Honeybourne Hoover' railtour. This was a one way positioning move for the following day's 'Ore No More' tour of the Sussex Coast. This was also a welcome return of Class 50s to the Cotswold line, and brought back memories of the 1980s. It was BR blue or Network SouthEast in those days, now it is Hanson & Hall and GBRf.

50008 Thunderer rounds the sharp curve between Cosham Junction and Portcreek Junction on 23 April 2022 with the Branch Line Society 1Z38 05:08 Eastleigh to Portsmouth & Southsea 'Ore No More' railtour. 50007 Hercules can just be seen on the rear of the train. The tour was originally going to be called the 'Ore and More', but Network Rail could not provide a path from Eastbourne to Ore, so there was a last minute name change!

50008 Thunderer passes the Cemex Portsmouth Concrete Plant, as it brings up the rear of the Branch Line Society 1Z40 08:11 Portsmouth & Southsea to Bognor Regis 'Ore No More' railtour on 23 April 2022. The train is powering away from Portcreek Junction, with 50007 Hercules leading.

A fanfare of horns for the photographers, as 50008 Thunderer races through Angmering station on 23 April 2022 with the Branch Line Society 1Z44 10:20 Littlehampton to Brighton 'Ore No More' railtour. 50007 Hercules is bringing up the rear. Although there was some cloud around, the weather was much better than forecast, so the relatively long drive to see Class 50s working in unfamiliar territory was definitely worth it!

50008 Thunderer passes Tarring Neville on 23 April 2022 with the Branch Line Society 1Z48 12:06 Brighton to Newhaven Marine 'Ore No More' railtour. The Lewes to Newhaven line is rather featureless, and mostly with rather head on lighting for this train. This is one of the better spots for a decent light angle.

50008 Thunderer races through Glynde station on 23 April 2022 with the Branch Line Society 1Z50 12:52 Newhaven Marine to Eastbourne 'Ore No More' railtour. The hill on the right is Mount Caburn, part of the Lewes Downs National Nature Reserve.

Running a few minutes early, 50008 Thunderer & 50007 Hercules slowly approach a red signal protecting Standish Junction, as they head north on 24 April 2022 with the 5Z55 13:50 Eastleigh to Burton on Trent Wetmore Sidings ECS.

50008 Thunderer negotiates the reverse curves near Tackley in extremely dark conditions on 14 January 2023 with the Branch Line Society 1Z20 04:52 Derby to Hinksey Reception Lines 'Shooter's Swansong' railtour. 37418 An Comunn Gaidhealach is bringing up the rear. The tour commemorates the late Adrian Shooter, the founder of Chiltern Railways.

50008 Thunderer brings up the rear of the Branch Line Society 1Z21 09:00 Hinksey Reception Lines to Marylebone 'Shooter's Swansong' railtour at Islip on 14 January 2023. The train, composed entirely of Mk3 stock, is being led by 37418 An Comunn Gaidhealach.

Running 15 minutes early, 50008 Thunderer emerges from Brill Tunnel on 14 January 2023 with the Branch Line Society 1Z22 11:33 Marylebone to Stratford-upon-Avon 'Shooter's Swansong' railtour. 37418 An Comunn Gaidhealach is still hiding in the tunnel.

50008 Thunderer & 67028 pass Fiddington on 27 May 2023 with the Retro Railtours 1Z68 05:48 Huddersfield to Paignton 'The Retro Devon Belle II' railtour. This was running just a couple of minutes late, but just a few miles further on it would encounter a massive delay due to a level crossing problem just north of Cheltenham.

A meadow full of buttercups provides a golden foreground to this view of 50008 Thunderer & 67028, as they pass Bredon's Norton on 27 May 2023 with the Retro Railtours 1Z70 16:23 Paignton to Huddersfield 'The Retro Devon Belle II' railtour.

Running 24 minutes early, 50008 Thunderer passes Queen Adelaide on 15 July 2023 with the Branch Line Society 1Z70 06:48 Derby to Lowestoft 'Merry Wherry' railtour. 50007 Hercules is bringing up the rear. I was surprised that there weren't more photographers here, as it shows the train on the single track line between Ely West and North Junctions, and had the sun been out, it would have perfect for the light. However, the sun wasn't out, and instead it was raining. Just a few seconds after the train had passed the rain turned into a monsoon, and I got soaked on the short walk back to the car!

50008 Thunderer approaches Oulton Broad North Junction on 15 July 2023 with the Branch Line Society 1Z72 14:32 Lowestoft to Norwich 'Merry Wherry' railtour. I knew that this was going to be a hopeless location, but I wanted somewhere that showed the train in the unfamiliar Suffolk landscape. Lake Lothing is on the right, with the grain silo and quays of Lowestoft in the background.

50008 Thunderer brings up the rear of the Branch Line Society 1Z76 16:12 Great Yarmouth to Lowestoft 'Merry Wherry' railtour, as it passes through Somerleyton station on 15 July 2023, led by 50007 Hercules. After a day with lots of cloud, at last the sun was starting to appear at the right time!

50008 Thunderer passes Haddiscoe on 15 July 2023 with the Branch Line Society 1Z77 17:25 Lowestoft to Derby 'Merry Wherry' railtour. 50007 Hercules is bringing up the rear. The road bridge from which this was taken is a bit exposed at the best of times, but on this occasion the gale force winds made keeping the picture framed correctly quite a challenge! Directly above the middle of the train is the junction between the River Waveney, which goes behind the marina on the left, and the 'New Cut' in the foreground, which connects with the River Yare.

50008 Thunderer passes the site of Hethersett station on 15 July 2023 with the Branch Line Society 1Z77 17:25 Lowestoft to Derby 'Merry Wherry' railtour. I really didn't think I would get in front of this, after seeing it Haddiscoe, especially as the timings were very tight, and I hadn't rushed to get here. However, as this location is adjacent to the A11 on my way home, I just  stopped for a quick look, just as the train came into view! Terrible lighting, but one for the record of what is Thunderer's last railtour for the foreseeable future.

50008 Thunderer passes Mortimer on 25 May 2024 with the Branch Line Society 1Z55 07:03 Eastleigh to Kings Cross 'Hanson Hanse' railtour. The stock is the London Underground red liveried Class 438 4-TC set 428. 20007 is bringing up the rear. After London, the tour would continue as the 1Z56 10:38 Kings Cross to Kings Lynn, and then the 1Z57 14:31 Kings Lynn to Eastleigh. I had picked this location, as not only would the short train fit in the gap between the bushes, but also the low early morning sun would be at the perfect angle. Therefore I was not pleased when the sun disappeared behind a cloud just after I arrived, even more annoying was the fact that there was more or less unbroken sunshine on the journey home!

50008 Thunderer & D6515 (33012) Lt Jenny Lewis RN pass Silchester on 6 June 2024 with the Branch Line Society 1Z33 08:34 Eastleigh to Sheringham North Norfolk Railway 'Holt Hoover' railtour. In the still morning air, this could be heard for several minutes before it came into view!

50008 Thunderer & D6515 (33012) Lt Jenny Lewis RN pass Kingsey on 6 June 2024 with the Branch Line Society 1Z33 08:34 Eastleigh to Sheringham North Norfolk Railway 'Holt Hoover' railtour. This was running eight minutes late, as it was held at Princes Risborough to allow the even later running 1R25 11:02 Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street Chiltern Railways DMU to overtake it.

50008 Thunderer passes Grove on 5 October 2024 with the 5M82 09:14 Bristol Barton Hill to Wembley, towing Chiltern Railways DVT 82309. Although it looks like there isn't a cloud in the sky, a solitary cloud had blotted out the sun a little while earlier, but thankfully it had melted away just in time!

50009 Conqueror joins the double track section of the Cotswold Line at Ascott-under-Wychwood on 3 July 1986, as it works the 1B56 18:07 Paddington to Hereford 'Cathedrals Express'. Just beyond the Portakabin in the background is Ascott-under-Wychwood level crossing. The roof of the signal box can just be seen above the second coach. During the period 1971 to 2011, the single track section extended from here to Wolvercote Junction, a distance of fourteen miles. Photo taken with permission.

50009 Conqueror makes a smoky departure from Oxford with the 1F11 07:08 Oxford to Paddington Network SouthEast service on 1 August 1986. Despite being loco hauled, this was a not an express service, taking 80 minutes to reach the capital, and calling at Radley, Didcot, Cholsey, Goring & Streatley, Pangbourne, Tilehurst, & Reading. Before the large car park was constructed on the site of the yard on the right in the 1990s, I used to visit this location frequently, often getting there at the crack of dawn (as here)!

50009 Conqueror pulls out of Kingham station on 2 August 1986 with the 1B46 17:07 Paddington to Hereford service. The GWR corrugated iron hut was a remarkable survivor, originally standing next to the large 1906 built Kingham Signal Box (initially called Chipping Norton Junction North Signal Box). This stood where the conifers are growing in this picture. The hut has gone, Conqueror has been scrapped, and the conifers are now full size trees!

This is my only picture of 50010 Monarch at work on the Cotswold Line. On a very dull 5 May 1982 it leaves Charlbury station, and passes Cornbury Park, with the 1A51 16:03 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington service. This was just a few weeks before the loco hauled trains on the route were cut back to a couple of morning and evening commuter services.

In severe need of a repaint, 50010 Monarch passes Hinksey Yard on 28 July 1983 with the 1A25 17:22 Oxford to Paddington service. Class 50s were commonplace here at the time, and would even turn up on freights. Despite this, I very seldom met another photographer at the time, at what is now a well known photographic location.

A dull day at Wolfhall on the Berks & Hants Line on 2 July 1985 sees 50010 Monarch heading east with 09:32 Penzance to Paddington service. Monarch is one of the few 50s that I have only got a few pictures of, and I certainly never saw it when it had its blue roof whilst in 'large logo' livery. This was carried out at Landore Depot in 1983, allegedly because they hadn't got the correct paint!

I have very few pictures of 50010 Monarch, so in lieu of it doing something more interesting, here is a picture of it running round its coaching stock at Oxford on 22 April 1986. This is the view from Walton Well Road, at the north end of the carriage sidings. Note the loco's former identity displayed on the old headcode box.

Not quite a perfect reflection, but not a bad picture nonetheless. 50010 Monarch passes the fishermen on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Crofton with the 1C29 11:00 Paddington to Paignton service on 23 September 1986. Monarch was one of a handful of Class 50s that always seemed to elude me, and I only have a few pictures of it. This was the last time I saw it, despite it remaining in service for nearly another two years. Unfortunately it suffered an engine failure whilst hauling the 11:50 Glasgow to Plymouth train near Bromsgrove on 30 July 1988, and was towed to Laira the following day. There it languished for several years, before finally being cut up on site by staff from Coopers Metals, Cardiff.