Just nine months after entering traffic, 59001 Yeoman Endeavour makes a fine sight as it passes Crofton on 23 September 1986 with the 6B24 10:05 Acton to Merehead Foster Yeoman stone empties. An almost perfect reflection, a cloudless sky, and an ideal composition with a slightly disinterested fisherman on the right. What more could you want? Well, to be honest it would have been nice if the rollfilm version of this could have been scanned rather than this 35mm Kodachrome. However, I was unwisely experimenting with the then new version of Agfachrome, which they claimed was a marked improvement over their previous transparency films - it wasn't!

59001 Yeoman Endeavour ambles along the down relief line at Waltham St Lawrence with the 6A11 10:05 Acton to Merehead Foster Yeoman stone empties on 5 March 1988. To modern eyes the mix of up to date high performance locomotive and vintage 4 wheel PGA hopper wagons looks a little out of place, but a large proportion of the Foster Yeoman stone trains used these wagons for a number of years after the introduction of the Class 59s.

59001 Yeoman Endeavour passes a some fine autumn colours as it takes the Westbury line at Fairwood Junction on 30 October 1992 with the 6A30 13:30 stone train from Merehead Quarry. This would either be going to Wootton Bassett, Acton, or Theale, depending on weekly requirements.

59001 Yeoman Endeavour & 59103 Village of Mells pull away from Dawlish station with the 1Z96 07:52 Bristol Temple Meads to Paignton Mendip Rail 'English Riviera Special' railtour on Bank Holiday Monday 3 May 1999. This was the annual railtour for Mendip Rail staff. With 6,600hp and 227,100lb of tractive effort available there were no problems with haulage capacity here, as an eleven coach load is a modest load for even a single Class 59.

59001 Yeoman Endeavour passes Potbridge on 26 January 2000 with the 7V01 12:02 Woking to Westbury Mendip Rail stone empties. Note the two Second World War pillboxes on either side of the railway at this point.

59001 Yeoman Endeavour passes Dauntsey on 16 March 2000 with the 7C67 Wootton Bassett to Merehead Mendip Rail stone empties. As was quite common at the time it was running very early, passing me at 09:55 a full hour before it should leave Wootton Bassett!

59001 Yeoman Endeavour & 59101 Village of Whatley pull away from Castle Cary station on 28 May 2001 with the Pathfinder Tours / Mendip Rail 1Z48 07:40 Bristol Temple Meads to Penzance 'Cornish Quarryman' - the annual Mendip Rail staff outing. If any participants thought the miserable weather wouldn't be repeated the following year, they were in for a disappointment!

59001 Yeoman Endeavour pulls slowly out of Woodborough loop with the 7A09 07:05 Merehead to Acton Yard 'jumbo' stone train on 27 October 2003. The three portions of this 3000 tonne train can clearly be seen, with different wagon types indicating the destination, Crawley (front), Purfleet (middle), & Brentford (rear). Although most of the day was sunny, this morning started misty, and although the sun had been out while the 59 was sat in the loop, there was only a trace of brightness when the train departed.

59001 Yeoman Endeavour passes Enborne on 28 October 2003 with the 7A09 07:05 Merehead to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. This photo was taken from the embankment of the A34 Newbury Bypass. This had only been open few years, and although the embankment had been planted with trees, it still offered this excellent new vantage point.

59001 Yeoman Endeavour brings up the rear of the Pathfinder Tours / Mendip Rail 1Z59 08:06 Castle Cary to Bognor Regis 'Sunny South Express' railtour at Clink Road Junction on 3 May 2004. 59103 Village of Mells is hidden by the bushes, at the front of the train.

59001 Yeoman Endeavour passes Dilton Marsh in the pouring rain on 3 May 2004 with the Pathfinder Tours / Mendip Rail 1Z59 08:06 Castle Cary to Bognor Regis 'Sunny South Express' (yes, really!) railtour. Note the Mendip Rail / Yeoman / Hanson headboard.

59001 Yeoman Endeavour passes Fairwood on 11 September 2007 with the 7A17 10:55 Merehead to Acton Yeoman 'jumbo' stone train, although as can be plainly seen, it is not quite so 'jumbo' on this occasion! Note the first signs of autumn on the right - ripening hawthorn berries.

Running over two hours late, 59001 Yeoman Endeavour & 59202 Vale of White Horse pass Wootton Rivers on 24 April 2009 with the 7C31 09:45 Theale to Merehead Mendip Rail stone empties. The delay was caused by a tree falling across the line near Midgham. 59202 was under test after its failure the previous week.

59001 Yeoman Endeavour passes the site of Patney & Chirton station on 11 May 2009 with the 7A09 07:12 Merehead to Acton Mendip Rail stone train. Not so long ago this was the morning 'Jumbo' train with three lengthy portions. The recession in the construction industry means it isn't quite as 'Jumbo' in 2009!

59001 Yeoman Endeavour approaches Little Bedwyn on 25 June 2010 with the 7A09 07:12 Merehead to Acton 'jumbo' stone train. Although when I saw the same train three days previously at Wootton Rivers I mentioned that it was always very reliable, I should now add that the train's length isn't always so reliable! I had deliberately chosen this spot to show the train snaking round the curve, only for it to appear in truncated form!

59001 Yeoman Endeavour runs along the down relief line at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth on 15 April 2014 with the 7C48 13:30 Appleford to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. As is quite usual with this train, it was running very early, and so would be waiting at Challow (a mile further on) for some considerable time.

59001 Yeoman Endeavour passes Compton Beauchamp on 14 April 2015 with the 6C48 13:30 Appleford to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. A pity the No.1 end with the commemorative bell wasn't leading, but at least the cab roof is a lot cleaner at this end!

Diverted away from its usual route via the Berks & Hants line due to electfrication work, 59001 Yeoman Endeavour passes Challow on 14 May 2018 with the 6C77 12:38 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties.

59001 Yeoman Endeavour passes Great Bedwyn on 2 July 2018 with the 6C76 14:39 Acton to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. The extremely weather beaten buffer stop in the foreground has presumably not been replaced, as the DMUs that use the reversing siding do not come anywhere near it, as indicated by the two and three car stop boards in the background.

59001 Yeoman Endeavour passes Shrivenham on 4 July 2019 with the diverted 7A09 07:12 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'Jumbo' stone train. This was routed via Swindon due to signalling problems between Bedwyn and Reading. Ordinarily this would have been an ideal opportunity to pop out for a local picture, but on this occasion I had gone down to the Berks & Hants line to photograph it, and only realised something was amiss when I got there! It was therefore a case of a quick drive back from whence I came. So this picture has involved driving over double the distance that it should have, wasting time and petrol. I would add that the extra mileage has added to the car's deprecation, but with over 465,000 miles on the clock, that is not a consideration!

Running 45 minutes early, 59001 Yeoman Endeavour passes Great Bedwyn on 25 June 2020 with the 6C76 14:39 Acton to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. This view gives the impression that St Mary's church is in a completely isolated position, when in fact the houses of Great Bedwyn are just behind the trees in the background, and also just off to the left of the picture.

An unseasonably hot late afternoon at Little Bedwyn on 6 September 2021. 59001 Yeoman Endeavour passes Fairfield Crossing Cottage with the 6C64 15:25 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties, with a rake of wagons that are something of a rarity these days, being untouched by graffiti vandals!

59001 Yeoman Endeavour & 59103 Village of Mells enter the up loop at Hungerford Common on 12 February 2024 with the 7A40 08:40 Merehead Quarry to Hanwell Bridge Loop stone train. This was not booked to use the loop, and as nothing overtook it, and it left again after ten minutes, there didn't seem much point to the move.

59002 Yeoman Enterprise nears journey's end, as it passes Wanstow on 2 July 1988 with the 6V29 10:25 Purfleet to Merehead Quarry Foster Yeoman stone empties. This line was originally part of the Witham to Shepton Mallet route, which closed to passengers in 1963. The section to Merehead remains busy with daily heavy freight trains, and the East Somerset Railway operates a section at Cranmore as a preserved line.

59002 Yeoman Enterprise slowly negotiates Hallen Marsh Junction on 25 June 1993 with the 6C31 10:15 Hallen Moor to Merehead stone empties. This temporary flow was in connection with the  construction of the approach roads to the second Severn Bridge. The end of the original Severn Bridge can just be seen in the extreme left of the picture. Note the mixed rake of Foster Yeoman and ARC hoppers. Unfortunately the forest of semaphore signals at this location had been removed a few years previously.

59002 Yeoman Enterprise works wrong line past Brentry on the Avonmouth to Filton line, with the 6C31 11:34 Hallen Moor to Merehead stone empties on 25 June 1993. This short term contract was to bring stone in from the Mendips for the construction of the approach roads to the new Severn Road Bridge, which was opened three years later.

59002 Yeoman Enterprise approaches Twerton on 12 August 1993 with the 6C31 10:15 Hallen Moor to Merehead stone empties. This was a short term contract in connection with the construction of the approach roads to the second Severn Bridge. Note the new style temporary speed restriction sign on the right.

59002 Yeoman Enterprise passes Hawkeridge Junction on 19 August 1993 with the 6C31 10:15 Hallen Moor to Merehead stone empties. This was a short term contract in connection with the construction of the approach roads to the second Severn Bridge. Just five minutes earlier a loaded train had passed by in the opposite direction, hauled by 59005 Kenneth J Painter.

59002 Yeoman Enterprise & 56054 British Steel Llanwern arrive at a rain soaked Salisbury station on 12 December 1993 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z60 09:30 Bristol Temple Meads to Newhaven Marine 'Southern Mariner' railtour. Obviously a Class 59 is more than capable of handling such a train on its own, and indeed the Class 56 apparently contributed very little and was effectively 'going along for the ride'.

Newly named 59002 Alan J Day & 59004 Paul A Hammond stand at Cranmore on the East Somerset Railway on 21 June 1996 after having just been unveiled by their namesakes from Foster Yeoman. After all the guests had all gone to a special lunch, I managed to get this uninterrupted view of the two newly renamed locos. This is a very rare picture of 59002, as it shows it with the nameplate and cast number plate in opposite corners to the standard position. This was a temporary measure in order that both locomotive's nameplates would be adjacent for the unveiling. Foster Yeoman's fitters were just about to reverse the position of the plates prior to the locos working the special train of invited guests back to Euston.

On 21 June 1996, newly named 59002 Alan J Day & 59004 Paul A Hammond catch the evening sun at Little Bedwyn as they head back to Euston from Cranmore with the specially invited guests from the double naming ceremony on the East Somerset Railway. Foster Yeoman had chosen to rename the locos (formerly Yeoman Enterprise & Yeoman Challenger respectively) after company members, although this came as a surprise to those involved at the ceremony, as it wasn't their own names they were expecting to see when they pulled the chord!

In 2000, 59002 Alan J Day was painted into a distinctive Mendip Rail green and orange livery. Despite it retaining this unique colour scheme for several years, I only ever saw it once in this condition. By pure chance whilst driving over the bridge at Challow late on the evening of 17 June 2003, I saw it sat in the loop with the diverted 7C20 19:19 Acton to Westbury Mendip Rail stone empties. Hoping it would move before the light went completely, I positioned myself on the remains of the old station platform. After a short wait it got the road, and I secured this record picture.

This is what passes for a smoky exhaust on a Class 59! 59002 Alan J Day powers past Waltham St Lawrence on 27 July 2007 with the 7C77 12:40 Acton to Merehead Mendip Rail stone empties. The succession of bridges at this location isn't quite as impressive as this, as a 200mm lens has been used here, compressing the perspective somewhat.

59002 Alan J Day passes Shrivenham with the 7C48 12:38 Appleford to Whatley stone empties on 17 December 2007. Unfortunately this was just as the sun disappeared behind a cloud, although luckily it was only thin and there is still some light. This location is getting progressively more difficult, as the lineside bushes on the right now cast shadows over the line in the winter.

59002 Alan J Day passes Ruscombe in gloomy conditions on 17 April 2008 with the 7A09 07:12 Merehead to Acton 'Jumbo' Yeoman stone train. Although selected trees have been left, the cutting sides here have recently been largely cleared of trees and bushes, opening up the view a little.

59002 Alan J Day passes Fairwood in superb light on 14 October 2009 with the 7V64 12:57 Bow to Merehead stone empties. This is returning from the site of the Olympic stadium construction site. Amazingly for a British project, this was on time and under budget!

59002 Alan J Day passes Baulking on 22 May 2012 with the diverted 6C76 14:40 Acton to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. A fatality at Ufton Nervet level crossing had closed its normal route via the Berks & Hants line. Despite the fact that the sun was getting very head on, I wasn't going to miss this, in view of its rarity.

The ever reliable 7A09 07:12 Merehead to Acton 'Jumbo' Mendip Rail stone train passes Ruscombe on 1 May 2013 in the capable hands of 59002 Alan J Day. I haven't got many pictures of stone trains here, so I was hoping for a different loco than on my last visit in 2008. Of course it turned out to be the same one! At least the lighting is better and the wagons different.

Just after sunrise on 18 July 2013, 59002 Alan J Day passes Bourton with the 7A14 05:27 Westbury to Oxford Banbury Road Mendip Rail stone train. At this time of the morning (06:54) the sun is on the north side of the line here, allowing a different viewpoint. This is the effect I was trying to achieve with the early running diverted 6A11 Murco oil tanks.

Still looking smart after its recent repaint, 59002 Alan J Day runs alongside the Kennet & Avon Canal at Crofton with the 7C29 08:33 Acton to Merehead Mendip Rail stone empties on 24 January 2015. This is not quite what it seems, as this is in fact a last minute diversion from its booked altered route via Swindon, back to the train's normal booked route! This last minute change of plan was caused by delays in the Reading area.

59002 Alan J Day passes some early autumn colour at Denchworth on 9 October 2015, as it runs along the down relief line with the early running 6C48 13:30 Appleford to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. It would shortly be having a 45 minute wait at Challow.

Shortly after sunrise on 24 June 2016, 59002 Alan J Day passes Bourton with the diverted 7A29 02:15 Whatley Quarry to Theale Mendip Rail stone train. The very weak sun is so low that it is only illuminating the train, but not the track. It has also accentuated the red of the ex EWS hoppers, which have now been redeployed on stone traffic, after the decimation of power station coal traffic. Luckily this was running 45 minutes late, as its booked time was well before sunrise. Two days earlier it actually ran early, passing this spot in the dark at 4am!

59002 Alan J Day passes through Sonning cutting on 16 August 2016 with the 6V18 11:20 Allington to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. Settled high pressure had resulted in very hazy light around the middle of the day.

A tranquil canal view with incidental train! 59002 Alan J Day runs alongside the Kennet & Avon Canal near Crofton on 23 August 2016 with the late running 7A74 09:25 Whatley Quarry to Theale Mendip Rail stone train. Admittedly if there were less bushes, then more of the train (in this case brand new silver hoppers) could be seen, but otherwise I rather like the composition.

59002 Alan J Day just catches the last of the very weak evening sun, as it passes Compton Beauchamp on 17 July 2017 with the 6C48 17:11 Appleford to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. This had left Appleford 82 minutes early, but had then sat at Challow for over an hour, so was only a few minutes early here. It then missed out its booked layover at Swindon, and so was running an hour early again! At 39 wagons long, the morning's loaded working would presumably have been beyond the capacity of a Class 66, a type which unfortunately has a habit of turning up on this working when I am out with the camera!

Running ten minutes early, 59002 Alan J Day passes Edington on 6 July 2018 with the 7A09 07:16 Merehead Quarry to Action Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. Considering this is early July, when the landscape is still normally predominately green, this picture has got a very brown appearance. This is partly due to the parched nature of the ground due to the prolonged heatwave, but principally because the lineside has been blitzed, and the cut vegetation shredded on site.

59002 Alan J Day passes Didcot North Junction on 2 August 2018 with the 6A17 03:34 Whatley Quarry to Oxford Banbury Road Mendip Rail stone train. This was running exactly to time, which was unfortunate, as some late running would have alleviated the annoying shadows!

59002 Alan J Day passes Hungerford Common on 27 September 2018 with the rather short 7C77 12:40 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. The vandalism to the wagons seems to becoming much more common.

Still travelling slowly, after exiting Woodborough loop, 59002 Alan J Day passes Manningford Bruce on 24 March 2020 with the 7A09 07:12 Merehead Quarry to Action 'jumbo' stone train. Due to the Coronavirus restrictions, this was taken on my one permitted daily walk.

A striking livery combination whose days are numbered, as Freightliner get on with painting their 59/2s orange. 59002 Alan J Day & 59204 pass Great Bedwyn on 20 May 2020 with the 6C64 15:26 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. As it was such a cloudless evening, I was surprised to be the only photographer present at this location.

59002 Alan J Day pulls slowly away from a signal check at Little Bedwyn on 21 July 2021 with the 7C64 15:25 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. Recent vegetation clearance has dramatically improved this view, although the clearance obviously didn't extend to the trees bordering the nearby road, so as can be seen here, shadows are still a problem in the evening.

59002 Alan J Day runs slowly along the down relief line at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 9 December 2021 with the 6C48 12:49 Appleford to Whatley Quarry stone empties. The train's slow speed was really annoying, as the sun was on the very edge of a vast mass of dark cloud that was approaching from the west. It was full sun when the headlight first became visible through the bushes, but only weak sun when I pressed the shutter. This was the very last of the day's sun, as a couple of minutes later the lights went out completely! I had originally set out with the intention of going to Uffington, but changed my mind en-route when I saw how near the bank of cloud in the west was.

Less than a month after the commencement of Foster Yeoman Class 59 operations in this country, the as yet unnamed 59003 passes Fairwood Junction with the 10:03 Merehead to Eastleigh stone train on 11 March 1986. Unthinkable politically in the 1960s, the purchase of US designed locomotives in preference to British built designs was to gain momentum, resulting in the situation twenty years later, when virtually all freight locos in the UK were foreign built. The tracks in the foreground are the Westbury avoiding lines, while the train is on the original main line, as it will run round in Westbury Yard, in order to gain the former Southern Railway route via Salisbury. A very misty day, with the fog not long cleared and the trees in the distance only just visible in the murk.

59003 Yeoman Highlander passes West Drayton on 6 November 1986 with the late running 7A10 04:20 Merehead Quarry to Acton Foster Yeoman stone train. The loco was less than a year old at this time. In the background, the 2F25 09:03 Paddington to Maidenhead DMU calls at West Drayton station.

Still less than a year old, 59003 Yeoman Highlander passes West Drayton on 6 November 1986 with the 6A11 10:05 Acton to Merehead Foster Yeoman stone empties. I only visited this location a couple of times, and of course cannot now go back, as it has disappeared under a sea of 25kV catenary.

59003 Yeoman Highlander catches the last of the afternoon sunshine, as it passes Iver on 22 February 1990 with the 6A20 13:30 Merehead to Acton Foster Yeoman stone train. Although ARC would continue to use these four wheel PGA wagons for some time, Foster Yeoman would phase them out, in favour of bogie vehicles, shortly after this picture was taken.

59003 Yeoman Highlander glints in the early morning sunshine as it rounds the curve at Crofton on 15 January 1991 with the 6A09 09:20 Theale to Merehead Foster Yeoman stone empties. Crofton Pumping Station, which supplies water to the nearby Kennet & Avon Canal, can just be seen in the background, on the left. Although sunny, this was a bitterly cold morning, as can be seen by the frost still lingering in the shadows.

59003 Yeoman Highlander approaches Fairwood Junction on 18 April 1991 with the 6A09 09:05 Theale to Merehead Quarry Foster Yeoman stone empties. The train, which was running 20 minutes late, had just performed a crew change at Westbury.

59003 Yeoman Highlander finds a brief patch of weak sunshine as it passes East Grimstead (between Salisbury and Romsey) on 19 March 1992 with 1800 tonnes of stone on the 6O52 Merehead to Eastleigh Foster Yeoman service. The Orenstein & Koppel built JHA bogie hopper wagons had only recently been introduced into the Foster Yeoman fleet and replaced the four wheel PGA wagons with which the Class 59s were initially associated with when introduced in 1986.

The long running 7A09 07:25 Merehead Quarry to Action 'jumbo' multi-portion stone train isn't always quite so 'jumbo'. On 26 March 1992, 59003 Yeoman Highlander had an easy trip, with a single portion, containing just 12 wagons. It is pictured here passing through Sonning Cutting.

59003 Yeoman Highlander runs alongside the A36 Salisbury to Southampton road at Alderbury on 19 August 1992 with the 6O52 Merehead to Eastleigh Foster Yeoman stone train. The trees between the road and the railway have grown considerably since this picture was taken!

A very unusual sight in the north west of England! 59003 Yeoman Highlander & 59101 Village of Whatley pass Winwick on 28 August 1995 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z30 15:49 Wigan North Western to Bristol Temple Meads 'Crewe Excursioner' railtour. The train was run in connection with the Crewe Open Day, with 47299 being used on the outward leg, and 90139 between Crewe and Wigan. Judging by the amount of cloud, it was a relief to all the photographers present that the train actually passed in a sunny spell!

59003 Yeoman Highlander & 59101 Village of Whatley come off the Bromsgrove line and approach Droitwich at twilight on 28 August 1995 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z30 15:49 Wigan North Western to Bristol Temple Meads 'Crewe Excursioner' railtour. Despite the gloomy conditions, it was worth the small detour on the way home from seeing the train at Winwick, to get a picture of the train passing Droitwich's semaphores.

My first picture of 59003 Yeoman Highlander since it came back from its 17 year holiday in Germany! Now owned by GBRf, but still sporting the slightly inappropriate Yeoman Highlander name, the forward thinking railfreight company's most powerful locomotive passes Wolvercote on 12 June 2018 with the 6M40 11:56 Westbury to Stud Farm ballast empties. The lush summer greenery of Port Meadow dominates the background.

59003 Yeoman Highlander runs along the up relief line at Challow on 11 July 2018 with the 6M40 11:56 Westbury to Stud Farm ballast empties. GBRf obviously think their most powerful locomotive is needed on this train, as it has been on it continuously for a month.

59003 Yeoman Highlander passes Grove on 12 July 2018 with the 6M40 11:56 Westbury to Stud Farm ballast empties. Although only mid July, the landscape has the parched appearance of mid August, due to the prolonged heatwave.

59003 Yeoman Highlander rounds the curve at Hatton North Junction on 9 October 2018 with the 6M40 12:50 Westbury to Stud Farm ballast empties. This had been retimed, and the hour later running has certainly helped with the sun angle.

Even without knowing beforehand, it was pretty obvious what loco was going to be on this, simply by the headcode! 59003 Yeoman Highlander passes Souldern Wharf on 25 October 2018 with the 6Z59 09:27 Eastleigh Works to Hexthorpe Yard, conveying 16 redundant ex Fastline coal hoppers. This was running in the path of the cancelled 6M40 11:56 Westbury to Stud Farm ballast empties, which 59003 would normally have worked. Just as the train was due, the local farmer asked if I could move off the bridge, as he wanted to bring his cows in for milking. He kindly waited while I took the photo, before fencing off the road, and driving the herd across.

A light engine trip covering half the length of the country! 59003 Yeoman Highlander passes Oxford on 2 February 2019, running as the 0Z59 11:00 Eastleigh to Doncaster Roberts Road. Note that it is about to take the platform road through the station, presumably to avoid moving the points between passenger trains.

59003 Yeoman Highlander approaches Wolvercote Junction on 27 March 2019 with the 6M40 11:56 Westbury to Stud Farm ballast empties. This used to be an excellent location for photography, but is now just an overgrown mess.

59003 Yeoman Highlander passes Uffington on 7 March 2024 with the 6M50 07:13 Westbury to Bescot departmental working, which on this occasion was terminated at Hinksey. This was running over an hour early, after missing out its booked stop at Swindon Stratton Green, something which seems to happen quite a lot in early 2024. GBRf's solitary Class 59 is on hire to Colas. This is my first picture of 59003 since it returned to traffic following repairs to the damage caused by the botched attempt to drag a DMU out of Salisbury Tunnel, after the accident in October 2021.

Its only taken 38 years, but I've finally got a picture of a Class 59 on the Cotswold Line! 59003 Yeoman Highlander passes Stonesfield on 14 July 2024 with the 6C97 08:38 Charlbury to Hinksey reclaimed rails. 56094 is hidden by the bushes, at the rear of the train. Trains returning from engineering possessions are notorious for running very early, so I arrived here in plenty of time. On this occasion it 'only' ran 43 minutes early, so I had a two hour wait. Well worth the effort, especially in such perfect early morning light. The recently planted trees in the foreground indicates that this view will soon disappear.

59003 Yeoman Highlander & 70803 pass the recently cleared site of Stonehouse (Bristol Road) station on 29 July 2024 with the diverted 6M50 06:08 Westbury to Bescot engineer's train, which on this occasion comprised just five wagons. This train, which was running exactly half an hour late, was diverted via Gloucester due to the closure of the Oxford to Banbury line for engineering works.

The 6M50 07:13 Westbury to Bescot departmental working can sometimes run as the 0M50 light engine. Such was the case on 13 November 2024, although it did pick up a load later on at Hinksey. 59003 Yeoman Highlander is pictured passing Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, with the shadow of the footbridge and myself getting in on the act!

59004 Yeoman Challenger passes Langley on 6 November 1986 with the 6V29 11:29 Purfleet to Merehead Foster Yeoman stone empties. 59004 was less than a year old at this time. Langley Business Park now occupies the tree covered area behind the locomotive. This small parcel of land separates the railway from the Slough branch of the Grand Union Canal.

59004 Yeoman Challenger approaches Tiverton Parkway on 1 May 1994 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z40 06:40 Manchester Piccadilly to Plymouth 'Plym Exe-Cursioner' railtour. This was one of a number of railtours run in connection with the Exeter Rail Fair. The sheep are taking absolutely no notice of the train, although they did react when BR 4MT 2-6-4Ts 80080 & 80079 passed by with the 1Z47 08:30 Paddington to Exeter St Davids 'Semper Fidelis' railtour!

59004 Yeoman Challenger passes the disused signal box at South Brent on 1 May 1994 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z40 16:45 Plymouth to Manchester Piccadilly 'Plym Exe-Cursioner' railtour. This was conveniently near the M5 motorway, which allowed a quick sprint to Cullompton (in those days I was driving a BMW 325i), for another picture. There wasn't much time to spare, as the train only spent five minutes picking up passengers who had visited the Rail Fair at Exeter.

59004 Yeoman Challenger runs alongside the M5 motorway at Cullompton on 1 May 1994 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z40 16:45 Plymouth to Manchester Piccadilly 'Plym Exe-Cursioner' railtour. Although the tour visited Plymouth, this was mainly run to take passengers to the Exeter Rail Day. As this is a Sunday, there is very little traffic on the M5, with no lorries visible at all.

59004 Yeoman Challenger passes Fairwood on 30 January 1995 with the 7O38 10:04 Merehead to Fareham Mendip Rail stone train. This was at the time we were all getting used to seeing ARC wagons being hauled by Yeoman locomotives, and vice versa. This train will run round at Westbury in order to take the route via Salisbury.

59004 Yeoman Challenger just manages to avoid the patches of cloud, as it passes Berkley on 20 April 1995 with the 6C44 09:46 Appleford to Merehead Quarry Foster Yeoman stone empties. The original silver and blue livery was certainly distinctive at the time, and in my view, the best colour scheme that the class has carried.

With nameplates covered, 59004 & 59002 stand at Cranmore on the East Somerset Railway on 21 June 1996 waiting for the guests to arrive prior to be renamed Paul A Hammond & Alan J Day respectively. They were formally named Yeoman Challenger & Yeoman Enterprise. Note that the nameplate on 59002 has been temporarily applied to the 'wrong' end in order to have both loco's plates next to each other for the unveiling.

A perfect spring day at Great Cheverell on 9 April 1999, as 59004 Paul A Hammond rounds the curve with the 7C75 12:50 Acton to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. It looks like the loco has recently been on South Wales iron ore duties, judging by the red staining on the roof.

That single little cloud for once isn't going to ruin the picture, as 59004 Paul A Hammond passes Midgham in the last of the afternoon light on 26 January 2000 with the 7C75 12:48 Acton to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. This is not some new variation of the Foster Yeoman livery, it just needs a good wash!

59004 Paul A Hammond & 59103 Village of Mells call at Frome station on 3 June 2002 with the Pathfinder Tours / Mendip Rail 1Z59 08:08 Bristol Temple Meads to Par 'Plymouth & Cornwall Excursion'. This is the annual outing for Mendip Rail staff. The overall roof here now looks a little out of place, with just a single track passing through the station.

A fine summer morning at Crofton on 15 June 2004, and 59004 Paul A Hammond adds to the scenery as it rounds the curve with the 7A09 07:05 Merehead to Acton Mendip Rail 'Jumbo' stone train. Full sun and a standard lens - the ideal combination for the mighty Pentax 6x7!

59004 Paul A Hammond passes Manningford Bruce with the 7C77 12:40 Acton Yard to Merehead empty 'jumbo' stone train on 12 April 2007. This is an ideal location for photographing westbound trains in the afternoon, but totally useless for anything coming the other way due to overhead wires close to the bridge and lineside trees and bushes.

59004 Paul A Hammond approaches Hungerford with the 7A09 07:12 Merehead to Acton Yard Yeoman 'jumbo' stone train on 30 July 2007. This was a very lucky picture, as not only was it in a very short sunny spell (note the clouds building up in the background), but a Class 180 unit on a down working which would have blocked the shot had only just disappeared around the corner!

With the Westbury White Horse standing out clearly on the hillside in the background, 59004 Paul A Hammond passes Fairwood on 11 September 2007 with the 7C67 11:08 Wootton Bassett to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties.

59004 Paul A Hammond is pictured near Crofton with the 6A74 09:22 Whatley to Theale Hanson stone train on 24 July 2008. The Crofton Pumping Station and its tall brick chimney can be seen in the distance. Built to supply water to the Kennet & Avon Canal, it houses two magnificent Cornish beam engines, one of which (an 1812 Boulton and Watt) is the oldest working beam engine in the world still in its original engine house and capable of actually doing the job for which it was installed.

59004 Paul A Hammond passes the autumnal tints at Woodborough on 10 November 2010, as it heads west with the 7C77 12:40 Acton to Merehead Mendip Rail stone empties. This illustrates the problems of photography in the autumn and winter. Although the lighting is much better than in the summer, even the smallest cutting shades the line as the sun is so low. Here, just a tiny bank covered with brambles is enough to start shading the track, and with the shadows reaching the wheels, it would soon be time to switch to a longer lens.

59004 Paul A Hammond ambles along the down relief line at Denchworth (Circourt Bridge) on 18 October 2011 with the 7C54 13:06 Oxford Banbury Road to Whatley stone empties. It was following right behind 66412, which must have only just regained the mainline at Challow, a mile further on.

59004 Paul A Hammond passes Steventon on 9 December 2015 with the 6C48 13:30 Appleford to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. It looks like the rear wagons haven't been unloaded, as even from this viewpoint, a huge cloud of stone dust can be seen being whipped up by the wind. In the foreground is one of the steel piles for the much delayed electrification project.

59004 Paul A Hammond passes Grove on 14 May 2018 with the diverted 6A17 09:41 Whatley Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail stone train. The 1C43 11:27 Paddington to Penzance GWR HST only just got out of the way in time!

59004 Paul A Hammond runs along the up relief line at Challow on 17 May 2018 with the diverted 7A09 06:26 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. Engineering works in the Newbury area resulted in the Westbury to London stone trains travelling via Swindon throughout the week.

59004 Paul A Hammond passes Great Bedwyn on 2 July 2018 with the 7C64 15:26 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. Note the prominent '30 Years' and 'Class 59' plaques on the cabside. Will the Class 59s be around in another 30 years?

The once excellent evening photographic location at Compton Beauchamp has been severely compromised by the Great Western Mainline electfrication programme. However, because there are only intermittent full width spans at this point, a picture is still possible, although a long lens is required because there is a mast in the foreground. The bridge itself has also been comprehensively vandalised by Network Rail, with the usual metal extensions, removal of the end coping stones, and crudely applied concrete filler as an anti-climb measure. 59004 Paul A Hammond catches the evening sun on 10 July 2018 with the diverted 7C64 15:26 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties.

59004 Paul A Hammond passes Challow on 11 July 2018, running as the 0F59 11:30 Merehead Quarry to Theale light engine. This close up view clearly show the '30 Years' and 'Class 59' plaques, which were applied in 2016.

59004 Paul A Hammond passes Compton Beauchamp on 25 July 2018 with the diverted 7C64 15:26 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. This is almost an exact duplication of the picture I took just a couple of weeks earlier. Same location, loco, train and weather conditions. Only the wagons are different!

59004 Paul A Hammond passes Hungerford Common on 24 September 2018 with the 7C77 12:40 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. With nearly a three hour gap before the next westbound freight, it was time to head home, despite the sunny weather.

The three horses in the field take no notice, as 59004 Paul A Hammond swings round the reverse curves on the approach to Hungerford on 1 October 2018 with the 7A09 07:16 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. The train had left the quarry nearly half an hour early, and was still 16 minutes ahead of time here. However, it arrived at Acton exactly on time.

59004 Paul A Hammond passes Hungerford Common on 27 February 2019 with the 7C77 12:40 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. Other than the fact that the train is only a fraction of the length, this looks very similar to the picture I took of this loco on the same train five months earlier.

59004 Paul A Hammond passes New Mill on 20 September 2019 with the 7A09 07:17 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. I thought I had left home in plenty of time for this, but upon arriving at the location I discovered that it had left Woodborough loop 18 minutes early, and was therefore not very far away. Luckily the 4800 tonne train (mostly out of sight around the bend) was travelling slowly, so I easily had enough time to walk up the side of the field and get in position.

59004 Paul A Hammond approaches Woodborough on 26 March 2020 with the 6C77 12:41 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. The pheasant in the field on the right took great exception to this train approaching, flapping its wings and making lots of noise!

Every time I go to Hungerford Common, 59004 Paul A Hammond turns up! On 20 May 2020 it heads west with the 7C77 12:41 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. Unfortunately this was running 40 minutes early, so the sun still isn't on the nose.

59004 Paul A Hammond passes underneath the roadbridge at Hungerford Common on 1 June 2020 with the 7A09 07:12 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. I had intended to take this at Wootton Rivers, but a massive non-moving traffic jam at Marlborough put that in doubt, so I turned round, and came here instead. Not ideal lighting, but at least I didn't miss it! This had left Merehead 54 minutes late, but was running ten minutes early here.

Running 25 minutes early, 59004 Paul A Hammond passes Wootton Rivers on 2 June 2020 with the 7A09 07:12 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. Obviously I should have visited this location a couple of weeks earlier, as the rhododendron flowers in the foreground are now nearly over. Must make a note for next year!

59004 Paul A Hammond passes Fairfield Crossing Cottage, Little Bedwyn, on 30 July 2020 with the 6C64 15:26 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. The distinctive cottage is just a few yards away from the River Dun, and the Kennet & Avon Canal.

Running exactly on time, 59004 Paul A Hammond rounds the curve at Crofton on 20 August 2020 with the 7A09 07:12 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. Note the masses of cloud in the background, on a day that was forecast to be virtually completely sunny!

59004 Paul A Hammond passes Hungerford Common on 21 August 2020 with the late running 7A09 07:12 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. The footbridge at Hungerford station can just be seen in the distance.

59004 Paul A Hammond rounds the curve at Great Bedwyn on 16 July 2021 with the 7A09 07:12 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. Most of the very lengthy train is hidden from view around the corner.

59004 Paul A Hammond approaches Hungerford on 22 November 2021 with the 7A09 07:12 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. Although this train is booked for a load of 4800 tonnes, it doesn't always run with a such a heavy load. However, it certainly looks like its got a full load on this occasion, as the final wagon can just bee seen coming into view around the reverse curves in the distance.

59004 Paul A Hammond approaches Uffington on 2 March 2023 with the diverted 6A09 05:38 Merehead Quarry to Action Mendip Rail stone train. With only two portions, instead of three, and with no 45mph restricted wagons, it was running as a class 6, instead of the usual 7A09. The shorter train just fits this location. If it had been running with all three portions, it would have had two locos, which might have been a tight squeeze between the 25kV mast and the bushes on the right!

59005 Kenneth J Painter heads west past Iver on 22 February 1990 with the 7A22 14:47 Acton to Merehead Foster Yeoman stone empties. Iver station can be seen in the background. This is the first substantial area of countryside that the Great Western Mainline passes through on its way out of London, although even this is brief, as Slough is not far away! 59005 was delivered later than the other four Yeoman 59s, after the company identified a need for a fifth loco, and was convinced of their reliability. The loco arrived in the UK in June 1989, and this is my first picture of it.

An unusual motive power combination, at an unusual location. 59005 Kenneth J Painter tows 33109 & 56001 Whatley past Standish Junction on 1 July 1990, heading back to Westbury after the locos were displayed at the Gloucester Rail Day. Unfortunately by the time this convoy left the show and set off for home it was nearly dark.

59005 Kenneth J Painter arrives at Westbury on 5 August 1991 with the 7V75 10:12 Crawley to Merehead Quarry stone empties, passing an empty rake of Bardon hoppers on the left, and Westbury Signal Box on the right.

I went to Hawkeridge Junction on 19 August 1993, as I thought this would be the mostly likely place to get the loaded and unloaded trains from the second Severn Bridge construction contract passing each other. In the event, this turned up five minutes before the empties. 59005 Kenneth J Painter heads north from Westbury with the 7C42 11:52 Merehead to Hallen Moor stone train, passing three recently withdrawn two car Class 108 DMUs in the siding. Five minutes later 59002 Yeoman Enterprise passed by in the other direction.

The now disused Westbury Cement Works is still in full production here, as 59005 Kenneth J Painter approaches Fairwood on 30 January 1995 with the 7C29 05:40 Acton to Merehead Mendip Rail stone empties. The cement works closed in 2009 after 47 years of production.

Watched over by a solitary lamb, 59005 Kenneth J Painter & 59103 Village of Mells climb the Lickey Incline on 27 April 1996 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z59 06:55 Westbury to Sheffield Tinsley Open Day special. Obviously with just eight coaches and 6,600hp available up front, the notorious 1 in 37 Lickey held no fear for this train!

A working that has stood the test of time is the 6C48 Appleford to Whatley stone empties. In 1997 there was good and bad news compared with the same train's running nearly two decades later. On the plus side it was always Class 59 hauled, as the dreaded 66s had not yet arrived, but on the minus side, its earlier departure time of 11:44 meant that the sun was not on the nose between Didcot and Swindon. Running exactly to time on 22 April 1997, 59005 Kenneth J Painter approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth. The foundation of Mendip Rail a few years earlier, and the pooling of resources has resulted in not only a Foster Yeoman loco, but also Yeoman wagons appearing on what used to be an ARC working.

59005 Kenneth J Painter heads east along the Great Western Mainline at Compton Beauchamp with stone empties on 14 May 1997. As there were no timetabled Mendip Rail trains along this route in the evening at this time, this is presumably a diversion off the Berks & Hants line.

59005 Kenneth J Painter passes Colthrop on 19 October 2000 with the 7C74 12:49 Acton to Merehead Mendip Rail stone empties. This view is no longer possible, as the footbridge from which it was taken has been removed.

59005 Kenneth J Painter passes Kintbury on 2 April 2007 with the 6V18 12:43 Hither Green to Whatley stone empties. The location is next to the Kennet & Avon Canal, and is an excellent spot to observe westbound trains in the afternoon.

59005 Kenneth J Painter passes Waltham St Lawrence with the 7A09 07:12 Merehead to Acton Yard Yeoman 'jumbo' stone train on 27 July 2007. You can clearly see the three portions on this train, which will be split to serve different destinations once the train reaches Acton. While watching the 59 approach, I could hear an HST approaching from behind, which while not completely blocking the shot would certainly ruin the picture. Luckily as the 59 was moving so slowly and the HST was going so fast, it has turned a  near disaster into a pleasant passing shot.

59005 Kenneth J Painter passes Crofton on 20 October 2010 with the 7A17 10:31 Merehead to Acton Mendip Rail stone train. Only one portion on this occasion, which means the whole train just fits in the gap. Despite it being a virtually completely sunny day where I was, it doesn't look quite so good to the west!

As the sun sinks slowly in the west, 59005 Kenneth J Painter approaches Woodborough on 10 November 2010 with the 6Z18 Hither Green to Westbury stone empties, running just eleven minutes behind 6V18 on an identical route. Earlier in the day 59005 had worked up to Hither Green with the 6Y98 empties from Hothfield.

59005 Kenneth J Painter ambles along the Great Western Mainline on 28 April 2011, passing the abundant hawthorn blossom near the site of Ashbury Crossing at Shrivenham. It is working the late running 7C54 13:06 Oxford Banbury Road to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. Although I shouldn't complain, as for once the weather was far better than forecast, but the late running had meant that the sun was getting rather head on at this location.

59005 Kenneth J Painter rounds the curve by Crofton Pumping Station on 30 September 2011 with the 6Z17 10:59 Whatley to Hayes Mendip Rail stone train. Considering I had very little time to find a location after taking a picture of 37601 coming the other way, I am really pleased with the composition of this picture. The perfect juxtaposition of the narrowboat Gorgeous Grace and the overhanging tree branches more than makes up for the fact that the sun is not on the front of 59005.

59005 Kenneth J Painter ambles along the down relief line at Denchworth on 27 July 2012 with the 7C48 13:30 Appleford to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. As usual this is running early, in this case passing Denchworth over an hour before departure time from Appleford!

59005 Kenneth J Painter passes Shrivenham on 16 April 2014 with the 7C48 13:30 Appleford to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. The highest numbered member of the sub-class on the same train that was worked the previous day by the lowest numbered member.

59005 Kenneth J Painter passes Brimslade on 8 April 2015 with the 6V18 12:27 Hither Green to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. I have deliberately chosen a wider than normal view, in order to include the ancient tree on the right. However, this specimen is nothing compared to some of the other ancient knurled oaks off to the right of the picture.

59005 Kenneth J Painter approaches Steventon on 15 May 2018 with the diverted 7A09 06:26 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. This was running a few minutes early, in contrast to the previous day's one hour late running. This was probably due to the train being considerably less 'jumbo' than normal! The train's normal route would be via the Berks & Hants line.

Dust storm approaching! 59005 Kenneth J Painter is pictured near Great Bedwyn on 2 July 2018 with the 6L21 13:23 Whatley Quarry to Dagenham Dock Mendip Rail stone train, running a staggering 198 minutes late. Because of this it was terminated at Acton Yard. This was the third Class 59/0 that I had photographed on this afternoon, meaning I had seen 60% of the sub-class.

After having a good long rest in the loop at Challow (an hour instead of the booked 23 minutes), 59005 Kenneth J Painter approaches Compton Beauchamp on 10 July 2018 with the 6C48 17:44 Appleford to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. A very long lens was required in order to avoid the encroaching shadows. This does tend to highlight the ugliness of the new catenary.

Not all Mendip Rail stone trains are massive. 59005 Kenneth J Painter passes Grove with a modest load on 12 July 2018, as it works the diverted 6A17 10:24 Whatley Quarry to Acton. Luckily the cloud that can be seen in the distance, stayed in the distance until all the trains that I wanted to photograph had passed!

59005 Kenneth J Painter approaches Hungerford on 13 November 2018 with the 7A09 07:18 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. This makes an interesting comparison with the same train photographed here a few weeks earlier. The earlier greens have turned into stunning autumn gold, and foreground shadows have appeared. The wagons are different too.

59005 Kenneth J Painter passes Hungerford Common on 17 January 2019 with the 7A09 07:17 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. Note the new fence on the left - much less intrusive than the former trees and bushes!

59005 Kenneth J Painter approaches Hungerford Common on 27 February 2019 with the 6V18 11:25 Allington to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. This was the last day of a record breaking sunny period, with the highest ever UK February temperature (21.2ºC) recorded the previous day at Kew.

59005 Kenneth J Painter passes Kintbury on 23 August 2019 with the 6V18 11:25 Allington to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. Note the vandalised wagon directly behind the loco, an all too common sight nowadays.

59005 Kenneth J Painter passes Froxfield on 20 July 2020 with the 7A09 07:12 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. This was running seven minutes early, which was unfortunate, as the 1C74 09:04 Paddington to Plymouth GWR service was approaching from the other direction. In fact, the IET was completely blocking out the Class 59 where I was aiming to take it, but luckily this is the result from a couple of frames earlier in the ten frames per second burst. Even so, the top of the roof of the IET has had to be removed from the immediate foreground!

Both loops at Woodborough in use on 15 February 2023. 59005 Kenneth J Painter had just arrived in the up loop with the early running 7A17 10:24 Merehead Quarry to Colnbrook stone, while the down loop is occupied by the 6C31 10:08 Theale to Whatley Quarry stone empties, worked by 59202 Pride of Ferrybridge. It would get even more interesting shortly, as 66597 added a third train to the scene.

59005 Kenneth J Painter passes Little Bedwyn on 29 September 2023 with the 6C31 10:08 Theale to Whatley Quarry stone empties. This was running 68 minutes early, passing me just a couple of minutes after its booked departure time from Theale!

59005 Kenneth J Painter & 66554 pass Woodborough on 18 April 2024 with the 6A40 08:40 Merehead Quarry to Hanwell Bridge Loop stone train, unfortunately just as a very small cloud passes across the sun! At least the locos are lit.

59101 passes East Grimstead on 10 September 1991 with the 7O83 12:03 Whatley Quarry to Fareham ARC stone. This was a bit fraught, as something equally interesting was approaching from the opposite direction! 59101 was less than a year old at this time, and was still unnamed. It received its Village of Whatley name in May 1992.

The highlight of the Severn Valley Railway's Diesel Gala on 9 May 1992 was the visit of ARC's 59101 Village of Whatley. The heavyweight freight loco is pictured in unusual surroundings, and with an unusual load, as it passes Eardington in the rain, en-route from Kidderminster to Bridgnorth.

59101 Village of Whatley passes the Rover car works at Swindon with the 6A43 06:59 Appleford to Whatley ARC stone empties on 26 October 1992. The car plant manufactures car body panels, opening as Pressed Steel Fisher in 1954 and trading under various names since then, culminating in Swindon Pressings Ltd. The photo was taken from a very conveniently placed footbridge that crosses the Great Western Main Line next to Highworth Junction.

59101 Village of Whatley approaches the site of Ashbury Crossing, near Shrivenham on 8 May 1996 with the 6C47 18:36 Appleford to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. A very long lens is required at this time of the evening to clear the shadows of a nearby farm building. This has exaggerated the reverse curves and made Chapelwick Farm appear much closer than it really is.

Still just about clear of the advancing evening shadows, 59101 Village of Whatley passes Shrivenham on 6 June 1996 with the 6C47 18:36 Appleford to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. In the background is the bridge by the site of Ashbury Crossing, from which I took a picture of the same loco on the same train a month earlier.

In crisp autumnal light, 59101 Village of Whatley & 59001 Yeoman Endeavour pass Bourton (near Swindon) with the 1Z30 09:08 Castle Cary to Stratford-upon-Avon Mendip Rail private charter on 17 October 1998. Class 47/7 47736 can just be seen on the rear of the train providing heat. Unfortunately the sunny weather did not last and arrival at Stratford was in very poor light.

Unfortunately by the time the 1Z30 09:08 Castle Cary to Stratford-upon-Avon Mendip Rail private charter on 17 October 1998 arrived at its destination, the earlier sunny conditions had disappeared. 59101 Village of Whatley & 59001 Yeoman Endeavour are pictured drawing into the station in the gloom, with 47736 bringing up the rear.

59101 Village of Whatley & 59001 Yeoman Endeavour had arrived at Stratford-upon-Avon in very gloomy conditions on 17 October 1998 with the 1Z30 09:08 Mendip Rail private charter from Castle Cary. However, as the locos were running round there was a brief burst of sunshine. I wouldn't normally bother taking a picture of a pair of light engines, but the sheer novelty of a pair of Class 59s at Stratford, plus the amazing dark clouds in the background makes the shot worthwhile, despite the sun's head on angle.

59101 Village of Whatley rounds the curve at Great Cheverell with the 6V18 12:39 Hither Green to Whatley Hanson stone empties on 9 April 1999. Note the mixture of ARC and Hanson liveries amongst the wagons. This picture demonstrates one of the pitfalls of using a Pentax 6x7 rollfilm camera and ISO 100 film. Although the loco and front part of the train is pin sharp, there is not enough depth of field on a 200mm lens to cover the background. I suppose some people would say it throws the subject into sharp focus (excuse the pun), but personally I would have liked to had the option for a little more depth of field, 35mm style.

59101 Village of Whatley passes Taplow on 26 January 2000 with the 7A09 07:05 Merehead to Acton Foster Yeoman 'Jumbo' stone. The relief lines make a turn here, in order to pass around Taplow station's wide island platform.

59101 Village of Whatley is caught a patch of weak spring sunshine as it passes Mannigford Bruce on 12 Aril 2007 with the 6V67 10:38 Sevington to Merehead stone empties. This train runs as a Q service, denoting 'as required'. This short train certainly wouldn't tax a Class 59 even when fully loaded!

59101 Village of Whatley passes the site of Patney & Chirton station with the 7A09 07:12 Merehead to Acton Yard Yeoman 'jumbo' stone train on 9 August 2007. Even though the station was closed in 1966, the footbridge survives marooned in the fields on a little used footpath. This is the view looking west from the bridge, with the space on the right marking the site of the Devizes branch lines. The station had four platforms, which explains the extreme length of this footbridge.

59101 Village of Whatley approaches Stocks Lane Level Crossing at Steventon on 29 September 2009 with the 6C54 13:13 Oxford Banbury Road to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. Didcot Power Station can be seen in the background. Of course it was full sun when I left the house, but naturally that turned into virtually 100% cloud cover when I got to the line! I know a lot of people will not take photos in such conditions, but I think the results are often quite satisfactory, especially when, as here, careful use of Photoshop has retained plenty of sky detail rather than the awful  'missing sky' effect that one often comes across on Fotopic sites.

59101 Village of Whatley approaches Kintbury on 31 August 2010 with the 6A74 09:22 Whatley to Theale Hanson stone train. Although this appears to be in the middle of the countryside, it is in fact on the edge of Kintbury village, and the Kennet & Avon Canal is just to the left. In this era of ugly palisade fencing, it is nice to see some vintage wooden post lineside fencing still surviving.

With brakes squealing, 59101 Village of Whatley slowly brings its train to a halt as it passes the Crofton Pumping Station on 30 September 2011 with the 7A09 07:12 Merehead to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. After a brief signal check it resumed its journey towards the capital. Crofton Pumping Station was built to supply water to the Kennet & Avon Canal (hidden by the bushes in the foreground). It houses the oldest working beam engine in the world still in its original engine house.

The hawthorn blossom is just starting to come out at Crofton on 22 May 2012, as 59101 Village of Whatley rolls slowly round the curve with the 7A09 07:12 Merehead to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. Even at this rural location a communications mast has spring up, along with attendant generator. Thankfully it doesn't intrude too much on the view.

After waiting some time for a clear path, 59101 Village of Whatley joins the mainline at Appleford on 9 August 2012 with the 7C48 Appleford to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties, yet again running much earlier than its scheduled departure time of 13:30. It is obviously running 'wrong line' a this point, and it will use the crossover just the other side of the level crossing in the foreground in order to gain the correct line.

59101 Village of Whatley passes Bourton on 2 July 2014 with the 7C48 13:30 Appleford to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. In the background the 1A19 13:30 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington First Great Western HST is about to pass beneath the soon to be demolished Shrivenham road bridge.

59101 Village of Whatley & 59205 approach Crofton on the very gloomy morning of 7 May 2016 with the 7C29 07:00 Acton to Merehead Mendip Rail stone empties. I wouldn't normally bother to photograph this in some dismal light, but a Class 59/1 & 59/2 combination is always worth a picture.

59101 Village of Whatley passes Wolfhall on 8 September 2016 with the 7C77 12:39 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. I had not visited this location for several decades, and even though various people have told me how bad the vegetation was, I was still surprised by the state that Network Rail have allowed the lineside to get into.

59101 Village of Whatley slowly pulls away from a signal check, and passes Didcot North Junction on 25 April 2017 with the 6A15 04:06 Whatley Quarry to Appleford Mendip Rail stone train. This was running 100 minutes late, which was possibly an advantage, as it was still cloudy at its booked time. However, the late running has resulted in the sun not being on the front. You can't win! The train had travelled via the Berks & Hants line, rather than its normal route via Swindon. Even so, it was supposed to have come via the west curve (on the right), instead it has most unusually traversed the east curve from Didcot East Junction.

59101 Village of Whatley passes Hungerford Common on 27 September 2018 with the 6C76 14:39 Acton to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. In theory there were two more stone trains to photograph here within the next hour, but as neither of them had left yet, I decided to call it a day. This was a good decision, as the 6C74 15:35 Theale to Whatley left 70 minutes late, and the 7C64 15:26 Acton to Merehead left an hour late. That was bad enough, but both passed Hungerford running approximately two hours late, by which time the sun was setting!

59101 Village of Whatley & 59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer pass Hungerford Common on 15 May 2019 with the 7C64 15:26 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. The lighting is a little head on, but as the sun is so weak, it hardly makes any difference!

59101 Village of Whatley passes Edington on 20 September 2019 with the 6L21 13:24 Whatley Quarry to Dagenham Dock Mendip Rail stone train. The bridge in the background is purely a farm occupation bridge, just connecting the fields on either side of the line.

59101 Village of Whatley passes Great Bedwyn on 16 July 2021 with the 6C31 10:08 Theale to Whatley Quarry stone empties. Unfortunately few westbound freights pass this iconic location when the light is favourable, but although the sun is not quite on the front here, it still makes an excellent picture with Great Bedwyn church in the background.

Looking very smart in its freshly applied Heidelberg Materials livery, 59101 Village of Whatley passes Uffington on 11 December 2023 with the 6C48 12:49 Appleford to Whatley Quarry stone empties. This was running 20 minutes late, as it had to wait at Challow for a procession of late running GWR trains. Despite several of these trains running over half an hour late, the GWR website said there was a 'Good service across our network', which shows how low their standards are!

59101 Village of Whatley passes South Marston on 19 January 2024 with the 6C48 12:49 Appleford to Stoke Gifford stone empties. This was running almost to time here, but would wait in Swindon East Loop for much longer than booked, and would eventually arrive at its destination over two hours late.

59101 Village of Whatley is just a few hundred yards into its journey, as it approaches Didcot North Junction on 20 March 2024 with the 6C48 12:49 Appleford Sidings to Whatley Quarry stone empties. A pity the sun disappeared as it approached!

Unique Heidelberg Materials liveried 59101 Village of Whatley passes Great Bedwyn on 29 July 2024 with the 6C31 10:14 Theale to Whatley Quarry stone empties. St Mary's church, and its famous yew tree can be seen in the background.

Running 47 minutes late, 59101 Village of Whatley passes Uffington on 11 November 2024 with the diverted 6Z53 10:03 West Drayton Frays Sidings to Whatley Quarry stone empties. Just visible in the background are some yellow containers on the 4L33 10:00 Wentloog to London Gateway freightliner.

The as yet unnamed 59102 heads along the down main line at West Drayton on 22 June 1991 with an unidentified working. For once it was lucky that the sun wasn't shining, as this picture is taken from the north side of the line. Note the red flag across the down relief line, both slow lines being closed for engineering work.

59102 Village of Chantry glints in the late afternoon sun, as it passes Whisker Hill Junction on 5 September 1993 with the Worksop Open Day Committee 1Z78 16:06 Sheffield to Retford High Level Trainload Coal Motive Power Day Worksop Open Day special.

59102 Village of Chantry passes Narroways Hill Junction on 3 March 1994 with the 7C42 14:01 Merehead to Hallen Moor stone train. This short term contract in connection with the construction of the approach roads for the Second Severn Crossing, brought regular Class 59 workings to the Bristol area.

59102 Village of Chantry passes Berkley on the misty morning of 12 October 1994 with the 7O38 10:04 Merehead to Fareham stone train. I'm not sure whether its a trick of the light, but it looks like the loco's red lights are lit, as well as the headlight.

59102 Village of Chantry & 66028 pass Hinksey Yard on 27 February 1999 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z45 06:34 Sheffield to Trowbridge 'Yankee Sidewinder' railtour. The 59 had been added to the train at Oxford, the 66 having brought the train from Worcester, over the Cotswold Line.

59102 Village of Chantry passes Fairwood (near Westbury) with the 6Z20 09:45 Whatley to St Pancras stone train on 11 September 2007. The train is just accelerating away from a short 20mph restriction under the bridge in the background, caused by track repairs following severe flood damage a couple of months previously. Note the mix of ex RMC (at the front) and ex National Power (at the rear) hoppers in use on this train.

The 7A09 07:12 Merehead to Acton Yard Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train wasn't quite so jumbo on 23 November 2007, with only one of the normal three portions making for a very short train. 59102 Village of Chantry rounds the curve near Aldermaston past a number of trees still showing some good autumn colour. Note the stone dust blowing out of the last wagon.

59102 Village of Chantry passes the site of Patney & Chirton station on 11 May 2009 with the 7C77 12:40 Acton to Merehead Mendip Rail stone empties. Until the trees were felled at this location in 2008 this view was totally impossible. Note also the slightly modified bridge in the background. I suppose it makes a change from the usual complete replacement.

Running over two hours late, and traveling very slowly, 59102 Village of Chantry passes Crofton on 20 October 2010 with the 7A09 07:12 Merehead to Acton Yard Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. Quite what the problem was is not clear, but the train almost came to a stand as it passed out of view around the corner by the canal pumping station. The lengthy train consists of the usual three portions, with the four OAA wagons containing blocks well and truly hidden around the corner.

Didcot Power Station's 655 feet tall chimney looms eerily out of the haze behind 59102 Village of Chantry as it approaches Stocks Lane, Steventon on 8 March 2011 with the 7C54 13:06 Oxford Banbury Road to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties.

59102 Village of Chantry approaches Wantage Road on 17 November 2011 with the 7C54 13:06 Oxford Banbury Road to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. It is slowing down in order to take the relief line as far as Challow. This location was deliberately chosen to show off the autumn colours of the lineside trees.

59102 Village of Chantry passes Milton on 13 September 2012 with the 7C54 13:06 Oxford Banbury Road to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. Instead of the customary early running, on this occasion it was virtually bang on time.

A piece of railway infrastructure that has been in place ever since I started railway photography, but is sure to be replaced with the forthcoming Great Western Mainline electrification, is the signal gantry controlling the crossovers at Uffington. This is situated hard up against the road bridge at Baulking. The normal viewpoint is to the side of this, but in view of its imminent demise, I decided to take this wider view of the rusty structure. 59102 Village of Chantry approaches on 5 July 2013 with the 6C48 13:30 Appleford to Westbury Mendip Rail stone empties. Although roughly on time here, it did in fact leave Appleford ridiculously early, and then sat in Challow loop for well over two hours!

59102 Village of Chantry passes through Pewsey station on 23 August 2013 with the 7A09 07:12 Merehead to Acton Mendip Rail stone train. Definitely not the normal 'Jumbo' train, with a consist of just fifteen Yeoman JHA hoppers. The station building on the left dates from 1862, whilst the waiting room on the right was only built in 1984.

Class 59 crop duster! 59102 Village of Chantry passes Bourton on 1 July 2014 with the 7A15 05:29 Westbury to Appleford Mendip Rail stone train, with some of the load being deposited on the lineside fields. The early morning fog has now cleared, although obviously not in the background, as Swindon should be visible in the background from this spot!

Running 26 minutes late, 59102 Village of Chantry & 59201 approach Steventon on 2 August 2018 with the diverted 7A09 06:33 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. Note how little is left of the fence in the foreground, with some of the concrete posts little more than the steel reinforcing wire!

Doing the job that it has been doing for nearly three decades, 59102 Village of Chantry is pictured near Great Bedwyn on 27 June 2019 with the 7C64 15:26 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. The Kennet & Avon Canal runs parallel with the line here, just behind the trees.

59102 Village of Chantry approaches Little Bedwyn on 30 July 2020 with the 6C76 14:39 Acton to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. The Rosebay Willowherb adds a splash of colour to the scene, but would have looked even more impressive if it was growing in the foreground!

A fine show of Rhododendron ponticum at Wootton Rivers on 15 June 2021. 59102 Village of Chantry slowly plods along the Berks & Hants line with its 4,000 tonne 7A09 07:12 Merehead Quarry to Action Mendip Rail stone train.

59102 Village of Chantry passes Froxfield on 20 July 2021 with the 7A09 07:12 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. I'm not sure what happened to this train at Reading, but it suddenly went from being on time to 154 minutes late!

59102 Village of Chantry slowly passes Manningford Bruce on 25 February 2022 with the daily morning Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train, which on this occasion was running in a VSTP path as the 7A09 07:27 Westbury Tarmac to Acton, having been tripped from Merehead Quarry to Westbury earlier in the morning.

59102 Village of Chantry passes Manningford Bruce on 24 March 2022 with the 7A77 12:03 Merehead Quarry to Theale Mendip Rail stone train. Note the daffodils that manage to survive on the trackside - a small clump in the brambles, and a single flower in the bottom right corner of the picture.

Springtime at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth. The blackthorn is in bloom, as 59102 Village of Chantry runs along the up relief line on 21 April 2022 with the 6A60 08:32 Whatley Quarry to Oxford Banbury Road Mendip Rail stone train.

59102 Village of Chantry runs along the down relief line at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 10 August 2023 with the 6C48 12:49 Appleford to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. Amazingly, I have now been visiting the location for the last 50 years!

Freshly painted 59102 Village of Chantry passes Great Bedwyn on 6 April 2024 with the 6V31 09:04 Wembley Receptions 1-7 to Merehead Quarry stone empties. The loco had been released from Eastleigh Works the previous day, after becoming the first Class 59/1 to receive the orange Freightliner livery. There were no GWR passenger trains running, due to an ASLEF strike, so with nothing in the way, this train had missed out its booked stop in Towney Loop, and was running 47 minutes early here.

Brand new 59103 heads through the rain at Tockenham Wick on 14 March 1991 with the 6A43 07:28 Appleford to Whatley Quarry ARC stone empties. A very poor quality image, but it is one of the few pictures I have of a freight train at this location, and it is also the only picture I have of 59103 before it was named.

59103 Village of Mells & 33021 emerge from Bincombe Tunnel on 5 January 1992 with the DC Tours 1Z24 10:12 Waterloo to Weymouth 'Solent & Wessex Wanderer' railtour. Terrible weather conditions, and nearly dark, but worth recording for the sheer novelty of the traction. Kodachrome 200. 1/250sec f1.4.

59103 Village of Mells approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 16 October 1992 with what is presumably the late running 6A43 ARC stone empties returning to Whatley Quarry. As this was well before the days of easy access to gen, this could either have originated from Oxford Banbury Road at 06:38 (booked), or Appleford at 06:59 (in theory). Both trains ran under the same headcode, as required. Note the fresh ballast in the foreground, and the sleepers laid out to take the soon to be reinstated down relief line. The installation of up relief line would follow just over a year later. This was in preparation for imported coal for Didcot Power Station coming via Avonmouth, instead of from domestic pits in the Midlands.

59103 Village of Mells passes Hemington on 4 January 1997 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z59 05:27 Bristol Temple Meads to Sudforth Lane 'G.M. Gyrator' railtour. Freezing cold and with no chance of any sunshine, it was still worth the effort to travel this far for the sight of an ARC 59/1 well off the beaten track. It is traversing the Stenson Junction to Sheet Stores Junction freight line, prior to heading north to Yorkshire for travel over even more obscure freight lines

I haven't got many pictures of the Class 59s at work on iron ore trains in South Wales, and the few that I have seem to be in poor light! 59103 Village of Mells passes Coedkernew on 11 September 1997 with the 7B40 07:54 Port Talbot to Llanwern iron ore.

59103 Village of Mells emerges from Hillfield Tunnel, and approaches Gaer Junction on 11 September 1997 with the 6B40 11:50 Llanwern to Port Talbot iron ore empties, while 37670 St Blazey T&RS Depot & 37696 stand at a red signal with the 6B99 04:56 St Blazey to Alexandra Dock Enterprise service.

59103 Village of Mells & 59001 Yeoman Endeavour pass Cockwood Harbour on 3 May 1999 with the 1Z97 18:05 Paignton to Bristol Temple Meads 'English Riviera Special'. This is the return working of the annual Mendip Rail staff outing, taking a pair of their locomotives to unfamiliar territory.

59103 Village of Mells passes through Newbury Racecourse station with the 6V18 12:39 Hither Green to Whatley ARC 'Jumbo' stone empties on a cloudless 25 June 1999. Note the mix of ARC and Hanson liveried wagons in the consist. Newbury Racecourse station was opened in 1905 and for a long time was only used on race days. With the building of the large industrial estate that can be seen in this view it was made into a calling point for the local stopping services which currently work through to Bedwyn.

In the pouring rain on 3 May 2004, 59103 Village of Mells comes off the Frome line at Clink Road Junction with the annual Pathfinder Tours / Mendip Rail excursion, this time heading for Bognor Regis, running as the 1Z59 08:06 from Castle Cary, and ironically given the prevailing weather conditions titled 'Sunny South Express'! 59001 Yeoman Endeavour can be seen on the rear of the train (the train would shortly reverse at Westbury). Although the rain does add a little atmosphere to the picture compared with just a cloudy day, keeping the camera dry in such conditions is a major preoccupation!

59103 Village of Mells approaches the site of Ashbury Crossing, near Shrivenham on 19 April 2007 with the 6C53 12:59 Oxford Banbury Road (Kidlington) to Whatley Mendip Rail empty stone train. Note the fresh green foliage and spring blossom on the trees, which makes an ideal foil for photography, before the drab all over green look to the landscape in May and June.

59103 Village of Mells passes Knighton on 1 May 2007 with the 6C53 12:59 Oxford Banbury Road (Kidlington) to Whatley Mendip Rail empty stone train. The farm occupation underbridge clearly hasn't been used for some years!

59103 Village of Mells passes Brimpton on 23 November 2007 with the late running 7C31 09:45 Theale to Merehead stone empties. An everyday scene on Mendip stone trains nowadays - an ex ARC Class 59 working Yeoman wagons.

59103 Village of Mells passes the site of Patney & Chirton station on a sunny but surprisingly cold 11 May 2009 with the 7A17 10:31 Merehead to Acton Mendip Rail stone train. A good location for seeing Class 59s, as I managed to see a third of the fleet here, with examples from all three subclasses.

59103 Village of Mells passes Wootton Rivers on 22 June 2010 with the 7A09 07:12 Merehead to Acton 'jumbo' stone train, nearly half of which is still out of sight around the corner. Always to be relied upon, 7A09 is one of the long term staples of railway photography in the Wiltshire area.

59103 Village of Mells rounds the curve at Didcot North Junction on 10 July 2015 with the 6A15 05:04 Whatley Quarry to Appleford Mendip Rail stone train. This is probably the nearest I have ever come to missing a picture, as I literally just had time to get the camera out of the bag and press the shutter! I thought I could hear it coming as I was walking up the path towards the bridge, and as I climbed the steps it was coming round the curve. It's amazing how awkward a lens cap seems to be to remove when it is desperately urgent! I had checked a little earlier, and it was running just a few minutes early. However, by missing out a couple of booked stops, it was now over half an hour ahead of time!

59103 Village of Mells slowly approaches Didcot North Junction on 20 April 2018 with the 6C48 17:11 Appleford to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties, although six wagons still contain a full load of stone. Only around half of the train is visible in this picture, which on this occasion amounted to an amazing 36 wagons.

Whenever the 7A09 06:27 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train is diverted via Swindon, it always seems to run late. Such was the case on 10 July 2018, when 59103 Village of Mells was pictured passing Uffington running 202 minutes behind schedule!

59103 Village of Mells approaches Kintbury on 23 August 2019 with the 7A17 10:28 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail stone train. This had left approximately an hour late, but was more or less back on time here.

59103 Village of Mells sits in Woodborough loop on 20 September 2019 with the 7A17 10:28 Merehead Quarry to Colnbrook Mendip Rail stone train. The driver made use of the time by picking and eating blackberries from the bushes by the side of the line!

After waiting in Woodborough loop for 25 minutes, 59103 Village of Mells slowly gets under way again, as it pulls out onto the mainline with the 7A17 10:28 Merehead Quarry to Colnbrook Mendip Rail stone train on 20 September 2019.

59103 Village of Mells passes Edington on 26 March 2020 with the 6L21 13:23 Whatley Quarry to Dagenham Dock Mendip Rail stone train. The bridge in the background is a farm occupation bridge, connecting fields on either side of the line.

59103 Village of Mells approaches Little Bedwyn on 21 July 2021 with the 6L21 13:23 Whatley Quarry to Dagenham Dock Mendip Rail stone. Although this had left early, it was running 77 minutes late here, after being held in Woodborough loop for nearly two hours.

59103 Village of Mells passes Manningford Bruce on 24 March 2022 with the 7Z60 11:16 Brentford Town to Merehead Quarry stone empties. Unfortunately this corresponded with the sun disappearing into some high cloud. Note the clumps of daffodils on the trackside, and along the field boundaries.

59103 Village of Mells passes South Marston on 19 January 2023 with the 6C48 12:49 Appleford to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. I really didn't think I was going to get this in the sun. The signal behind me had turned to green several minutes earlier, and the map app showed it one signal away, yet still the sun was behind a really dark cloud. Gradually the field behind me lit up, and then agonisingly slowly the cloud moved away, lighting up the scene, just as the train came into view!

Running 36 minutes early, 59103 Village of Mells & 66503 The Railway Magazine Celebrating 126 years 1897-2022 approach Little Bedwyn on 26 May 2023 with the 6C76 14:21 Wembley Reception Sidings to Whatley Quarry stone empties.

59103 Village of Mells passes Berkley on 18 September 2023 with the 7V12 15:38 Woking to Merehead Quarry stone empties. Although reasonably clear of vegetation, this location still needs a long lens on an autumn evening, in order the clear the foreground shadows.

The still unnamed 59104 passes the site of Edington station on 18 April 1991 with the 6A17 Whatley to Theale ARC stone train. Westbury Cement Works can be seen in the background. The old goods shed in the background is all that survives of Edington & Bratton station.

59104 passes Hinksey Yard on 1 August 1991 with a specially weighted test train running from Derby to Eastleigh. This was one of a series of test trains run on behalf of Railfreight Distribution. Unfortunately this was a very dull day, but I wasn't going to miss the opportunity of photographing such an unusual working. The rear portion of the 3,000 ton train is made of steel bars, but the front section appears to be aluminium ingots. 59104 has been past this location many times since, but never with a load like this!

During August 1991, 59104 worked a series of specials on behalf of Railfreight Distribution to assess the suitability of the Class for 75 mph freightliner operation. The as yet unnamed 59104 approaches Culham on 2 August with an Eastleigh to Crewe Basford Hall test train, comprising a rake of weighted FFA & FGA flats. Didcot Power Station dominates the background.

The as yet unnamed 59104 passes Harbury on 5 August 1991 with the 4Z69 09:20 Crewe to Westbury specially weighted test train. This was one of a number of specials run on behalf of Railfreight Distribution to assess the suitability of the Class for 75 mph freightliner operation.

59104 arrives at Westbury on 5 August 1991 with the 4Z69 09:20 Crewe to Westbury specially weighted test train. Considering that advanced warning of unusual workings such as this was difficult to come by at the time, I did quite well to get several pictures of these test trains, although unfortunately for most of the week of the trials the weather was dire.

After working the 4Z69 09:20 Crewe to Westbury Railfreight Distribution test train on 5 August 1991, 59104 was back to more normal duties the same evening, as it was used to move a rake of empty ARC stone hoppers from Westbury to Whatley Quarry. It is pictured here approaching Clink.

On a very dull 6 August 1991, 59104 (still unnamed) passes Aynho Junction with the 4Z69 09:08 Westbury to Crewe Basford Hall loaded test train, one of a series of specials run on behalf of Railfreight Distribution to assess the suitability of the Class for 75 mph freightliner operation. Despite the dismal weather I wasn't going to miss the opportunity of getting this historic picture, even if I had to resort to good old grainy Kodachrome 200 to get it! In the background is Aynho Junction Signal Box, which had just a year's life ahead of it. In 1992 the control of Aynho Junction was transferred to Banbury South box.

The as yet unnamed 59104 passes South Moreton on 28 August 1991 with the 6A51 14:30 Theale to Whatley Quarry (via Swindon) ARC stone empties. Either there was insufficient time to completely unload the train, or there was a problem with the leading wagon's doors, but either way nearly 80 tonnes of stone is heading back to the quarry!

A very unusual load for 59104 Village of Great Elm! The loco is working the 2G39 14:45 King's Lynn to Cambridge Network SouthEast Gala special, seen here coming off the single track section of line on the approach to Littleport on 14 September 1991. The unusual choice of stock is a pair of 25kV EMUs, 312789 & 312790. The loco had been named earlier that day at Cambridge.

Surprisingly I have very few pictures of trains in the loops at Uffington (between Swindon and Didcot). It's a bit late now as they are not there any more! On 8 July 1992, 59104 Village of Great Elm pulls away from the signal at the east end of the up loop with the 6M24 04:35 Whatley to Wolverton ARC stone train, while a HST speeds past on the down line. 6M24 was booked to wait in the loop between 09:26 and 09:45 to allow the 08:45 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington, 07:32 Swansea to Paddington, and 08:10 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington to overtake it.

59104 Village of Great Elm passes the remains of Shrivenham station on 4 September 1992 with the 6M24 04:35 Whatley to Wolverton ARC stone train. It will soon be entering the loop at Uffington (since removed), where it will be overtaken by the 08:45 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington, 07:32 Swansea to Paddington, and 08:10 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington HSTs. Admittedly when this picture was taken 59104 had only been in traffic for less than two years, but even so note how clean it is, particularly the underframe. Obviously loco washing was a high priority at Whatley!

59104 Village of Great Elm passes Fox's Wood, near Keynsham, on 12 August 1993 with the 14:25 Hallen Moor to Whatley Quarry ARC stone empties. This was a part of a short tern contract to supply stone for the construction of the approach roads to the second Severn Bridge. Just beyond the bridge in the background was the site of the former rail connected Fox's Wood Quarry.

59104 Village of Great Elm passes Berkley with the 6C26 12:45 Southall Yard to Whatley stone empties on 12 October 1994. At this time there was a problem with some of the Mendip Rail wagons, hence the use of the hired in Tiphook KPA wagons seen here. Berkley (between Westbury and Frome) is an excellent location for railway photography, as all the traffic for the Mendip quarries passes this way, and the view in both directions is unobstructed.

59104 Village of Great Elm approaches Woodborough on 28 July 1999 with the 6V18 12:39 Hither Green to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. Two decades later the only thing that would have changed would be the wagons, with even the loco's livery being the same.

59104 Village of Great Elm passes Brimpton on 19 October 2000 with the 7A09 07:05 Merehead to Acton 'jumbo' Mendip Rail stone train. The perfect combination for a railway picture - crisp clear morning light with the shadows just clearing the track, a clean locomotive, and the hawthorn berries in the lineside hedges heralding the first signs of autumn.

Typical, you go to a location where there is an uninterrupted view of the line, so that the whole of the lengthy 'Jumbo' stone train will be in view, and then it leaves two thirds of it behind! Running with only one portion and therefore hardly justifying the title 'Jumbo', 59104 Village of Great Elm passes Brimpton with the 7A09 06:56 Merehead to Acton Mendip Rail stone train on 8 May 2008.

59104 Village of Great Elm rounds the curve at Wootton Rivers with the 7C77 12:40 Acton to Merehead Mendip Rail empty 'Jumbo' stone train on 24 April 2009. Although it was sunny when I left home, the further I drove south the hazier it became and after an hour spent by the lineside at Wootton Rivers the sun had virtually disappeared. Full sun all day was the Met Office forecast!

59104 Village of Great Elm passes Fairwood with the 7A15 17:08 Merehead to Acton stone train on 14 October, while the tail end of 7V64 hauled by 59002 can just be seen in the background disappearing under the bridge at Fairwood Junction.

59104 Village of Great Elm swings round the curve at Crofton on 31 August 2010 with the 7A09 07:12 Merehead to Acton Mendip Rail 'Jumbo' stone train. Although it looks like a perfect sunny morning, there was still some fog lingering about, and every so often the sun would find a bit, but luckily not when the train came into view! Just a short distance to the east the fog was still quite thick, as I discovered when I drove away after taking this picture.

59104 Village of Great Elm approaches Woodborough on the glorious afternoon of 10 November 2010 with the 6V18 12:46 Hither Green to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. A sight not always seen on stone trains in the area - a uniform rake of wagons, and with loco and wagons all in the same (Hanson) livery.

59104 Village of Great Elm ambles along the Great Western Mainline at Baulking on 19 April 2011 with the 7C54 13:06 Oxford Banbury Road to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. I never get tired of photographing Class 59s, despite their outward similarity to the ubiquitous 66s. Its probably something to do with the exclusiveness of such a small class of locos and variety of liveries.

Strange goings on at Moulsford on 27 April 2011. I don't normally bother to photograph light engine moves, but this is a little different. A Class 59 running on its own on the Great Western Mainline is unusual, and when the driver gave me a toot I suspected something was afoot. Apparently, 59104 Village of Great Elm was working the 6A83 12:40 Machen to West Drayton stone train but was running low on fuel, so the train was left in Theale loop, while 59104 made its way to Didcot for fuel! I still might not have bothered to take this picture, but it just so happened that it occured at a very busy moment. Not only can the 1B69 17:45 Paddington to Carmarthen First Great Western service been seen approaching in the distance, but also 66841 can just be seen with the 6O78 Margam to Dollands Moor Colas steel train (unfortunately totally unphotographable from the other side of the bridge due to shadows).

59104 Village of Great Elm approaches Stocks Lane level crossing at Steventon on 19 January 2016 with the 6C48 13:30 Appleford to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. The crumbling brick wall in the foreground looks so good in the low winter light, that I decided on this unusual hyper depth of field picture.

59104 Village of Great Elm runs along the down relief line at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 15 August 2016 with the 6C48 14:59 Appleford Sidings to Whatley Quarry stone empties (apart from the first wagon!). After over four decades of visiting this location, this will probably be one of my last regular visits to this location, as although it will still be possible to obtain a record shot of a train on the relief line, the location has effectively been ruined as far as photography is concerned. The fact that the mast nearest to the bridge has not yet been installed has at least allowed this picture to be taken. Incidentally, I often find that I have to correct my photos in Photoshop for slightly leaning horizons, usually using some vertical object as a guide. However, it was no use using any of these masts as a guide, as they are all leaning at different angles! It's a good job that Network Rail are not house builders!

59104 Village of Great Elm slowly rounds the curve at Wolfhall on 8 September 2016 with the 6A77 11:42 Merehead Quarry to Theale Mendip Rail stone train. This was running over half an hour late, which was just enough to ensure that sun was off the front of the loco, although the sun was doing its best to hide behind the clouds as it passed!

59104 Village of Great Elm passes Challow on 20 July 2018 with the diverted 6C76 12:55 Acton to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. This was one of those annoying days when it was mostly sunny at home, and during the short drive to the railway, and the same going home, but totally cloudy whilst I was actually at the lineside!

59104 Village of Great Elm passes Hungerford Common on 27 September 2018 with the 6V18 11:25 Allington to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. There are three trains in this picture. Just visible behind 59104's train is the 1K25 15:33 Bedwyn to Paddington GWR DMU, and in the background, the 7A77 11:41 Merehead Quarry to Theale Mendip Rail stone train waits in the up loop. It would be there for nearly three hours, due to the late departure of the 6C74 15:35 Theale to Whatley Quarry empties.

Passing Mendip Rail stone trains at Hungerford Common on 27 February 2019. 59104 Village of Great Elm heads west with the 6C76 14:39 Acton to Whatley Quarry empties, while the 6A83 13:26 Avonmouth Bennets Siding to West Drayton loaded train heads in the opposite direction, worked by 59202 Alan Meddows Taylor MD, Mendip Rail Limited.

59104 Village of Great Elm passes Hungerford Common on 15 May 2019 with the 7C77 12:40 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. This picture is clearly taken from a position that wouldn't have been possible until Network Rail's recent mammoth tree clearance exercise.

After its booked stop of almost an hour at Challow, 59104 Village of Great Elm gets into its stride again, as it passes Compton Beauchamp on 31 May 2019 with the 6C48 17:10 Appleford to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. Because there are no posts on the north side of the line here, it is still just about possible to get an unobstructed picture, but it certainly looks a mess!

59104 Village of Great Elm passes Circourt Bridge,. Denchworth, on 19 April 2021 with the 6A15 08:32 Whatley Quarry to Oxford Banbury Road Mendip Rail stone train. There wasn't much point in it using the relief line, as no other trains were booked to overtake it.

Not quite the normal 'Jumbo' train today! 59104 Village of Great Elm passes Edington on 1 June 2021 with the 7A09 07:12 Merehead Quarry to Action Mendip Rail stone train. With only a third of the normal load, at least the whole train fits in the picture. Another bonus was that it was running 78 minutes late, which improved the lighting angle slightly.

Running exactly on time, 59104 Village of Great Elm passes Hungerford Common on 24 September 2021 with the 7A09 07:12 Merehead Quarry to Action Mendip Rail stone train. Unfortunately the light dipped a little on the front of the train, requiring a little Photoshop intervention.

59104 Village of Great Elm passes through Radley station on 16 November 2021 with the 6A60 08:32 Whatley Quarry to Oxford Banbury Road Mendip Rail stone train. This view has become slightly hemmed in with both trees and houses. It was much more open in the 1990s.

59104 Village of Great Elm runs along the down relief line at Grove on 17 November 2021 with the 6C48 12:49 Appleford to Whatley Quarry stone empties. This was not my intended location, but the spot just to the west of Hanney Bridge has become very overgrown since I last visited earlier in the year, so this is the slightly less restricted view just to the east of the bridge.

Running 34 minutes late, 59104 Village of Great Elm approaches Steventon on 9 December 2022 with the 6A60 08:58 Whatley Quarry to Oxford Banbury Road Mendip Rail stone train. The buildings in the background are part of a formerly rail served storage depot, now a non rail connected industrial estate.

Half of the Class 59/1 sub-class on one train! 59104 Village of Great Elm & 59103 Village of Mells pass Little Bedwyn on 3 April 2023 with the 7V64 14:46 Wembley Reception Sidings to Merehead Quarry stone empties. As Freightliner operate 14 Class 59s, in three different sub-classes, and in several liveries, the chances of getting two Hanson liveried locos on one train must be quite small.

59104 Village of Great Elm & 66604 pass an excellent crop of blackberries, as they approach Little Bedwyn on 8 September 2023 with the 6C76 14:21 Wembley Reception Sidings to Whatley Quarry stone empties. As had happened the previous evening, as soon as I arrived in the area the sun disappeared. On this occasion however, it came out again (albeit weakly) just before the train came into view.

For over three decades 59104 Village of Great Elm and its classmates have been working stone trains over the Berks & Hants line. On 30 April 2024 it is pictured passing Crofton with the 6A18 09:18 Whatley Quarry to Oxford Banbury Road. Just the right location for this short train, although the pile of white bags doesn't improve the picture!

Freshly painted into Freightliner's new orange livery, 59104 Village of Great Elm leads old school green liveried 66616 pass through Pewsey station on 20 June 2024 with the 6A50 10:26 Whatley Quarry to Hanwell Bridge Loop stone train.

59201 Vale of York passes Pinxton on 4 January 1997 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z59 05:27 Bristol Temple Meads to Sudforth Lane 'G.M. Gyrator' railtour. This is not the picture I had in mind, but the sudden appearance of the MGR heading in the opposite direction meant I had to quickly switch sides. I wasn't going to miss the shot after trudging through the snowy fields to get here!

With South Anston church just visible on the horizon, 59201 Vale of York passes Dinnington with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z59 05:27 Bristol Temple Meads to Sudforth Lane 'G.M. Gyrator' railtour on 4 January 1997. It is just approaching Dinnington Colliery Junction on the Shireoaks to Doncaster freight line. Given the appalling freezing weather conditions, it is surprising that the tour was only running 20 minutes late at this point, and even more surprising that it managed to recover this lost time later on in the itinerary.

With the cooling towers of Ferrybridge Power Station dominating the background, 59201 Vale of York is pictured passing England Lane at Knottingley on a freezing cold 4 January 1997 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z59 05:27 Bristol Temple Meads to Sudforth Lane 'G.M. Gyrator' railtour. The train will soon be coming to a halt at Sudforth Lane for a loco change. The tour also featured a slightly earlier variation of the Class 59 design, in the shape of 59103.

A stranger in Birmingham! 59201 Vale of York passes Castle Bromwich on 27 February 1999 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z45 06:34 Sheffield to Trowbridge 'Yankee Sidewinder' railtour. As the tour's name suggests, this was a totally GM powered train (a novelty at the time), featuring Classes 59, 66 & 57.

59201 Vale of York approaches Droitwich on 27 February 1999 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z45 06:34 Sheffield to Trowbridge 'Yankee Sidewinder' railtour. This used to be my favourite location to photograph southbound trains in the Worcester area, but while the semaphore signals still exist, the viewpoint does not, as bushes and a huge radio mast now block the view.

Luckily 59201 Vale of York is only moving very slowly here, as it passes Milford Junction on 16 November 1999 with a rake of ex National Power hoppers. With the weather being so dull, a shutter speed of 1/125sec was all that was available using Fujichrome 100. As this is one of the few pictures I took of a Class 59/2 in EWS ownership in Yorkshire, it is included here for its historic interest.

Looking smart after its recent repaint into DBS red, 59201 ambles along the down relief line at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth on 16 October 2012 with the 7C54 13:06 Oxford Banbury Road to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. Pity it didn't pass in full sun, but at least this livery makes the most of less than ideal lighting.

In immaculate condition, and looking superb in the summer sunshine, 59201 trundles along the down relief line at Denchworth on 8 September 2014 with the 6C54 13:06 Oxford Banbury Road to Westbury Mendip Rail stone empties. Note the bell between the cab windows, a typical American feature, but only carried on 59001 and 59201. In each case on one end only.

59201 passes the site of Ashbury Crossing, Shrivenham on 28 January 2015 with the 6C48 13:30 Appleford to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. Luckily the Met Office was spot on with their forecast on this occasion, with a largely sunny (although very cold) afternoon. Something which I never would have guessed judging by the torrential downpours in the morning!

59201 passes Baulking on 6 March 2015 with the 6C48 13:30 Appleford to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. When standing further to the left it is possible to see a long way up the line, and at first I thought this was a 66, as there appeared to be a triangle of three front lights. However, it soon became obvious that the top 'light' was the sun glinting off the US style bell that 59201 carries at No.1 end.

59201 passes Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 5 October 2016 with the late running 6C48 14:59 Appleford to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties, although there obviously wasn't enough time to unload the first seven wagons! This had left Appleford 89 minutes late, but by not running down the relief line and waiting at Challow as booked, it was nearly back on time by Swindon.

59201 passes Grove on 12 July 2018 with the diverted 7C77 12:40 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. Prominent in the foreground are the dried flower heads of last year's Wild Teasel plants (Dipsacus fullonum), while in the hedgerow are Hedge Bindweed (Calystegia sepium) and Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris).

59201 passes Hungerford Common on 21 September 2018 with the 7C31 09:59 Theale to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. This location has recently been cleared of all lineside trees, which also means that the sewage works in the background is now more prominent!

59201 passes Edington on 20 September 2019 with the rather short 7C77 12:41 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. With just a couple of months to go before DB Cargo lose the contract, I was glad to get this picture of one of their 59/2s, a bonus was that it was 59201, with the commemorative bell end leading.

Still wearing DB Cargo red livery, but devoid of any branding, Freightliner's 59201 approaches Little Bedwyn on 30 July 2020 with the 6V18 13:30 Allington to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. Note the footpath on the left. This runs from the crossing in the background, to Little Bedwyn village, almost exactly duplicating the Kennet & Avon Canal towpath route, just a few yards off to the right of this picture.

Having just traversed the curve from Foxhall Junction, 59201 approaches Didcot North Junction on 20 July 2021 with the 6A15 03:54 Whatley Quarry to Appleford Mendip Rail stone train. Although devoid of the former operator's branding, I wonder how DB Cargo feel about this Freightliner owned loco still wearing their livery?

59201 runs slowly along the down relief line at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 25 November 2022 with the 6C48 12:49 Appleford to Whatley Quarry stone empties. Just 22 minutes earlier 66537 had passed by with the 6C58 12:11 Oxford Banbury Road to East Usk Yard stone empties, and that was still stopped at the end of the loop at Challow, a mile further on.

59201 hitched a lift back to the Westbury area in the centre of the 6V64 14:48 Wembley Reception Sidings to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties on 7 September 2023. The train, which was hauled by 66544, is pictured passing Little Bedwyn.

59201, the last Class 59/2 to retain DB red livery, passes Hungerford Common on 1 December 2023 with the 6C31 10:08 Theale to Whatley Quarry stone empties. A dull day has allowed a picture to be taken from the north side of the line, with Hungerford Common as the backdrop, rather than the sewage works!

59201 passes Hungerford Common on 21 May 2024 with the 6A40 08:40 Merehead Quarry to Hanwell Bridge Loop stone train. Unless the tree in the foreground gets pruned soon, this may be the last year of anything other than a very head on picture!

59201 passes through Pewsey station on 20 June 2024 with the 6V20 06:13 Wembley Receptions 1-7 to Merehead Quarry stone empties. This station can get surprisingly busy, but with no trains due to call for a while, it is seen here completely deserted.

59201 passes Potbridge on 16 September 2024 with the 6O02 05:51 Westbury Tarmac to Woking Down Yard stone train. This was a surprise bonus, as I never expected to see this, as it should have passed by long before I arrived. It was running nearly an hour late, and was just coming into view as I walked up to the bridge. Luckily it was moving very slowly, as it needed a quick lens change to get past some intrusive foreground shadows.

In the last of the weak afternoon sun, 59202 slowly passes Milford Junction on 18 July 1996 with a Gascoigne Wood to Drax Power Station coal train. Still less than a year old, the locomotive has yet to receive its Vale of White Horse nameplates. It had arrived at Hull Docks from Canada in August 1995, and would be named at Didcot Power Station on 28 September 1996. I didn't know it at the time, but this would turn out to be my most photographed member of the sub-class, probably because I deliberately sought it out in later years in view of its name. The Vale of White Horse being the area were I first took an active interest in railways in the early 1970s.

National Power's 59202 was named Vale of White Horse at Didcot Power Station on 28 September 1996. With the huge bulk of the cooling towers dominating the background, it pictured along with a rake of National Power hoppers shortly after being named by Bob Johnson, chairman of the Vale of White Horse District Council.

Presumably this is the only occasion that a National Power liveried Class 59 has visited the Didcot area. After being named Vale of White Horse at Didcot Power Station the previous day, 59202 heads back to Ferrybridge on 29 September 1996 with its rake of hoppers. Despite the gloomy weather, I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to record this unique event, and this location at Culham seemed the obvious spot, as its place of naming can clearly be seen in the background. Until its later acquisition by EWS, 59202 never worked in the Vale it was named after.

59202 Vale of White Horse passes through the newly completed Ashchurch station with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z45 06:38 Sheffield to Llandrindod Wells 'Central Wales Navigator' railtour on 26 May 1997. The tour was 20 minutes late leaving Sheffield, and had not managed to recover any time at this point, and in fact the late running persisted all day. The station opened the following week, and was built on the site of the much more extensive junction station that closed in 1963.

59202 Vale of White Horse crosses Knucklas Viaduct on 26 May 1997 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z45 16:25 Llandrindod Wells to Sheffield 'Central Wales Navigator' railtour. It seems that the viaduct is receiving some much needed maintenance. Unfortunately the weather had deteriorate, since the morning, when I saw the tour pass through Ashchurch.

59202 Vale of White Horse was obviously never going to be operating anywhere near its namesake region, once it travelled back to Yorkshire after being named at Didcot Power Station in 1996, at least while it was owned by National Power. Once it was acquired by EWS, it did turn up in the vale. It is pictured here while still operating in the north, leaving Gascoigne Wood on 22 September 1997 with a coal train for Drax Power Station.

59202 Vale of White Horse approaches Copyhold Junction with the ill fated Pathfinder Tours 1Z56 'Aggregated Syphons' railtour on 12 March 2005. 37427 can just be seen on the rear of the train. The object of the tour was to traverse the Ardingly branch, seen here on the right, but due to the unbelievable farce of not having the correct paperwork, the tour headed back from whence it came after a lengthy delay.

59202 Vale of White Horse rounds the curve at Crofton on 21 July 2006 with the 7A09 06:56 Merehead to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. After some early morning fog, the sun was just starting to appear through the murk. This is an excellent location, but doesn't really do justice to this train, as half of it is still round the corner, hidden from view.

59202 Vale of White Horse passes Fairwood (near Westbury) with the 6V07 09:21 Chichester to Merehead stone empties on 11 September 2007. The name of the loco might seem appropriate here, but it does not in fact refer to Westbury's white horse which can be seen in the background, but to the one at Uffington, which predates the Westbury horse by at least 3000 years!

59202 Vale of White Horse passes the site of Patney & Chirton station on 11 May 2009 with the 7C31 09:45 Theale to Merehead Mendip Rail stone empties. Recent vegetation clearance work here (not quite right up to the bridge in the background unfortunately) has opened up the view in both directions considerably.

59202 Vale of White Horse in the Vale of White Horse! Passing Compton Beauchamp in the vale that it is named after, 59202 Vale of White Horse heads east with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z59 Bristol Temple Meads to Newtown 'Powys Chugger' railtour on 5 June 2010. Apart from being named at Didcot Power Station on 28 September 1996, 59202 never came anywhere near the area while it was owned by National Power, and only once it became an EWS loco did it regularly travel through the vale. Indeed here it is only just over two miles away from the 3,000 year old Uffington White Horse hill figure, which gives its name to the area.

A highly appropriate location for a picture of 59202 Vale of White Horse. It is seen here passing Uffington with the 6B33 12:12 Theale to Margam Murco oil empties on 18 September 2010. Uffington White Horse is a prehistoric hill carving on the downs above the village, which of course gives the vale (and this locomotive) its name. This is just about the closest point on the railway to the monument. A Class 59 on this working is certainly a novelty, and in this case was caused by the failure of 60084. Ironically, as is often the case on a Saturday, this reduced load would actually be within the modest haulage capabilities of a Class 66!

Unusually running on a Saturday, 59202 Vale of White Horse passes the site of Ashbury Crossing at Shrivenham on 11 February 2012 with the 7C48 Appleford to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. Not only is it running at the weekend, but also considerably earlier than the usual booked time, pictured here one and a half hours before its normal departure time of 13:30! At least the locomotive is highly appropriate for the location. There had been a reasonably heavy snowfall the previous day, but although still bitingly cold, it has unfortunately mostly disappeared from the fields at this location.

59202 Vale of White Horse rounds the curve at Crofton on 22 May 2012 with the 7C31 09:45 Theale to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. This high viewpoint clearly shows the rust patches all over the cab roof, especially along the apex.

59202 is just about to enter Wolvercote Tunnel on 20 August 2013 with the 6C54 13:06 Oxford Banbury Road to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. Awful lighting, with the sun directly head on, but as I was passing the spot anyway, and had been unable to photograph the loco at Banbury Road a little earlier, I decided to get another picture of the erstwhile Vale of White Horse.

59202 Alan Meddows Taylor MD, Mendip Rail Limited runs along the down relief line at Denchworth on 20 August 2014 with the 7C48 13:30 Appleford to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. One of the recently installed overhead electrification piles can be seen directly above the loco's cab. The black metal tube is capped with a temporary plywood cover. There are going to be thousands of redundant plywood discs shortly. I hope they will be disposed of environmentally!

59202 Alan Meddows Taylor MD, Mendip Rail Limited emerges from the fog at Didcot North Junction on 4 November 2014 with the 6A14 05:04 Whatley Quarry to Oxford Banbury Road Mendip stone train. Of course this is not the picture I had in mind! The forecast was for full sun, but I shouldn't have been surprised that the Thames Valley was in thick fog, which didn't clear in some places until mid morning. At least the DBS livery stands out well in such dire conditions.

59202 Alan Meddows Taylor MD, Mendip Rail Limited passes the site of Ashbury Crossing, near Shrivenham on 14 November 2014 with the 6C54 13:06 Oxford Banbury Road to Westbury Mendip Rail stone empties. Obviously the loco's former name (Vale of White Horse) would be much more appropriate for this location!

59202 Alan Meddows Taylor MD, Mendip Rail Limited ambles along the down relief line at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth on 3 December 2014 with the 6C54 13:06 Oxford Banbury Road to Westbury Mendip Rail stone empties. This was running an hour early, but its early departure did it no good whatsoever, as it would sit at Challow, just a short distance further on, for over an hour, leaving the loop at its booked time.

59202 Alan Meddows Taylor MD, Mendip Rail Limited approaches Stocks Lane level crossing, Steventon, on 10 March 2015 with the 6C54 13:06 Oxford Banbury Road to Westbury Mendip Rail stone empties. In the background is Steventon road bridge (still with white signal sighting patch). There has been extensive local opposition to Network Rail's proposal to demolish this historic bridge and replace it with an ugly concrete substitute, as part of the Great Western electrification programme. At the moment there is an impasse after intervention by the local MP.

59202 Alan Meddows Taylor MD, Mendip Rail Limited pulls out of Haresfield Loop on 20 February 2016 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z58 06:40 Banbury to Merehead Quarry 'Fifty-Niner' railtour. This tour was a celebration of 30 years of the Class 59, and although the former National Power 59/2 seen here is a mere 20 years old, a couple of the original Foster Yeoman (now Aggregate Industries) 59/0s would feature on the tour south of Bristol. In true railtour tradition, the train was booked to traverse various freight loops, not because the train needed to be held, but purely for the unusual track mileage! As rain was forecast for later in the day, I decided not follow the train to the Westbury area.

59202 Alan Meddows Taylor MD, Mendip Rail Limited passes through Sonning cutting on 16 August 2016 with the 6C76 14:40 Acton to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. 166210 can just be seen disappearing into the distance with the 1K65 14:39 Bedwyn to Paddington GWR service.

Running nearly three hours late, 59202 Alan Meddows Taylor MD, Mendip Rail Limited passes Uffington on 26 April 2018 with the diverted 7A09 06:26 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. Only approximately half of the train (which contained four distinct types of wagon) can be seen in this view. What a pity the loco no longer carries its Vale of White Horse name, as that would be highly appropriate here. I was extremely lucky to get this in the sun, as the sun went in several times from when I first saw it approaching in the distance! As you can see from the picture, there was an awful lot of cloud about! The train's normal route via Newbury was closed due to engineering works in connection with the forthcoming electfrication.

59202 Alan Meddows Taylor MD, Mendip Rail Limited slowly traverses the relief line at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 14 May 2018 with the late running diverted 7A09 06:26 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. This problem of sending this massive 45mph freight along the Great Western Mainline during the morning peak was presumably known, but it caused chaos on this particular day, with six trains stacking up behind it at one point as it slowly approached Swindon. This late running caused it to have a much longer layover in the loop here, and allowed me to get an unexpected second picture of it a little later at Grove.

Now running over an hour late, after being held at a signal in the distance, 59202 Alan Meddows Taylor MD, Mendip Rail Limited slowly gets under way again at Grove on 14 May 2018 with the diverted 7A09 06:26 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. I had already photographed this train near Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, and was surprised to be able to get to this location in plenty of time for this second picture, bearing in mind the lengthy walk back along the footpath to my car in Denchworth village.

Running 24 minutes early, 59202 Alan Meddows Taylor MD, Mendip Rail Limited passes Edington on 6 July 2018 with the 7C31 09:18 Theale to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. Note the recently cleared trackside, with the vegetation cut back to the lineside boundary.

59202 Alan Meddows Taylor MD, Mendip Rail Limited approaches Hungerford Common on 15 May 2019 with the 6C76 14:39 Acton to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. Note the use of former EWS coal hoppers, now unfortunately, like most of the Mendip Rail stone wagons, mostly vandalised by the graffiti morons.

59202 Alan Meddows Taylor MD, Mendip Rail Limited passes Uffington on 19 September 2020 with the 6Z51 13:46 Appleford to Stoke Gifford Mendip Rail stone empties. The loco's former Vale of White Horse name would be much more appropriate for this location.

59202 & 66618 Railways Illustrated Annual Photographic Awards - Alan Barnes pass Hungerford Common on 14 June 2022 with the 6C76 14:09 Wembley Reception Sidings to Whatley Quarry stone empties. Not ideal lighting, and not a very photogenic background, but the mass of elder blossom in the foreground is some compensation.

An ancient oak tree near Baulking provides a perfect frame for 59202 Pride of Ferrybridge, as it heads along the Great Western Main Line on 14 February 2023 with the 6C48 12:49 Appleford to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. The train is still accelerating away from its stop at Challow, where as booked it had waited for 20 minutes to allow a couple of GWR IETs to pass.

Watched by a couple of alpacas, 59202 Pride of Ferrybridge passes Manningford Bruce on 15 February 2023 with the 6C31 10:08 Theale to Whatley Quarry stone empties. The train is slowing down on the approach to Woodborough loop, where it would spend the next half an hour.

59202 Pride of Ferrybridge passes Hungerford Common on 6 March 2024 with the 7A60 10:50 Merehead Quarry to Colnbrook stone train. This was running exactly on time here, but it would soon encounters delays in the Newbury area, resulting in it running over an hour late. The depression in the foreground is probably the site of an old gravel pit.

59202 passes Didcot North Junction on 20 March 2024 with the 6A18 09:18 Whatley Quarry to Oxford Banbury Road stone train. A cloudy day, but if the sun had been out this would have been extremely backlit.

59203 Vale of Pickering leans into the curve at Kintbury on 2 April 2007 with the 6A21 13:24 Whatley to Acton stone train. No mistaking which member of the class this is, with its additional extra large front end numbers! After a generally sunny day, the light was now getting weak has a hazy veil started to diffuse the sun.

59203 Vale of Pickering passes Froxfield with the 7A17 10:30 Merehead to Acton Mendip Rail stone train on 24 July 2008, running nearly an hour early. Note the use of wagons hired in from Freightliner at the head of the train. Unusually on this day the normally very reliable 7A09 07:12 Merehead to Acton 'Jumbo' stone train had been cancelled due to lack of a loco! Unfortunately Froxfield is another location where the growth of lineside bushes is ruining the picture. Various viewpoints around the Kennet & Avon Canal lock (just visible on the left) used to be possible.

59203 Vale of Pickering approaches the site of Wantage Road station on 2 February 2012 with the early running 7C48 13:30 Appleford to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. Even in this 'train in the landscape' view the huge are of rust along the upper bodyside is clearly evident. It is quite obvious that this is a DBS owned 59, rather than a Mendip Rail one!

A meagre load for a Class 59! With Didcot Power Station dominating the background, 59203 Vale of Pickering has just ten autoballasters in tow as it passes Steventon on 3 March 2012 with the 6W24 Hinksey to East Somerset Junction. With a convenient gap between HST services, it has no need of the loop here, although it would later be put inside at Wantage Road, for a run down the relief line to Challow.

Diverted away from its usual route due to a fatality at Ufton Nervet, 59203 Vale of Pickering passes Baulking on 22 May 2012 with the 6V18 12:39 Hither Green to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. Its repaint into DBS red was not far away, and not a moment too soon judging by the large patches of rust.

59203 passes Compton Beauchamp on 3 May 2013, running exactly on time with the 7A14 05:27 Westbury to Oxford Banbury Road Mendip Rail stone train. Unfortunately, the other freight train that I had planned to photograph here ran a staggering 92 minutes early, meaning it had just passed when I arrived at the bridge!

59203 passes the site of Ashbury Crossing, near Shrivenham on 24 November 2014 with the 6C54 13:06 Oxford Banbury Road to Westbury Mendip Rail stone empties. I hadn't intended to revisit this location quite so soon after my earlier visit, so this is a nearly identical picture to 59202, photographed on the same working just ten days earlier.

The previous day's late running of the diverted 7A09 06:27 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train was bad enough at 202 minutes, but on 11 July 2018 that was increased to 237 minutes! 59203 & 59103 Village of Mells are pictured passing Challow unusually routed via the main line. The normal problem with photographing this train in the Swindon area is that the light is too head on, but the problem when it is nearly four hours late is that the sun has gone off the front!

59203 passes Uffington on 26 June 2020 with the 6A15 06:25 Tytherington to Appleford Mendip Rail stone train. This had actually left Tytherington at 02:55, but this mega early running didn't last long, and it passed me running exactly on time. The loco is now owned by Freightliner, but pending a repaint into the latest Genesee & Wyoming orange livery, the DB Cargo branding has just been removed. Although the DB Schenker wording has been successfully removed from the bodyside, the DB logo on the front has not been quite so professionally treated. A big splodge of orange paint clearly shows where it was!

With a blast on the horn from the driver, 59203 passes Uffington on 18 January 2023 with the 6C48 12:49 Appleford to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. This was running right behind the delayed 6C58 12:10 Oxford Banbury Road to East Usk Yard stone empties, which unfortunately passed by while a large area of cloud was blocking the sun.

59203 slowly approaches a red signal at Denchworth on 23 January 2023, as it works the 6A60 08:32 Whatley Quarry to Oxford Banbury Road Mendip Rail stone train. This had entered the relief line at Challow running 29 minutes late, but left the loop at Wantage Road at the booked time, despite then holding up the 1L14 09:23 Swansea to Paddington GWR service.

59203 moves off from a signal check at Denchworth on 23 January 2023 with the 6A60 08:32 Whatley Quarry to Oxford Banbury Road Mendip Rail stone train. The following 1L14 09:23 Swansea to Paddington GWR service was admittedly running a few minutes late, and should have passed by before the 59 moved, but for some reason the freight took priority over the passenger, with the result that 800027 & 800028 came to a stand on the mainline, while the stone train joined the mainline at Wantage Road and went on slowly in front of it!

59203 passes Uffington on 26 June 2023 with the 6A60 08:32 Whatley Quarry to Oxford Banbury Road Mendip Rail stone train. It makes a nice change to see a rake of Westbury area wagons that haven't been covered in graffiti.

59203 passes Little Bedwyn on 7 September 2023 with the 6C76 14:21 Wembley Reception Sidings to Whatley Quarry stone empties. Unfortunately the sun had faded out into high cloud almost as soon as I arrived at the location!

National Power 59204 passes Burton Salmon with the 6D92 11:30 Drax to Ferrybridge limestone empties on 25 October 1995. After witnessing the success of Class 59s in service with Foster Yeoman and ARC, National Power ordered a slightly modified locomotive in 1994, followed by a further five locos the following year. All were initially painted in the striking National Power blue livery, although it is questionable whether white was the best colour choice for the underframes of a heavy freight loco. However when clean (as here) the sub-class certainly looked impressive.

Looking superb in its original National Power livery, the still unnamed 59204 passes Whitley Bridge Junction on 17 September 1996 with coal empties from Drax Power Station. With the benefit of hindsight I should have made more effort to get pictures of the 59/2s in their original condition, but at least this one shows off the colour scheme in the best possible light.

An exceedingly rare location for a National Power Class 59. On a dull misty 16 November 1996, just as it was getting dark, 59204 passes through Barry station en-route from Avonmouth to Aberthaw Power Station, where it would be named Vale of Glamorgan by the then Welsh Secretary, William Hague MP. The choice of location was ideal, as not only is it an immediately identifiable location with the added bonus of semaphore signalling, but also in view of the grim weather the train's slow speed through the station meant I was able to take this picture in colour as well as the more appropriate to the conditions black & white. However the exposure was only 1/125sec with the lens wide open!

59204 Vale of Glamorgan passes Crofton on the Berks & Hants line with the 7A09 06:56 Merehead to Acton Mendip Rail "jumbo" stone train on 21 November 2006. The last of the autumn leaves on the trees and the hawthorn berries show up well in the early morning light. Unfortunately the Class 59/2s now looking similar to their inferior Class 66 cousins since being repainted into EWS livery, although of course no way could a Class 66 handle a train of this length and weight, half of which is still around the corner behind the bushes.

59204 Vale of Glamorgan runs alongside the frozen Kennet & Avon Canal near Crofton on 11 February 2012 with the UK Railtours 1Z78 07:48 Paddington to Cranmore 'Angel of Bedlam' railtour. There is a need for some canal maintenance here, as the reeds are encroaching rapidly into the channel, narrowing it considerably. The canal was much clearer in 2001 when I photographed 47205 passing this spot.

59204 approaches the site of Ashbury Crossing, near Shrivenham, on 20 April 2015 with the 6C48 13:30 Appleford to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. The excavator on the left was used during the previous weekend's track relaying just to the west of here, at Bourton.

59204 passes Compton Beauchamp on 12 May 2015 with the 6A57 15:03 Whatley Quarry to Oxford Banbury Road Mendip Rail stone train. As this is very backlit, I decided to go for a wide angle view, and include the lichen encrusted bridge parapet in the foreground. Whether this survives the forthcoming electrification is debatable.

59204 runs along the down relief line at Challow on 20 January 2017 with the 6C48 14:59 Appleford to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. The driver was clearly taking it easy, driving at a fairly slow speed along the relief, so that he wouldn't have to stop for the booked seven minutes at Challow. His signal had just cleared, as the overtaking HST had passed just before I took this picture.

59204 passes Broughton Gifford on 6 July 2018 with the 7B12 11:30 Merehead Quarry to Wootton Bassett Mendip Rail stone train. I wouldn't normally take a picture that was this backlit, but I was passing the location just as the train was due, so why not!

Running nearly an hour late, 59204 passes South Marston on 9 July 2018 with the diverted 7A09 06:27 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. As it could only mange about a third of the speed of the following HSTs, it managed to severely hold up three of them, as it slowly plodded along the main line towards the loop at Challow.

59204 passes Challow on 11 July 2018 with the diverted 7C77 12:40 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. Running 46 minutes late on an afternoon that was getting increasingly cloudy, but like everything else I photographed, passing in full sun! The sighting of this meant that I had seen half of the Class 59/2 sub-class at this location, in just over two hours.

59204 passes Kintbury on 23 August 2019 with the 6C76 14:39 Acton to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. The wagons are former EWS coal hoppers, rendered redundant after the almost complete elimination of coal traffic from the national network.

Running 76 minutes late, 59204 passes Manningford Bruce on 27 August 2019 with the 7A77 11:48 Merehead Quarry to Theale loaded stone hoppers. This had actually left 92 minutes behind schedule, but arrived at Theale only 39 minutes late.

59204 passes Manningford Bruce on 20 September 2019 with the 6C31 09:20 Theale to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. A tall radio mast now prevents a more side on shot at this location. The bridge in the background is a much better location to view westbound trains.

Running 37 minutes early, and having just been held briefly at a red signal just beyond the concrete footbridge, 59204 slowly passes Little Bedwyn on 21 July 2021 with the 6C76 14:39 Acton to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties.

59204 passes Marsh Benham on 27 May 2022 with the 6C64 14:46 Wembley Reception Sidings to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. Just visible in the centre of the train is 66596, hitching a ride back to Merehead. This method of working is to save paying excessive access charges to DB Cargo at Acton.

59204 passes Uffington on 28 February 2023 with the diverted 7A77 11:05 Merehead Quarry to Theale Mendip Rail stone train. The train's usual route via the Berks & Hants line was closed for extensive engineering works.

59204 approaches Little Bedwyn on 26 May 2023 with the 7V64 14:48 Wembley Reception Sidings to Merehead Quarry stone empties. This was running 24 minutes late. Buttercups, Cow Parsley and Hawthorn blossom give some relief to the overall late spring green landscape. The white building in the background is Fairfield Crossing Cottage, standing next to a footpath crossing over both the railway and the adjacent Kennet & Avon Canal.

59204 passes Manningford Bruce on 7 November 2023 with the 6A09 07:12 Merehead Quarry to Acton stone train. After driving to this spot in almost continuous sunshine, I was not impressed when lots of clouds starting blowing in from the west!

59204 rounds the curve at Crofton on 30 April 2024 with the 7A77 12:26 Merehead Quarry Theale stone train. Lots of lineside clutter and the now all too common vandalised wagons make a depressing picture.

59204 passes Marsh Benham on 21 May 2024 with the 6V31 09:06 Wembley Receptions 1-7 to Merehead Quarry stone empties. Not one of the wagons has been vandalised, which is very unusual for 2024!

As thunderstorms darken the sky in the background, 59204 catches the last of the sunshine at South Marston on 1 August 2024, as it heads west along the Great Western Mainline with the 6C48 12:49 Appleford to Whatley Quarry stone empties.

With a panoramic view of the City of Wakefield in the background, 59205 passes Oakenshaw Junction on 27 April 1996 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z59 12:30 Sheffield to Sheffield (via Barnsley, Wakefield and Moorthorpe) railtour. This was a mini-tour in connection with the Tinsley Open Day.

59205 Vale of Evesham passes Burton Salmon on 12 March 1997 with a Gascoigne Wood to Drax Power Station National Power coal train. It's hard to imagine that 59205 ever made it to the Vale of Evesham whilst it carried the name (June 1996 to March 1998).

59205 L Keith McNair slowly negotiates the Blaenau Ffestiniog to Trawsfyndd branch on 18 April 1998 with the Herfordshire Railtours 1T54 07:56 Euston to Trawsfyndd 'Roman Nose' railtour. The location is Bethania, just south of Blaenau Ffestiniog. I had looked out this position as being a good spot to show the train against the typically imposed welsh background. My main memory of this occasion is of a local farmer who started ranting at another photographer who was in his field (just to my left) and having to listen to this increasingly bitter exchange as the train slowly appeared around the corner and hoping that it wouldn't involve me!

59205 L Keith McNair approaches Maentwrog Road on 18 April 1998 with the Herfordshire Railtours 1T54 07:56 Euston to Trawsfyndd 'Roman Nose' railtour. The inclusion of the snow capped mountain in the picture is slightly compromised by the one limitation of the Pentax 6x7 when using a telephoto lens - unbelievably shallow depth of field.

59205 L Keith McNair brings up the rear of the Hertfordshire Railtours 1T54 14:57 Trawsfyndd to Euston 'Roman Nose' railtour at Maentwrog Road on 18 April 1998. The two lead locomotives, 37377 & 37098, are just passing underneath a farm occupation bridge, hidden by the lineside bushes in the background.

59205 L Keith McNair has just passed underneath the East Coast Mainline at Heck Ings on 6 September 1999, as it heads towards Drax Power Station with another load of coal from Gascoigne Wood. EWS were quick to repaint the locomotives into their uninspiring livery when they took over National Power's assets, but obviously the wagons were considered less important!

59205 L Keith McNair passes Kelvedon with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z42 14:35 Lowestoft to Crewe 'Freightliner Phoenix' railtour on 12 May 2001. This tour, which had started out as the 1Z41 03:58 Crewe to Lowestoft did not actually use any Freightliner traction at all, so was slightly misnamed! At this point the tour was running 75 minutes late, but at least that meant that the angle of the sun had improved, resulting in near perfect lighting when it eventually did appear.

59205 L Keith McNair passes Kintbury on 2 April 2007 with the 6C74 13:15 Theale to Westbury Hanson stone empties. Note the red backed nameplate, which is contrast to the black plates of the 'Vale' named locos of the 59/2 sub-class.

59205 L Keith McNair passes Uffington on 20 January 2011 with the 6B33 13:30 Theale to Robeston Murco oil empties. After pairs of 37s, 60s, pairs of 66s, and then back to 60s, we now have Class 59s on this long standing mega tank train. Although it looks like a completely sunny day here, there was in fact a large bank of cloud across the sun shortly before it came. However, I knew that the train's long stand in Challow loop to allow four HSTs to pass would allow time for the cloud to move away to the south.

59205 L Keith McNair ambles along the Great Western Mainline at Baulking on 4 March 2011 with the 7C54 13:06 Oxford Banbury Road to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. It is now getting back into stride after being looped at Challow to allow an HST to pass. This is obvious from how quickly it followed the HST, however, for trains traveling in the opposite direction, the signal on the left of this gantry will start flashing amber to indicate that they are about to be looped.

GM's finest meets BR's finest at Calvert on 21 May 2013. 59205 stands at the head of the Northolt to Calvert Binliner, while the crane operator swaps the last of the containers. The train had arrived as the 6A56 03:30 Northolt to Calvert, and would shortly be leaving as the 6A58 10:16 Calvert to Northolt empties. Alongside, 56091 waits while its train is unloaded, before departing as the 6Z91 10:53 Calvert to Didcot Power Station flyash empties.

Unloading finished, 59205 detaches from the front of its train at Calvert, and prepares to run round, prior to forming the 6A58 10:16 Calvert to Northolt Binliner empties on 21 May 2013. Behind it, 56091 will still have to wait a while for its train to be unloaded, before it too can depart with the 6Z91 10:53 Calvert to Didcot Power Station flyash empties.

59205 passes Worting Junction on 14 May 2016 with the UK Railtours 1Z59 08:15 Victoria to Minehead 'Quantock Pullman' railtour, using the immaculately turned out VSOE Pullman coaches. Although for once this turned out to be a much sunnier day than forecast, this picture was very nearly spoiled by a rogue cloud, the sun only just coming out just before I pressed the shutter!

Gleaming in the early morning sun, 59205 passes Bourton on 24 June 2016 with the 6A15 04:37 Whatley Quarry to Appleford Mendip Rail stone train. Note the poppies in the foreground, growing in the disturbed ground around one of the new electrification mast bases

59205 & 59101 Village of Whatley pass underneath the graceful Warren Road bridge, Sonning, on 16 August 2016 with the 7C64 15:24 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. There is no comparison between this stylish brick and wrought iron bridge, and the hideous junk that Network Rail see fit to build a century later!

59205 passes Challow on 11 July 2018 with the diverted 7A17 10:20 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail stone train. This was running 22 minutes late, and was just four minutes behind the much later running 7A09 06:27 Merehead Quarry to Acton.

59205 enters the up loop at Hungerford Common on 21 September 2018 with the 7A09 07:16 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. Although booked to use the loop at Woodborough, this train is not booked to use this loop, but on this occasion it was sidelined here for 12 minutes, to allow trains to pass, on what turned out to be a busy morning, with diverted passenger trains from the Swindon line using the route, due to a broken axle counter at Challow.

59205 passes Hungerford Common on 24 September 2018 with the 7A09 07:16 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train, although on this occasion it is not really that 'jumbo', being only approximately half the normal length.

With the moon rising in the background, 59205 rounds the curve at Croton on 17 January 2019 with the 7C77 12:40 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. The slender brick chimney of the Crofton Pumping Station can just be seen through the trees on the left.

It's all change on the Berks Hants line in 2019. While the change from HSTs to Class 802 DMUs will only be seen as an improvement by the GWR marketing department, the change from DB Cargo to Freightliner as the operator of the Mendip stone trains will merely be a change of traction. It will however see the end of the bright red Class 59/2s in the area. 59205 approaches Hungerford Common on 15 May 2019 with the 6V18 11:25 Allington to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. This was running 25 minutes behind schedule.

59205 approaches Hungerford Common on 15 January 2020 with the 6C77 12:41 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. The loco still carries the striking DB Cargo colour scheme, despite now being owned by Freightliner. The only change for the moment being the removal of the DB Cargo bodyside logos.

Still sporting unbranded DB red livery, despite now being owned by Freightliner, 59205 passes Little Bedwyn on 26 April 2021 with the 6C64 15:25 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. Little Bedwyn church can be seen in the background.

59205 approaches Steventon on 9 December 2022 with the 6Z16 10:18 Whatley Quarry to Appleford Mendip Rail stone train. This was running late, and was off route. It was booked via the Berks & Hants, but instead travelled via Swindon.

59205 slowly passes Manningford Bruce on 15 February 2023 with the 7A09 07:12 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. There was weak sunshine when I arrived, with just a trace of fog. Unfortunately, by the time that this train appeared, the sun had virtually disappeared, and the fog had got worse!

A pair of orange liveried Class 59/2s in warm evening light at Berkley on 18 September 2023. 59205 & 59204 very slowly head westwards with the 6V64 14:48 Wembley Reception Sidings to Merehead Quarry stone empties.

Running slowly, prior to entering the loop, 59205 & 66531 pass Hungerford Common on 1 December 2023 with the 7A17 10:49 Merehead Quarry to Colnbrook stone train. This train was not booked to use the loop, but on this occasion it was running nearly an hour early.

59205 approaches Little Bedwyn on 16 September 2024 with the 6V50 14:21 Wembley Receptions 1-7 to Merehead Quarry stone empties. My main reason for visiting this spot was to photograph the DCR Class 60 on the 6Z23 14:08 Wembley Receptions 1-7 to Tytherington, but that was cancelled due to the lack of a crew!

59205 adds a bit of colour to the dull and misty morning at Compton Beauchamp on 12 December 2024, as it heads east along the Great Western Mainline with the diverted 7A40 08:45 Merehead Quarry to Hanwell Bridge Loop stone train. The train's normal route via the Berks & Hants line was closed for engineering works.

59206 passes Whitley Bridge Junction on 17 September 1996 with a Drax Power Station to Gascoigne Wood coal empties working, on this occasion formed of only 13 wagons. Over a quarter of century later the 59 is still hard at work, although not in Yorkshire. The same cannot be said of the classic BR Freight Rover (British Leyland) Sherpa van parked by the line to Eggborough Power Station, which was scrapped less than two years later.

The as yet unnamed 59206 passes Whitley Bridge Junction on 28 March 1997 with one of the many daily Drax Power Station to Gascoigne Wood coal empties, using National Power's own dedicated hoppers. The loco would receive the name Pride of Ferrybridge at the eponymous depot exactly three months after this picture was taken.

59206 Pride of Ferrybridge passes Burton Salmon on 6 September 1999 with another loaded coal train from Gascoigne Wood. Unfortunately by this time National Power's stylish light blue livery could only be seen (in a rather faded form) on the wagons, the loco having been repainted into the uninspired EWS livery when that company acquired the Class 59/2s the previous year.

With plenty of power available, 59206 Pride of Ferrybridge makes light work of Tackley Bank (between Oxford and Banbury) with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 05:40 Reading to Preston 'Multi Coloured Swap Shop' railtour on Bank Holiday Monday 30 May 2005. At 06:26 you can get the sun on the nose for a northbound shot! The tour was running exactly to time here, but a little further north, at Leamington Spa, the tour came to a stand for 45 minutes due to the farcical situation of neither the driver or the pilotman signing the road!

59206 Pride of Ferrybridge approaches the site of Wantage Road station, near Grove with the 6C53 12:59 Oxford Banbury Road (Kidlington) to Whatley Mendip Rail empty stone train on 26 March 2007. Pride of Ferrybridge is hardly an suitable name, now that the loco is based in the south of England, rather than Yorkshire. 59202 Vale of White Horse would have been much more appropriate traction for this location!

59206 Pride of Ferrybridge passes Mannigford Bruce with the 6V18 12:43 Hither Green to Whatley Hanson stone empties on 12 April 2007. 59206 is pictured here in the drab EWS livery, which is in marked contrast to its former National Power blue livery, and indeed its later DB Schenker 'dayglow' red colour scheme. The overall drabness is not helped by the fact that it hasn't seen the washing plant for a while either!

The new DB Schenker livery is certainly not the most tasteful design to be applied to the Class 59s (or anything else for that matter!), but it definitely shows up, even when severely backlit as here. 59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer plods slowly past the site of Patney & Chirton station on 11 May 2009 with the 6A13 Whatley to West Drayton Mendip Rail stone train.

A very rare passenger working for a DB Schenker Class 59/2. 59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer passes Baulking on 13 June 2009 with the UK Railtours 1Z58 07:08 Paddington to Carmarthen 'Thames-Towy' railtour. Classmate 59205 can just be seen on the rear of the train. The weather forecaster's promised cloudy start would have been welcome here, instead the sun decided to come out resulting in virtually impossible lighting conditions, with the sun directly behind the train. Much careful use of layers in Photoshop has turned a near silhouette into a reasonable picture.

59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer passes Little Bedwyn with the not quite so jumbo 7A09 07:12 Merehead to Acton Mendip Rail 'Jumbo' stone train on 8 October 2009. A fraction of its normal length, for once the whole train is visible under the bridge. Note the hedge to the right of the lock, which has all but ruined the shot looking the other way from the bridge in the background, and is hardly improving this picture, with the shadows reaching the wagons.

Sensible traction has returned to the 6B13 05:05 Robeston to Westerleigh Murco oil train, after the ridiculous use of pairs of Class 66s in early 2010. With the Cotswold Hills in the background, 59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer approaches the footpath crossing at Frocester on 2 August 2010 in a very well timed patch of sun.

59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer passes Broughton Gifford on 6 November 2010 with the 6W36 Didcot to Swindon (via the Berks & Hants line) engineers train. Originally this train was booked to run from Westbury to Swindon. Despite the awful weather, the chance to photograph a Class 59 on a departmental train was not to be missed. It was fortunate that the DBS liveried loco was allocated, as its dayglo livery certainly helps compensate for the miserable weather. The train is conveying materials for the engineering possession between Swindon and Didcot.

It was a sunny morning when I set out for Broken Cross (between Lydney and Gloucester) on 8 February 2011, but thick fog when I arrived! As this was during the short period when the 6B13 05:05 Robeston to Westerleigh Murco oil tanks were Class 59/2 hauled, instead of the usual Class 60, I decided to take the picture regardless of the conditions. So here, for the record is 59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer emerging from the fog.

Westbury likes its solitary DB Schenker liveried Class 59, and always seems to keep it in immaculate condition, unfortunately in marked contrast to the other 59/2s. On 29 September 2011, 59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer passes Uffington with the 7C54 13:06 Oxford Banbury Road to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. The radio mast in the background marks the site of Uffington station, junction for the former Faringdon branch.

59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer passes the site of Ashbury Crossing near Shrivenham on 23 February 2012 with the 7C54 13:06 Oxford Banbury Road to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. I had moved to this location from Compton Beauchamp as it looked like the sun was starting to come out. Naturally as soon as I had done this it went back in again!

59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer & 59005 Kenneth J Painter pass Baulking on 22 May 2012 with the diverted 7C77 12:40 Acton to Merehead Mendip Rail stone train (supposedly returning empties, but look at the first few wagons!). I had visited this location the previous day, and I wouldn't normally visit the same spot two days running, but I arrived at Denchworth just as this was going under the bridge, so had to make a brisk drive here to get the shot. The train was re-routed from the Berks & Hants line due to a fatality at Ufton Nervet, which closed the line for most of the day

59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer passes through Pewsey station on 23 August 2013 with the 7C31 08:40 Theale to Merehead Mendip Rail stone empties. The bridge at the very end of the platform carries the main Marlborough to Pewsey road underneath the railway.

59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer waits in Challow loop on 10 October 2013 with the 7C54 13:06 Oxford Banbury Road to Westbury Mendip Rail stone empties. Luckily the driver stopped a little way back from the signal, in an ideal photographic position. Unfortunately though, it arrived in thick cloud, and departed in thick cloud. In fact, for the entire time it was sat there (over twenty minutes) it was totally cloudy, except for this ten second burst of fantastic sunshine, which dramatically highlights the black clouds. I know it was ten seconds, because I started taking pictures as it came out, and watched as the little patch of sun worked its way along the train. This was the optimum exposure, when the front of the train just became fully lit.

59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer passes Baulking on 9 September 2014 with the 6C48 13:30 Appleford to Whatley Mendip Rail stone empties. Although a day of intermittent cloud, I didn't realise until reviewing the pictures quite how lucky I was to get the sun on this.

There being no traffic for the 7C77 12:39 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties on 16 August 2016, 59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer heads back home light engine as 0C77, seen here passing through Sonning cutting. Note the two signs of impending electfrication.

Diverted away from its usual route via the Berks & Hants line due to electfrication work, 59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer passes Uffington on 26 April 2018 with the 6A17 09:47 Whatley Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail stone train.

59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer passes Stocks Lane level crossing, in the village of Steventon, on 6 June 2018 with the diverted 7A09 06:30 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. I wasn't originally going to go out for this, but as it left 93 minutes late, I concluded that the lighting would be much better, as at the booked time the sun would still be very head on. The train did manage to recover some time, but was still over an hour behind time here, and while the vertical sun angle is too high this near the middle of the day, at least it is no longer too head on!

59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer runs alongside the Kennet & Avon Canal at Crofton on 14 July 2018 with the 6C31 09:22 Theale to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. This had left Theale 80 minutes late, but had halved that deficit by the time it passed me, and then gained further time by missing out its booked layover in Woodborough loop.

Ten years after becoming the first Class 59/2 to be painted into DB Schenker's bright red livery, 59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer is looking decidedly tatty, with large rust patches visible on the bodyside. It is pictured here passing Kintbury on 23 August 2019 with the 6C58 11:45 Oxford Banbury Road to Whatley Quarry stone empties.

Still looking immaculate, several weeks after being the first Class 59 to be painted into Freightliner's new orange livery, 59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer passes Hungerford Common on 28 May 2020 with the 6M20 10:38 Whatley Quarry to Churchyard Sidings stone hoppers. This was running 14 minutes early.

The orange and yellow livery of 59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer complements the early autumn landscape, as it passes Froxfield on 28 September 2020 with the 7A09 07:12 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. I had arrived here in plenty of time, as I correctly guessed that it would run early, as the train which it is normally held in Woodborough loop for, the 1A74 07:13 Paignton to Paddington GWR service, was cancelled. Sure enough, it was running 54 minutes early at this point.

59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer passes Uffington on 23 June 2021 with the 6A60 08:32 Whatley Quarry to Oxford Banbury Road Mendip Rail stone train. This was a few minutes early here, but that did not mean it got to its destination on time. It sat at Didcot for nearly three hours, and arrived at Banbury Road stone terminal 152 minutes late!

Golden afternoon light at Uffington on 25 November 2021, with the orange shades of the autumn foliage echoed by the Genesee & Wyoming livery of 59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer. The train is the late running 6C48 12:49 Appleford to Whatley Quarry stone empties.

59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer approaches Hungerford Common on 12 January 2022 with the 7C77 12:24 Wembley Yard to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. This was running 24 minutes late, which wasn't a problem, but what was a problem was the extreme late running of the 6B33 13:35 Theale to Robeston Murco oil empties, which was the main reason for me visiting this spot. With no prospect of it appearing before the sun had gone, I was almost back home by the time it actually passed here, running over an hour late!

59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer just manages to avoid the shadows, as it passes Grove foot crossing on 13 January 2023 with the 6A60 08:32 Whatley Quarry to Oxford Banbury Road Mendip Rail stone train.

59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer passes Shrivenham on 5 June 2023 with the 6C49 17:10 Appleford to Whatley Quarry stone empties. This is the view from the concrete footbridge on the site of the now closed Ashbury Crossing. Unfortunately lineside trees now prevent a completely uninterrupted view of trains in the evening from the north side of the line.

59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer passes Little Bedwyn on 29 September 2023 with the 6A09 07:12 Merehead Quarry to Acton stone train. The entire train can just be seen in this view, which would not be the case if it was running as the 7A09 three portion 'Jumbo' train.

59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer passes Hungerford Common on 11 January 2024 with the 7A40 08:40 Merehead Quarry to Hanwell Bridge Loop stone train. This replaces the long standing 7A09 07:12 Merehead Quarry to Acton 'jumbo' train. Luckily this was running 17 minutes late. At the booked time the whole area was under a blanket of cloud.

59206 John F. Yeoman Rail Pioneer & 66953 pass Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 13 November 2024 with the diverted 7A40 08:45 Merehead Quarry to Hanwell Bridge Loop 'jumbo' stone train. This was diverted via Swindon as the Berks & Hants line was closed for engineering works.