In superb late evening light on 2 May 2008, 43302 leads the 1S22 15:30 Kings Cross to Edinburgh National Express East Coast service past Fenham Low Moor. Despite sounding like it should be in East Anglia, Fenham Low Moor is just south of Berwick-upon-Tweed, near the coast and within sight of Holy Island. This is very nearly a complete train in the new National Express livery, with only the rear power car (hidden by an overhead line mast) in the old livery.

With both power cars in the new East Coast livery, but the stock still in debranded GNER livery, 43302 leads the 1A12 07:00 Hull to Kings Cross (via Selby) National Express East Coast service past Great Heck on 30 June 2008. The Plasmor block works shunter is stabled on the right, with the works just out of sight on the right. The connection to the main line can clearly be seen, while the line in the foreground is the works headshunt.

43302 passes Cromwell Moor on 18 April 2014 with the 1E03 06:25 Edinburgh to Kings Cross East Coast service. The train is typical of the period, with a mix of new liveried power cars, and coaches in the earlier colour scheme. This is an excellent location for photography, down the end of a rough lane, a short distance from the village of Cromwell. 

Running 35 minutes late, 43302 World Speed Record - HST brings up the rear of the 1A46 18:15 Leeds to Kings Cross LNER service at Cromwell Moor on 29 June 2019. This had been a day of numerous delays on the Eat Coast Mainline, caused in part by the failure of one of the brand new Class 800 EMUs.

43302 World Speed Record - HST passes Frinkley Lane (near Grantham) on 13 September 2019 with the 1B85 13:54 Newark North Gate to Kings Cross LNER service. This power car (as 43102) and 43159 hold the world speed record for diesel traction - 148 mph, achieved on 1 November 1987. Apparently, some drivers were convinced that 150 mph was easily possible, but BR banned any further record attempts. Not a lot of point when you've got the world record, I suppose!

43303 brings up the rear of the 9V59 09:00 Glasgow to Plymouth CrossCountry service at Spetchley on 8 October 2008. The lead power car is 43285. Particularly noteworthy is the use of former Midland Mainline coaches. This was a temporary measure, as whilst the reliveried power cars were ready for the start of the new service a few weeks earlier, the coaches had yet to be repainted.

43303 heads past Tredington with the 9V59 09:00 Glasgow to Plymouth Arriva Cross Country service on 10 October 2008. With 43285 on the rear, the set had obviously been turned since I saw it at Spetchley two days previously. Although a largely sunny day, bands of cloud were now drifting slowly in from the west, and I was very lucky to get this picture fully lit, as the sun was now in a very narrow gap between two quite large banks of cloud. As the train could be seen approaching for several miles it was a worrying few minutes hoping that the light would hold!

Its always a good idea to see where you are going whilst driving! The driver of 43303 cleans his windscreen as he speeds past Defford on 2 June 2009 with the 1E63 15:21 Plymouth to Leeds Cross Country service. This was a very hurried shot, as I could see the headlight approaching as I was walking across the road, and the HST emerged from behind the tree as I was taking the lens cap off! Luckily the camera was already set to the correct settings with the right focal length lens already in place.

The lineside vegetation very nearly touches the trains at Eckington. 43303 speeds past the site of the long closed station with the 1V48 08:10 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service on a very dull 15 August 2009. The palisade fence in the immediate foreground marks the site of the former level crossing.

43303 speeds past Charfield on 2 March 2010 with the 1V50 06:08 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service. A welcome change from the procession of XC Voyagers, and definitely a welcome change if you have to actually travel on one, especially all the way from Scotland to the West Country!

43303 passes Standish Junction on 25 October 2010 with the 1V48 06:44 Newcastle to Plymouth CrossCountry service. Photo taken from a public footpath crossing, which judging by Network Rail's dislike of such crossings, and the nearness of a roadbridge, I wouldn't be surprised is living on borrowed time.

High summer at Badgeworth, with unflattering overhead lighting. 43303 heads southwards with the 1V54 06:32 Dundee to Plymouth CrossCountry service on 24 July 2012. If the vegetation gets any higher here, the view of the Cotswold Hills in the background will soon disappear!

With an ominous amount of cloud building up in the background, 43303 speeds past Ashchurch on 9 August 2014 with the 1V48 06:45 Newcastle to Plymouth CrossCountry service. As is typical of a summer's day, the early bright start soon turned into a cloudy day!

43303 passes Abbotswood on 24 January 2019 with the 1V50 06:06 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service. After years of neglect, recent vegetation clearance work here has opened up this view nicely, although as Network Rail do not follow this up with routine maintenance, it will probably revert to a jungle again in a few years!

43303 passes Up Hatherley on 24 July 2020 with the 1V50 06:06 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service. The dull day suited this location, as it is surrounded by tall trees, and there would be no possibility of a decent picture if the sun was out, even in July.

43303 passes Bredon on 1 July 2021 with the 1S53 15:35 Bristol Temple Meads to Edinburgh CrossCountry service. Passengers on this HST could enjoy some more comfortable HST travel once they got to Scotland, courtesy of ScotRail. Passengers in most other parts of the country are not so lucky since their trains were downgraded to bi-mode units!

43303 passes Claydon on 11 July 2022 with the 1V44 06:11 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service. InterCity Executive liveried 43184 is bringing up the rear. This was running 27 minutes late. Note the change of gradient on the approach to Ashchurch station in the background.

43303 passes Claydon on 7 April 2023 with the 1V44 06:11 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service. Unfortunately this will be the last year of CrossCountry HST operations, and what is worse, is that they are not being replaced with anything else.

43303 passes Bredon's Norton on 12 April 2023 with the 1V44 06:11 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service, with 43301 bringing up the rear. The first signs of spring are evident in the severely trimmed roadside hedge.

43303 passes Rangeworthy on 26 July 2023 with the 1V44 06:12 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service. As is often the case, this was running late, but only 12 minutes on this occasion, so not as bad as the 31 minutes late running of the previous day.

43303 brings up the rear of the 1V62 11:05 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service at Defford on 3 September 2023. 43357 is leading. This was running 13 minutes late, which is not too bad, considering it left Edinburgh 47 minutes behind time.

43303 passes Bredon in terrible light on 14 September 2023 with the 1E63 15:27 Plymouth to Leeds CrossCountry service. I went here to photograph 56096 on the diverted 6M51 14:40 Baglan Bay to Chirk Kronospan log train, but problems in the Cheltenham area saw all northbound trains severely delayed. By 19:00 it was getting so dark that I gave up, and went home. The 56 passed half an hour later, running 56 minutes late, and presumably in near darkness! 

After working the 14:25 Bridgnorth to Highley service during the Severn Valley Railway's Diesel Gala on 19 May 2024, the Colas Rail HST set continued on ECS, with 43301 leading, and 43303 bringing up the rear.

43304 accelerates away from its booked stop at Cheltenham and passes Up Hatherley on 16 March 2009 whilst working the 1V31 06:08 Edinburgh to Plymouth Cross Country service. The recent introduction of HSTs onto some long distance cross country services must seem like a quantum leap in quality for passengers that had previously had to put up with Voyagers. It also must be very embarrassing for the operator when thirty year old trains are preferred to more modern units. Obviously Arriva are more forward looking (by looking back!) than Virgin Trains were!

43304 speeds past Coaley with the 1V50 06:08 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service on 18 September 2009. Although the forecasters had promised a sunny day, shortly after this train had passed a large mass of cloud moved up from the south and the sun wasn't seen again all day. Its a good job the Met Office aren't paid by results!

Viewed from a spot high up on the hillside on the opposite side of the valley, 43304 approaches Wickwar with the 1V46 06:32 York to Plymouth CrossCountry service on 25 September 2009. I had an audience of young calves while waiting to take this picture. I'm not sure if they were more interested in me or the silver three legged item that I had added to their field!

43304 passes Lower Wick (between Gloucester and Bristol) with the 1V46 06:32 York to Plymouth CrossCountry service on 12 October 2009. This particular power car seems to follow me around now, which I suppose makes up for the fact that I have few pictures of it in its former guise as 43104. Note the complete absence of traffic on the M5 motorway in the background. A complete fluke, as this otherwise rural location is plagued by the constant drone of traffic from the road.

43304 passes Up Hatherley on 3 September 2010 with the 1V50 06:08 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service. This location is fine if the sun isn't out, but photography is severely restricted if the sun appears, due to the tall trees on the right.

43304 speeds past Wadborough on 25 March 2011 with the 1S51 12:23 Plymouth to Glasgow CrossCountry service. This was the final day of period of high pressure, that ensured cloud free skies and very warm (for the time of year) temperatures.

Dog walkers in the field on the right ignore the 1V46 09:32 York to Plymouth CrossCountry service as it passes Ashchurch on 6 May 2013, led by 43304. The loop on the right is rusty for a good reason, as the connecting point in the background has been temporally disconnected.

43304 passes Croome on 9 August 2014 with the 1V44 06:00 Leeds to Paignton CrossCountry service. It was followed just a few minutes later by 43079 on the 1L40 08:36 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington First Great Western service, allowing a comparison of modern HST liveries.

43304 passes Ashchurch on 4 December 2016 with the 1V48 06:45 Newcastle to Plymouth CrossCountry service. Note the newly installed fence on the right. Its only now that there is this new obstruction, that I realise that I should have taken more pictures from the field!

43304 just manages to avoid the lengthening shadows, as it brings up the rear of the 1E67 16:37 Paignton to Leeds CrossCountry service at Churchdown on 17 June 2017. This is the site of the four platform Churchdown station, which closed in November 1964.

43304 passes Ashchurch on 17 November 2017 with the 1V44 06:00 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service. Note the ex pheasant hitching a ride on the front bogie! Although this was a completely sunny day, I hadn't realised the significance of the cloud visible in the background, until I spoke to a friend in the evening. Apparently a little further north it was cloudy on and off through much of the day. This view has been improved by the removal of a lineside tree, which slightly got in the way when I took a picture of this same power car here a year earlier.

43304 passes Bredon on 20 August 2019 with the 1E63 15:25 Plymouth to Leeds CrossCountry service. The bridge in the background is in the centre of the village of Bredon, and marks the site of Bredon station, which closed in 1965.

43304 passes Stoke Orchard on 12 August 2020 with the 1V44 06:11 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service. Even at 08:45, the temperature was climbing towards 30c, but luckily the predicted thunder storms didn't occur until much later than forecast, although an unexpected very local lightning strike did fry my broadband hub later in the evening!

Catching the very last of the weak afternoon light, as the sun fades away into high cloud, 43304 passes Portway on 15 September 2020 with the 1S51 12:27 Plymouth to Edinburgh CrossCountry service. Another location blighted by totally over the top palisade fencing.

43304 passes Little Haresfield on 19 September 2020 with the 1V50 06:06 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service. The wide formation gives away the fact that there were once four lines here: two Great Western and two London Midland & Scottish.

43304 (with 43239 on the rear) passes Standish Junction on 6 August 2022 with the 1V44 06:09 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service. The slender spire of Standish church can just be seen on the extreme left of the picture.

43304 passes Frocester on 24 August 2022 with the 1V44 06:11 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service. This is a location that has been on my 'to do' list for ages, but it is only suitable for a late summer evening, or as here, a dull day. It was certainly dull, although judging by the clouds, obviously not as dark as it was a few miles further north!

43304 approaches the farm occupation crossing at Eckington on 8 June 2023 with the 1S53 13:27 Plymouth to Edinburgh CrossCountry service. With uninterrupted bright sunshine, there was no problem in selecting an aperture of f11 to make sure everything was in sharp focus.

43304 brings up the rear of the late running 1V50 06:06 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service, as it accelerates away from Cheltenham on 23 June 2023, led by 43301. There is obviously a drainage issue, judging by the lush green vegetation growing on the ballast in the foreground!

The sun is gradually breaking through at Tibberton on 6 September 2023, as 43304 heads south with the 1V44 06:12 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service. In their last weeks of service, these HSTs are getting plenty of attention, and the crews seem to know it. The driver gave a blast on the horn, and his mate was giving a cheery wave!

A surprising, and very welcome, brief burst of weak sunshine amid the dark clouds at Claydon on 11 September 2023, just as 43304 passes by with the 1V50 06:06 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service.

With just a few days to go before they are all withdrawn from service, everyone is getting their last pictures of the CrossCountry HSTs. 43304 passes Spetchley on 13 September 2023 with the 1V50 06:06 Edinburgh to Plymouth service, which on this occasion was terminated at Exeter St Davids, due to the line being blocked at Teignmouth.

43304 passes Up Hatherley in the rain on 14 September 2023 with the 1V50 06:06 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service. Although I don't mind photographing CrossCountry HSTs in their last week of operations, I wouldn't have bothered travelling over 30 miles if I had known the weather would get this bad. It was fine when I left home!

43305 nips in and out of the shadows at Gateforth on 17 June 2010, as it heads south with the 1E12 07:55 Inverness to Kings Cross 'Highland Chieftain' East Coast service. Even with a 125mph train, this journey takes nearly eight hours.

43305 crosses over the M18 motorway near Bessacarr on 14 March 2015 with the diverted 1E13 07:55 Inverness to Kings Cross Virgin East Coast service. The train has just left its normal route at Doncaster, and will shortly be heading across towards the Fens.

43305 sweeps round the curve at Gateforth on 29 November 2016 with the 1E11 07:52 Aberdeen to Kings Cross Virgin East Coast service. Note the two thin purple stripes on the first two coaches, denoting first class. This replaces the decades old yellow cant rail stripe.

A stranger in the Cotswolds! On hire from Virgin East Coast, 43305 leads the 1S51 12:25 Plymouth to Glasgow Central CrossCountry service past Up Hatherley on 13 August 2017. CrossCountry's own 43207 was on the rear. Just three minutes behind this train was 68016 working the 5Z41 14:02 Pengam Sidings to Burton upon Trent Wetmore Sidings ECS, but unfortunately the 1V06 13:10 Nottingham to Cardiff Central, worked by a pair of Class 170 units got in the way, and prevented me getting a picture!

Just nine minutes into its long journey from Scotland to London, 43305 rounds the curve at Findon on 1 September 2018 with the 1E15 09:52 Aberdeen to Kings Cross LNER service. The livery is from the failed Virgin East Coast franchise, with merely the substitution of LNER logos.

43305 passes Drumlithie on 15 September 2019 with the 1E27 13:47 Aberdeen to Kings Cross LNER service. Although it was getting brighter all the time, the sun didn't fully come out until a few seconds after the train had passed!

43306 bursts out from underneath the road bridge at Great Heck on 6 June 2012 with the 1A12 07:00 Hull to Kings Cross East Coast service. The modern bridge in the background carries the M62 motorway over the line. It was between these two bridges that the GNER train hit a crashed Land Rover in 2001, resulting in a fatal derailment.

43306 in the interim Virgin East Coast livery, leads the 1Y88 16:02 York to Kings Cross service past Burn on 4 June 2015. The farm tracks in the foreground were deliberately given prominence, as their zig-zag pattern balances the composition.

Running 15 minutes late, 43306 sweeps round the reverse curves at Sutton Bonington on 12 December 2020 with the 1B38 11:45 Nottingham to St Pancras International East Midlands Railway service. Sutton Bonington was originally two villages (Sutton and Bonington), which explains why it has two medieval churches. The smaller of the two, St Anne's, which was formerly Sutton's parish church, is situated behind the retaining wall on the left.

A regular feature of Summer Saturdays is the use of unusual traction on trains from the north of England to Newquay. In 2008, National Express East Coast HSTs have been doing the honours and here we see 43307 with the 1V29 07:24 Manchester Piccadilly to Newquay service speeding through Ashchurch station on 23 August 2008. I wonder if this combination of new liveried power car and re-branded former GNER stock will permanently mark this as a 2008 picture? Certainly last year these trains were all in GNER livery, and presumably next year, if they continue to use the same stock they will be all be in the new silver livery.

Normally the National Express East Coast HSTs operate with complete rakes of either the former GNER blue or the new white and silver liveried coaches. However, occasionally there are mixed rakes, such as this solitary blue coach behind 43307 pictured here at Botany Bay (near Retford) on 10 March 2009. It is working the 1A36 14:40 Leeds to Kings Cross service.

Apart from in Scotland, most of the time the East Coast fleet of HSTs operate under the wires, which limits the photographic possibilities. However, there is one train in each direction serving Hull, which uses the non-electrified line via Selby. The morning train runs straight out of the sun as it leaves Hull, but once it passes Selby and turns onto what was the original East Coast Mainline, the lighting is very nearly ideal. On 17 September 2012, 43307 leads the 1A12 07:00 Hull to Kings Cross past Burn Lane in fine early morning light, and with the added bonus of the stock being the rebranded former East Midlands Trains set.

43307 speeds past Burn on 17 October 2013 with the 1Y88 16:01 York to Kings Cross East Coast Trains service. Interestingly, the track on which this train is travelling is younger than the train itself! The Selby diversion was opened in 1983, whilst 43307 (or 43107 as it was then) dates from 1978.

43307 speeds past Burn on 4 June 2015 with the late running 1S22 15:00 Kings Cross to Edinburgh Virgin East Coast service. I feel that is important to get pictures of intermediate liveries such as this, as no doubt the fully branded version will soon become standard over the whole East Coast fleet.

In the last few weeks of East Coast HST operations, 43307 passes Rossington on 4 December 2019 with the 1A30 12:45 Leeds to Kings Cross LNER service. Unfortunately a recently erected lineside palisade fence now rather restricts the choice of viewpoints here.

43307 passes Kilby Bridge on 31 July 2020 with the 1D23 10:34 St Pancras International to Nottingham East Midlands Railway service. If the red and white livery of the power car seems to contrast with the blue and white coaches, compare that with the all over red colour scheme of 43238 on the rear of the train.

Deliberately taken with the train low in the frame to include a large area of the dark menacing sky, 43308 speeds past Little Heck on 11 March 2011 with the 1A17 07:52 Newcastle Central to Kings Cross East Coast service. The rear power car is just passing over the Knottingley to Drax line.

Superb late afternoon light at Burn on 17 October 2013, as 43308 speeds northwards with the 1N87 15:08 Kings Cross to York East Coast service. A few minutes later the sun dropped into a band of cloud near the horizon, putting an end to the day's photography. Note the miss-match in colour between the grey of the most recent East Coast livery on the power car, and the rebranded former National Express colour scheme on the coaches.

A wave from the driver of 43308 Highland Chieftain, as it passes Gamston on 3 November 2018 with the 1E11 07:52 Aberdeen to Kings Cross LNER service. The red and white livery shows up well in the dull conditions, in marked contrast to GWR's awful dark green colour scheme.

43308 Highland Chieftain heads north past Claypole on 22 July 2019 with the late running 1D13 12:03 Kings Cross to Leeds LNER service. This photo is taken from Barnby Lane level crossing, a quiet rural location with massively more rail than road traffic.

43308 Highland Chieftain brings up the rear of the 1A36 14:45 Leeds to Kings Cross LNER service at Balderton Crossing, Claypole, on 22 July 2019. This is on a seven mile completely straight section of track, which crosses the flat landscape of the Witham Valley.

43308 Highland Chieftain leads the 1S24 16:00 Kings Cross to Aberdeen LNER service past Hougham on 13 September 2019. Not quite the appropriate traction, as the northbound Highland Chieftain train operates four hours earlier.

43309 speeds through the rain at Inverkeilor with the 11:00 Kings Cross to Aberdeen National Express East Coast 'Northern Lights' service on 4 May 2008. Not much chance of getting wet here, as I sat in the car until I heard it coming! Railway pictures in the rain always look atmospheric, it's just a question of keeping the camera dry!

Under a brooding sky, 43309 leads the 1E12 07:55 Inverness to Kings Cross East Coast service past Burn on 11 March 2010. This train takes just short of eight hours to complete its mammoth journey from the north of Scotland to London.

43309 leads the 1E11 07:52 Aberdeen to Kings Cross East Coast service past Claypole (Balderton Crossing) on 30 May 2012. The power car carries the latest version of East Coast's livery, whilst the rest of the train is in the earlier version, which itself is a rebranding of the former National Express colour scheme.

A new view of Culloden Viaduct has been created by the felling of the large area of trees to the south east of the structure. This is the view from the side of the narrow road that used to form the southern edge of the conifer plantation. The view of the viaduct used to be totally obscured by the trees, which covered the whole of the area in the foreground where the bracken is now flourishing. 43309 leads the 1E13 07:55 Inverness to Kings Cross East Coast service across the viaduct on 25 June 2013.

43309 speeds past Tempsford in the soft early morning light on 5 April 2014 with the 1Y08 06:00 Newcastle to Kings Cross East Coast service. Being this close to a train travelling at 125 mph (the photo was taken from a level crossing) a shutter speed of 1/2000sec was definitely required!

The only HSTs through Goole are normally ECS movements, but due to the Selby Swing Bridge blockade in the summer of 2014, it had a couple of passengers services as well, albeit not stopping. 43309 approaches Goole station at speed on 5 September 2014 with the 1H10 17:19 Kings Cross to Hull East Coast service. The signal box lights, and the reflection of the red signal along the coaches gives some idea of how dark it was!

43309 passes a collection of agricultural machinery at Balderton Crossing, Claypole, on 11 March 2017, as it heads north with the 1S16 12:00 Kings Cross to Inverness Virgin East Coast service. Although a tarmaced road up to the crossing, it is only for access to fields on the opposite side of the line.

43309 catches the last of the late afternoon light, as it passes Balne Lowgate on 22 February 2019 with the 1Y88 16:03 York to Kings Cross LNER service. A few of the scattered houses of Balne Highgate can be seen in the background.

43309 approaches Burnmouth in superb lighting on 16 September 2019 with the 1W20 14:00 Kings Cross to Aberdeen LNER service. The flat area of land behind the train is Ross Point, named after the cluster of houses at the base of the cliff. This is accessed from a narrow road from Burnmouth which passes the small fishing boat harbour.

43309 brings up the rear of the late running diverted 1F44 14:55 St Pancras International to Leeds East Midlands Railway service at Langham Junction on 5 July 2020. Although the adjacent signal box is named Langham Junction, there never was a conventional junction here, merely the northern end of a short four track section, which formerly included sidings in connection with the Midland Railway provender stores.

With a complete matching rake of former LNER stock, 43309 passes Kilby Bridge on 31 July 2020 with the 1D28 11:34 St Pancras International To Nottingham East Midlands Railway service. As the HSTs have only a limited time remaining on the route, the branding just consists of swapping the LNER wording for EMR.

43309 passes Braybrooke on 23 April 2021 with the 1B63 16:45 Nottingham to St Pancras International East Midlands Railway service. Severely backlit, but at least the train is still completely free of shadows from the lineside bushes.

There was a staffing issue with the 1B69 17:45 Nottingham to St Pancras International East Midlands Railway service on 14 May 2021, which saw it cancelled at East Midlands Parkway. I was waiting to photograph it a few miles south at Normanton on Soar. Eventually, after a 20 minute delay, it appeared, minus passengers, now running as the 5B69 ECS, with 43309 leading.

With the chimney and cooling towers of Eggborough Power Station providing the dramatic backdrop, 43310 speeds past Heck Ings on 7 April 2015 with the 1E05 07:30 Edinburgh to Kings Cross Virgin East Coast Trains service. The power car's livery is a temporary fix pending the roll out of the company's new colour scheme. It is just a vinyl addition to the former East Coast Trains livery.

43310 speeds past Burn on 4 June 2015 with the 1E15 09:52 Aberdeen to Kings Cross Virgin East Coast Trains service. It's always worth getting pictures of transitional liveries, and this Virgin colour scheme is destined to be short lived, pending a repaint into the company's full house colours. The Virgin red vinyl is applied here over the East Coast Trains grey power car, while the coach livery harks back to the days when National Express operated the route!

43310 speeds past Scrooby on 23 February 2019 with the 1A31 13:15 Leeds to Kings Cross LNER service. Photo taken from the very end of Station Road, where a footpath crosses the line, giving access to the flat meadows next to the River Idle. The tiny station at Scrooby closed as early as 1931.

43310 passes Barnby Lane Crossing, Claypole, on 22 July 2019 with the 1E10 10:00 Edinburgh to Kings Cross LNER service. This was the first day of an extreme heatwave, and there was still some cloud lingering around, which gives a much better background to the picture, rather than the bland hazy pale blue sky of the following days, when high pressure had fully established itself.

43310 passes Frinkley Lane (near Grantham) on 13 September 2019 with the 1E11 07:52 Aberdeen to Kings Cross LNER service. I hope the East Coast's new Class 800 EMUs have got better seats than the GWR ones, otherwise really long distance passengers, such as those on this train, are going to be in real trouble when these HSTs get withdrawn!

43310 passes Drumlithie on 15 September 2019 with the 1E23 11:47 Aberdeen to Kings Cross LNER service. This is the last summer of East Coast HSTs working to Aberdeen, with Class 800 DMUs due to take over imminently.

This is about the most perfectly timed and brief burst of sunshine you could take a railway picture in! 43311 speeds past Frinkley Lane (near Grantham) with the 12:00 Edinburgh to Kings Cross National Express East Coast service on 25 July 2009. The power car and first few coaches are in full sun, while the background and the immediate foreground are in shadow!

Running 19 minutes late, 43311 passes Cromwell Moor on 29 June 2019 with the 1S25 16:30 Kings Cross to Edinburgh LNER service. This minor delay to northbound trains was nothing compared to the massive delays being encountered by southbound services, all due to the failure of one of LNER's new Class 800 EMUs.

43311 speeds past Claypole on 22 July 2019 with the 1W22 15:00 Kings Cross to Stirling LNER service. It may have been a almost completely sunny day in Lincolnshire, but as I found out later when I drove home, the Midlands were under a large blanket of cloud, with only occasional sunny spells.

43311 approaches Sandy on 2 October 2019 with the 1Y84 12:02 York to Kings Cross LNER service. Everything on this day was encountering delays south of Peterborough, and this train was running 23 minutes late.

43312 passes Botany Bay (near Retford) on 10 March 2009 with the 1E10 07:52 Aberdeen to Kings Cross National Express East Coast service. The power car may be in the new operator's livery, but the coaches are still in GNER dark blue.

43312 passes Little Haresfield on 30 May 2009 with the 1V45 07:00 Manchester Piccadilly to Newquay Cross Country service using a hired in National Express East Coast set with 43295 on the rear. A welcome livery variation for summer Saturdays in the Gloucester area, especially with new liveried power cars on former GNER liveried stock.

43312 approaches Balderton Crossing, Claypole, on 30 May 2012 with the 1A33 13:45 Leeds to Kings Cross East Coast service. The silver and white livery is quite stylish, but like most East Coast colour schemes, was short lived due to the transient nature of the franchises!

Racing ahead of the gathering storm, 43312 passes Cromwell Moor on 18 April 2014 with the 1E07 08:30 Edinburgh to Kings Cross East Coast service. The recent windscreen wash has done little to clean up the uncharacteristically dirty front end.

43312 brings up the rear of the late running 1E15 09:52 Aberdeen to Kings Cross LNER service at Balderton Crossing, Claypole, on 22 July 2019. An excellent location, a fine subject, and ideal summer weather conditions!

A slightly hazy day at Balderton Crossing, Claypole, on 30 May 2012. 43313 heads north with the 1S15 12:00 Kings Cross to Inverness 'Highland Chieftain'. Although East Coast still give names to certain trains, it is little more than an additional note in the timetables.

43313 speeds past Yaxley on 6 September 2012 with the 1E03 06:25 Edinburgh to Kings Cross East Coast service. The complete train is in the interim East Coast livery, a modification of National Express's colour scheme. Since effectively being renationalised, the livery has changed again, as shown on 43272, seen a little earlier at the same location.

43313 leads the diverted 1S20 12:47 Kings Cross to Aberdeen Virgin Trains East Coast service past Auckley on 14 March 2015. Typically, after a long period of sunshine, just as the train was approaching the sun started to disappear into a huge black cloud. Luckily I just managed to catch the last of the light, with a trace of a shadow, before the lights went out entirely!

The flowering gorse bush adds some foreground interest to this view of 43313 passing Burn on 13 March 2016. The train is  the 1E20 15:00 Kings Cross to Edinburgh Virgin Trains East Coast service. Yet another soon to fail East Coast franchise!

43313 brings up the rear of the 1W10 09:25 Kings Cross to Inverness LNER service at Gleneagles on 14 September 2019. 43206 is the leading power car. The large number people on the station is in connection with the Solheim Cup golf tournament.

43313 passes Burn on 17 September 2019 with the 1Y84 12:02 York to Kings Cross LNER service. With the first few months of 2019 being devoted to photographing the last of the HSTs on the Great Western, the final few months are being used to doing the same thing on the East Coast!

43313 sweeps past the Waterloo Solar Farm, near Sandy, on 2 October 2019 with the 1A30 12:45 Leeds to Kings Cross LNER service. This was one of the very few trains on this particular day that was actually running bang on time.

With the haar (coastal fog) rolling across the fields from the nearby North Sea, 43314 East Riding of Yorkshire passes Boddin (near Montrose) on 5 May 2008 with the 1E10 07:53 Aberdeen to Kings Cross National Express East Coast service.

Fantastic lighting at Bathley Lane (near Newark) on 10 March 2011, as 43314 rounds the curve with the 1E12 07:55 Inverness to Kings Cross 'Highland Chieftain' East Coast service. This superb lighting only lasted a matter of minutes and was very localised. In fact when the nearby level crossing barriers went down the sun was still only just coming out of the edge of the cloud. The fact that the clouds to the north are even darker is an added bonus once everything in the foreground is lit up!

Still sporting Virgin branding, over two months after the Virgin East Coast franchise failed, and was rescued by the government, 43314 passes Luncarty on 29 August 2018 with the 1E13 07:55 Inverness to Kings Cross 'Highland Chieftain' LNER service.

A toot from the driver of 43314, as it passes Cossington on 15 September 2020 with the 1B48 13:45 Nottingham to St Pancras International East Midlands Railway service. Annoyingly, the sun had just gone into some thin high cloud, which has taken the edge off the light slightly.

43315 passes Tomatin on 26 June 2013 with the 1E13 07:55 Inverness to Kings Cross East Coast service. Although this looks like it is in the middle of nowhere, remote from any roads, in fact the A9 Perth to Inverness road is just behind the trees in the background. A typically dull Scottish morning, but at least the silver and white East Coast livery stands out well in such conditions.

43315 heads north at Cromwell Moor on 18 April 2014 with the 1D09 10:03 Kings Cross to Leeds East Coast service. It looks like full cloud here, but luckily, and quite surprisingly, most trains passed in sunshine.

43315 speeds past Scrooby on 23 February 2019 with the 1E13 07:55 Inverness to Kings Cross LNER service. Not only was the latter half of February 2019 exceptionally sunny, but also the highest ever UK February temperature was recorded.

43315 brings up the rear of the 1S24 16:00 Kings Cross to Edinburgh LNER service at Joan Croft Junction on 20 April 2019. It may be a going away shot, but with only a few months left in traffic, and in perfect light, it had to be taken!

43315 passes Fenwick on 22 April 2019 with the 1E09 09:30 Edinburgh to Kings Cross LNER service. There was never a station at this location, despite the (admittedly not very large) village of Fenwick being quite close to the line. There was however a station a mile south at Moss, although that village is some distance from the line.

43315 brings up the rear of the 1W96 12:00 Kings Cross to Inverness LNER service at Burnmouth on 16 September 2019. An excellent viewpoint, and one that is easy to get to, as this is the view from the side of the A1 road.

43315 passes Burn on 17 September 2019 with the 1Y32 12:25 Newcastle to Kings Cross GWR service. There was virtually no chance of a car getting in the way of this across the road shot, as this is purely a no through road leading from the village of Burn to Paper House Farm.

43316 passes Grassthorpe with the 13:40 Leeds to Kings Cross National Express East Coast service on 25 January 2008. Note the transitional livery with a white stripe added to the former GNER livery with National Express branding. The headways on the East Coast Main Line are obviously very tight, as this was following only 2 minute 22 seconds behind 43084 on the Grand Central Railways service, and appeared to be traveling at full line speed.

43316 brings up the rear of the diverted 1E17 13:30 Edinburgh to Kings Cross Virgin East Coast Trains service at Park Drain on 14 March 2015. Note the undulating nature of the track in the background, as the line traverses the flat landscape between Doncaster and Gainsborough.

43316 speeds past Burn on 13 March 2016 with the 1S20 14:00 Kings Cross to Aberdeen Virgin East Coast service. The garish livery has already been toned down somewhat by the front of the power car not have been washed for ages!

43316 is still accelerating away from Stonehaven, as it approaches Limpet Mill on 15 September 2019 with the late running 1W08 08:48 Kings Cross to Aberdeen LNER service. Nearly at journey's end after travelling for over eight hours. 43272 is the rear power car.

43316 brings up the rear of the 1E11 07:52 Aberdeen to Kings Cross LNER service at Cove Bay on 16 September 2019. 43272 was the leading power car. This would be the last year of HST operations from Scotland to London.

43317 speeds past Langford on 12 May 2008 with the 1A15 07:28 Harrogate to Kings Cross National Express East Coast service. Situated just to the south of Biggleswade, this is a pleasant location, accessed by footpath from Langford village (visible in the background).

In failing light, 43317 passes Shaftholme Junction with the 1E12 07:55 Inverness to Kings Cross 'Highland Chieftain' National Express East Coast service on 24 November 2008. The line diverging to the left is the freight only route to Knottingley, while just out of view behind the train is Joan Croft Junction, where the sharply curved freight chord links the East Coast Mainline to the Stainforth to Adwick freight line, which crosses over the ECML directly behind where I am stood. Shaftholme Junction Signal Box dates from 1958.

43317 passes Tollerton on 12 March 2009 with the 1E08 09:30 Edinburgh to Kings Cross National Express East Coast service. It just passing over the footpath crossing to the north of the village. Even on the East Coast Mainline traces of old railway infrastructure remain in places, such as this antique cast iron milepost in the foreground.

43317 leads 1E07 08:30 Edinburgh to Kings Cross East Coast service the past Cromwell Moor on 15 October 2011. This location in the fields to the west of the village of Cromwell is next to a public footpath crossing, but the fact that the footpath doesn't, according to the Ordnance Survey at least, actually go anywhere once it has crossed the line, probably explains why I didn't see anyone use the crossing while I was there.

Three liveries in one train! 43317 leads the 1N81 09:08 Kings Cross to York East Coast service past Yaxley on 6 September 2012. 43317 is in the original East Coast livery (rebranded National Express), while the EC64 rake of coaches sports former East Midlands Trains colours, rebranded as East Coast. Finally, 43307 bringing up the rear is in the later East Coast livery.

43317 passes Newtonhill on 25 June 2013 with the very late running 1S11 10:00 Kings Cross to Aberdeen East Coast service. This picture is taken from a no through road that leads from the A90 trunk road to the scattered houses around Cran Hill. An excellent traffic free location, with good views in both directions.

A fine spring afternoon at Balne Lowgate on 12 March 2014. 43317 heads southwards with the 1Y38 14:25 Newcastle to Kings Cross East Coast service. This kind of picture works far better in the winter and spring, when there are no leaves on the trees.

43317 speeds passes Scrooby on 23 February 2019 with the 1A33 13:45 Leeds to Kings Cross LNER service. What a pity this set wasn't the other way around, as East Midlands Trains liveried 43061 is on the rear.

43318 speeds past Scrooby on 21 July 2014 with the 1Y88 16:01 York to Kings Cross East Coast service. The train is just about to pass the site of Scrooby station, which was a very early casualty, many decades before Beeching. It was closed by the LNER in 1931.

43318 brings up the rear of the 1W11 10:00 Kings Cross to Aberdeen LNER service at Fenwick on 22 April 2019. The power car is sporting a large '40' logo, along with the highly appropriate wording: 'Celebrating Forty Years Inter-City 125 - The Journey Shrinker'.

Sporting a 'Celebrating Forty Years Inter-City 125 - The Journey Shrinker' logo, 43318 passes the green cornfields near Hambleton on a very dull 1 July 2019 with the 1A31 13:15 Leeds to Kings Cross LNER service.

43318 passes Whissendine on 5 July 2020 with the diverted 1C43 10:53 Leeds to St Pancras International East Midlands Railway service. This is my first picture of a rebranded former East Coast power car at work in the Midlands.

43318 brings up the rear of the diverted 1D46 15:03 St Pancras to Nottingham East Midlands Railway service at Lanham Junction on 5 July 2020. I particularly like the dramatic cloud effect in this picture, but the slightly over engineered signal is less photogenic.

43318 passes Cossington on 15 September 2020 with the 1D33 12:34 St Pancras International to Nottingham East Midlands Railway service. Very backlit, but a former LNER power car on the Midland Mainline is always worth a picture.

43319 speeds past Botany Bay (near Retford) with the 1N07 12:30 Kings Cross to Newcastle National Express East Coast service on 10 March 2009. Botany Bay level crossing is one of the few easily accessible locations on the East Coast Mainline where there is a reasonably decent photographic viewpoint in either direction.

Running 14 minutes late, 43319 passes Burn on 17 September 2019 with the 1E11 07:52 Aberdeen to Kings Cross LNER service. It's difficult to see how the forthcoming replacement of this premium long distance train by a hybrid DMU/EMU can in any way be considered an improvement.

A dull and damp day at Sutton Bonington on 12 December 2020. 43319 passes through the tree lined cutting with the 1B33 10:45 Nottingham to St Pancras International East Midlands Railway service. Despite the fact that the railway went right through the village, Sutton Bonington never had a station, although Kegworth station, just to the north was very close.

With the early morning mist still hanging over the hills, 43320 National Galleries of Scotland passes Tomatin on 8 October 2007 with the 1E12 07:55 Inverness to Kings Cross 'Highland Chieftain' GNER service. This was one of the earliest Class 43 renumberings, emerging from Brush at Loughborough in January 2007, after being fitted with a MTU engine and having its former 43120 number changed to 43320. The simple formulae for all GNER (later National Express) and CrossCountry renumberings being to increase the number by 200.

43320 races past Hambleton in low afternoon light on 29 November 2016 with the 1E13 07:55 Inverness to Kings Cross Virgin East Coast service. This was the first former GNER power car to be renumbered after the fitting of a MTU engine in place of the original Paxman Valenta. It is also one of the few power cars that I photographed in GNER blue after having been renumbered.

43320 passes Burn on 22 February 2019 with the 1E07 08:30 Edinburgh to Kings Cross LNER service. The red and white livery certainly stands out in the drab winter landscape, unlike my local GWR's awful dark green colour scheme.

43320 brings up the rear of the 1Y90 18:02 York to Kings Cross LNER service at Cromwell Moor on 29 June 2019. The LNER livery is by no means the worst colour scheme that HSTs have carried, by I preferred the colour that this loco wore in its previous incarnation as 43120.

With the light from the headlight reflecting on the west sleepers, 43320 heads northwards past Sutton Bonington in the drizzle on 12 December 2020 with the late running 1D18 09:34 St Pancras International to Nottingham East Midlands Railway service.

A wave from the driver of 43320, as the 1D48 15:34 St Pancras International to Nottingham East Midlands Railway service passes Great Bowden on 30 March 2021. The bridge in the background is the A6 Market Harborough bypass.

43320 passes Cossington on 18 April 2021 with the 1D46 15:11 St Pancras International to Nottingham East Midlands Railway service. With just weeks to go before the HSTs are removed from the Midland Mainline, every working is being extensively photographed, something that definitely didn't happen a few years ago!

43321 leads the 1V19 06:00 Leeds to Plymouth Cross Country service past Natton on 6 March 2009. Arriva have chosen an excellent livery for the CrossCountry franchise, which suits the thirty year old HSTs well, although perhaps the stylized X that is partly interrupted by the cab door would have been better omitted.

43321 leads the 1V19 06:00 Leeds to Plymouth Cross Country service past Little Haresfield on 16 March 2009. The rooks are busy nest building in the trees in the background and at least one has taken flight (directly above the HST's windscreen) at the sound of the approaching train. The promised sunny start to the day hadn't really happened and although it was out it was very weak. Nevertheless, what shadows there were would have been a problem from the bridge in the background, so I made use of the footpath crossing just to the south, which is in the clear.

43321 speeds past Spetchley on 25 March 2011 with the late running 1V50 06:08 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service. There used to be loops in both directions at this point, but only the northbound loop now remains. The wide area of ballast on the right marks the site of the southbound loop, lifted in the late 1990s.

43321 passes Tumpy Green (between Gloucester and Bristol) on 15 July 2013 with the 1V50 06:06 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service. The sound whistle sign is for the first of two footpath crossings between here and Gossington.

43321 passes the increasingly overgrown location of Little Haresfield on 22 September 2016 with the 1V44 06:00 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service. Such is the extent of the foliage that from this angle the southern end of Haresfield Loop is hidden from view.

43321 passes Gossington in superb winter light on 17 December 2018 with the 1V50 06:06 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service. The M5 motorway can be seen crossing over the railway in the background

With the Müller dairy at Stonehouse dominating the background, 43321 leads the 1V44 06:11 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service past Stanley Downton on 2 January 2019. This was running 26 minutes late. Although I had previously taken pictures nearby, this was the first time that I had used this particular viewpoint. The surprisingly red trees certainly enhance the picture.

43321 passes Gossington on 17 September 2020 with the 1V50 06:06 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service. For once this was running exactly on time. Haresfield Beacon, on the western edge of the Cotswold Hills, forms the backdrop.

43321 passes Natton on 4 November 2022 with the 1V44 06:11 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service. Just visible in the background, a full and empty steel train are passing each other. 66080 waits in the loop, ready to follow the HST with the very early running 6V05 09:15 (07:40 actual) Round Oak to Margam steel empties, while the 6M81 03:44 Margam to Round Oak steel loaded train heads in the opposite direction.

43321 races through Ashchurch for Tewkesbury station on 4 September 2023 with the 1V50 06:06 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service. The line curving away into the bushes is the recently revitalised MoD branch.

43321 passes Abbotswood on 5 September 2023 with the 1V44 06:12 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service. With less than two weeks to go before CrossCountry withdraw these iconic trains, I certainly wasn't going to miss getting yet another picture, especially in such fine autumnal lighting.

43321 passes Eckington on 7 September 2023 with the 1V44 06:12 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service. Unfortunately the early morning sunshine had disappeared into high cloud, that naturally melted away again shortly after the train had passed!

The 1V50 06:06 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service passes Tumpy Green on 8 September 2023, with 43321 leading, and 43378 bringing up the rear. The vegetation here was cut back a few years ago, and although it is starting to grow back, the location is still much more open than when I photographed this same power car, on the same train, ten years earlier.

43321 passes Stoke Orchard on 11 September 2023 with the 1V44 06:12 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service. Just a few days later this train would be replaced by Voyager units - hardly what you would call progress!

43321 passes a couple of fields of maize at Spetchley on 13 September 2023 with the 1V44 06:12 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service. Not an ideal spot, as the lineside vegetation is just a bit too intrusive!

43321 approaches Gossington on 15 September 2023 with the late running 1V50 06:06 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service. Hidden by the bushes and the M5 motorway bridge, 43378 is bringing up the rear.

The penultimate southbound CrossCountry HST passes Bredon's Norton in murky conditions on 16 September 2023, with 43321 leading and 43378 bringing up the rear of the 1V44 06:09 Leeds to Plymouth service. This should have actually been the very last southbound train, but the following day 43366 & 43303 worked the 5Z43 09:23 Neville Hill to Laira ECS, which unexpectedly turned into the 1Z52 12:12 Birmingham New Street to Plymouth relief service.

A pair of rooks perch on the solitary tree and a lone cyclist heads along the country lane while 43357 leads the 1S55 13:21 Plymouth to Edinburgh Cross Country service towards Abbotswood on 20 March 2009. I have deliberately chosen a more distant viewpoint to show the train in the landscape, which works especially well in the soft late afternoon light.

43357 passes Eckington on 17 August 2017 with the 1E63 14.25 Plymouth to Leeds CrossCountry service. The start of the loop line in the foreground, and the line of clouds in the background make for a pleasing composition.

43357 approaches Fiddington on 24 August 2019 with the 1V48 07:45 York to Plymouth CrossCountry service. Note the new fence on the right. This is one instance where Network Rail's standard green palisade fence would have been less conspicuous!

43357 passes Wadborough on 15 June 2021 with the 1E63 15:27 Plymouth to Leeds CrossCountry service. This had actually left Plymouth at 15:40, and kept losing time until Exeter, where it was half an hour late. With very little chance of making up time, that was exactly how late it was here.

43357 approaches Ashchurch on 2 June 2022 with the 1V44 06:11 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service. The train is passing over Northway level crossing, which is situated by the trees in the background. In the foreground is the start of the Ashchurch loop, with the catch point protecting the mainline from anything running backwards whilst in the loop.

Debranded CrossCountry liveried 43357 brings up the rear of the 1Q18 07:48 Derby RTC to Bristol Kingsland Road Network Rail test train at Didcot North Junction on 20 March 2024. Colas orange liveried 43277 is leading.

43357 brings up the rear of the diverted 1Z23 06:45 Bristol Kingsland Road to Derby RTC Network Rail test train at Yarnton on 25 April 2024. 43274 is leading the train, which was diverted due to the closure of the Cotswold Line for engineering works.

43357 passes Dorn (near Moreton-in-Marsh) on 22 May 2024 with the 1Z22 07:29 Derby RTC to Bristol Kingsland Road Network Rail test train. I had been waiting for an opportunity to photograph this train here for some time, but it would be no good at all if the sun was out, so I had to wait for a totally cloudy day. This was definitely a cloudy day, and also with heavy and persistent rain!

The 1Z23 06:45 Bristol Kingsland Road to Derby RTC Network Rail test train passes Cassington on 23 May 2024, with 43357 leading, and 43274 bringing up the rear. 43357 doesn't display any branding of either its former (CrossCountry) or current (Colas Rail) operator.

43357 passes Stonehouse on 30 July 2024 with the late running 1Q15 06:44 Derby RTC to Landore Network Rail test train. This spot is a little overgrown, but it is nothing compared with the view the other way, which is totally obscured by bushes growing out of the bridge's stonework!

Still wearing debranded CrossCountry livery, 43357 brings up the rear of the 1Q15 06:44 Derby RTC to Landore Network Rail test train at Standish Junction on 30 July 2024. Yellow classmate 43062 John Armitt is leading.

The diversion of an already diverted train! 43357 takes the Swindon line at Standish Junction on 30 July 2024 with the 1Q15 06:44 Derby RTC to Landore Network Rail test train. 43062 John Armitt is bringing up the rear. Normally this train would travel to South Wales via Chepstow, but that line was closed for engineering works, so the revised schedule had it routed via Yate and the Severn Tunnel. After what appeared to be some indecision at Gloucester it approached Standish Junction 28 minutes late, but to my surprise instead of heading for Bristol, took the line to Swindon for the second time on this day. It would later reverse at Swindon and pick up its booked route at Westerleigh Junction.

43366 accelerates away from Cheltenham and passes Up Hatherley with the 1V50 06:08 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service on 4 May 2010. Unfortunately this location is beginning to get very overgrown, and unless Notwork Rail (or is that Network Rail?) has one of its periodic clearances, it will be useless for photography in a very short time.

43366 passes the Midland Railway built crossing keeper's cottage at Brockampton with the 1V44 06:00 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service on 3 June 2010. Quite why the Midland Railway built such unusual buildings, with their angled corners is a mystery, but they are certainly very distinctive. The crossing is on a little used minor road just to the north of Cheltenham. Although well out of sight behind the bushes, the rear power on this occasion is 43285. I know this only because I saw the return working later in the day at Tredington!

43366 speeds past Wadborough on 8 February 2011 with the 1V39 06:32 Dundee to Plymouth CrossCountry service. Any passengers doing the full journey will no doubt be glad that parent company Arriva decided that a Class 221 unit would not really be up to this job!

43366 passes Up Hatherley on 14 March 2011 with the 1V50 06:08 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service. At this time of year the dark brown colours of the lineside foliage compliment the CrossCountry livery very well.

43366 passes Fiddington on 16 March 2012 with the 1V50 06:06 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service. The western slope of Bredon Hill can be seen looming out of the gloom in the background. All the lineside vegetation on the left was removed a few years later.

43366 leads the 1S51 12:23 Plymouth to Glasgow Central CrossCountry service past Defford on 24 July 2012. It looks like a field of asparagus on the right, while the field on the left looks very much like a 'set aside' out of production field.

43366 passes Claydon on 17 February 2015 with the 1V46 07:05 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service. It has just passed through Ashchurch (for Tewkesbury) station, which is just the other side of the bridge in the background.

43366 passes Wychnor Junction on 3 June 2015 with the 1S53 13:25 Plymouth to Edinburgh CrossCountry service. There seems to some dispute as to the spelling of this location. The village is shown on OS Maps at Wychnor, but Network Rail call the junction Wichnor.

43366 passes Bredicot on 18 June 2016 with the late running 1V54 06:32 Dundee to Plymouth CrossCountry service. Bredicot is little more than a farm and a few cottages, with a tiny church and adjacent vicarage on the opposite side of the line.

43366 brings up the rear of the 1V44 06:00 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service at Stoke Prior on 12 February 2018. The two masts of the 1934 built BBC Droitwch long wave radio transmitter dominate the background.

43366 passes Bredon's Norton on 17 April 2021 with the 1V44 05:36 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service. Classmate 43303 is bringing up the rear. An almost totally unobstructed view, apart from the railings surrounding the farm occupation underbridge.

43366 HST 40 Celebrating 40 Years of High Speed Train services on the Cross Country network passes the public footpath crossing at Pirton on 7 August 2023 with the 1V44 06:12 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service. Although this looks like a completely sunny morning, the sun had in fact only just reappeared from behind a very large bank of cloud.

43366 HST 40 Celebrating 40 Years of High Speed Train services on the Cross Country network brings up the rear of the 1S51 12:27 Plymouth to Glasgow Central CrossCountry service at Ashchurch on 12 August 2023. The rusty line on the right would get some of its rust removed an hour later, when the first train for several years went into the army depot, hauled by 66791.

43366 HST 40 Celebrating 40 Years of High Speed Train services on the Cross Country network & 43184 Laira Diesel Depot pass Gossington on 15 September 2023, running as the 5Z43 07:18 Laira to Neville Hill. They were working to Leeds so as to be in a position to substitute for 43007 & 43008 on the CrossCountry farewell railtour, if required.

Shortly after sunrise, and before the sun has put in an appearance, 43367 Deltic 50 1955-2005 passes Great Heck on 28 January 2008 with the 1A13 06:55 Skipton to Kings Cross National Express East Coast service.

Just managing to catch a bit of sun, amid the clouds, 43367 Deltic 50 1955-2005 passes Hambleton on 1 July 2019 with the 1E13 07:55 Inverness to Kings Cross LNER 'Highland Chieftain' service. This was running 19 minutes late.

The railway highlight of the 2019 August Bank Holiday weekend was the use of a pair of LNER HSTs on CrossCountry trains to the West Country on Saturday 24 August. The second south bound train encountered some late running, culminating in it reaching Plymouth over an hour late. Consequently the returning 1E63 15:25 Plymouth to York was also late, leaving the Devon city 32 minutes behind time. This had become 46 minutes late by the time it passed me. 43367 Deltic 50 1955-2005 is picture passing the southern end of Eckington loop in superb evening light.

Running 42 minutes late, 43367 passes Hambleton on 30 November 2019 with the 1E09 09:30 Edinburgh to Kings Cross LNER service. Coincidentally, I had photographed this power car at this location five months earlier, when the landscape looked a lot different. In the meantime, 43367 has lost its Deltic 50 1955-2005 nameplates. Note the amber signal with feathers on the left, which is for the approaching 1Z10 07:11 Ealing Broadway to York 'York Yuletide Express' railtour, which will take the curve onto the Selby to Milford line.

43378 passes Little Haresfield with the 1V47 08:00 Manchester Piccadilly to Paignton Cross County service on 30 May 2009. By 10:30 the troublesome shadows on the right are finally retreating from the track. Recent clearance work at this location should have included a few large trees!

Sunshine amid the clouds. 43378 leaves Wickwar Tunnel on 25 September 2009 with the 1V31 06:08 Edinburgh to Plymouth Cross Country service. Despite appearances, the good lighting persisted for some time. If only it was always like that!

43378 was still accelerating away from its stop at Cheltenham Spa station, when it was photographed passing Up Hatherley on 14 January 2011 with the 1V50 06:08 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service.

Not quite as mundane as it looks! 43378 is not leading a CrossCountry service past Clay Mills on 25 June 2014, but is in fact working the 5S51 13:51 Neville Hill to Birmingham New Street ECS. This VSTP working is pictured crossing the River Dove, with the cooling towers of the disused Willington Power Station in the background.

43378 leads the 1V50 06:06 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service out of Wickwar Tunnel on 15 April 2015. The 1,041 yard long tunnel was opened in 1844, as part of the broad gauge Bristol and Gloucester Railway.

43378 brings up the rear of the 1S51 12:25 Plymouth to Glasgow Central CrossCountry service at Little Haresfield on 9 April 2016. In the background 47830 Beeching's Legacy waits in the loop with the mega early running 5Z56 06:00 Kilmarnock Barclay Sidings to Laira refurbished HST trailers ECS.

43378 approaches Ashchurch on 26 June 2017 with the 1V46 06:40 York to Plymouth CrossCountry service. No apologies for yet another picture of a HST at this location. After all, they are a lot more photogenic than a Class 66!

Running 40 minutes late, 43378 passes Claydon on 10 October 2019 with the 1V44 06:11 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service. Lineside vegetation is starting to increase again, but it is still nowhere near as bad as it was as recently as 2013, although some trees in the background have increased in height enormously.

Clearly nobody was able to photograph this is in the sun just a little further to the north! Under an impressively dark sky, 43378 passes Claydon in full autumnal sunshine on 10 November 2019 with the 1V52 09:36 York to Bristol Temple Meads CrossCountry service. This was running 18 minutes late, after encountering a half hour delay at Leeds.

43378 passes Abbotswood on 23 January 2020 with the 1V50 06:06 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service. Although most operators are getting rid of their HSTs, 2020 should see CrossCountry acquire another set, courtesy of two LNER power cars.

Although both GWR and LNER have replaced most of their trains with poor quality units, at least some CrossCountry travellers can still enjoy their journey in comfort! 43378 passes Stoke Orchard on 2 June 2021 with the 1V44 06:11 Leeds to Plymouth service.

43378 passes Stoke Orchard on 4 April 2023 with the 1V44 06:11 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service, which was running 33 minutes late. The last time that I photographed this loco it was on the same train, at the same location. However, on that occasion, although it was summer, a slightly wider view was still possible. The lineside vegetation is only going to get even worse!

43378 brings up the rear of the 1S51 12:27 Plymouth to Glasgow Central CrossCountry service at Claydon on 4 April 2023. 43321 is leading the train. Late March / early April is one of my favourite times of year for photography, as you often get clear light like this, and the countryside has yet to become one monotonous shade of green!

43378 passes Blanchworth on 16 August 2023 with the 1V50 06:06 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service. The field in the foreground was full of standing stubble when I arrived, but by this time a pair of tractors had disc harrowed it several times over.

43378 crosses the Huntspill River on 22 August 2023 with the 1E63 15:27 Plymouth to Leeds CrossCountry service. The Huntspill River is an artificial waterway, constructed during the Second World War to supply water to the then newly constructed ordnance works near Puriton. It also serves to drain the low lying land of the Somerset Levels.

43378 passes Defford on 3 September 2023 with the 1S53 13:27 Plymouth to Edinburgh CrossCountry service. Since I was last here, a new housing estate has sprung up in the village of Eckington in the background.

43378 brings up the rear of the 1V50 06:06 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service at Tumpy Green on 8 September 2023. 43321 is leading. Note the extensive vegetation clearance and drainage work on the left.

There was no possibility of a decent picture of 43321 leading the 1V44 06:09 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service at Gossington on 9 September 2023, so I opted for this properly lit picture of 43378 bringing up the rear of the train.

43378 brings up the rear of the 1V50 06:06 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service at Gossington on 15 September 2023. 43321 is leading, and can just be seen at the front of the train, approaching the A38 Gloucester to Bristol road bridge.

The end - almost! 43378 brings up the rear of the 1V44 06:09 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service at Bredon's Norton on 16 September 2023. 43321 is leading what turned out to be the penultimate southbound CrossCountry HST worked train. They will be sadly missed, especially by those passengers who will now have to forego some comfort, and have to put up with the poor quality Voyager experience!

Destination Mexico? 43378 brings up the rear of the 5Q46 07:16 Laira to Ely Papworth Sidings ECS at Uffington on 13 October 2023. Retro liveried 43007 can just be seen at the front of the train. The unbranded former CrossCountry set is destined for storage, followed presumably by a second career on the other side of the Atlantic.

43384 speeds past Gossington with the 1V50 06:08 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service on 5 March 2010. This location is on a public footpath that leads south from the small village of Gossington towards the A38 road to the west of Cam.

A convenient tree growing by the footpath crossing at Little Haresfield provides a perfect frame for 43384 as it races south with the 1V50 06:08 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service on 19 January 2011. The crossing doesn't seem to get much use by ramblers or dog walkers, just railway photographers!

43384 passes Standish Junction on 31 August 2013 with the 1V48 06:45 Newcastle to Plymouth CrossCountry service. It is obvious from the wide formation that there was once four tracks here. The gravel on the right is the site of the former GWR lines, whilst the HST is on what was formerly the LMS route.

43384 leads the 1V44 06:00 Leeds to Paignton CrossCountry service past Damery on 7 September 2013. Late summer and early autumn are, in my opinion, far better for photography than mid summer, when virtually the entire landscape is a monotonous green. The brown and silver of the HST also form a nice contrast with the golden stubble fields in this view.

43384 passes Ashchurch in superb early morning spring light on 22 April 2015 with the 1V44 06:00 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service. Usually when new houses are built this close to a line, trees are planted to screen the view and noise. This happened here, but surprisingly they have since been cut down.

43384 speeds past Croome on 7 November 2015 with the 1V54 06:32 Dundee to Plymouth CrossCountry service. The Met Office had got the forecast right on this occasion, with the rain that looked set in for the day when I left home, clearing to sunny spells by the time I reached this location.

43384 races past Ashchurch on 26 June 2017 with the 1V44 06:00 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service. A new fence has been installed here, and while it certainly isn't as intrusive (or high!) as the typical palisade fence, it is not as photographer friendly as the former concrete post example.

Just after sunrise on 29 November 2012, 43423 Valenta 1972-2010 passes Great Heck with the late running 1A60 06:45 Sunderland to Kings Cross Grand Central service. This location is getting progressively more difficult for photography due to the growth of lineside bushes. Now only this relatively head on viewpoint is possible.

Neatly framed by the solitary tree near Balne Lowgate, 43423 Valenta 1972-2010 brings up the rear of the 1N93 12:53 Kings Cross to Sunderland Grand Central service on 12 March 2014. Drax Power Station is making its presence felt on the far right of the picture.

43423 Valenta 1972-2010 approaches Joan Croft Junction on 2 October 2017 with the 1A61 08:42 Sunderland to Kings Cross Grand Central service. There's certainly no excuse for not recognising the First Class coach, what with an extra wide yellow cant rail stripe, and gold doors!

Viewed through a very long lens to avoid the late afternoon shadows in the foreground, 43423 Valenta 1972-2010 passes Cossington on 20 January 2020 with the 1C52 14:00 Sheffield to St Pancras International East Midlands Railway service.

43423 & 43467 look startlingly different in their matt blue 'livery' with patches of filler! The former East Midlands Railway pair are pictured passing Bretforton on 15 May 2024, running over an hour early with the 5Q77 15:29 (14:22 actual) Long Marston to Kirkdale Carriage Sidings, conveying MerseyRail EMUs 777045 & 777043. Out of sight at the rear of the train are Rail Adventure HST power cars 43468 & 43480.

43465 passes a field of sugar beet at Little Heck on 17 September 2012, as it speeds south with the 1A60 06:45 Sunderland to Kings Cross Grand Central service. For once the menacing looking cloud here does not mean that this was a very lucky shot. Everywhere else was blue sky, and there was no need to keep one eye on any approaching shadows!

43465 speeds past Burn on 13 March 2016 with the 1N92 13:48 Kings Cross to Sunderland Grand Central service. Grand Central's black livery is certainly one of the most inspired privatisation colour schemes to grace the HST fleet.

43465 & 43484 bring up the rear of the early running 6Q45 07:49 Walton Old Junction Sidings to Long Marston stock move at Aldington on 30 January 2024. 43480 & 43468 are leading the train, which is taking brand new Merseyrail EMU 777029 for storage..

The 5Z46 09:30 Long Marston to Walton Old Junction Sidings barrier wagon move arrives at Honeybourne on 31 January 2024, with Rail Adventure power cars 43465 & 43484 leading, and 43480 & 43468 bringing up the rear. This was only supposed to stop at the board in the background for a few minutes to give up the token, but due to trains between Evesham and Worcester being held up by sheep on the line, it would wait here for over 40 minutes.

43467 has just passed underneath the M62 motorway at Great Heck, as it speeds southwards on 6 June 2012 with the 1A60 06:45 Sunderland to Kings Cross Grand Central service. It has just passed the point of impact between the GNER train and the Land Rover which caused the horrific accident in 2001.

Literally in the last few seconds of weak evening sunlight, just before the sun dropped into a bank of cloud near the horizon, 43467 speeds past Burn on 15 September 2012 with the 1N94 16:48 Kings Cross to Sunderland Grand Central service. Note the length of the shadow across the stubble field in the background.

43467 passes Burn on 13 March 2016 with the 1A65 14:12 Sunderland to Kings Cross Grand Central service. By way of contrast, Virgin East Coast liveried 43272 followed just eight minutes later with the 1E17 0940 Inverness to Kings Cross service.

43468 passes under a surprisingly traffic free M62 motorway and passes Great Heck on 11 March 2011 with the 1A60 06:41 Grand Central service. Only the leading coach retains the original livery, which is a definite improvement over the already stylish livery as worn by the whole train behind 43084, pictured at the same location three years previously. Interestingly in the intervening years the train length has been reduced by one coach.

43468 speeds past Balne Lowgate on 12 March 2014 with the 1A65 12:28 Sunderland to Kings Cross Grand Central service. A surprisingly good location, with a choice of viewpoints, including this view from the roadside, with trees on either side of the line framing the picture.

43468 just manages to avoid the rapidly building clouds (not forecast!), as it passes Cromwell Moor on 18 April 2014 with the 1A60 08:05 Sunderland to Kings Cross Grand Central service. The last time I photographed the equivalent Grand Central working at this spot, it was worked by one of their stylish 180 units.

43468 crosses over the M18 at Bessacarr on 14 March 2015 with the diverted 1A65 12:18 Sunderland to Kings Cross Grand Central service. The diversion was because the East Coast Mainline was closed between Retford and Peterborough for engineering works.

43468 passes Hambleton on 29 November 2016 with the 1A65 12:28 Sunderland to Kings Cross Grand Central service. This section of line opened in 1983, removing the East Coast Mainline from the town of Selby, principally to avoid possible mining subsidence.

Rail Adventure 43468 & 43465 pass Wolvercote on 10 June 2022, running as the 0Z43 11:23 Eastleigh Arlington to Kings Norton On Track Plant Depot light engines. By a remarkable coincidence, another train from Eastleigh Arlington can be seen waiting at a signal in the distance. 769936 & 769940 with the 5Q10 11:06 Eastleigh Arlington to Long Marston ECS were waiting for the 1P28 11:55 Great Malvern to Paddington Class 800 unit to come off the Cotswold Line. It was fortunate that the sun went in just before this train arrived, as the view from the (admittedly very backlit) sunny side is getting very restricted by lineside bushes.

The 6Q45 07:49 Walton Old Junction Sidings to Long Marston stock move passes Aldington on 30 January 2024, with Rail Adventure power cars 43468 & 43480 leading, and 43484 & 43465 bringing up the rear. Sandwiched between the two barrier vehicles is brand new Merseyrail EMU 777029. This was running 22 minutes early, which put it here at exactly the same time as the late running 1W02 11:52 Paddington to Hereford GWR IET. Luckily that had just disappeared around the corner a few seconds earlier!

After waiting for over 40 minutes at the rear of Honeybourne station, the 5Z46 09:30 Long Marston to Walton Old Junction Sidings barrier wagon move finally gets on the move on 31 January 2024, now running nearly an hour late. The train comprises 43468, 43480, two barrier vehicles, 43480 & 43465. The reason for the delay was sheep on the line between Worcester and Evesham. 800011, which can just be seen on the left had just arrived with the 1P22 08:56 Great Malvern to Paddington GWR service, which due to now being over an hour late, was terminated at Reading.

43468 & 43480 pass Badsey on 15 February 2024 with the 6Q78 06:25 Walton Old Junction Sidings to Long Marston, conveying brand new Merseyrail EMUs 777041, 777039 & 777037 for storage. It seems strange that after arriving in the country via the Channel Tunnel, the new units were hauled up to Cheshire, only to come back south the following day! The full consist of this mega train is: HST power cars 43468 & 43480, 3 x IGB & IWA barrier vehicles, 777041 & 777039, 4 x IWA & IGB barriers, 777037 & 3 x IWA & IGB barriers. 24 vehicles in total! The large number of barrier vehicles is because they are acting as brake force runners. The EMU's brakes are inoperative, with air pipes being routed through the units from the barrier vehicles.

The 0Q43 08:40 Kings Norton On Track Plant Depot to Alton passes through Ascott-under-Wychwood station on 11 July 2024, with 43468 bringing up the rear, and 43480 leading. The pair of Rail Adventure power cars were heading for the Mid Hants Railway, for use during their Diesel Gala.

En-route for their use at the Mid Hants Railway's Diesel Gala, Rail Adventure power cars 43480 & 43468 pass through Ascott-under-Wychwood station on 11 July 2024, running exactly on time as the 0Q43 08:40 Kings Norton On Track Plant Depot to Alton. Although there was a lot of cloud around, luckily Ascott village was sitting under a large clear patch!

43484 Peter Fox 1942-2011 Platform 5 passes Auckley on 14 March 2015 with the diverted 1N93 13:20 Kings Cross to Sunderland Grand Central service. The train's normal route via the East Coast Mainline was closed between Retford and Peterborough for engineering works. The cutting has recently been cleared of vegetation, which was very welcome. What was not so welcome, was the disappearance of the sun!

43484 Peter Fox 1942-2011 Platform 5 brings up the rear of the 1N90 08:03 Kings Cross to Sunderland Grand Central service at Joan Croft Junction on 2 October 2017. Eggborough Power Station can be seen on the horizon.