58047 Manton Colliery just manages to avoid the lengthening shadows, as it passes Kempston on 17 July 1996 with the 6A62 18:36 Cricklewood to Forders Shanks & McEwan binliner. I had already photographed this on the Midland Mainline near Ampthill, and there was easily enough time to get to this location while the loco ran round the train in Bedford.

Some enthusiasts are obviously very hardy! With the temperature well below freezing, and with frost on the fields and track, a couple of passengers brave the cold to savour the noise of the English Electric 8SVT engine, as 20137 passes Hailes on 27 December 1995 with the 12:15 Toddington to Far Stanley service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's traditional Christmas diesel running day. The Cotswold Hills should be visible in the background of this view, but are lost in the fog.

With the acquisition of all three shadow freight franchises by Wisconsin Central in 1996, there was a delay before the launch of the English, Welsh & Scottish Railway colour scheme, and so several locomotives were outshopped in white, as a temporary measure. Unfortunately, I saw very few of these 'ghost' locos, and then only in poor light. 56068 passes Melton Ross Lime Works, near Croxton, on 15 March 1997 with the 7G08 15:12 Immingham to Scunthorpe MGR. Note that the loco's multiple working cable is missing.

Transition time on the Southern. There was a long period after the June 1986 introduction of the colourful Network SouthEast colours scheme, when old and new stock ran together. On the third rail network, where a lot of trains were formed from two four car units, this led to the situation seen here, with half the train in the new colour scheme, and half still in blue and grey livery. Class 421 4-CIG 7418 brings up the rear 09:13 Portsmouth Harbour to Waterloo service at Milford on 2 May 1987. The leading NSE livered unit is classmate 7357.

With the town of Retford visible in the background, 58021 passes Leverton Road on 28 November 1992 with a loaded MGR bound for Cottam Power Station. All this has gradually disappeared from the railway scene. First Class 58s, then HAA hoppers, and now coal!

L415 (51351, 59503 & 51393) approaches Didcot North Junction on 9 December 1986 with the 2C07 08:47 Oxford to Didcot Parkway Network SouthEast service. The work stained appearance of this DMU is in marked contrast to the following 2A85 08:08 Hereford to Didcot Parkway service.

L403 (51378, 59488 & 51336) arrives at Kingham station on 2 August 1986 with the 2B20 17:15 Didcot Parkway to Moreton-in-Marsh Network SouthEast service. The disused platform on the left of this picture was used by Cheltenham to Banbury trains, the bridge giving access to the mainline to the south of the station.

L414 (51392, 59502 & 51350) passes Hinksey Yard on 28 July 1983 with the 2A56 15:01 Paddington to Oxford service. There are two principal differences between this view, and the same scene over 30 years later. Firstly, in the 1980s the yard was usually completely empty, and secondly, the grassy area where the tracks diverge hadn't become an impenetrable jungle of bushes!

47531 crosses Saddleworth Viaduct on 14 August 1993 with the SLOA Carlisle to Euston 'Cumbrian Mountain Express' railtour, which has been worked as far as Bradford Forster Square by LMS Coronation Class 4-6-2 46229 Duchess of Hamilton.

66623 passes Bredon on 16 July 2019 with the 6V55 13:26 Radlett Redland Roadstone to East Usk Yard stone empties. Another occasion when it was mostly sunny when I left home, but totally cloudy when I arrived at the lineside!

60044 Dowlow passes Bredon on 16 July 2019 with the 6M53 16:20 Swindon Stores to Toton Up Sidings steel empties. Just five minutes behind this was even more power, on much less train, with 68005 Defiant & 68001 Evolution working the 6M56 17:50 Berkeley CEGB to Crewe Coal Sidings low level nuclear waste container.

A ridiculously overpowered train. Two 3,800hp locos to move one box! 68005 Defiant & 68001 Evolution pass Bredon on 16 July 2019 with the early running 6M56 17:50 Berkeley CEGB to Crewe Coal Sidings low level nuclear waste container.

43010 passes Cam & Dursley station on 16 July 2019 with the 5E23 11:00 Bristol St Philips Marsh to Hull Station Sidings ECS. 43020 MTU Power Passion Partnership is bringing up the rear of this five car set. This is part of the regular maintenance swap for the set hired to Hull Trains. GWR HSTs have only been gone from the Gloucester area for a couple of months, but already it seems nostalgic to be photographing one!

60001 approaches Cam & Dursley station on 16 July 2019 with the 6B13 05:00 Robeston to Westerleigh Murco oil tanks. Although this was running virtually to time, as is nearly always the case, it had left Robeston early, in this case one hour early.

37601 Perseus passes through Cam & Dursley station on 16 July 2019 with the 5Q32 09:00 (in theory!) Portbury Automotive Terminal to Crewe South Yard ECS, conveying brand new shrink wrapped TransPennine Mk5 coaches 11512,12734,12735,12736 & 12812, with barrier vehicles 6330, 6338, 6340 & 6344 bringing up the rear. As is virtually always the case, this was running late. It had left over two hours late, but had managed to get that deficit down to 'only' 102 minutes here. Naturally at the booked time it was completely sunny, but unfortunately some patchy thin cloud was drifting across the sun by this time.

Because of a lack of electrified siding storage at Didcot, every weekday there are three early morning Swindon to Didcot GWR EMU empty stock workings, with corresponding return workings late at night. On the misty morning of 15 July 2019, 387172 & 387174 pass Uffington with the 5P06 05:40 Swindon Cocklebury to Didcot Parkway ECS, running 12 minutes early.

66623 passes Uffington on 15 July 2019 with the 6A85 02:40 Moreton-on-Lugg to Hayes & Harlington stone hoppers. As this was forecast to be a sunny morning, I decided to see if there would be any early morning shadows from either the footbridge, or the lineside bushes when taking a picture from the north side of the bridge at Uffington. The sun was just about to rise as I approached Uffington, then some fog rolled in, and then a huge bank of cloud appeared from the east, meaning that this picture was taken in atrocious light. Not exactly what I was expecting!

66506 Crewe Regeneration passes Uffington on 15 July 2019 with the 6A15 03:54 Whatley Quarry to Appleford Mendip Rail stone hoppers. The edge of a large mass of cloud can be seen in the background. During the short time I was at this location, it had appeared from nowhere in the east, and moved right across to the west, eliminating any chance of the forecast sunny morning!

66623 approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 15 July 2019 with the 6B35 11:10 Hayes & Harlington to Stoke Gifford stone empties. Freightliner's new bright orange Genesee & Wyoming livery certainty stands out amid the greens of mid summer.

2019 has seen a very welcome increase in Freightliner workings along the Vale of White Horse line, with the company taking over the former DB Cargo operated stone workings. Unfortunately the 25kV catenary now limits the photographic posiblities. 66615 approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 15 July 2019 with the 6A10 08:39 East Usk Yard to Hayes & Harlington stone hoppers.

Two more EMUs heading for the scrapman. 37884 Cepheus approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth on 15 July 2019 with the 5Q78 10:52 Hornsey EMU Depot to Newport Docks, conveying former Great Northern 313038 & 313040 on their final journey. Unfortunately a thin cloud took the edge of the sun here, but as it was travelling along the relief line, I decided to go for a second picture at Challow. However, at Challow it was parked right next to one of the overhead masts, so without stopping, I carried on to Baulking.

37884 Cepheus passes Baulking on 15 July 2019 with the 5Q78 10:52 Hornsey EMU Depot to Newport Docks, conveying withdrawn Great Northern EMUs 313038 & 313040. The units are heading for the Sims Group metal recycling facility, where they will be cut up.

66756 Royal Corps of Signals passes Up Hatherley on 13 July 2019 with the 6V84 05:46 Clitheroe Castle Cement to Avonmouth cement tanks. The houses on the right mark the present limit of Cheltenham's urban sprawl, but it can't be long before the fields to the west succumbs, possibly threatening the tiny but import Badgeworth Nature Reserve, reputedly the smallest in the world.

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

Living on borrowed time! 'The journey is almost over for old trains' proclaims the wording on the side of 143601, seen here passing Up Hatherley on 13 July 2019, just a couple of minutes into its journey with the 2L59 13:45 Cheltenham Spa to Maesteg Transport for Wales service. The journey should have been over many years ago, as the Pacers were seen purely as a stop-gap solution, and were never designed to have a life of over 30 years.

66618 Railways Illustrated Annual Photographic Awards - Alan Barnes approaches the site of Ashbury Crossing, near Shrivenham, on 12 July 2019 with the 6C48 17:10 Appleford to Whatley Quarry stone empties. More by luck than design, there is just enough room to get the entire train in the picture at this location.

L416 (51353, 59505 & 51395) arrives at Finstock station on 6 July 1987 with the 2A12 07:45 Moreton-in-Marsh to Oxford Network SouthEast service. This was the only up train of the day to call at this diminutive station, and considering the village is some distance away, it seems to be attracting a reasonable number of passengers. Note the new platform, which had recently been built on the site of the old sleeper and ash built down platform. Until 1985 the former up platform had been in use.

L406 (51341, 59493 & 51383) accelerates away from Cholsey station on 31 January 1987 with the 2F38 12:49 Paddington to Oxford Network SouthEast service. The track of the then recently preserved Cholsey & Wallingford Railway can just be seen in the background, above the front of the unit.

50033 Glorious waits at the north end of platform 2 at Oxford station on 25 September 1987, having just arrived with the 1F22 13:17 Network SouthEast service from Paddington. It would later head back to London as the 5F22 14:46 Oxford to Old Oak Common ECS, before working the 1M42 17:52 Paddington to Wolverhampton service in the evening. Over thirty years later I took a similar close up side view of this loco, although in a much more unusual colour scheme.

37704 & 37889 pass Tonna on 2 October 1993 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z16 15:28 Cwmgwrach to Preston 'Neath Navigator' railtour. The train is just passing the grass covered platform of Aberdylais Halt (closed in 1864). On the left is the Neath and Tennant Canal. Just beyond the bridge in the background, the canal crosses the River Neath on an eleven arch aqueduct.

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

The first two Voyager units (albeit in reverse order) pass Bredon on 10 July 2019 with the 1V46 06:45 York to Plymouth CrossCountry service. 220002 & 220001 may be a mundane subject, but the superb lighting, complete with dark sky, makes an excellent picture. Definitely preferable to yet another picture of a DB Cargo Class 66 in poor light!

On 10 July 2019, 50033 Glorious was moved from the Severn Valley Railway to Eastleigh Works for repainting. For the move the loco was sandwiched between GBRf liveried 50049 Defiance & 50007 Hercules (masquerading on this side as 50014 Warspite). The ensemble is pictured passing Bredon, running as the 0Z50 08:09 Kidderminster to Eastleigh Works. The partially rubbed down and primer coated Glorious certainly stands out! Although not in full sun (it was just seconds before!), it's still an awful lot brighter than what it must be like just to the north.

Off for a much needed repaint! 50033 Glorious passes Bredon on 10 July 2019, running as the 0Z50 08:09 Kidderminster to Eastleigh Works, sandwiched between classmates 50049 Defiance & 50007 Hercules (masquerading on this side as 50014 Warspite). During the 2018 Severn Valley Railway Diesel Gala, visitors could write messages on the undercoat covered loco for a £5 donation, which raised over £3,000 for this repaint.

66618 Railways Illustrated Annual Photographic Awards - Alan Barnes passes Compton Beauchamp on 10 July 2019 with the 6C48 17:10 Appleford to Tytherington stone empties. Naturally the pleasant evening sunshine had all but disappeared shortly after I left home!

2019 sees Freightliner gaining more traffic at the expense of DB Cargo, with the acquisition of the Mendip area stone traffic. This also includes the trains from the recently reopened Tytherington Quarry. Running 21 minutes early, 66623 passes Didcot North Junction on 9 July 2019 with the 6C48 17:10 Appleford to Tytherington stone empties. At least the immaculate bright orange loco helps to compensate for the miserable weather!

66746 & 66743 pass Didcot North Junction on 9 July 2019 with the 1Z82 13:30 Bath Spa to Banbury Royal Scotsman luxury charter. This was day five of the 'Grand Tour of Britain', an eight day tour that would cost you an unbelievable £11,000 per person!

150231 stands at Ty Glas station on 8 July 2019 with the 2V17 10:45 Coryton to Radyr Transport for Wales services. The line from here to the terminus at Coryton is virtually straight, and as the stations are so close together, several can be seen from most vantage points. The diminutive platform at Birchgrove station can just be seen underneath the bridge in the background.

142085 calls at Rhiwbina station on 8 July 2019 with the 2V21 11:45 Coryton to Radyr Transport for Wales service. The Coryton branch is somewhere I had been meaning to visit for years, and finally the impending withdrawal of the Pacer units galvanised me into action. The bonus of this trip was that there was a lot more sunshine than the forecast had predicted.

The Coryton branch is not very photogenic, being mostly dead straight, and surrounded by trees. This is exemplified by this view of 150231 leaving the very basic terminus at Coryton on 8 July 2019 with the 2V23 12:15 Transport for Wales service to Radyr. The line formerly carried on underneath the bridge in the background, and up the Taff Vale to Pontypridd.

150241 & 142073 arrive at Radyr station on 8 July 2019 with the 2F36 12:17 Treherbert to Cardiff Central Transport for Wales service. Radyr is a very busy location, with a constant procession of DMUs serving the various valley lines. There is however a big difference between today's railway, and the days of steam. Then it was a constant procession of coal trains coming from the numerous South Wales pits, down to the docks at Cardiff and Barry. On the day I visited there was not a single booked freight train.

142075 arrives at Radyr station on 8 July 2019 with the 2E32 12:38 Merthyr Tydfil to Bridgend Transport for Wales service, while on the left, 153369 waits with the 2C29 13:34 departure for Coryton. Radyr formerly had a large freight yard, and locomotive depot, serving the many coal mines in the area.

142080 arrives at Radyr station on 8 July 2019 with the 2F40 12:47 Treherbert to Cardiff Central Transport for Wales service. Years ago I wouldn't have imagined that I would travel to South Wales specially to photograph DMUs, but with the mainline locations that I used to visit now ruined by overhead catenary, and what little freight traffic that remains now dominated by Class 66s, I certainly wouldn't bother to travel to the area for any other reason!

A last check for passengers (there weren't any!) at Llanbradach, before 150279 departs with the 2D42 13:32 Penarth to Bargoed Transport for Wales service on 8 July 2019. Picture taken from the footbridge which connects the staggered platforms.

A double surprise on the Rhymney Line on 8 July 2019. After being held at a red signal just out of sight amid the bushes, 37025 Inverness TMD & 37421 get under way again and approach Bargoed Viaduct with the 3Z36 15:47 Rhymney Sidings to Cardiff Canton Sidings crew training run. A pity the earlier sunshine had now disappeared!

37418 passes Gilfach Fargoed on 8 July 2019 with the 2R20 17:01 Cardiff Central to Rhymney Transport for Wales service. This was running six minutes late, which was fortunate, as the light was getting better all the time, and although thin clouds kept the sun at bay, this is a much better result than I was expecting just a couple of minutes earlier.

1001 passes the site of Chalford station on 6 July 2019 with the Hastings Diesels Ltd 1Z77 07:55 Hastings to Parkend 'Dean Forest Foray' railtour. As can be seen from the bundled logs on the right, this location has recently been cleared of vegetation, although this did not extended to the lush foliage growing in the 'four foot' of the down line! The new houses on the left, at the end of the appropriately named Old Station Close, occupy the site of the little GWR station that was the terminus for the famous 'Chalford Flyer' - the auto train from Gloucester that served the numerous wayside halts in the Stroud Valley.

165134 passes Chalford on 6 July 2019 with the 2B92 12:01 Cheltenham Spa to Swindon GWR service. This picture graphically illustrates the appalling state that Network Rail have let the track get into at this location. Total lack of maintenance has seen the down line become just two rails in a verdant carpet of greenery! Apart from the gauge, it reminds me of pictures of the Talyllyn Railway, when the present society took over in 1951. What is not particularly obvious from this angle, is that there is a short retaining wall next to the down line, the vegetation on the left being at a higher level. Recent tree clearance has opened up this view considerably, but still nothing has been dome to the nature reserve on the tracks. Old time gangers would have a fit if they saw this!

67024 passes Ascott-under-Wychwood signal box at speed in the drizzle on 6 July 2019 with the Belmond British Pullman 1Z96 17:35 Worcester Shrub Hill to Victoria 'Historic Worcester' VSOE charter. 67021 is bringing up the rear. I decided to take this picture here, as the loco's livery nearly matches the colour scheme of the 1883 built signal box.

Two locals watch as the Belmond British Pullman 1Z96 17:35 Worcester Shrub Hill to Victoria 'Historic Worcester' VSOE charter races through Ascott-under-Wychwood station on 6 July 2019. 67021 is bringing up the rear, and 67024 is at the front if the train.

Heading north for a repaint into South Western Railway's latest grey colour scheme, 159002 passes Churchdown on 5 July 2019 with the 5M99 08:00 Salisbury to Loughborough Brush ECS. The Class 159s may be unusual at this location, but the very similar Class 158s in this livery have been commonplace, as hired in traction for First Great Western.

66772 passes Churchdown on 5 July 2019 with the 4M75 08:19 Avonmouth Hansons Siding to Clitheroe Castle Cement empty cement tanks. Very high overhead midday lighting, but worth photographing because of the distinctive silver tanks.

37800 Cassiopeia passes Churchdown on 5 July 2019 with the 5Q32 09:39 Portbury Automotive Terminal to Manchester International Depot (Longsight) ECS, conveying brand new shrink wrapped EMU 397005. I had chosen this location as at the booked time the sun would just still be on the front, and being near midsummer's day, the location would be clear of shadows. Judging by past experience, I wasn't really surprised that the train was delayed shortly after leaving Portbury, and so of course being 84 minutes late here, the sun had gone off the nose! Worse was to come however, as later on 37800 failed, and the train had to be rescued by 57305 Northern Princess, and then being over three hours late, was terminated at Crewe.

142083 arrives at Tir-Phil on 5 July 2019 with the 2F58 15:27 Rhymney to Cardiff Central Transport for Wales service. Although most of the Rhymney line trains continue on to Penarth, this isn't one of them, so in the good old tradition of DMU destination blinds, the wrong destination is being displayed! I deliberately chose a wide view here, not only to include the colourful lineside floral display on the right, but also the distinctively Welsh line of houses in the background, at the foot of the western slope of Mynydd Bedwellte.

143616 & 143601 approach Pontlottyn on 5 July 2019 with the 2R18 16:02 Penarth to Rhymney Transport for Wales service. The wording on the side of the units reads: 'These Trains Will Terminate Soon', a reference to the impending elimination, due to new disability legislation, of all thee classes of Pacer unit.

37418 approaches Pontlottyn on 5 July 2019 with the 2R20 17:01 Cardiff Central to Rhymney Transport for Wales service. The Highland stag emblem on the cabside really ought to be a Welsh dragon! Annoyingly, although it was sunny a few miles to the north, there was a large area of cloud over the Welsh Valleys, that refused to move.

With Gloucester Cathedral dominating the background, 170113 passes Highnam on 5 July 2019 with the 1V14 17:07 Nottingham to Cardiff Central CrossCountry service. The pristine wheat field in the foreground makes a striking contrast to the thistle dominated crop of oilseed rape of the previous year.

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!

66568 passes Shrivenham on 4 July 2019 with the 4L36 07:45 Wentloog to Felixstowe North freightliner. Although it is still possible to take a picture here, the addition of the overhead catenary and palisade fencing means the view is nothing like as good as when the old roadbridge was still in place.

144001 emerges from Brotherton Tunnel on 1 July 2019 with the 2Y87 10:15 York to Sheffield Northern service. This unit, along with the rest of the class, has just six months left in traffic, as the type does not meet the new disability access legalisation coming into effect on 1 January 2020.

This is a location that I had been meaning to visit for some time, and now made more urgent by the prospect of the imminent demolition of Ferrybridge Power Station's cooling towers, which form the backdrop. DC Rail Freight's 56091 & 56103 pass Brotherton on 1 July 2019, running as the 0Z56 09:13 Leicester to Northallerton Reversing Line.

Running as the 0Z56 09:13 Leicester to Northallerton Reversing Siding, DC Rail Freight's 56103 & 56091 are about the enter the 104 yard long Brotherton Tunnel on 1 July 2019. This tunnel was formerly three times as long, extending well past where I am stood to take this picture.

66789 British Rail 1948-1997 passes Hambleton on 1 July 2019 with the 4D08 09:38 Tees Dock to Doncaster Iport intermodal. This picture is taken from Field Lane, which has become virtually traffic free, since the Selby bypass cut it in half, and turned it into a no through road.

With a toot, and a wave from the driver, 82202 leads the 1E10 10:00 Edinburgh to Kings Cross LNER service past Hambleton in a brief sunny spell on 1 July 2019. Hambleton South Junction, where the line to Leeds diverges to the left, is just beyond the bridge in the background.

The Doncaster & District Model Engineering Society's 7¼ inch gauge Class 20 20173 Enya, pictured at the Thorne Memorial Park Miniature Railway on 30 June 2019. This battery powered locomotive is fitted with digital sound. Note the model of a diesel brake tender acting as a driver's seat.

Thorne Memorial Park Miniature Railway 7¼ inch gauge Class 20 20173 Enya traverses the 600 foot outer loop through the neatly mown grass of the park on 30 June 2019. The outer loop is dual gauge (5 inch and  7¼ inch), while the more recent inner loop is 7¼ inch gauge only.

Thorne Memorial Park Miniature Railway 7¼ inch gauge Class 20 20173 Enya does another circuit of the park on 30 June 2019. Just visible in the background on the right is the bridge that carries the main road over the Stainforth & Keadby Canal.

66089 passes Cromwell Moor on 29 June 2019 with the 6X47 12:12 Scunthorpe to Dollands Moor, loaded with rails for export via the Channel Tunnel to Duisburg (Germany). I hadn't intended to photograph this, as I assumed it would be long gone by the time I arrived at this location. However, it was held in Carlton-on-Trent loop, just a couple of miles north of here, for an hour, and so was running 54 minutes late at this point.

91110 Battle of Britain Memorial Flight speeds past Cromwell Moor on 29 June 2019 with the 1S24 16:00 Kings Cross to Edinburgh LNER service. The graphics at the front of the loco represent the Memorial Flight's Avro Lancaster, Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane.

My first photo of an East Coast Mainline Class 800, and not a very auspicious start! 800106 limps past Cromwell Moor on 29 June 2019 with the 1A40 16:15 Leeds to Kings Cross LNER service. This had come to a stand south of Retford, and after a lengthy delay, which caused several trains to back up behind it, eventually moved off, only to be terminated at Newark North Gate with a 'problem with the train'. It was 37 minutes late when it passed me, and it took ages for all the following delayed trains to pass by. I had an unexpected second chance to photograph this unit, as half an hour later, after having turfed off all the passengers at Newark, it headed back north in disgrace as the 5A40 18:10 Newark North Gate to Doncaster IEP Depot ECS. This just proves that the train company's naive mantra that new trains are always more reliable is just wishful thinking!

I didn't expect to see this again quite so soon! Just half an hour after 800106 headed south with the 1A40 16:15 Leeds to Kings Cross LNER service, it heads north again at Cromwell Moor on 29 June 2019 in disgrace, after having failed in service, and delaying at least four other southbound trains. This is the 5A40 18:10 Newark North Gate to Doncaster IEP Depot ECS. I wonder if any of the passengers who were kicked off the train at Newark continued south in the following Class 800, or waited for the next Class 91 and Mk4 set, hoping for a greater change of getting to London, and on less hard seats!

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.

Debranded GWR blue 43027 speeds past Crowell Moor on 29 June 2019 with the delayed 1H06 17:48 Kings Cross to Hull service. Hull Trains were having availability problems with their Class 180 DMU fleet, and so GWR lent them this short HST set as a replacement. Presumably they knew all about the situation, as before their rebranding as GWR, First Great Western had similar problems with their Class 180s!

Running a staggering 97 minutes late due to problems in the Huntingdon area, 91126 Darlington Hippodrome passes Cromwell Moor on 29 June 2019 with the 1S26 17:00 Kings Cross to Edinburgh LNER service. The delay got even worse, and it arrived at Edinburgh 148 minutes behind time! The train that left London an hour later, the 1S28 18:00 Kings Cross to Edinburgh, was just 2 minutes 18 seconds behind this. The 1E23 16:30 Edinburgh to Kings Cross service can just be seen disappearing into the distance.

Lovely soft early morning light at Spetchley on 29 June 2019. 66772 heads north with the 6M90 04:57 Avonmouth Hansons Siding to Clitheroe Castle Cement empty cement tanks. It has just passed underneath the footbridge that has been a well known vantage point for generations of photographers, and has so far managed to avoid being replaced by the more modern photographer unfriendly type.

166217 passes Croome on 29 June 2019 with the 2O70 06:49 Worcester Shrub Hill to Weymouth GWR service. It has just emerged into the light, after passing through the darkness of the very large Croome Perry Wood.

37218 & 37059 pass Croome on 29 June 2019 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z80 05:39 Tame Bridge Parkway to Penzance 'Mazey Day Cornishman' railtour. This was a good choice of location, as although it seemed like it was going to be a sunny morning, high cloud took the edge of the light at several of the other locations further south that I had considering going to.

Running 48 minutes late, 66015 passes Croome on 29 June 2019 with the 6W02 06:26 Awre to Bescot ballast empties. Some unexpected high cloud had drifted in from the west, which was probably just as well for this backlit location.

66142 Maritime Intermodal Three passes Wolvercote on 28 June 2019 with the 4O21 09:15 Trafford Park to Southampton Western Docks intermodal. Not being 'Shed obsessed' like some photographers, I hadn't bothered to seek out any of the newly painted Maritime blue liveried locos, so by the time I got to see this first one, it is in far from pristine condition!

800308 passes Wolvercote on 28 June 2019 with the 1P31 12:09 Hereford to Paddington GWR service. Although Network Rail did some vegetation clearance when the track layout was remodeled here, as is usual no regular maintenance is being carried out, with the result that the tree growing on the extreme left of this picture nearly brushes the side of northbound trains. One more growing season and it definitely will hit the trains. There is no excuse for this not being removed, as it isn't even growing on the railway side of the fence, and could therefore be trimmed without a track procession. Of course, as Network Rail do not do any of this kind of small scale work, it will just get pruned by passing trains to the loading gauge, just like the bush formerly at Chilson!

66742 Port of Immingham Centenary 1912 - 2012 passes Wolvercote Junction on 28 June 2019 with the 4O69 13:22 Hams Hall to Southampton Western Docks intermodal. Anyone contemplating visiting this location should be aware that for the first time since I have been photographing here, the view is now being restricted by a tree growing in the foreground. Either this short telephoto view from the side, or a very head on angle are the only ones now possible.

56091 & 56103 negotiate the reverse curves at Sherrington on 27 June 2019 with the 6Z91 15:24 Westbury to Southampton reclaimed ballast. This DC Rail Freight operated very short term flow was to removed recycled ballast from Westbury Yard, for eventual use on the Isle of Wight. I had noticed from the signalling diagram that the train seemed to be taking a long time getting up Upton Scudamore bank, and apparently this was due to only the lead loco powering. With 1800 tonnes, this naturally resulted in the speed being down to around 10mph at the summit! It was evidentially too much for 56091, as the train had to have an extended break at Salisbury, so that the loco could cool down!

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.

70807 passes a field of ripening wheat near Uffington on 27 June 2019, as it heads west with the 6Z30 15:35 Dagenham Dock to Bridgend Ford Sidings empty vans. Note the open door on the first wagon. When I realised it was running early, it was a mad dash to find something to add foreground interest to the otherwise rather bland picture, hence the inclusion of the fence.

'Clouds to the left of me, clouds to the right' (to misquote Stealers Wheel)! There were thick clouds pretty much everywhere, except where the early morning sun was rising at Charlton-on-Otmoor on 27 June 2019. This provided dramatic, although very backlit, lighting for 68014, as it headed south with the 1T03 06:25 Bicester Village to Oxford Chiltern Railways service.

168107 passes Charlton-on-Otmoor on 27 June 2019 with the 1Y07 06:25 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The sun is not only out here, but also further south at Islip, as the church is clearly lit up against the dark background. However, Wytham Woods in the distance, and therefore presumably Oxford, is still under a mass of thick cloud.

B1 4-6-0 61306 Mayflower passes Charlton-on-Otmoor on 27 June 2019 with the Steam Dreams 1Z45 06:00 Chinnor to Weymouth 'Cathedrals Express' railtour. 47245 is bringing up the rear. With the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway now being mainline connected, this opens up the possibilities of further tours starting from the unlikely location of Chinnor. As this is not that other well known LNER loco Flying Scotsman, I wasn't entirely surprised that only one other photographer turned up. Had it being Flying Scotsman, I think I would have stayed in bed!

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

66736 Wolverhampton Wanderers passes Charlton-on-Otmoor on 27 June 2019 with the 6O45 07:38 Bicester MoD to Marchwood MoD container flats. Not something I would go out specifically to photograph, but as I was already here, why not.

47701 Old Oak Common Traction & Rolling Stock Depot passes Milborne Wick on 24 May 1992 with the 1V15 14:55 Waterloo to Exeter St Davids Network SouthEast service. The provision of nine coaches (including two InterCity livered vehicles on this occasion), makes today's equivalent of a pair of Class 159 DMUs look pretty pathetic.

47701 passes Southall on 22 June 1991. Although only a light engine picture, this scene is full of interest. Firstly, it shows 47701 in its former ScotRail livery. Despite having been transferred to the Thames Valley area several months previously, the only concession to is new duties is the painting out of the word 'ScotRail', although they obviously couldn't find the right shade of grey to do this! More importantly, the picture is taken from one of the country's most famous railway footbridges (a section of which can be seen on the right). This is where the founder members of the Great Western Society used to meet to watch the trains go by in the 1960s. The bridge was well used by railway photographers from the earliest days, but now it has sadly been removed to make way for the extension of Southall station's platforms. In the background Southern Railway Merchant Navy Class 4-6-2 35028 Clan Line is in steam.

55024 (L124) & Class 117 L401 (51333, 59485, & 51375) pass Waltham St Lawrence on 2 June 1989 with the 2A25 07:58 Reading to Paddington Network SouthEast service. Just over an hour later, an even more impressive Class 121/117 combination appeared from the opposite direction.

55020 (L120), 55031 (L131) & Class 117 L402 (51377, 59487 & 51335) run along the down relief line at Waltham St Lawrence on 2 June 1989 with the 2F24 08:35 Paddington to Reading Network SouthEast service. This was obviously a morning for Class 121/117 combinations, as a little earlier 55024 & L401 had passed by in the other direction.

Plasser & Theurer 08-16/4x4C100-RT Universal levelling, lining and tamping machine DR73937 awaits collection by Balfour Beatty, in the yard at Toddington on 24 October 2003, after being used for track maintenance by the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway.

The setting sun glints off Merchant Navy Class 4-6-2 35028 Clan Line, as it passes Songar on 6 December 1986 with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z40 14:40 Stratford-upon-Avon to Letchworth 'Pullman Christmas Party' railtour. Nore the evidence in the foreground of the former double track status of the Bearley to Hatton line.

An impressive Class 116/127/117 cavalcade at Portway on 5 June 1993. The four blue and grey vehicles at the front of the train are the then recently created Tyseley set T424, comprising DMS 51151, which has been added to former set T324 (53055, 59603 & 53101). This clearly explains the driving car as the second vehicle. Sadly the Regional Railways Class 117 at the rear is unidentified, as the information was lost when I left the notebook on the roof of the car some weeks later! In fact, because DMU information was so poorly recorded, it has taken an inordinate amount of time to gather the information to write this caption! The train is the 15:56 Nottingham to Birmingham New Street service.

66152 has just crossed Knucklas Viaduct on 28 May 2000 with the diverted 6M82 Margam to Hardendale lime empties. Even though freight over the Central Wales line is unusual, I still wouldn't have gone out just for this. It was of course the much more interesting Class 37s that were the reason for my visit.

66152 passes Hopton Heath station on 28 May 2000 with the diverted 6M82 Margam to Hardendale lime empties. This train was routed over the Central Wales line due to the main line being closed for engineering works at Bridgend. Note how the train is just the right length for a photo at this location.

158848 and two unidentified classmates come off the Cambrian Line at Sutton Bridge Junction, Shrewsbury, on 27 March 2004 with the 1G25 09:25 Aberystwyth to Birmingham New Street Central Trains service. The rear unit has joined the train at Machynlleth, having worked the 2G25 07:36 departure from Pwllheli.