City of Oxford in the City of Oxford! 47627 City of Oxford arrives at its namesake on 2 July 1985 with the 2C04 06:00 Reading to Oxford service. This train called at: Tilehurst, Pangbourne, Goring, Cholsey, Didcot, Appleford, Culham & Radley, and yet in the mid 1980s it was booked for loco haulage rather than a DMU. Not only that, but the ten coach train includes two BG vans, and a restaurant car (presumably not in use)! Unbelievable luxury passenger provision compared with today. 47627 had been named by the Lord Mayor of Oxford, a couple of months earlier.

A golden DMU. L415 (51351, 59503 & 51393) passes South Moreton (Didcot East) on 28 August 1987 with the 2C49 18:20 Bicester Town to Reading Network SouthEast service. This is one of my better glint pictures, as often either the glint doesn't show up enough, or the sun gets so low that something partly shades the train. With this one I particularly like the way the unit stands out amid the dark surroundings.

L407 (51342, 59494 & 51384) passes Waltham St Lawrence on 5 March 1988 with the 2F29 09:49 Paddington to Reading Network SouthEast service. For many years these Paddington local trains were covered by table 117 in the national railway timetable, which was highly appropriate, as generally they were worked by these Class 117 DMUs.

56094 Eggborough Power Station passes Brocklesby on 17 July 1996 with the 6G03 09:50 Scunthorpe to Immingham MGR empties. 56094 lives on in the Colas fleet, but the semaphores and HAA hoppers have disappeared.

37235 The Coal Merchants Association of Scotland & 37131 pass the site of Coaley Junction (where Cam & Dursley station now stands) on 1 July 1990 with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z04 15:40 Gloucester to Sharpness 'Double Gloucester' railtour. This was a mini tour, run in connection with the Gloucester Rail Day. Despite the dull weather it was worth going for this, as just 15 minutes later there was another double headed Class 37 railtour!

With the stone terminal on the site of Coaley Junction dominating the background, 37691 & 37800 Glo Cymru pass what is now Cam & Dursley station on 1 July 1990 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 14:50 Birmingham New Street to Bristol Temple Meads railtour, one of a number of specials run in connection with the Gloucester Rail Day. Just 15 minutes earlier, 37235 & 37131 had passed by with a similar tour.

The footbridge at the new Ashchurch (for Tewkesbury) station frames 43161, as it races through with the 1V51 12:08 Newcastle to Plymouth Virgin CrossCountry 'Devonian' on 16 July 2002. The station opened on 1 June 1997, on the site of the one that closed on 15 November 1971.

B586 (51105, 59420 & 51077) approaches Cheltenham on 21 August 1985 with the 2B29 10:55 Bristol Temple Meads to Worcester Shrub Hill service. Hatherley Curve Junction was formerly situated near the signal is in the background. This once gave a Gloucester facing connection to the old Midland & South Western Junction Railway.

Although it isn't immediately apparent, as the DMU completely hides the diminutive station, this train is actually passing through Ascott-under-Wychwood station. L575 (51060, 59419 & 51088) reflects the very last of the weak evening light, as it works the 2A62 19:18 Moreton-in-Marsh to Oxford service on 28 April 1987.

Class 438 4-TC 8034 is pushed past Deepcut on 28 August 1987 by 33118. The train is the 1O17 08:45 Sherborne to Waterloo Network SouthEast service. Most trains on the West of England line either started from Exeter or Salisbury. However, the first and last trains of the day started from Yeovil Junction, and there was one that originated from Templecombe, and this one from Sherborne.

Sunday engineering work on 14 July 2002 sees 60028 John Flamsteed heading north at Cossington with a rake of spoil wagons. This loco spent a number of years in this debranded grey livery, before eventually just acquiring the EWS 'Three Beasties' logo. It never did see the red paintbrush!

60044 passes Coedkernew on 3 September 1999 with the 6M86 10:59 Margam to Dee Marsh steel coils. This was just one of three Cass 60s to carry the distinctive Mainline blue livery. Note the mark on the bodyside where the former Ailsa Craig nameplate has been removed.

With flags fluttering on the buffer beam, Merchant Navy Class 4-6-2 35028 Clan Line passes Aynho Junction on 28 April 1990 with the Risborough & District Model Railway Club sponsered Princes Risborough to Derby 'Risborough Venturer' railtour. The train was initially diesel hauled to London, then Clan Line worked the train from Marylebone, passing through Princes Risborough again.

With the background dominated by the reworked and partially landscaped spoil tip from the closed Bargoed Colliery, 37198 approaches Bargoed station on 26 June 1999 with the 2R25 13:50 Cardiff Central to Rhymney service. This view has now changed completely, as trees have been planted on the slopes of the tip, and a new road runs parallel with the railway.

37160 passes the site of Cleeve station, near Stoke Orchard, on 8 July 1987 with the 1E06 14:15 Plymouth to Newcastle parcels. Apologies for the exceedingly poor quality of this image, but it was taken on a very dull evening on Kodachrome 200. However, as far as I can tell, a Railfreight red stripe liveried Class 37/0 on this working is quite noteworthy, and it is certainly the only picture that I have of this combination. Judging by its relatively cleanness, it looks like 37160 had only just acquired this livery.

Temporarily running as a two car unit, L410 (51387 & 51345) gets the 'feathers' for the Bicester line, as it heads north from Oxford on 7 September 1991 with the 2C32 10:30 Reading to Bicester Town Network SouthEast service. Oxford North Junction is just beyond the Aristotle Lane footbridge in the background, and the unit will diverge off into the trees on the right.

D7541 passes Thomason Foss on 10 July 1994 with the 09:55 Grosmont to Pickering service. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway has some outstanding locations, some of which require a long walk. This one not only requires a long walk, but some nerve as well, as it is taking from a precipitous ledge high above the Eller Beck.

47622 The Institution of Mechanical Engineers passes Knighton in soft evening light on 26 May 1989. This being a Friday, this is the 1B56 18:23 Paddington to Swansea service. If it had been any other day of the week it would have been the 1C71 18:23 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads.

50044 Exeter is the centre of attention at Oxford station on 22 November 1986, shortly after its arrival with the 1F20 12:17 Network SouthEast service from Paddington. Looking at the headcode box, the loco seems to have caused the demise of a pigeon somewhere en-route, as the feathers certainly weren't there when we left London!

20312 & 20306 approach Acton Bridge on 8 February 2003 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z27 04:43 Bristol Temple Meads to Buxton 'Folly Forester' railtour. 56071, which worked the tour up as far as Crewe, is out of sight on the rear of the train.

Diverted via the Berks & Hants line due to signalling issues at Westbury, 70806 passes Hungerford Common on 17 January 2019 with the late running 6M50 07:55 Westbury to Bescot engineers train. The early morning shadows are slightly intrusive, but at least most of the luckily very short train is properly lit. The 1847 built Hungerford Workhouse Chapel (now a private residence) can be seen in the distance.

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

66199 passes Hungerford Common on 17 January 2019 with the 6Z20 09:37 Whatley Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail stone train. I go to the Berks & Hants line to photograph Class 59s, not the ubiquitous 66s. However, I couldn't resist this, in such perfect light!

Even without looking at the number, 43023 Sqn Ldr Harold Starr One of the Few is easily identifiable by its unusually shaped light blue nameplate. It seen here passing Crofton on 17 January 2019 with the 1A79 06:47 Penzance to Paddington GWR service. Although the former farm occupation bridge here has been demolished, oddly the approach embankment has been left in place.

It doesn't get much better than this! A privately owned large logo tractor on the nation network in perfect winter light. 37025 Inverness TMD passes Wolfhall on 17 January 2019 with the 3Z23 09:49 Exeter Riverside to Ferme Park Network Rail test train. This being one of the few spots where the sun was fully on the nose, it was naturally very popular with photographers!

66207 passes Wolfhall on 17 January 2019 with the 6M20 10:37 Whatley Quarry to St Pancras (Churchyard Sidings) stone train. The trees on the right mark the course of the former Midland & South Western Junction Railway.

Running 47 minutes late due to an early fatality in Devon, 43187 passes Wolfhall on 17 January 2019 with the 1A82 09:00 Penzance to Paddington GWR service. Unfortunately long distance passengers from the West Country will soon have to put up with an uncomfortable journey on the inadequately padded seats of the Class 800 DMUs, that are replacing these iconic HST sets.

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

Moments before the sun faded out into a bank of cloud near the horizon, 43002 Sir Kenneth Grange passes Challow on 17 January 2019 with the 1B46 14:45 Paddington to Swansea GWR service. This was just a couple of weeks after I had photographed 43002 at very nearly the same spot, in similar light. On that occasion my vantage point was a little further along the lineside fence seen on the right.

47579 James Nightall GC passes Kings Sutton on 26 July 1990 with the 1F44 17:20 Paddington to Banbury (via Oxford) Network SouthEast service. The loco is in the later NSE livery, with the darker shade of blue, while the coaching stock is mostly still painted in the earlier lighter shade of blue. Just 15 minutes later, the reverse happened, when 47573 The London Standard, which was still in the original NSE livery appeared, hauling a predominately dark blue set of stock with the 1F51 17:37 Paddington to Banbury (via High Wycombe) service.

47573 The London Standard passes Kings Sutton on 26 July 1990 with the 1F51 17:37 Paddington to Banbury (Via High Wycombe) Network SouthEast service. The light blue NSE liveried loco, and mostly dark blue stock was exactly the opposite combination to the 1F44 17:20 Paddington to Banbury (via Oxford) service, which had passed by 15 minutes earlier.

With the fast lines closed for Sunday engineering work, 43166 has no alternative but to use the relief line at Waltham St Lawrence on 8 April 1990, as it heads towards London with the 1A17 07:29 Weston-super-Mare to Paddington InterCity service.

Freight nearly spoils perfect DMU picture! Unfortunately there were no booked northbound freight trains at Culham at 06:30 on 27 June 2002, but there was the 7V25 04:16 Bescot to Didcot departmental working due from the other direction. Just as 165119 slowly approaches Culham with the 2C08 06:00 Reading to Oxford Thames Trains service, 58047 intrudes into the foreground!

60088 Buachaille Etive Mor glints in the evening sun, as it passes Compton Beauchamp on 3 May 1995 with the 6A68 16:56 Avonmouth to Didcot Power Station MGR. This is one of my most missed photographic location, as it was one of the least backlit locations for eastbound trains in the evening between Swindon and Didcot, and was on a very quiet country road. A very pleasant place to spend a summer evening.

60081 Bleaklow Hill passes Woofferton on 27 October 1996 with the 6V75 09:14 Dee Marsh to Margam steel empties. Very poor lighting, but this is one of the very few times that I saw these distinctive round topped wagons. Just 15 minutes later, and in much better light, 60080 Kinder Scout passed in the opposite direction with the 6M88 08:52 Llanwern to Dee Marsh steel coils.

31410 passes through the desolate and remote Manea station on 6 November 1986 with the 1E85 10:45 Liverpool Lime Street to Yarmouth service. 15:30 on a dull November afternoon is hardly the best time to be taking pictures on Kodachrome 64, but as I have unfortunately got very pictures of Class 31s on these workings, it will have to do!

31416 passes what is now Cam & Dursley station, but what at the time (30 May 1989) was the disused Coaley Junction, and associated headshunt. This northbound working appears to be a pair of barrier coaches, destination unknown.

20145 & 20171 pass Horsemoor (between March and Manea) on 16 August 1988 with what is presumably a special train of scrap destined for Mayer Newman's scrapyard at Snailwell. It certainly doesn't remotely match anything in the working timetable. Even with plenty of freight activity in the area at the time, this was still a welcome bonus.

20118 & 20169 pass through Llanfair PG station on 11 September 1993 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z18 14:32 Amlwch to Cardiff Central 'Anglesey Odyssey' railtour, passing the famous Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch nameboard on the right. The name means: Saint Mary’s Church in the hollow of the white hazel near the rapid whirlpool and the Church of Saint Tysilio of the red cave.

With four each of BG & GUV vans in tow, all in the traditional 'parcels train grime' livery, 47609 Fire Fly passes through the remains of the disused station at Shrivenham on 25 October 1985 with the 3A03 13:15 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington parcels.

Running a staggering 80 minutes late, 50021 Rodney passes Aynho on 5 June 1983 with the 1S61 08:50 Paddington to Glasgow Central service. The wide formation on the right is a clue that there was once a down goods loop here. Now only the up loop, a little further to the north, survives.

50027 Lion emerges from he shadows, as it speeds through Weybridge station on 15 April 1989 with the 1V09 09:10 Waterloo to Exeter St Davids Network SouthEast service. Not a very good photographic spot, but certainly better than standing on the platform on the right!

37893 approaches Goring on 28 August 1991 with the 6L58 14:20 Banbury to Ripple Lane oil empties. This train was booked to layover in Hinksey Yard for two hours, which on this occasion it clearly did, as although I had hoped for some early running, it was bang on time, which unfortunately meant that the shadows were becoming a problem.

50023 Howe passes Milton on Sunday 29 April 1990 with the 5A77 11:30 Old Oak Common to Plymouth ECS. This was in preparation for the 1A77 17:07 Plymouth to Paddington service. It does seem a bit perverse to run this all the way from London to Devon as empty stock! This view has now changed completely. Both Howe and Didcot Power Station are no more, and the fact that roadside trees have now mostly obscured this view hardly matters, as the line has been electrified, and so there is no longer a view to be had! The field in the foreground on the right is now covered by an industrial estate, and it cannot be long before the ever expanding sprawl of Didcot's housing covers the field to the right of the A4130 in the background.

A pair of preserved locomotives with very different futures ahead of them! D5541 & 47105 emerge from Greet Tunnel on 13 November 1994 with the 13:21 Far Stanley to Toddington service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. D5541 was scrapped in 2006, while happily 47105 lives on under the care of the Brush Type 4 Fund.

Springtime on the Cotswold Line. 43144 rounds the curve at Aston Magna on 13 April 1991 with the 1A55 13:45 Great Malvern to Paddington InterCity service. Note that one of 43144's headlight covers is completely missing.

43024 Great Western Society 1961-2011 Didcot Railway Centre passes Wolvercote on 11 January 2019 with the 1P31 12:09 Hereford to Paddington GWR service. The train has just exited the Cotswold Line at Wolvercote Junction, which is just a short distance round the corner.

66621 moves onto the up relief line at Wolvercote on 11 January 2019 with the 6C61 12:40 Banbury Reservoir to Bristol East stone empties. This train is a bit random, and whilst it always runs to time, it only seems to run on about half of the booked days. Note the new livery for the MWA wagons, which includes a yellow stripe along the base, and over the lip of each wagon. Also, the new yellow and orange Freightliner logo, part of the company's rebranding after being acquired by Genesee & Wyoming Inc.

My only picture of a Class 123 DMU. The 1E38 11:41 Manchester Piccadilly to Hull service negotiates New Mills South Junction on 27 April 1984, with DMSK 52097 leading. Ten of these four car sets were built at Swindon Works in 1963, naturally enough for services on the Western Region. They were classed as Inter-City units, and half of the fleet included a small buffet in one of the centre trailer vehicles. In the same year that the Western Region withdrew the Class 52 Westerns, they also ceased using these units, and 1977 saw them stored at Barry, surplus to requirements. They were then transferred to Hull Botanic Gardens, to work with the similar Class 124 units on Trans Pennine services. All were withdrawn in 1984, and the entire class was scrapped.

50049 Defiance & 50031 Hood pass Manningford Bruce on 13 April 2002 with the Vintage Trains 1Z91 13:45 Paddington to Westbury 'London Express' railtour. Earlier in the day the train had worked down from Birmingham Snow Hill, hauled by an earlier form of Western Region premium motive power - GWR King Class 4-6-0 6024 King Edward I.

60048 Saddleback passes Hampton Gay on 4 May 1995 with the 7V23 14:36 Barrow Hill to Didcot Power Station MGR. The former Trainload Construction decals have been removed, but the loco has yet to receive its new Mainline Freight logo.

37055 & 31452 Minotaur pass Sutton Bridge Junction on 2 September 2000 with the A1A Charters / Railtours North West 1Z36 06:34 Lancaster to Cardiff Central Heart of Wales Explorer. As the name implies, the train would later traverse the single track Central Wales line via Llandrindod Wells.

166214 passes Little Haresfield on 9 January 2019 with the 2G82 09:36 Swindon to Cheltenham Spa GWR service. The group of people on the bridge in the background are waiting for the departure of 56113 from the loop with the late running 6Z01 05:29 Derby RTC to Okehampton rail grinder move.

56113 pulls out of Haresfield loop on 9 January 2019 with the 6Z01 05:29 Derby RTC to Okehampton, conveying Network Rail Loram rail grinder C2101, which explains the 'Loram Rail Operations' headboard. Bringing up the rear are 20142 Sir John Betjeman & 20189. This was 65 minutes running late, which was an advantage, as the shadows were not as bad as when I first arrived at the public footpath crossing from which this picture is taken. It was also fortunate because I encountered two sets of roadworks en-route to my first choice of location (the footpath a little further south of this spot), and would only just have made it, had it being running to time. As it actually left Derby 79 minutes late, I knew I had some leeway!

Running 21 minutes late, 43187 passes Badgeworth on 9 January 2019 with the 1L50 10:36 Cheltenham Spa to Paddington GWR service. I'm not sure what the delay was, as the inward working (the 1G11 07:36 Paddington to Cheltenham Spa) was on time. I know, I glimpsed it through the trees as I was driving through the Stroud Valley.

Conveying just two bogie oil tanks for cleaning, 66769 passes Badgeworth on 9 January 2019 with the 6Z31 07:56 Cardiff Docks Greenergy to Long Marston. I had intended to photograph this further down the line towards Lydney, but the late running 6Z01 05:29 Derby RTC to Okehampton rail grinder move, meant I didn't have time to travel any further west.

66127 passes Thrupp on 9 January 2019 with the 4O21 09:12 Trafford Park to Southampton Western Docks intermodal. This was running 12 minutes early, having missed out its booked stop in Aynho loop. It would soon be back on time, after a longer than normal booked stop at Oxford North Junction!

What happens when you deliberately seek out one of the few local spots that is not plagued by shadows on an early January afternoon? Yes, that's right, a few minutes before the train arrives, the sun goes in! 66621 passes Thrupp on 9 January 2019 with the 6C61 12:40 Banbury Reservoir to Bristol East stone empties. A nice clean set of wagons, but note how the rear cab of 66621 is completely covered in white dust.

43088 passes Chilson on 8 January 2019 with the 1W00 08:21 Paddington to Hereford GWR service. In the 1980s, I took several pictures of trains passing underneath the roadbridge at Chilson, but always from the other direction. The recent clearance of all the lineside vegetation has opened up the view on the west side of the bridge (sadly not on the other side!), so I decided to try this new angle. Unfortunately the sun was still in a large area of thin cloud when the train came. Of course a couple of minutes later it was back to full brightness!

165108 passes underneath the road bridge at Chilson on 8 January 2019 with the 1P23 09:50 Moreton-in-Marsh to Paddington GWR service. A going away shot, but the LED lights give nothing away. The bridge seems to have quite a pronounced sag in the middle, so I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't get rebuilt in the near future, like Dunstall Bridge, near Moreton-in-Marsh.

800013 passes Chilson on 8 January 2019 with the 1W19 09:21 Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street GWR service. Thankfully the recent lineside clearance only included the overgrown vegetation, and not the picturesque rustic fence!

Appropriately named traction for the Cotswold Line. 43053 University of Worcester passes Combe on 8 January 2019 with the 1P31 12:09 Hereford to Paddington GWR service. Combe church, and the adjacent former rectory dominate the skyline. Luckily the predicted end of HSTs on the Cotswold Line in December 2018, proved not to be the case, and the first few months of 2019 will still witness these classic trains on the route, before the DMUs finally take over.

43070 The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers approaches Combe on 8 January 2019 with the 1W27 13:22 Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street GWR service. The train is still accelerating away from Hanborough station, which is just over half a mile away, at the other end of a deep cutting. As the close up view of the train on the embankment is rather bland, I decided to use a moderate wide angle, and include the oak tree as a frame, which on this occasion I think has worked quite well. 

47798 Prince William accelerates away from a signal check at Pontrilas on 2 March 2003 with the 1Z38 09:42 Liverpool Lime Street to Cardiff Central football special. The Liverpool fans were in for a good day, as Liverpool beat Manchester United 2-0.

33102 passes Pirbright on 21 March 1992 with the 1L05 10:15 Waterloo to Salisbury Network SouthEast service. The bridge in the background carries the up line of the route from Aldershot over the West of England line. The Basingstoke Canal can just be seen through the trees on the left. This follows the railway between Woking and Deepcut.

33065 Sealion passes Baverstock on 10 September 1991 with the 6Y06 09:40 Ludgershall to Eastleigh MoD stores. I had tried to photograph this train earlier, at Ludgershall, but despite being on a public road bridge, I was approached by two soldiers from the nearby Army base, who wanted to know what I was doing. They demanded the film out of my camera, and although in theory they probably had no right to do that, you don't argue with men carrying guns! The Army processed the film, and finding nothing suspicious on it, returned it to me.

40091 passes Evedon on 11 August 1984 with the 1M54 13:24 Skegness to Manchester Piccadilly service. I don't know why I chose this ridiculously backlit location, or why I didn't travel to the area more than just this once, for what was the last year of the Class 40s passenger trips to the east coast resort.

31289 passes Harbury on 5 August 1991 with the 4V16 09:40 Washwood Heath to Morris Cowley car body panels. I wish I had taken more pictures at this location. I made several visits during 1991, but was horrified when I returned over a decade later to find that this classic view had been lost due to Network Rail's total lack of any kind of lineside vegetation management.

31305 passes Baulking on 3 May 1985 with the 3C07 15:50 Paddington to Swansea premium parcels services. I suppose the modern equivalent to this is a fleet of private parcel carrier's vans clogging up the motorway!

D821 Greyhound approaches Bewdley on 7 May 1993 with the 16:30 Kidderminster to Bridgnorth service, during the Severn Valley Railway's Diesel Gala. Blue livery with small yellow panels was applied to a small number of locos in the late 1960s. On the Warships it looks much better than the later full yellow end version.

With Langley oil depot dominating the background, L421 (51401, 59511 & 51359) approaches Iver on 22 February 1990 with the 2A41 11:00 Reading to Paddington Network SouthEast service. The oil terminal closed in 2000, and the site was cleared.

B437 (51380, 59504 & 51338) approaches Honeybourne on 22 June 1985 with the 2B60 09:01 Reading to Hereford service. Hidden underneath and behind the train is the connection to the Long Marston branch, which can be seen disappearing off into the distance. At this time access to the branch was controlled from the ground frame seen just to the left of the DMU. The small hut contained the token instruments, linked to the signal box at Evesham.

800005 passes Ascott-under-Wychwood Signal Box on 4 January 2019 with the 1P22 08:25 Worcester Foregate Street to Paddington GWR service. With only weak sunshine, the fact that the box is casting a shadow on the middle of the first vehicle hardly shows. The awful dark green livery helps in this case, as well!

A frosty morning at Ascott-under-Wychwood on 4 January 2019. 165101 passes by with the 1P23 09:50 Moreton-in-Marsh to Paddington GWR service. The train is passing the point where the double track section formerly ended, until the redoubling of the line from here to Charlbury in 2011. Note that there is still a slight curve, as the old section of double track was more widely spaced than the new section.

Network Rail Stoneblower DR80215 passes through Ascott-under-Wychwood station on 4 January 2019, running as the 6U25 10:20 Oxford Down Carriage Siding to Worcester. It had been held for a few minutes at a signal further back towards the bridge in the distance, As it pulled away there was the biggest cloud of clag I have ever seen coming out of a track machine. A pity the signal wasn't in a more photographable position! In theory there should have been two track machines within half an hour, with the 6Y55 09:30 Long Marston to Chelmsford coming from the opposite direction. I had thought of going to Charlbury to get both in one picture, but the light angle would be totally wrong. In the event, 6Y55 ran two hours late, by which time I was back home!

800020 Elizabeth Ralph & 800027 speed past Challow on 4 January 2019 with the 1B35 12:45 Paddington to Swansea GWR service. The massively delayed and hugely over budget electfrication scheme is complete here, and this train is clearly running off the 25Kv overhead. However, in an hour and a half at the lineside I saw several Class 800s pass by inexplicably still running on diesel.

Nearly 43 years old, and still going strong, but unfortunately now with just a few weeks left on the Great Western Mainline. 43002 Sir Kenneth Grange races past Challow on 4 January 2019 with the 1B37 13:15 Paddington to Cardiff Central GWR service. InterCity liveried 43185 Great Western can just be seen on the rear, but the 25kV catenary posts prevented me getting a going away shot. I did try running along the edge of the field to get past the posts, but with the train doing 125mph, that was never going to work!

66769 coasts along the down relief line at Challow on 4 January with the 6V30 09:49 Grain Thamesport to Margam steel empties. This was running exactly to time, and stopped here for the booked 18 minutes. However, in South Wales it didn't stop at Llanwern as booked, and consequently passed Cardiff 87 minutes early!

Once the mainstay of the Great Western Mainline, but in early 2019 only a few HSTs soldier on, amid a sea of Class 800 bi-mode unites. 43079 passes Challow on 4 January 2019 with the 1G38 13:36 Paddington to Cheltenham Spa GWR service.

60063 runs along the down relief line at Challow on 4 January 2019 with the 6B33 13:00 Theale to Robeston Murco oil empties. Its arrival and departure from the loop, to allow the 1C17 14:00 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads Class 800 EMU to overtake, were both exactly to time.

After walking back along the edge of the field on the right, after taking a picture of 60063 with the 6B33 13:00 Theale to Robeston Murco oil empties on 4 January 2019, I couldn't resist taking this second picture as it sat at the end of Challow loop.

165132 approaches Kemble station on 3 January 2019 with the 2G85 13:36 Swindon to Cheltenham Spa GWR service, while something much more unusual was approaching from the opposite direction. Note the new overspill car park in what was a field in the background.

Network Rail DBSO 9708 leads the 3Q64 10:20 Canton Pullmans to Canton Pullmans (Via Swindon) test train through Kemble station on 3 January 2019. 37607 is doing the pushing at the rear. This was running over half an hour early, having missed out its booked 24 minute stop in Haresfield Loop. Luckily I had left home in good time in case that happened, but even so only got here with a few minutes to spare. As I was taking the picture, I thought that 165132 arriving on the other platform with the 2G85 13:36 Swindon to Cheltenham Spa GWR service was going to ruin the picture, but instead it makes an interesting passing shot. Judging by the rusty track, it doesn't look like anything has used the former Cirencester branch bay platform line for a while.

37607 pushes the early running 3Q64 10:20 Canton Pullmans to Canton Pullmans (Via Swindon) Network Rail test train towards Kemble Tunnel on 3 January 2019. DBSO 9708 is at the front of the train. Kemble Tunnel is only 409 yards long, and as can be seen by the lack of any real hill, was only constructed to hide the line from the original Kemble estate owner's house.

150249 calls at Kemble station on 3 January 2019 with the 2B94 13:20 Cheltenham Spa to Swindon GWR service. The dark green livery looks almost black in these dire lighting conditions. On the other hand, the lack of sun does mean that all the intricate station canopy columns are not hidden by dark shadows.

37607 passes through Kemble station for the second time on 3 January 2019 with the 3Q64 10:20 Canton Pullmans to Canton Pullmans Network Rail test train. This was running 35 minutes early, having just reversed at Swindon. Why it was not held at Swindon until the booked time is a mystery, especially as it delayed the following 1G38 13:36 Paddington to Cheltenham Spa HST to such an extent that it had to be terminated at Gloucester!

43002 Sir Kenneth Grange arrives at Kemble station on 3 January 2019 with the 1G38 13:36 Paddington to Cheltenham Spa GWR service. As a bonus, InterCity liveried 43185 Great Western was on the rear. This was running late, as the 3Q64 10:20 Canton Pullmans to Canton Pullmans Network Rail test train had bizarrely been let out of Swindon directly in front of it, instead of waiting for its booked time, which was to follow this train. The delay got worse, as the HST followed the test train down the 'Golden Valley'. It arrived at Gloucester 28 minutes late, it was terminated there.

43185 Great Western brings up the rear of the 1G38 13:36 Paddington to Cheltenham Spa GWR service at Kemble on 3 January 2019. Even more noteworthy, 43002 Sir Kenneth Grange was the leading power car. This train was terminated at Gloucester, as it was being held up by the 3Q64 10:20 Canton Pullmans to Canton Pullmans Network Rail test train running slowly in front of it.

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.

166212 passes Stanley Downton on 2 January 2019 with the 2F97 08:50 Great Malvern to Bradford-on-Avon GWR service. The steam from the nearby Müller dairy rises up in the background. The Met Office had predicted a sunny day, and although it was cloudy when I left home, travelling 40 miles to the west ensured I was standing in the sun. However, it didn't last, and by mid morning, the ideal photographic conditions seen here had vanished.

220022 & 220001 pass Stanley Downton on 2 January 2019 with the late running 1V46 06:45 York to Plymouth CrossCountry service. This was the picture I had in mind when I first arrived at this location, but had to wait for this later train, as when I arrived the fence and gate were still in shade.

The new year dawns, and 2019 sees just one HST diagram covering the Gloucester to Swindon 'Golden Valley' line. This involves two out and back trips from London to Paddington. With frost still on the grass on the east side of the cutting, 43017 Hannahs discoverhannahs.org passes Standish Junction on 2 January 2019 with the 1L50 10:36 Cheltenham Spa to Paddington GWR service.

166219 approaches Standish Junction on 2 January 2019 with the 2M97 09:57 Bradford-on-Avon to Great Malvern GWR service. Only half a mile from the actual junction, and the Swindon and Bristol lines are already at considerably different levels.

60100 Midland Railway - Butterley passes Standish Junction on 2 January 2019 with the 6B13 05:00 Robeston to Westerleigh Murco oil tanks. This was running 12 minutes early, having missed out its booked short layover in Haresfield Loop. This was very fortunate, as it passed in a brief patch of weak sunshine, on what was rapidly becoming a very cloudy day.

166207 takes the Swindon line at Standish Junction on 2 January 2019 with the 2B92 11:20 Cheltenham Spa to Swindon GWR service. Luckily the few Class 166s that appeared in this plain blue version of First Great Western's livery seem likely to avoid the later hideous green colour scheme, at least for a while!

175110 passes the site of Mold Junction on 30 December 2000 with the 12:30 Bangor to Crewe First North Western service. The line to Mold diverged to the left opposite the houses. It was closed in 1962. 175110 was only a couple of months old when this photo was taken.

153318 arrives at the tiny and remote station at Cilmeri on 15 October 1994 with the 11:00 Shrewsbury to Swansea Regional Railways service. Then, as now, there were only four trains in each direction over the Central Wales Line.

47450 approaches Ashchurch on 28 June 1987 with the 1V32 23:50 Edinburgh to Bristol Temple Meads sleeper. This was the first time that I saw an InterCity liveried vehicle amongst the customary three Mk3 sleeping coaches on the train. The working timetable also lists this as a newspaper train.

150249 passes Wolvercote on 4 May 1989 with the 2B44 17:36 Oxford to Moreton-in-Marsh Regional Railways service. This Cotswold Line 'all stations' local service was an early convert to second generation DMU operation, several years before the bulk of the local services to Oxford changed over from Class 117 operation. Usually during the late 1980s the Leyland built Class 155s were used, with occasional appearances by Class 150s, as here.

A2 4-6-2 60532 Blue Peter passes Aldercar on 27 February 1992 with its Derby to Derby (via Sheffield) main line test run. At the time I was really annoyed that the Class 58 hauled MGR had sneaked into the picture at the critical moment, but as it doesn't actually seriously get in the way, I now think it adds a bit of a motive power contrast to the scene. Blue Peter was going well here, but that was not the case when I saw it again at Hasland, as it coasted by me with an overheated big end!