The view from Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, in the days before it became a well used photographic location, and when it was still a two track mainline. 47094 heads west on 27 October 1982 with an unidentified empty stock working.

A dramatic low level shot of 50021 Rodney, as it passes Stanley Pontlarge on 8 May 1994, en-route from nearby Far Stanley to Toddington. The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway employed the 50 on several Sunday services throughout the 1994 season.

An everyday mid 1990s scene, now gone forever. With half of Drax Power Station's cooling towers dominating the background, 56034 Castell Ogwr / Ogmore Castle passes Carlton on 17 February 1996 with another rake of MGR empties from the UK's largest coal fired power station.

60005 Skiddaw passes Frimley Green on 7 January 1992 with the 6L31 09:56 Micheldever to Ripple Lane oil empties. The loco was on temporary loan to Cardiff Canton, which explains the fact that this is a Trainload Construction loco, on a petroleum duty. The impressive building in the background is Farnborough Hill Roman Catholic School.

Turbo in trouble? 166203 passes Fiddington on 26 October 2020 with the 2C12 08:55 Worcester Foregate Street to Westbury GWR service. Although this left Worcester on time, it had come to a stand near Abbotswood Junction, and was now running 27 minutes late. It sounded like the rear vehicle's engine wasn't running. Unfortunately this late running meant that it missed both the sunshine and the rainbow!

With Bredon Hill in the background, D8096 (20096) & D8107 (20107) pass Fiddington on 26 October 2020 top'n' tailing Mk2 BFK coach 17159 with the 5Z20 07:55 Crewe to Bristol East Depot ECS. Unfortunately this corresponded with just about the worst lighting of the morning.

D8107 (20107) brings up the rear of the 5Z20 07:55 Crewe to Bristol Barton Hill ECS at Fiddington on 26 October 2020. D8096 (20096) is leading. Who would have thought that these veteran locos would be doing jobs like this on the national network in the 21st century!

153364, 153334, 153354 & 153365 pass Fiddington on 26 October 2020 with the 5Z53 08:57 Burton West Yard to Gloucester New Yard ECS. This was in order to collect two more 153s, which had failed the previous week. Bringing the number of DMUs in the picture up to six, but not improving the picture, 221121 & 220030 head north in the background with the 1S41 07:27 Plymouth to Newcastle CrossCountry service.

27001 & 27005 pass Kinneil on 3 September 2000 with the 2T44 12:45 Birkhill to Bo'ness service, during the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway's Diesel Gala. These are the two oldest surviving Class 27s, entering service in June and August 1961, as D5347 & D5351. Both were withdrawn in July 1987. 27001 was initially preserved at the Caledonian Railway at Brechin, moving to join 27005 at Bo'ness in 1991.

27001 arrives at Bo'ness on 3 September 2000 with the 2T46 14:25 Birkhill to Bo'ness service, during the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway's Diesel Gala. This fine panoramic view not only includes the impressive signal gantry, but also the abandoned mud filled eighteenth century dock on the right. On the other side of the River Forth, the 600ft tall chimney of Longannet Power Station dominates the scene. Longannet was built in the mid 1960s, and was the last coal fired power station in Scotland when it closed in 2016.

In early 1990 there was a change to the DPU workings in the Oxford area, when the 4A17 16:20 Paddington to Oxford parcels, instead of recessing at Oxford, and then continuing north as the 4M17 20:23 Oxford to Birmingham New Street, instead almost immediately returned non-stop to London. Class 128 55994 is pictured here passing Didcot North Junction on 3 May 1990.

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

With Low Farm visible in the background, 66705 Golden Jubilee passes Eaton (near Retford) in typically miserable summer weather on 22 June 2002 with the Past Time Rail 1Z56 14:59 York to Finsbury Park 'The Spinnin' State III' railtour.

43020 descends towards the Severn Tunnel at Pilning on 22 July 1990 with the 09:20 Newcastle to Swansea service. The single first class vehicle at the front of the train marks this out as one of the few cross-country trains passing this way. The more numerous trains from Paddington had two such vehicles.

43037 passes Hawkeridge Junction on Sunday 4 October 1987 with the diverted 1B08 09:10 Paddington to Swansea service. The rear of the similarly diverted 1A28 09:30 Weston-super-Mare to Paddington can just be seen disappearing into the bushes on the extreme left of the picture.

33030 passes Hook on 16 March 1990 with a rake of condemned EMUs. Note that the second vehicle has had all the doors removed, presumably as a source of spares for other units. The wide spacing of the tracks here was to accommodate the central island platforms at Hook station. These have now been removed, leaving just the outer platforms on the slow lines.

Even though the 6O72 12:49 Wolverhampton to Hoo Junction steel empties was usually Class 58 hauled right up to that class's withdrawal in late 2002, it was my misfortune to find a Class 66 working the train on one of the few occasions that I photographed it. 66218 passes through Radley station on 9 May 2000. The fact that this was running nearly three hours late might explain what happened to the 58!

50039 Implacable passes West Drayton on 6 November 1986 with the 1A22 08:36 Cheltenham Spa to Paddington service. In the background Class 117 DMU L410 is just leaving West Drayton station with the 2A31 10:14 Maidenhead to Paddington Network SouthEast Service.

50033 Glorious passes Hinksey Yard on 14 June 1983 with the 1S81 06:45 Paddington to Glasgow Central service, which it would work as far as Birmingham New Street. Even without reference to the timetable, the high number of first class Mk2 air-con coaches, and the inclusion of a catering vehicle mark this out from the more numerous London to Oxford Class 50 hauled trains.

47085 Mammoth approaches Oxford on 1 August 1986 with the 5F19 Old Oak Common to Oxford ECS. After a quick runaround, it would shortly head back south with the 1F19 07:46 Oxford to Paddington service. I presume this working is the result of the failure of the booked Class 47/4 loco, as not only would a 47/0 not normally work these trains, but also this ECS is shown as only running on a Monday, not Friday, as here. Also, the normal 04:12 departure from Old Oak would see a much earlier arrival at Oxford than this.

In the days before long distance cross country trains got downgraded from loco-hauled and HST operation to cramped DMUs, buffer fitted 43084 County of Derbyshire approaches Wychnor Junction on 9 July 1999 with the 1V66 17:05 Newcastle to Bristol Temple Meads Virgin CrossCountry service.

47808 catches the last of the sunshine, ahead of the dark clouds coming in from the west, as it passes through the remains of the disused Challow station on 20 January 1990 with the 1A32 09:06 Swansea to Paddington service. A Class 47 hauled train on this line was the exception at this time, so was the fact that it was booked non-stop from Newport to Reading, missing out the normal stops of Bristol Parkway, Swindon and Didcot.

47843 Vulcan accelerates away from Shrewsbury, and approaches Sutton Bridge Junction on 27 March 2004 with the 1V77 09:13 Crewe to Cardiff Central rugby special. Unfortunately the loco failed later at Abergavenny, and had to be pushed by 47853 Rail Express, which was working the following rugby special, the 1Z55 09:55 Crew to Cardiff Central!

56111 approaches Eggborough Power Station with a loaded MGR in the gathering darkness on the afternoon of 12 March 1997. Unfortunately this is the only picture I have of a Class 56 actually working a coal train on the short branch from Whitley Bridge Junction to Eggborough. Note the amount of coal mixed with the ballast on the departure line, the result of years of leakage from the doors of the HAA wagons after being discharged.

37430 Cwmbran crosses the flat fields near the estuary of the River Conon, as it heads south from Dingwall, and approaches Maryburgh on 22 July 1997 with the 1H98 13:25 Kyle of Lochalsh to Keith Royal Scotsman.

37426 passes Tattenhall on 10 July 1999 with the 1G95 06:34 Holyhead to Birmingham New Street service. Not only is Class 37 haulage a thing of the past here, but so is everything in the background! The reclamation yard near the bridge, and the Aldersley Arms pub, with its fake half timber cladding, have been swept away, and replaced by a housing estate. Even more change has taken place just off to the right of this picture, with the construction of a large marina, next to the Shropshire Union Canal.

37401 Mary Queen of Scots passes Calveley on 10 July 1999 with the 1G97 11:16 Bangor to Birmingham service. There was formerly a refuge siding on the right, extending back as far as the farm occupation bridge in the background.

800033 passes underneath one of the over engineered four track 25kV gantries that have so spoiled the Great Western Mainline. It is approaching the site of Challow station on 19 October 2020 with the 1G15 12:28 Paddington to Cheltenham Spa GWR service.

66779 Evening Star runs along the down relief line at Challow on 19 October 2020 with the 6V32 10:23 Tilbury to Trostre Works steel empties. Out of sight on the rear is 66755 Tony Berkeley OBE RFG Chairman 1997-2018. I was extremely lucky with the light here, as the sun was on the very edge of a large mass of cloud, and by the time the train had rolled to a stop at the red signal a few hundred yards further on, the sun had completely disappeared!

66779's Evening Star nameplate, photographed while the loco was stopped in the loop at Challow on 19 October 2020, whilst it was working the 6V32 10:23 Tilbury to Trostre Works steel empties. The small plaque describes how this was the last Class 66 to be built, and was named at the National Railway Museum in May 2016. Hopefully this loco will have a much longer life than the original BR 9F 2-10-0 Evening Star. That only lasted for just under five years. 66779 was just a few months short of that dismal record when this nameplate was photographed.

After waiting in Challow loop for 25 minutes, 66779 Evening Star gets underway again, and passes Baulking on 19 October 2020 with the 6V32 10:23 Tilbury to Trostre Works steel empties. The train would later encounter nearly an hour's delay at Bristol Parkway.

47299 heads north from Banbury on 17 May 1993 with the 4S59 12:32 Southampton Maritime to Coatbridge freightliner. The Hennef Way bridge hadn't been opened for very long when this picture was taken, which explains the lack of lineside vegetation.

43145 passes through the pastoral Wiltshire landscape near Rodbourne on 6 August 1992 with the 1B50 17:30 Paddington to Milford Haven service. Although Rodbourne village is fairly close to the line, the Great Western Railway did not see fit to provide it with a station when the 'Badminton cut off' line was opened in 1903. Being only a small village didn't usually prevent a station being provided in those days!

87024 Lord of the Isles passes Brockhall on 24 August 1991 with the 08:15 Euston to Glasgow Central service. For several miles, along this section of the West Coast Mainline north of Weedon, the railway closely follows the course of the A5 road and the Grand Union Canal.

An unusual, and unrepeatable view of the railway at Goole, taken on 13 March 1999. 144019 passes Potters Grange Junction with the 08:49 Hull to Sheffield Arriva Trains Northern service. This view cannot be repeated today, not only because of tree growth in the foreground, but also because an industrial estate has appeared on the muddy field in the foreground. Surprisingly, the gas holder in the background is still in existence.

Most photographers go to Melton Ross for the numerous freight trains, but just for a change here is one of the much fewer passenger trains. 153334 heads away from the camera on 11 October 2003 with the 13:35 Newark Northgate to Grimsby Town Central Trains service.

Southbound MGR coal trains through Oxford were a regular sight during the 1970s & 1980s, heading for Didcot Power Station, but in the 1990s the previously unusual sight of northbound loaded trains appeared, when imported coal for Ironbridge Power Station was routed this way. 58027 approaches Wolvercote Junction on 7 August 1998 with the 14:30 departure from Avonmouth.

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Class 108 DMU (51950 & 52062) accelerates away from Winchcombe station on 12 January 1997 with the 12:30 Toddington to Far Stanley service. The unit was used every Sunday throughout January for what was presumably a very little used service.

2251 Class 0-6-0 3205 runs beside the River Dart at Caddaford on 11 August 1999, en-route from Buckfastleigh to Totnes. The South Devon Railway was operating an intensive timetable, in order to cope with all the visitors who happened to be in the area for the total solar eclipse. 3205 is the sole survivor of a class of 120 locomotives that were built initially by the GWR and later by BR, between 1930 and 1948. They were virtually a direct replacement for the very long lived 'Dean Goods' 0-6-0s.

Longmoor Military Railway 2-10-0 600 Gordon emerges from Foley Park Tunnel on 27 May 1995 with the 12:45 Kidderminster to Bridgnorth service. The loco arrived at the Severn Valley Railway in 1969, upon the closure of the Longmoor Military Railway.

166218 passes Bredon's Norton on 15 October 2020 with the 2C12 08:55 Worcester Foregate Street to Westbury GWR service. This is a location that has been on my 'to do' list for some time. Not particularly scenic, but at least it is clear of the long early morning shadows.

56105 passes a small corrugated metal hut near Bredon's Norton on 15 October 2020, as it heads south with the 3S32 22:37 (the previous day) Gloucester Horton Road to Cheltenham Lansdown Loop Rail Head Treatment Train. 56087 is bringing up the rear. The blue sky in this picture is extremely deceptive, as directly above me, and all the way to the horizon on the right was nearly solid cloud. Just a small hole on this black mass gave five minutes worth of sunshine at just the right moment!

A pair of grubby Grids. 56087 brings up the rear of the 3S32 22:37 (the previous day) Gloucester Horton Road to Cheltenham Lansdown Loop Rail Head Treatment Train at Bredon's Norton on 15 October 2020. 56105 is the leading locomotive.

70809 runs slowly along the up relief line at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 15 October 2020 with the 6M40 11:42 Westbury to Stud Farm ballast empties. This was running nearly half an hour late, a delay which didn't really matter, as it was booked to stay in the loop for a while anyway.

37884 Cepheus approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 15 October 2020 with the 5Q60 10:59 Ilford EMU Depot to Newport Docks (Sims Group), conveying former London Overground EMUs 315859 & 315810 for scrapping. The units were built in 1980, but the loco dates from 1963!

My last ever picture of 50034 Furious. With Langley oil depot dominating the background, it passes Iver on 22 February 1990 with the 1F45 11:00 Oxford to Paddington Network SouthEast service. Everything in this picture, with the exception of the actual track, is now history. The loco and the oil depot have both been cut up, and the viewpoint has not only disappeared because of the electrification of the line, but also because of the demolition of the bridge from which it was taken!

Running 20 minutes late, 60062 Samuel Johnson approaches Standish Junction on 5 July 1991 with the 6B17 17:45 Westerleigh to Robeston Murco oil empties. At the time the loco was only two weeks old, and this was a bit of a novelty, but nearly three decades later, this loco is only too common on this working!

60057 Adam Smith approaches Hatfield & Stainforth on 11 March 2004 with the 6M55 09:52 Lindsey to Rectory Junction oil tanks. The gloomy conditions have at least allowed a picture to be taken fro the north side of the line, for a change.

How's this for first generation DMU flexibility? A Class 121/108/117 combination passes Shottesbrooke on 5 September 1992 with the 2A33 09:12 Reading to Paddington Network SouthEast service. Class 121 55029 (L129) has been temporarily formed into three car set L429. That set number was originally allocated to one of Reading's Class 117 sets (51367 59519 & 51409), but only the last vehicle of that combination remains here. To add to the variety, the centre vehicle is Class 108 54495. Class 121 'Bubble Cars' often substituted for the DMBS vehicle of a 117 unit on an ad hoc basis, but this is a slightly more permanent arrangement, as the 104/117 set, although made up of two driving cars, would not have been used on its own, as neither is a brake vehicle.

47218 crosses the River Avon at Eckington on 19 June 1989 with the 6M17 19:15 Gloucester New Yard to Bescot Speedlink. Most of the traffic on this service would have originated from the West Country, including the single OCA wagon, which probably contains bricks en-route to Grangemouth from Plymouth.

56039 passes Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 26 March 1993 with the 6C13 11:22 Calvert to Bath Avon Binliner. The down relief line had just been installed, but was not yet in use. The up relief line was installed the following year.

60024 passes Ulceby South Junction Signal Box, as it rounds the curve from Brocklesby Junction on 27 March 1999 with the 6K25 14:39 Santon to Immingham iron ore empties. Unfortunately the Network Rail vandals demolished the signal box in December 2015.

45060 Sherwood Forester passes North Street on 23 May 2004 with the 12:25 Alresford to Alton service, during the Mid Hants Railway's Diesel Gala. A blue Peak and Southern Region green coaches is a not a combination that would have happened very often in BR days!

45140 passes Hinksey Yard on 12 May 1984 with the 1M03 11:50 Portsmouth Harbour to Liverpool Lime Street service. Like the majority of the surviving Class 45s, this loco was withdrawn in 1988, and after a period in store, was cut up at MC Metals, Glasgow, in 1994.

A number of locomotives of Classes 31, 33, 37 & 47 received the plain dark grey livery in the early 1990s, prior to the adoption of the 'Dutch' colour scheme for departmental locos. One such loco was 37162, seen here passing Llanwern West Junction in the rain on 19 November 1994 with a westbound engineer's train. Note the small Trainload Petroleum logo midway along the bodyside.

50035 Ark Royal finds a patch of sunshine amid the clouds, as it passes a completely empty Hinksey Yard on 24 October 1989 with the 1V96 11:18 York to Paddington service. The 50 would have taken over the train at Birmingham New Street, as although the Network SouthEast / InterCity livery combination is slightly different from the norm (although various trains regularly did have this combination), the sight of a NSE Class 50 at York would be noteworthy!

Unusually running 40 minutes late, 50033 Glorious runs along the down main line at South Moreton on 18 March 1990 with the 1F14 11:15 Paddington to Oxford Network SouthEast service. This would normally have been routed along the down relief, which of course would have made a much better picture.

With Burleigh Farm visible on the right, 50036 Victorious passes underneath the Cassington to Long Hanborough road on 3 March 1984, as it traverses the last few miles of the Cotswold Line with the 1A07 08:05 Hereford to Paddington service.

A rainy day at Chippenham on 27 October 1992. 43029 arrives at the station with the 1A49 12:15 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington service. Chippenham station was opened in 1841, and still retains many period features, including typical Great Western Railway platform canopies and a Grade II listed station building, which dates from 1858.

50046 Ajax passes Hay Lane, just to the west of Swindon, with the Thursdays only 1A71 09:00 Penzance to Paddington service on 16 June 1983. This seems to be a very little photographed train, which is not really surprising, as it only ran on ten days during the 1983 summer timetable. Passengers from Penzance could leave half an hour later on the 1A49 09:33 HST departure, and arrive in London an hour and half before this train got there, after its long jaunt via Bristol.

50033 Glorious leaves Kingham station on 8 May 1987, just as a pair of hot air balloons rise into the evening sky from nearby Bruern. The train is the penultimate loco hauled 'Cathedrals Express' - the 1B56 18:25 Paddington to Hereford service.

50036 Victorious arrives at Heyford station on 24 May 1990 with the 1F44 17:20 Paddington to Banbury Network SouthEast service. Normally only served by DMUs at the time, this was luxury provision for such a small station. In addition to savouring the English Electric noise close up, there was enough time to get a picture of the loco's nameplate.

50047 Swiftsure passes Blanchworth (between Bristol and Gloucester) with the 1M83 10:24 Penzance to Liverpool service on 26 October 1985. This would have arrived at Penzance earlier that morning with the 3C24 03:00 Plymouth to Penzance vans.

67023 Stella approaches the site of Yarnton Junction on 7 October 2020 with the 1Z22 08:20 Tyseley to Bristol High Level Siding Network Rail test train. As always, 67027 Charlotte is bringing up the rear. The bridge in the background carries the Yarnton to Cassington road over the railway.

230008 slowly passes behind the rear of Honeybourne station, prior to reversing and joining the Cotswold Line on 6 October 2020. This is yet another of Vivarail's mileage accumulation runs - the 09:38 Long Marston to Moreton-in-Marsh.

Quickly picking up speed, after joining the Cotswold Line just around the corner, 230008 passes through Honeybourne station on 6 October 2020 with the 09:38 Long Marston to Moreton-in-Marsh mileage accumulation run. This is the third of five Class 230s destined for Transport for Wales.

A few seconds worth of sunshine amid the clouds nicely illuminates 50049 Defiance & 50007 Hercules, as they pass Honeybourne station on 6 October 2020 with the 5Z98 07:26 Leicester to Long Marston ECS, conveying a couple of barrier vehicles. This was in connection with the movement of a rake of HST Mk3 coaches to Newport for scrapping.

The magnificent sight of a Class 50 at speed on the Cotswold Line, but not quite as I remember it from 35 years ago! 50049 Defiance passes Upper Moor on 6 October 2020 with the 5Z51 12:23 Long Marston to Newport Docks (Sims Group), conveying a rake of HST Mk3 coaches for scrapping. 50007 Hercules is bringing up the rear.

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

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

'Face Mask' liveried 800321 passes Uffington on 1 October 2020 with the 1B15 12:48 Paddington to Swansea service. GWR have finally got their chronic timekeeping under control, so much so that this train was actually running three minutes early!

37800 Cassiopeia passes Uffington on 1 October 2020 with the 5Q60 10:59 Ilford EMU Depot to Newport Docks (Sims Group), conveying former London Overground EMU 315805 on it final journey to the scrapman. It's a good job that massive black cloud was in front of me, and nowhere near the sun!

802004 approaches the public footpath crossing, just to the east of Collins Lane level crossing, near Purton, on 29 September 2020. It is working the 1G15 12:28 Paddington to Cheltenham Spa GWR service. At the moment this location is nearly a mile away from the edge of Swindon, but given that town's rapid expansion, there may well be houses around here in a few decade's time!

Having just passed Collins Lane level crossing, near Purton, 37025 Inverness TMD heads towards Swindon on 29 September 2020 with the late running 1Q38 06:50 Derby RTC to Swansea Network Rail test train. 37116 is bringing up the rear. As this is a fairly nondescript location, I decided to include lots of sky in the picture, which worked out well, as the impressive cloud formation certainly improves the composition.

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

66419 passes Kingston Lisle on 28 September 2020 with the 4L36 07:45 Wentloog to Felixstowe North freightliner. In contrast to some of my favourite Vale of White Horse locations, this one requires very little effort to get to, being taken by looking over a gate next to the Baulking to Kingston Lisle road.

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's resident Freightliner liveried Class 47, 47376 Freightliner 1995 slowly approaches Toddington on 27 September 2020 with the 1C17 14:25 Broadway to Cheltenham Racecourse service.

47376 Freightliner 1995 approaches Gotherington on 27 September 2020 with the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's 1C17 14:25 Broadway to Cheltenham Racecourse service. The Scots Pine trees behind the loco are a typical feature of GWR stations.

D1935 (47805) Roger Hosking MA 1925 - 2013 & 47593 Galloway Princess pass Stoke Orchard on 27 September 2020 with the Statesman Rail 1Z75 10:40 Penzance to York 'Cornish Riviera Statesman' railtour. This was the return working of a three day tour.

220002 & 221141 pass Stoke Orchard on 27 September 2020 with the 1V60 12:20 Morpeth to Plymouth CrossCountry service. This would ordinarily be the 1V60 11:40 Newcastle to Plymouth, but was amended due to Sunday engineering works.

60046 William Wilberforce passes underneath the recently reconstructed Hanney Bridge, near Grove, on 26 September 2020 with the 5Z20 08:11 Bristol Barton Hill to Wembley ECS, conveying Chiltern Railways Mk3 coach 12605.

Rainbow liveried 800008 passes underneath Hanney Bridge, near Grove, on 26 September 2020 with the 1L68 08:58 Cheltenham Spa to Paddington GWR service. Like a number of bridges on the Great Western Mainline, this bridge was rebuilt in order to allow extra headroom for the 25kV wires. Only the brick abutments remain from the original steel girder bridge.

165028 passes Shipton on 27 September 2020 with the 11:50 Long Marston to Aylesbury DMU Depot ECS. This was running 13 minutes early, but that was nothing compared with the 70 minutes early running as it headed up the line towards Bicester, after its speedy reversal at Oxford. A Chiltern Railways DMU on the Cotswold line is always worth recording, especially at an identifiable location such as this, with Shipton's tiny station in the background, and car park of the F.W.P. Matthews flour mill on the left.

47593 Galloway Princess & D1935 (47805) Roger Hosking MA 1925 - 2013 pass Standish Junction on 25 September 2020 with the Statesman Rail 1Z70 06:08 York to Penzance 'Cornish Riviera Statesman' railtour. This was day one of a three day tour. The second day would involve a trip to Kingswear.

60074 Luke approaches Standish Junction on 25 September 2020 with the 6B41 11:19 Westerleigh to Robeston empty oil tanks. This was running 25 minutes early, and this picture was taken just 44 seconds after I took a picture of a railtour coming from the other direction. Very lucky, especially as it involves crossing a busy road with a blind bend approaching the bridge!

60062 Stainless Pioneer passes Over on 22 September 2020 with the 6B13 04:19 Robeston to Westerleigh oil tanks. This was already running early, and by missing out its booked stop at Gloucester, it would soon be running nearly an hour ahead of the booked time.

37418 An Comunn Gaidhealach passes Over (near Gloucester) on 22 September 2020 with the 6Z37 08:37 Coleham to Gloucester Horton Road, conveying two sets of RHTT tanks, in readiness for the autumn leaf fall season. Luckily there is just enough of a gap to get the whole train in the picture, although the shadows are less than ideal. The main reason for choosing this spot was that it is one of the very few locations in the area where the sun would be on the front. In the event however, as it was running early, this was not so much of a problem.

66192 passes Abbotswood on 22 September 2020 with the early running 6V92 10:34 Corby to Margam steel empties. This was just moments before the completely sunny morning turned into the completely cloudy afternoon!

Former East Midlands Railways power cars 43058 & 43048 pass Norton on 22 September 2020, running as the 0Z56 11:25 Neville Hill to Long Marston. The ghostly impression of the former EMR branding can just be seen on 43058's bodyside. Like so many other HST power car's this pair are heading for storage, pending an uncertain future.

43048 brings up the rear of the 0Z56 11:25 Neville Hill to Long Marston at Norton on 22 September 2020. 43058 is leading. The off lease pair are heading for secure storage, their place on the Midland Mainline having been temporarily taken by HSTs from the East Coast Mainline.

43058 & 43048 accelerate away from a signal check at Norton Junction on 22 September 2020 with the 0Z56 11:25 Neville Hill to Long Marston. I had already seen this a shirt distance around the corner, at Norton, but as it was running a few minutes early, it had to be held here to allow a train to come off the Cotswold Line.

A pair of former East Midlands Railway power cars join the Cotswold Line at Norton Junction on 22 September 2020. 43048 brings up the rear of the 0Z56 11:25 Neville Hill to Long Marston, with classmate 43058 leading.

37425 Concrete Bob made its first proper mainline run after being repainted into Regional Railways livery on 21 September 2020, when it travelled light engine from Crewe to Long Marston, to collect an intermodal wagon. A backlit picture of a light engine wasn't appealing, but by including the footpath style at Broad Marston in the picture, a much more interesting picture was obtained. So here we see the immaculate loco nearing its destination with the 0Z66 07:04 Crewe Gresty Bridge to Long Marston.

37425 Concrete Bob passes Broad Marston on 21 September 2020 with the 4Z67 12:38 Long Marston to Daventry International Railfreight Terminal, conveying a single IKA Megafret twin intermodal wagon. With just a single wagon to deal with, this was the fastest turnaround that I have ever seen at Long Marston, after the arrival of the light engine, and was running 13 minutes early here. I chose this location in preference to the well known Long Marston departure view, as such a short train ideally suits this spot, which is not much use for anything longer. Also the close up view shows off the immaculate Regional Railways livery, and the lighting angle is just about perfect.

165039 approaches Wormleighton Crossing (near Banbury) on 21 September 2020 with the 1H46 12:43 Stratford-upon-Avon to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Note the two different styles of milepost just to the right of the train.

70008 approaches Wormleighton Crossing on 21 September 2020 with the 4M61 13:00 Southampton Maritime to Trafford Park freightliner. The tall trees in the background mark the course of the former Stratford-upon-Avon to Towcester railway, which crossed over the line, after running parallel with this line from Fenny Compton.

60017 approaches Wormleighton Crossing on 21 September 2020 with the 6E45 13:05 Theale to Humber Oil Refinery oil empties. This was travelling slowly, as it was about to enter Fenny Compton loop. This was a worry, as the late running 4O69 13:27 Hams Hall to Southampton Western Docks intermodal was approaching from the opposite direction.

This was welcome surprise. The booked loco for the 4O69 13:27 Hams Hall to Southampton Western Docks intermodal on 21 September 2020 was 66744, so I got a shock when this appeared round the corner. 66789 British Rail 1948-1997 approaches Wormleighton Crossing, running nearly an hour late. Presumably the late running is explained by the failure of 66744. The red signal in the background indicates that 60017 has only just got out of the way with the 6E45 13:05 Theale to Humber Oil Refinery oil empties.

5081 passes Stanton on 20 September 2020 with the 1C13 11:50 Broadway to Cheltenham Racecourse service. The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's reliable Class 24 is making a welcome return to traffic, after an extensive bogie overhaul.

5081 passes through Hayles Abbey Halt on 20 September 2020 with the 1C13 11:50 Broadway to Cheltenham Racecourse service. The original halt on this site was opened by the Great Western Railway in 1928. This faithful recreation by the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway opened in 2017.