37684 Peak National Park passes Melton Ross on 18 July 1996 with the Tuesdays and Thursdays only 7E34 08:00 Ashton-in-Makerfield to Lindsey empty Total oil tanks. This working ran for many years, and for a long time was the preserve of Class 31s, both singly and in pairs.

Consecutively numbered 37508 & 37509 approach Tapton Junction on 11 September 1990 with the 6M51 10:01 Scunthorpe to Brierley Hill steel billets. They are coming off the freight only line from Rotherham. The line on the left is the main Sheffield to London route. The Sainsbury's superstore in the background is obviously brand new.

20901 Nancy passes Evenlode on 4 May 1996 with the Reading to Moreton-in-Marsh Hunslet Barclay weedkilling train. As usual, 20904 Janis is bringing up the rear. A very backlit location, but I wasn't going to miss a picture of a Class 20 on the Cotswold Line.

20904 Janis brings up the rear of the Reading to Moreton-in-Marsh Hunslet Barclay weedkilling train at Evenlode on 4 May 1996. 20901 Nancy at the front of the train is just about to leave the very lucky patch of sunshine, and enter the gloom that seemed to persist all the time the train was waiting in Moreton-in-Marsh station, prior to returning south.

20904 Janis waits at Moreton-in-Marsh on 4 May 1996 on 4 May 1996, prior to returning from whence it came with the Hunslet Barclay weedkilling train. Annoyingly, the whole time it was there it was cloudy. Slightly ironic considering all the pictures I got of this train on the move were in sun (just!), but where there was lots of time to wait for the sun, it didn't appear. 166204 has just arrived at the station with the 09:45 Paddington to Great Malvern service.

20904 Janis ambles along the up relief line at South Moreton on 4 May 1996 with the Moreton-in-Marsh to Reading Hunslet Barclay weedkilling train. 20901 Nancy is bringing up the rear. After leaving the Cotswold Line, the train had traversed the Morris Cowley branch, before heading for Didcot.

Transition time at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, when it was (nearly!) a three track main line. The two relief lines were reinstated during 1992-4, with the down line being completed first. This is the scene on 21 February 1993, with the down line layed, but clearly not straightened yet. 43086 passes by the work site with the 1A25 07:00 Swansea to Paddington service.

Unfortunately I have got very few pictures of the Speedlink Coal workings that operated in the Didcot area during the late 1980s. However, although this loco is one that was frequently seen on such trains, this appears to be a MGR destined for Didcot Power Station. 37131 approaches Didcot North Junction on 22 June 1989. I was expecting a Class 58 on the 7V85 14:40 Toton to Didcot Power Station MGR, so was very surprised when this turned up.

37114 City of Worcester arrives at Dalmally on 24 July 1999 with the Mercia Railtours 'Tiberius Kirk' railtour. This loco worked the bulk of the tour over the Fort William and Oban lines on its own, following the failure of 37023, which had been dumped at Tulloch.

With the village of Almondsbury visible on the hillside in the distance, 143620 descends towards the Severn Tunnel at Pilning on 17 March 1994 with the 2B78 13:45 Weston-super-Mare to Cardiff Central Regional Railways service.

156410 & 158786 (both still in their respective original liveries) approach Water Orton on 2 April 1994 with the 08:10 Birmingham New Street to Skegness Regional Railways service. This view is no longer possible, as a medical centre has now been built on the piece of waste ground from which this picture was taken.

On its first day in traffic on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway (13 November 1993), 50021 Rodney approaches Greet Tunnel in the pouring rain, as it heads back to Toddington from Gretton. I thought this would be the start of a long period of being able to photograph a Class 50 on my local preserved line, but in the event it only stayed for less than two years.

50029 Renown passes South Moreton (Didcot East) on 1 December 1983 with the 1A34 12:15 Paddington to Oxford service. There s no possibility of any kind of picture at this location now, as the whole scene is dominated by the massively over engineered 25kv catenary.

The 6M79 15:08 Eastleigh to Crewe Basford Hall MoD stores train could vary enormously in length, from a single wagon to a really lengthy train. On 8 August 1994 it was a very well loaded train, but unfortunately a set of freightliner flats was marshaled at the head of the train, so it was less than ideal photographically. Just a couple of wagons are visible under the bridge, as the train approaches Wolvercote Junction behind 47157, but the unbroken shadow in the background hints at how long the train is.

60060 James Watt passes Coedkernew on 18 August 1995 with the 6M86 11:00 Margam to Dee Marsh steel coils. Judging by the number of people in the cab, this is also being used as a route learning trip. By this date the loco's Trainload Coal sub sector markings had little meaning.

Work stained 60067 James Clerk-Maxwell passes Stenson Junction on 25 April 1996 with the 6M57 06:47 Lindsey to Kingsbury oil tanks. This used to be a very well known photographic location, but since the tracks on the right were lifted after Willington Power Station closed, the location has lost some of its appeal. More recently various clutter and fences have further spoiled the view.

60067 James Clerk-Maxwell was still less than a year old when it was photographed running light engine past Melton Ross on 21 August 1992. The loco is named after the nineteenth century Scottish scientist who discovered the link between electricity and magnetism.

A hazy winter afternoon at Hinksey on 19 February 1994. 43063 passes the deserted yard with the late running 1O12 07:10 Edinburgh to Bournemouth 'Wessex Scot'. The proper way to travel from one end of the county to the other, not on the cramped DMU that passengers now have to put up with!

47107 passes Croome on 9 April 1983 with the 1M22 11:38 Plymouth to Manchester Piccadilly service. I'm not sure why this is only six coaches, instead of the usual ten, but even so there is still plenty of provision for bikes, etc, in the BG at the front of the train. Take note GWR!

37798 & 37670 pass Rangeworthy on 8 June 2002 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 07:03 Crewe to Portbury Automotive Terminal ''Post Festive Freighter' railtour. The lineside bushes somewhat restrict the view here. Formerly there was a clear view all the way to the bridge near the southern entrance to Wickwar Tunnel.

60092 Reginald Munns passes New Barnetby on 12 March 1998 with the 6T24 11:00 Immingham to Santon iron ore. This was just a couple of months before the first Class 66 arrived in the UK, and all the photographers that thought that Transrail grey liveried Class 60s were boring would soon have their opinions revised by the mass introduction of the 'Red Death'.

60080 Kinder Scout passes through Althorpe station on 12 March 1998 with the 6E35 10:00 Etruria to Lackenby steel empties. Note the large mural on the right. This was painted on the one surviving face of a bridge that originally carried a short siding down to the River Trent. This has subsequently been removed, and the embankment behind it cleared away.

Normally Cotswold Line local services in the 1989s were operated by Western Region DMUs, usually Class 117s or 119s from Reading. However, occasionally units from the Midlands put in an appearance. Such was the case on 1 August 1986, when Tyseley provided power for the 2A12 07:45 Moreton-in-Marsh to Reading local service. It is seen here leaving Oxford with Class 116 53893 leading. This unit was withdrawn the following year, succumbing like a lot of the class, to the mass introduction of new Class 150 Sprinters.

47792 Saint Cuthbert approaches Whitacre Junction on 14 September 1997 with the diverted 1A43 12:19 Wolverhampton to Euston Virgin West Coast service. The 47 would work the train as far as Nuneaton. The train's locomotive, 86240 Bishop Eric Treacy is bringing up the rear. Directly behind the 47 is DVT 82132 West Midlands.

86240 Bishop Eric Treacy brings up the rear of the diverted 1A43 12:19 Wolverhampton to Euston Virgin West Coast service at Whitacre Junction on 14 September 1997. 47792 Saint Cuthbert is providing the power at the front of the train. Eric Treacy was, of course, a well known railway photographer, in addition to being a clergyman, and latterly Bishop of Wakefield.

Superb lighting, shame about the train! 800027 & 800016 approach Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 5 September 2019 with the 1L42 07:30 Carmarthen to Paddington GWR service. The recently harvested fields and round bales make a striking contrast with the dark clouds in the background, and more than compensate for the drabness of the EMU's dark green livery.

37402 Stephen Middlemore 23.12.1954 - 8.6.2013 approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 5 September 2019, running as the 0Z38 09:12 Cardiff Canton Sidings to Norwich Station Carriage Servicing Depot light engine. For once the electfrication masts are not really a hindrance, but merely act as a frame for an otherwise rather unphotogenic light engine move.

43013 Mark Carne CBE negotiates the reverse curves at Chalford on 3 September 2019 with the 1Q15 06:50 Derby RTC to Swansea (via a reversal at Swindon) Network Rail New Measurement Train. 43062 John Armitt is bringing up the rear.

43062 John Armitt brings up the rear of the 1Q15 06:50 Derby RTC to Swansea Network Rail New Measurement Train at Chalford on 3 September 2019. Almost hidden by the lineside bushes, 43013 Mark Carne CBE is the lead power car.

60066 approaches Chalford on 3 September 2019 with the 6M53 16:20 Swindon Stores to Toton Up Sidings steel empties. A cloudy afternoon meant that it was possible to get a picture of the train traversing the reverse curves, as the line descends from Sapperton Tunnel into the Stroud Valley. Unfortunately most of the best vantage points that photographers used in steam days have long since been lost to uncontrolled lineside vegetation, but this view still gives a good impression of the sinuous nature of the route of the line in the valley of the River Frome.

A poor substitute for a HST, but unfortunately the Cotswold Line is now a 100% DMU operated railway. 800316 climbs away from Evesham, and passes Aldington on 2 September 2019 with the 1P31 12:09 Hereford to Paddington GWR service.

Running nearly two hours early, 50008 Thunderer passes Aldington on 2 September 2019 with the 6X50 14:50 Long Marston to Doncaster Wood Yard, conveying Railvac unit 99 709 515 005-5 and Ballast Feeder 99 709 552 020-8. I was prepared for the early running, as no way would it have needed the booked two and a half hours at Long Marston after the arrival of the light engine, just to couple up to a couple of track machines! Consequently I was not surprised when it left at 13:00 rather than 14:50!

Railvac unit 99 709 515 005-5 and Ballast Feeder 99 709 552 020-8 are towed past Aldington on 2 September 2019 by 50008 Thunderer, running as the 6X50 14:50 (13:00 actual) Long Marston to Doncaster Wood Yard. This extremely early running only lasted as far as Worcester.

168327 & 168324 pass Charlton-on-Otmoor on 1 September 2019 with the 1Y04 08:10 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Luckily the lineside bushes do not seem to be growing very fast here, and four years after the line was completely rebuilt, there is still nothing to shade the line for this early morning picture.

168218 approaches Charlton-on-Otmoor on 1 September 2019 with the 1Y05 08:38 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. As it was a crystal clear morning, I decided to use a long lens for a different perspective. The bridge in the background is a mile away, and the village of Islip in the distance a further mile and a half.

168326 & 168328 pass Mill Lane, Islip, on 1 September 2019 with the 1Y14 09:42 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Just as the Met Office had predicted, the earlier sunny morning was now giving way to lots of cloud coming in from the west.

73963 Janice passes Yarnton on 31 August 2019 with the 1Q79 09:14 Tonbridge West Yard to Derby RTC Network Rail test train. Annoyingly, this was just one minute before the setting sun dropped out of the last remaining cloud. However, it was still gradually getting brighter, and the dark clouds in the background certainly add to the picture, but if only the train had waited in Oxford as booked, instead of just pausing for a couple of minutes, and then continuing north, ten minutes early! 73962 Dick Mabbutt is hidden by the bushes at the rear of the train.

Superb low evening lighting, with a fantastic cloud formation, makes even a Voyager worth photographing! 220031 is pictured passing Yarnton on 31 August 2019. This is not quite what it seems, as instead of being the 1E68 17:47 Southampton Central to York CrossCountry service, this is in fact the 5E68 17:47 Southampton Central to Birmingham New Street ECS, which then became the 1E68 20:30 Birmingham New Street to York. The fact that this ran between Southampton and Birmingham without any passengers was apparently due to a crewing issue. Probably little comfort for prospective passengers at Southampton, Winchester, Basingstoke, Reading, Oxford, Banbury and Leamington Spa, who saw their train whiz straight through without stopping!

165107 passes Yarnton shortly before sunset on 31 August 2019 with the 2V61 19:08 Banbury to Didcot Parkway GWR service. It is just approaching Wolvercote Junction, the green banner repeater signal for which can be seen in the distance.

56051 passes Oddington on 1 August 1986 with the 6M24 08:05 Stoke Gifford to Wolverton ARC stone train. This was a very quiet line at this time, with just a couple of daily stone trains, a Speedlink trip to Bicester, and the odd ECS working to Wolverton. The passenger service was not reinstated until the following year.

D444 passes Soldridge on 23 May 2004 with the 13:55 Alresford to Alton service, during the Mid Hants Railway's Diesel Gala. Note that it has yet to be reunited with its Exeter nameplates. Although no Class 50s ever carried this attractive livery, this was purely down to timing. If the class had been introduced a few years earlier they almost certainly would have carried this colour scheme from new, rather than BR Blue.

56044 Cardiff Canton passes Callow Hill on 10 April 1992 with the 6V37 10:18 Sheerness to Cardiff Tidal steel and scrap empties. Unfortunately I did not get many pictures of this train, so this one, taken in miserable light, will have to serve as a record.

50007 Hercules tows freshly painted 50033 back to the Severn Valley Railway on 29 August 2019, seen here passing Up Hatherley, running as the 0Z50 09:34 Eastleigh Works to Kidderminster. This had actually been cancelled and then reinstated, after a rumour that it would run via Oxford (which would have been handy for me!). In the event it left 103 minutes late, and was just over an hour late when it passed me. Note that 50033 is numberless and nameless (on this side only).

Numberless and nameless 50033 is towed back to the Severn Valley Railway on 29 August 2019 by 50007 Hercules, seen here passing Up Hatherley, running as the 0Z50 09:34 (11:18 actual) Eastleigh Works to Kidderminster. It is carrying its number and Glorious nameplate on the other side. After much remedial work was undertaken at the Severn Valley Railway, the loco went to Eastleigh on 10 July 2019 for repainting, therefore bringing it back to the standard that it was in when it went to National Railway Museum in 1994, where it suffered appalling neglect.

950001 passes Manningford Bruce on 27 August 2019 with the 2Z08 10:22 Reading Triangle Sidings to Westbury test train. This was running seven minutes early. If it had been eight minutes early I would have missed it!

Not quite sunny, but an awful lot brighter than it had been a few minutes earlier, as is obvious from the dark background. 60044 Dowlow passes Manningford Bruce on 27 August 2019 with the 6C58 11:45 Oxford Banbury Road to Whatley Quarry stone empties.

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

166211 passes the site of Bremell Sidings on 27 August 2019 with the 5B97 16:24 Swindon to Cheltenham Spa GWR ECS. This was running an hour early, despite it leaving Swindon (just a few miles away) one minute late. After arriving at Swindon with the 2B96 15:20 Cheltenham Spa to Swindon service, it is supposed to wait at Swindon Cocklebury until 17:20. On this occasion it just headed straight back from whence it came. This was unfortunate, as it was still cloudy, and at the booked time the sun would have been out. However, I never miss a chance to photograph one of the few remaining blue Class 166s.

60066 passes the site of Bremell Sidings on 27 August 2019 with the 6M53 16:20 Swindon Stores to Toton Up Sidings steel empties. After a very mixed day weather wise, the sun had finally made an appearance, and although I was stood under a large blue patch, it looked a lot cloudier further north. In view of this, I was a little surprised that no other photographers turned up.

Having photographed Class 50s on the Cotswold Line in the 1980s, I certainly wasn't going to miss the Pathfinder Tours 1Z50 05:20 Didcot Parkway to Appleby 'Cotswold - Eden' railtour on Bank Holiday Monday 26 August 2019. Dunstall Bridge, near Moreton-in-Marsh seemed the obvious choice, as there would be nothing to obstruct the very low sun. Fog was predicted, but on arrival only a couple of small patches of fog in the background merely added to the early morning atmosphere. However, just before the train arrived, the fog unfortunately increased considerably. 50049 Defiance & 50007 Hercules are seen here emerging from the mist, several minutes after they could first be heard powering up the Evenlode Valley.

21 years old, and definitely showing its age, 168001 speeds through Islip station on 26 August 2019 with the 1Y07 08:11 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Plenty of cameras watching your every move at this location!

A Class 165/172 combination at Oddington on 26 August 2019. 165025 & 172101 are working the 1Y10 08:43 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Although they look similar, 18 years separates these two units. There are other considerable differences, as the Class 165s were constructed by BREL/ABB at York, and have hydraulic transmission, whereas the Class 172s were assembled by Bombardier at Derby, and have mechanical transmission.

168323 & 168326 pass Oddington on 26 August 2019 with the 1Y14 09:41 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The newly constructed pond on the right has become a magnet for geese, with several groups landing to add to the large flock whilst I was there.

With Bicester's Aldi store dominating the background, 168325 rounds the sharp curve at Gavray Junction on 26 August 2019 with the 1Y15 10:09 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The milepost in the foreground indicates half a mile from Bicester South Junction.

D6515 Lt Jenny Lewis RN approaches the site of Waddesdon Manor station on 26 August 2019 with the UK Railtours 1Z33 10:00 Marylebone to Quainton Road 'Metroland & Quainton' railtour. 20007 & 20142 Sir John Betjeman are bringing up the rear.

20007 & 20142 Sir John Betjeman bring up the rear of the UK Railtours 1Z33 10:00 Marylebone to Quainton Road 'Metroland & Quainton' railtour, as it passes the site of Waddesdon Manor station on 26 August 2019, led by D6515 Lt Jenny Lewis RN. The train's destination can just be seen in the distance.

20007 & 20142 Sir John Betjeman pass the site of Waddesdon Manor station on 26 August 2019 with the UK Railtours 1Z34 12:25 Quainton Road to Rickmansworth 'Metroland & Quainton' railtour. The stock is London Underground 4-TC set 8028, and D6515 Lt Jenny Lewis RN is bringing up the rear.

168001 emerges from Brill Tunnel on 26 August 2019 with the 1H44 12:12 Birmingham Snow Hill to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. Network Rail have recently trimmed the vegetation at this location, something that last happened a decade earlier. That level of attention is considerably more frequent than most of the rest of the network!

Having just passed through the 191 yard long Brill Tunnel, 168113 passes underneath the bridge that gives access to the Rushbeds Wood Nature Reserve, as it heads towards London on 26 August 2019 with the 1Y29 13:11 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service.

D6515 Lt Jenny Lewis RN stands in Quainton Road station on 26 August 2019, having arrived a little earlier with the UK Railtours 1Z35 14:01 Rickmansworth to Quainton Road 'Metroland & Quainton' railtour. This was one of a series of trains that were run in connection with the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre's 50th anniversary celebrations.

165022 leaves Wendover station on 25 August 2019 with the 2C26 12:13 Aylesbury Vale Parkway to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The prominent blue footbridge was opened in 2013, although the old footbridge was retained, purely to provide a link from the footpath that crosses the adjacent A413 road.

20007 & 20142 Sir John Betjeman pass through Wendover station on 25 August 2019 with the UK Railtours 1Z34 12:25 Quainton Road to Rickmansworth 'Metroland & Quainton' railtour. This Bank Holiday weekend saw the hottest ever recorded August temperature, so the interior of the non air-conditioned 4-TC set was probably not very comfortable!

165027 approaches Amersham on 25 August 2019 with the 2C32 13:13 Aylesbury Vale Parkway to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. This picture is taken from a public footpath crossing on the path between Amersham Old Town and Chesham Bois.

D6515 Lt Jenny Lewis RN emerges from the bushes at Amersham on 25 August 2019 with the UK Railtours 1Z35 14:01 Rickmansworth to Quainton Road 'Metroland & Quainton' railtour. Photo taken from a public footpath crossing.

20007 & 20142 Sir John Betjeman pass Wendover on 25 August 2019 with the UK Railtours 1Z36 16:05 Quainton Road to Marylebone 'Metroland & Quainton' railtour. D6515 Lt Jenny Lewis RN is bringing up the rear. The stock is London Underground 4-TC set 8028.

D6515 Lt Jenny Lewis RN brings up the rear of the UK Railtours 1Z36 16:05 Quainton Road to Marylebone 'Metroland & Quainton' railtour at Wendover on 25 August 2019. The train is being hauled by 20007 & 20142 Sir John Betjeman.

CrossCountry hired in a couple of LNER HSTs on Saturday 24 August 2019, freed up from the East Coast duties due to industrial action. 43257 Bounds Green passes through Ashchurch station with the 1V46 06:45 York to Plymouth service.

Castle Class 4-6-0 7029 Clun Castle passes Fiddington on 24 August 2019 with the Vintage Trains 1Z54 08:30 Dorridge to Gloucester 'Gloucester Goes Retro' railtour. Shortly afterwards LMS Coronation Class 4-6-2 6233 Duchess of Sutherland passed by in the opposite direction.

Running 20 minutes late, Coronation Class 4-6-2 6233 Duchess of Sutherland passes Fiddington on 24 August 2019 with the Railway Touring Company 1Z24 07:40 Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill 'Cotswold Venturer' railtour. GWR Castle Class 4-6-0 7029 Clun Castle had passed by in the opposite direction a little earlier.

Hired in LNER 43290 MTU fascination of power passes Fiddington on 24 August 2019 with the 1V50 06:06 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service. Unfortunately this was running 42 minutes late. The light angle would still have been just about acceptable at the booked time, but the late running has resulted in extremely head on lighting.

Coronation Class 4-6-2 6233 Duchess of Sutherland has obviously had no trouble at all ascending Campden Bank, as it passes Moreton-in-Marsh nine minutes early with the Railway Touring Company 1Z27 16:31 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington 'Cotswold Venturer' railtour on 24 August 2019.

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

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

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

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

950001 passes Kintbury on 23 August 2019 with the 2Z08 09:26 Bristol Temple Meads to Reading Triangle Sidings test train. It had just traversed the loop at Hungerford, which was obviously part of its test schedule, as it did not need to for pathing reasons.

Work stained 66610 runs along the down relief line at Grove on 23 August 2019 with the 6C48 17:10 Appleford to Whatley Quarry stone empties. It would spend the best part of the next hour sat at Challow, waiting for its booked path.

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

47620 Windsor Castle passes Waltham St Lawrence on 2 June 1989 with the 1A27 09:03 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington InterCity service. Although of course the Bristol to London trains had been dominated by HSTs since the mid 1970s, there was still the odd loco hauled working, such as this.

47540 The Institution of Civil Engineers negotiates the sharply curved line between Retford and Whisker Hill Junction on 17 February 1996 with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z45 07:45 Kings Cross to Rossington Colliery 'Friar Tuck' railtour.

47540 The Institution of Civil Engineers passes Kirk Sandall Junction on 17 February 1996 with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z45 07:45 Kings Cross to Rossington Colliery 'Friar Tuck' railtour. The train had just arrived from St Catherine's Junction, via the line on the right, and has just reversed in Kirk Sandall station, which can be seen in the background.

47540 The Institution of Civil Engineers brings up the rear of the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z45 07:45 Kings Cross to Rossington Colliery 'Friar Tuck' railtour at Kirk Sandall on 17 February 1996. 37718 had been added to the train at St Catherine's Junction, and was now the lead locomotive.

37703 leaves the exchange sidings at Aberthaw on 25 March 1987 with the 6C88 11:45 Aberthaw Power Station to Lady Windsor Colliery MGR empties. In view of the miserable weather conditions, I thought I would take the picture as the loco passed underneath the bridge at the end of the yard. This also shows the contrast between the relatively new concrete bridge, and the adjacent stone bridge on the Bridgend to Barry line. The road over these bridges only serves a single house next to the seashore.

43020 MTU Power Passion Partnership leads the 5V81 13:46 Hull Station Sidings to Bristol St Philips Marsh ECS past Bredon on 20 August 2019, with, as usual, 43010 bringing up the rear. This is the weekly Hull Trains maintenance swap. I should have believed the Met Office when they said it would cloud up in the afternoon. It was largely sunny when I left home, but completely dull by the time I got here!

60066 passes Bredon in miserable light on 20 August 2019 with the 6M53 16:20 Swindon Stores to Toton Up Sidings steel empties. This was running exactly on time here, but a little further north the curse of Birmingham struck, and the train ended up running an hour late.

60066 passes Moredon on 20 August 2019 with the 6V15 20:18 Boston Sleaford Sidings to Swindon Stores covered steel carriers. I was a little worried when I first checked on this at 05:00, to find it had passed Gloucester, and was running 82 minutes early! If it kept that up, it would have passed here before sunrise. I assumed it would wait in Haresfield Loop, and luckily it did, eventually passing the small gallery of photographers at Moredon exactly on time.

66137 passes Moredon on 20 August 2019 with the 6V70 00:25 Liverpool Euro Metal to Swindon Cocklebury scrap empties. The lineside vegetation is growing quite fast here, and it looks like this could be the last summer of uninterrupted views at this location.

55028 (L128) & Class 101 DMBS 51221 from set L207 joins forces to work the 2C31 11:15 Banbury to Reading Network SouthEast service on 29 January 1992. The Pressed Steel / Metro Cammell combination is pictured passing South Moreton (Didcot East) in perfect winter light. As well as the normal view from Fulscot Bridge, there was also this wider view, incorporating the rustic fence. Alas there is no view at all here now, lost under a sea of 25Kv catenary. The old wooden fence has gone, so too have the vintage DMUs, and even the power station in the background.

55034 (L134) passes Hinksey Yard on 14 June 1983 with the 2A81 08:55 Oxford to Didcot service. Nobody would have guessed at the time that this unit would still be working on the national network over three decades later, and would in fact go on to work the very last first generation DMU passenger service.

37042 & 37372 pass Brentry on 8 June 2002 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 07:03 Crewe to Portbury Automotive Terminal ''Post Festive Freighter' railtour. I remember at the time getting a little bored with photographing EWS liveried Class 37s, which seemed to turn up everywhere. How times change!

37058 passes Horsemoor on 16 August 1988 with the 6E16 13:40 Duxford to Tees Speedlink. Most of the train has originated at Ciba-Geigy's works, and includes four empty PAA urea wagons in the centre of the train, which heading back to Middlesbrough. Just visible in the background, on the left, is the remote Fifties Farm, which like a lot of the isolated Fenland houses, can be seen for miles around in the flat landscape.

37038 passes Woofferton on 20 May 2000 with the 1V77 08:33 Manchester Piccadilly to Cardiff Central rugby special. Admittedly the bushes were even then becoming a little intrusive, but I was still surprised to be the only photographer here on this occasion.

With Stinchcombe Hill dominating the background, 47290 passes Blanchworth (between Bristol and Gloucester) on 28 September 1989 with the 6B97 12:10 Tavistock Junction to Gloucester Speedlink. Unfortunately by this stage of the afternoon the earlier sunshine had disappeared into high cloud.

47316 runs through Pangbourne cutting on 28 April 1993 with the lengthy 4M04 15:25 Southampton Western Docks to Washwood Heath empty cartics. This was clearly not a location for photographing anything travelling on the down main line!

165101 passes Didcot North Junction on 20 May 1992 with the 2C68 18:01 Reading to Oxford Network SouthEast service. The unit is brand new, and had only been in traffic for a few days. The class had been introduced into passenger service just over a month earlier, initially with drafted in Class 165/0s, which would later be used on the Chiltern route out of Marylebone. Note how rural this location looks in this view, a far cry from the situation today. An industrial estate now occupies the field on the right, and a housing estate has obliterated the field in the background.

47807 passes through the disused Tiverton Junction station on 1 August 1990 with the 1M09 08:45 Plymouth to Liverpool Lime Street service. Four years after the station was replaced by nearby Tiverton Parkway, everything is still intact, although grass is taking over the platforms. The Lloyd Maunder meat processing plant in the background was originally rail connected.

47835 Windsor Castle heads west past Bathampton on 5 April 1990 with the Royal Train. Unfortunately, this corresponded with a small cloud drifting across the sun, which annoyingly followed the train along the line as it came into view. It was also the only cloud of the entire day! This really is the Royal Train, unlike a lot of the footage shown in Channel Five's 'Secrets of the Royal Train', which was padded out with endless repeated shots of all kinds of trains. Bizarrely, they also referred to the Royal Train as Britain's 'Most luxurious locomotive', which is odd when they often refer to LNER A3 steam locomotive 4472 Flying Scotsman as a train!

37213 passes Long Eaton station in the rain on 6 September 1992 with the Pathfinder Tours 1T06 11.51 Nottingham to Derby 'Leicester Looper' railtour, one of a series of mini tours run in connection with the Leicester Open Day. Unfortunately the characterful waiting shelters have since been replaced.

A Class 108/104/108 DMU lash up with 51912 leading passes Souldrop on 4 May 1987. Earlier in the day this unit had been working the Wellingborough to Corby shuttles, so it is here presumably working back ECS to either Bedford or Bletchley. Wherever it is going, it is certainly not going to Wigan, which some wag has decided to display in the destination blind!

66044 passes through the Kent countryside at Five Oak Green on 28 January 2001 with the 4B29 08:23 Wembley to Dollands Moor intermodal. This would later pass through the Channel Tunnel, en-route to its final destination of Milan.