Running 43 minutes late, but luckily after the rain had stopped, 69010 approaches Black Dog Bridge, near Minety, on 25 July 2024 with the 5Q86 12:30 (13:33 actual) Long Marston to Eastleigh, taking South Western Railway EMU 701030 back home, after its 15 months in storage. This should have run two days earlier, but coupling problems caused the train to be cancelled.

D1924 (47810) Crewe Diesel Depot & 47712 Lady Diana Spencer pass Rousham on 24 July 2024 with the Statesman Rail 1Z69 06:05 Dorridge to Penzance 'Cornish Riviera Statesman' railtour. Luckily the sun had just broken through the fog, although some mist is still evident in the background. I chose this location, as although slightly compromised by lineside bushes, it is one of the very few spots in the Oxford area that would be shadow free at this time of the morning (07:13). Well worth the long walk along the Oxford Canal towpath!

66127 passes Rousham on 24 July 2024 with the 6V86 00:44 Milford West Sidings to Appleford Sidings containerised flyash. This was during 15 minutes of perfect early morning sunshine. It was blue sky all around, and as the earlier fog had now cleared, I thought the good weather was going to continue, but within a few minutes cloud had rolled in, and apart from a few short bright intervals, it was cloudy for the rest of the day.

D1015 Western Champion passes Churchill Heath on 21 July 2024 with the Branch Line Society 1Z52 12:57 Birmingham International to Swindon 'Nosh & Slosh' dining railtour. 57306 is bringing up the rear. This was running 14 minutes late, which was pretty good going, as the 3Z52 09:25 Barry Tourist Railway to Birmingham International ECS, which was bringing the stock up from Wales, was over an hour late at one point.

57306 brings up the rear of the Branch Line Society 1Z52 12:57 Birmingham International to Swindon 'Nosh & Slosh' dining railtour at Churchill Heath on 21 July 2024. D1015 Western Champion is out of sight at the front of the train. There used to be an excellent viewpoint from the nearby bridge over the line, but now there is only this distant view across the field.

D1015 Western Champion passes Fiddington on 21 July 2024 with the Branch Line Society 1Z53 16:47 Swindon to Birmingham International 'Nosh & Slosh' dining railtour. 57306 is bringing up the rear. Luckily this was running 20 minutes late. At the booked time the whole area was under a large dark cloud, but about a minute before the train came into view the sun came out!

57306 brings up the rear of the Branch Line Society 1Z53 16:47 Swindon to Birmingham International 'Nosh & Slosh' dining railtour at Fiddington on 21 July 2024. D1015 Western Champion is at the front of the train. I almost went to either Eckington or Defford for this, but at the  very last minute, as I was approaching Ashchurch, I decided on Fiddington. Looking at the background I think this might have been a very wise move!

The driver of 802011 seems to have used a bit too much screenwash! The unit heads south at Fiddington on 21 July 2024 with the 2T49 17:52 Worcester Foregate Street to Bristol Temple Meads GWR service. For 20 minutes I was stood in brilliant sunshine, while the bridge at Claydon in the background, and Bredon Hill in the distance, were under a dark cloud.

66432 heads north at Fiddington on 21 July 2024 with the 4M36 17:01 Wentloog to Daventry Tesco liner. Note the preparations in the field on the left for the construction of a solar farm and battery storage facility.

66044 passes Claydon on 19 July 2024 with the 4O21 09:20 Trafford Park to Southampton Western Docks intermodal. The last time I was here it was getting very overgrown, so the clearance and cutting strengthening work on the left is a definite improvement.

Pride liveried 220005 passes Claydon (near Banbury) on 19 July 2024 with the 1V87 10:35 Newcastle to Reading CrossCountry service. This was running 37 minutes late, after encountering a delay in the York area.

Looking like a mountain scree slope, a large area of cutting strengthening stone dominates this view of the railway at Claydon on 19 July 2024. 168111 hurries past with the 1H53 14:45 Birmingham Moor Street to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service.

66733 Cambridge PSB passes Claydon on 19 July 2024 with the 6G99 06:46 Tunstead to Banbury Reservoir Tarmac stone train. Because Fenny Compton up loop was out of use, this train had just crossed over to the down loop for its booked stop, then crossed back over again.

66733 Cambridge PSB runs round its train at Banbury Reservoir Tarmac stone terminal on 19 July 2024, after having just arrived with the 6G99 06:46 loaded stone train from Tunstead. Due to Network Rail's lack of vegetation clearance, the bushes on the left are now touching the wagons.

66748 West Burton 50 approaches Banbury on 19 July 2024 with the 6X01 10:18 Scunthorpe Trent Traffic Centre to Eastleigh East Yard rail train. On the left the 6G99 06:46 Tunstead to Banbury Reservoir Tarmac stone train has just started to be unloaded.

Running a staggering 68 minutes late, 800029 Christopher Dando passes through Ascott-under-Wychwood station on 19 July 2024 with the 1W30 15:23 Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street GWR service, which due to this late running, was terminated at Worcester Shrub Hill. Whilst the delay of over an hour is thankfully reasonably uncommon, Cotswold Line punctuality is terrible. Every day there are delays, with late running and cancellations commonplace. To prove the point, the following train, the 1W31 15:52 Paddington to Great Malvern was cancelled!

800027 & 800012 pass Oaksey on 18 July 2024 with the late running 1B07 08:13 Paddington to Swansea GWR service. This was diverted via Gloucester due to the closure of the Severn Tunnel for major engineering works.

On the final day of a two week closure of the Severn Tunnel for engineering works, 66548 passes the site of Oaksey Halt (closed in 1964) on 18 July 2024 with the diverted 4L36 07:51 Wentloog to Felixstowe North freightliner.

There are 36 DMUs in the Class 800/0 sub-class, and this view shows the lowest and highest numbered units working in multiple. 800001 & 800036 Dr Paul Stephenson OBE  pass Kemble at high speed on 17 July 2024 with the 1L20 11:27 Carmarthen to Paddington GWR service, which was diverted via Gloucester due to the closure of the Severn Tunnel for engineering works.

69008 Richard Howe passes Kemble on 17 July 2024 with the late running 5Q86 12:30 Long Marston to Eastleigh, taking South Western Railway EMU 701025 back to south of England, after its 15 month stay at Long Marston. A large number of these units are in still in store, nearly five years after they should have been in service. This one had travelled to Long Marston on 13 April 2023 behind 47749 City of Truro.

08646 shunts a rake of engineer's wagons at Highworth Junction, Swindon, on 24 June 1994. It would later remove the rake of wagons from the siding on the left. This picture was taken on a very unusual film that was introduced by Kodak in 1989. Up until then colour negative films had been very poor quality compared with slide films, with low sharpness and excessive grain. Ektar 25 was launched to solve this problem, but with an ISO of just 25, was not very useful. Although the results were massively better than any other negative film, I only used a few rolls, before reverting back to the more useful transparency film.

08646 shunts a rake of distinctive looking engineer's vehicles a Highworth Junction, Swindon, on 24 June 1994. This was an ideal subject for the very slow Ektar 25 colour negative film that I was experimenting with at the time. The film was considerably better than any other negative film on the market at the time (or since?), but was no better than my standard Fujichrome 100 transparency film, which was two stops faster!

47832 Tamar passes Kings Sutton on 20 July 1993 with the 1M79 16:54 Reading to Liverpool Lime Street service. This location has remained almost vegetation free ever since this picture was taken, which is a rarity. Although I don't remember it, in the 1960s the view was partially obscured by signal telegraph wires.

47810 passes Whitehall on 2 May 1994 with the 1M56 10:15 Plymouth to Manchester Piccadilly service. Not many cameras from the 1970s had a top shutter speed of 1/2000sec, but this feature came in useful for this broadside view, taken using my Canon F1.

66056 passes underneath the footbridge at Didcot North Junction on 22 April 2002 with MGR empties from Didcot Power Station. At this time Didcot usually received its coal from Avonmouth, so empty coal trains heading towards Oxford, which were once commonplace, was then unusual.

Class 455 5734 arrives at Staines station on 24 April 1993 with the 13:40 Windsor & Eaton Riverside to Waterloo Network SouthEast service.  The tracks branching off to the left lead to Virginia Water, where they branch again to Bracknell and Chertsey.

Class 442 5-WES 2416 passes Weybridge on 15 April 1989 with the 06:48 Weymouth to Waterloo Network SouthEast service. This train's last stop was Southampton Parkway, so it would speed straight through Winchester, Basingstoke and Woking, en-route to London.

A mystery railway relic in the Fens. Rails cross Lark Bank, the rough track that runs alongside the River Lark, a few miles to the east of Ely. Only this section was intact at the time (16 April 1988), presumably as it had been too difficult to remove. I'm unsure of the gauge, but my Vauxhall Cavalier is included for scale! The line went from the fields off to the left of the picture, to the river bank on the right. The course of the track though the grass can clearly be seen. These rails have since been removed. Although the 1925 Ordnance Survey 25 inch map shows tramways extending across the fields from nearby Laurence Farm and Lark Grange, nothing is shown crossing Lark Bank. The tramways were presumably potato railways, as were once common in Lincolnshire. This was the site of White Top Mill, so that may also have something to do with it. Any information would be gratefully received.

An English Electric meeting at Toddington on 14 July 2024, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. 20228 & 20137 wait to proceed with the 2B13 13:25 Cheltenham Racecourse to Broadway service, while 37215 approaches with the 2C14 14:25 Broadway to Cheltenham Racecourse train.

Having arrived at Toddington station a little earlier with the 2T14 14:25 service from Winchcombe, the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's resident Class 117 DMU (51405, 59510 & 51363) leaves the station on 14 July 2024, prior to crossing over to the opposite platform, after the 2C14 14:25 Broadway to Cheltenham Racecourse train has left.

47105 arrives at Toddington station on 14 July 2024 with the 2B14 14:10 Cheltenham Racecourse to Broadway service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. The line's resident Class 117 DMU (51405, 59510 & 51363) waits in the other platform with the 2W15 15:10 departure for Winchcombe.

On loan from the Llangollen Railway, 5310 arrives at Toddington on 14 July 2024 with the 2C15 15:00 Broadway to Cheltenham Racecourse service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. Unfortunately the intermittent sunshine disappeared as soon as I arrived at the railway, and although it then looked like it was going to be a completely dull afternoon, by the time I got back home the sun was out again!

Its only taken 38 years, but I've finally got a picture of a Class 59 on the Cotswold Line! 59003 Yeoman Highlander passes Stonesfield on 14 July 2024 with the 6C97 08:38 Charlbury to Hinksey reclaimed rails. 56094 is hidden by the bushes, at the rear of the train. Trains returning from engineering possessions are notorious for running very early, so I arrived here in plenty of time. On this occasion it 'only' ran 43 minutes early, so I had a two hour wait. Well worth the effort, especially in such perfect early morning light. The recently planted trees in the foreground indicates that this view will soon disappear.

56094 brings up the rear of the early running 6C97 08:38 Charlbury to Hinksey reclaimed rails at Stonesfield on 14 July 2024. 59003 Yeoman Highlander is at the front of the train. The 56's Colas livery is looking a bit faded, especially the black bands at the top of the bodyside.

D6948 passes Hayles Abbey Halt on 12 July 2024 with the 2C09 09:30 Toddington to Cheltenham Racecourse service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. This rebuilt halt opened in 2017, on the site of the original Great Western halt, which opened in 1928.

20137 & 20228 pass Hayles Abbey Halt on 12 July 2024 with the 2B39 09:45 Winchcombe to Broadway service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. 20137 has been at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway for nearly three decades, but this train is 20228's first passenger outing on the line. The welcome patch of sunshine was a bonus, especially considering both the Met Office and the BBC had predicted full cloud all day!

The visiting locomotive at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's 2024 Diesel Gala was Class 26 5310 from the Llangollen Railway. It is pictured here passing Dixton with its first train of the gala - the 2C10 10:15 Toddington to Cheltenham Racecourse service on Friday 12 July 2024.

D6948 passes Dixton on 12 July 2024 with the 2B10 10:25 Cheltenham Racecourse to Broadway service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. Gotherington station is just around the corner in the background, as indicated by the home signal.

20228 & 20137 pass Dixton on 12 July 2024 with the 2C40 10:30 Broadway to Cheltenham Racecourse service. This was 20228's second passenger working on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, and the first one where it was the leading locomotive.

5310 passes Dixton on 12 July 2024 with the 2B11 11:10 Cheltenham Racecourse to Broadway service. The Llangollen Railway loco was visiting the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway for their Diesel Gala. The green livery with full yellow ends and original number minus the D, recreates the late 1960s / early 1970s period.

800002 passes through Ascott-under-Wychwood station on 11 July 2024 with the 1P22 08:56 Great Malvern to Paddington GWR service. Only one train a day actually calls at this station in this direction, the 2E80 07:00 Worcester Shrub Hill to Didcot Parkway Turbo unit.

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

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

HSTs were not a common sight on the Welsh Marches Line, but there were a few workings in the 1990s. 43025 Exeter passes Ponthir on Sunday 23 July 1995 with the 1B90 14:15 Bristol Temple Meads to Hereford service. This would then work the 1A65 16:34 Hereford to Paddington train, via the Cotswold Line. During the winter months this train ran empty stock as the 5A65 13:28 Swansea to Hereford ECS.

37411 Ty Hafen runs round its train at Rhymney on 1 May 1998, after having arrived with the 2O43 17:04 Cardiff Central to Rhymney service. The buildings in the background are presumably part of the former Rhymney Loco Shed (88D).

37418 arrives at Llandudno Junction on 11 September 1993 with the 1D37 09:50 Manchester Victoria to Holyhead service. The loco had been allocated to the Regional Railways North West fleet a few months earlier, but retained its Trainload Petroleum livery, although its former Pectinidae nameplate had been removed.

66029 passes Baulking on 27 August 2001 with the 6A66 11:07 Avonmouth to Didcot Power Station coal. At this time Didcot was receiving a mixture of Class 66 hauled bogie HTA wagons, as well as Class 60s hauling the more traditional HAA four wheel wagons.

The hawthorn is in full boom at Portway on 25 May 2001, as 66049 heads northwards with the 6E71 15:08 Wolverhampton to Aldwarke steel empties. I obviously wasn't very lucky on this occasion, as this train was still often Class 56 hauled at this time!

A broadside view of a surprisingly clean 56025, as it leaves Didcot Power Station on 18 August 1991 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z36 06:28 Manchester Piccadilly to Paddington 'Strider' railtour. It was working in multiple with 56022, which can be seen disappearing underneath the bridge. The grassy bank behind the loco is now completley covered in trees , but in 1991 there was even a view of tree capped Cholsey Hill in the far distance.

47707 Holyrood passes Didcot North Junction in the very last of the late evening light on 1 July 1991 with the 1F66 19:20 Paddington to Oxford Network SouthEast service. As my standard film in those days was Fujichrome 50, this required the lens to be wide open at f1.4. Not perfect, but the quality of the old Canon FD 50mm f1.4 was a hell of a lot better wide open than the later EF version, which I unfortunately purchased when I went digital.

66180 passes Allandale (between Falkirk and Cumbernauld) on 18 September 2002 with the 4D20 16:15 Grangemouth (TDG Nexis) to Mossend intermodal. Not a very good picture, but unsurprisingly, my only picture of this train.

165123 arrives at Radley station on 4 July 2002 with 06:00 Reading to Oxford Thames Trains service, the first train of the day to call there (unless you count the one just after midnight). Didcot Power Station dominates the background.

47358 passes Rowington on 5 June 1996 with the very short 4O29 14:30 Garston to Southampton freightliner. Note the slightly darker patch on the loco's bodyside, marking the site of the former unofficial painted name Ivanhoe. This view is totally impossible today, as the newly planted trees by the fence in the foreground are now full size trees, and completely obscure the railway.

47489 heads south at Exminster on 22 April 1988. Nowadays, with readily available gen, no train is unidentifiable, but in the 1980s, with no mobile phones or sources of information, things were very different. This clearly looks like an inter-regional train, but there was nothing scheduled anywhere near the time (17:00). Any information would be gratefully received.

D1015 Western Champion passes Hungerford Common on 6 July 2024 with the UK Railtours 1Z77 06:02 East Midlands Parkway to Cranmore 'Westbury Wizzo' railtour. Note the rake of wagons in the loop in the background. These had been there for four days, after the 7A40 08:40 Merehead Quarry to Hanwell Bridge Loop stone train had suffered dragging brakes, and was terminated here, although not before causing several lineside fires! The defective wagon was removed early on the Saturday morning as the 8Z40 00:12 Hungerford Loop to Theale.

It looks like Oxford is getting some rain! 165011 & 165027 head north from Islip on 6 July 2024 with the 1Y63 16:45 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service, just as the dark clouds in the background unleash a downpour on the north of Oxford. Note the footpath across the wheat field, which is how I had accessed this spot, from the village of Islip in the distance.

Dramatic lighting near Islip on 6 July 2024, as 165013 & 165005 pass Brookfurlong Farm with the 1T45 16:07 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. The road bridge in the background only gives access to a few houses and a couple of farms.

165021 & 165010 pass Brookfurlong Farm, Islip, on 6 July 2024 with the 1T47 16:37 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service. Although this is a very open location, a small copse of trees on the left cause shadows in the evening.

D1015 Western Champion passes Islip on 6 July 2024 with the UK Railtours 1Z79 15:15 Cranmore to East Midlands Parkway 'Westbury Wizzo' railtour. This passed a couple of minutes before the sun reappeared from behind a large cloud, although had the sun been out, it would have been very backlit. The wreath on the front of the locomotive commemorates Andy Venn, from the Diesel and Electric Preservation Group, who sadly passed away a couple of days earlier.

The footbridge near Brookfurlong Farm, Islip, provides the vantage point for this picture of 165028 & 165010, as they travel between Bicester and Oxford with the 1T49 17:07 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service on 6 July 2024.

Railfreight Distribution liveried 37671 Tre Pol and Pen just manages to avoid the worst of the encroaching shadows, as it passes Dreason (Charlie's Gate) on 23 September 1995 with the 17:00 Bodmin General to Bodmin Parkway service. The loco was visiting the Bodmin & Wenford Railway for their Diesel Gala.

60086 Schiehallion passes Stonehouse on 1 June 2002 with the diverted 6V35 01:00 Lackenby to Llanwern steel slabs. In the early 1990s this used to be an excellent photographic location, but by the start of the new millennium the bushes were beginning to take over.

66228 is just a few yards into its journey, as it passes Didcot North Junction on 22 July 2002 with the 6M19 07:16 Didcot to Kineton MoD stores. Like most of the former EWS locos in the 662xx series, this loco is now at work in France.

Off lease former Transport for Wales 175113 & 175003 pass through Kemble station on 4 July 2024 with the 5Q46 08:35 Landore to Ely Papworth Sidings stock move, taking the units for storage, and an uncertain future. This was running via this route as the Severn Tunnel was closed for planned track replacement. This classic view of Kemble station, with its GWR water tower, is now slightly marred by the overgrown bushes on the right.

Running 23 minutes late, 66588 passes Kemble on 4 July 2024 with the 4L33 10:29 Wentloog to London Gateway freightliner, which was diverted this way due to the closure of the Severn Tunnel for engineering works. A long lens is now required for this viewpoint, as vegetation is now encroaching on the tracks in the immediate foreground. Because of the use of a long lens, the houses and church tower in the village of Coates can be seen in the background, on the left.

37418 An Comunn Gaidhealach passes Cassington at high speed on 3 July 2024 with the 2Z01 08:25 Worcester Shrub Hill to Gloucester inspection saloon. The red and white Loram livery makes a starling contrast with the green of inspection saloon 975025 Caroline. Heading north along the Cotswold Line is not the obvious route for a train from Worcester to Gloucester. Its meandering route took it via Cheltenham, Bristol, Westbury, Swindon and Oxford.

60094 Tryfan approaches Wolvercote Junction on 13 June 1994 with the 6M58 17:25 Didcot Power Station to Toton MGR empties. This just shows that sectorisation is alright in theory, but in reality assets gets swapped. Here we have a Railfreight Construction liveried loco working a coal train.

47598 passes Cholsey on 16 August 1991 with the 1A71 13:43 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington parcels. This view (from the unusually named Silly Bridge) is now completely obliterated by overhead wires and masts.

43036 passes Bourton on 28 December 1985 with the 1A31 10:05 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington service. Although by the time the HSTs received this 'executive' livery, the Class 253 set designation had largely been abandoned, some repaints still carried the set number (253018 in this case).

I haven't got many pictures of the Class 59s at work on iron ore trains in South Wales, and the few that I have seem to be in poor light! 59103 Village of Mells passes Coedkernew on 11 September 1997 with the 7B40 07:54 Port Talbot to Llanwern iron ore.

59103 Village of Mells emerges from Hillfield Tunnel, and approaches Gaer Junction on 11 September 1997 with the 6B40 11:50 Llanwern to Port Talbot iron ore empties, while 37670 St Blazey T&RS Depot & 37696 stand at a red signal with the 6B99 04:56 St Blazey to Alexandra Dock Enterprise service.

59005 Kenneth J Painter heads east along the Great Western Mainline at Compton Beauchamp with stone empties on 14 May 1997. As there were no timetabled Mendip Rail trains along this route in the evening at this time, this is presumably a diversion off the Berks & Hants line.

56049 Robin of Templecombe 1938-2013 passes through Charlbury station in the gathering darkness on 29 June 2024 with the 6C97 20:56 Hinksey to Moreton-in-Marsh (via a reversal at Worcester) long welded rails. This was for overnight Cotswold Line track replacement. It was running 14 minutes late, not because of a late departure, but due to the impossibility of running to the correct time, due to the 1P39 20:03 Worcester Foregate Street to Paddington GWR service still occupying the single line from here to Wolvercote Junction. According to the timings, the trains would meet on the single near Hanborough!

D1924 (47810) Crewe Diesel Depot & 47712 Lady Diana Spencer emerge into the early morning sunshine from the darkness of Croome Perry Wood, as they head south on 29 June 2024 with the Statesman Rail 1Z64 05:20 Wolverhampton to Penzance 'Cornish Riviera Mazey Day Statesman' railtour. We were very lucky to get this in sun, as can be guessed from the dark clouds in the background.

50007 Hercules (masquerading on this side as scrapped 50034 Furious) & 50049 Defiance pass Croome on 29 June 2024 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z69 06:10 Dorridge to Penzance 'Mazey Day Cornishman' railtour. This is the loco's last train before they are due to be painted into the popular large logo livery.

47105 passes Dixton on 8 April 2000 with the 13:40 Toddington to Gotherington service. This was one of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's booked diesel workings. It was often the Class 47, as at the time there wasn't a large choice of motive power available.

47054 passes Purley-on-Thames on 11 February 1989 with the 6B14 10:10 Theale to Robeston oil empties. Clearly this was a location that was only of any use for something running along the relief line, especially in February!

66035 passes Five Oak Green (near Paddock Wood) on 28 January 2001 with a train of reclaimed track panels returning from a Sunday engineering possession. This is the view looking west from the A228 Maidstone to Tunbridge Wells road.

Complete with 'Boris the Caveman' headboard, 31235 & 31327 pass Standish Junction on 5 February 1983 with the B.C. Railtours 1Z37 06:30 Sheffield to Newquay 'Cornish Crusader' railtour. Note the early 1980s casual approach to lineside trespass! Apologies for the very poor quality of this image. Not only was it a very dull morning, but for some reason I took the picture too early, so this is a severe crop from the original Kodachrome 64 transparency.

With a toot from the driver, 165132 passes Bredon on 27 June 2024 with the 2T42 09:53 Worcester Foregate Street to Bristol Temple Meads GWR service. As is often the case, the DMU that runs just in front of a railtour is in sun, where the main event isn't. True to form, the Midland Pullman 1Z43 06:15 Crewe to Paignton 'Torbay Riviera Pullman' railtour passed under a dark cloud!

Network Rail Stoneblower DR80211 passes the site of Bredon station on 27 June 2024, running as the 6U31 09:56 Gloucester Horton Road to Crewe. Bredon station closed in 1965, but as the railway passes right through the centre of the village, it would surely be viable today, as the village has seen massive housing development since the 1960s.

43055 passes Bredon on 27 June 2024 with the Midland Pullman 1Z43 06:15 Crewe to Paignton 'Torbay Riviera Pullman' railtour. After extensive vegetation clearance a few years earlier, the lineside bushes and brambles are once again becoming intrusive.

66120 passes Bredon on 27 June 2024 with the 6V05 09:15 Round Oak to Margam steel empties. As is nearly always the case, this train had left Round Oak very early, but was held at Worcester until the booked time.

168218 & 168328 approach Islip on 26 June 2024 with the 1Y32 11:19 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. The unit is passing the site of Mill Lane level crossing, now replaced by the footbridge from which this picture was taken.

67024 passes Mill Lane, Islip, on 26 June 2024 with the Belmond British Pullman 5Z82 11:40 Oxford Parkway to Hinksey (via Bicester) ECS. 67021 is bringing up the rear. This is the empty stock from the 1Z82 08:46 Victoria to Oxford Parkway 'Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons' luxury charter. 

67021 brings up the rear of the Belmond British Pullman 5Z82 11:40 Oxford Parkway to Hinksey (via Bicester) ECS at Mill Lane, Islip, on 26 June 2024. 67024 is at the front of the train, just about to pass under the Church Close bridge.

After having just reversed at Bicester, 67021 passes Oddington on 26 June 2024 with the Belmond British Pullman 5Z82 11:40 Oxford Parkway to Hinksey ECS. 67024 is bringing up the rear. The train had arrived in Oxfordshire as the 1Z82 08:46 Victoria to Oxford Parkway 'Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons' luxury charter. 

67024 brings up the rear of the Belmond British Pullman 5Z82 11:40 Oxford Parkway to Hinksey (via Bicester) ECS at Oddington on 26 June 2024. 67021 is at the front of the train. The lineside bush in the foreground looks like it will be a problem in a few years time!

The only Cotswold Line 'all stations' up train of the day passes Shorthampton on 25 June 2024. 165123 is working the 2E80 07:00 Worcester Shrub Hill to Didcot Parkway GWR service. This location is approximately half way between the stations at Ascott-under-Wychwood and Charlbury.

221116 City of Bangor/Dinas Bangor passes Tackley on 25 June 2024 with the 1M26 06:30 Bournemouth to Manchester Piccadilly CrossCountry service. The unit was formerly part of the Avanti West Coast fleet, which explains the slightly non-standard livery.

The 6X82 06:57 Swindon Transfer to Crewe passes Tackley on 25 June 2024. Windhoff overhead line electrification vehicles DR76906, DR76923 Gavin Roberts & DR76903 lead the train, followed by two KFA cable drum carrying wagons, with DR76901 Brunel bringing up the rear. This train, which ran in the opposite direction the day before, was running 15 minutes early.

Windhoff overhead line electrification vehicle DR76901 Brunel brings up the rear of the 6X82 06:57 Swindon Transfer to Crewe at Tackley on 25 June 2024. The three vehicles at the front of the train are: DR76906, DR76923 Gavin Roberts & DR76903. A pair of light grey KFA cable drum carrying wagons are in the middle of the train.

The 0Z24 04:36 Warrington Arpley Sidings to Long Marston light engine arrives at its destination on 24 June 2024, just as the last of the early morning sunshine disappears into cloud. 66084 had travelled nearly 200 miles merely to pick up a single wagon for return to Arpley!

66084 approaches the locked gates at Long Marston on 24 June 2024 with the 0Z24 04:36 light engine move from Warrington Arpley Sidings. Admittedly this was 15 minutes early, but it was still well past the booked time before someone came to let it in. Note the lines of stored stock in the background (mostly brand new Class 701 EMUs).

Viewed through an inconveniently small gap in the hedge, Porterbrook's 01543 moves a single Imerys JIA china clay wagon into position, ready for 66084 to take it to Warrington Arpley. At the same time 01544 can be seen in the background bringing EMU 701005 from the back of the depot. 01543 and its wagon would have to wait for this to pass by, before it could proceed. As so little happens at Long Marston, you would have though the timing could be better. In the centre of this picture is brand new Merseyrail EMU 777053. 

66084 leaves Long Marston on 24 June 2024 with the 6Z24 11:17 Long Marston to Warrington Arpley Sidings, conveying a single Imerys JIA china clay wagon. This was running 37 minutes early, not the almost right time departure indicated by Realtime Trains. Porterbrook's shunter 01543 can be seen in the background, standing in front of lines of brand new but stored Class 701 EMUs.

A pair of Mainline Freight blue Class 37s, but unfortunately no blue sky! 37074 & 37371 pass Spetchley on 15 May 1997 with the 7M56 13:15 Berkeley to Bescot nuclear flasks. A slightly different shade of blue would be seen on this working from the following year, when DRS took over the operation of nuclear flask trains.

47338 Warrington Yard arrives at Didcot on 26 October 1992 from the Oxford direction, prior to taking over the 6V16 Wembley to Newport Alexandra Dock Junction mixed freight service, after 47222 has detached a pair of wagons for Morris Cowley.

Having just detached a pair of wagons from the 6V16 Wembley to Newport Alexandra Dock Junction mixed freight service, 47222 makes a smoky departure from Didcot on 26 October 1992. Its short train is destined for Morris Cowley.

47338 Warrington Yard accelerates away from Didcot on 26 October 1992 with the 6V16 Wembley to Newport Alexandra Dock Junction mixed freight service, after having just detached a pair of wagons (for Morris Cowley) in the station.