47653 Chilson 18 June 1989

High summer on the Cotswold Line in the late 1980s, when weekends saw the timetabled diversion of Inter-regional trains onto the line, instead of the Banbury to Oxford route. On Sunday 18 June 1989, 47653 was in charge of the 1O06 07:10 Manchester Piccadilly to Poole service, seen here passing Chilson. The inclusion of a blue and grey Mk1 catering vehicle and BG in a rake of InterCity liveried Mk2s was quite common at the time. It's amazing to look at this picture and note that not a single bush is visible along either lineside fence, a marked contrast to today!