7P 4-6-2 70000 Britannia approaches Heyford with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z39 08:10 Cardiff Central to Stratford-upon-Avon 'William Shakespeare' railtour on 11 April 1993. The BR pacific had worked the tour from Didcot. Just visible behind the loco are the newly planted trees which soon obliterated the view of Rousham church which can be seen in the background gloom. A mere fourteen years later the location is hardly recognisable.

7P 4-6-2 70000 Britannia finds a lucky patch of sunshine as it passes Circourt Bridge, Denchworth on 25 July 1993 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z41 08:10 Taunton to Worcester Shrub Hill 'Cotswold Venturer' railtour. The tour had worked up to Didcot behind 47573 an hour previously and was now retracing its steps, before heading to Worcester via the 'Golden Valley' route. Note the recently relaid but not yet commissioned down relief line. The up relief line which has also now been reinstated at this point had not yet been started at this time.

7P 4-6-2 70000 Britannia passes through Shipton station on 25 July 1993 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z41 16:00 Worcester Shrub Hill to Taunton 'Cotswold Venturer' railtour. Britannia would hand over to a diesel loco at Didcot for the remainder of the journey to Taunton.

On 7 April 2011 there was the very unusual sight of an early morning southbound steam special originating from Oxford. Just getting into its stride, 7P 4-6-2 70000 Britannia passes Hinksey with the Steam Dreams 1Z71 09:22 Oxford to Canterbury West 'Cathedrals Express' railtour. The slightly incongruous background is provided by the empty car carriers of the 4V40 03:49 Purfleet to Cowley service, which is waiting to gain access to the Cowley Branch at Kennington Junction.

7P 4-6-2 70000 Britannia passes the site of Bletchingdon station on 23 April 2011 with the Steam Dreams 1Z41 17:00 Stratford-upon-Avon to Paddington 'Cathedrals Express' railtour. This train was originally scheduled to run via the Chiltern Line, but engineering works saw it take the Oxford route instead. Of all the possible locations between Banbury and Oxford, this offers very nearly the best combination of 'sun on the nose' and freedom from shadows this late in the evening, but even here I was glad the train was on time, as the shadows were encroaching rapidly.

After a protracted restoration from a derelict Barry hulk, confounding the critics who said it couldn't be done, 8P 4-6-2 71000 Duke of Gloucester made a triumphant return to the main line on 7 April 1990 when it worked the 'Red Dragon' railtour from Didcot to Derby. It is pictured here passing Oxford with a fine smoke effect. Note the smoke being pushed forward of the chimney lip, which seems to be a characteristic of this particular locomotive.

8P 4-6-2 71000 Duke of Gloucester approaches Culham on 29 April 1990 with the Great Western Society's Ealing Broadway to Derby 'Midlander II' railtour. Duke of Gloucester had taken over the train at Didcot, and was just getting in to its stride here, hence the customary heavy clag. This was only three weeks after its triumphant return to the main line. Didcot Power Station dominates the background, which in contrast to the locomotive is not emitting anything!

8P 4-6-2 71000 Duke of Gloucester rounds the curve at Armathwaite, on the Settle & Carlisle line with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z29 12:40 Carlisle to Didcot Parkway returning 'Cumbrian Mountain Express' railtour on 29 April 1995. The Duke worked the tour between Carlisle and Crewe. A fine sight despite the gloomy weather!

8P 4-6-2 71000 Duke of Gloucester tries its best to obscure the train with smoke at Brampton on 16 December 1995, but thankfully doesn't quite manage it! The train is the Pathfinder Tours 1Z27 12:50 Carlisle to Didcot Parkway 'Cumbrian Mountain Express', which the Duke worked as far as Crewe.

8P 4-6-2 71000 Duke of Gloucester turns golden as it basks in the setting sun at Garsdale on 16 December 1995, during a water stop whilst working the Pathfinder Tours 1Z27 12:50 Carlisle to Crewe (with diesel onwards to Didcot Parkway) 'Cumbrian Mountain Express'. The long shadows in the foreground gives away the fact that there were quite a few photographers about!

8P 4-6-2 71000 Duke of Gloucester drifts past Panteg with the Steamy Affairs Watford to Bristol (via Hereford) 'Welsh Marches Express' railtour on 28 May 2005. 71000 is deputising for the unavailable 60009 Union of South Africa. Pontypool's Folly Tower can just be seen on the hillside directly above the locomotive.

Didcot Power Station's cooling towers dominate the background, as 5MT 4-6-0 73096 passes Steventon on 25 September 2004 with the Daylight Limited Railtours 1Z96 06:20 Alton to Avonmouth 'Avonmouth Adventurer' railtour. The terrible weather did at least mean that I could take this picture from the north side of the line, for a change of viewpoint.

There was still a token steam service operating during the Severn Valley Railway's Diesel Gala on 14 October 1989. Here, BR Standard 4 4-6-0 75069 pulls away from the Sterns speed restriction with the 14:00 Bridgnorth to Kidderminster service.

Mass trespass at Kemble on 2 March 1985! No evidence of modern health & safety rules as 4MT 4-6-0 75069 blasts out of the station with the SLOA Newport to Swindon 'Red Dragon' railtour. A few minutes earlier the 8 coach tour had climbed up the Golden Valley route from Gloucester, entering Sapperton Tunnel with some wheel slip at 13mph. This tour was a prelude to a number of steam specials over the route later in the year in connection with the GW150 celebrations.

BR Standard 4 4-6-0 75069 is just getting into its stride as it passes Bremhill Sidings on 1 September 1985 with the 15:55 Swindon to Gloucester GW150 special. This was the final day of special workings over the route, which had for obvious reasons been mostly worked by Great Western locos. Quite what connection 75069 has with the GWR is unclear.

The sheep scatter as 4MT 2-6-4Ts 80080 & 80079 approach Tiverton Parkway with the Flying Scotsman Services 1Z47 08:30 Paddington to Exeter St Davids 'Semper Fidelis' railtour on 1 May 1994, which was steam hauled between Bristol Temple Meads and Exeter St Davids, 47484 having worked the tour from Paddington. An easy location to get to if you are chasing something, as it is right next to Junction 27 on the M5 motorway.

4MT 2-6-4Ts 80079 & 80080 lay a smoke screen over Cockwood Harbour on 2 May 1994 as they head homewards with the Paignton to Exeter 'Torbay Explorer' railtour, which was run in connection with the Exeter Rail Day. From Exeter they would work the 'Semper Fidelis' railtour as far as Bristol Temple Meads.

4MT 2-6-4Ts 80079 & 80080 race the M5 motorway traffic at Cullompton on 2 May 1994 with the Flying Scotsman Services 1Z48 18:10 Exeter St Davids to Paddington 'Semper Fidelis' railtour, which they worked as far as Bristol Temple Meads. This was (an surprisingly still is) an excellent location for northbound trains in the evening, as there is nothing to shade the line.

Filling in for the missing visiting diesel locos at the Swanage Railway's Diesel Gala on 13 May 2012, 4MT 2-6-4T 80104 passes Corfe Common with the 09:15 Norden to Swanage service. The convoy conveying a Deltic, Warship and two Class 20s failed near Gloucester, and instead of heading to the coast, they were towed back to the Severn Valley Railway by 50049!

Not a wisp of steam or smoke as 4MT 2-6-4T 80104 passes Quarr Farm, near Harmans Cross on 13 May 2012 with the 11:30 Norden to Swanage service. The loco was helping out during the Swanage Railway's Diesel Gala, due to the non-arrival of most of the visiting diesel locos.

4MT 2-6-4T 80104 makes a spirited and very noisy departure from Harmans Cross on 13 May 2012 with the 14:05 Norden to Swanage service. It was helping out during the Swanage Railway's Diesel Gala, due the non-arrival of most of the booked diesel locos.

4MT 2-6-4T 80104 is getting into its stride after departing from Norden with the 16:45 train to Swanage on 13 May 2012. However, it is already approaching Corfe Castle, and will shortly be stopping at that station. The loco was helping out during the Swanage Railway's Diesel Gala.

David Shepherd's 9F 2-10-0 92203 Black Prince round the curve at Hailes on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway on 20 December 1998 with the 12:15 Toddington to Winchcombe Santa Special. Built in 1959 this loco had a ridiculously short life with British Railways, being withdrawn in November 1967 after having seen less than nine years use hauling the heavy freight trains for which the class was designed.

David Shepherd's 9F 2-10-0 92203 Black Prince rounds Chicken Curve near Greet on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway with the 11:47 Winchcombe to Toddington freight train on 24 May 2009, during the line's 'Cotswold Festival of Steam'. Certainly more appropriate than the passengers trains it normally operates, but I don't think in BR days a 9F would have been used on quite such a featherweight load!

This low viewpoint at Gotherington only goes to emphasise the size of 9F 2-10-0 92203 Black Prince as it arrives with the 12:25 train from Toddington on 3 June 2010, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's GWR 175 Festival of Steam. Although of course a BR design, the 9F is assured honorary GWR status by virtue of having been built at Swindon.

9F 2-10-0 92212 pulls away from Ropley station on the Mid Hants Railway with the 11:55 Alton to Alresford service on 2 January 2010. I had carefully planned this picture to include the tree on the left, which I thought would balance the column of exhaust which I assumed would go up to an equal height, given the fact that there was very little wind. With the typical contrariness of steam locos the exhaust stayed low, leading to a slightly unbalanced composition. At least the sky is blue!

My only picture of 9F 2-10-0 92220 Evening Star at work on the mainline. On a very dull 22 May 1982 it is pictured passing Wolvercote with the Didcot to Dorridge 'Salopian' railtour. Evening Star was of course the final steam locomotive constructed by British Railways, being named at Swindon Works on 18 March 1960 by Keith Grand of the British Transport Commission. Along with most of the class it had a criminally short life, lasting just five years. An earlier form of transport can just be glimpsed through the bushes beyond the field of buttercups. The Oxford Canal runs quite close to the railway from this point right into the city.