Hardly ideal photographic conditions, with the foreground still in shade, but this picture is included here as it is one of my few pictures of a Class 104 unit in blue livery. 53444 leads this mixed livery three coach set past the deserted yards between Wellingborough and Finedon Road on 12 December 1985. It is working the 09:30 Kettering to Bletchley service. 53444 was withdrawn in May 1989 and cut up at Vic Berry's, Leicester during October 1990.

The Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Co. Class 104 DMUs were never common on the Western Region until the very end of their career when a few examples were transferred to Network SouthEast use. On 22 October 1985, 53454 leads a motley rake of stock as it heads north back to more familiar territory with an ECS working seen here passing Somerton (between Oxford and Banbury). Unfortunately not a brilliant picture due a dull, damp and misty morning, but certainly an interesting combination of stock. The two car 104 unit is followed by what appears to be a Class 122 single car unit and a Class 108 twin set.

By an amazing coincidence, one of the few Class 104 vehicles that I saw in active use in BR days is one of the handful that have been preserved. Looking splendid in the early shade of BR blue, 50454 leads 50528 and the unique Wickham Class 109 (50416 & 56171) past Ty Newydd on the Llangollen Railway with the 10:30 Llangollen to Carrog service on 26 June 2010, during the line's Railcar Gala. When I saw it nearly a quarter of century earlier at Somerton, it was running as number 53454.

Token exchange at Carrog on 26 June 2010 as 50454 & 50528 arrive with the 14:25 train from Llangollen. This was during the Llangollen Railway's annual Railcar Gala. Although obviously not achievable on this line, the Buxton destination is appropriate for this vehicle, as the 104s were for a long time associated with the Derbyshire town.

The early, slightly lighter BR blue livery of 50454 contrasts well with the green summer foliage, as it leads the 16:00 Llangollen to Carrog service around the curve at Garthydwr on 26 June 2010, during the Llangollen Railway's Railcar Gala. The two car set is made up of DMBS 50454 & DMCL 50528, built in 1957 & 1858 respectively. Bringing up the rear, and half hidden around the corner is Class 108 twin set 51907 & 54490.

A few Class 104 vehicles spent a very brief period at the end of their careers working Network SouthEast services in the London and Thames Valley area. In true Western Region tradition they even acquired set numbers. On 20 May 1992, 53477 leads a mixed Class 104 & 117 formation as unit L408 past Didcot North Junction with the late running 17:35 Reading to Bicester Town service. One of the expressions that older people are supposed to use is 'I remember when all this was fields'. I am obviously old, as I clearly do remember when the area around Didcot North Junction was all fields! A large housing estate now occupies the field in the background, while there is now an industrial estate in the field to the right.