L572 Lyneham 30 May 1985

L572 (51054, 59413 & 51082) passes Lyneham with the 16:35 Reading to Moreton-in-Marsh local service on 30 May 1985. This was the only down train to call at all the smaller stations on the Cotswold Line, and is probably still accelerating away from Shipton station, which is less than a mile away, just out of sight around the corner. L572 was withdrawn in 1988 and all three vehicles cut up at Vic Berry's of Leicester, although for some reason the centre trailer beat the two power cars to the scrapyard by a year! For its final year in traffic the unit ran with a Class 101 centre car.

L575 Moreton-in-Marsh 5 April 1984

L575 (51060, 59419 & 51088) arrives at Moreton-in-Marsh on 5 April 1984 with the 16:33 Reading to Moreton-in-Marsh 'all stations' service. This view is no longer possible due to uncontrolled vegetation growth in the foreground. Even if it was possible to get around this, the wide open view with buildings and fields visible all the way across to the Evenlode road has been replaced by a virtual tunnel of trees along the line

L575 Moreton-in-Marsh 5 April 1984

After arriving with the 16:33 Reading to Moreton-in-Marsh service on 5 April 1984, L575 (51060, 59419 & 51088) has shunted across to the up platform at Moreton-in-Marsh to get out of the way of the following 17:07 Paddington to Hereford train. It will then later form the 19:25 service to Oxford. Note the two lines of ballast wagons in the sidings in preparations for the following weekend's track relaying work between Combe and Hanborough.

B577 Cassington 3 March 1984

Glinting in the strong backlighting, B577 (51063, 59422 & 51091) passes Cassington on 3 March 1984 with the 08:36 Reading to Hereford service. Unfortunately this wide open viewpoint has since been replaced by a virtual tunnel of trees and bushes and is now practically useless for photography.

B577 Ascott-under-Wychwood 10 November 1985

On a perfectly clear autumnal morning, B577 (51063, 59422 & 51091) rounds the curve between Shipton and Ascott-under-Wychwood with the 09:32 Worcester Shrub Hill to Oxford service. The date is 10 November 1985, and being a Sunday, this is the first up train of the day over the Cotswold Line. This location is where the Oxfordshire Way long distance footpath crosses the line and was an excellent viewpoint for eastbound trains in the mid 1980s. However, a plantation of trees next to the line on the left now shades the line for a lot of the time, and certainly a November picture such as this would now be very difficult.

B577 Shipton 23 March 1986

In a very lucky patch of sunshine, B577 (51091, 59422 & 51063) rounds the curve on the approach to Shipton station with the 09:32 Worcester Shrub Hill to Oxford service on 23 March 1986. This was the first up train of the day over the Cotswold Line on a Sunday at this time, but would not be stopping at Shipton. In fact even now there are still no Sunday services that call at any of the smaller stations on the Cotswold Line, including Shipton, Ascott-under-Wychwood, Combe and Hanborough. Note the patch painting of the unit prefix, having recently moved from Swansea to Bristol. Either of these were unusual for the class at the time, as they were mainly used in the London area. B577 was withdrawn in 1988 an cut up at Mayer Newman's at Snailwell.

L579 Charlbury 8 May 1987

L579 (51093, 59424, & 51065) passes under the road bridge at Charlbury on 8 May 1987 with the 08:08 Hereford to Oxford service. Note the white sighting patch painted on the bridge, to increase the visibility of the long since removed semaphore signals. In the foreground is the remains of the old end loading dock, which was swept away a few years later when the ridiculously short former up platform was lengthened.

B583 Croome 14 May 1984

B583 (51097, 59428 & 51069) passes Croome on 14 May 1984 with a Worcester Shrub Hill to Gloucester ECS. At this time it was often possible to spend most of the day at this location without meeting another photographer. However from the 1990s onwards it became an extremley well used photographic location.

L584 Combe 21 August 1982

L584 (51070, 59429 & 51098) pulls away from Combe station on the Cotswold Line with the 07:48 Moreton-in-Marsh to Oxford service on 21 August 1982. Originally opened by the Great Western Railway as Combe Halt in 1935, it initially had two platforms, but lost the former down platform when the line was singled in 1971. Despite the remote location the station survives to this day, albeit with a very minimal train service.

L584 Oaksey 2 April 1983

L584 (51098, 59429, & 51070) approaches Oaksey on 2 April 1983 with the 14:24 Cheltenham to Swindon service. This uninterrupted view along the long straight section of track was not to last much longer, as the small ash tree in the foreground didn't stay small for very long!. Note the impressive line of redundant telegraph poles on the left.

L593 Moreton-in-Marsh 9 April 1983

L593 (51085, 59431, & 51072) stands in the bay platform at Moreton-in-Marsh just after sunrise on 9 Aril 1983. After the passage of the 07:00 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington loco hauled train, this unit would move into the main platform ready to depart with the 07:50 Moreton-in-Marsh to Oxford all stations local service. The track on the right, which can be seen curving away towards the course of the former Shipston-on-Stour branch, has subsequently been lifted.

B595 Stoke Orchard 21 July 1984

B595 (51074, 59430, & 51086) passes Stoke Orchard with the 15:21 Worcester Shrub Hill to Bristol Temple Meads service on 21 July 1984. Note the two red signs on the two leading vehicles indicating the extended luggage capacity of these cross country units. Although actually nearer to the village of Stoke Orchard than Bishops Cleeve, this is the site of Cleeve station (so called to avoid confusion with Bishops Cleeve station on the Cheltenham to Stratford line).

B596 Aynho 21 April 1984

B596 (51099, 59416 & 51076) heads away from the camera at Aynho on 21 April 1984 with the 18:37 Banbury to Oxford service. This side view clearly shows the increased luggage capacity of the Class 119, with the red signs indicating not only the former guards area of the leading DMBC vehicle, but also the converted former buffet area in the centre TS vehicle. This viewpoint is a lot more grown up now, with various trackside bushes spoiling the view. Note the Marylebone line at a higher level in the background.

B596 Cornbury 4 July 1985

B5965 (51099, 59416 & 51076) accelerates away from Charlbury station, and passes Cornbury with the 15:40 Great Malvern to Oxford service on 4 July 1985. Surprisingly, considering how much vegetation has grown at other locations on the Cotswold Line, this spot remains pretty much the same today.