975023 gets a chance of a sprint along the up fast line at South Moreton (Didcot East) with a crew training run on 1 December 1983. Originally entering service as 55001 in May 1958, this unit was one of the very earliest of such vehicles to be taken into departmental stock, as long ago as 1969. For many years it performed such duties as this with departmental number 975023, although also retaining the L101 set number. Happily it is now preserved and can be seen on the East Lancashire Railway in exactly this livery but in better condition!

Strange goings on at Evenlode (between Kingham and Moreton-in-Marsh) on 20 June 1987. For some unexplained reason departmental Class 122 55001 (TDB975023 or L101) has been added to the front of Class 101 C820 (51500, 59093 & 51512) to work the 14:22 Oxford to Hereford service. As 55001 entered departmental use as long ago as 1969 its appearance on this passenger working is certainly noteworthy. Unfortunately the weather was very poor. Class 122s were very rare on the Cotswold Line and indeed Class 101s weren't that common either. The cow seems unimpressed though!

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's recently acquired Class 122 'Bubble Car' sits amid the Great Western Railway vans at Winchcombe on 9 July 2011. 55003 arrived on the railway in April, and will be used for off peak services. Entering service in May 1958, this unit is only a few weeks younger than myself!

55003 passes the impressive array of semaphore signals on the approach to Toddington station, as it heads south with the 10:30 Toddington to Laverton (via Hailes) service on 28 September 2011. The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway has had to rely on a DMU service on the northern section of the line during 2011, due to a landslip severing the line. One of the other units involved in these shuttles (Class 117 51365 & 51407) can just be seen stabled in the siding in the background.

55003 passes Stanton on 28 September 2011 with the 11:30 Toddington - Hailes - Laverton - Hailes - Toddington shuttle service. Note that the destination blind is displaying the GWR's spelling of Hayles Abbey Halt. For the 2011 season the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is effectively two railways, divided in the middle by a landslip. DMUs operate services on the northern section, whilst steam works the Winchcombe to Cheltenham Racecourse section.

55003 throws up a spectacular column of exhaust at Toddington station on 28 January 2012. This was during an EMRPS photo charter, and the clag was pre-arranged! Note how the smoke is rising vertically in the still night air. This picture also shows off the high standard of restoration of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's principal station.

The driver opens up 55003 once again during the EMRPS photo charter at Toddington station on 28 January 2012. After a number of years without an operational DMU, the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway now has various vehicles of Class 122 & Class 117 either on loan or as permanent residents.

A classic mid 1960s scene recreated on 24 March 2012 at Toddington, on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway. 55003 waits in platform 1 prior to working the 10:30 service to Laverton (via Hayles Abbey), while Class 117 three car set with DMBS 51363 leading is parked in platform 2. The glorious spring sunshine was a little late arriving on this particular morning, as only a short while earlier the whole area was covered in dense fog.

Bubbling away nicely in the spring sunshine at Stanton on 24 March 2012. The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's 55003 makes a fine sight as it passes under the B4632 Toddington to Broadway road near Stanton Fields whilst working the 10:30 Toddington to Toddington via Hayles Abbey and Laverton service. As in 2011, trains on the northern section of the line first depart from Toddington station in a southerly direction, before returning and then traversing this newly opened section of the route towards Broadway. Note the continuously welded track at this location.

A footpath crosses the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway at Stanton via this very slender looking bridge. On 24 March 2012, 55003 passes underneath with the 11:15 Toddington to Toddington via Hayles Abbey and Laverton service. Although recently cleared of much vegetation, the trees on the right mean that during the winter this location is largely in shade.

55003 passes Stanton on 24 July 2012 with the 10:30 Toddington - Hailes - Laverton - Toddington shuttle service. The reversal point at Laverton is just out of sight behind the trees on the right. During 2011 and 2012 the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is effectively two railways, with steam between Cheltenham and Wincombe, and heritage DMUs on this northern section.

55004 passes Songar (between Claverdon and Bearley) with the 12:25 Leamington Spa to Stratford-upon-Avon service on 6 December 1986. 55004 was withdrawn in October 1990 and scrapped almost immediately at Mayer Newman, Snailwell. The Hatton Junction to Bearley Junction line was singled in 1969, although note that a short section of track was left at this crossing and just be seen in this picture.

With new platform edging in place especially for the event, Thame received its first passenger train since 1963 on 29 June 1986, when 55006 worked a number of shuttles along the branch from High Wycombe. The Hertfordshire Railtours 'Thame Phoenix' is pictured arriving at a packed platform.

Departmental unit 975042 (formerly 55019 and still at this time carrying its set number L119) ambles over the river bridge near Walton Well Road, Oxford on 7 April 1990 with a northbound crew training run. 55019 had a relatively short life as a passenger carrying unit, being taken into departmental use as early as 1969. Note the extensive area of allotments in the background (formerly much used by local railwaymen) with Wytham Hill in the distance.