156401 passes Sleaford North Junction with the 08:33 Peterborough to Lincoln Central East Midlands Trains service on 25 July 2009. The train has just traversed the sharply curved line on the right, the double track line on the left being the Sleaford by-pass line, which is little used by passenger trains. It is a pity there isn't a practical use for ragwort, as not only is there a bumper crop in the field in the background, but there was an even larger field of this pernicious weed just to the left of this picture!

156402 passes Wilsford (between Ancaster and Sleaford) with the 11:25 Grantham to Skegness Central Trains service on 1 September 2002. Interestingly, the Great Northern Railway never provided a station at Wilsford, despite the railway skirting the edge of the village. A signal box was provided at the level crossing with the main road, a short distance to the east of this location.

Central Trains 156403 was on hire to First ScotRail on 8 June 2007, when it was pictured leaving Annan with the 12:03 Glasgow Central to Carlisle service. Caught in a very lucky patch of sun, with the rear of the train only just clear of the advancing cloud!

156403 & 156410 speed through Ancaster station on 25 July 2009 with the 10:45 Nottingham to Skegness East Midlands Trains service. Ancaster retains plenty of vintage railway infrastructure, including traditional semaphore signaling. The old good shed on the right is now occupied by a bespoke furniture business.

While a flock of rooks scavenge for food in the stubble field, 156404 heads along the up relief line at Cossington on 28 January 2008 with the 10:36 Lincoln to Leicester East Midlands Trains service. Note that the former Central Trains logos and web address have been rather crudely painted out, and are beginning to show through in places.

A brief gap in the clouds allows some superb lighting at Elton & Orston station on 25 June 2008, as 156405 approaches the remote station with the 14:02 Skegness to Nottingham East Midlands Trains service. However, this was not one of the few trains to actually call at the station. The unit is wearing the striking new East Midlands livery. There is plenty of warning of approaching trains from both directions at this spot!

Lowdham station (between Newark and Nottingham) retains much period infrastructure, including semaphore signalling and a fine station house (now a private residence). These can clearly be seen in this view taken on 28 July 2008, which shows 156406 departing with the 12:31 Lincoln to Leicester East Midlands Trains service. The main Doncaster to Leicester road used to pass through the village and over the level crossing in this picture. This has long since been bypassed, which created this fine viewpoint from the new road bridge.

156406 passes Cossington on 28 July 2008 with the 12:31 Lincoln to Leicester East Midlands Trains service. This side view shows off the extremely colourful livery, and makes an interesting comparison with 156404 pictured in exactly the same spot ironically exactly six months previously! I had already seen 156406 at Lowdham on the same service, and even driving at normal speed was still at Cossington well before it - so much for the speed of rail travel!

In a lucky patch of sun (note the shaded bushes in the background), 156406 approaches Collingham on 10 March 2011 with the 2L64 12:30 Lincoln to Leicester East Midlands Trains service. The post just to the right of the rear of the train marks a footpath crossing, strangely with a pair of lichen covered walking boots nailed to the post!

The first Class 156 Sprinter the I have photographed in One Railways livery, 156407 passes Haughley Green with the 09:43 Cambridge to Ipswich service on 10 March 2007. After being basically dead straight since Bury St Edmunds, the line will shortly swing to the right to join the electrified Norwich to London line at Haughley Junction.

The quaint station at Worstead, on the Norwich to Sheringham line could almost be on a preserved railway, such is its retention of period features and remarkable lack of modern fittings. During the middle of the day alternative trains stop at the station from the basically hourly service, this not being one of them. 156407 speeds through with the 2S19 14:46 Sheringham to Norwich National Express East Anglia service on 12 May 2008.

With Heckington Windmill on the extreme left, and Heckington church on the right, 156408 & 158813 pass Great Hale with the 09:50 Nottingham to Skegness Central Trains service on 29 August 2007. At least five coaches is a respectable length train, as in recent years severe overcrowding has resulted from the use of two coach units on what is even today a popular holiday line.

156408 slows down for its next stop at Barrow Upon Soar on 12 September 2009. It is working the 10:36 Lincoln to Leicester East Midlands Trains service. After the weather forecasters got it totally wrong by predicting a 'barbecue summer' for July and August, the weather finally improved in mid September with several days of excellent photographic weather.

156409 leaves Acle station on 12 May 2008 with the 2P17 13:17 Great Yarmouth to Norwich National Express East Anglia service. This unit is wearing the former One Railway livery, with the branding removed. Acle station retains a lot of period charm, with hardly any signs of modernisation. Semaphore signalling still being controlled from the diminutive signal box on the platform. The section of platform in the foreground is now not used by passengers and seems to have been taken over by rabbits!

156414 ambles along the bi-directional relief line at Barkby Thorpe on 26 July 2008 with the 08:32 Leicester to Lincoln East Midlands Trains service. HST & Meridian trains use the main lines on the right, while Class 156s share the bi-directional line with the infrequent freight services.

Framed between the 1901 built signal box and the Great Eastern Railway goods shed, 156418 passes Three Horse Shoes on 16 August 1988 with the 11:46 Peterborough to Colchester Regional Railways service. Note that the barriers of the level crossing are already lifting in the background.

The Cotswold Line Promotion Group ran a special train from Moreton-in-Marsh to Matlock on 30 April 2000. Named the 'Cotswold - Derwent Express' this brought the rare sight of a Class 156 unit to the Cotswold Line. 156419 arrives at Moreton-in-Marsh with the 5Z30 empty stock working from Worcester. It seems that a visit by the weedkilling train is long overdue!

Plain blue liveried 156426 passes Warton on 9 June 2005 with the 12:56 Barrow-n-Furness to Lancaster Northern Rail service. Four Class 156s received this minimalist livery in 2004, as they were undergoing refurbishment at Wabtec, Doncaster at the time the franchise was changing from First North Western. Pending the new operator's decision on a colour scheme, a plain blue (based on the First Group base colour) was an expedient choice.

156427 passes Old Denaby on 10 May 2007 with the 10:25 Sheffield to Scunthorpe Northern Trains service. It has just called at Mexborough station, which can just be seen in the background. This photo is taken from a footbridge, although strangely there is also a public footpath crossing next to it, which most local people prefer to use.

156432 heads south through the remote countryside near Barrhill with the 09:10 Kilmarnock to Stranraer First ScotRail service on 9 June 2007, running approximately 40 minutes late. I had gone to this location to photograph the Class 40 on the SRPS railtour, but as can be seen here the sun had not quite gone round far enough to be on the front of the train, so as soon as this unit had passed I made my way to the top of the cutting seen in the background for a better angle for the light.

156432 passes Powfoot on 6 May 2008 with the 13:09 Carlisle to Glasgow Central First ScotRail service. Powfoot is situated on the two and half mile straight section of track to the west of Annan. Note the two pieces of steam age railwayana either side of the leading coach. The 104¾ milepost (from Glasgow) on the left and the gradient post on the right. The train service on this line is principally composed of Carlisle to Glasgow services, such as this one, with a few additional Carlisle to Dumfries trains, and two daily Newcastle to Stranraer trains (one in the opposite direction).

The Strathclyde Partnership livery applied to numerous First ScotRail Class 156s is virtually a direct copy of the 1950s British Railways carmine and cream livery, and in my opinion suits them very well. It is particularly seen to advantage here, as 156434 heads north past Cample with the 17:13 Newcastle to Stranraer service on 8 June 2007.

156434 & 156510 pass Closeburn on 9 June 2007 with the 06:40 Girvan to Newcastle service, the first train of the day on this section of line. Although I also photographed a southbound coal train at this location, I find this picture of a pair of carmine and cream livery units which are unique to the area more interesting than the EWS Class 66 on HTAs which are commonplace in many parts of the country. A strange situation when a humble DMU is more noteworthy than a freight train!

With Beinn Dorian forming an impressive backdrop, 156436 climbs towards County March Summit with the 10:30 Mallaig to Glasgow Queen Street ScotRail service on 28 April 1998. A two coach unit can look a little insignificant in a normal landscape setting, but in this case the head on angle of view and low viewpoint with the mountain towering over the central positioned train create a really impressive composition. Also for once the fleeting Scottish sun was out at the critical moment!

156437 crosses the bridge over the River Speen on the approach to Tulloch station with the 12:42 Glasgow Queen Street to Mallaig ScotRail service on 11 April 2000. It was a generally cloudy day, but luckily just as the train approached the sun came out just enough to highlight the ex-works Strathclyde PTE carmine & cream livery.

156438 rounds the curve at Sherrington with the 15:10 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central service on 6 May 1989. 156438 was a mere seven months old when this picture was taken and clearly shows the class's original livery complete with generic 'Sprinter' name and logo.

156439 passes Powfoot (near Annan) with the 12:03 Glasgow Central to Carlisle First ScotRail service on 6 May 2008. Although a sunny day, in southern Scotland there was a layer of misty high cloud that not only reduced the distant visibility, but also completely flattened the lighting. Note the very weak shadows here.

In typical rainy West Highland weather conditions 156445 enters Glenfinnan station with the 08:12 Glasgow Queen Street to Mallaig ScotRail service on 24 October 1998. A fine display of autumn colours sets off the neatly preserved signal box, which has not been used since 1986 when RETB (Radio Electronic Token Block) signaling was introduced to the highlands.

156447 & 156492 emerge from the bushes and cross one of the many small bridges in Glen Falloch whilst working the 08:12 Glasgow Queen Street to Oban and Mallaig 'Lord of the Isles' service on 21 July 1997. A few miles from this location, at Crianlarich, the two units will split, with 156447 going on to Oban, and 156492 taking the longer route to Mallaig. At this time the ScotRail branding seems to have been confined to a discrete flash logo below the left hand window. Logos are not so subtle nowadays!

156453 arrives at Dalmally on 11 April 2000 with the 12:35 Oban to Glasgow Queen Street ScotRail service. A cold dull day with some snow visible on the mountains in the background. Note the tall road overbridge at the end of the loop and the sudden change of gradient as the line heads towards Loch Awe and Oban. The Oban line has just three trains in each direction on weekdays and Saturdays (this is the middle one) and only two on Sundays.

156454 leaves Hexham station on 14 September 1996 with the 10:35 Carlisle to Middlesbrough service. A fine North Eastern Railway footbridge and original station canopies are dominated by the ridiculously tall semaphore signal, which is made to look even more out of scale, when compared with the truncated version on the left! As with most stations on the Tyne Valley Line there is plenty of steam age character here, although I don't think the loading platform on the left has seen a train for many years!

Arriva Trains liveried 156454 approaches Dent with the 08:58 Carlisle to Leeds service on 6 September 2004. Dent is the highest mainline station in England and as can be expected is no stranger to bad weather. Despite the presence of snow fences at the top of this cutting, the line here has been blocked on numerous occasions. particularly during the severe winter of 1947.

On a typically dull and drizzly West Highland day, 156458 passes the diminutive oil depot at Fort William Junction, as it starts out on its journey across the mountains and moors with the 1Y53 08:30 Fort William to Mallaig ScotRail service. 6 October 2007. As this is the first train of the day it originates from Fort William, rather than Glasgow.

Class 156 railtours are not a very frequent occurrence, but on 7 September 1997 a pair of these units were used on the normally freight only Rylstone branch in connection with the Skipton 150 celebrations. With Rylstone Quarry in the background, 156472 leads 156470 with the 2Z20 'Craven Dalesman', now running as the 13:10 Rylstone to Skipton, having worked in as the 12:20 Skipton to Rylstone. Unfortunately the heavy cloud cover didn't disperse till well after the train had gone.

156472 arrives at Sherburn-in-Elmet station on 8 December 2001 with the 09:00 Selby to York Northern Spirit service. I would not normally bother with a going away picture, but the low winter sun makes it worthwhile, and of course anything approaching from the 'correct' direction would be partly in shadow.

156474 & 156462 arrive at Rannoch station with the 10:30 Mallaig to Glasgow Queen Street ScotRail service on 4 September 2000. This train will be combined with the 12:35 service from Oban at Grianlarich and will therefore go forward as a six car formation. Prominent on the right of the picture is the memorial to J. A. Renton, a director of the West Highland Railway. During times of economic difficulty whilst the line was being built he personally provided extra money for the project in order to get the line completed. The navvies responding by providing this memorial.

156479 passes Aisgill on the bleak Settle to Carlisle line with the 12:49 Leeds to Carlisle Arriva Trains Northern service on 6 September 2004. The road that parallels the railway between Garsdale and Kirkby Stephen can be seen in the background.

156481 passes Kilnhurst with an Arriva Trains Northern service to Manchester Piccadilly on 27 December 2003. This area has seen considerable change in the passenger service operators during the last few years. Formerly Northern Spirit, then Arriva Trains Northern, followed by Northern Rail. At least they have a strong regional identity! Note the Class 158 with a Trans Pennine service waiting to leave Swinton station in the background.

Watched over by a solitary Wood Pigeon from on top of one of the station lamps, 156484 leaves Ruskington station on 3 September 1993 with the 11:51 Peterborough to Lincoln Central Regional Railways service. The station has certainly suffered at the hands of the 'modernisers', but the telegraph pole in the undergrowth acts as a reminder of the steam age.

156490 pulls slowly away from Hatfield & Stainforth station on 15 March 2007 with the 10:22 Hull to Doncaster Northern Rail service. Note the recently constructed footbridge in the background, replacing the one familiar to generations of railway photographers.

The town of Goole is effectively divided into two by the level crossing next to the station, and although a bypass to the south of the town means that the blockage isn't total when the barriers go down, it is still a major inconvenience to local traffic. On 12 September 1998, 156491 pulls out of the station and over the offending level crossing with the 15:44 Hull to Sheffield service.

156497 approaches the site of Newbiggin station, on the Settle & Carlisle line with the 12:00 Carlisle to Leeds service on 16 September 1995. Newbiggin station (or New Biggin as the Midland Railway erroneously called it) was closed along with several other of the smaller stations on the line in 1970. The amber signal is protecting Culgaith level crossing.

Arriva Trains liveried 156498 has just emerged from Rise Hill Tunnel on 6 September 2004 with the 11:51 Carlisle to Leeds service, and is about to stop at Dent station, the highest station on the national network. Note the conifer plantation behind the train which has completely transformed this location in the last few years.

156505 approaches the site of Eastriggs station on 8 June 2007 with the 13:09 Carlisle to Glasgow Central First ScotRail service. The earthworks are in connection with reinstating the double track between Gretna and Annan to increase capacity for extra freight traffic. Obviously modern health and safety rules require the temporary fencing, just in case the workers don't realise there is a operational line just next door to where they are working!

156505 ambles past Cample with the late running 15:48 Glasgow Central to Newcastle service on 8 June 2007. During several hours spent at this location there were several southbound coal trains, but they all conspired to come when the sun was in! This seems to be one of the few locations on the line that is both reasonably free of vegetation and has an unrestricted view of the mountains in the background.

156508 passes Plean with the 16:52 Glasgow Queen Street to Perth ScotRail service on 27 April 1998. The fifteenth century Plean Castle can just be seem above the left hand side of the bridge, while the town of Stenhousemuir can be seen in the distance.

156508 passes Newbie (near Annan) with the 10:00 Stranraer to Newcastle First ScotRail service on 6 May 2008. This is the only through working of the day over this route. The inclusion of the road on the left (which leads to an agricultural contractors) neatly balances the photographic composition, although it's a pity those gorse bushes in the background weren't a bit closer to break up the monotony of a green landscape!

On a fine summer evening, with the Scottish Lowland Hills in the background, 156510 passes Cample with the 17:30 Glasgow Central to Carlisle ScotRail service. Just the right sized gap to get a two coach train in, otherwise the elder bush would be a nuisance rather than a photographic prop! 8 June 2007.

156511 approaches Annan with the 12:39 Newcastle to Stranraer service on 8 June 2007. Note the extensive earthworks in connection with the re-instatement of the double track. The section of single track between Gretna and Annan is a considerable operational bottleneck, especially with the increase in coal traffic from the Ayr district.