With a wave from the driver, and an unexpected and slightly distorted reflection of myself in the windscreen, 165101 leads 165103 round 'Cemetery Curve' on the approach to Oxford station with the 2C40 13:30 Reading to Oxford Network SouthEast service on 27 December 1993. The NSE livery certainly looked impressive on these units, especially in nice low winter lighting such as this. Note the dark clouds in the background, proving that this good lighting wasn't going to last. The buildings in the background occupy the site of Oxford's former railway goods depot.

165101 heads along the up relief line near the site of the Second World War Moreton Sidings (just east of Didcot) with the 10:21 Oxford to Paddington First Great Western 'all stations' service on 12 November 2007. There's no doubting that FGW's livery really suits these units, which are anyway one of the less atheistically challenged of the modern generation of DMUs.

Passing First Great Western Class 165 Turbo units at Hinksey Yard on 30 December 2008. 165101 heads south with the 13:31 Oxford to Paddington service, while in the background 165104, which had been waiting at the signal with the 12:50 Paddington to Oxford has just got the 'feathers' to cross the up line that 165101 has just traversed and enter the bi-directional line to take it into platform 1 at Oxford.

165101 slows down on the approach to Tackley station whilst working the 17:25 Paddington to Banbury First Great Western service on 21 May 2009. This low level close up view shows off the intricate wavy lines design of FGW's latest livery.

165101 gives the impression of running wrong line at Shorthampton on 3 May 2011, whilst working the 1W41 14:21 Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh First Great Western service. It is as well that it is not running on the 'correct' line, as that ends just a few yards further on! The reinstalled second track on the Cotswold Line is here forming the new down line, however, just past the next bridge the new line is on the up alignment. As of May 2011 there is a gap in the doubling at this point, as the single running line will have to be split during the forthcoming shutdown.

Immaculate brand new 165102 is obviously on its first fist day in traffic, as it passes Lower Basildon on 15 May 1992 with the 2C60 17:05 Reading to Banbury Network SouthEast service. This was the transition period, with brand new Turbo units working alongside the thirty year old Pressed Steel Class 117s.

In Thames Trains livery with First branding, 165102 passes the south end of Hinksey Yard with the 13:00 Oxford to Paddington First Great Western Link service on 16 October 2005. Note that the faring underneath the coupler has been shattered with a large section missing leaving a ragged edge on the left side.

A close up view of 165102 as it passes Cholsey on 6 December 2006 with the 12:38 Banbury to Paddington 'all stations' First Great Western service. This makes an interesting comparison to 166215 which passed by a little earlier with the 12:45 Oxford to Paddington. I will leave you to decide whether this former Thames Trains livery or 166215's First Great Western livery suits these Turbo units the best..

165103 speeds through Appleford station on 2 July 2009 with the late running 2P62 15:07 Oxford to Paddington First Great Western service. Although stopping at more stations than the proceeding 15:01 departure from Oxford, it still isn't one of the limited number of trains that actually call at this diminutive station.

165103 runs alongside the Kennet & Avon Canal at Little Bedwyn on 8 October 2009 with the 09:36 Bedwyn to Paddington First Great Western service. Although I have taken various pictures over the years from the bridge in the background, looking across the lock, amazingly this is the first picture I have taken from this particular spot for over thirty years!

165103 approaches Radley on 31 August 2012 with the 1P30 09:31 Oxford to Paddington First Great Western service. This is one of the numerous 'express' services (as they used to be called), only calling at Reading and Slough, during its 59 minute journey.

165104 passes the classic location of Little Bedwyn on 26 March 1999, as it nears journey's end with the 10:28 Paddington to Bedwyn Thames Trains service. Unfortunately the beech hedge that separates the railway from the Kennett & Avon Canal has grown considerably since this picture was taken, and the viewpoint is no longer as open as this.

165104 passes Lower Basildon on 3 February 2007 with the  13:30 Paddington to Oxford service. Note the First Great Western Link branding on the Thames Trains livery. The 'Link' name was quickly dropped, and the services were incorporated into the FGW franchise.

165104 accelerates away from Kintbury with the late running 14:18 Paddington to Bedwyn First Great Western service on 2 April 2007. This commendably clean (with the exception of the fairing underneath the coupler!) unit is still carrying Thames Trains livery with the addition of First Great Western Link branding.

165104 ambles along the up relief line at Waltham St Lawrence on 27 July 2007 with the 09:49 Reading to Paddington First Great Western service. The bridge in the background is known as Chalkpit Bridge, and carries the bridleway from Waltham St Lawrence to Knowl Hill. Old maps show a limekiln as well as a chalk pit in the trees approximately above the train, in addition there was another chalk pit on the south side of the line.

165104 & 166203 pass Hinksey Yard on 24 September 2009 with the 15:37 Oxford to Paddington First Great Western service. In three car form there is very little to distinguish Class 165s & 166s, probably the most noticeable difference being the different shape of the roof ventilators. Another clear difference here is that virtually all the hopper window ventilators are open on the leading 165, while the 166 at the rear benefits from air conditioning and appears to have only one open window.

Icicles hang from the yard lights, as 165104 passes Hinksey on 9 January 2010 with the 2P52 12:37 Oxford to Paddington First Great Western service. The lying snow reveals that several of the tracks in Hinksey Yard have not seen any movement in a while.

On 22 September 2010 at South Moreton, 165104 weaves across from the up relief to the up main line at full speed, after having bypassed Didcot on the east curve whilst working the 1P41 12:01 Oxford to Paddington First Great Western service. Although of course the Class 165/1s & 166s are virtually interchangeable, it was at one time usual for these fast services (this train stops only at Reading and Slough) to be operated by the Class 166s, while the Class 165 tended to be used for the stopping services. This distinction rarely applies nowadays. Both types have a 90mph top speed, but of course the Class 165s lack air conditioning.

Most First Great Western services on the Cherwell Valley route are operated by two car Class 165 units. As the trains are primarily a local service, serving Tackley, Heyford and Kings Sutton stations, the limited capacity is adequate, as Oxford to Banbury passengers can also use the quicker CrossCountry trains. However, this train has originated from Paddington rather than Oxford and consequently a three car unit is used. 165104 accelerates away from Kings Sutton 3 June 2011 with the 2M50 15:57 Paddington to Banbury service.

With Lower Court Farm, Chadlington just visible through the trees in the background, 165104 passes Shorthampton on 6 January 2012 with the 1P37 09:51 Moreton-in-Marsh to Paddington First Great Western service. The low angle of the sun highlights the remnants of medieval ridge and furrow ploughing in the foreground, a common feature around ancient village sites such as Shorthampton. Note also the small valley (dry in this case) leading down towards the River Evenlode. The existence of a reliable spring in the next such valley to the west is obviously why the site was chosen to build the village in the first place.

Fresh out of the box! On its first day in revenue earning service, 165105 passes South Moreton on 18 May 1992 with the 1F62 17:20 Paddington to Banbury Network SouthEast service. You can certainly tell that this is the unit's first day out, as there is hardly a spot on the largely white NSE paintwork. Even the exhaust silencer is still highly polished and gleaming. This is one of the very first outings for a Class 165/1 unit, as previously Class 165/0s had been transferred in from the Chiltern Line due to the late delivery of the Thames Valley's own units.

165105 has just passed under the A423 Oxford ring road (surprisingly free of traffic considering it is the rush hour) and is approaching Hinksey Yard on 2 May 2007 with the 16:00 Paddington to Banbury First Great Western service. Presumably this unit was temporarily withdrawn for repainting shortly after this picture was taken, because the next time I saw it, a few months later it was in First Great Western livery. The white notice by the bridge contains the wording 'Closure Mark', which is presumably the level the stream has to rise to for the line to be closed. Flooding is nothing new in this area, having been a problem ever since the line was built.

165105 has just passed under Weycock Bridge near Waltham St Lawrence on 27 July 2007 with the 09:55 Oxford to Paddington First Great Western service. Although the luxuriant vegetation growth on the cutting sides does make a pleasant backdrop, it does mean that shadows ruin the viewpoint for much of the year.

A close up view of 165106 as it accelerates away from the Twyford stop on 17 April 2008 with the 09:19 Reading to Paddington First Great Western service and passes through the cutting at Ruscombe. The First Great Western 'Neon' livery does suit these units very well, and although they seem incapable of actually running the trains to time, FGW do at least keep them clean. In the late 1990s it was quite common to see the white roofs of these units (then in Network SouthEast livery) badly discoloured with ground in exhaust soot. Probably not the wisest colour choice for DMU roofs, but this picture does at least prove that it is possible to keep them looking presentable.

165107 climbs Campden Bank near Mickleton with the 12:06 Worcester Foregate Street to Paddington First Great Western service on 6 March 2009. While waiting for this train the sun was out fully which was causing a slight problem with the dappled shade. However, as the train could be heard approaching the sun went in which looked very drab, but fortunately just as it came into view the sun came out very weakly, creating the perfect soft lighting for the location! Note the new signal troughing on the right which has just been installed to replace that on the left, which due to lack of foresight when the line was singled, was laid too close to the track for any future redoubling, which is now about to take place.

165107 ambles along the down relief line at Moulsford on 27 April 2011 with the late running 2M56 17:25 Paddington to Banbury First Great Western service. Next stop Cholsey station, a short distance up the line. This is nearly an 'all stations' service, although for some reason it misses out Culham.

On 14 May 2011, 165107 passes under the recently completed Abingdon Road Bridge in Oxford with the 2P72 17:07 Oxford to Paddington 'all stations' First Great Western service. The old bridge was always known as 'Redbridge', giving its name to the nearby park and ride. It looks like its replacement can also carry that title.

Photographer's self portrait! A slightly different view of 165108 as it arrives at Radley station on 18 May 1995 with the 2C49 16:04 Oxford to Reading service. This is basically an all stations service, but omits the two least important stations on the route - Culham and Appleford.

165108 heads along the up relief line at Lower Basildon on 3 February 2007 with the 14:21 Oxford to Paddington First Great Western service. Such is the pace of change on the privatised railway that both the Thames Trains livery and the First Great Western Link logo on the side of the coaches were by this time obsolete!

A pair of Class 165 Turbo units pass each other in a brief spell of superb lighting at Hinksey on 19 October 2011. 165108 is just a couple of minutes into its journey with the 2P56 13:37 Oxford to Paddington First Great Western service, which runs non-stop to Didcot, and then becomes an 'all stations' service onwards to the capital. Heading off into the distance, but being checked by an amber signal, is 165110 working the 2N34 11:57 Paddington to Oxford service.

165109 takes the station line at Didcot North Junction with the 14:55 Oxford to Paddington First Great Western service on 12 November 2007. This unit appears to have sustained some front end damage, with various marks and cracks visible. A slightly diffuse sun was welcome here to soften the encroaching shadows a little.

165109 passes Lock Wood, near Culham on 10 December 2012 with the 1P43 11:50 Moreton-in-Marsh to Paddington First Great Western service. The line of the trees in the background is just a small part of Lock Wood, which runs down the steep escarpment on the south side of the River Thames. Ironically, there hasn't been a lock at this location since the eighteenth century.

165110 passes the newly installed crossover at South Marston on 5 May 2000 with the 17:58 Oxford to Bristol Temple Meads First Great Western service. The crossover is for access to the new railfreight terminal, but at this time the trackwork within the depot was still incomplete. A two car Class 165 was the standard rostered stock for these unsuccessful Oxford to Bristol trains, but things are not quite all they seem here. 165110 is in fact one of the three car batch of 165/1 units (165101 - 165117), and is therefore running here without its centre coach.

The relatively modern (by Oxford's standards) spire of Nuffield College can be seen on the other side of Hinksey Lake as 165110 heads south with the 13:37 Oxford to Paddington First Great Western service on 30 December 2008. One passenger certainly has paid for his ride - note the bird (probably a pheasant) wedged in the gap next to the coupler.

165110 approaches Didcot North Junction on 26 September 2009 with the 09:07 Oxford to Paddington First Great Western 'all stations' service. There used to be a clear view here all the way to Appleford Crossing over a mile distant, but not since the row of trees came to dominate the scene!

Plenty of fresh spring growth at Shorthampton on 12 May 2010 as 165110 passes by with the 1P37 08:58 Great Malvern to Paddington First Great Western service. Unfortunately all this exuberant plant growth obviously means that this recently cleared section of line is soon going to revert back to the tunnel of vegetation that it used to be.

Hungerford Common used to be an excellent photographic location, with clear views in both directions. However, there is now just this very restricted view of up trains and nothing at all in the other direction. With the town of Hungerford still shrouded in fog in the background, 165110 passes by with the 1K45 09:36 Bedwyn to Paddington First Great Western service on 31 August 2010.

The 'dreaming spires' of Oxford are complimented by the not quite so dreaming construction cranes on 22 July 2012, as 165110 heads north from the city and passes Wolvercote with the 1W59 18:42 Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill First Great Western service.

165111 passes through the lush spring landscape at Yarnton on 24 May 2007, as it heads northwards with the 16:00 Paddington to Banbury First Great Western service. Photo taken from a little used footbridge, which replaces a little used foot crossing!

165111 approaches Kings Sutton in nice late afternoon light on 14 November 2007 with the 15:02 Banbury to Oxford First Great Western service. However, if this lighting looks good, then it got even better half an hour later when similarly numbered 168111 passed by with the 14:12 Birmingham Snow Hill to Marylebone service.

A line of Railtrack branded ballast hoppers make an interesting foreground to this view of 165111 passing Hinksey Yard on 2 January 2008 with the 13:55 Oxford to Paddington First Great Western service. Formerly a Second World War marshalling yard, Hinksey mow has a second life as a 'Virtual Quarry' ballast dump.

165111 speeds through Aldermaston station on 8 May 2008 with the 1K49 10:37 Bedwyn to Paddington First Great Western service. This is one of the semi-fast trains, and local residents would need to catch the preceding 10:13 from Newbury in order to get to Reading, where they would have to use a connecting service to travel on the capital.

165111 arrives at Charlbury on 12 February 2011 with the 1P43 10:32 Great Malvern to Paddington First Great Western service. A line of freshly laid concrete sleepers wait to receive their new rails during another overnight possession. This is part of the plan to reinstate double track on the Cotswold Line, with this section extending from Ascott-under-Wychwood (the end of the present double track section) to just the other side of Charlbury station.

165111 is viewed from the A423 Oxford ring road, as it passes the southern end of Hinksey Yard with the 2P38 09:07 Oxford to Paddington 'all stations' (except Appleford!) First Great Western service on 7 April 2011. Note the new road bridge nearing completion in the background.

The majority of Cotswold Line services are now either worked by Class 180s or HSTs. However, Turbo units still put in regular appearances, either as Class 180 replacements, or as in this case on the local trains to Moreton-in-Marsh. On 20 February 2013, a brief burst of sunshine illuminates 165111 as it passes Shorthampton with the 1W33 13:21 Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh First Great Western service. The farm occupation bridge in the background has served no practical purpose for decades, as it is completely impassable due to bushes and brambles.

Two things are immediately apparent about this Class 165 Turbo unit approach Wolvercote Junction on 11 June 1992. Firstly how startlingly clean they looked when first introduced, and secondly that this unit is not carrying any set numbers on the front end. Although anonymous, it is in fact 165112 working a (presumably) Reading to Banbury crew familiarisation trip. Also of note is how open the location used to be at this spot, with St Peter's church at Wolvercote visible above the A34 Oxford ring road on the left of the picture.

165112 emerges from the shade at Yarnton on 27 July 2006 as it heads south with the 17:30 Banbury to Paddington First Great Western service. The bridge in the background carries the A44 Oxford to Chipping Norton road over the railway. Photo taken from a public footpath footbridge.

165112 scuttles along the up relief line near Cholsey on 6 December 2006 with the 11:06 Oxford to Paddington First Great Western 'all stations' service. Both relief lines are clear, as is the up main, but the down main is cluttered with lengths of rail, which although presumably safe, doesn't really seem the best thing to be lying around next to a 125mph line!

Although booked for a Class 180 Adelante unit, on 21 October 2007 the 11:14 Worcester Foregate Street to Paddington First Great Western service turned out to be a Class 165 Sprinter. 165112 is pictured having just passed through Shipton station and is viewed from the FWP Matthews flour mills car park. Shipton station originally served a wide rural area, and as late as the 1970s the 'Shipton for Burford' sign on the platform indicated this role.

165112 arrives at Bedwyn station on 24 July 2008 with the 09:18 First Great Western service from Paddington. It will reverse in the siding to the west of the station, and then return to pick up the passengers seen here waiting on the other platform, departing as the to 10:37 to Paddington.

On 24 July 2008, 165112 has just pulled out of the short siding visible in the background and is moving slowly forward into Bedwyn station, where it will form the 10:37 Bedwyn to Paddington First Great Western service. It had working in as the 09:18 Paddington to Bedwyn, and then used the crossover to access the siding. Bedwyn station is in the village of Great Bedwyn, and the tower of St Mary's church can just be seen on the right. No doubt not helped by the popularity of the station, the village's narrow streets can easily get choked with cars.

Only the rail tail lights and the lack of a destination indication give away the fact that this is a going away shot. 165113 has just left Charlbury station with the 13:25 Oxford to Worcester Shrub Hill First Great Western service on 11 September 2006. The unit still carries Thames Trains livery, albeit with the addition of First brandings. The limitations of the single line are apparent here, as the 1Z14 Ultrasonic Test Train was being held at Ascott-under-Wychwood, waiting for this unit to clear the single line.

165114 accelerates away from Twyford station (just beyond the bridge in the background), and passes Ruscombe on 22 July 2012 with the 2P28 08:22 Reading to Paddington First Great Western service. Photo taken from a very quit no through road bridge next to Ruscombe church.

165114 finds a little weak autumnal sun as it passes Hinksey on 30 November 2012 with the 1P41 12:01 Oxford to Paddington First Great Western service. Note the remains of the floods under the bridge in the background, which had a few days earlier been across all running lines. This is a regular winter occurrence caused by the Hinksey Stream (just visible above the cab of 165114) bursting its banks after heavy rainfall.

With the introduction of the summer 1993 timetable on the Cotswold Line, a new Birmingham to Paddington service was introduced. On the first day, 17 May 1993, 165115 passes Evesham signal box under threatening skies with the inaugural run of the 09:15 Birmingham New Street to Paddington. 165115 was destroyed in the Ladbroke Grove accident in 1999, becoming the first Turbo unit to be withdrawn.

165116 passes the overgrown sidings at Lower Padworth on 28 July 2001 with the 2K47 10:11 Newbury to Reading 'all stations' Thames Trains service. These rusting lines are in fact loop lines once used to connect into the Atomic Weapons Establishment at nearby Aldermaston. Photo taken from a public footpath.

165116 passes Hinksey Yard with the 13:21 Oxford to Paddington First Great Western service on 2 January 2008. 221123 has just received an amber signal in the background, after being held for several minutes whilst working the 11:45 Bournemouth to Glasgow Arriva Cross Country service. As the lighting was so good, the opportunity was taken to place the 'Voyager' between the poles, and include the Railtrack wagons in the foreground to frame the picture. Note the spire of Nuffield College in the background.

165116 pulls away from Radley station on 8 October 2009 with the 15:07 Oxford to Paddington First Great Western 'all stations' service. While the limited stop trains do this journey in less than an hour, this one takes nearly two! Radley station has seen a phenomenal growth in passenger numbers in recent years, and much work has been spent on improvements, with special attention paid to the car park to reflect this. I counted fifty cars (admittedly one was mine!) in the car park, whereas in the 1980s it was usually less than ten. Looks like it might be a bit cloudy in Oxford!

Obviously nothing has moved in Hinksey Yard during the last few days and the snow lays undisturbed as 165116 passes by in the background with the 12:07 Oxford to Paddington 'all stations' First Great Western service on 9 January 2010. The high fence is a noise screen separating the residents of South Oxford from the noisy goings on in the yard, which was in use before most of them were born!

165116 runs alongside the Kennett & Avon Canal at Little Bedwyn on 25 June 2010 with the 08:40 Bedwyn to Paddington First Great Western service. For once the weather forecasters got it wrong in my favour. Supposedly the morning was going to be mainly cloudy, with the odd sunny spell. Can you spot the clouds?

165116 negotiates Didcot North Junction on 8 October 2010 with the 2P62 15:07 Oxford to Paddington First Great Western service. The lines to the right avoid Didcot station entirely, while the line the unit is taking can also access the Swindon Line (not used for regular passenger services at the moment).

Catching a fleeting burst of sunshine, 165117 passes Didcot North Junction on 24 April 1994 with the 10:40 Paddington to Oxford Network SouthEast service. Note the Great Western Society's broad gauge transfer shed in the background on the left. The route to the left is the Didcot station avoider lines.

A picture that I have been meaning to take for some time, but that requires the addition of some other interesting working in order to justify getting up at such a ridiculous time! 165117 & 165104 pass Tackley shortly after sunrise on 25 June 2012 with the 5P20 05:12 Oxford Up Carriage Sidings to Banbury ECS. This is the empty stock for the 2P20 06:07 Banbury to Paddington First Great Western service. During the day a two car Class 165/1 suffices for this route, but a pair of three car units are rostered for this peak working, with the added bonus photographically that the sun is on the front for the ECS. Once at Paddington the units will split to form the 2R21 08:47 to Reading and 2N22 08:55 to Oxford.

165117 pulls away from a very snowy Oxford station on 21 January 2013 with the 2P44 10:36 Oxford to Paddington First Great Western service, while 66039 coasts up to a red signal on the centre through line, prior to a long wait for several passing passenger services.