180101 approaches Cholsey with the 13:38 Oxford to Paddington service on 12 November 2007, during the final few months of the class's operations with First Great Western. Note the First Great Western HST and Arriva (formerly Virgin) Class 220 disappearing into the distance in the background. The long lens has compressed the perspective, with the houses of North Moreton, nearly two miles away clearly visible on the horizon.

Looking impressive in its stylish new black livery, 180101 speeds past Noblethorpe (between Temple Hirst Junction and Doncaster) with the 1A61 09:18 Sunderland to Kings Cross Grand Central service on 17 June 2010. After a delayed introduction into service and protracted problems when in use by their initial operator, First Great Western, the Class 180s seemed to have turned from unwanted embarrassment to the units that all aspiring operators want. In addition to Grand Central, First Hull Trains and Northern Rail acquired the units, with other operators eying them up.

180102 passes through the sylvan surroundings between Combe and Grintleyhill Bridge, on the Cotswold Line with the 10:52 Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street First Great Western service on 16 November 2007. This train was running 18 minutes late, which resulted in the 11:25 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington service having to wait at Ascott-under-Wychwood, until this unit cleared the single line section. Luckily it now looks certain that this intolerable bottleneck will be eliminated, with the re-instatement of double track on the 14 mile section between Wolvercote Junction and Ascott-under-Wychwood.

180102 arrives at Kingham station on 22 September 2008 with the 1W02 11:51 Paddington to Hereford First Great Western service. The view from the roadbridge in the background, looking back towards the station used to be a good photographic spot. As can be seen by the trees on both sides, it certainly isn't now!

180102 approaches Burn Lane on 17 June 2010 with the 1A95 08:12 Hull to Kings Cross First Hull Trains service. This section of line was one part of the East Coast Mainline, but due to the prospect of mining subsidence, a new section of line was constructed to the west in the early 1980s. Consequently this section of the route between Selby and Doncaster became a backwater and escaped the electrification that followed a few years later.

A pair of Class 180 Adelante units at Kingham station on 6 April 2007. On the left, 180113 waits with the 06:52 Paddington to Great Malvern First Great Western service, while 180103 arrives with the 07:08 Great Malvern to Paddington service, luckily for the sake of the photograph running 5 minutes late, thus enabling this passing shot. Note that 180103 retains the valance over the coupler, which latterly has been removed on most units.

180103 passes Lower Moor on 10 April 2007 with the 11:06 Great Malvern to Paddington First Great Western service. The Adelantie's days on the Cotswold Line were numbered when this picture was taken, but at least this unit's future would be more secure than that of the car in the field by the van bodies!

With the gentle curves of Brunel's Great Western Main Line emphasised by the use of a long lens, 180104 is pictured approaching Compton Beuachamp on 8 September 2006 with the 08:30 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington First Great Western service. The concrete footbridge in the distance marks the site of the former Ashbury level crossing.

180104 speeds past Aldermaston on 23 November 2007 with the 08:18 Paddington to Exeter St Davids First Great Western service, during the tail end of FGW's association with the class. Best described as an intermediate service, between the long distance trains to the far west (operated by HSTs) and the purely local trains (operated by Turbo units).

A pair of de-branded First Great Western 'Adelantes' 180104 & 180108 move slowly along the down relief line at Ruscombe on 17 April 2008, after weaving across from the main line and consequently being held up by the stopping train in front. Pairs of Class 180s working together were never common, but during their final days with the franchise seem to be happening more regularly. This is presumably an empty stock move.

180105 speeds along the Great Western Main Line at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth with the 13:30 Paddington to Cardiff Central First Great Western service on 9 October 2003. Their reign on these services was short lived, with the majority reverting to HSTs, while the 180s were concentrated on the Cotswold line and Paddington to Oxford services.

Well over a year since it should have been transferred away from the area, 180105 calls at Charlbury with the 11:22 Paddington to Great Malvern First Great Western service on 15 January 2009. Although the majority of the units were returned to their owners Angel Trains in early 2008, three sets were retained by First Great Western principally for use in pairs between London and Oxford. Consequently their appearance on the Cotswold Line has been comparatively rare, with HSTs and Turbo units now being the preferred traction.

180106 kicks up the dust as it approaches Shipton station with the 10:23 Worcester Foregate Street to Paddington First Great Western service on 30 October 2007. Notices on the station remind passengers that it is a no smoking station and periodic announcements inform passengers that any unattended bags will be removed. It doesn't say who is going to enforce these regulations, as the station is unmanned, virtually no trains stop there, and it is in a secluded location, well away from the nearest Network Rail employee!

180107 passes Baulking with a westbound ECS working on 12 October 2006. A common problem with streamlined train designs that feature a plastic faring at the front is the type of damage shown here, probably caused by hitting some insignificant object (or wildlife!) at speed.

180107 passes Churchill Heath Wood on 17 September 2007 with the 11:25 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington First Great Western service. Note the steel sleepers on the up line at this point. This location is midway between Kingham station and Bruern Crossing, and is a fair walk from the nearest road.

180107 passes Brimpton (between Midgham and Colthrop) with the 12:18 Paddington to Exeter St Davids First Great Western service on 23 November 2007. In addition to their main duties between Paddington and Oxford and on the Cotswold Line, Class 180s were still diagramed for a few of these medium distance trains in the final months of their use with First Great Western prior to being handed back to the leasing company.

Grand Central Railway's introduction of a London to Yorkshire direct service has seen the return of passenger trains to the Doncaster to Knottingley line, which had previously been a freight only route for many years. 180107 is seen here passing over one of the two level crossings in the village of Walden Stubbs, approximately half way along the route, with the 14:20 Kings Cross to Bradford Interchange service on 17 June 2010. Unfortunately the line is not very photogenic, with very few clear photographic locations.

With the autumn colours just starting to show on the trees, Class 180 Adelante unit 180108 heads along the Great Western Mainline at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth on 9 October 2003. It is working the 08:06 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington (via Gloucester) First Great Western service. The signal gantries visible in the distance in both directions from this bridge are a useful aid for photographers, as signals on all lines are manually controlled, so a green aspect indicates there is something arriving shortly!

180108 approaches Kintbury on 2 April 2007 with 11:54 Exeter St Davids to Paddington First Great Western service. This is basically an all stations (such as they are) service as far as Reading, from where it becomes non0stiop to Paddington.

180108 passes the south end of Hinksey Yard (near Oxford) with the 15:30 Oxford to Paddington First Great Western service on 2 May 2007. The growth in vegetation around the tracks at this point has now effectively screened out the former view of Oxford.

180108 passes Fairwood on 11 September 2007 with the 12:07 Exeter St Davids to Paddington First Great Western service. The bridge in the background spans the junction where the Westbury avoiding line rejoins the original route.

From the lofty vantage point of Grintleyhill Bridge near Combe, 180108 is pictured working the 10:23 Worcester Foregate Street to Paddington First Great Western service on 16 November 2007, during the final few weeks of the troubled class's use on the Cotswold Line. Lower Westfield Farm is prominent in the middle distance, while Wychwood Forest can be seen in the far distance. 

Even as late as Spring 2008 First Great Western were still operating a few Class 180 Adelante units in the Thames Valley. They were obviously keen to be rid of the class, as 180108 has had all traces of First Great Western branding removed, when pictured passing Goring with the 07:51 Paddington to Oxford service on 12 April 2008.

Didcot Power Station dominates the background at Cholsey on 15 June 2004 as 180109 speeds towards the capital with the 09:29 Cheltenham to Paddington First Great Western service. Cholsey station, which can just be seen in the background is served by stopping trains that use the relief lines on the right.

On a miserably dull 25 September 2004, 180109 passes Steventon with the 08:03 Paddington to Cheltenham First Great Western service. At least the dull conditions allowed a picture to be taken from this angle, which apart form very late evening in high summer is ruled out because of shadows.

Under a threatening sky, 180109 arrives at Charlbury on 1 March 2007 with the 13:23 Hereford to Paddington First Great Western service. Note the pile of concrete cable trough covers on the right, which are obviously desperately needed judging by the way the cables are strewn about at random all over the ballast at the side of the track.

With the clouds rolling in from the west in the background, 180109 weaves across from the relief to the main line at South Moreton with the 1P36 09:37 Worcester Foregate Street to Paddington First Great Western service on 24 May 2007. Even though Didcot Power Station's chimney is hidden from view behind the trees, its tell tale signature isn't!

180109 finds a very lucky patch of sunshine as it accelerates away from Westbury and passes Fairwood on 11 September 2007 with the 12:18 Paddington to Exeter St Davids First Great Western service. At the time these 'Adelantie' units were confined to the Exeter workings, with HSTs being deployed on the longer distance trains.

180109 approaches Bruern Crossing on 23 October 2007 with the 11:25 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington First Great Western service. It seems that in the last days of their use on the Cotswold Line the 180 Adelante units have generally been refitted with the coupler covers, which previously had often been missing.

180109 pulls slowly into Kingham station with the 11:25 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington First Great Western service on 29 November 2007. It was running a few minutes late, and I was worried that the 10:52 Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street which was now due would come in and block the shot. However, that was running even further behind time and did not arrive until this train had left. Yet another example of the poor timekeeping on the Cotswold Line in 2007.

180109 approaches the remote level crossing at Burn Lane (between Doncaster and Selby) with the 07:20 Kings Cross to Hull service. Despite being operated by First Hull Trains, the livery is the original colour scheme applied when the unit was part of the First Great Western fleet. Admittedly the companies are part of the same group, but this unit still looks a bit anonymous.

The troubled Class 180 Adelante units took over from Class 165 & 166 Turbo units on the Cotswold Line, and on 16 August 2006, 180110 is seen here approaching the site of Fladbury station with the 11:15 Paddington to Hereford service. Note the kink in the trackwork in the background where the single track moves from one side of the former double track formation to the other.

180110 passes Whitehill (between Combe and Finstock) on the Cotswold Line with the 13:52 Paddington to Great Malvern First Great Western service on 11 September 2006. Note the width of the trackbed here. Until 1971 this was double track and the it finally seems likely that it will be reinstated before the end of 2010.

180110 passes the site of Shrivenham station on 12 October 2006 with the 09:39 Cheltenham to Paddington First Great Western service. Although the industrial estate in the background occupies the site of the former yard, most other traces of the station were removing with the installation of the relief lines here in the mid 1990s.

180110 arrives at Honeybourne with the 11:34 Hereford to Paddington First Great Western service on 1 November 2006. Note the abandoned platforms and little used sidings on the background. This extra trackwork is the last vestige of a once extensive junction and track layout at this rural location.

On 2 May 2007, 180110 has just passed under the A423 Oxford by-pass, and will shortly be running alongside Hinksey Yard on the approach to the city with the 14:51 First Great Western service from Paddington. The train is just crossing over one of the many streams in this area, which has always been very prone to flooding.

After their short lived career with First Great Western, a number of Class 180 units were transferred to sister company First Hull Trains during 2008. On 10 March 2009, 180110 heads down the East Coast Mainline at Scrooby with the 15:18 Hull to Kings Cross service. It is approaching the site of Scrooby station, which closed in 1958.

The southern section of the Cotswold Line has become very overgrown in many places since the end of steam. Typical is the view at Whitehill on 11 September 2006, as 180111 heads south with the 12:55 Great Malvern to Paddi8ngton First Great Western service.

180111 passes Badsey on the Cotswold Line with the 09:03 Great Malvern to Hereford First Great Western service on 6 April 2007. As this was Good Friday, a Saturday timetable was in use. This is on the long single track section between Evesham and Moreton-in-Marsh, which causes considerable operational difficulties at times.

December 2007 was due to see the end of Class 180 operations with First Great Western over the Cotswold Line, so on 23 October 2007 a concerted effort was made to photograph these units on my local line. It proved somewhat frustrating, as most of the locations I used during the 1980s, when the remaining through trains were loco hauled, have become completely overgrown. However, this location has stayed comparatively free of bushes. 180111 heads south from Moreton-in-Marsh with the 10:23 Worcester Foregate Street to Paddington First Great Western service.

180111 makes good use of its 125mph top speed as it passes Frinkley Lane (near Grantham) with the 15:06 Hull to Kings Cross Hull Trains service on 25 July 2009. The last time I saw this unit is was working for First Great Western on my local Cotswold Line.

180111 approaches Cross Common Level Crossing (near Wressle) with the 12:45 Hull to Kings Cross First Hull Trains service on 1 October 2009. It still carries the original First Great Western livery, with the branding subtly altered to read Hull Trains. Rather than a conventional picture which would only have accentuated the pylons in the background, I decided on a wider view and included the level crossing warning notices, giving this view of a typical modern automatic half barrier crossing, so common in rural eastern England.

180112 approaches the site of Shrivenham station with the 11:45 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads First Great Western service on 27 October 2003. I'm sure regular travelers on this route were not impressed when some HSTs were replaced with these units in 2002, but they needn't have worried as the quality traction was back within a couple of years!

180112 takes the Swindon line at Standish Junction on 10 September 2006 with the 15:33 Cheltenham to Paddington First Great Western service. By this date FGW had largely abandoned the use of the faring that covered the front coupler, and although this looses some of the sleek streamline look of the class, at least it doesn't make them look as ugly as their Class 175 cousins!.

With only a year of operations left, before First Great Western hands the whole class back to the leasing company in favour of more refurbished thirty year old HSTs, Class 180 Adelante unit 180112 accelerates away from Moreton-in-Marsh station on 23 November 2006 with the 11:34 Hereford to Paddington service. Apart from the fact that the signal box has been fitted with replacement windows, the whole signalling installation here is still very definitely steam age! Despite the fact that by this date most of the leaves had fallen, there is still plenty of autumn colour on show here, particularly the small beech tree on the left.

180112 passes under the Yarnton to Cassington road and speeds towards the site of the erstwhile Yarnton Junction, where until 1970 the Fairford Branch (truncated to Witney since 1962) joined the Oxford to Worcester line. The train is the 11:25 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington First Great Western service and the date is 2 May 2007.

One of my favourite photographic locations on the Cotswold Line during the 1980s was the remote farm occupation bridge near Churchill Heath. This offered a superb view of northbound trains in the evening and was well worth the long walk. Unfortunately a couple of decades later the location is not so good, with bushes obscuring the classic viewpoint. However, on 17 September 2007 the sun was not out, so I could take this picture from the 'wrong' side. 180112 heads north with the 10:52 Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street First Great Western service.

180112 James Herriot, in the stylish Grand Central black livery, passes Burn on 11 March 2010 with the 1A62 12:30 Sunderland to Kings Cross service. This livery certainly suits these high speed units very well, and is in excellent taste compared with some of the train operating company's attempts at a corporate image! Grand Central Railways named 180112 after the legendary Yorkshire vet (real name James Alfred Wight) at Kings Cross on 29 July 2009.

180112 James Herriot passes Walden Stubbs on 17 June 2010 with the 15:22 Bradford Interchange to Kings Cross Grand Central service. This previously freight only route between Knottingley and Doncaster now has three booked passenger trains in each direction daily. The stylish black livery is not really improved by the yellow striped edging on the front valence, and it doesn't seem to serve any purpose. Hopefully not another example of HSE meddling!

180113 passes Chilson on 10 August 2007 with the 08:24 Worcester Foregate Street to Paddington First Great Western service. This was shortly after the disastrous floods, and although the railway seems to have escaped here, just down the road the field walls had been demolished by the force of the water flooding out from the nearby River Evenlode.

180113 speeds past the site of Shrivenham station on 17 December 2007 with the 11:30 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads First Great Western service. The class would very soon come to the end of its brief and turbulent career with FGW, and move on to pastures new.

The blackthorn is in flower at Bretforton on 6 April 2007 as 180113 passes by with the 10:23 Worcester Foregate Street to Paddington First Great Western service. Although the set number is not displayed, the unit can clearly be identified from the last two digits of the leading vehicle (59913). All the individual vehicle numbers in Class 180 units have the same last two digits. 180113 being made up of: 59913, 56913, 55913, 54913 & 50913.

The December 2007 timetable change did not see the end of Class 180s on the Cotswold Line as originally planned, but HSTs have taken over a number of workings, pending the complete removal of the Adelantes in early 2008. 180113 passes Bretforton (between Honeybourne and Evesham) with the 09:51 Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street First Great Western service on 19 December 2007.

With Wressle station visible in the background, 180113 approaches Cross Common Level Crossing with the 11:48 Kings Cross to Hull First Hull Trains service on 1 October 2009. This is the livery that presumably these units would have ended up in if they had stayed with First Great Western, albeit with different branding. The original Hull Trains livery as used on the Class 222s has not been applied now that the company is trading as part of the First Group.

180113 passes Noblethorpe on 17 June 2010 with the 1H02 09:48 Kings Cross to Hull First Hull Trains service. Unlike Noblethorpe level crossing, which because it only connects a farm with adjacent fields sees virtually no traffic, the level crossing that can just glimpsed through the heat haze by the signal in the background (Joan Croft) sees constant use. Both these crossings still retain manually operated gates.

When first introduced, the Class 180 Adelante units were used on London to Bristol services alongside HSTs. On 12 June 2003, 180114 leads another unidentified unit past South Marston with the 17:15 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads First Great Western service, while a another unit on a balancing working can be seen disappearing into the distance.

Class 180s never had any booked workings on the Gloucester to Bristol route, so this is presumably a Hereford to Bristol Temple Meads ECS move. On 2 August 2003, 180114 passes Rangeworthy in glorious evening light. Although reasonably clear, this is another location that would be improved photographically by the removal of all the lineside vegetation.

180114 speeds past Bourton on 8 September 2006 with the 09:29 Cheltenham to Paddington First Great Western service. This is one of the lesser used locations in the Vale of White Horse, mainly because the bridge is down a rough track, which is OK in the summer, but can get a bit tricky to negotiate with a car during the winter.

180114 speeds past the site of Uffington loops on 9 September 2006 with the 11:29 Cheltenham to Paddington First Great Western service. Although this a public footpath crossing, it always seems rather strange taking pictures at this location, standing on the ballast which at any other location would be blatant trespass! Nature is gradually reclaiming the site of the former freight loops (replaced by the four track section further east), with brambles leading the advance and colonising the ballast.

Just to the north of Kingham station, on the Cotswold Line, a well used footpath linking the villages of Bledington and Kingham crosses the line. On 5 April 2007 I revisited the location after a break of several years, only to find the lineside bushes had grown somewhat. Therefore, I decided to include the crossing notice in a wider than normal picture. The highest number Adelante unit 180114 slows for the Kingham stop with the 15:20 Hereford to Paddington First Great Western service.