1001 with DMBSO 60000 Hastings leading passes through Cowden station with the 08:34 Oxted to Uckfield service on Sunday 25 May 1997, during the Connex South Central's Uckfield Line Gala weekend. Note the long disused up platform, now virtually covered by grass and bushes. It was not far from here that a Class 205 ran past a red signal in 1994 and collided with a train on the single track section. Prior to the advent of radios in the cabs there was no means for the signalman (who was obviously aware of what was happening) to notify either driver.

1001 has traveled widely in its new role and it seen here at the unlikely location of Great Yarmouth. It is arriving with the 13:35 Norwich to Great Yarmouth service on 31 August 1998, during its period on hire to Anglia Railways. After spending thirty years shuttling backwards and forwards between London and Hastings, since being acquired by Hastings Diesels Ltd the unit has often broken free of the former Southern Region. Great Yarmouth is a shadow of its former self, note the grass grown carriage sidings in the background.

1001 passes through West Runton station on 26 September 1998 with the Pathfinder Tours 'Norfolk Excursioner' railtour, which at this point is running as the 2G02 14:15 Norwich to Sheringham, having previously arrived in Norfolk as the 1Z27 05:37 Cardiff Central to Norwich. To complete the day's itinerary it would work the 2G01 15:16 Sheringham to Norwich, and 1Z79 16:23 Norwich to Cardiff Central, arriving back in Wales at 23:09. Over 17 hours of thumping across the country!

Terrible photographic conditions with extreme backlighting, but Thumper Units are extremely rare in the Oxford area, so the picture definitely had to be taken! With Didcot Power Station prominent in the background, 1001 passes through Radley station with the Hastings Diesels Ltd Hastings to Oxford 'Oxford Rover' railtour on 9 December 2000. The acute lighting in this picture clearly shows up the standard width coaches added in the centre of the formation.

1001 passes slowly through Castle Bar Park with the Branch Line Society 'Western Essex Express' railtour on 20 April 2002. At this point it was running 30 minutes late as the 1Z67 11:50 Royal Oak Headshunt to Chelmsford. This mammoth tour started from Hastings at 06:07 and visited numerous sections of rare track around the London and Essex areas before finally arriving back at Hastings at 23:58! It managed to regain all of its lost time, despite being hampered here by being directly behind the 13:32 Greenford to Paddington train.

1001 with DMBS 60118 Tunbridge Wells leading thumps through Dean with the Hastings Diesels Ltd 1Z84 07:44 Hastings to Salisbury 'Wiltshire Warrior' railtour on 21 March 2009. Note the odd appearance created by the inclusion of standard width former 4-BIG buffet car 69337 in the centre of the formation, in what is otherwise a train of 'Hastings Gauge' Class 202 vehicles. Needless to say there were a large number of photographers on Dean station to photograph this train, as there were also numerous diversions to photograph.

As the last of the sunlight fades away, 1001 with 60116 Mountfield leading rounds the curve from the Romsey line and approaches Eastleigh with the Hastings Diesels Ltd 1Z85 16:11 Salisbury to Hastings 'Wiltshire Warrior' railtour on 21 March 2009. This spot was chosen as not only is it a clearly identifiable location but it is also about the only place where the sun would be on the front of the train. If it had been running any later the shadow of the Lidl supermarket which is just out of shot to left would have caused problems, even though the light was getting so weak.

1001 thumps through Kemble station with the Hastings Diesels Ltd 1Z27 07:00 Hastings to Worcester Shrub Hill 'Worcester Leveller' railtour on 3 October 2009. A day of intermittent rain and high winds, but this view is taken from the covered station footbridge, so is an ideal vantage point in such poor weather conditions. The timing of this tour was quite critical, as there are only a certain number of paths over the single track section from here to Swindon (the tracks can just be seen converging in the background).

1001 passes milepost 68 as it heads west near Uffington on 24 April 2010 with the Hastings Diesels Ltd 1Z86 07:30 Hastings to Bridgnorth 'Severn Explorer' railtour. Although it doesn't look like it here, the sin is actually out, but there is so much hazy cloud diffusing the light that there are virtually no shadows. Typical, as this spot was chosen as the sun would just be on the front end at the required time! Note the seed heads of the Great Reedmace (Typha latifolia) growing in the lineside ditch. This is the plant that is commonly (but incorrectly) called the Bulrush.

1001 passes the site of Bletchingdon station on 24 April 2010 with the Hastings Diesels Ltd 1Z87 15:32 Bridgnorth to Hastings 'Severn Explorer' railtour. Note the inclusion of two standard width vehicles in the middle of this otherwise 'Hastings Gauge' unit. Bletchingdon station closed in 1964, but the site is still used for a once common railway activity - the distribution of domestic coal.

1005 & 1007 pull away from Westbury station with the Branch Line Society 1Z26 'Bedlam Belle' railtour on 8 March 1986. The tour, which had started from Eastbourne at 06:20 had just visited both Merehead and Whatley quarries. Just visible in the background is a host of classic rail blue traction, including a Class 122 'bubble car' and several Class 47s & 56s.

1007 arrives at a very foggy Stonegate with the 08:45 Charing Cross to Hastings service on 15 March 1986. This was the penultimate day of DEMU operation on the route. Note the newly installed, but as yet unused 750V DC third rail. This picture proves that this website doesn't completely deserve the title Hondawanderer, but then Vauxhallwanderer just doesn't have the same ring to it!

With a cheery wave from a member of the station staff, 1013 arrives at Stonegate with the 09:43 Hastings to Charing Cross service on 15 March 1986. Invisible due both to the fog and the curve of the track, unit 1035 brings up the rear of the train. Note the sign on the platform indicating that the line will be electrified from the following Monday. As can be seen, the third rail has yet to see any use and is still rusty.

With the M5 Avonmouth bridge in the background, 1017 passes Portbury on 12 October 1985 with the SEG/RCTS 1Z39 'Somerset & Avon Hastings DEMU Railtour'. The train had started from Watford Junction and visited several lines in the Bristol area, this branch to Portishead undoubtedly being the highlight of the day. Much has changed since this picture was taken, and you would find it very difficult to even recognise this spot now. Although the track still lurks in the undergrowth, trees have now completely engulfed this view and the rough field behind and to the left of the train is now occupied by a massive industrial unit and its associated car park.

1017 returns from Portishead and passes Portbury with the SEG/RCTS 1Z39 'Somerset & Avon Hastings DEMU Railtour' on 12 October 1985. This line had closed to passengers in 1964 and freight in 1981, but was visited by a number of specials during 1985, mainly marking the 150th anniversary of the GWR. Was this railtour the last train on the branch? Note the newly laid track. This just proves the old saying, that if the stations on a line get a coat of paint the line is probably going to be closed, and if the track is relaid it definitely is!

1017 rounds the curve towards the level crossing at Iron Acton, on the Tytherington branch with the SEG/RCTS 1Z39 'Somerset & Avon Hastings DEMU Railtour' on 12 October 1985.This is quite oviously a going away shot, but is included here because not only is the light at the right angle, but the approaching shot was almost impossible due to being through a tunnel of trees. In addition to the Tytherington branch, this tour also visited Portishead, Severn Beach & Sharpness.

1017 slowly weaves off the Tytherington branch and rejoins the mainline at Yate with the SEG/RCTS 1Z39 'Somerset & Avon Hastings DEMU Railtour' on 12 October 1985. It would shortly reverse and continue on towards the next of its branch line visits - Sharpness. However, by now the light was going, so I headed home. 1017 was withdrawn a few months later and all six vehicles were cut up at Mayer Newman, Snailwell between 1988 and 1990.

1032 thumps through Charlbury station with the SEG/RCTS Hastings to Kidderminster 'Severn Valley Rambler' railtour on 13 October 1984. After seeing 33207 & 33025 pass this spot on 23 August 2008, I had mentioned to several people that they were not the rarest Southern Region traction to pass this way. This is possibly the only time a Hastings unit has traversed the Cotswold Line (confirmation anybody?), and rather like the 33 tour happened in appalling light, which was no joke when using Kodachrome 64! Note that this is before the platform was extended.

The Hastings units visited all kinds of places that they had never ventured to before in their last few months of service. Here we see 1032 on the Chiltern Line near Dunsmore on 11 May 1986 with the 1Z25 LCGB / SEG 'Hastings DEMU Farewell' railtour. The tour had started from Clapham Junction at 09:03 and traveled to Aylesbury with 1032 coupled to 1002. The two units then traveled back to London approximately fifteen minutes apart, before reforming for a run via Reading and Wokingham.