31101 entered preservation in 1994 in this variation of rail blue livery, a livery which it has since reacquired after a period in BR green. It is pictured here approaching Ewood Bridge on the East Lancashire Railway with the 10:00 Bury to Rawtenstall service on 10 June 1994, during the line's Diesel Gala. The loco originally entered service in October 1958 as D5518.

31101 & 31130 Calder Hall Power Station pass Carlton with the 12:00 Shackerstone to Shenton service on 19 September 2009, during the Battlefield Line's Diesel Gala. Although still quite bright, the sun dipped slightly just as this train passed, probably getting its own back for my earlier success with 56040!

Running 35 minutes late, 31105 passes Knighton on the balmy evening of 12 June 1983 with the 5C83 18:25 Paddington to Cardiff Canton ECS. The stock had earlier formed the 1A83 12:50 Milford Haven to Paddington, but I doubt if the venerable 31 had been employed on that. This picture is taken from the site of the former Knighton Crossing, which had been made redundant by a new underbridge in the early 1970s. At this time it was still possible to stand on the old roadway, which had yet to be securely fenced off from the line. Although not a particularly scenic location, it did give a nearly uninterrupted view of westbound trains on a late summer evening, albeit slightly impeded by the old PW hut and assorted lineside paraphernalia.

Network Rail's 31105 & 31285 were the star attraction on the Railway Children 'Bristol Coal-Stone Haul' railtour on 3 June 2007. Here they are seen from the lofty vantage point of the M5 Avon Bridge as they pass Lodway with the 1Z20 10:00 Bristol Temple Meads to Portbury Dock section of the tour. This is where the newly constructed line veers away from the former Portishead branch, which can be seen heading across the centre of the picture. Although heavily overgrown, the track is still in situ.

I had originally intended to photograph 31105 & 31285 from this angle at Lodway when they headed for Portbury with the Railway Children 'Bristol Coal-Stone Haul' railtour on 3 June 2007. However, as it seemed that the sun might come out (no such luck!) I photographed them from the other side. So after the tour's brief stop in Portbury, and with no other suitable location within walking distance, it was back to my original spot as 50049 led the tour back towards Bristol as the 1Z21 10:30 Portbury Dock to Bath Spa, with 31105 & 31285 bringing up the rear.

31105 & 31285 storm out of Patchway Tunnel with the 1Z24 12:10 St. Andrews Road to Tyherington section of the Railway Children 'Bristol Coal-Stone Haul' railtour on 3 June 2007. The photo is taken from the footbridge next to the brickworks at Cattybrook. The brickworks is still a thriving business today, but is chiefly noted for the fact that it supplied over 19 million bricks for the construction of the Severn Tunnel.

31105 & 31285 approach the southern entrance to Wickwar Tunnel with the Railway Children 'Bristol Coal-Stone Haul' railtour on 3 June 2007, at this point running 45 minutes late as 1Z25 15:15 Tyherington to Bristol Temple Meads (via Gloucester and Chepstow). As the weather was deteriorating I decided to head home rather than continue on to Severn Beach.

24 cylinders of English Electric racket attract the attention of the locals, as 31106 The Blackcountryman & 31102 Cricklewood pass Madeley with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1T56 'Lyme Chordial' railtour on 27 August 1995. The tour had just visited the Silverdale Colliery branch, with 56049 working top'n'tail.

31106 passes Shorthampton on 23 September 2009 with the 4Z10 07:50 Derby RTC to Bristol Kingsland Road Network Rail test train. The train had already passed this spot once with DBSO 9714 leading, now after a reversal at Oxford it is testing the newly realigned track between Charlbury and Ascott-under-Wychwood. The previously centered track had recently been slewed to the left in readiness for reinstatement of double track. Note the piles of shredded branches and the remains of tree stumps that indicate that this location was once heavily overgrown.

In a very lucky few minutes worth of sunshine, 31106 leaves the recently reinstated section of Cotswold Line double track near Charlbury on 12 September 2011, as it heads slowly towards Oxford with the 3Z13 08:23 Derby RTC to Bristol Kingsland Road test train. This is my first picture of the new junction, and it is slightly ironic that the first picture should be something as out of the ordinary as this! Note how 31106 has a slightly lopsided appearance, due to having a much thicker window surround on the right hand window.

D5528 (31110) & 31154 pass through Brandon station on 21 August 1999 with the A1A Charters 1Z42 09:03 Kings Cross to Lowestoft 'A Farewell 11 Arms' railtour. The 31s worked the train as far as Norwich, from where 37513 & 37713 took over. D5528 would receive the name Traction Magazine at the East Lancashire Railway a few weeks later.

Viewed from the lofty heights of Grintleyhill Bridge, Combe, 31116 heads back to Hinksey with a train of recovered track panels and assorted engineers wagons from track relaying near Finstock on 31 March 1985. Although this is still an excellent location for southbound trains, these small lineside trees have grown considerably in recent years.

A world away from what you would see at this location today! 31122 & 31282 amble slowly past Bourton on 21 October 1983 with the 8A27 09:00 Severn Tunnel Junction to Acton vacuum braked freight. This was principally a service bringing domestic coal to the capital, and various grades of coal can be seen in the equally varied rake of vintage wagons. On this occasion the train is also conveying several parcels vans and a couple of engineers wagons near the rear of the train. Non air braked revenue earning freight trains were already rare by this date, and would disappear altogether a few years later. Another thing to note is that there is barely any evidence of Swindon's expansion on the horizon, in contrast to the scene just fifteen years later.

It is 9 December 1986, and 31123 is already expecting snow as it approaches Didcot North Junction with the 3V19 09:35 Oxford to Old Oak Common empty newspaper vans. I haven't got many pictures of snowplough fitted 31s in BR service, and this is also the only time I saw this particular locomotive on the national network. However, I later photographed it extensively during its second career as a preserved locomotive on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway. Unfortunately that was not permanent, and the locomotive was broken up in 2006.

To prove that preservation should not be taken for granted, this immaculate Class 31, D5541 (31123) pictured at Hailes on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway in 1995, is now no more, having been cut up in 2006 after donating all useful components to other preserved Class 31s. It is working the 12:10 Toddington to Far Stanley service on 18 March 1995, during the line's Diesel Gala. proudly wearing a 'Cathedrals Express' headboard.

The one that got away. The now scrapped D5541 (31123) heads south past Hailes on 7 August 1995 with the 13:00 Toddington to Far Stanley freight, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Week. 1M60 is definitely not the correct headcode for this type of train!

D5541 (31123) emerges from Greet Tunnel on 7 August 1995 with a Far Stanley to Toddington demonstration freight. Unfortunately the day that D5541 was rostered for this train turned out to be mostly cloudy, unlike the rest of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's 1995 Diesel Week. Although obviously I had seen the train on the outward trip, the fact that it just fits in the available gap here is more by luck than judgement!

D5541 stands in Toddington Yard on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway on the night of 11 November 1995, in the company of Hymek D7017, 26403 & Class 14 D9533. It had recently suffered a major electrical failure during the line's diesel gala, and was out of action. After a long period languishing in the yard it was eventually sold to A1A Locomotives Ltd. After removal of all useable it was broken up at Booths scrapyard in Rotherham in 2006

31127 & 31226 approach Circourt Bridge, Denchworth with the F&W Railtours Plymouth to Sheerness 'Kent Hopper' railtour on 5 January 1985. The bright conditions seen here didn't last, and the route had to be amended slightly in Kent due to heavy snow. Both these locomotives are no longer with us. 31127 being withdrawn with fire damage in June 1989 and cut up shortly afterwards at Vic Berry's. Leicester. 31226 had an even more spectacular end when it ran away with 31202 and ended up on top of that loco's roof on the North Circular Road in Cricklewood! Needless to say it was withdrawn, but wasn't cut up until 1991, at MC Metals, Glasgow.

Praktica time again, with all the usual caveats with regard to image quality! 31132 passes Compton Beauchamp with the 3A12 08:55 Carmarthen to Old Oak Common empty newspaper vans on a very gloomy 15 December 1979. The main interest here is the inclusion of several Great Western Railway designed (although BR built) Syphon G vans in the formation. By this time classed as NNV under the TOPS system, these vintage vehicles did not survive in service for much longer.

31135 slows to a crawl so that a member of the train crew can open the level crossing gates at Histon on 14 September 1991. The train is returning from Fen Drayton to Cambridge, during the Network Gala Day. Bizarrely the stock is 25kV EMU 312787. The neat line of sand deposited in the 'four foot' clearly indicates why this rural byway was kept open. Sadly it was not to last much longer, closing the following year. After lying abandoned for years, it is, a I type this (December 2010) just about to open as a guided busway - a remarkable and slightly dubious transition.

31142 basks in the golden winter afternoon light at is passes Frisby-on-the-Wreake with the 1M67 12:10 Cambridge to Birmingham New Street service on 8 December 1984. Booked for an ETH Class 31/4, the passengers are presumably feeling a bit chilly on this occasion! 31142 managed to survive to very nearly the end of general Class 31 usage on the main line, being withdrawn in 1999. It was cut up at T. J. Thompson's in Stockton in 2003.

31143 & 31463 race through Shippea Hill with the 1P32 07:49 Leeds to Great Yarmouth service on 20 September 1986. Shippea Hill signal box was at the time propped up with huge baulks of timber against the rear of the building. As can be seen this had not been entirely successful in preventing the whole structure leaning backwards! In 2007 the signal box is in better shape, having been straightened up. Unfortunately the same can not be said of 31143, which was scrapped in 1989. 31463 has however survived into preservation.

31145 rounds 'Cemetery Curve', on the approach to Oxford station with the as required Littlemore to Stanlow oil empties on 1 December 1983. All is now history. The oil depot at Littlemore (just a short distance down the Morris Cowley branch) is now closed and 31145 has been scrapped. Also this view has changed considerably, and not for the better! Plenty of evidence of change here, with new houses going up in the background. On the left, the former GWR goods shed has just been demolished, although for the time being one wall has been left standing.

31146 passes Milton, to the north of Cambridge on 4 November 1986 with two twin car DMU sets, presumably from Norwich Crown Point. This picture would be impossible to replicate today, as not only has the locomotive been cut up (at C. F. Booths of Rotherham), but also the view is obstructed by vegetation, and also by the overhead wires and masts of the late 1980s electrification, which have completely ruined the location.

31159 passes Newton Longville, on the Oxford to Bletchley freight only line with the 6B20 10:20 Akeman Street to Bletchley UKF fertiliser empties on 15 November 1986. All is now history, as the fertiliser traffic no longer runs and consequently and through lack of any other traffic on the route, the line is now closed. 31159 was cut up in 1996 and even the distinctive PWA pallet vans are no longer in use. This is the only time I managed to photograph this train in good light.

Under gloomy skies, 31160 waits in the engineering possession at Ascott-under-Wychwood on 4 May 1986. Although parked in a rather difficult position for photography, it does show the village of Ascott-under-Wychwood in the background, which is not normally visible in railway pictures taken from the more conventional viewpoints. Someone (possibly during the lengthy periods in the engineering occupations when nothing seems to be happening) has decided to start cleaning the large BR double arrow on the bodyside, but obviously lost interest half way through! Luckily the weather had improved by the time the train headed back to Oxford in the afternoon.

In a brief patch of sunshine, 31160 passes Cornbury Park on the Cotswold Line, with an engineer's train returning from track relaying work at Ascott-under-Wychwood on Sunday 4 May 1986. This location is just south of Charlbury station, and the tower of St. Mary's church in Charlbury can be seen on the horizon. This loco was to gain minor celebrity status three years later when it was adorned with the hand painted name Phoenix whilst wearing Railfreight Distribution livery.

With a fisherman caught in the act of catapulting ground bait into the River Nene in the foreground, 5580 arrives at Wansford with the 12:00 service from Peterborough on 16 January 2000, during the Nene Valley Railway's Diesel Gala. The loco was celebrating its 40th anniversary at the time. Unfortunately the English rural scene is slightly spoiled by the foreign coaching stock.

Viewed from a train approaching Toddington station, 5580 heads a line up of locomotives at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's headquarters on 23 August 2008. The other locos in the line are: 47701, 37324, 47105, 24081 & 37215, with 47376 Freightliner 1995 on the left.

For me the highlight of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala on 5 April 2009 was the use of 5580, which is on loan to the railway. As I had not previously got a picture of this loco on the line, I was annoyed when the sun had virtually disappeared by the time of its first run. Luckily however, a small patch of sun appeared just as it passed me on the approach to Greet with the 11:25 Toddington to Winchcombe service.

5580 opens up as it passes Winchcombe's home signal on 5 April 2009 during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. It is rounding what is locally known as 'Chicken Curve' near Greet whilst working the 11:55 Winchcombe to Toddington service. The use of this loco fits in well with all the other rail blue locos on the line. In fact the only non rail blue loco is use over the Diesel Gala weekend was Class 20 D8137. Some matching coaching stock would be nice now!

5580 crosses over the B4632 Winchcombe to Toddington road at Greet, as it pulls away from Winchcombe station on 5 April 2009 with the late running 13:56 Winchcombe to Toddington service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. This picture could very easily have been ruined by some brightly coloured lorry coming under the bridge at the critical moment, or even worse by one blocking out the foreground! Note the building materials reclamation yard on the left.

5580 has just passed Cheltenham Racecourse's fixed distant signal and is passing near the village of Southam on 5 April 2009, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. It is working the late running 15:20 Toddington to Cheltenham Racecourse service.

Sunday 5 April 2009 had started sunny but the latter half of the day was cloudy and by late afternoon it was very gloomy. However, just as the late running 16:15 Cheltenham Racecourse to Toddington service was about to depart a small hole opened up in the clouds. Although it would have been a lot more helpful if this lighting had happened when 5580 arrived from Toddington a few minutes earlier, this extreme backlighting with dark clouds is certainly effective. The train is pictured approaching Southam, with Cheltenham Racecourse visible on the horizon.

On a scorchingly hot 26 June 1983, 31170 & 31110 amble along the Oxford to Banbury line near Yarnton with a load of ballast to be used a little further up the line during track relaying works. Although not obvious here, single line working is in force, with a gang of workers working on the up line a few hundred yards further on. This location has changed considerably and certainly not for the better. It is no longer possible to get this wide open viewpoint. The footpath crossing in the background was replaced by a bridge approximately twenty years after this picture was taken.

At least the people in the coach are warm! 31179 pulls into Cheltenham Spa station with an inspection saloon on 17 November 1982, with plenty of evidence that the steam heating is working. 31179 was equipped with electric train heating and renumbered to 31 435 a couple of years after this picture was taken. It has since been preserved and is now to be found at the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway, wearing its original green livery and carrying its original number D5600.

Just imagine the racket this pair are making! 31188 & 31205 pass Clay Mills (Hargate) on 4 September 1991 with the 6M57 09:48 Humber to Kingsbury oil tanks. Although this pair look a bit scruffy, most of the times that I photographed 31s on this working they looked a good deal worse. Although whenever I used to visit this location in the 1980s and early 1990s it was always referred to as Clay Mills, nowadays it seems to be known as Hargate, after a former signal box, but you trying finding any mention of Hargate on the OS map!

31190 passes Dolwyddelen on 27 August 1994 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z46 07:07 York to Trawsfynydd 'Trawsfynydd Trekker' railtour. For once the weather has behaved itself and provided sunshine at the critical moment. The slightly elevated viewpoint gives an excellent view of the area, with Pont y Llan Bridge being just in the right position for a perfect picture. Dolwyddelen station can just be seen underneath the bridge, behind 31327, which is on the rear of the train.

D5613 (31190) has full power applied as it struggles northwards at Bishops Itchington on 14 November 2009 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z22 06:07 Eastleigh to Donnington Freight Terminal 'Boot and Hoot' railtour. It had taken over from 66139 at Fenny Compton, approximately two miles away, and as a 31 isn't exactly overpowered when hauling a nine coach train, no speed records were being broken. In fact a CrossCountry Voyager was following right behind at reduced speed, with a Wrexham & Shropshire service directly behind that, both being held up by this vintage loco!

During their last years as EWS locomotives, the Class 31s were in a terrible state, as witnessed here on 15 May 1997 at Slindon by 31201 & 31450 on the 6S44 Willesden to Mossend Enterprise service. 31201 doesn't look like it has had a wash in years, and also has been repaired with a cab door from a blue liveried loco, while 31450 is clearly not in the best of health, as it appears to be boiling over, with coolant spewing out of the roof and streaming down the side. Already running 25 minutes late, I presume this delay only got worse!

31233 was named Severn Valley Railway at Crewe diesel depot on 6 May 1993, prior to its use at the eponymous line's Diesel Gala the following day. It is seen here rounding the curve at Dowles on 7 May heading for Bridgnorth . The trackbed in the foreground marks the site of the junction for the Tenbury Wells line.

31246 leaves a dull and slightly misty Oxford on 1 December 1983 with the 3V19 04:50 Banbury to Old Oak Common empty newspaper vans. If you are wondering how it is possible to have a daylight picture of a train with this early a departure from Banbury in nearly midwinter, it is simply explained by the train's booked layover time at Oxford from 05:22 to 09:35. It is here leaving the customary five minutes early, after having had more than ample time to attach the required vans in Oxford's bay platform. The loco is long gone, and so is the carriage of newspapers by rail.

31259 & 31117 pass the site of Purton station on 4 April 1982 with the 3A16 Gloucester to Old Oak Common empty vans. There is still some evidence of the old station, with a GWR corrugated iron lamp hut visible in the middle distance. It is interesting to note that all the vehicles visible in this picture were manufactured in Britain. The Class 31s (Loughborough), Hillman Imp (Linwood), Jaguar XJ6 (Coventry) & Reliant Scimitar (Tamworth). Unfortunately if such a scene was repeated today I don't think there would be many British products on view!

31271 passes Castor on the Nene Valley Railway with the 2E47 11:33 Wansford to Peterborough service during the line's Diesel Gala. After a sunny start, the cloud built up rapidly during the day, leading to some anxious moments as the trains came into view. The long stretches of straight track and the 25mph speed limit mean you keep watching the train expectantly as the clouds pass across the sun! Luckily all was well with on this occasion.

31293 passes Abbotswood on 6 July 1985 with the 12:55 York to Swansea relief. Not only is the sight of a Class 31 on a rake of blue and grey Mk 1 coaches now a thing of the past, but also the provision of relief services to cope with unexpected seasonal demand is also something that today's railway is ill-equipped to provide. It didn't really help much in this case however, as the 31 failed at Miskin. It was probably tempting fate by only using one anyway!

The 5Z85 10:05 Gloucester to Long Marston stock move on 19 December brought four Class 31s for storage, from their previous storage site at Meldon Quarry. 31437, 31423, 31301 & 31439 are pictured arriving at Long Marston hauled by 47237. While 31437 just looks like a normal tatty Dutch liveried 31, and both 31 423 & 31439 have received a coat of blue paint (at least on the sides), 31301 is a fine example to all modellers that you can never have too much weathering! This is what nearly ten years in open storage does. Amid all the rust, graffiti and remnants of the Railfreight red stripe livery, traces of the earlier rail blue livery can also bee seen.

31308, 31271 & 31514 approach Banbury on 10 August 1996 with the 33111 Charters 1Z63 06:44 Preston to Newmarket 'Multiple Marauder' railtour. With plenty of power available, this ensemble nearly reached the magic 100mph in the Thames Valley, but unfortunately 31514 then decided to thrown in the towel, and afterwards became a dead weight until the loco change at Kensington Olympia, which saw three Class 33s take over.

31308 & 31154 pass Kempston on 12 October 1998 with the 6A61 08:00 Cricklewood to Forders Sidings binliner. Just look at the size of those rusty holes on the front of 31308! Obviously it was in much better mechanical shape than it was cosmetically, as it managed to survive in traffic for another year.

With the spire of St Andrews church, Heckington visible in the background, 31315 passes Great Hale on 11 August 1984 with the late running 1D20 09:00 Leeds to Skegness service. A relic from the steam age, Heckington goods shed can just be seen in the background. Equally ancient are the telegraph wires, once a common feature often getting in the way of good railway photography.

31327 passes Teiliau on 27 August 1994 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z46 14:58 Trawsfynydd to York 'Trawsfynydd Trekker' railtour. 31190 had taken the tour down the branch and can just be seen smoking gently on the rear of the train. This line was kept open to serve the nuclear power station, but finally succumbed in 1998.