I think this is possibly one of my finest railway pictures. The ideal combination of stunning early morning lighting with dark clouds in the background, an identifiable location, classic traction and an interesting train make this hard to beat. With Didcot Power Station in the background, 37010 approaches Culham with the 6Z23 Thameshaven to Littlemore oil train on 15 May 1997. This was the first oil train to run to Littlemore for many years, but sadly this resurgence in traffic didn't last long. In the still morning air the train could be heard coming all the way from Didcot, three miles away, giving me several minutes warning of its approach. Unfortunately the 6x7 slide of this picture seems to have gone missing after being published, so this is from a 35mm Fujichrome Sensia slide.

37025 Inverness TMD finds a little patch of weak sunshine amidst the dark clouds as it rolls past Rhyl with the 6F11 11:03 Penmaenmawr to Warrington Arpley ballast on 26 August 1996. This loco is wearing a kind of intermediate livery, based on the large logo colour scheme, although clearly it has no BR logos at all. Otherwise the extended yellow around the cabs with black window surrounds and larger numbers is the same format as the large logo livery. 37025 was withdrawn in 1999, but has since found a home at the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway.

37038 passes Hinksey Yard (near Oxford) towing 87022 Cock o' the North as the 0Z87 11:46 Oxley to Wembley on 2 January 2008. The 87 is being returned to its home depot after the withdrawal of the remaining class members at the end of 2007, therefore making this one of its last mainline outings in this country. Luckily this working was running 23 minutes early. The shadows from the line of parked wagons in the yard on the left has already reached the wheels and if it had been running to time I would have had to have searched for an alternative location!

37051 & 37717 round the curve between Laverstock South and Tunnel Junctions at Salisbury with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z27 06:00 Gloucester to Salisbury 'Moon Raker' railtour in pouring rain on 13 December 2003. The line in the background is the Laverstock North to South chord, which had just witnessed the passage of Southern Railway 4-6-2 34067 Tangmere, which of course I was not in a position to photograph from this bridge!

37113 Radio Highland & 37235 disturb the peace of the Vale of White Horse as they pass Compton Beuachamp with the 4L65 06:25 Pengam to Felixstowe freightliner on 24 July 1992. This working was allocated Class 37 haulage for a couple of years, and I photographed it as often as work commitments would allow, which in retrospect was not enough! There was certainly no problem in knowing when it was coming, as it could usually be heard leaving Swindon several miles away!

9400hp in one picture, although some of it is going in the opposite direction! 37142 pilots 50015 Valiant & 50008 Thunderer through Totnes on 23 November 1991 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 00:30 Manchester Piccadilly to Newquay 'Valiant Thunderer' (what else!) railtour. The 37 was attached at Newton Abbot and worked through to Plymouth, as 50015 had a defective speedometer. They are seen here passing the 09:25 Penzance to Edinburgh 'Cornishman'.

37170 arrives at Crianlarich with the 7D54 11:54 Fort William to Coatbridge aluminium ingots on 28 April 1998. The bright silver coloured ten tonne blocks of aluminium can clearly be seen on the open wagons. These are the products of the Alcan smelter at Fort William which produces around 40,000 tonnes of these ingots each year using the 85 megawatts of power generated by a hydro electric power station fed from Loch Treig. The train is just approaching the junction with the Oban line, which can be seen heading off to the left.

37174 & 37109 pass Killiecrankie on the Highland main line with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z18 08:15 Inverness to Swindon returning 'Lord of the Isles' railtour on 12 April 2004. The road is the old A9, now thankfully bypassed and free of traffic at this point, which saved any explanations as to why I was standing on a stepladder next to a wall in the middle of nowhere! As the weather was so poor, instead of the usual highland picture, I decided to try something different, using the wall and the old footbridge as a frame for the locos.

37178 & 47238 Bescot Yard pass Kings Sutton with the 6M79 14:36 Eastleigh to Crewe Basford Hall MoD stores train on 20 July 1993. The ideal combination of a sweeping curve with an impressive background and a location where northbound trains can be photographed with the sun on the nose in the evening ensures that Kings Sutton remains a popular spot for photographers, with the bridge often getting very crowded. As with various other well known spots I have noticed that the number of photographers increases as the years go by, while the variety of traction steadily dwindles!

37193 & 37071 pass Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station with the 6M47 10:50 Lackenby to Corby rolled coil steel train on 1 July 1985. How times change, I think I was the only photographer on this bridge all day, and of course there was a procession of freight trains all with classic traction. If this scene was to be repeated today (it can't as there are no Network Rail registered blue Class 37s) virtually every railway photographer in the country would be after it!

In the pouring rain DRS 37194 & 37229 pass Codsall Wood (between Wolverhampton and Telford) with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z20 05:37 Swindon to Preston 'Yo-Ho-Ho' railtour on 29 December 2006. It was running 5 minutes early at this point, which meant I could get back in the car and out of the rain earlier than expected. The miserable weather hasn't deterred a couple of 'bellowers'!

37197 & 37158 arrive at Llandrindod Wells on 26 May 1996 with the diverted 06:49 Margam to Llanwern steel train. This was one of a number of steel trains diverted over the Central Wales Line over the Bank Holiday weekend due to engineering works in South Wales. An amazing diversion considering the short distance over basically level track between Margam and Llanwern had been changed into a tremendous detour via a reversal at Craven Arms, over a single track line with some fearsome gradients!

37197, wearing its short lived Riley & Sons two tone green livery, emerges from the bushes at Nant-y-Derry with the 1Z77 09:13 Crewe to Cardiff Central rugby special on 23 August 2003. This loco has certainly had its fair share of liveries since privatisation, as since this picture was taken it has appeared in WCRC maroon for working the Royal Scotsman, and then DRS blue.

Shropshire pastoral. With the Long Mynd and Wenlock Edge dominating the background, 37207 passes the 13th century Stokesay Castle with the 10:38 Margam to Llanwern steel train on 27 May 1996. Due to engineering work in South Wales, this normally short working was diverted via the Central Wales line and had to reverse at Craven Arms, which on the original 6x7 transparency can clearly be seen at the end of the straight section of track on the left, over a mile away. Some of the other diverted steel trains on this day were worked by pairs of Class 37s, which would have been a little difficult to fit in that gap in the bushes!

37215 powers past Winchcombe's up fixed distant signal with the 10:00 Cheltenham Racecourse to Toddington on 24 September 2005, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Autumn Diesel Gala. This powerful telephoto lens shot emphasises the Cotswold Hills in the background, although it does also show up the undulations in the recently laid track!

37215 (now running as 6915) looks really impressive when viewed from a low angle, as it rounds the curve at Didbrook with the 11:52 Toddington to Winchcombe local service on 31 March 2007, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala.

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's 2007 Spring Diesel Gala was generally blessed with good weather, but when the 14:40 Cheltenham Racecourse to Toddington service passed Gotherington on Saturday 31 March 2007, it had only just stopped raining after a heavy storm. 37215, 37219 & 37324 Clydebridge are pictured here accelerating towards Dixton in the gloom.

37215 & 37324 Clydebridge pass Far Stanley with the 13:50 Toddington to Cheltenham Racecourse service on 1 April 2007, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. The use of a 200mm lens has made a powerful composition, with the Cotswold Hills in the background haze contrasting with the two clean locos. Behind the rear of the train the whole of the mile long Gretton straight can be seen.

The perfect combination of sun and snow on 6 April 2008 made a visit to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire's Diesel Gala an essential choice. In perfect conditions, 37215 is pictured passing Hailes with the first northbound working of the day - the 10:00 Winchcombe to Toddington service. The Cotswold Hills in the background are still well covered in snow, but it had already started to disappear from the fields and although there is still some clinging to the branches of the lineside trees and bushes, naturally the spectacular show seen whilst driving to the location was already starting to melt in the sunshine!

Still looking in immaculate condition six months after its full repaint, 37215 passes Hailes on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway with the 13:00 Toddington to Cheltenham Racecourse service on 6 April 2008, during the line's Diesel Gala. The unseasonable overnight snow had now virtually completely melted. Compare this view to the same location two hours previously.

DRS 37218 & 37059 approach Mirfield on 18 March 2006 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z55 07:13 Gloucester to Hull 'Humber Haulier' railtour. We were treated to some top thrash, as the train had been held at Heaton Lodge Junction (visible in the background) for over ten minutes while a succession of units came off the Huddersfield line, so the tractors were working flat out at this point. Unfortunately the good light didn't last much longer, and the rest of the day was plagued by poor weather.

37219 ambles past Didbrook on 31 March 2007 with the 12:02 Toddington to Winchcombe freight, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. The Mainline liveried Class 37 had recently arrived at the railway to join classmates 37215 and 37324. Splendid thought it looks, the 1990s livery somehow doesn't quite match the vintage wagons!

37219 passes Hailes on 1 April 2007 with the 13:02 Toddington to Winchcombe local service during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala, with its fresh coat of Mainline blue paint glistening in the spring sunshine.

In nice evening light, 37219, 37215 & 37324 Clydebridge pass Hailes with the 16:10 Toddington to Cheltenham Racecourse service on 1 April 2007, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala. With Lidcombe Hill standing out clearly in the background, the houses and church of Didbrook can be seen in the middle distance.

37248 Loch Arkaig  is pictured in the pouring rain at Oban on 6 October 2007 shunting the stock for the SRPS railtour which had arrived as the 1Z55 06:28 Dundee to Oban and would leave later in the day as the 1Z74 16:45 Oban to Dundee. The tour was hauled in both directions by 55022 Royal Scots Grey, with 37248 on the rear in case of failure. This required a quite complicated shunting procedure at Oban to change the locos round. Luckily due to a driver's dispute one of the normal service trains from Glasgow was cancelled, so they were uninterrupted by other traffic.

The Cotswold Line has seen a dramatic increase in freight activity in recent years, but only on the northern section of the route. The use of Long Marston depot as a storage site for various types of passenger and freight stock, has seen plenty of loco hauled activity on the Worcester to Honeybourne section of the Cotswold route. In complete contrast, the southern section has been effectively banned to freight trains for many years. However, during the early 1980s sporadic freights did traverse the Honeybourne to Oxford section. Such was the case on 21 June 1984, when 37276 worked a Long Marston to Acton Yard MoD special, seen here passing Lyneham. The following year the loco entered works for electric train heat conversion, emerging as 37413.

37308 & 37114 City of Worcester arrive at Newtown with the Saltley Welfare Fund 1Z37 08:32 Birmingham International to Aberystwyth railtour on 19 June 2004. As can be seen Newtown station occupies a rather cramped location, approached via a reverse curve. The train stopped here for a token change, but no for long enough to get a second picture!

37324 Clydebridge is pictured on the long straight between Hailes and Winchcombe with the 11:52 Toddington to Winchcombe on 24 September 2005, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Autumn Diesel Gala. 37324 was originally numbered 37099, becoming 324 in 1986 when it became part of a small fleet dedicated to Ravenscraig steel traffic. It reverted to 37099 three years later, and was preserved in that guise, initially going to the North Norfolk Railway. At the GWR it was restored to its Scottish condition, complete with Clydebridge nameplates.

37324 trundles through the Gloucestershire countryside with the 10:52 Toddington to Winchcombe freight during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railways Diesel Gala on 4 November 2006. This view from halfway up Salter's Hill is looking across the Vale of Evesham.

The highlight of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala over the weekend of 30 March to 1 April 2007, was the use of all three of the line's Class 37s on a triple header. Here, on 31 March, 37324 Clydebridge, 37219 & 37215 pass through Dixton Cutting with the late running 13:50 Toddington to Cheltenham Racecourse service. Note the careful positioning of the newly erected Gotherington distant signal between the branches!

37324 Clydebridge is pictured on the long straight between Hailes and Winchcombe with the 12:15 Toddington to Winchcombe service on 6 April 2008, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire's Spring Diesel Gala. It certainly didn't feel like spring, with a biting wind, and snow lying on the ground. By midday the snow was vanishing rapidly, with only patches on the hills and some on the cutting side which was only just now receiving some sunshine.

An extremely rare working at Steventon on 21 May 1991. 37372 hauls failed 60051 Mary Somerville (then only two months old) with the late running 6B23 13:12 Colnbrook to Waterston oil empties. I had been photographing at South Moreton during the evening, and after it clouded up was just about to go home when this train appeared. I hastily grabbed a shot (in B&W) and then raced around Didcot and was in time to get another shot (again in B&W) at Milton. As it was now on the relief line, I realised it might be possible to get a third shot at Steventon. Although the light level was still very low, requiring a 1/125sec exposure, a trace of the setting sun can just be seen highlighting the driver as the ensemble pulls out of the loop.

Whilst driving back from Wales on 24 July 1996 I was amazed to see a pair of 37s at Westerleigh on the Avon Binliner in place of the usual Class 58. As I was on the M4 at the time, and Westerleigh was quite a few miles away by road, plus it seemed as if the locos were ready to leave, I thought my chance of getting a photo was pretty slim. However, not only did I manage to get there in time, but even had time for a chat with the driver prior to the train's departure. 37376 & 37037 catch the last of the evening light as they prepare to leave Westerleigh with the 4C06 20:00 Westerleigh to Stoke Gifford loaded containers. Some of these containers were loaded at the depot here (just out of sight to the right), and some came from Oldfield Park, Bath. The 37s will leave the train at Stoke Gifford, before going to Barrow Road to collect the final portion, before running as 4B07 22:32 Barrow Road to Calvert, picking up these containers again at Stoke Gifford.

In miserable light, 37401 The Royal Scotsman & 37109 approach Muir of Ord with the 1Z20 07:24 Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh 'Lord of the Isles' railtour on 10 April 2004. Unfortunately 37401's Royal Scotsman claret livery looks very drab in dull light, and doesn't look a lot different from 37109's EWS livery in these conditions. 37174 & 37109 were used for the Swindon to Inverness sections of the tour, but 37401 was used on the Scottish lines as it RETB fitted.

At least it wasn't raining on 11 June 2005 when 37401 The Royal Scotsman worked the 1Z18 05:32 SRPS Kilmarnock to Mallaig 'West Highlander' railtour. However, the intermittent sunshine that greeted me when I arrived at the western end of Loch Eilt on the Fort William to Mallaig line had given way to generally dull conditions by the time the train arrived. Nevertheless, 37401 makes a fine sight as it emerges from the woods with its matching rake of maroon stock.

37401 & 37417 Richard Trevithick pass the site of Bredon station with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z66 05:05 Cardiff Central to Ravenglass 'Lake District Explorer' railtour on 14 June 2008. It was completely cloudy when I left home, so I decided to go to this location rather than a more open spot that I would have chosen if it had been sunny. You can guess what happened next! Just as it was getting too late to move to another spot, the sun started to break through! Luckily however, the low sun (it was still only 06:53!) was just high enough to fully light the two locos. The industrial unit in the background marks the site of Bredon station, which closed in 1965.

In 2003 37402 Bont Y Bermo was repainted into this non standard livery based on the Railfreight triple grey colour scheme. Just a couple of days after its return to service on passenger duties in the Welsh Valleys and still in ex-works conditions, it emerges from the trees at Ystrad Mynach on 7 June with the 1R38 13:55 Fishguard to Rhymney service. It continued to work the Rhymney services for a further eighteen months before being placed into storage.

In unaccustomed Scottish sunshine, 37404 Loch Long approaches Achanalt on 10 August 1997 with the 1H98 13:25 Kyle of Lochalsh to Aviemore 'Royal Scotsman'. Good use was made of one of the typically dilapidated stone walls to add foreground interest, although using a Pentax 6x7 and ISO 100 film it was a challenge to get enough depth of field for both the train and the wall!

37406 The Saltire Society & 37401 The Royal Scotsman (which is actually in Royal Scotsman claret livery, although the angle of the lighting makes it difficult to tell from EWS red) pass the site of Challow station with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 05:04 Derby to Weymouth 'Solent Syphons' railtour on 9 April 2005. The remains of the down platform can be seen on the left, although this was largely removed in the early 1990s, when the freight loops were laid. The four track section extends from here to Wantage Road.

It seems that most people who photographed 37406 The Saltire Society & 37401 The Royal Scotsman returning from Weymouth on 9 April 2005 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z38 15:52 Weymouth to Derby 'Solent Syphons' railtour had to put up with very cloudy conditions. I thought I was going to be unlucky as well, but a mega lucky patch of sun at Berkley Marsh has transformed the picture. Look at the background to see how close the cloud was!

37406 & 37416 pass Allscott sugar factory with the Kingfisher Railtours 1Z37 06:24 High Wycombe to Pwllheli 'Snowdonia Explorer' railtour on 29 October 2005. The Allscott sugar factory was opened in 1927 and now processes more than 850,000 tonnes of sugar beet annually. The three silos visible in the background have a combined capacity of 37,000 tonnes, and during the autumn beet season over 350 lorry loads of beet arrive daily.

37406 heads down the Ardingly branch at Copyhold Junction with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 08:35 Paddington to Ardingly 'Buffer Puffer 4.0' railtour on 20 January 2007, with 37410 on the rear. Note the sandbags on the right supporting the embankment. Overnight there had been a landslip following heavy rains and large section of the cutting side had become unstable, a situation aggravated by the removal of the trees, whose roots help stabilize the cutting sides. In fact railway contractors were still at work, and at intervals up trains were stopped while a digger worked at the top of the cutting.

A surprise Class 37 working on 14 May 2007 was the 6M33 16:21 Avonmouth to Wembley Yard 'Enterprise' service, normally the preserve of Class 67 traction. Running approximately 40 minutes early, 37406 The Saltire Society & 37422 Cardiff Canton are pictured passing Compton Beauchamp (between Swindon and Didcot). I had chosen this location as it would be the least backlit spot along this stretch of line. In the event the train came in a couple of minutes worth of cloud!

A combination of a Monday morning and dull gloomy weather meant that I was the only person waiting at Dunkeld and Birnam station for the Pathfinder Tours 1Z34 08:20 Inverness to Swindon 'Orcadian' railtour on 11 June 2007. I took advantage of the lack of other people being in the way by photographing the train framed by the Highland Railway footbridge, which in the usual course of events would be bound to have someone in a bright colored jacket stood on it! 37406 The Saltire Society & 37410 race through under clear signals.

37406 The Saltire Society & 37410 swing round the curve at Bardrill (between Gleneagles and Blackford) with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z34 08:20 Inverness to Swindon 'Orcadian' railtour on 11 June 2007. Although the sun almost came out a few minutes later, it wasn't until I was on the motorway heading home that the weather really improved!

A couple of weeks before its accident at Rhymney which resulted in the loco's withdrawal, 37408 Loch Rannoch arrives at Tirphill with the 2F14 09:13 Rhymney to Cardiff on 16 July 2005. The loco has already been in the wars, note the damage above the left buffer. The original Loch Rannoch was 37012, which was obviously a Scottish allocated loco. It carried the name from 1982 until 1986, when the plates were transferred to 37408. Not really a very appropriate name for working in the Welsh valleys, something like Lake Bala would be more in keeping!

A clear sunny spring morning in Glen Falloch on 28 April 1998, as 37410 Aluminium 100 with the 1Y11 05:05 Edinburgh to Fort William ScotRail sleeper heads towards Crianlarich. In the still air the train could be heard for about ten minutes before it came into view. The end for regular Class 37 haulage on these trains came in 2006, although Transrail liveried locos and InterCity stock hadn't been seen for a number of years. The replacement traction was the totally unsuitable Class 67. These overweight 125mph locos were only chosen because they were surplus to requirements and can supply ETS, otherwise it is difficult to think of a more inappropriate locomotive for this line.

Gleaming after a repaint, 37410 pulls in to Pengam station with the 2F42 16:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service on 21 June 2003. To the majority of railway enthusiasts Pengam means the freightliner terminal just to the east of Cardiff, but this is the other Pengam on the now passenger only line to the north of Cardiff. I presume the station does have some regular customers, but each time I have been there actual passengers as opposed to photographers have been noticeable by their absence!

37410 approaches Copyhold Junction, near Haywards Heath with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 08:35 Paddington to Ardingly 'Buffer Puffer 4.0' railtour on 20 January 2007. On the right is the short Ardingly branch, the destination for this tour, and the intended destination for a similar tour two years ago that saw it get this far but lack of paperwork saw it miss out on the branch. Indeed this tour was not without its problems, as 37410 had been remove from the train at Three Bridges to have its water topped up, as it had shut down and was relying on sister loco 37406 doing all the work pushing from the rear!

37410 & 37406 The Saltire Society head north from Brora through the mist and drizzle with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z31 06:00 Inverness to Thurso & Wick 'Orcadian' railtour on 10 June 2007. With the cloud rolling in off the sea there was little prospect of any better weather during the day. A long drive from south of Inverness for one picture!

In a very lucky bit of sunshine, 37411 passes the site of Cefn Onn station with the 2F22 11:14 Rhymney to Cardiff on 17 September 2005. Cefn Onn station was a very remote spot prior to the building of the nearby M4 motorway and ubiquitous housing development. Situated in a deep cutting near the entrance to Caerphilly Tunnel, and only accessible by foot, patronage was low, and consequently it closed in 1986, although a new park and ride type station opened just to the south to serve the new housing estates.

The last day of locomotive haulage on the Rhymney line (10 December 2005) luckily happened to be a perfect sunny winter's day, after the fog had reluctantly cleared around mid morning. This was yet another case of the weather forecast being hopelessly wrong. Full cloud was predicted, with the slight possibility of a sunny break. Instead it was completely clear at dawn, leading off course to the fog in the valleys. Once that had cleared there was not a cloud all day. 37411 Caerphilly Castle rounds the curve at Ystrad Mynach with the 2F26 12:15 Rhymney to Cardiff. Note the absence of photographers in the field (it really was empty, they haven't been cloned out!). The local farmer is notoriously anti railway photographer, and nobody dared venture into the field. He will not have anything to worry about now, as there will be precious few photographers along the line from now on!

37411 Caerphilly Castle glints in the lower winter sun as it pulls away from Aber station with the 2R30 1359 Cardiff to Rhymney service on 10 December 2005, ostensibly the last day of Class 37 haulage in the Welsh Valleys. In reality it was another year before the final 37 service ran, due to continuing shortage of units.

On 20 May 2006, the rain had just stopped when 37411 Caerphilly Castle skirted the Dovey Estuary at Penhelig with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z48 06:41 Sheffield to Pwllheli 'Snowdonian' railtour. However, it was still a typical dreary Welsh day - note the heavy cloud looming over the mountains in the background! During the long wait for the railtour to return from Pwllheli, the opportunity was taken to visit a slightly smaller railway, with a trip on the 2' 3" gauge Talyllyn  Railway.

37411 Caerphilly Castle is pictured passing Llangelynin on 20 May 2006 with the 1Z49 16:22 Pwllheli to Sheffield returning 'Snowdonian' railtour. This dramatic location is on the coast between Barmouth and Tywyn. To take this picture I was standing on a large bolder in the middle of nowhere with the field on the left sloping down to the Irish Sea, and the foothills of Cader Idris on the right. Typically, the sun came out a minute after the train had passed, and was out for most of the time whilst driving home afterwards!

37411 Caerphilly Castle passes Claydon, on the approach to Banbury with the Pathfinder Tours 'Bard'n'Birch' railtour on 17 February 2007. Having now done both the 'Bard' and 'Birch' part of the tour, it was running as 1Z38 13:00 Stratford-on-Avon to Quainton Road. In marked contrast to every other location I visited during the day, I was the only person to witness the tour passing this spot. Although the fog had lifted, it was still as dull as ever!

37411 Caerphilly Castle arrives at Quainton Road with the Pathfinder Tours 'Bard'n'Birch' railtour on 17 February 2007, now running as 1Z38 13:00 Stratford-on-Avon to Quainton Road. The booked lengthy stop at Calvert Junction was ignored (as I suspected), and I could here the train approaching as I walked up the slope to the bridge. At least the tour participants got some extra time to look around the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre.

37411 Caerphilly Castle passes the site of Waddesdon Manor station in near darkness with the Pathfinder Tours 'Bard'n'Birch' railtour on 17 February 2007, now running as the 1Z39 17:00 Quainton Road to Bristol Temple Meads. The bridge at Quainton Road can just be seen in the distance, and the headlight of the train could be seen during the tour's lengthy photo stop, while all the time it was getting steadily darker. Waddesdon Manor station closed as long ago as 1936, probably due to the fact that it is in the middle of nowhere, well over a mile from the nearest village.

37412 & 37671 Tre Pol and Pen speed through South Brent with the 6S55 09:45 Burngullow to Irvine china clay slurry tanks on 26 September 1993. At this date the train still deserved the name 'silver bullets' as the stainless steel wagons had yet to acquire the grime of later years. The Cornish allocated 37s worked the train all the way to Scotland, and at 550 miles this is the longest freight flow in the country. The signal box is all that remains of South Brent station.

37412 Driver John Elliott passes the 15th century church at Bruton on 5 August 1995 with the 09:00 Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth Regional Railways service. A very tricky shot to get right, as I had to fire two cameras at exactly the right time to place the 37 directly below the church but just past the central tree. Easy enough normally, but when the train is traveling directly across the frame such as this, it is very difficult to get it exactly right!

The southbound shot from the Severn Bridge is well known, but the northbound less so, mainly due to the fact that to get the sun on the nose an early morning train is required, also recently the Tesco distribution depot has hardly added to the view. However, it still affords an almost aerial view, and on 30 March 1996 the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 08:15 Cardiff Central to Newquay 'Cornish Raider' railtour was an ideal candidate for this location, despite the unusually short train being a bit lost in the view. 37412 Driver John Elliot is about to pass under the 1966 built road bridge, which incidentally suffers from an alarming amount of movement from the large lorries that at the time (before the opening of the second Severn Bridge) were passing just behind me in quick succession.

37414 Cathays C&W Works 1846-1993 departs from Patchway station with the 2O87 07:45 Cardiff to Weymouth Wales & West service on 29 August 1999. Unfortunately, 1999 was to be the last year of Class 37 haulage to Weymouth, and with hindsight more effort should have be put into capturing the last workings. At the time complacency set in when the same locos appeared week after week. How times change!

37418 & 37421 thrash their way up Glen Falloch with the 1Z23 09:23 Edinburgh to Oban VSOE Northern Belle on 11 April 2004. Slightly unusual for a railtour this was running exactly to time! The West Highland line abounds in good photographic locations north of Crianlarich, but the section from Dumbarton to Crianlarich is a different story. For long stretches up until Ardlui the line is hemmed in by trees. Even here, between Ardlui and Crianlarich, finding an original location away from the hackneyed views in something of a challenge.

In a really luck bit of sunshine, 37418 East Lancashire Railway & 37421 run parallel with the A85 road in Glen Lochy with the 1Z23 09:23 Edinburgh to Oban VSOE Northern Belle on 11 April 2004. After chasing the train from the other side of Crianlarich, it was a case of looking for a likely looking piece of high ground on the south side of the line, and hoping that the background was OK. The brief burst of sunshine with the menacing sky was a bonus.

On what could possibly be its final working, 37419 partners classmate 37425 Pride of the Valleys on the 5Z46 11:42 Coventry to Old Oak Common empty stock working on Sunday 30 April 2006, seen here passing Thrupp, between Banbury and Oxford. The stock had been used on the previous day's 'Whitby Jet' railtour from Coventry to Whitby. 37419 had been assigned to the WNTR stored locomotives pool at Temple Mills.

The last day of locomotive haulage on the Cardiff to Rhymney line on 10 December 2005 involved two challenges; finding somewhere that was clear of the fog in the morning, and finding a new spot away from the hackneyed locations that were swarming with other photographers. I think I succeeded with this location, Coed Llanbradach, between Ystrad Mynach and Llanbradach. My colleague at the top of the valley was standing in sunshine while I waited in the fog for this picture. However, the fog had rolled in when 37419 passed him at Pontlottyn, but had cleared by the time it got to me with the 2F22 11:14 Rhymney to Cardiff. Although not far from the road, the location is not easy to get to, as the path which goes through a farmyard is not obvious from the road. I'm reasonably pleased with the picture despite the encroaching shadows, the few remaining leaves on the trees behind forming a pleasant backdrop.

Last Rites in the Valleys. 37419 Catches the last rays of the evening sun as it rounds the curve into Aber (near Caerphilly) with the 2F34 14:15 Rhymney to Cardiff on the final day of Class 37 haulage on the line. Note the wreath above the left buffer. As from Monday local passengers will no longer have the luxury of proper air conditioned coaches but will have to get used to basic coaching stock, with a diesel engine rattling under the floor! Such is progress.

37422 Cardiff Canton & 37410 Aluminium 100 struggle up the gradient towards Onllwyn with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 06:19 Birmingham International to Onllwyn 'Principality Freighter' railtour on 14 April 2007. 60038 can be seen on the rear of the train.

37422 Cardiff Canton & 37410 Aluminium 100 accelerate away from Briton Ferry with the 1Z74 13:33 Onllwyn to Birmingham International 'Principality Freighter' railtour on 14 April 2007. Briton Ferry station is in the background, with the now virtually deserted yard on the left.

With the sun virtually behind the train, 37422 Cardiff Canton & 37410 Aluminium 100 speed past Llandevenny with the 1Z74 13:33 Onllwyn to Birmingham International 'Principality Freighter' railtour on 14 April 2007. The Bishton Flyover can be seen in the background which brings the up relief line across the main lines.

With Melton Mowbray visible in the distance, 37423 passes Brentingby hauling inspection saloon 'Caroline' on the 2Z37 08:10 Doncaster to Peterborough via just about everywhere (Alfreton, Lincoln, Sleaford, Nottingham, etc)! Luckily this was not one of the sections of line where 37423 was propelling the saloon. The signal on the opposite line has just changed from red to amber for 66003 with a Corby to Toton departmental working.

37425 arrives at Caerphilly on 28 May 2005 with the 2F14 09:13 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service, while 143624 disappears under the bridge with a Cardiff to Bargoed service. Note the Arriva liveried Mk 2 coaches that were employed on this line during the last year of loco haulage, although Virgin liveried stock appeared right at the end.

37425 approaches Pontlottyn with the 2R34 14:59 Cardiff to Rhymney service on 16 July 2005, a day which the weather forecasters promised us would be full sun. As usual they got it wrong, and many of the day's pictures were spoilt by cloud. Perfect lighting here however, with the sun just glancing across the front of the loco. 37425 was repainted into large logo livery in 2005 to mark the end of loco haulage in the Welsh Valleys. We are obviously at the half way stage in the changeover from Virgin liveried to Arriva liveried coaching stock on the Rhymney line at this point, with two of each type!

37425 Pride of the Valleys & 37411 Caerphilly Castle pass Washwood Heath Yard with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 06:26 Bristol Temple Meads to Stratford-on-Avon 'Bard'n'Birch' railtour on 17 February 2007. The early morning fog had burnt off nicely when I arrived here, and the preceding trains were seen in nice weak winter sun, but when the tour arrived the sun was just fading out into the cloud that persisted for the rest of the day.

37425 Pride of the Valleys & 37411 Caerphilly Castle emerge from the fog at Wood End, on the Birch Coppice branch with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 06:26 Bristol Temple Meads to Stratford-on-Avon 'Bard'n'Birch' railtour on 17 February 2007. Both locos had only been taken out of store the day before, yet despite this performed faultlessly all day.

37425 Pride of the Valleys returns from Birch Coppice on 17 February 2007 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 06:26 Bristol Temple Meads to Stratford-on-Avon 'Bard'n'Birch' railtour. 37411 was now on the rear of the train, working top'n'tail. Note the amount of reinforcing work carried out around the bridge on this recently re-opened freight line.

Henley-in-Arden, on the Birmingham to Stratford-on-Avon line still has a fine selection of semaphore signals. 37425 Pride of the Valleys passes through with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 06:26 Bristol Temple Meads to Stratford-on-Avon 'Bard'n'Birch' railtour on 17 February 2007, with classmate 37411 on the rear of the train. The preceding DMU had been stopped by the signalman waving a red flag from the signalbox window, before proceeding under caution. The assembled photographers (the footbridge was completely packed!) wondered if the same thing would happen to the 37s, resulting in some thrash as they pulled away. Unfortunately they passed through at speed under clear signals.

37425 Pride of the Valleys passes Charndon, on the freight only Oxford to Calvert Junction line with the Pathfinder Tours 'Bard'n'Birch' railtour on 17 February 2007, now running as 1Z38 13:00 Stratford-on-Avon to Quainton Road. As this was now late in the afternoon, the light which had been poor all day was now getting desperate!

37427 Highland Enterprise is a long way from the Highlands as it passes Droitwich signal box with the 19:00 Birmingham New Street to Cardiff Central service on 4 August 1996. It is accelerating off the single track line from Stoke Works Junction. The very low evening sun resulted in the usual vantage point from the bridge being in shade, so this is taken from the small car park to the west of the line, looking over the high fence. A good choice, as we were treated to this burst of clag as the driver opened up. 

37427 passes Seascale Golf Course with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z78 04:56 Cardiff Central to Whitehaven 'Cumbrian Warrior' railtour on 2 May 2005, working singly after sister loco 37422 was dumped at Preston with low oil pressure. The timber fence in this picture is obviously designed to prevent sand being blown off the nearby beach onto the track, with limited success by the look of the ballast!

After visiting the Workington Docks branch, the Pathfinder Tours 'Cumbrian Warrior' railtour on 2 May 2005 had to run to Maryport in order to reverse and gain the up line. In rapidly deteriorating weather, 37427 is pictured passing the wind farm at Siddick on the return from Maryport.

37427 Bont Y Bermo accelerates away from Crianlarich with the late running 1Y11 05:05 Edinburgh (ex Euston) to Fort William sleeper on 11 June 2005. This was rumoured to be the last week of Class 37 operations on this train, in the event they lasted for another year, before being replaced by the totally unsuitable Class 67s. The train has just crossed the viaduct spanning the River Fillan, and also the course of the former Dunblane to Oban Caledonian Railway line.

37429 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol passes Agecroft (near Salford) with the 1J03 07:12 Southport to Manchester Victoria Regional Railways service on 10 June 1994. Agecroft was a well known photographic location in steam days, but now unfortunately is semi derelict waste ground with numerous bushes and lineside vegetation, including lupins by the look of what is growing next to the track to the right of 37429!

37518 & D306 cross the River Nene on the approach to Ferry Meadows with the 1E50 13:39 Wansford to Peterborough service on 1 March 2008, during the Nene Valley Railway's Diesel Gala. This head on view, necessary to show the train crossing the bridge does at least not draw attention to the patchwork of primer on the side of 37518! The bridge in the distance is Mill Lane, Castor.

37601 gets to grips with the 1 in 30 gradient as it climbs away from Folkestone Harbour with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z88 14:00 Folkestone Harbour to Dungeness 'Atomic Harbour Master' railtour on 20 October 2007, by this time running an hour late. The noise was awesome as the train slowly ascended the steepest gradient on the Railtrack system. Even more noise was generated after the train stopped a little further up the bank and then obviously had to restart on the gradient. 37603 was also providing full power at the rear. Note the odd layout of the tracks, as they pass between Dyke Road and the Tram Road. The sea can just be glimpsed in the distance.

37602 passes the site of Challow station with the 1Z14 10:00 Westbury to Derby Serco test train on 12 October 2006. This train was originally booked to do 05:35 Westbury to Weymouth, but a last minute change of plan saw it heading home via Swindon and Oxford instead. 37611 was on the rear of the train. This is the start of the four track section to Wantage Road, the loops being reinstated in the mid 1990s, to add capacity for the Avonmouth to Didcot Power Station coal trains.

The earlier sunshine had disappeared by the time the 1Z14 09:45 Derby Railway Technical Centre to Worcester Shrub Hill (via Oxford) Ultrasonic Test Train returned from its reversal at Oxford on 11 September 2006. 37602 is pictured here approaching Whitehill Bridge on the Cotswold Line, between Combe and Finstock. 37605 can just be seen on the rear of the train. This is yet another location on this line that has become very overgrown in the last few years. Although this short train neatly fits in the gap, previously there was an uninterrupted view to the lofty Grintleyhill Bridge, a mile distant.

37603 & 37604 pass Aynho in the rain with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 05:26 Southampton to York 'Ouse-Humberman' railtour on 7 May 2007. 47805, which had headed the tour as far as Didcot, can just be seen on the rear of the train. The signal on the left controls Aynho Junction, where the line to Marylebone via Bicester diverges from the Oxford line.

37603 & 37604 pass the site of Ackworth station (between Moorthorpe and Pontefract) with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 05:26 Southampton to York 'Ouse-Humberman' railtour on 7 May 2007. 47805 can just be seen on the rear of the train. The former goods shed is in the process of being converted into a house. Note the steep incline that the train has just descended which can be glimpsed through the bushes between the goods shed and the bungalow.

37603 & 37604 speed through Church Fenton with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z39 17:04 York to Southampton 'Ouse-Humberman' railtour on 7 May 2007. Typically, a few minutes later, as I was driving away the sun came out!

On their final day in traffic before being sold to DRS, 37603 & 37601 worked the Pathfinder Tours 'Atomic Harbour Master' railtour from Crewe to Folkestone Harbour on 20 October 2007. They are pictured here passing Great Chart (near Ashford) with the 1Z87 09:45 Euston to Folkestone Harbour section of the tour. Although the day started sunny, and was clear again in the afternoon, around midday there was a lot of cloud in Kent, which meant that many photographers didn't get the pair of 37s in the sun, so I was very lucky with this one. The locos were split at Ashford to work the two branches in top'n'tail mode, and there was no chance of a picture later in the day when they paired up again, as due to late running it was dark!

37603 leads the Pathfinder Tours 1Z87 09:45 Euston to Folkestone Harbour 'Atomic Harbour Master' railtour down the steeply graded Folkestone Harbour branch on 20 October 2007. It is just about to pass over the well used footpath crossing between the Tram Road and Dudley Road. As can be seen from the rusty rails, only one line is used, and the third rail supply was turned off years ago. A cautious descent of this 1 in 30 gradient is required, as the branch ends at the Harbour Station, after a sharp bend, so brake failure is not to be contemplated!

37603 catches the last rays of the setting sun as it passes Snarsgate, on the Dungeness Branch with the Pathfinder Tours 'Atomic Harbour Master' railtour on 20 October 2007, at this point running as the 1Z89 15:42 Dungeness to Crewe, although running an hour late. This late running meant there was no chance of the hoped for picture of both locos back in multiple after the Ashford run round. 37601 was on the rear at this point

37604, 37603 & 47805 power through Goole with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z38 13:14 York to York (via Hull) 'Ouse-Humberman' railtour on 7 May 2007. This was a mini-tour in connection with the main Southampton to York railtour.

There was a lucky patch of sun at Goole as 37604, 37603 & 47805 returned from Hull with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z38 13:14 York to York 'Ouse-Humberman' railtour on 7 May 2007. The tour is pictured weaving across onto the Knottingley line at Potters Grange Junction, with Goole's landmark water towers in the background. Unfortunately the lighting was virtually head on, but at least it wasn't raining as it had been earlier on! This was a mini-tour in connection with the main Southampton to York railtour.

DRS 37605 approaches Charlbury at some considerable speed with the 1Z14 09:45 Derby Railway Technical Centre to Worcester Shrub Hill (via Oxford) Ultrasonic Test Train on 11 September 2006, with classmate 37602 on the rear. The Cotswold Line possesses several long sections of single track, this 14 mile section from Ascott-under-Wychwood to Wolvercote Junction is particularly inconvenient when there is any late running. From a photographic point of view however, it can be a bonus, as I was able to easily get this picture, after seeing the train earlier at Shipton, as it was held at Ascott-under-Wychwood for the 13:25 Oxford to Worcester Shrub Hill to clear the section.

DRS 37605 races through Shipton station, on the Cotswold Line with the 1Z14 09:45 Derby Railway Technical Centre to  Worcester Shrub Hill (via Oxford) Ultrasonic Test Train on 11 September 2006. Very few loco hauled trains use this route, as there is no regular freight traffic. Only a few trains serve this station, and prospective passengers should make sure they park on the correct side, as the boarded foot crossing that was situated at this end of the platforms has been removed, necessitating a lengthy walk via the road bridge to change platforms.

Under leaden skies, 37606 & 37423 race through Ashchurch station with the Spitfire Railtours 1Z37 06:44 Crewe to Paignton 'Paignton Pudden' railtour on 21 June 2008. The weather forecast had predicted heavy rain, which would normally have deterred me from venturing out for this tour, even with Class 37 haulage. However, as DRS tractors were involved rather than the ubiquitous EWS locos, I decided to go for what I expected to be picture taken in torrential rain. In the event there was just a very slight drizzle when the train came, although as can be seen from the track it had been raining earlier. It was however very dark! Note the line curving away to the right into the MoD depot.

37608 passes Normanton in superb autumnal evening light with the late running 4O31 15:16 Leeds to Southampton freightliner on 18 October 1997. At the time this working was booked for a pair of the ex European Passenger Services (EPS) Class 37s that had recently been acquired by Direct Rail Services (DRS), but on this day a single locomotive had been rostered. Pending a full repaint the loco carries the former EPS livery with DRS branding. I was extremely glad that the train wasn't any later, as the shadows would very soon have become a nuisance. In fact I had already moved from my previous location at Wakefield because that spot had been become useless for photography because of the lengthening shadows.

Trying to find a location around the Didcot area to photograph the 1Z06 11:54 Derby to Didcot test train on 12 November 2007 was not easy, as with less than an hour's daylight left, virtually every location was shaded to some degree. Surprisingly at Didcot North Junction the footbridge between the industrial and housing estates turned out to be better than the road bridge (seen here in the background), and I was able to get this shot of 37609 (leading) & 37259 with their single coach load as they arrived at their destination.

In abysmal light, 37611 leads the 4Z10 Gloucester to Derby Network Rail measurement train past the site of Bredon station on 7 January 2006. 37605 can be seen on the rear of the train. Bredon station (between Cheltenham and Worcester), along with neighbouring Defford and Eckington closed in January 1965.

37673 & 37412 thrash past Claydon (near Ashchurch) with the 6V70 08:20 Bescot to St Blazey china clay empties on 7 August 1993, running early as usual. Claydon is a good photographic location with clear views in both directions, except for these high voltage electricity poles which slightly spoil the southbound shot. The choice is either a long lens to get underneath them, or when you know the train is going to be double headed and a more side view is required (as here), use a standard lens and include them in the picture!

With the M40 motorway in the background, 37694 & 37521 English China Clays pass the site of Ardley Quarry, on the Chiltern Line with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z71 12:22 Kettering to Crewe 'Metropolis Meanderer' railtour on 9 August 2003. The 37s had taken over from 66703 at Acton Canal Wharf Junction, and earlier in the day 92039 (Crewe to Nuneaton) and 60029 (Nuneaton to Kettering) had worked the 1Z70 outward leg of the tour. This location is not the most pleasant spot to spend time waiting for a train, as a vast area behind where I'm standing is a rubbish filled former quarry. Although it has now been covered with earth and returned to fields, there is the ever present smell of escaping methane!

In a very lucky patch of sun, 37705 growls its way past Corsham with the 4C13 11:21 Calvert to Bristol binliner empties on 20 April 1995. Even after ten years of operation most of the containers seem to look remarkably clean considering what it is they carry! The original blue livery as seen here with Avon County Council branding was subsequently replaced with a much less striking green colour scheme. 37705 is no more, having been cut up at T. J. Thomson's yard in Stockton during 2007.

37708 passes Eastrington (between Selby and Hull) with the 6E39 09:49 Mostyn to Hull empty acetic acid tanks on 31 March 1997. The Class 37 hauled acetic acid trains from Hull to Mostyn, Spondon & Baglan Bay are sadly missed by photographers. At least I managed to get a fair number of pictures of these distinctive trains.

37714 passes Llandevenny with the 6E21 08:20 Baglan Bay to Humber polypropylene empties on 3 September 1999. At this point the relief lines are on either side of the main lines, but note how the up relief can be seen curving in from the right under the bridge in the background. This has just crossed over the main lines via the Bishton Flyover, which can just be seen in the background. Prior to this both relief lines were on the south side of the main lines.

37899 Sir Gorllewin Morgannwg / County of West Glamorgan approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth with the 6Z86 15:07 Didcot Power Station to Cardiff Tidal Yard oil empties on 27 October 1994. Superb late afternoon lighting with the sun just spotlighting the train, while the background is in shadow and with a threatening dark sky to the east. At this time the up and down relief lines had only just come into use.