With frost on the ballast and trackside brambles and the last of the autumn leaves on the trees, 47802 passes Compton Beauchamp (between Didcot and Swindon) with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z52 07:33 Paddington to Ludlow 'Ludlow Castle Medieval Christmas Fayre' railtour on 24 November 2007. 47832 can be seen on the rear of the train. The day started with some sunshine, so I decided to go to the spot near the site of Knighton Crossing, which is ideal with the sun out. Naturally, as soon a I stopped the car, the sun went in, so I got straight back in the car and went to this spot instead, which in the autumn and winter is only suitable with the sun in!

Running an hour late, 47802 leads the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z55 07:24 Tonbridge to Worcester Shrub Hill 'Worcester Christmas Fayre' Railtour past Uffington on 1 December 2007, with 47790 on the rear. Five different liveries in an eleven coach rake must be something of a record! When I was notified that the tour had passed Denchworth the sun was behind a cloud and it seemed it was touch an go as to weather it would be sunny, as there was a bank of clouds near the horizon. Luckily just before the train arrived, the sun slowly broke through. The hour's delay also meant that the sun was now fully on the nose - a perfect result!

47804 passes Usan signal box with the 1H79 13:27 Edinburgh to Keith 'Royal Scotsman' luxury train on 5 May 2008. This train was running 14 minutes late, having been delayed by the preceding National Express East Coast HST service and then the 16:41 Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street service, which it had to wait to clear the single line section which is just about to enter. This is day one of a five day land cruise that takes in Kyle of Lochalsh, Boat of Garten and Dundee.

On 13 February 2008, 47805 Talisman worked the 5Z91 11:15 Derby Litchurch Lane to Laira stock move conveying refurbished First Great Western Mk3 HST coaches 41017, 41018, 42202, 42003, 42284, 42285, 44036, 40210, 40205, sandwiched between barrier vehicles 6348 & 6338. Even though it had pulled out of Ashchurch loop two miles previously, it still had full power applied and was clagging well as it passed Tredington running virtually to time. I thought this picture was going to be a write off, as despite it being sunny virtually all the way there, this location was enveloped in thick fog when I arrived, but luckily the sun soon got to work and burnt off the mist in plenty of time!

47810 Porterbrook is pictured near Mortimer (between Basingstoke and Reading) with the 1S49 06:36 Poole to Edinburgh Virgin Cross Country service on 28 July 2001. There wasn't much waiting around here, as I had only just crossed the line via the footpath crossing, when I could see the train coming. So total standing around time at this location, less than a minute!

47812 Pride of Eastleigh passes Yarnton with the 1O14 15:10 Liverpool to Poole Virgin Cross Country service on 10 April 2002. The soft evening light is ideal for a situation such as this when the train is coming out of the shadows. The location is on a little used footpath between the village of Yarnton and the A44 road. Subsequently a footbridge was erected here, although on all my photographic visits since I have yet to meet anyone actually using it!

47812 passes Broken Cross (between Gloucester and Lydney) with the 08:03 Manchester Piccadilly to Cardiff football special on 29 February 2004. After not having much luck with the sun for the preceding  07:22 Bolton to Cardiff special hauled by 57601, a brief burst of sunshine provides perfect illumination here. However it was only just in time, as the black clouds were rolling in fast. Note that the field in the background is already partly in shade. The loco is in Virgin Cross Country livery, with the branding painted out and a small Freightliner logo applied under the cab window. 

47812 (showing its original pre TOPS number D1961) takes the Swindon line at Standish Junction with the 5Z65 15:30 Cardiff Canton to Old Oak Common empty coaching stock on 10 September 2006. The train was routed the long way around via Gloucester as the Severn Tunnel was closed. Unbelievably, given the fact that there are only a few locations where the sun would be on the nose for this train, there were no other photographers on this bridge! The train was held at signals just after passing me, as it was right behind the late running diverted 14:30 Swansea to Paddington HST. Five different coaching stock liveries in a ten coach train must be something of a record!

I do not often bother with going away shots, but in this instance it was worth it. 47812 brings up the rear of the 1Z51 12:35 Cardiff to Gloucester rugby special at Snipehill Bridge, near Chepstow on 17 March 2007. These Cardiff to Gloucester trains and another series of Cardiff to Swansea specials were run in connection with the Six Nations Wales versus England match at the Millennium Stadium.

47812 passes Wye Valley Junction with the 2Z59 13:58 Gloucester to Cardiff rugby special on 17 March 2007. The disused Wye Valley Branch (latterly cut back to Tidenham Quarry) can be seen climbing steeply away from the main line. The track although heavily overgrown still remains in situ, and even the connecting point blades and signal are still in place, despite the point crossing being replaced by plain rail. Infuriatingly, although it was mostly sunny, small clouds kept appearing, and one has caught the sun here taking the edge of what would have been a perfect shot.

On 21 August 2006, another rake of off lease stock was moved from Oxley to Long Marston for secure storage. 5Z87 08:20 Oxley to Long Marston is pictured arriving at its destination hauled by 47813 John Peel , with 47828 Joe Strummer dead in tow. Behind them are 87023 & 87003, followed by eleven Mk3 coaches, including a recently refurbished buffet car and a First Great Western sleeper. The shear lunacy of the privatised railways is brought into focus by scenes such as this. Passengers are forced to put up with short, cramped, inferior trains, while high quality rolling stock such as this is stored. This is not an isolated example, Long Marston is full of complete rakes of stock, some freshly refurbished.

In warm autumnal evening light, 47813 John Peel approaches Shrivenham with the 5Z47 14:00 Oxley to Gloucester empty stock working, conveying two Virgin liveried Mk 3 coaches. This train had to go the long way round via Oxford as there were engineering works between Cheltenham and Gloucester. Despite it being a largely sunny day, a large cloud was obscuring the sun when the train was due, and the sun only broke through as the 47 appeared under the footbridge in the background. Had it been a just few seconds earlier it would have been a very different picture! I had popped out specifically for this one train, after I had heard that it had passed Banbury.

47813 John Peel waits at Honeybourne for the passage of 165112 with the 13:25 Oxford to Worcester Foregate Street First Great Western service on 1 November 2006. The 47 has just traversed the single track branch from Long Marston with the 6Z48 12:00 Long Marston to Bescot stock move, running nearly two hours late. The loco had worked up the branch in the morning with a much lengthier train of the same type of IZA wagons. A bizarre situation, where wagons go into and out of store on a weekly basis! Given the limited number of locations that would be relatively free of shadows, I was surprised that I was the only person at Honeybourne to witness this train coming off the branch.

A very unusual working on the Cotswold Line took place on 5 May 2007 when 47813 John Peel worked the 1Z87 18:44 Oxford to Moreton-in-Marsh special with classmate 47818 on the rear. The train was in connection with a 'Street Gig' taking place at Charlbury featuring the group Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly (aka Sam Duckworth). An inspired choice of locomotive, as the late John Peel would certainly have championed such an event. The empty stock originated from East Ham, and would return there via Bristol, and as the passengers all got out at Charlbury, this must rank as one of the highest mileage ECS movements in relation to the minimal passenger mileage (131/4 miles in each direction) in recent years! The train is pictured having just passed the site of the former Yarnton Junction station. Thanks to David for the event gen.

Very much a grab shot, but an interesting passing picture at Kemble on 1 September 2007. While D1015 Western Champion waits for the correct departure time with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z52 05:35 Ealing Broadway to Aberystwyth 'Alliance Cambrian Coast Express' railtour, 47813 John Peel speeds through with the 5Z70 06:30 Gloucester Horton Road to Old Oak Common stock move conveying First Great Western HST power car 43140. The railtour had arrived a couple of minutes early, and I was making my way down the platform to witness the departure, when the 47 unexpectedly came into view. I particularly like the reflection of 47813's front end on the side of the 'Western'.

To mark the end of Class 47s in front line service, First Great Western ran a special train from Paddington to Plymouth on 11 December 2004.  47815 Abertawe Landore is pictured passing Langley Burrell with the 1Z30 07:18 Paddington to Penance, with 47811 dead in tow on the rear. Due to an AWS fault on 47815, the train was worked forward from Plymouth by 47811. Many locations were in dense fog this morning, and I did well here to get a bit of weak winter sunshine, contrasting well with the misty background. This is only half an hour after sunrise, but the fog soon rolled back in again, and by all accounts very few photographers got this train in as good as light as this.

47815 Abertawe Landore approaches Kears Wood near Lydney with the 1Z50 09:35 Cardiff to Gloucester rugby special on 17 March 2007. Classmate 47812 was on the rear. A bizarre mix of the 1960s and the 21st century, with a pair of two tone green 47s on turquoise Arriva Mk 2 coaches. Naturally the sun was out just a few minutes before the train came into view!

47815 Abertawe Landore powers away from Chepstow with the 1Z51 12:35 Cardiff to Gloucester rugby special on 17 March 2007. The bridges in view here are the Mead Farm occupation bridge, Wye Valley Junction bridge, and the short tunnel under the A48 Tutshill bypass. The location is Snipehill Bridge.

From a viewpoint that is no longer possible due to the growth of lineside vegetation, 47817 weaves across from the double track onto the start of the long single track section of the Cotswold Line at Ascott-under-Wychwood. It is working the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 Manchester to Whatley 'Mendip Quarryman' railtour on 31 March 1990. An easy location to get to, as it just meant standing on the side of the road behind the signal box! A little bit of extra height would have been an advantage to show the track layout, but at least the snaking coaches show that it is coming off the double track. Note the point rodding from the signal box leading to the point underneath the locomotive.

The sole remaining Class 47 in Intercity livery, 47826 Springburn passes through Croome Perry Wood with the 5Z01 12:05 Carnforth Steamtown to Bristol Temple Meads inspection saloon on 16 August 2006, running 68 minutes early! It had just been raining, and the air was so still I could hear the level crossing siren at Pirton Crossing nearly a mile away as the train approached. From this spot you can also see for several miles along the long straight towards Abbotswood, although here it is blotted out by the result of 47826's rapid acceleration away from a PW slack.

47828 Joe Strummer & 47813 John Peel provided super power for the Heartland Tours 1Z47 10:29 Gloucester to Westbury 'Festive Mystery Tour' on 16 December 2006. With a load of just five Mk 3 coaches (Virgin, Cotswold Rail, & First Great Western liveries) the tour is seen here passing Naas Crossing at Quedgeley at speed, perhaps trying to make up for the twenty minute late departure. The locos have certainly tried darkening the sky with their exhausts as they opened up a few moments before I took this picture! This once completely open location now has a couple of ash trees causing foreground shadows, hence the use of a 200mm lens.

47828 Joe Strummer & 47813 John Peel pass Shrivenham with the Heartland Tours 1Z47 10:29 Gloucester to Westbury 'Festive Mystery Tour' on 16 December 2006. The tour had traveled via Bath, Newbury and Reading, and would later return to Gloucester via Bath. Having caught up a little time, the tour was now only ten minutes late.

47830 speeds past Radley with the 08:25 Glasgow Central to Poole 'Wessex Scot' on 14 March 1991. The loco is wearing the variation of large logo livery in which the large bodyside numbers are replaced by a small set of black numbers on one cab side - much harder to read at speed! Unfortunately the tree pruning visible on the right was not maintained, and this location got progressively more overgrown in later years.

On 19 August 2002, Virgin Cross Country ran their final loco hauled train, prior to total Voyager operation. 47840 North Star (renumbered 47077 for the day) & 47847 Railway World Magazine / Brian Morrison pass Silverton with the 1M56 08:46 Penzance to Manchester Piccadilly service. The headboard reads 'Cross Country Locomotive Farewell'. This was probably about the furthest north that anyone got a picture of this train in the sun, and its only just out here! Even further south there were only a few lucky spots for the sun, so for once I went to the right location!

I felt I could not let the heavy snowfalls on 8 & 9 February 2007 pass without at least some photographic record, but unfortunately once the roads were clear enough to travel the snow was already melting. The sheer dullness of the present day scene is exemplified by the fact that I went out for a blue light engine 47, unthinkable even a few years ago! 47840 North Star passes Uffington with the 0Z77 08:00 Crewe Basford Hall to Old Oak Common, via Hereford, Worcester and Bristol Parkway. Note the forlorn leaning former up loop signal which now has no track to control after the lifting of the loops here a few years ago. When I last checked it was however still illuminated!

On 6 March 2007, In superb crisp early spring sunshine, 47840 North Star passes Badgeworth with the 5Z47 09:30 Derby to Laira empty stock move, conveying a recently refurbished Mk 3 HST set (allegedly 40901, 40904, 44055, 42305, 42304, 42303, 42066, 41160, & 41086, although I did not note the numbers!). The striking new First Great Western livery contrasts markedly with the 'fag packet' livery of the two barrier vehicles. Already running late, this train had sat in the loop at Ashchurch to let several trains past, consequently it was 75 minutes late here.

Running 55 minutes early, 47840 North Star approaches Kintbury with the 5F70 12:08 Laira to Old Oak Common stock move on 2 April 2007, conveying Mk 2 barrier coaches 6427 & 9488, with HST power car 43010 bringing up the rear. Pending its entry into preservation this loco sees a lot of use on such stock transfers.

47840 North Star & 47828 Joe Strummer pass through Croome Perry Wood in the rain on 28 May 2007 with the Heartland Rail 1Z47 08:10 Derby to Minehead railtour taking 47840 to its new home on the West Somerset Railway. It had been repainted into original two tone green a few days earlier and also had its original pre TOPS number D1661 applied. This would be the final main line run for 47840, which as 47077 was one of the earliest Class 47s to be named, in March 1965. 45112 can just be seen on the rear of the six coach train, which incidentally is made up of three different liveries!

After the failure of 47851 Traction Magazine the previous day, the errant two tone green 47 was included in the consist of the 1S48 07:15 Bristol Temple Meads to Edinburgh 'Midland Scot' Virgin Cross Country service on 17 July 2002. In beautiful crisp early morning light the train is pictured storming up the Lickey Incline at Vigo headed by 47841 Spirit of Chester. There was just over a month to go before Class 47 passenger haulage would come to end to be replaced by the ubiquitous 'Voyager' units.

47843 Vulcan slowly pulls out of the sidings at Thoresby Colliery Junction with inspection saloon 999506 on 21 February 2007. Running as 2Z02 13:01 Sheffield to Derby, It was touring the Nottinghamshire freight lines, and had just spent 45 minutes parked just out of view behind the signalbox. Thoresby Colliery box is an LNER design and dates from 1926. I was very fortunate with the light here, as a generally dull day had cleared shortly before the 47 was due to leave, only for the sun to sink into a bank of cloud in the west, but luckily not until a few minutes after this picture was taken

47845 County of Kent rejoins the Gainsborough to Retford mainline after completing a circuit of West Burton Power Station with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z36 05:33 Salisbury to Deepcar 'Cottam Picker' railtour on 28 November 1992. Unfortunately the tour did not visit the nearby Cottam Power Station, as planned, so despite the headboard the tour was re-christened 'Gone For A Burton'! The tour also visited Oxcroft (but not as far as the colliery due to a line blockage), Deepcar and Silverhill Colliery.

47847 lays down some clag as it climbs the grade out of the Severn Tunnel and passes through Pilning station with the Cardiff to Kensington Olympia football special on Sunday 7 August 2005. This was one of two trains run in connection with the Chelsea versus Arsenal Community Shield match at the Millennium Stadium. A nice golden glint, but it was getting very difficult to shade the lens, with the sun almost directly behind the train!

The prospect of a couple of Class 47 hauled railtours passing through Cheltenham within a couple of hours on 28 April 2007, plus the perfect weather conditions was too good an opportunity to miss. The Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z30 05:55 Minehead to York 'Eternal City of York' tour was hauled by 47847 & 47815 Abertawe Landore, seen here at Up Hatherley on the outskirts of Cheltenham. This location was selected as it is one of the few spots in the area where the sun is on the front for a northbound train at this time in the morning.

In perfect low winter sunshine, 47847 rounds the curve at Wolvercote Junction (near Oxford) with the 5Z47 10:00 York to Old Oak Common ECS on 10 December 2007. The stock had  been used on the previous day's York to Lincoln railtour, when 47847 worked top'n'tail with LMS 5MT 4-6-0 45407. Note the mismatched patch painting on the loco! The line diverging to the left in this picture is the Cotswold Line, which since 1971 has been single track as far as Ascott-under-Wychwood.

As I was already in the area it seemed a pity not to photograph 47847 with the 5Z47 08:54 Doncaster to Long Marston on 22 January 2008, despite the dull conditions. It occurred to me that the location at Offenham (near Evesham) would be ideal, as the view is from the north side of the line (therefore hopeless if the sun is out), and the short visible gap would ideally suit this three coach train. With Evesham Abbey in the background, and in atrocious light, 47847 puts on the power hauling former GNER Mk3 buffet 40811 sandwiched between barrier vehicles 6344 & 6346. Note that the coach is in the intermediate livery with a white stripe and the GNER branding replaced by National Express East Coast wording - certainly a first for the Cotswold Line!

Shrivenham is the location here, chosen as it would be one of the least backlit spots on the Great Western Mainline between Didcot and Swindon for the 1Z29 07:15 Paddington to Plymouth 'Devonian' railtour on 7 October 2006. Even so, the sun is still well behind the train as 47851 (D1648) Traction Magazine heads west, prior to handing over the tour to LMS 4-6-2 No.46201 Princess Elizabeth at Taunton. 47826 Springburn can just be seen on the rear of the train.

47851 (D1648) Traction Magazine approaches Cheltenham with the Green Express Railtours 1Z79 06:28 Skipton to Bath 'Georgian Bath Explorer' railtour on 28 April 2007, with 47245 hidden by the bushes on the rear of the train. I little thought that when I photographed 47853 at the same location two weeks previously that I would be back so soon! Unfortunately several potential locations that I investigated in the Cheltenham area were either overgrown or not ideal with regard to the angle of the sun. However, it is interesting to note the change in the vegetation in just two weeks.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s it was quite common for Summer Saturday holiday trains to the West Country to still have the DVT attached to the stock. Such is the case here as 47852 approaches Cheltenham with the 07:00 Manchester Piccadilly to Newquay InterCity Holidaymaker service on 4 August 1990. DVT 82152 is coupled directly behind the loco. 47852 is carrying an unusual livery variation, with wrap around yellow ends with black numbers, but no BR insignia.

47853 rounds the curve at Yate on 6 August 1998 with the 1M31 15:55 Plymouth to Manchester Piccadilly Virgin Cross Country service, proving that even as late as 1998 it was still possible to see a complete train made up of InterCity liveried vehicles. The local farmer is obviously taking no chances and has used sheets of corrugated iron to prevent his stock escaping onto the railway.

After nearly a month of dull weather, 23 January 2007 dawned clear and bright, so a trip was made to Evesham to see 47853 Rail Express on the 5Z59 07:30 Chaddesden to Long Marston, conveying four Mk 2 coaches for storage. With a touch of frost on the sleepers and Evesham's austere signal box in view the train is pictured slowing for the token exchange, which now takes place on the station platform.

After working in to Long Marston with four coaches for storage, 47853 Rail Express was booked to take out a rake of wagons as 5Z59 12:35 Long Marston to Chaddesden on 23 January 2007. Initially it looked like just four wagons would be leaving. Then the shunter seen standing on the right added a long rake to the rear of the initial four, and then spent over an hour shunting a couple of wagons out of the middle of the rake! In the end half the train was left behind (seen in the distance). Typically all this happened in full sun, only for the light to dip when the train left. 

47853 Rail Express is pictured passing Broad Marston with the 5Z59 12:35 Long Marston to Chaddesden on 23 January 2007. After protracted shunting at Long Marston, this was running 80 minutes late. After a disappointing picture of the train leaving Long Marston due to the head on angle of the sun, and the fact that it was partly obscured by cloud, a much better picture was to be had here, less than a mile from the depot on the single track freight only branch towards Honeybourne. This locomotive is finished in the XP64 experimental livery that it previously carried in the 1960s, as a forerunner to the corporate blue livery.

47853 Rail Express is pictured here at Honeybourne waiting to gain access to the Cotswold Line seen on the right, with the 5Z59 12:35 Long Marston to Chaddesden working conveying a rake of wagons removed from storage on 23 January 2007. The long lens used here has flattened the perspective, emphasizing the Cotswold Hills in the background.

47853 Rail Express rejoins the Cotswold Line at Honeybourne with the 5Z59 12:35 Long Marston to Chaddesden working conveying a rake of wagons removed from storage on 23 January 2007. Protracted shunting at Long Marston had resulted in some wagons being left behind, presumably due to brake problems, and yet at least two of these wagons were running with their brakes isolated.

47853 Rail Express approaches Cheltenham with the Compass Tours 1Z41 05:59 Preston to Minehead 'West Somerset Express' railtour on 14 April 2007, running 35 minutes late. Here we see two obsolete blue liveries. The loco is painted in XP64 chromatic blue, the forerunner of the BR corporate blue livery that dominated the railways in the 1970s, while the coaches (apart from the two Virgin liveried vehicles half way down the rake) are in the now superceded Anglia Railways turquoise livery. 47847 is on the rear of the train, just hidden by the bushes.

47854 Women's Royal Voluntary Service leaves Basingstoke with the 1S39 09:05 Poole to Glasgow Virgin Cross Country service on 30 August 1998. The train is on the line to Reading, while the main London to West of England line is behind the bushes to the left. The two road bridges are a short distance apart, which has entailed many a mad dash from one to the other whilst photographing at this location!

In superb low winter sunshine, 47854 rounds the curve into Aber station (near Caerphilly) with the 1Z41 14:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service on 4 December 2005. This was one of a number of special loco hauled services over the line to mark the impeding end of the Class 37 haulage over the route. The train is just crossing over the Caerphilly to Nantgarw road.

The grey clouds hang over the mountains as 47854 passes Dalnacardoch with the Royal Scotsman 1H82 14:29 Kingussie to Perth portion of the 5 day 'Classic' tour on 10 June 2007. This is a railtour with a difference as each person has paid £3080 for the luxury experience! Although only a short distance from the busy A9, Dalnacardoch feels like the middle of nowhere, with the only buildings visible being Dalnacardoch Lodge (the white building in the distance), and the derelict signal box on the other side of the bridge. The principal traffic over the roadbridge are sheep moving from one field to another!

47972 The Royal Army Ordnance Corps passes Shrivenham on 1 November 1994 with the 1Z05 08:20 Worcester Shrub Hill to Cardiff track testing special, including the High Speed Track Recording Coach DB999550. 47972 was painted into this distinctive Central Services livery prior to its naming at MoD Kineton in 1993. As a departmental locomotive (at this time allocated to Crewe depot in pool CDJC) its job was to work test trains over the national network from the Derby Railway Technical Centre.

For a short period during 1988/9 the erstwhile 47561 was renumbered into the departmental series as 97561, before becoming 47973. During this time it was repainted into Midland Counties Railway red livery and named Midland Counties Railway 150 1839-1989 in connection with that railway's anniversary. A week after naming, it is pictured taking the Swindon line at Standish Junction with the BR East Midlands Area 1Z16 07:45 Derby to Bristol 'Avonian' railtour on 30 May 1989.