Still in original unrefurbished condition, 50011 Centurion passes Circourt Bridge, Denchworth with the 12:40 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads service on 27 October 1982. This was in the era when I never met any other photographers at what is now a very popular photographic spot. Even this rural location has changed considerably since this photo was taken. In addition to the obvious fact that the former relief lines have now been reinstated, other changes include the rebuilding of the bridge in the background, and the installation of a signal gantry just in front of it. Also both the PW hut and the dead elm trees have disappeared.

50012 Benbow passes Ascott-under-Wychwood station under stormy skies on 10 May 1986 with the 1B46 17:05 Paddington to Hereford service. After passing over the level crossing next to which I am standing, the train will join the double track section, which continues as far as Moreton-in-Marsh. Very few trains actually stop at Ascott, which is obviously unfortunate for the villagers, as unlike some of the smaller stations on the Cotswold Line, it is actually situated in the village it is meant to serve.

50013 Agincourt gathers speed as it leaves Oxford and passes Hinksey Yard with the 08:05 Oxford to Paddington service on 4 July 1985, while 31272 waits in the up loop with the 6V19 06:32 Bescot to Speedlink. A nice sunny morning, but very hazy. The footbridge here offers excellent views in both directions, but I kept wishing it was wider, as this is as far to the side as you can get on the east side, whereas on the other side, for afternoon trains, one has a choice of viewpoints.

Unrefurbished 50014 Warspite rolls into Charlbury station with the 16:33 Paddington to Hereford service on 16 May 1982. This was shortly before most of the loco hauled trains on the Cotswold Line were replaced with units, leaving only a couple in each direction. Unfortunately I only have a few pictures from this era, and when you consider that at the time all services were worked by either Class 47s or more notably unrefurbished Class 50s it was a serious mistake not to take more. I am standing here on the site of the former down platform that was longer than the up platform, but of course was removed when the line was singled in 1971.

50015 Valiant passes the south end of Hinksey Yard, near Oxford (Hinksey South in railway parlance) on 12 May 1984 with the 14:15 Oxford to Paddington service. Note the luxury accommodation available on Oxford to London trains in the 1980s compared with today. Nine Mk 2 coaches (mostly air conditioned), three of which are first class. Over twenty years of progress has resulted in this being replaced by a three coach DMU, or two if you are lucky!

On a miserably dull 14 November 1990, 50015 Valiant passes the remains of Tiverton Junction with the 9C05 08:27 Bristol East to Exeter Riverside departmental working. 50015 was allocated to the DVWA engineers pool from May 1988 until January 1991 and its normal duties were workings such as this around the Gloucester, Bristol & Exeter areas. After repainting into 'Dutch' livery to work a railtour in January 1991, it was again placed in the DCWA pool, although it did very little work afterwards. Note the oil depot in the background of this picture, which had just recently had its rail connection removed

50015 Valiant & 50008 Thunderer round the curve at Marazion with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z16 'Cornish Centurion 2' railtour on 4 May 1991, just a few miles from their destination - Penzance. These two machines were repainted into 'Dutch' and 'Laira blue' liveries respectively for Pathfinder's 'Cornish centurion' tour earlier in the year and at the same time were transferred from the DCWA engineers pool to the NWXC Network SouthEast Waterloo to Exeter reserve pool, although in reality they did very little work other than railtours after their repainting.