With the early morning fog still obliterating the background, and a very week sun struggling to come out, 50041 Bulwark passes Fairwood Junction on 11 March 1986 with the 3A27 06:25 Plymouth to Paddington empty vans. It is taking the Westbury avoiding line, one of the many 'cut off' routes added by the GWR in the early nineteenth century.

Class 50s were never particularly common in Wales, but during 1987 the 3A12 Milford to Paddington empty vans was booked for the class, and on 15 August 1987, 50042 Triumph is seen rounding the curve at Duffryn with this working. At the time it was just one more bit of variety in what was a varied and busy freight scene, sadly now virtually all gone.

50042 Triumph whilst allocated to the DCWA engineer's pool between 1988 and its withdrawal in 1990 performed numerous duties such as this. It is pictured heading east from Didcot and approaching South Moreton on 24 October 1989 with the 11:50 Bristol to Old Oak Common, comprising HST power car 43140 and a barrier vehicle. Presumably this would have been switched to the relief line at some point.

A totally unrepeatable sight. On 6 July 1990, DCWA allocated 50042 Triumph moves slowly out of the permanent way yard at Ashton Gate and heads for Bristol East Depot with the Severn Tunnel inspection train. All track in this yard has now been lifted, although the barely visible track through the old station on the left has been re-laid and now serves the new freight terminal at Portbury Dock. 50042 was one of the handful of departmental allocated Class 50s that spent 1989 & 1990 pottering around on workings such as this. Note the Clifton Suspension Bridge partly visible through the trees in the background.

50043 Eagle passes Potbridge (between Woking and Basingstoke) with the 1L13 14:15 Waterloo to Salisbury Network SouthEast service on 16 March 1990. With 50s working both the Salisbury and Exeter trains (along with a few Class 33s), a few freights and an endless procession of slam door EMUs, this used to be a an excellent location for a day's photography.

Exeter meets Zulu Warrior! I was trying to recreate B. J. Freeman's 'First of the Day' painting with this picture, replacing his GWR 'Saint' with a Class 50. Sadly no fisherman in my picture, but the viewpoint is identical, although with artist's licence he has ignored the PW hut. 50044 Exeter heads north alongside the Oxford Canal at Wolvercote with the 1S61 06:45 Paddington to Edinburgh service on 17 June 1983. The Class 50 would be on the train as far as Birmingham New Street.

50044 Exeter leaves Bewdley on the Severn Valley Railway with the 11:40 Bridgnorth to Kidderminster service on 6 August 1994. As can be seen from the recess in the roof, the locomotive has been cosmetically restored to its unrefurbished condition. It is pictured here in the condition it was in the summer of 1981, after the plaque had been added above the nameplate, but before being called to Doncaster Works for refurbishment.

50044 Exeter returned to the mainline on 18 October 2008 when it worked the Rail Blue Charters 1Z49 06:04 Manchester Piccadilly to Minehead  railtour in the company of 50049 Defiance. It is seen here passing the site of Magor station in appalling light. I had originally interned to see the tour at Llanvihangel on the Hereford to Newport line. However, while driving from Gloucester it seemed that the clouds were all clearing away, which meant that a sunny shot could be had in South Wales. To say the British weather is unpredictable is an understatement, as it was extremely dark and raining when it passed Magor on the relief line. Incidentally the non-authentic two tone green livery is a little ironic for a tour run by Rail Blue charters!

The low winter sun is casting long shadows as 50045 Achillies approaches Circourt Bridge at Denchworth with the 3A03 13:15 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington vans on 18 December 1985. Of particular note to anyone used to this location nowadays (apart from the obvious fact that in 1985 there were only two tracks!0 is the fact that the background is completely open, as this is prior to the tree planting of the 1990s.