1010 Western Campaigner approaches Williton on the West Somerset Railway with the 18:10 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead service on 18 May 1997, during the line's Diesel Gala. With the loco number displayed in the headcode panel, mid 1970s style, and the specially weathered Rail Blue livery showing up well in the evening light, the loco makes a fine sight framed between Williton's down home signal and Castle Hill in the background. This loco now carries maroon livery. It was one of the final 'Westerns' withdrawn by BR in February 1977, and has been a long term resident of the West Somerset Railway. 

D1013 Western Ranger rolls into Arley station on the Severn Valley Railway on 4 July 1987. Although the loco is based on the line and obviously sees frequent use, this is not quite the normal passenger working it would appear to be. The clue is in the headcode, as this in in fact part of a railtour from London, which was brought to the SVR behind 37044 & 37091. The Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z37 07:30 Finsbury Park to Bridgnorth (SVR) & Rothley (GCR) 'Independent' railtour. Obviously given the date of the tour we all know what railtour name means!

D1015 Western Champion made a triumphant return to the mainline in 2002, and is pictured here working the first Class 52 hauled passenger train on the national network for 25 years. After performing a loaded test run, it worked the Pathfinder Tours 1Z52 (of course!) 12:09 Paddington to Gloucester (via Bristol) 'Western Pathfinder' railtour on 23 February 2002, which is seen here at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth. The tour had earlier worked down from Crewe behind another preserved loco - 'Peak' 46035. The gold ochre livery and unusual yellow warning panel are authentic for the loco, and in my opinion suits the class very well. Note the clouds scudding in from the north, which luckily hadn't quite reached the sun at this point!

D1015 Western Champion emerges from the mist at Dawlish, as it traverses the sea wall en-route to Cornwall on 19 March 2005 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z52 07:04 Ealing Broadway to Fowey  'Western Lizard' railtour. As I half suspected the sunshine disappeared as I drove down into Dawlish, but I optimistically thought the murk might have dispersed by the time the tour came, unfortunately it didn't!

The highlight of the Pathfinder Tours 'Western Lizard' railtour on 19 March 2005 was the chance to travel along the Lostwithiel to Carne Point (Fowey) branch. From a lofty vantage point high above the harbour, D1015 Western Champion is pictured crossing the causeway at Golant en-route to Carne Point. 66248 was on the rear of the train for working over the single track branch.

D1015 Western Champion is pictured passing Lavrean on the Newquay branch with the 'Western Lizard' railtour on 19 March 2005. Although the loco had just shut off for one of the line's many sharp curves, the sound of the twin Maybachs growling up the bank from Luxulyan had certainly been impressive. Locations on the Newquay branch were a bit restricted, especially as the sun was now low and the shadows lengthening. The view from the bridge at this location was very head on, so I left the other photographers there and ventured down into the field for this dramatic view.

D1015 Western Champion has just reached the summit of the I in 37 Lickey Incline and is passing the site of Blackwell station with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z29 06:20 Bristol Temple Meads to Carlisle 'Western Heights' railtour on 3 September 2005. For once a railtour without a headboard, so apart from the heads out of the window you could imagine it was an ordinary service train from way back when!

Possibly the railtour of the year, if not the decade! The first ever Class 52 over the Settle & Carlisle line. D1015 Western Champion crosses Smardale Viaduct with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z29 06:20 Bristol Temple Meads to Carlisle 'Western Heights' railtour on 3 September 2005. The smoke visible over the farm in the background is from the steam loco 71000 Duke of Gloucester which passed on a southbound railtour less than a minute before the Western, indeed one lucky video cameraman got the unbelievable shot of a 'Duke' & a 'Western' almost passing on the S&C!

D1015 Western Champion races down the grade at Scouts Green on the WCML with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z30 15:30 Carlisle to Bristol Temple Meads 'Western Heights' railtour on 3 September 2005. This is of course the scene of countless railway photos from the last days of steam, as heavy freights were banked up Shap from Tebay.

D1015 Western Champion is pictured taking the Church Fenton line at Micklefield with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z52 06:25 West Ruislip to York 'Western Yorkian' railtour on 26 November 2005. This vantage point is no longer possible, as the bridge from which it was taken has subsequently been demolished. At the time the A1 had been rerouted and the bridge from which the photo was taken no longer had any traffic. A lower viewpoint from the new road embankment is no substitute, as the track in the distance is no longer visible.

D1015 Western Champion worked its first train since being painted maroon on 21 October 2006, when it hauled the diesel leg of the Past Time Rail 1Z24 06:13 Paddington to Penzance 'Limited' railtour, handing over to GWR 4-6-0 6024 King Edward 1 at Taunton. It is seen here approaching Frome just after dawn. I was going to say just after sunrise, but as it had only just stopped raining, and heavy black clouds covered the entire sky, it was still virtually dark! As nice as it to see a 'Western' in maroon, I still think the natural (and authentic) livery for D1015 is gold ochre.

D1015 Western Champion passes West Hatch, on the Waterloo to Exeter line with the Past Time Rail 1Z52 07:12 Waterloo to Okehampton 'Western South-Western' railtour on 24 February 2007. This tour was run to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the final Western hauled train on BR - the 'Western Tribute' railtour of 26 February 1977. Not having visited this section of the Waterloo to Exeter line since the demise of the Class 50s in 1992, I was surprised at how much the lineside vegetation had increased, so despite visiting various other previously used locations, I ended up back at my first choice, as it was the least overgrown.

D1015 Western Champion passes Baulking with the Past Time Rail 1Z52 08:37 Paddington to Minehead 'Westward Ho!' railtour on 16 June 2007. The tour was planned to coincide with the West Somerset Railway's 'Mixed Traffic' weekend, in which sister loco D1010 Western Campaigner was due to take part. Of course this location on the GWML must have witnessed the passage of this loco thousands of times in the 1960s & 1970s. Indeed, I remember seeing it on milk tanks in 1973! Every time so far that I have photographed this loco on the mainline since its repaint into maroon the weather has been appalling (note the menacing clouds in the background). I had much better luck with the sun when it was in gold ochre livery! 

Yet another picture of the maroon liveried D1015 Western Champion in terrible light! At 07:10 on 23 June 2007, with the promised sunny start to the day nowhere to be seen, the preserved 'Western' speeds past the site of Bredon station with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z52 06:05 Birmingham International to Penzance 'Cornishman' railtour. It was running a few minutes late, but only because it was right behind 170103 on the late running 05:30 Birmingham New Street to Cardiff Central Trains service.

D1015 Western Champion emerges from Kemble Tunnel with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z52 05:35 Ealing Broadway to Aberystwyth 'Alliance Cambrian Coast Express' railtour on 1 September 2007. I'm keeping up the tradition with this picture, as it's the fifth one in a row now for this loco that has been taken in terrible lighting conditions, admittedly not helped by it being taken at 07:00.

My first picture of D1015 Western Champion in the sun since it was painted maroon, albeit backlit. Just after sunrise on 16 February 2008, D1015 is pictured tackling Tackley Bank (between Oxford and Banbury) with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z15 06:00 Ealing Broadway to Holyhead 'Irish Mail' railtour. While waiting for the train I was watching the antics of several Muntjac deer, one of whom had decided to cross the line just before the train arrived. The area of rough grassland above the rear of the train is a local nature reserve.

D1015 Western Champion goes where no 'Western' has gone before! The first ever visit of a Class 52 to Scotland occurred on 3 May 2008, when D1015 worked the Pathfinder Tours 1Z52 05:10 Tame Bridge to Edinburgh 'Western Scot' railtour. It is pictured rounding the curve at Houndwood with the A1 trunk road in the background. Unfortunately the earlier sunshine had given way to dull conditions with leaden skies. Despite the weather I naturally assumed that this location would be heaving with photographers, it being one of the few classic locations on the East Coast Mainline in Scotland. Therefore I could hardly believe it when I was the only photographer in the vicinity when the train passed! This just goes to prove that the majority of railway photographers will not walk more than a few yards from their cars to take a picture.

D1015 Western Champion passes Bo'Ness Junction with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z53 16:26 Edinburgh to Tame Bridge 'Western Scot' railtour on 3 May 2008. This was reputedly the first ever visit of a 'Western' to Scotland. Unlike the outward run where I was the only photographer to witness this train pass Houndwood, this location had upwards of twenty photographers on the bridge, obviously helped by the fact that you park right next to the bridge! The track leading through the bushes to the left of D1015 is the connecting line to the Bo'Ness and Kinneil Railway.