D9009 Alycidon returned to the mainline on 22 May 1999 when it worked the Deltic Preservation Society 1Z45 11:35 York to Kings Cross railtour. It is seen here heading down the East Coast Mainline at Marholm, with the route to Stamford running parallel on the left. Great Western chocolate and cream coaches seem a little out of place on this route! This was certainly a day to be out on the ECML if you liked Deltics, as D9000 was also working a railtour.

The first ever Deltic triple header on 9 March 1997 lays a smokescreen across Burrs on the East Lancashire Railway as all three locos open up by arrangement creating this spectacular effect. 55015 Tulyar, 55002 Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry & D9019 Royal Highland Fusilier were working the 10:00 Bury to Rawtenstall as part of the Deltic Preservation Society's 'Three Deltics' weekend. Even though it looks like the first two locos are only working on one engine, there is still 6,600 hp available for this seven coach train, which is certainly adequate!

Not one for the purists! D9016 Gordon Highlander in totally unauthentic but very striking Porterbrook livery passes Water Orton with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z40 07:22 Crewe to Scarborough 'Napier Navigator' railtour on 6 April 2002. At York the Deltic was replaced by slightly more conventional power in the shape of a pair of EWS 37s for the run to Scarborough via Bridlington. D9016 was originally only saved from the cutter's torch to provide spares for for its preserved classmates.

A surprise for motorists heading home from Scarborough along the A64! D9016 Gordon Highlander accelerates away from Seamer with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z41 17:00 Scarborough to Crewe 'Napier Navigator' railtour on 6 April 2002. Fitted with modern head and taillight clusters and in Porterbrook's striking livery, a Deltic has certainly never looked like this before!

D9019 Royal Highland Fusilier lays a smoke trail at Nethercott, on the West Somerset Railway while working the 17:25 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead service on 20 September 1998, during the line's diesel gala. This is one of the less photographed spots on the line, as it does require a bit of a walk from the nearest road!

55019 Royal Highland Fusilier arrives at Quorn & Woodhouse with the 1A23 13:00 Loughborough to Leicester North service on 12 September 2009, during the Great Central Railway's Diesel Gala. There was an early warning of the loco's approach, as a huge cloud of white smoke could be seen several miles in the distance down the long straight, and as the train was held at the signal visible here, I expected the loco to 'plume' again when it pulled away. Unfortunately although the sound was spectacular there was no clag!

55019 Royal Highland Fusilier is slightly mismatched with Southern green coaches as it passes Woodthorpe with the 2A38 16:20 Loughborough to Leicester North service on 12 September 2009, during the Great Central Railway's Diesel Gala. As with all the Deltic hauled trains during the weekend there were plenty of heads out of the coach windows, but with a pair of Napier engines up front it certainly was not to get any fresh air!

55019 Royal Highland Fusilier passes Woodthorpe with the 2B38 17:01 Leicester North to Loughborough service on 12 September 2009, during the Great Central Railway's Diesel Gala. The Deltic was paying a brief visit to the line and was one of the highlights of the three day event.

D9000 Royal Scots Grey accelerates away from a speed restriction at Sterns on the Severn Valley Railway with a Bridgnorth to Kidderminster train during the line's Diesel Gala on 14 October 1989. Although in a sunny patch here, as can be seen from the clouds a number of pictures were spoiled by the sun going behind a cloud at the crucial moment.

D9000 Royal Scots Grey & D9016 Gordon Highlander cross Greenway Viaduct on the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway with the 18:00 Kingswear to Paignton service on 20 June 1992, during the line's Diesel Gala. From the exhaust it seems that D9000 is running on one engine and D9016 is not providing power. Although this is probably not the case, one engine out of the available four would be more than sufficient for a train such as this on a heritage railway!

D9000 Royal Scots Grey passes Croome with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z56 11:30 Euston to Bristol Temple Meads 'Cross-Country Deltic' railtour on 13 April 1997. A very late start for a railtour and an unusual route - London to Bristol via Birmingham! For once there was no worrying about whether the sun would be out when the train came, as it was a completely sunny spring day.

D9000 Royal Scots Grey leans into the curve at Offord Cluny as it heads north with the VSOE / Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z82 09:00 Victoria to Bradford Forster Square railtour on 22 May 1999. The spire of St Peter's church at the neighnouring village Offord D'Arcy forms the backdrop. It was a good day for Deltic fans, as D9009 was also out on the East Coast Mainline, working a Deltic Preservation Society tour in the opposite direction.

Running nearly half an hour early, D9000 Royal Scots Grey passes Wrenbury (between Whitchurch and Nantwich) with the 1Z27 10:18 Cardiff Central to Glasgow Central 'Tunnock Express' on 4 August 2001, conveying athletes returning from the Special Olympics. The monument on the hill at Hollyhurst, approximately two miles away, can just be seen on the horizon.

With the houses of Newburgh visible in the background, 55022 Royal Scots Grey passes Easter Clunie with the Railway Touring Company 1Z50 07:20 Kings Cross to Inverness 'Autumn Highlander' four day railtour on 5 October 2007. The sun which had been out for most of the day had disappeared into high cloud, but just before the train was due it came out again, producing this dramatic lighting. Although the sun was directly down the track, this was one of the few locations en-route from London where the sun would be on the nose. 55022 was replaced by 40145 at Perth, although 50049, which can just be seen on the rear of the train remained with the tour all weekend.

55022 Royal Scots Grey is seen in the pouring rain at Oban on 6 October 2007, shunting the stock of the SRPS railtour, which had arrived as the 1Z55 06:28 Dundee to Oban, and would depart several hours later as the 1Z74 16:45 Oban to Dundee. In a perfect piece of timing the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry Isle of Mull had just arrived with the 12:45 sailing from Craignure (Mull) and would soon depart with the 13:45 return. 

55022 Royal Scots Grey & 50049 Defiance power past Bridge of Earn with the Railway Touring Company 1Z55 08:20 Inverness to Kings Cross 'Autumn Highlander' railtour on 8 October 2007. There was certainly no doubt when this train was approaching, as in addition to the distinctive Deltic whine, a plume of smoke could be seen rising above the tree tops over the fields to the right for over a mile! Considering the Deltic is obviously running on both engines, it was a surprise when the train passed under the bridge to hear that the 50 was also under full power! Needless to say 40145 on the rear of the train was taking it easy!

55022 Royal Scots Grey passes the site of Over Junction, near Gloucester with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z47 08:00 Cardiff Central to Llandrindod Wells 'Heart of Wales Explorer' railtour on 29 March 2008. Despite the novelty of a Deltic over the Central Wales line, the forecast of torrential rain for later in the day in Wales put me off traveling any further west. In fact it was sunny when I arrived at this location, but that didn't last long, and by the time the railtour appeared it had become very dark.

55022 Royal Scots Grey passes Heap Bridge with the 2E62 09:37 Ramsbotton to Heywood service on 7 March 2010, during the East Lancashire Railway's Diesel Gala. 50008 Thunderer is just out of sight in the bushes on the rear of the train, and seems to be doing its best to emulate the Deltic's famous ability to produce lots of smoke, even though (or more likely, because) it is just idling and being dragged by 55022. Also just out of sight in the background is the bridge that carries the line over the M66 motorway.

On 7 March 2010, during the East Lancashire Railway's Diesel Gala, 55022 Royal Scots Grey is pictured passing Heap Bridge with the 2J70 11:46 Rawtenstall to Heywood service. The old quarry at Heap Bridge is an excellent photographic spot, that just requires a walk from one side to the other for each train!

55022 Royal Scots Grey accelerates past the south end of Hinksey Yard on 12 June 2010 with the Spitfire Railtours 1Z56 15:22 Oxford to Preston (via Kings Cross) 'Capital Deltic' railtour. I had deliberately chosen this location as the dark vegetation in the background would show up the exhaust if the loco decided to throw out any clag. That part of the plan worked well, but unfortunately the sun didn't appear at the critical moment! 57601 is just out of sight on the rear of the train.