67002 Special Delivery heads west at Baulking on 10 December 2008 hauling a single EWS Mk2 coach. 3200 hp is a little excessive to move one coach, but as the class is underemployed and EWS no longer has any more suitable locomotives, I suppose it serves its purpose. 67002 was named Special Delivery at the Old Oak Common Open Day in 2000, but the name soon became slightly inappropriate when EWS lost the Royal Mail contract!

67002 Special Delivery very nearly gets blocked out by a HST at Shrivenham on 27 June 2011. Running 15 minutes early, it speeds past the site of the old station with the Raileasy 1Z27 10:00 Frome to Preston 'Mudex', returning happy festival goers back from the Glastonbury Festival, where they have seen such big name acts as U2, BB King, Don McLean, Morrissey, Paul Simon, and of course the undoubted highlight of the event, the Wombles! Unfortunately the 1C09 10:00 Paddington to Paignton 'Torbay Express' comes within a second of ruining the shot. One the plus side however, if the 67 had been on time it would have passed by in the cloud, as a weather front coming in from the west blotted out the sun just a few minutes after this picture was taken.

Ordinarily I would ignore something like this. Light engines are bad enough, but a Class 67 light engine is hardly worth photographing! However, as I was already in position waiting for 50049, and the light was perfect, I relented. The fact that this particular 'Skip' is in Arriva blue livery was the clincher. 67003 passes Broken Cross on 29 March 2012 with the 0Z60 08:59 Cardiff Canton to Gloucester driver training trip.

Probably the best distance to view a pair of 'skips' from, even if they are the Royal Train allocated pair! With Oxleaze Farm in the foreground, 67005 Queen's Messenger & 67006 Royal Sovereign head west through the Vale of White Horse near Uffington with the UK Railtours 1Z67 06:47 Stevenage to Kidderminster 'Severn Valley Sunrise' railtour on 5 April 2008. I had been waiting for the ideal weather conditions to attempt this long lens shot from the top of White Horse Hill, and the uninspiring choice of traction for this tour meant I wasn't going to miss an important picture if it didn't work out.  As the train is over two miles away, a clear morning was essential.

No this is not a case of Her Majesty the Queen getting some rare freight track mileage! 67005 Queen's Messenger pulls onto the up freight loop at Challow on 12 May 2009 with the Royal Train, which is working empty stock between Haverfordwest and Euston. The other Royal 'skip', 67006 Royal Sovereign can be seen on the rear of the train. The only passenger trains that normally traverse these relief lines are railtours where the route is specified so that track bashers can tick off a new section of track, albeit only a few feet away from the normal route!

67006 passes Defford on 17 July 2000 with the 1E43 15:09 Plymouth to Low Fell Royal Mail vans. 67006, along with 67005 would become much more distinctive a few years later, when they were repainted into Royal Train claret livery.

Humble duties for a royal locomotive. 67006 Royal Sovereign passes Compton Beauchamp on 30 April 2007 with the 6M33 16:23 Avonmouth to Wembley Enterprise service. The lengths of rail lying in the ballast are bad enough, but note the one lying in the 'four foot' of the down line. I know they can't be moved easily, but leaving lengths of rail this close to 125 mph running lines just shows how little regard Network Rail has for safety.

67006 Royal Sovereign passes Tackley on 25 June 2012 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z74 05:50 Didcot Parkway to Holyhead 'Magnificent Snowdonian' railtour. I wouldn't normally bother to go out especially for a Class 67 hauled train, but the prospect of some superb early morning lighting made the effort worthwhile.

67006 Royal Sovereign slowly approaches Mill Lane, Islip on 11 January 2013 with the 6A49 12:10 Didcot to Bicester MoD stores. It is pulling away from the speed restriction that is in force on the bridge over the River Cherwell. A very variable day for weather. Full sun when I got up, followed shortly afterwards by total cloud cover. Later on the sun appeared to be breaking through again, so I ventured out for 56303. The sun then disappeared and was really dark when 67006 showed up. Naturally once back home it was full sun again!

67010 passes Bonnybridge on a very gloomy 24 April 2003 with the 5D03 10:07 Aberdeen to Motherwell empty parcels vans. Another short lived traffic flow, these four vans were the returning empties off the previous night's 1S03 00:39 Walsall to Aberdeen DHL parcels service.

67010 approaches Wormleighton Crossing (near Banbury) with a single Cargo D buffet car en-route from Wembley to Wolverton (via Coventry!) on 22 April 2009. Such a short train gives a clear view of the remains of the bridge in the background that once carried the Stratford-upon-Avon & Midland Junction Railway's Stratford to Towcester route over the GWR main line.

67010 passes Banbury Stone Terminal with the 1P03 07:23 Wrexham to Marylebone Wrexham & Shropshire Railways service on 21 September 2009. There is certainly a variation in the liveries of this train, with the loco alone in the train operator's colours. The centre of the three classic blue and grey Mk3 coaches is at least branded Wrexham & Shropshire, but the DVT (82302) at the rear of the train is in the recently applied, and as yet unbranded, Chiltern Railways livery.

A Wrexham & Shropshire Railways interlude in the Oxfordshire countryside. 67010 does the pushing on the rear, whilst 83205 leads the 1J83 16:30 Marylebone to Wrexham service on 23 April 2010. The train is pictured here passing Great Bourton and heading towards Cropredy.

67012 passes Fritwell with the 1P13 11:10 Wrexham General to Marylebone Wrexham & Shropshire Railway service on 9 June 2008. EWS liveried 67002 can be seen on the rear of the train. This was one of those annoying situations where the sun was behind one of the few clouds on an otherwise sunny day as the train came into view. However the cloud was obviously moving faster than the train, because it just cleared in time. Note the slightly darker ballast in front of the loco, caused by the tail end of the cloud - that's how close it was!

67012 A Shropshire Lad passes through Kings Sutton station on 23 April 2009 with the 1P13 11:23 Wrexham to Marylebone Wrexham & Shropshire Railway service. Obviously someone with poor colour sense must have advised Network Rail on their choice of colour scheme for the fairly recently erected footbridge. Although the locals who have long campaigned for a footbridge were glad when they finally got one, I'm not so sure they are happy with the discordant colour in what is otherwise a picturesque rural village.

Despite the miserable lighting conditions, the Wrexham & Shropshire Railways silver grey livery of 67012 A Shropshire Lad and its coaches certainly show up as they pass Kings Sutton on 3 March 2010 with the 1J82 11:20 Marylebone to Wrexham service.

67012's A Shropshire Lad name is not quite so appropriate now that it is being used by Chiltern Railways rather than the defunct Wrexham & Shropshire Railway Company, although what A. E. Houseman would say about the name being used on a locomotive in the first place is an interesting point! On 1 February 2012, it speeds past Hatton with the 1H32 10:55 Birmingham Moor Street to Marylebone service.

67013 Dyfrbont Pontcysyllte crosses Souldern No.2 Viaduct with the 1P01 05:42 Wrexham to Marylebone Wrexham & Shropshire Railways service on 15 August 2008. Hidden in the bushes to the right is classmate 67014. Aynho Viaduct is the first of two viaducts spanning small streams on the Bicester line just south of Aynho Junction. Souldern Viaduct a short distance further on is an even more impressive structure, although not so easy to photograph at close quarters.

67013 Dyfrbont Pontcysylite passes Claydon with the 1P13 11:23 Wrexham to Marylebone Wrexham & Shropshire Railway service on 22 April 2009. Plenty of evidence of a thriving local rook population in the background!

67013 Dyfrbont Pontcysyllte propels a Wembley to Aylesbury Wrexham & Shropshire Railways ECS past Little Kimble on 24 May 2010. This is one of the better photographic locations on the Aylesbury to Princes Risborough line.

67013 Dyfrbont Pontcysylite passes Bishops Itchington on the unseasonably warm spring morning of 26 March 2012, as it heads south with the 1H32 10:55 Birmingham Moor Street to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service.

67014 rounds the curve at Kings Sutton with the first ever northbound passenger carrying Wrexham & Shropshire Railways service - the 1J80 06:45 Marylebone to Wrexham General on 28 April 2008. 67012 can just be seen on the rear of the three coach train, both locos being in Wrexham & Shropshire Railways colours. Running on time and in the company's new colours, it was a good start on the first day of the service. If only the same could be said of the inaugural southbound service!

The once photographically excellent location of Harbury cutting is now virtually useless with only a half decent picture just about possible for down trains. 67014 Thomas Telford leads the 1J82 13:17 Marylebone to Wrexham service on 22 August 2008, with fellow Wrexham & Shropshire Railways liveried classmate 67013 on the rear of the train. Luckily this train came in a patch of half sun, just bright enough to create some shadows but not too contrasty in this deep tree line cutting.

The switchback nature of the Coventry to Leamington Spa line is evident in this view as 67014 Thomas Telford approaches Old Milverton in a very lucky patch of sunshine on 20 February 2009 with the 1P13 11:23 Wrexham to Marylebone Wrexham & Shropshire Railways service. Kenilworth church, over two miles away, can be seen in the distance.

67014 Thomas Telford passes Piddington on 24 May 2010 with the 1P01 05:10 Wrexham to Marylebone Wrexham & Shropshire Railways service. Unfortunately hawthorn bushes growing by the side of the bridge prevent a more side on view here, but at least it gives a clear view along the straight section of track towards Bicester.

67014 Thomas Telford speeds past Launton on 2 September 2010 with the 1J83 16:30 Marylebone to Wrexham service. The Wrexham & Shropshire Railway's silver livery is certainly stylish, and far more restrained that some operator's choice of colours!

Pictured during its last week of operation, 67014 Thomas Telford leads the 1P13 11:27 Wrexham General to Marylebone service past Great Bourton on 8 December 2010. From the start of the winter timetable, the Wrexham & Shropshire Railways service is being reduced from four trains to three.

There was sad news for the rail industry in late January 2011 with the sudden announcement that Wrexham & Shropshire Railways would cease trading. Trains ceased running just a few days after the announcement was made. A high quality operation, both in terms of coaching stock and reliability, unfortunately passengers numbers were not high, and the company lost £2.8 million in 2010 as a result. It was fairly obvious from the start that it wouldn't be viable, but even I was surprised by the sudden end. There must be numerous towns that would like a direct connection to London, and why Wrexham was highlighted is a mystery. Nevertheless, my best wishes for the future to all the staff. Despite the gloomy conditions, I went out for the last day, as I had photographed the first train in 2008. 67014 Thomas Telford is seen passing under the M40 motorway near Overthorpe with the final 1P03 07:23 Wrexham General to Marylebone service on 28 January 2011.

67015 David J. Lloyd approaches the northern entrance of Ardley Tunnel on 29 October 2008 with the 1P13 11:10 Wrexham General to Marylebone Wrexham & Shropshire Railway service. A farm occupation bridge crosses the line just in front of the tunnel mouth, but it has to be said that the view is more interesting in the other direction!

In February 2008 crew training started for the Wrexham, Shropshire & Marylebone Railway. The 5Z23 14:01 Banbury to Marylebone is pictured passing Bucknell in brilliant late winter sunshine on 27 February 2008, with 67017 Arrow leading and 67016 at the rear of the 3 coach Cargo-D Mk3 First Class rake. My preferred location for this picture was a few miles up the line at Fritwell, but reconnaissance a few weeks earlier had indicated that the shadows would extend right up to the running line, and if the train had only been slightly late would have led to very difficult lighting. In the event it was a good decision to choose this spot, as it was completely sunny all the time, despite there being a huge bank of cloud just to the north and a similar one to the south!

67017 Arrow leading and 67022 on the rear work the 2U20 12:47 Paignton to Cardiff Central First Great Western service past Pilning on 27 April 2010. Excellent livery for the coaches, its just a shame about the traction! Never mind, I suppose its better than a unit.

67017 Arrow passes Fiddington on a very dull 16 March 2012 with the 1Z18 07:55 Euston to Cheltenham Gold Cup special, with 67016 bringing up the rear. Although I regularly used to photograph the Gold Cup specials when they were 47 hauled (I just missed out on the 33 hauled trains), I haven't bothered since they went over to 'Skips'. However, this one was photographed purely as I was already on the bridge waiting for some proper traction to appear with the following train.

67018 Keith Heller approaches Kings Sutton on 24 November 2010 with the late running 1P13 11:27 Wrexham General to Marylebone service. Wrexham & Shropshire are due to reduce their four trains a day to three from December. This and the 15:25 departure being replaced by a single train leaving Wrexham at 13:28. 67018's livery is certainly different, and while not at all subtle, certainly shows up from a distance! No Photoshop enhancement has been applied to this image at all.

Very nearly a photographic disaster at Great Bourton on 28 March 2012. As 66540 approaches with the 4O17 freightliner, 67018 Keith Heller almost gets in the way, as it pushes the 1R48 16:46 Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street Chiltern Railways service northwards, lead by DVT 83204.

An almost aerial view of 67018 Keith Heller as it heads south past Ardley with the 1H08 06:52 Banbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service on 25 June 2012. The bridges visible here are the Ardley to Somerton road, the Ardley to Fritwell road, and just visible in the background the bridge that carries the Fritwell to Troy Farm footpath across the line.

67018 Keith Heller passes the site of Ashendon Junction on 10 August 2012 with the 1H08 06:52 Banbury to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. This is one of the few locations on the Chiltern Line that is clear enough to allow pictures to be taken very early in the morning, although you won't find many photographers here, as its a long walk from the nearest road!

The angle of the sun on the Chiltern Line for the 1P03 07:25 Wrexham to Marylebone Wrexham & Shropshire Railway service is unfortunately very nearly head on. However, as I was passing on 15 August 2008, I stopped off at Ardley to see 67019 heading for London, with 67028 on the rear.

Oh the indignity! BR 7MT 4-6-2 70000 Britannia is hauled backwards along with support coach M35465 by 67020, seen here passing Denchworth on 27 July 2012. Running as the 5Z91 Bristol Barton Hill to Didcot, this was in order to return Britannia to the Great Western Society to rectify a broken spring. It is surprising in view of how slowly the ensemble was travelling, that it was not routed along the relief line.

67021 passes Claydon at high speed with a crew training run for Wrexham & Shropshire Railways on 15 April 2008.This was running in the path of what will be the 1P03 07:25 Wrexham to Marylebone service when passenger trains commence running at the end of April. 67012 in W & S livery can be seen on the rear of the train. On this occasion the train was running 20 minutes early. I suppose there is a certain novelty value in having a train made up of an EWS liveried loco, 3 blue & grey Mk. 3 coaches, and a grey liveried 67 on the rear!

This ill conceived design has had a troubled life with EWS, ever since the cessation of the mail trains which were the class's reson detre. This has led to their use on freight trains and possibly the most unsuitable job imaginable for a 125 mph loco with a ridiculously heavy axle weight - the Fort William sleeper. In this role they have unsurprisingly proved more troublesome than the Class 37s they replaced. However, here we see them on slightly more normal duties, although why it takes two I have no idea. 67022 & 67028 pass Whitehill, on the Cotswold Line with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z67 07:21 Finsbury Park to Kidderminster 'Severn Valley 1960's Gala' railtour on 21 February 2004.

Beauty and the beast. Unfortunately beauty is going in the opposite direction! While the design icon that is the HST speeds towards London, ugly ducking 67022 heads west past Baulking with the 1Z45 Victoria to Worcester VSOE special on 19 May 2007.

The 6A49 12:10 Didcot to Bicester MoD stores is getting well used to having inappropriate Class 67 haulage. On 21 January 2013 it was the turn of 67022, seen here approaching Oxford with a lengthy snow covered train. Ten days before it was hauled by an even more inappropriate royal liveried 67006.

67022 approaches Wolvercote Tunnel on 8 February 2013 with the 6A49 12:10 Didcot to Bicester MoD stores. I certainly wouldn't bother taking this picture normally, but decided it was worth the few minutes wait, as I was already on the bridge after photographing 56311 on the 6Z91 10:53 Calvert to Didcot Power Station flyash empties.

67023 passes Blackford, on the Highland Main Line with the 4D65 15:12 Inverness to Mossend Safeway Intermodal train on 17 April 2003. A ridiculously inappropriate loco for the job, but then since the cessation of the Royal Mail trains, the class has no real purpose, so has to be found work somewhere. The A9 trunk road can be seen in the background, and just out of the picture to the right is the huge shed that is the Highland Spring factory, hardly the quaint image that the name conjures up!

67024 passes Up Hatherley on 22 April 2006 with the VSOE Cardiff to Chester 'Northern Belle luxury special. This picture almost didn't get taken, as the much more important 45112 was coming the other way, and there was only a minute between each train. Any less and this one would have been ignored!

67025 Western Star & 67017 Arrow approach the site of Ashbury Crossing at Shrivenham with the UK Railtours 1Z27 08:44 Huntingdon to Bristol Temple Meads charter on 3 December 2008. The two InterCity liveried Mk 2s at the front of the train slightly spoil the effect, but then so does the choice of traction! Although a hackneyed location in recent years, this was the start of a couple of hours of hectic activity, and as all the interesting trains were coming from the same direction, for once I decided to stay in the one spot.

There was an unfortunate start to the Wrexham & Shropshire Railway's passenger service on 28 April 2008. The inaugural train - the 1P01 05:42 Wrexham General to Marylebone service suffered loco problems only a short distance into the journey, and time was lost as the rear loco had to be transferred to the front of the train at Wellington. 67026 is pictured approaching Kings Sutton with the disgraced 67025 Western Star, running 37 minutes late. It is a pity that there was no more suitable class of loco for Wrexham & Shropshire to use, as the unreliability of the Class 67s has led to a very public embarrassment on the very first day. Unlike the inaugural northbound train, a pair of scruffy EWS locos hardly did much to promote the service either! I was very lucky with the lighting with this picture, as the clouds were building up very quickly and the sunny spells were getting much shorter!

67029 Royal Diamond passes under the footbridge next to the Kennet & Avon Canal at Little Bedwyn with the 1Z31 09:28 Paddington to Cardiff Central rugby special on 9 February 2008. Hidden behind the bushes on the rear of the train is 67024. This train was run in connection with the Wales v Scotland Six Nations match at the Millennium Stadium. Unfortunately the beech hedge in the foreground means it is now impossible to do the standard picture here in the winter, including both the church and the lock, as the hedge now shades the line.

67029 Royal Diamond passes Bishops Itchington with the 1P03 07:23 Wrexham to Marylebone Wrexham & Shropshire Railway service on 23 June 2009. Such is my indifference to this class, that it was only later that I noticed that this was the EWS silver liveried machine rather than one of the more normal similarly coloured Wrexham locos!

67029 Royal Diamond passes Eaton (near Retford) on 10 March 2012 with the 1Z72 08:19 Victoria to York VSOE luxury charter. Although exceedingly backlit, for once the effect is quite pleasing, with the foreground grass catching the light nicely.

After depositing its wealthy passengers at Cheltenham, in order for them to become slightly less wealthy at the Gold Cup Festival, 67029 Royal Diamond speeds past Fiddington on 16 March 2012 with the 5Z88 10:57 Cheltenham to Worcester Shrub Hill VSOE ECS. It had worked into Cheltenham as the 1Z88 07:17 from Victoria.

67030 emerges from the bushes at Defford on 23 April 2002 with the 1E43 15:09 Plymouth to Low Fell Royal Mail service. This of course being the type of train that these locos were designed for. Unfortunately within a couple of years this traffic would be lost to rail and it would be a while before the class would find any further practical use.

It is 06:16 and the sun has only just risen as 67030 passes Elliot (near Arbroath) with the 1A25 21:15 Euston to Aberdeen ScotRail sleeper on 6 May 2008. This was my second attempt to photograph this train. The previous day's picture was ruined by the all too common North Sea harr (thick fog) which seems to always occur on a clear morning on the east coast of Scotland. I was therefore surprised that it was clear this morning, as the sea is only just out of the picture to the left, and indeed it was foggy only slightly further inland.