The National Railway Museum's E5001 finds a brief patch of sun at Hook on 17 July 1993 as it works the Pathfinder Tours 1Z39 05:42 Derby to Waterloo 'DC Green Flasher' railtour. Obviously being a purely electric loco, E5001 only worked the section of the tour running over Southern Region lines, in this case between Eastleigh and Waterloo. It would later work back to Southampton via Horsham. At this time there was still a ban on preserved diesel locomotives working over the national network, however by some strange logic this didn't apply to electrics.

By the look of the clouds I did well to get this one in the sun! E5001 arrives at Horsham with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z39 'DC Green Flasher' railtour on 17 July 1993, at this point running as the 15:02 Waterloo to Birmingham New Street. Although obviously the highlight of the tour, 56005 and a pair of 73s (73139 & 73141) as featured. 09019 is stabled in the yard on the left.

Class 77 1.5kV DC electric loco 1502 Electric stands in the sunshine at the Basingstoke Rail Show on 27 September 1987. Clearly showing why the BR 1990s departmental livery was described as 'Dutch', it is sporting the Nederlandse Spoorwegen (Netherlands state owned railways) livery and number. Built at Gorton Works in 1952 as 27000, this loco has had an eventful life both before and since this picture was taken. After use on the Woodhead route until 1968, it then spent nearly two decades at work on the Dutch network, before being repatriated in July 1986. After visiting various open days, it returned to Holland in 1989 for the NS150 celebrations, before finally coming back to this country for a quit life in preservation!

A dramatic low level shot of 85012 as it speeds past Soulbury with the 1A39 12:18 Birmingham New Street to Euston service on 24 April 1984. This loco was renumbered 85104 in June 1989 and withdrawn two year later. It was very nearly saved for preservation, literally almost being bought whilst waiting to be cut up at MC Metals, Glasgow. However, when Pete Waterman realised the state the loco was in after it had been partly cannibalised whilst at Crewe, the sale did not go ahead and the loco was scrapped.

Looking smart in freshly applied InterCity livery with a painted black headcode panel, 86213 Lancashire Witch speeds past Penkridge with the 16:10 Liverpool to Euston service on 4 July 1987. Unfortunately this was one of the few occasions that I was experimenting with Agfa transparency film, as they did a ISO200 emulsion which was ideal for a Pentax 6x7. Even then the results proved to be poor and the slide has since aged very badly, turning a nasty purple colour. However, rather than scan the 35mm Kodachrome slide that I also took at the time, I have magically transformed Agfa's dodgy slide by clicking the 'restore colour' button on the scanner software, thereby saving me much tweaking in Photoshop!

86232 Harold Macmillan speeds past Soulbury on 24 April 1984 with the 10:15 Manchester Piccadilly to Euston service. This view has now changed completely, as the field in the foreground now forms part of the Leighton Buzzard by-pass, which parallels the railway for several miles en-route towards Milton Keynes.

86239 L. S. Lowry races past Hartshill (between Nuneaton and Atherstone) with the 11:45 Euston to Glasgow service on 9 March 1985. This loco was written off in a collision with some derailed wagons at Rickerscote on 8 March 1996, whilst working the Coventry to Glasgow TPO. In 1985 it was still possible, whilst not actually trespassing, to get some good shots from near track level prior the dreaded palisade fencing being erected at most such vantage points.

In 1987 86426 was repainted into 'Electric Blue' livery to mark 21 years of the InterCity name as applied to British Rail's premium passenger routes. The Class 86s (or AL6 as they were known as initially) were delivered in this lighter shade of blue, before being repainted into standard rail blue in the late 1960s. 86426 is pictured here passing Bugbrooke with the 10:20 Euston to Manchester Piccadilly service on 28 November 1987. It was a bitterly cold day, with the fog only just clearing. In fact some areas remained fogbound all day.

86430 passes the rather hackneyed location of Winwick with the 14:45 Preston to Euston service on 25 March 1993. This location can virtually be guaranteed to always have at least one photographer in attendance, and there is usually a long line of parked cars on the roadside. Directly above the locomotive can be seen the Newton-le-Willows Vulcan Works of English Electric Ltd (latterly Ruston Diesels), where numerous classic diesel classes were constructed. The buildings were demolished in 2007.

86607 & 86610 pass Brock with the 4M74 13:00 Coatbridge to Crewe freightliner on 6 May 2008. It always seems a little strange seeing a pair of 4040 hp electric locos hauling freightliners, while on other routes a single 3200 hp Class 66 handles a similar length train. Although this looks like a pleasant rural location, it is in fact incredibly noisy, as the M6 motorway is just behind the trees on the right, paralleling the railway for some miles north of Preston.

In an extremely lucky and very brief patch of sunshine with a superb background of menacing black clouds, 86613 County of Lancashire & 86627 The Industrial Society pass Great Brington with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z46 06:15 Bristol Temple Meads to London via just about everywhere 'Sector Swansong' railtour on 2 April 1994. Representing the demise of the British Rail sectors at the dawn of privatisation, this section of the tour obviously represents Railfreight Distribution. I think what makes this particular picture so striking is the stark contrast between the dark clouds and the light stone of the recently constructed rail access road in the foreground.

86638 & 86613 pass Long Buckby with the 4L92 14:03 Ditton to Felixstowe freightliner on 23 April 2010. Although a lengthy train, I can't help thinking that 7200 hp that is booked for this service is a little excessive! Note the slight variation in the position of the Freightliner branding on the sides of these two locos.

87009 City of Birmingham gives the motorists on the M1 a run for their money as it heads south near Long Buckby Wharf with the 11:54 Lancaster to Euston service on 17 March 1989. The motorway services sign refers to Watford Gap and Leicester Forest East, although obviously the mention of Blue Boar and Trusthouse Forte certainly dates the picture!

87010 King Arthur speeds past Berkswell on 25 April 1996 with the 15:15 Euston to Birmingham New Street service. The complete train is in the stylish InterCity livery, once commonplace, now like many earlier more restrained colour schemes, sadly missed.

Under a menacing sky, 87011 The Black Prince leads DVT 82104 across Docker Viaduct with the 09:50 Glasgow to Euston Virgin Trains 'Royal Scot' on 29 March 1997. Obviously with the old bath being used as a drinking trough and the 'Horse Watch' notice by the gate, the field normally has some equine inhabitants. Unfortunately they were nowhere to be seen. A pity, as a couple of horses peering over the gate would have completed a perfect picture!

I don't normally bother with light engine moves, and certainly not with going away shots, but this working is just so unusual that it had to be recorded. I presume 25kV electric locos have been dragged through Oxford before, but other than en-route to various open days, I can't recall when. 37038 tows 87022 Cock o' the North as the 0Z87 11:46 Oxley to Wembley on 2 January 2008, seen here passing Hinksey Yard. The wording on the wreath reads: '87 WCML 87 gone but not forgotten'.

87024 Lord of the Isles speeds past Cathiron (near Rugby) with the 09:31 Carlisle to Euston service on 20 October 1984. Note the mix of Mk1, Mk2 & Mk3 stock, and also the the original style of headlight that was still fitted to the loco at this time. It later acquired the standard design fitted in a square box attached to the front end, rather than flush fitted, as here. 87024 was withdrawn from service in October 2004 and cut up by JT Landscapes at MoD Caerwent in November 2005.

87033 Thane of Fife speeds past Old Linslade on 14 January 1989 with the 1A33 10:30 Manchester Piccadilly to Euston service. At this time InterCity locos were being painted into this version of the InterCity / Mainline livery, and initially they received very small numbers, making it very difficult to identify an individual loco on the move, certainly when traveling at 100 mph as here! Luckily the nameplate is easily readable on the original Kodachrome slide. The tiny number is barely visible near the driver's door at the wrong end of the loco!

The unique thyristor controlled Class 87/1 87101 Stephenson passes Roade on 20 May 1991 with the 6A28 08:01 Bescot to Willesden Speedlink service. This non-standard locomotive was the first of its class to be painted into Railfreight colours, being at this time allocated to the FGHC (Railfreight Distribution Crewe Class 85 & 87/1) pool. Owing to its one off nature it frequently spent long periods out of use (the whole of 1989 for example!). Its landmark design did not ensure preservation upon withdrawal, and it was cut up in 2002.

The unique Class 89 89001 entered service in July 1988 and was put to work on the ECML initially working the 07:00 Peterborough to Kings Cross and 17:36 InterCity return workings. It proved outstandingly reliable, but its non-standard design caused problems in later years due to shortage of spare parts. After withdrawal in 1992 it was bought for preservation, only to re-enter service a few years later with GNER, until more problems with sourcing components led to its withdrawal again. The 'Flying Badger' is pictured here passing Abbots Ripton at the full line speed of 125 mph with the 07:00 Peterborough to Kings Cross service on 16 August 1988. Directly behind the loco is converted HST driving trailer 43013.

After being withdrawn from traffic in 1992, the unique Class 89 89001 looked set for a life in preservation. However, GNER acquired the loco in 1996 in order to strengthen its East Coast Mainline fleet. Sadly it was not to remain in service for very long, with its non-standard nature being a constant maintenance problem. After repainting into GNER colours and before entering passenger service, it is pictured passing through Fitzwilliam station at the rear of a Leeds to London test run on 9 March 1997.

With the locomotive and the complete train wearing the obsolete One Railways livery, debranded and with a subtle National Express East Anglia logo added to the white stripe, 90001 passes Swainsthorpe with the 18:30 Norwich to Liverpool Street National Express East Anglia service on 12 May 2008.

90002 Mission Impossible brings up the rear of the 08:00 Euston to Manchester Piccadilly 'Manchester Pullman' as it passes through Levenshulme on its inaugural run on 10 March 1997. I don't normally bother with going away shots, but in this instance it was the only possible way to get a picture of the locomotive in its then brand new livery. Virgin West Coast had taken over the franchise for the route the previous day.

The EWS livery of 90028 contrasts markedly with the debranded former One Railways livery of the stock, as the 19:00 Norwich to Liverpool Street National Express East Anglia service approaches Swainsthorpe at speed on 12 May 2008.

Unbelievably what would have been an excellent shot of 82101 leading the 09:30 Birmingham New Street to Euston Virgin West Coast service at Church Lawford on 20 April 2009 was completely blocked out by a Pendolino going the other way! Considering the speed they travel at the chances of that happening must be pretty remote. In view of that disaster I decided to wait for the return working, the 1G18 11:43 from Euston. As the location at Church Lawford is not as good for west bound trains, I decided to go for a more artistic picture, by framing the train with a convenient tree.

90036 passes Wootton Green on 20 April 2009 with the 1G30 15:43 Euston to Birmingham New Street Virgin West Coast service. The substitution of this 'proper train' is the result of two Pendolino units being out of service due to minor accident damage sustained whilst on depot. I'm sure the passengers (sorry, customers) appreciated the added comfort of the Mk 3 coaches!

90044 speeds past Watford (on the Northampton loop line) on 21 September with the 4M87 11:41 Felixstowe to Trafford Park freightliner. Formerly there was a farm occupation bridge crossing the line at this point.

90136 dodges the lengthening evening shadows at Stableford on 30 May 1997 as it heads north with the 6S48 13:14 Dagenham to Mossend Ford vans train. For some reason the Railfreight Distribution liveried Class 90s always seemed to have a tatty and faded yellow front end - or at least the ones I came across!

Taking pictures of Class 91 electrics is hampered by the fact that they are normally on the north end of the train on the East Coast Mainline, with the DVT at the south end, therefore most of the time they are coming out of the light. 91026 speeds past Claypole (between Grantham and Newark) with the 12:30 Kings Cross to Edinburgh service on 24 August 1991.

Under a threatening sky, 91103 speeds past Botany Bay (near Retford) with the 12:35 Kings Cross to Leeds National Express East Coast service on 10 March 2009. A day of intermittent sunshine and cloud, in this case with just enough sunshine for the first half of the train!

91111 was the only Class 91 to receive a repaint into National Express East Coast colours. As the company has ceased trading and effectively been renationalised, I thought I ought to take a picture of this unique machine when it passed Frinkley Lane (near Grantham) on 25 July 2009, because there aren't going to be any more repaints now! It is working the 15:00 Kings Cross to Glasgow Central train.

On 14 February 1998, 92001 Victor Hugo passes through Lenham station (between Maidstone and Ashford) with the 6O58 09:10 Wembley to Dollands Moor Connectrail service, which later forms the 4408 13:09 Dollands Moor to Lille international service via the Channel Tunnel. Lenham station seems to have survived reasonably intact from the days of steam, with all its original buildings including in the former goods yard on the left.

92020 Milton passes Swanley on 30 May 1998 with the 7O56 09:18 Wembley to Dollands Moor Ford Transfesa car components 'Blue Train'. This will later form the 4254 14:09 Dollands Moor to Silla train via the Channel Tunnel. Note the extremley photographer unfriendly footbridge in the background, which when this picture was taken had just been encased in a mesh screen in effort to deter the local vandals. Luckily there are still several alternative vantage points in the area.

With horns blaring, 92030 Ashford & 37688 pass Westwell Leacon (near Ashford) with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z92 10:14 Finsbury Park to Dungeness 'Dungeness Pebbledasher' railtour on 12 July 1997. This was the first booked use of a Class 92 on a passenger train, and EWS are to be commended on the immaculate condition of the locomotive.

92034 Kipling passes Long Buckby on 23 April 2010 with the 6O63 Warrington Arpley to Dollands Moor Enterprise service. 59201 Vale of York is hitching a ride back to Wembley after its recent use of Fiddlers Ferry coal traffic. An unusual traction combination, a good location and perfect weather, so it was a surprise that I was the only photographer there to record the scene!

92038 Voltaire & 37402 Bont Y Bermo pass through Paddock Wood station with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z93 15:10 Dungeness to Finsbury Park 'Dungeness Pebbledasher' railtour on 12 July 1997. Note the lines of Railfreight wagons on the left, and the Maidstone line curving away to the left behind the first coach.

On the slightly misty evening of 14 February 1998, 92041 Vaughan Williams passes Sevington with the 4M47 Dollands Moor to Wembley intermodal train in the last rays of the setting sun. Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958) was one of Britain's greatest classical composers, who in addition to nine symphonies wrote many works in what has come to be known as the 'English pastoral' tradition. Examples include: Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis, The Lark Ascending, & In The Fen Country.

Metropolitan Railway Bo-Bo No.12 Sarah Siddons passes through Wraysbury station whilst working a Windsor & Eaton Riverside to Staines special during the Network SouthEast Windsor & Eaton Gala Day on 10 December 1989. Built by Metropolitan Vickers at Barrow-in-Furness in 1922, Sarah Siddons survived in London Transport departmental use and outlived the other members of the twenty strong class. Part of the rebuilding work carried out on the locomotive in 1982 allowed it to work on the Southern Region's 750V DC third rail system in addition to the London Transport lines. The Windsor & Eaton Gala was an ideal opportunity to photograph this fascinating loco on the main line, but unfortunately as can be seen here the weather was abysmal!

Metropolitan Railway Bo-Bo No.12 Sarah Siddons arrives at Amersham with the 14:28 special service from Watford on 14 September 2008. This was part of the London Transport Museum's Heritage Day, which also saw the use of classic London buses from Amersham station, including the iconic Routemasters. Obviously there are more relaxed rules with regard to cab rides on the underground network, as both of Sarah Siddons cabs are occupied by children enjoying a day out on the rails.

Metropolitan Railway Bo-Bo No.12 Sarah Siddons was used on a number of trains to Amersham during the London Transport Museum's Heritage Day on 14 September 2008. Unfortunately due to the locomotive being at the north end of the stock, and with the very restricted vantage points on the line, it was very difficult to photograph. I decided the best way to get an uninterrupted view of the loco was to take a 'going away' picture as 20189 headed the final service (the 16:30 Amersham to Harrow) through Chorleywood station. So here we see Sarah Siddons bringing up the rear and passing the boarded up signal box. Unfortunately the sun had just started to fade out into high cloud by this stage in the afternoon.