The first production HST power car, 43002 is pictured at Baulking on 5 December 1981 working the 11:10 Cardiff Central to Paddington service. It has just passed the site of Uffington station, which was situated near the bridge in the background. This was the junction for the Faringdon branch, which curved away to the right by the trees. It closed to passenger traffic in 1951 and freight in 1962. In 1981 the view was completely unobstructed from Baulking to Uffington, with even the former Junction Hotel clearly visible.

The first production HST power car, 43002 received the name Top of the Pops on 30 August 1984, and the nameplate can clearly be seen in this view as it arrives at Gloucester with the 10:39 Manchester Piccadilly to Plymouth service on 21 August 1985. The train is just crossing over the Horton Road level crossing, a notorious traffic bottleneck, which this train will again traverse after reversing at Gloucester station, as all north to south services have to do. It will depart on the lines in the foreground.

43002 Top of the Pops leads the 18:05 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads service towards the site of Ashbury Crossing at Shrivenham on 29 May 1986. The remains of the former unit number (253001) can just be seen under the driver's windscreen. The practice of referring to HSTs by a unit number was discontinued shortly after this revised livery was applied in the mid 1980s. Superb evening lighting here, in a picture which is taken from the north side of the line, an angle which is only possible on mid summer evenings or on a cloudy day.

The remnants of 43002's former livery, which included yellow paint instead of grey around the windscreen, can be seen as it leads the 1A38 10:20 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington service past South Moreton (Didcot East) on 24 October 1989. As always it is the horse chestnut tree that starts off the autumn colour spectacle.

43002 catches the evening sun as it passes the remains of Wantage Road station on 17 May 1992 with the 18:35 Paddington to Swindon service. Normally this train would have continued on via the Golden Valley route to Cheltenham, but that line was closed for engineering works. 43002's peeling paint shows traces of its former all yellow front end, an experimental livery carried by a handful of power cars during 1988. Didcot Power Station can just be glimpsed underneath the roadbridge in the background.

Still giving excellent service after 34 years in traffic (over double the length of time the 'Westerns' plied this route), the first production HST power car, 43002 heads west past Denchworth on an intermittently sunny 16 September 2010 with the 1C16 13:30 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads First Great Western service. Admittedly now with a different engine, this power car must have clocked up an astronomical mileage, and surely makes the class one of BR's best value for money decisions ever.

I hope the driver of 43002 isn't scratching his head because he thinks he's running 'wrong line'! Seriously, the pioneer HST power car leads the 1P21 05:34 Hereford to Paddington First Great Western service past Chilson on 4 May 2011, passing the recently re-laid, but not yet ballasted re-instated up line.

Although it is well known that the buffer fitted surrogated DVT HSTs received a modified version of InterCity livery, with yellow around the windscreens, it is less well known that for a short period in 1988 several conventional power cars also carried this livery. Catching the last rays of the setting sun, 43003 approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth on 22 June 1988 with the 20:00 Paddington to Swansea service. Despite it being close to the longest day, this picture was taken so near to sunset that Kodachrome 200 was required, hence the poor technical quality.

43003 takes the Oxford line at Didcot on 31 July 1992, as it pulls out of the station with the 17:10 Paddington to Hereford service. It is being closely followed by Class 117 unit L417 (just visible in the distance) with the 17:21 Reading to Oxford local service. As the HST was running late, the unit was now catching it up, although having to be held back while the HST weaved across from the fast lines in front of it has had a delaying effect. Note that apart from a couple of stone hoppers this end of the yard at Didcot is surprisingly empty.

The second production HST power car, 43003 Isambard Kingdom Brunel was one of the diminishing number of First Great Western HSTs to retain its Paxman Valenta engine at the end of 2007. It is pictured here leaning into the curve and catching the first rays of the early morning sun between Shipton and Ascott-under-Wychwood with the 06:09 Abergavenny to Paddington 'Cathedrals Express' First Great Western service on 23 October 2007.

43003 Isambard Kingdom Brunel speeds past the site of Patney & Chirton station with the 1A81 08:42 Penzance to Paddington First Great Western service on 11 May 2009. Presumably the lilac tree in the background is a remnant of the long closed station. Despite the cloudless conditions, it was not that warm due to a near gale force wind.

43003 Isambard Kingdom Brunel rounds the curve between Didcot North Junction and Didcot Parkway station on 10 December 2009 with the 1P43 12:31 Oxford to Paddington First Great Western service. Coincidentally I had photographed this same power car at this location 17 years previously, but on that occasion traveling in the opposite direction. Note the wagons of the Brentford to Appleford binliner stabled in the sidings.

43003 Isambard Kingdom Brunel gleams in the early morning sunshine on 22 June 2010 as it passes Wootton Rivers with the 1A75 05:30 Plymouth to Paddington First Great Western service. Quite what the great man would say about having a HST power car named after him is uncertain, but he would probably state that it could go faster than 125 mph if there was more than 4 ft 8½ in between the rails!

43004 Borough of Swindon passes the site of Shrivenham station with the 09:32 Swansea to Paddington First Great Western service on 31 July 1999. This is one of the very few picture I have of a Great Western liveried power car with a complete rake of stock in the later First Great Western 'fag packet' livery.  At around this time I was chasing all over the country seeking out freight workings hauled by heritage traction (especially Class 37s) prior to the decimation of services and the replacement of proper locos by Class 66s. Unfortunately this resulted in me neglecting my home patch and not getting as many pictures of the Great Western HSTs as I would have liked. Note that this power car has a modified livery, the whole front area under the lights being painted dark green.

Before the general adoption of the rather bland blue livery to the refurbished First Great Western fleet, 43004 First for the future / First ar gyfer y dyfodol received the 'Neon' wavy line livery that later became the standard coach livery. It is seen here emerging from the fog at Crofton on 21 July 2006 with the 05:35 Plymouth to Paddington First Great Western service. The sun was already burning off the dense fog, as can be seen by the sunny patch crossing the wheat field in the background.

43004 passes Fairwood on 11 September 2007 with the 1A86 06:43 Penzance to Paddington First Great Western service. Although 43004 is in the later plain version of FGW's purple livery, all except the rear coach are in still in the first version of this colour scheme.

43004 First for the future / First ar gyfer y dyfodol approaches Oxford on 23 May 2009 with the 1P31 07:10 Hereford to Paddington First Great Western service. Note the green signal and feathers on the up relief line on the right. 165128 is signaled for the 09:27 Oxford to Bicester train.

A wide view for a change. 43004 First for the future / First ar gyfer y dyfodol heads through the Vale of White Horse near Kingston Lisle on 17 April 2010 with the 1C21 16:00 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads First Great Western service. The completely clear sky is not just the result of the sunny conditions, but also the total ban on aircraft movements due to the cloud of ash drifting across from the volcanic eruption of Eyjafjallajökull (I've no idea how you pronounce it!) in Iceland.

This view shows how close the station at Shipton, on the Cotswold Line is to the premises of FWP Matthews, flower millers. On 9 June 2008, 43005 leads the 1W03 17:21 Paddington to Hereford First Great Western service past the company's delivery lorries in the car park. The entrance to the flower mill can be seen on the extreme right, this also being the entrance to Shipton' s down platform, making the narrow path on which I am stood effectively the path to the station.

In superb lighting, with the dark menacing clouds contrasting with the autumnal foliage, 43005 approaches the site of Wantage Road station with the 1G38 13:48 Paddington to Cheltenham First Great Western service on 17 November 2009. I was surprised at how much foliage was still left on the trees considering the gale force winds of the previous week and the very exposed position of this bank of trees. Needless to say this ideal combination of low sunshine and dark clouds did not last very long.

43005 speeds through the snowy landscape at Ashbury Crossing, Shrivenham on 7 January 2010 with what is presumably the 1C13 12:00 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads First Great Western service. It is not that easy to positively identify HST services during periods of bad weather, when late running is the norm. First Great Western were actually canceling some services due to the weather. principally those going to Cardiff. Note how the caked on snow on the front end has mostly fallen off at some point in the journey.

With the village of Chadlington just visible in the background, 43005 speeds past Chilson with the 1W02 10:22 Paddington to Hereford First Great Western service on 8 March 2010. This is one location that hasn't succumbed to palisade fencing! In fact the vintage wooden post fence is definitely in need of repair. Note how the top wire has become completely detached from the posts as they drop down into the dip, and is now stretched tight well above the top of the posts.

43006 Kingdom of Fife speeds past Aldclune (between Blair Atholl and Pitlochry) with the 1E12 07:55 Inverness to Kings Cross GNER 'Highland Chieftain' service on 12 April 2004. The bridge in the background carries the modern A9 road over the line, while I am stood next to the old A9, which used to pass through the villages of Killiecrankie, Aldclune, and Bridge of Tilt. 43006 has subsequently been fitted with a MTU engine and renumbered to 43206

On 5 April 2007 a Midland Mainline HST set substituted for a Virgin Voyager on the 1V05 06:05 Derby to Plymouth and 1E47 11:50 Plymouth to Newcastle Virgin services. The latter is pictured passing Claydon with 43007 leading (43072 was on the rear). I would not normally bother taking a picture with such severe backlighting, unless of course it was an evening glint shot, but as I was already waiting on the bridge anyway, why not!

Fenny Compton was a fascinating location with its bizarre mixture of upper and lower quadrant signals. The main line was converted to upper quadrant when it was transferred to the London Midland Region after nationalisation. However the sidings and branch to Kineton retained lower quadrant, old and new signals being right next to each other, as seen here. With low evening sun providing perfect lighting, although soon to be extinguished by the dark clouds rolling up from the south. 43008 approaches Fenny Compton with the 1M41 17:20 Bournemouth to Manchester Virgin Cross Country service on 22 July 1999.

A solitary track worker heads off down the track with his shovel as 43009 takes the Westbury line at Fairwood Junction on 18 April 1991 with the 07:35 Plymouth to Paddington service. Compare this view with a very similar picture of 43036 on the equivalent train taken almost exactly three years earlier. Fairwood Farm can be seen in the background with Round Wood just behind.

43009 First Transforming Travel speeds past the pair of signal gantries at Baulking on 14 January 2010 whilst working the 1B35 12:45 Paddington to Swansea First Great Western service. I expect that when the First Transforming Travel nameplates were first unveiled the name had a bit of a hollow ring with the traveling public, as although FGW had certainly managed to transform travel, late running and chronic overcrowding were probably not exactly the transformation that they had in mind!

Still showing its original set number 253005, 43010 speeds through Patchway station on 17 December 1983 with the 10:30 Swansea to Paddington service. This train called at all stations between Swansea and Cardiff, before running non-stop to Paddington, one of only three up limited stop services on the route at the time. Note the vintage Hillman Avenger police car in the car park!

43010 slows down for the Cheltenham stop on 21 August 1985 whilst working the 08:33 Plymouth to York service. Largely ignored in 1985, the sight of a full HST rake in original blue and grey livery (if such thing existed) would cause great interest in 2008. Despite the multitude of liveries these trains have carried in recent years, I still think the original colour scheme was particularly inspired and suited the class well. Eventually I suppose one will be repainted into these 'heritage' colours!

Not quite the picture I had intended, but this has a certain novelty value, as it is the first time I have photographed a pair of HST power cars side by side on the Cotswold Line! 43010 leads the 08:37 Worcester Foregate Street to Paddington First Great service away from Moreton-in-Marsh on 17 October 2008, while an understandably unidentified classmate heads the 07:51 Paddington to Great Malvern train in the opposite direction. This quiet rural location is well away from any roads and meant that it was possible to hear both trains approaching from some way off, although it still wasn't clear until the very last moment which would appear first.

Just managing to find a small patch of sun at Oxford North Junction on 13 May 1987, the ill fated 43011 leads the 1A75 07:04 Hereford to Paddington 'Cathedrals Express' towards its next booked stop at Oxford. 43011 was of course the power car that was written off in the Ladbrooke Grove crash twelve years after this picture was taken. Note the short formation in use here, with only six coaches. The omission of a trailer first at this end of the train seems particularly odd for a Cotswold Line service, which has slightly higher than average first class usage.

43011 heads through the rain at Little Bedwyn on 23 April 1998 with the 1C36 12:35 Paddington to Penzance Great Western Trains service. Despite the terrible lighting, I think this picture works quite well, not only because of the scenic location, but also because the menacing sky and reflections of the wet surfaces is so typical of British weather! This picture is also noteworthy for another reason. The following year 43011 became only the second HST power car to be written off in an accident, when it was involved in the Ladbrooke Grove crash on 5 October 1999, which also resulted in the loss of Turbo unit 165115. After the crash investigation 43011 was cut up by Sims Metals at Crewe Works in June 2002.

The sun glints off the diverted 08:00 Paddington to Swansea First Great Western service as it crosses the River Avon at Bradford-on-Avon on Sunday 9 January 2000 with 43012 leading. Not quite a perfect reflection in the water due to a slight breeze, but at least it is recognisable. The train has traveled via the Berks & Hants line, and taken the freight only Heywood Road Junction to Hawkeridge Junction chord near Westbury to head up the Avon Valley.

The blackthorn is in full bloom at Challow on 17 April 2010 as 43012 speeds past the site of the old station with the 09:56 Weston-super-Mare to Paddington First Great Western service. Although the station is long gone, business is booming on the site, with various new buildings having recently been built on the industrial estate.

A different perspective on a familiar photographic viewpoint. 43012 speeds underneath Circourt Bridge, near Denchworth with the 1L34 07:28 Swansea to Paddington First Great Western service on 27 April 2010. The picture is taken from the little used footpath that runs between the villages of Denchworth and West Challow. Unfortunately, although the path is only a short distance from the road at Circourt, there is no public right of way linking directly to it.

43013 brings up the rear of the 1Z20 05:56 Old Oak Common to Derby (via Swansea) Network Rail New Measurement Train, as it passes Gossington on 5 March 2010 led by 43014. This wasn't the shot I had intended to take, but it was running early and I was taken by surprise. Not having enough time to swing round and take the conventional shot, I opted for this going away version, which of course because of the angle of the light is much better lit anyway!

The New Measurement Train made one of its regular appearances on the Cotswold Line on 15 July 2010. Viewed from the lofty Grintleyhill Bridge, near Combe, 43013 leads the 1Z15 09:00 Derby to Derby (via Oxford) test train towards its reversal point at Oxford North Junction. On a day of intermittent sunshine and heavy showers, I had hoped for either a sunlit shot (unlikely) or an atmospheric picture in heavy rain. As the train came in a drizzly period between downpours, I got neither!

Still looking clean after a recent repaint (note the red buffer beam), 43013 leads the New Measurement Train past Upper Heyford on 23 March 2011. Sister power car 43014 is hiding behind the tree at the rear of the train. The NMT's usual path over this line is an afternoon northbound run and a very late evening southbound trip. Therefore this working (1Q16 13:42 Derby RTC to Old Oak Common) was an ideal opportunity to get a picture in more favourable light.

43014 speeds round the reverse curves at Tackley on 27 March 1993 with the 1O10 08:40 Newcastle to Bournemouth service. Just a trace of weak sunshine illuminates the scene, although only in the foreground - note the dark fields in the background.

43014 passes through Kemble station on 5 June 2008 with the 1Z22 06:48 Derby to Cheltenham (via Hereford and Swindon) Network Rail New Measurement Train. Running 30 minutes early, it has just traversed the single track section from Swindon in a just about adequate gap in the timetable, instead of the easier path it would have had if running to the correct time. Note that the little used siding on the left is obviously sufficiently useful to have been re-laid in the last few years.

On a very dull 15 January 2009, 43014 speeds through Charlbury station with the 1Z15 09:00 Derby to Derby Network Rail New Measurement Train, with 43062 John Armitt bringing up the rear. The train has just reversed at Oxford as is following right behind the 11:22 Paddington to Great Malvern First Great Western service. Any delay would mean the 12:06 Worcester Foregate Street to Paddington train would have to be held at Ascott-under-Wychwood while this special clears the single line. Luckily there were no problems this time as it was running exactly to time.

43014 leads the New Measurement Train past Grintleyhill Bridge, Combe on 15 July 2010 with the 1Z15 09:00 Derby to Derby (via Oxford) test train. Combe station is just out of sight around the corner, behind the bushes. Although lineside vegetation has restricted the angle of view possible, this occupation bridge still provides excellent views in either direction.

43015 passes the site of Honeybourne South Loop Junction and starts the long climb up Campden Bank with the 13:14 Great Malvern to Paddington 'Cotswold & Malvern Express' on 25 April 1987. At the time this and the earlier balancing working were the only HST services on the Cotswold Line. However, this was all to change just a couple of weeks later when HSTs took over from Class 47s & 50s on the morning and evening peak trains.

43015 catches the last of the afternoon sun on 2 November 2006 as it speeds past Uffington with the 1C19 15:00 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads First Great Western service. This was shortly before a lofty communications mast was erected here, completely spoiling this photographic viewpoint.

The last rays of the setting sun illuminate 43015 as it heads west past South Marston on 11 December 2007 with the 1G38 13:48 Paddington to Cheltenham First Great Western service. The appalling condition of the paintwork shows that its call to Brush for refurbishment can not come a moment too soon. In fact it left for Loughborough just a few days later.

43015 speeds past Baulking with the 1G38 13:48 Paddington to Cheltenham First Great Western service on 24 March 2009. Even in 2009, long after the rest of the fleet received their new colours, the catering vehicle in many FGW sets still retains the old livery, as can be seen near the rear of the train here. Although only a partly sunny day, for once the trains conspired to arrive in the sunny periods and it was also noticeable how much better the light was than the hazy light during the previous weeks period of settled high pressure.

With the sun trying to break through and clear the early morning mist, 43016 Peninsula Medical School sweeps round the curve at Crofton with the 1A84 05:05 Penzance to Paddington First Great Western service on 21 July 2006. 43016's name was unveiled at Plymouth station on 14 August 2002 by Professor John Tooke, Dean of the Peninsula Medical School.

43016 Peninsula Medical School swings round the curve at Kintbury on 2 April 2007 with the 1C85 13:05 Paddington to Plymouth First Great Western service. The grassy bank in the foreground is a narrow strip of land between the railway and the Kennet & Avon Canal.

Two modes of transport at Little Bedwyn with (theoretically) a 121 mph difference in top speed. 43016 heads east alongside the Kennet & Avon Canal at Little Bedwyn on 25 June 2010 with the 1A73 05:46 Exeter St Davids to Paddington First Great Western service. While the HST has a top speed of 125 mph (although not on this stretch of line), users of Britain's canals have to make do with an upper limit of 4 mph!

43016 arrives at Kemble on 9 January 2011 with the 1L54 11:25 Swansea to Paddington First Great Western service. Normally Sunday trains on this route would be purely local Cheltenham to Swindon DMUs, but on this occasion the closure of the Severn Tunnel for signaling work had upgraded the local trains to diverted HST services.

A vintage scene at Challow on 12 August 1980. 43017 passes the redundant platforms of the long closed station with the 08:18 Weston-super-Mare to Paddington service. The lorry body from the nearby scrap yard leaves no doubt as to the location, while apart from the removal of the station building, not a lot else has changed since the days of steam. As the loops were also removed, there was no need to demolish the platforms, so both still remain totally intact here, passenger less and growing a good crop of grass. Note also the range of railway related buildings and huts at the back of the former coal yard.

Just how much lineside vegetation has been allowed to grow at certain railway locations is exemplified here, in the formerly completely open cutting between Uffington (now invisible behind the bushes) and Baulking. 43017 speeds past with the 11:55 Cardiff Central to Paddington First Great Western service on 26 April 2007. For an indication of what this spot was like 27 years previously, have a look at 43039. Although not taken from quite the same angle (impossible now!), the two small trees on the right and the large tree in the background identify the location..

43017 passes Ruscombe with the 06:48 Weston-super-Mare to Paddington 'Bristolian' First Great Western service on 17 April 2008. Even though all FGW's power cars and the vast majority of coaches have been refurbished, there are still instances of catering vehicles in the old (relatively speaking!) livery, such as the third coach in this train. In early spring 2008 numerous trees were felled in the cutting at Ruscombe, opening up the view considerably and highlighting the new spring growth on the few remaining bushes.

On 23 July 1993 the 1/2000 sec top shutter speed on my Canon F1 was needed to freeze 43018 as it sped through Patchway station with the 13:32 Swansea to Paddington service. It would shortly be turning left at Patchway Junction with the next stop Bristol Parkway. The signal with the feathers indicating the various routes at this junction can just be seen in the background. Although undoubtedly very smart when newly applied, the InterCity 'Swallow' livery was very prone to weathering on the front of HSTs, as seen here.

43018 is nearing journey's end on 26 March 1994, as it passes the karting track at Hayle with the 1C36 12:35 Paddington to Penzance InterCity service. The train is just starting to slow down for the stop at St Erth, its final calling point before Penzance.

With an unintentional yet perfectly balanced livery combination of Great Western power cars and central coach separated by three InterCity liveried vehicles, 43018 leads the 18:20 Paddington to Hereford 'Cathedrals Express' Great Western Trains service past lines of decaying civil engineers wagons at Hinksey Yard (near Oxford) on 22 June 1998. Very soon after this picture was taken the virtually moribund Hinksey Yard was to be revitalised, becoming a large 'Virtual quarry' ballast dump.

43018 The Red Cross passes Baulking with the 1B46 14:45 Paddington to Swansea First Great Western service on 12 October 2006. This was during one of the many periods of livery transition, with most of the train in the second version of FGW's purple livery, but with three coaches scattered throughout the length of the train in the next version of their corporate colours.

43018 passes a very snowy Hinksey Yard on 9 January 2010 with the late running 1W29 11:21 Paddington to Great Malvern First Great Western service. Just one train seems to have used the yard since the snow fell three days previously, as can be seen by the clear line of rails on the right.

43019 heads east from Didcot and approaches South Moreton on 1 December 1983 with the late running 12:00 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington service. A very ordinary scene at the time, but there is added significance to the picture now, as this is one of the HST power cars that has been withdrawn due to accident damage. It was involved in the fatal level crossing crash at Ufton Nervet in November 2004, and was subsequently scrapped at Sims Metals, Beeston. Note that in 1983 it still carried its (by then abandoned) set number 253009.