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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

43020 John Grooms speeds past Circourt Bridge, Denchworth with the 1C15 13:00 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads First Great Western service on 8 September 2005. Although seemingly an everyday scene, such is the pace of change with First Great Western's liveries, that to get a complete train in one colour scheme can sometimes be something of a challenge, as it seems that no sooner do they get the whole fleet repainted into one colour scheme than they launch yet another variation!

43020 passes the footpath crossing near the site of Uffington station on 14 April 2008 with the 1L36 08:31 Cheltenham to Paddington First Great Western service. The wide trackbed here which marks the site of the former freight loops is already being invaded by the inevitable bramble bushes. No doubt Railtrack would like to close this little used footpath, which incidentally crosses a much earlier form of transport a short distance further on - the disused Wilts & Berks Canal.

Just before the lights went out! A really threatening black sky heralds an approaching storm as 43021 leads the 13:12 Great Malvern to Paddington 'Cotswold and Malvern Express' between Aristotle Lane and Walton Well Road, on the approach to Oxford on 22 April 1986. The relief lines here were laid during the second world war and both originally extended as far as Wolvercote Junction. The down relief has now been cut back to Aristotle Lane footbridge, visible in the background.

In superb golden evening light with Westbury White Horse standing out clearly on the hillside and dark clouds in the background, 43021 David Austin - Cartoonist passes Fairwood with the 1C87 16:06 Paddington to Penzance First Great Western service on 14 October 2009.

With compacted snow and icicles on the front end, 43022 heads through the snowy landscape at South Moreton (near Didcot) with the late running (not surprisingly!) 09:32 Swansea to Paddington service on 9 February 1991. It takes considerable effort to take pictures in these conditions, not just the treacherous road conditions whilst getting there, but also standing about for ages in freezing conditions!

43022 arrives at Charlbury with the 06:43 Hereford to Paddington 'Cathedrals Express' First Great Western service on 1 June 2007. The 'Cathedrals Express' has a long pedigree as a named train on the Cotswold Line, originally being introduced in 1957. Initially in steam days a headboard was carried, but when the name was re-introduced in 1985, the headboard only appeared on the first day. Of course, since the introduction of HSTs a headboard is not practical even if such things were still considered as a marketing tool. I had originally intended taking this picture at Finstock, but the location (which used to be fine in the days of the Class 50s) was completely overgrown, so a quick drive to Charlbury was needed.

With the town of Wotton Bassett visible on the horizon, 43022 passes Callow Hill on 1 September 2007 with the 1B25 10:45 Paddington to Swansea First Great Western service. The M4 motorway can be seen cutting across the picture in the distance.

43022 passes the site of Patney & Chirton station with the 1C85 14:06 Paddington to Penzance First Great Western service on 11 May 2009. Note the reconstructed bridge in the background, with its inelegant concrete parapet atop a vintage brick arch. Presumably all the Armco barriers on the road date from the time of the bridge rebuilding.

43022 arrives at Evesham on 29 October 2009 with the 1W00 08:22 Paddington to Hereford First Great Western service. The centre pivoting semaphore signal in the foreground will soon be swept away once the complete resignalling of the line gets underway, while the post to its right has already succumbed to the local vegetation. There seems to be a surprising amount of evening primrose plants growing on the cutting sides and even on the edge of the ballast - not your average trackside weed!

A photographic technique that I have rarely employed, but which can be very effective in conveying speed is panning. By using a slow shutter speed and following the train in the viewfinder the result is a pin sharp train against a blurred background. This doesn't tend to work that well with slab fronted diesel locos, but HSTs with their streamlined front ends look very effective. Also, choice of location is important, with an uninterrupted foreground and a plain background preferable. 43023 County of Cornwall speeds past South Stoke with the 18:45 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads service on 10 July 1990.

Something you very rarely see nowadays - a HST power car running under its own power on the main line with just a barrier vehicle for company. On 27 October 1982, 43024 passes Circourt Bridge, Denchworth en-route from Bristol to Old Oak Common. At this time the power cars still carried their set numbers (253012 in this case), but they soon came to be regarded as individual locos rather than multiple units, with consequent mixing of various set formations.

Preliminary work for the redoubling of the Cotswold Line is underway at Mickleton on 6 March 2009, as 43024 passes by with the 1W02 10:22 Paddington to Hereford First Great Western service. At least work was going on a few minutes before, but as this is just after midday, I presume all the workers are eating lunch in their van, which can just be seen in the background! The tractor was employed in vegetation clearance, while the new concrete troughing for the signal cables can be seen stacked up on the left.

43024 pulls away from Charlbury station on 9 May 2009 with the Cotswold Line Promotion Group's 1Z30 06:30 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paignton 'Cotswold Torbay Express' excursion. Unfortunately unlike the CLPG's previous tours, the use of a HST and consequence difficulty of fitting a headboard means that this just looks like any other passenger train on the Cotswold Line. This probably explains the constant station announcements warming 'normal' passengers not to board it!

43024 passes through the long closed station at Oaksey in the drizzle on 14 November 2009 with the 1G21 10:15 Paddington to Cheltenham First Great Western service. As can be clearly seen here, both platforms survive at Oaksey, complete with their coping stones. This of course is purely because the track was singled and realigned into the centre of the formation, well away from the former platform faces.

43025 accelerates away from Kingham station, on the Cotswold Line with the 15:51 Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill First Great Western service on 5 April 2007. The train is crossing the Bledington to Kingham footpath crossing. When up close like this, it is noticeable how quiet the re-engined HST power cars are when accelerating hard, compared with the ear splitting whine from the original Paxman Valentas.

In superb late evening light, 43026 approaches Moreton-in-Marsh on 20 April 2009 with the 1W07 17:22 Paddington to Hereford First Great Western service. The newly cultivated field in the foreground contrasts markedly with the bright green spring foliage and the blue livery of the train to make an excellent picture. This was always one of my favourite locations for pictures of northbound trains in the evening on the Cotswold Line, but unlike virtually all the other formerly used locations on the route, it is still an excellent spot.

The First Great Western 10:05 Pembroke Dock to Paddington 'Pembroke Coast Express' led by 43027 departs from Pembrey & Burry Port on 15 July 2006. The lines in West Wales still retain many period features, including semaphore signalling as seen here. Most services over this line are operated by Arriva Trains Wales, with only a couple of daily services provided by First Great Western and utilising HSTs.

In superb late afternoon autumnal light, 43028 speeds through Radley station on 8 October 2009 with the 1P61 14:34 Great Malvern to Paddington First Great Western service. At some point in the journey it has picked up a non fare paying passenger, but I don't think the pheasant stuck to the leading bogie is in any position to pay the penalty fare!

43029 passes the long disused and weed choked Malago Vale carriage sidings in Bristol with the on 10:25 Liverpool Lime Street to Plymouth service on 5 April 1990. The yellow speck in the distance is 31276 & 31217 with the 7M53 Bridgwater to Sellafield nuclear flasks. I don't usually seek our urban locations, but have used this spot a number of times, as it offers good views in both directions from a quiet footbridge with easy parking nearby.

43029 heads through the dappled shade of the Golden Valley as it passes Chalford with the diverted 12:00 Paddington to Swansea First Great Western service on 21 April 2002. This is the first version of First Great Western's purple livery, with large areas of white paint which were evidently considered too difficult to keep clean. Unfortunately I haven't got many pictures of this version of the livery, as after so many livery changes I got rather blasé about taking pictures, until they had all disappeared.

The low winter sun shows up the rust on the bridge at the site of Challow station as 43029 speeds through with the 1C12 11:30 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads First Great Western service on 6 December 2008. The large bank of earth in the foreground marks the site of the down platform. The huge signal gantry that can be seen looming above the bridge effectively prevents photography of westbound trains from the bridge, except with a very long lens.

Not quite the picture I was intending to take, but an interesting comparison of 125 mph train designs. I know which one I prefer! 43030 Christian Lewis Trust leaves Oxford with the late running 1P56 13:11 Hereford to Paddington First Great Western service, while 220022 arrives with the 13:45 Bournemouth to Manchester Piccadilly CrossCountry service. Strangely the HST had arrived off the Cotswold Line exactly to time (no mean feat!) but then sat in the station for ten minutes! Ironically the Voyager was bang on time, resulting in this unplanned passing shot.

On 15 August 2009, 43031 pulls out of the down platform at Moreton-in-Marsh and runs 'wrong line' to the crossover, where it moves onto the up line. A few minutes earlier it had arrived with the 11:21 First Great Western service from Paddington, which would normally carry on to Great Malvern. However, the line from here to Evesham was closed for engineering works in connection with reinstating the double track, and a connection was being provided by buses. After the HST had moved onto the up line, it then proceeded back to the station (with 43193 leading), ready to form the 13:48 departure for Paddington.

43032 The Royal Regiment of Wales leads the 1A57 12:45 Paignton to Paddington service past Teignmouth on 25 May 1996. It was generally a dull day, but just as this train appeared it brightened up slightly, before the clouds in the background turned the lights out again! The sea wall here is an ideal location to photograph eastbound trains, however you are a little too close to westbound trains, and it isn't advisable to try to get more to the side, as its a long drop into the sea!

43032 The Royal Regiment of Wales passes Chilson, on the Cotswold Line with the 06:09 Abergavenny to Paddington First Great Western 'Cathedrals Express' service on 10 August 2007. Note the use of a hired in set of Midland Mainline coaches, used to augment the FGW fleet while their coaches are being refurbished. Unfortunately one element of this refurbishment is an increase in the seating density, somewhat detracting from the HST's quality image.

Naturally after all three railtours had passed Goring on 12 April 2008, the lighting was at its best, with the cutting free of shadow, and dark clouds in the background. However, unlike a lot of photographers, who only seem to take pictures of freight and special workings and ignore the commonplace, I am not averse to taking pictures of HSTs, especially when they are in clean condition, such as this example. 43032 leads the 06:29 Swansea to Paddington First Great Western service past Goring in perfect light.

43032 passes the site of Yarnton Junction with the 10:42 Paddington to Hereford First Great Western service on 7 December 2008. The former Fairford Branch Line joined the Oxford to Worcester route just behind the tree on the right. About the only real clue to the existence of a station on this site now is the presence of the Scots Pine trees visible behind the train, a characteristic feature of Great Western station sites.

43032 heads west near Uffington on 10 February 2009 with the 1B28 11:45 Paddington to Swansea First Great Western service. Despite the overnight rain there was still a surprising amount of snow lying about, particularly in the fields away from the gritted roads. Although it entailed a long trudge through the snow, I decided to visit this spot near Uffington, as it is one of the very few  locations in the area I had not previously visited, despite it being in view from other visited spots.

On a damp, misty 10 September 2005, 43033 Driver Brian Cooper 15 June 1947 - 5 October 1999 accelerates away from Cheltenham station and passes Up Hatherley with the 09:30 Cheltenham to Paddington First Great Western service. This picture is taken from the footbridge linking Hollis Road with Reddings Park.

In superb crisp early morning light, 43034 arrives at Kemble leading the 08:30 Cheltenham to Paddington service on 27 October 1994. An unusual survival at this quiet Cotswold station is this fine GWR water tower, which for many years supplied water to Swindon Works, 14 miles away. Kemble was once a double junction, with branch lines going to both Tetbury and Cirencester. The bushes in the background mark the course of the Tetbury line. Kemble is now a very busy commuter station, with direct trains to London such as this as well as purely local services.

One of the few remaining unrefurbished First Great Western HST power cars, 43034 The Black Horse races past the site of Shrivenham station (between Didcot and Swindon) with the 1C13 12:00 Paddington to Weston-super-Mare service on 15 November 2007.

With the threat of rain in the background, 43034 TravelWatch SouthWest (not my capitalisation and word spacing!) speeds past the site of Uffington loops on 27 August 2008 with the 1L52 10:29 Swansea to Paddington First Great Western service.

43036 takes the Westbury line at Fairwood Junction on 20 April 1988 with the 07:30 Plymouth to Paddington service. The complete train is in the second livery applied to the class, the so called 'executive' livery, which was applied from 1983 onwards. This was the last livery to use the 'InterCity 125' branding, and when in clean condition looked particularly smart and suited the trains well, particularly bearing in mind some of the colour schemes they have had to carry subsequently! 43009 was pictured at the same location three years later in the next variation of this livery.

43036 in original First Great Western livery leads a rake of new liveried stock on the 12:45 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads service on 9 October 2003, seen here passing Circourt Bridge, Denchworth. Just visible in the background, the signals by Denchworth Bridge are showing all three aspects. Red on the up relief as 47799 had just passed by light engine, and was obviously waiting at Wantage Road, green on the up main as 43129 was approaching with an up train, and amber on the bi-directional down main, as it is always like that!

Ideal winter photographic conditions at Uffington on 10 February 2009 as 43036 leads the 1C13 12:00 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads First Great Western service through the snowy landscape. The Longcot to Uffington footpath passes under the small bridge below the third coach. A deliberately wide viewpoint was chosen here to show plenty of snow in the foreground, after all you don't get many opportunities to take this kind of picture. Although obviously a tractor has been across this field since the last snowfall, needless to say I was the only walker to trek the long distance from the nearest road to get to this spot!

43037 bursts out from under the bridge at Hay Lane near Swindon on 15 September 1979 whilst working the 13:45 Paddington to Weston-super-Mare service. Hay Lane was once the site of a temporary terminus for the Great Western Railway during the course of its construction between London and Bristol, nearby Swindon being only an insignificant village at the time. Between 17 December 1840 (when the line was extended from Challow) and 3 May 1851 (when the extension to Chippenham was opened) this remote spot was a hub of railway activity.