43206 slowly coasts past Noblethorpe on 17 June 2010 under adverse signals whilst working the 1A24 11:40 Leeds to Kings Cross East Coast service. Obviously some particularly slow moving traffic at Joan Croft Level Crossing, about a mile further on had resulted in the crossing keeper not being able to get the gates closed in time. By summer 2010, most of the East Coast HST sets had received the new silver and white livery, although as witnessed by the first coach here, the odd one still retains the former GNER dark blue colour scheme.

43206 speeds past Frinkley Lane (between Newark and Grantham) on 6 September 2012 with the 1E15 09:52 Aberdeen to Kings Cross East Coast service. The location was formerly a level crossing, but is now only a bridleway, linking the truncated remains of the former Hougham to Honington road.

43207 passes Stenson Junction on 4 November 2009 with the late running 1V50 06:08 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service, while one of that train operating company's less prestigious Voyagers disappears into the distance. What had started out as a bright morning was rapidly heading towards being a cloudy day, as can be seen from the background to this picture.

43238 speeds past Burn with the 1E10 07:52 Aberdeen to Kings Cross East Coast Trains service on 11 March 2010. This effectively is a re-nationalised operation, taking over from the ill fated National Express East Coast, which lost the franchise in November 2009. The livery is the stylish National Express colour scheme, with appropriately amended brandings.

43257 speeds past Burn on 1 October 2009 with the 1A17 07:52 Newcastle to Kings Cross National Express East Coast service. Burn is a very well known photographic location, but most of the published pictures seem to be taken from the other side of the line in the afternoon, probably because there is a clear view in either direction. However, as can be seen here, it is also an excellent spot for southbound pictures in the early morning, although unfortunately there is no unobstructed view in the opposite direction.

43257 passes Fenwick on 16 June 2010 with the 16:40 Leeds to Kings Cross East Coast service. This is an ideal viewpoint from next to the level crossing, but the growth of the bushes on the left means that the formerly excellent view from the nearby field is now a little restricted.

East Coast trains are normally kept in clean condition, so something has obviously slipped here, as the leading coach is in definite need of a wash! 43272 leads the 1A13 06:55 Skipton to Kings Cross service past Yaxley on 6 September 2012. 43272 is in the most recent East Coast livery, whilst the rest of the train is the livery first introduced when National Express ran the franchise.

Under a threatening sky at Burn on 11 March 2010, 43277 speeds northwards with the 1S15 12:00 Kings Cross to Inverness 'Highland Chieftain' East Coast Trains service. At least the silver and white former National Express livery looks good even when the lighting is poor. Definitely one of the better liveries to grace the HST fleet.

In superb late afternoon lighting, with an impressive backdrop of dark clouds, 43285 leads the 9V59 09:00 Glasgow to Plymouth Arriva Cross Country service past Spetchley on 8 October 2008. For the record 43303 is on the rear of the train. I was quite pleased that the coaching stock was still in the unbranded Midland Mainline livery, as eventually complete trains in the Cross Country will be commonplace, and mixed rakes such as this are worth recording.

43285 speeds past Standish Junction with the 1V23 06:32 York to Plymouth Cross Country service on 16 March 2009. The track diverging in the foreground is the 'Golden Valley' route to Swindon. This photo is taken from a public footpath crossing. The wide open area here is a legacy from the days when this section of line boasted four tracks, with the GWR and LMS double lines running side by side from Standish to Gloucester.

With the Cotswold Hills in the background, 43285 approaches Tredington on 3 June 2010 with the 1S51 12:23 Plymouth to Glasgow Central CrossCountry service. An excellent viewpoint for northbound trains, although with various works going on just out of the picture in the foreground, could this be another location about to disappear?

43285 speeds past Natton on 3 February 2012 with the late running 1V54 06:32 Dundee to Plymouth CrossCountry service. Ashchurch station can just be seen in the distance, underneath the road bridge. This is an ideal location for winter photography, a there is very little lineside vegetation to cast shadows.

43290 MTU fascination of power passes Langford on 12 May 2008 with the 1A13 06:55 Skipton to Kings Cross National Express East Coast service. The whole train is in the former GNER livery, with suitably altered branding. 43290 was named MTU fascination of power in 2007 to mark the project to re-engine GNER's power cars with MTU units in place of the original Paxman Valentas.

43290 MTU fascination of power finds a brief patch of sunshine as it speeds north past Frinkley Lane (near Grantham) with the 14:30 Kings Cross to Leeds National(ised) Express East Coast service on 25 July 2009.

43300 Craigentinny in the new National Express East Coast livery contrasts with the rest of the train which is the former GNER livery with the additional of National Express branding on a white stripe. The location is Grassthorpe (between Newark and Retford) and the train is the 1N06 11:30 Kings Cross to Newcastle service on 25 January 2008

It is ironic that I chose to go to same location to photograph the same two trains within a few weeks, something which I normally avoid doing. However it does show the tremendous difference in the lineside vegetation that takes place in the spring. 43301 accelerates away from Cheltenham and passes Up Hatherley on 6 April 2009 whilst working the 1V31 06:08 Edinburgh to Plymouth Cross Country service. Compare this view with the same train worked by 43304 only a few weeks previously.

43301 speeds past Gossington with the 1V50 06:08 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service on 8 April 2010. After what seemed like weeks of poor weather, this turned out to be an almost completely sunny day. The bridge in the background carries the M5 motorway across the line.

After having been stopped just the other side of the level crossing in the background, and hand signaled across due to engineering works taking place on the adjacent line, 43301 slowly gathers speeds as it passes Ashchurch on 4 May 2010 with the 1V44 06:00 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service, running 45 minutes late. It may be early May and sunny, but it was still bitterly cold standing on this footbridge!

43301 rounds the curve at Croome on the gloriously sunny and warm 25 March 2011, with the 1V39 06:32 Dundee to Plymouth CrossCountry service. Definitely one of the better liveries to grace the HST fleet over the years and they are usually kept in pristine clean condition, as here. This is a very well known photographic location and I had deliberately avoided it for many years after 'doing it to death' in the good old days. However, today I thought it was time for a return visit!

In superb late evening light on 2 May 2008, 43302 leads the 15:30 Kings Cross to Edinburgh National Express East Coast service past Fenham Low Moor. Despite sounding like it should be in East Anglia, Fenham Low Moor is just south of Berwick-upon-Tweed, near the coast and within sight of Holy Island. This is very nearly a complete train in the new National Express livery, with only the rear power car (hidden by an overhead line mast) in the old livery. Ironically, ten minutes later 43316 followed with a complete rake of new stock on the 16:00 Kings Cross to Aberdeen, although in much less photogenic lighting.

With both power cars in the new East Coast livery, but the stock still in debranded GNER livery, 43302 leads the 1A12 07:00 Hull to Kings Cross (via Selby) National Express East Coast service past Great Heck on 30 June 2008. The Plasmor block works shunter is stabled on the right, with the works just out of sight on the right. The connection to the main line can clearly be seen, while the line in the foreground is the works headshunt.

43303 heads past Tredington with the 9V59 09:00 Glasgow to Plymouth Arriva Cross Country service on 10 October 2008. With 43285 on the rear, the set had obviously been turned since I saw it at Spetchley two days previously. Although a largely sunny day, bands of cloud were now drifting slowly in from the west, and I was very lucky to get this picture fully lit, as the sun was now in a very narrow gap between two quite large banks of cloud. As the train could be seen approaching for several miles it was a worrying few minutes hoping that the light would hold!

Its always a good idea to see where you are going whilst driving! The driver of 43303 cleans his windscreen as he speeds past Defford on 2 June 2009 with the 1E63 15:21 Plymouth to Leeds Cross Country service. This was a very hurried shot, as I could see the headlight approaching as I was walking across the road, and the HST emerged from behind the tree as I was taking the lens cap off! Luckily the camera was already set to the correct settings with the right focal length lens already in place.

The lineside vegetation very nearly touches the trains at Eckington. 43303 speeds past the site of the long closed station with the 1V48 08:10 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service on a very dull 15 August 2009. The palisade fence in the immediate foreground marks the site of the former level crossing.

43303 speeds past Charfield on 2 March 2010 with the 1V50 06:08 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service. A welcome change from the procession of XC Voyagers, and definitely a welcome change if you have to actually travel on one, especially all the way from Scotland to the West Country!

43304 accelerates away from its booked stop at Cheltenham and passes Up Hatherley on 16 March 2009 whilst working the 1V31 06:08 Edinburgh to Plymouth Cross Country service. The recent introduction of HSTs onto some long distance cross country services must seem like a quantum leap in quality for passengers that had previously had to put up with Voyagers. It also must be very embarrassing for the operator when thirty year old trains are preferred to more modern units. Obviously Arriva are more forward looking (by looking back!) than Virgin Trains were!

43304 speeds past Coaley with the 1V50 06:08 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service on 18 September 2009. Although the forecasters had promised a sunny day, shortly after this train had passed a large mass of cloud moved up from the south and the sun wasn't seen again all day. Its a good job the Met Office aren't paid by results!

Viewed from a spot high up on the hillside on the opposite side of the valley, 43304 approaches Wickwar with the 1V46 06:32 York to Plymouth CrossCountry service on 25 September 2009. I had an audience of young calves while waiting to take this picture. I'm not sure if they were more interested in me or the silver three legged item that I had added to their field!

43304 passes Lower Wick (between Gloucester and Bristol) with the 1V46 06:32 York to Plymouth CrossCountry service on 12 October 2009. This particular power car seems to follow me around now, which I suppose makes up for the fact that I have few pictures of it in its former guise as 43104. Note the complete absence of traffic on the M5 motorway in the background. A complete fluke, as this otherwise rural location is plagued by the constant drone of traffic from the road.

43304 speeds past Wadborough on 25 March 2011 with the 1S51 12:23 Plymouth to Glasgow CrossCountry service. This was the final day of period of high pressure, that ensured cloud free skies and very warm (for the time of year) temperatures.

43305 nips in and out of the shadows at Gateforth on 17 June 2010, as it heads south with the 1E12 07:55 Inverness to Kings Cross 'Highland Chieftain' East Coast service. Even with a 125mph train, this journey takes nearly eight hours.

43306 bursts out from underneath the road bridge at Great Heck on 6 June 2012 with the 1A12 07:00 Hull to Kings Cross East Coast service. The modern bridge in the background carries the M62 motorway over the line. It was between these two bridges that the GNER train hit a crashed Land Rover in 2001, resulting in a fatal derailment.

A regular feature of Summer Saturdays is the use of unusual traction on trains from the north of England to Newquay. In 2008, National Express East Coast HSTs have been doing the honours and here we see 43307 with the 1V29 07:24 Manchester Piccadilly to Newquay service speeding through Ashchurch station on 23 August 2008. I wonder if this combination of new liveried power car and re-branded former GNER stock will permanently mark this as a 2008 picture? Certainly last year these trains were all in GNER livery, and presumably next year, if they continue to use the same stock they will be all be in the new silver livery.

Normally the National Express East Coast HSTs operate with complete rakes of either the former GNER blue or the new white and silver liveried coaches. However, occasionally there are mixed rakes, such as this solitary blue coach behind 43307 pictured here at Botany Bay (near Retford) on 10 March 2009. It is working the 1E14 09:52 Aberdeen to Kings Cross 'Northern Lights' service.

Apart from in Scotland, most of the time the East Coast fleet of HSTs operate under the wires, which limits the photographic possibilities. However, there is one train in each direction serving Hull, which uses the non-electrified line via Selby. The morning train runs straight out of the sun as it leaves Hull, but once it passes Selby and turns onto what was the original East Coast Mainline, the lighting is very nearly ideal. On 17 September 2012, 43307 leads the 1A12 07:00 Hull to Kings Cross past Burn Lane in fine early morning light, and with the added bonus of the stock being the rebranded former East Midlands Trains set.

Deliberately taken with the train low in the frame to include a large area of the dark menacing sky, 43308 speeds past Little Heck on 11 March 2011 with the 1A17 07:52 Newcastle Central to Kings Cross East Coast service. The rear power car is just passing over the Knottingley to Drax line.

43309 speeds through the rain at Inverkeilor with the 11:00 Kings Cross to Aberdeen National Express East Coast 'Northern Lights' service on 4 May 2008. Not much chance of getting wet here, as I sat in the car until I heard it coming! Railway pictures in the rain always look atmospheric, it's just a question of keeping the camera dry!

Under a brooding sky, 43309 leads the 1E12 07:55 Inverness to Kings Cross East Coast service past Burn on 11 March 2010. This train takes just short of eight hours to complete its mammoth journey from the north of Scotland to London.

43309 leads the 1E11 07:52 Aberdeen to Kings Cross East Coast service past Claypole (Balderton Crossing) on 30 May 2012. The power car carries the latest version of East Coast's livery, whilst the rest of the train is in the earlier version, which itself is a rebranding of the former National Express colour scheme.

This is about the most perfectly timed and brief burst of sunshine you could take a railway picture in! 43311 speeds past Frinkley Lane (near Grantham) with the 12:00 Edinburgh to Kings Cross National Express East Coast service on 25 July 2009. The power car and first few coaches are in full sun, while the background and the immediate foreground are in shadow!

43312 passes Little Haresfield on 30 May 2009 with the 1V45 07:00 Manchester Piccadilly to Newquay Cross Country service using a hired in National Express East Coast set with 43295 on the rear. A welcome livery variation for summer Saturdays in the Gloucester area, especially with new liveried power cars on former GNER liveried stock.

43313 speeds past Yaxley on 6 September 2012 with the 1E03 06:25 Edinburgh to Kings Cross East Coast service. The complete train is in the interim East Coast livery, a modification of National Express's colour scheme. Since effectively being renationalised, the livery has changed again, as shown on 43272, seen a little earlier at the same location.

With the haar (coastal fog) rolling across the fields from the nearby North Sea, 43314 East Riding of Yorkshire passes Boddin (near Montrose) on 5 May 2008 with the 1E10 07:53 Aberdeen to Kings Cross National Express East Coast service.

Fantastic lighting at Bathley Lane (near Newark) on 10 March 2011, as 43314 rounds the curve with the 1E12 07:55 Inverness to Kings Cross 'Highland Chieftain' East Coast service. This superb lighting only lasted a matter of minutes and was very localised. In fact when the nearby level crossing barriers went down the sun was still only just coming out of the edge of the cloud. The fact that the clouds to the north are even darker is an added bonus once everything in the foreground is lit up!

43316 passes Grassthorpe with the 13:40 Leeds to Kings Cross National Express East Coast service on 25 January 2008. Note the transitional livery with a white stripe added to the former GNER livery with National Express branding. The headways on the East Coast Main Line are obviously very tight, as this was following only 2 minute 22 seconds behind 43084 on the Grand Central Railways service, and appeared to be traveling at full line speed.

In failing light, 43317 passes Shaftholme Junction with the 1E12 07:55 Inverness to Kings Cross 'Highland Chieftain' National Express East Coast service on 24 November 2008. The line diverging to the left is the freight only route to Knottingley, while just out of view behind the train is Joan Croft Junction, where the sharply curved freight chord links the East Coast Mainline to the Stainforth to Adwick freight line, which crosses over the ECML directly behind where I am stood. Shaftholme Junction Signal Box dates from 1958.

43317 passes Tollerton on 12 March 2009 with the 1E08 09:30 Edinburgh to Kings Cross National Express East Coast service. It just passing over the footpath crossing to the north of the village. Even on the East Coast Mainline traces of old railway infrastructure remain in places, such as this antique cast iron milepost in the foreground.

43317 leads 1E07 08:30 Edinburgh to Kings Cross East Coast service the past Cromwell Moor on 15 October 2011. This location in the fields to the west of the village of Cromwell is next to a public footpath crossing, but the fact that the footpath doesn't, according to the Ordnance Survey at least, actually go anywhere once it has crossed the line, probably explains why I didn't see anyone use the crossing while I was there.

Three liveries in one train! 43317 leads the 1N81 09:08 Kings Cross to York East Coast service past Yaxley on 6 September 2012. 43317 is in the original East Coast livery (rebranded National Express), while the EC64 rake of coaches sports former East Midlands Trains colours, rebranded as East Coast. Finally, 43307 bringing up the rear is in the later East Coast livery.

43319 speeds past Botany Bay (near Retford) with the 1N07 12:30 Kings Cross to Newcastle National Express East Coast service on 10 March 2009. Botany Bay level crossing is one of the few easily accessible locations on the East Coast Mainline where there is a reasonably decent photographic viewpoint in either direction.

With the early morning mist still hanging over the hills, 43320 National Galleries of Scotland passes Tomatin on 8 October 2007 with the 1E12 07:55 Inverness to Kings Cross 'Highland Chieftain' GNER service. This was one of the earliest Class 43 renumberings, emerging from Brush at Loughborough in January 2007, after being fitted with a MTU engine and having its former 43120 number changed to 43320. The simple formulae for all GNER (later National Express) and CrossCountry renumberings being to increase the number by 200.

43321 leads the 1V19 06:00 Leeds to Plymouth Cross Country service past Natton on 6 March 2009. Arriva have chosen an excellent livery for the CrossCountry franchise, which suits the thirty year old HSTs well, although perhaps the stylized X that is partly interrupted by the cab door would have been better omitted.

43321 leads the 1V19 06:00 Leeds to Plymouth Cross Country service past Little Haresfield on 16 March 2009. The rooks are busy nest building in the trees in the background and at least one has taken flight (directly above the HST's windscreen) at the sound of the approaching train. The promised sunny start to the day hadn't really happened and although it was out it was very weak. Nevertheless, what shadows there were would have been a problem from the bridge in the background, so I made use of the footpath crossing just to the south, which is in the clear.

43321 speeds past Spetchley on 25 March 2011 with the late running 1V50 06:08 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service. There used to be loops in both directions at this point, but only the northbound loop now remains. The wide area of ballast on the right marks the site of the southbound loop, lifted in the late 1990s.

A pair of rooks perch on the solitary tree and a lone cyclist heads along the country lane while 43357 leads the 1S55 13:21 Plymouth to Edinburgh Cross Country service towards Abbotswood on 20 March 2009. I have deliberately chosen a more distant viewpoint to show the train in the landscape, which works especially well in the soft late afternoon light.

43366 accelerates away from Cheltenham and passes Up Hatherley with the 1V50 06:08 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service on 4 May 2010. Unfortunately this location is beginning to get very overgrown, and unless Notwork Rail (or is that Network Rail?) has one of its periodic clearances, it will be useless for photography in a very short time.

43366 passes the Midland Railway built crossing keeper's cottage at Brockampton with the 1V44 06:00 Leeds to Plymouth CrossCountry service on 3 June 2010. Quite why the Midland Railway built such unusual buildings, with their angled corners is a mystery, but they are certainly very distinctive. The crossing is on a little used minor road just to the north of Cheltenham. Although well out of sight behind the bushes, the rear power on this occasion is 43285. I know this only because I saw the return working later in the day at Tredington!

43366 speeds past Wadborough on 8 February 2011 with the 1V39 06:32 Dundee to Plymouth CrossCountry service. Any passengers doing the full journey will no doubt be glad that parent company Arriva decided that a Class 221 unit would not really be up to this job!

43378 passes Little Haresfield with the 1V47 08:00 Manchester Piccadilly to Paignton Cross County service on 30 May 2009. By 10:30 the troublesome shadows on the right are finally retreating from the track. Recent clearance work at this location should have included a few large trees!

43384 speeds past Gossington with the 1V50 06:08 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service on 5 March 2010. This location is on a public footpath that leads south from the small village of Gossington towards the A38 road to the west of Cam.

A convenient tree growing by the footpath crossing at Little Haresfield provides a perfect frame for 43384 as it races south with the 1V50 06:08 Edinburgh to Plymouth CrossCountry service on 19 January 2011. The crossing doesn't seem to get much use by ramblers or dog walkers, just railway photographers!

Just after sunrise on 29 November 2012, 43423 Valenta 1972-2010 passes Great Heck with the late running 1A60 06:45 Sunderland to Kings Cross Grand Central service. This location is getting progressively more difficult for photography due to the growth of lineside bushes. Now only this relatively head on viewpoint is possible.

43465 passes a field of sugar beet at Little Heck on 17 September 2012, as it speeds south with the 1A60 06:45 Sunderland to Kings Cross Grand Central service. For once the menacing looking cloud here does not mean that this was a very lucky shot. Everywhere else was blue sky, and there was no need to keep one eye on any approaching shadows!

43467 has just passed underneath the M62 motorway at Great Heck, as it speeds southwards on 6 June 2012 with the 1A60 06:45 Sunderland to Kings Cross Grand Central service. It has just passed the point of impact between the GNER train and the Land Rover which caused the horrific accident in 2001.

Literally in the last few seconds of weak evening sunlight, just before the sun dropped into a bank of cloud near the horizon, 43467 speeds past Burn on 15 September 2012 with the 1N94 16:48 Kings Cross to Sunderland Grand Central service. Note the length of the shadow across the stubble field in the background.

43468 passes under a surprisingly traffic free M62 motorway and passes Great Heck on 11 March 2011 with the 1A60 06:41 Grand Central service. Only the leading coach retains the original livery, which is a definite improvement over the already stylish livery as worn by the whole train behind 43084, pictured at the same location three years previously. Interestingly in the intervening years the train length has been reduced by one coach.