With the very last rays of the setting sun tingeing the exhaust pink, and a little Christmas snow still lying on the ground, Hunslet 0-6-0ST Robert Nelson No.4 approaches Hailes on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway with the 15:30 Toddington to Winchcombe 'Mince Pie Special' on 2 January 1995. The use of a 200mm lens was not only to compress the perspective and make the exhaust look more impressive, but it was necessary, as the track in the immediate foreground was in shade due to the low angle of the sun.

1943 built Hunslet 0-6-0ST 15 heads south past Hailes on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway with the 12:52 Toddington to Winchcombe freight on 24 May 2009, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's 25th anniversary 'Cotswold Festival of Steam'. The loco is wearing the livery of the Wemyss Private Railway, where it worked the extensive colliery lines between 1964 and 1971. Previous to that it had belonged to the Ministry of Defence. It is pictured here on its penultimate working before being named Earl David at Toddington later in the afternoon.

In sparkling condition after just having emerged from an extensive overhaul, Hunslet 0-6-0ST 2409 King George makes a spirited departure from Toddington and approaches Didbrook on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway with the 15:45 Toddington to Gotherington service on 12 March 2000. For once the smoke is blowing in exactly the right direction! A DMU took over this service at Winchcombe.

7P 4-6-2 70000 Britannia approaches Heyford with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z39 08:10 Cardiff Central to Stratford-upon-Avon 'William Shakespeare' railtour on 11 April 1993. The BR pacific had worked the tour from Didcot. Just visible behind the loco are the newly planted trees which soon obliterated the view of Rousham church which can be seen in the background gloom. A mere fourteen years later the location is hardly recognisable.

After a protracted restoration from a derelict Barry hulk, confounding the critics who said it couldn't be done, 8P 4-6-2 71000 Duke of Gloucester made a triumphant return to the main line on 7 April 1990 when it worked the 'Red Dragon' railtour from Didcot to Derby. It is pictured here passing Oxford with a fine smoke effect. Note the smoke being pushed forward of the chimney lip, which seems to be a characteristic of this particular locomotive.

8P 4-6-2 71000 Duke of Gloucester approaches Culham on 29 April 1990 with the Great Western Society's Ealing Broadway to Derby 'Midlander II' railtour. Duke of Gloucester had taken over the train at Didcot, and was just getting in to its stride here, hence the customary heavy clag. This was only three weeks after its triumphant return to the main line. Didcot Power Station dominates the background, which in contrast to the locomotive is not emitting anything!

8P 4-6-2 71000 Duke of Gloucester rounds the curve at Armathwaite, on the Settle & Carlisle line with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z29 12:40 Carlisle to Didcot Parkway returning 'Cumbrian Mountain Express' railtour on 29 April 1995. The Duke worked the tour between Carlisle and Crewe. A fine sight despite the gloomy weather!

Mass trespass at Kemble on 2 March 1985! No evidence of modern health & safety rules as 4MT 4-6-0 75069 blasts out of the station with the SLOA Newport to Swindon 'Red Dragon' railtour. A few minutes earlier the 8 coach tour had climbed up the Golden Valley route from Gloucester, entering Sapperton Tunnel with some wheel slip at 13mph. This tour was a prelude to a number of steam specials over the route later in the year in connection with the GW150 celebrations.

The sheep scatter as 4MT 2-6-4Ts 80080 & 80079 approach Tiverton Parkway with the 'Semper Fidelis' railtour on 1 May 1994, which was steam hauled between Bristol Temple Meads and Exeter St Davids. An easy location to get to if you are chasing something, as it is right next to Junction 27 on the M5 motorway.

David Shepherd's 9F 2-10-0 92203 Black Prince round the curve at Hailes on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway on 20 December 1998 with the 12:15 Toddington to Winchcombe Santa Special. Built in 1959 this loco had a ridiculously short life with British Railways, being withdrawn in November 1967 after having seen less than nine years use hauling the heavy freight trains for which the class was designed.

David Shepherd's 9F 2-10-0 92203 Black Prince rounds Chicken Curve near Greet on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway with the 11:47 Winchcombe to Toddington freight train on 24 May 2009, during the line's 'Cotswold Festival of Steam'. Certainly more appropriate than the passengers trains it normally operates, but I don't think in BR days a 9F would have been used on quite such a featherweight load!

This low viewpoint at Gotherington only goes to emphasise the size of 9F 2-10-0 92203 Black Prince as it arrives with the 12:25 train from Toddington, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's GWR 175 Festival of Steam. Although of course a BR design, the 9F is assured honorary GWR status by virtue of having been built at Swindon.

9F 2-10-0 92212 pulls away from Ropley station on the Mid Hants Railway with the 11:55 Alton to Alresford service on 2 January 2010. I had carefully planned this picture to include the tree on the left, which I thought would balance the column of exhaust which I assumed would go up to an equal height, given the fact that there was very little wind. With the typical contrariness of steam locos the exhaust stayed low, leading to a slightly unbalanced composition. At least the sky is blue!