50024 Vanguard leaves Oxford station on 26 May 1990 with the 1F39 09:00 Network SouthEast departure for Paddington. In the good old days, before a huge car park and associated fence and tall lights obstructed this view, I spent many hours photographing trains from this footbridge, and consequently I have a lot of pictures of Class 50s at this location!

50027 Lion passes through a deserted Whitchurch station on 9 March 1991 with the 1O37 12:25 Exeter St Davids to Waterloo Network SouthEast service. Lion's last working was almost exactly four months later, with official withdrawal taking place on 11 July.

155320 leads an unfortunately unidentified Class 156 unit past Marshfield on 4 November 1989 with the 2V61 08:20 Brighton to Cardiff Central Regional Railways service. Only one of the units would have come from Brighton, as the train merged with the 09:10 departure from Portsmouth Harbour at Fareham.

During the mid 1990s, Trainload Coal Class 31s were employed as MGR drawback locos at Warrington Arpley. 31199 is pictured returning to its siding at Warrington on 25 March 1993, after another brief burst of activity.

31188 & 31163 pass Ravenhead (near St Helens) on 17 September 1994 with the Pathfinder Tours 1T70 17:24 Liverpool Lime Street to Wigan Wallgate section of the multi-traction 'Lancastrian' railtour. This section of line is now electrified.

During the weekend of 16 & 17 September 2017, GWR services were diverted via the Chiltern Line due to engineering works at Reading. The trains regained their normal route by traversing the recently upgraded Oxford to Bicester Line. 43158 is pictured passing through Islip on the Sunday with the 1A07 07:41 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington service.

43129 passes Islip in the rain on 17 September 2017 with the 1C07 08:32 Paddington to Plymouth GWR service. This was being diverted due to engineering works in the Reading area. The recently upgraded Islip station is situated on the other side of the bridge.

43149 University of Plymouth rounds the curve at Islip on 17 September 2017 with the diverted 1A10 08:10 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington GWR service. The position of the windscreen wiper indicates that as well as being very dull, the weather was a little damp!

A DMU meeting on the recently upgraded Oxford to Bicester line on 17 September 2017. 172102 & 172013 head south past Langford Lane, Wendlebury, with the 1T19 09:33 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service, while in the background, 168326 & 168113 approach with the 1Y15 10:11 Oxford to Marylebone.

168326 & 168113 pass Langford Lane, Wendlebury, on 17 September 2017 with the 1Y15 10:11 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service, having just passed 172103 & 172102 working the 1T19 09:33 Marylebone to Oxford.

43142 Reading Panel Signal Box 1965 - 2010 passes Wendlebury on 17 September 2017 with the diverted 1B25 09:58 Paddington to Carmarthen GWR service. This picture is taken from the newly constructed Langford Lane roadbridge. This replaces a level crossing some distance to the north, and involved constructing a new Langford Lane, on a completely different route.

43172 Harry Patch - The last survivor of the trenches brings up the rear of the diverted 1A14 10:05 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington GWR service, as it climbs the steeply graded chord between Gavray Junction and Bicester South Junction on 17 September 2017. Engineering work at Reading was the cause of this extremely unusual Chiltern Line HST activity.

43093 Old Oak Common HST Depot 1976 - 2018 rounds the sharp curve between Bicester South Junction and Gavray Junction on 17 September 2017 with the diverted 1B28 10:58 Paddington to Swansea GWR service. Although very difficult to tell because of the dull dark green colour scheme, the bodyside graphics represent different generations of Great Western motive power (King, Hall, Warship, Western, Class 50, HST, Class 180 & Class 800).

Very unusual motive power for the Bicester area! 43031 passes Gavray Junction on 17 September 2017 with the diverted 1L38 08:08 Swansea to Paddington GWR service. The tracks on the right are currently disused, but will eventually be brought back into use as part of the Oxford to Cambridge 'East West Rail' project.

43032 passes Gavray Junction on 17 September 2017 with the diverted 1L46 09:24 Swansea to Paddington GWR service. As the milepost in the foreground indicates, there is just half a mile to go before the train joins the Chiltern Line. The urban sprawl of Bicester dominates the background. Bicester has recently been given the status of a so called 'Garden Town'. This is a totally meaningless marketing ploy, presumably designed to shift attention away from all the housing and industrial development that is swamping it. It's just a name, there is no difference to any other town that is being encircled by development, usually against the resident's wishes.

43005 brings up the rear of the diverted 1L53 10:24 Swansea to Paddington GWR service, as it climbs the steep curve between Gavray Junction and Bicester South Junction on 17 September 2017. As can be seen from the clouds in the background, sunshine was at a premium (at least until later in the day), and I was lucky that this corresponded with a short sunny period.

43128 descends the steeply graded sharp curve between Bicester South Junction and Gavray Junction on 17 September 2017 with the diverted 1B40 12:58 Paddington to Carmarthen GWR service. Engineering work at Reading was causing GWR's trains to be diverted via the Chiltern Line, bringing the highly unusual sight of HSTs in the Bicester area.

A perfect passing picture at Piddington on 17 September 2017. 168001 heads south with the 1H35 13:12 Birmingham Snow Hill to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service, passing 165035 with the 1G35 13:36 Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill. Despite firing off a fast sequence of shots, I thought at first that I hadn't quite got this precisely right. I wanted the two trains to be exactly opposite. However, I realise that if that had been the case, because of the side lighting, the front of 165035 would have cast a shadow on the left edge 168001's front end, so this in fact the ideal position!

66198 passes Piddington on 17 September 2017 with the 6C03 12:43 Acton to Severnside Sita Binliner. This was being diverted via the Chiltern Line due to engineering works in the Reading area. Unfortunately this passed in just about the worst light of the whole day.

43010 passes Charlton-on-Otmoor on 17 September 2017 with the diverted 1B51 14:58 Paddington to Swansea GWR service. The concrete track provides access to Holts Farm, replacing the former level crossing, which was situated near the rear of the train. As this just about the best photographic location between Bicester and Oxford, and given the rarity of HSTs over this route, I was surprised to be the only photographer present!

The driver of the 1T43 15:33 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Railways service gives a friendly toot to the family of cyclists next to me on the bridge at Charlton -on-Otmoor on 17 September 2017. The train is made up of three quarters of Chiltern's Class 172 fleet: 172103, 172102 & 172101.

The Oxford to Bicester line is mainly operated by DMUs, so the HST diversions over the route on 17 September 2017 were definitely worth photographing. Two for the price of one here, as 43025 The Institution of Railway Operators brings up the rear of the 1A22 11:01 Penzance to Paddington GWR service at Charlton-on-Otmoor, while in the distance 43088 approaches with the 1C21 15:32 Paddington to Penzance.

43088 passes Charlton-on-Otmoor on 17 September 2017 with the diverted 1C21 15:32 Paddington to Penzance GWR service. Disappearing into the distance is the 1A22 11:01 Penzance to Paddington. These trains were being diverted over the Chiltern route due to engineering works in the Reading area.

Superb evening light at Charlton-on-Otmoor on 17 September 2017, as 43005 heads south with the diverted 1B59 15:58 Paddington to Swansea GWR service. The green power car with blue coaches almost recalls the days in the 1980s when the HSTs were often to be seen with mismatched formations. The difference is the original blue and grey, as well as the later Executive and Swallow liveries were photogenic, whereas the modern versions (especially GWR's uninspired drab green) certainly aren't!

43176 leads the diverted 1A24 13:45 Plymouth to Paddington GWR service past Charlton-on-Otmoor on 17 September 2017. You can tell that this a recently upgraded line, as the lineside fence is still virtually free of troublesome bushes!

43030 Christian Lewis Trust, and its mismatched set of green coaches, passes Charlton-on-Otmoor on 17 September 2017 with the diverted 1C23 16:32 Paddington to Penzance GWR service. Unlike most of the other diverted HSTs during the day, this one was running 14 minutes late.

Lengthening shadows (and approaching cloud!) at Oddington on 17 September 2017. 43159 heads south with the diverted 1B69 16:58 Paddington to Swansea GWR Service. Engineering works at Reading meant that HSTs for the West of England were traveling via the Chiltern Line as far as Bicester, and then heading to Didcot, via Oxford.

168325 & 168113 head away from the camera at Oddington on 17 September 2017 with the 1Y56 18:11 Oxford to Marylebone Chiltern Railways service. With a constant procession of DMUs passing this location, there would normally be any reason to take a going away shot. However, I took this because of the fantastic lighting, which as can be guessed from the dark clouds in the background, didn't last for much longer. I particularly like the way the line of electricity poles stand out against the dark surroundings.

50007 Hercules & 50049 Defiance pass Claydon (Gloucestershire) on 16 September 2017 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z50 06:13 Burton-on-Trent to Kingswear 'Torbay & Dart Explorer' railtour. The 50s had taken over from 66129 at Worcester Shrub Hill. It was not originally my intention to photograph this train here, but as it was totally cloudy when I arrived in the area, I chose this location as it gives a wider view from the west side of the line. The tour was half an hour late, by which time the weather had changed considerably, and when the train came into view the sun was fully out. Luckily the lineside bushes have recently been cut down, so while the viewpoint is a little head on from the east side, at least it is fully lit. On the plus side, I like the colour contrast of the brown shredded vegetation on the right.

220001 speeds past Yarnton on 14 September 2017 with the 1O22 14:27 Manchester Piccadilly to Bournemouth CrossCountry service. The train is just a few hundred yards from Wolvercote Junction, where the Cotswold Line joins the Banbury to Oxford route. This low level viewpoint was deliberately selected to show off the dramatic cloud formation.

47813 passes Yarnton on 14 September 2017 with the 6Z86 13:22 Long Marston to Eastleigh Arlington, conveying just four KFA freightliner flats. Initially I wasn't going to bother with this, as photographically four flats are hardly any more interesting that a light engine. However, when I found out that Rail Operation Group's recently repainted 47813 was the motive power, I changed my mind! I chose this view from the footbridge in the fields near Yarnton, as I guessed that it would just be free enough of shadows, at least for the loco, and because there is no chance of a decent picture here for a normal size train. In the event it was only just clear of shadows, and only a couple of minutes before the sun disappeared into a huge bank of black clouds!

Superb early morning light at Claydon (Gloucestershire) on 4 August 1987. 43191 works the 1E36 06:17 Bristol Temple Meads to Leeds InterCity service, the first northbound passenger train of the day. It would not be possible to take this kind of picture here today, as a row of conifers on the left now shade the line for much of the morning.

31460 ambles past Ryecroft Junction on 15 August 1988. I don't normally take pictures of light engines, but I couldn't resist this one, as much for the background as anything else. The houses and blocks of flats of Walsall form the backdrop, along with the spire of the now demolished Methodist church. Behind the loco is the trackbed of the former LMS to Lichfield. The small bushes are a portent of what was to come. This whole view has now disappeared in a sea of vegetation.

A line up of classic diesel traction at Loughborough Central, on the Great Central Railway, on 11 May 2001. D5830 (31463) is parked in line with Class 20 D8098 and Class 47 D1705. D5830's gold ochre livery may not be totally authentic, but it certainly is eye catching!

L418 (51355, 59507, & 51397) arrives at Evesham station on 20 March 1982 with the 2C72 09:05 Oxford to Hereford service. The brick bridge which carries the High Street over the railway makes an excellent frame for the picture, and avoids having lots of blank featureless sky in the view.

L411 (51346, 59498 & 51388) crests the summit of the 1 in 37 Lickey Incline at Blackwell on 20 March 1982, as it works the 2M72 12:44 Hereford to Birmingham New Street service. Trains were descending the bank just as slowly as the ones coming up on this occasion, due to the very obvious recent track replacement.

150127 passes Beeston on 11 September 1990 with the 08:15 Crewe to Nottingham Regional Railways service. Needless to say, houses now occupy the waste ground on the right, with a new road (Murden Way) running parallel with the railway.

47600 passes Ashchurch on 15 August 1992 with the 1V40 07:33 Rose Grove to Paignton 'InterCity Holidaymaker'. This view would change completely a few years later with the creation of the new Ashchurch (for Tewkesbury) station. The original station was closed in 1971. Judging by the colour of the rails, nothing has been along the MoD branch on the right for a while!

A deliberately wide view of construction works for the new Banbury bypass (later named Hennef Way), taken from the Old Grimsbury bridge on 24 April 1984. 47602 heads north with the 1M03 08:05 Portsmouth Harbour to Manchester Piccadilly service. Note the tiny site office on the right, a lot more minimalist than the row of Portakabins that would be used nowadays. The classic ARC Bucyrus-Erie 22B crane seems to be the only substantial piece of plant on the site.

Not quite the perfect glint shot I was hoping for, but dramatic lighting nonetheless. 47612 Titan passes South Moreton (Didcot East) on 28 August 1987 with the 1V87 16:32 Wolverhampton to Paddington service. This was running half an hour late.

50017 Royal Oak comes to the end of the double track section of the Cotswold Line at Ascott-under-Wychwood on 12 June 1988, as it heads down the Evenlode Valley with the 1A79 18:15 Hereford to Paddington service.

50019 Ramillies was withdrawn by BR in September 1990, and sold to the Class 50 Locomotive Association the following year. Its first home in preservation was the Spa Valley Railway, where it stayed until 1998. Its is pictured here partially covered by tarpaulins at Eridge station on 25 May 1997.

47600 Dewi Saint / Saint David passes Baulking on 21 April 1986 with the 1A94 13:43 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington parcels, running exactly to time. The sun had just come out, after a very heavy shower. From today's perspective its amazing just how open this location once was. Small gorse bushes are the principal vegetation on the cutting sides, and there is a clear view to the roadbridge at the site of Uffington station in the background.

47600 Dewi Saint / Saint David approaches Cosford on 31 May 1989 with the 7G19 13:39 Shrewsbury Coton Hill to Bescot Speedlink. Apologies for the very poor quality of this image, but it is one of the very few pictures I have of a Railfreight Distribution liveried Class 47/4 working a Speedlink service.

L413 (51349, 59501 & 51391) passes underneath the farm occupation bridge at Daylesford on 8 May 1986 with the 2A62 19:20 Moreton-in-Marsh to Oxford service. The spring of 1986 was very cold, and plant growth was very late as a result. With hardly any signs of spring greenery, this pictures looks more like it was taken in early April, or even late March!

412 (51389, 59499 & 51347) leaves Oxford station on 26 May 1990 with the 2C27 10:48 Network SouthEast service to Reading. Unusually the unit is not displaying the normal L prefix to the set number, indicating it was a London allocated set (actually based at Reading).

205032 & 205025 arrive at Cowden on 25 May 1997 with the 08:04 Oxted to Uckfield service on 25 May 1997, during the Uckfield Line Gala Weekend. The Entrance to Markbeech Tunnel can just be seen in the shadows on the right. This 1,341 yard curved tunnel takes the line underneath the village of Markbeech, which is actually the nearest village to Cowden station.

47652 passes Silchester on 1 October 1988 with the 1S39 09:00 Poole to Aberdeen service, which InterCity marketed at the time as the 'Holidaymaker Express'. Surely a bit of a meaningless term for a train traveling from the south coast to the east of Scotland in the autumn!

47832 Tamar passes Culham on 22 June 1990 with the 1M40 17:10 Poole to Manchester Piccadilly InterCity service. This was running 15 minutes late, which meant it was only just a few minutes in front of 47583 County of Hertfordshire, which was working the 1F60 18:40 Paddington to Oxford Network SouthEast service. Note the inclusion of a ScotRail liveried coach midway along the train

47583 County of Hertfordshire passes Culham on 22 June 1990 with the 1F60 18:40 Paddington to Oxford Network SouthEast service. This was running just a few minutes behind the late running 1M40 17:10 Poole to Manchester Piccadilly InterCity service, hauled by 47832 Tamar.

D7076 & 7017 pass Roebuck Farm in the drizzle on 17 May 1997 with the 1A46 13:00 Minehead to Bishops Lydeard service, during the West Somerset Railway's Diesel Gala. The headboard reads: 'The Mighty Malt Loaf'!

D7076 passes Roebuck Farm on 17 May 1997 with the 2B52 14:45 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead service, during the West Somerset Railway's Diesel Gala. The rain had temporarily eased at this point, which explains the number of heads sticking out of the windows!

7017 & D1041 Western Prince pass Roebuck Farm in the rain on 17 May 1997 with the 2C60 15:40 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead service, during the West Somerset Railway's Diesel Gala. The day had started out with just occasional light rain, but now it was full monsoon conditions!

66954 just manages to avoid the early morning shadows, as it passes Kennington on 9 September 2017 with the 4O18 05:03 Lawley Street to Southampton Maritime freightliner. The rear of the train is just passing over Kennington Junction, where the freight only branch to Morris Cowley diverges to the right.

57306 Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate 175 passes Kennington on 9 September 2017 with the Belmond Northern Belle 1Z57 06:21 Kidderminster to Hove luxury charter. 57301 Goliath is out of sight on the rear. The two most suitable local locations to photograph this were either here, or Oxford North Junction. As I realised that only the loco and first coach would be free of shadows at Oxford North, I chose Kennington, despite it being a rather head on viewpoint.

You can't beat it! A local jogger is easily outpaced by 43141 Cardiff Panel Signal Box 1966-2016, as it leads the 1P31 07:10 Hereford to Paddington GWR service past at Kennington on Saturday 9 September 2017. The path is part of the very well used Sustrans route No.5 long distance cycle track.

165126 leads green liveried 165103 past Kennington on 9 September 2017 with the late running 1P35 10:01 Oxford to Paddington GWR service. This is a limited stop service, which is booked to leave Oxford six minutes ahead of the local service, but for some reason on this occasion it left afterwards. After being held up while the local called at Appleford, it finally overtook it while the slow train called at Didcot Parkway. Note the dark clouds in the background. The sunny morning wasn't going to last much longer!

The early morning fog on 23 March 1982 has just started to clear (at least in the foreground), as the first northbound passenger train of the day over the Cotswold Line passes Chilson. L412 (51389, 59499 & 51347) is working the 2B08 06:04 Reading to Great Malvern service. The only thing that survives in this view, apart from the actual route of the line, is the rear DMBS vehicle, 51347. The PW hut, dead elm tree, and recently chopped down telegraph poles have all disappeared, and the single track of bullhead rails has now been replaced by two lines of continuously welded rails. Most importantly, the view no linger exists, due to Network Rail's total lack of lineside maintenance. The bushes now brush the sides of the trains at this point! 

L419 (51356, 59508 & 51398) stands at Oxford station's platform 1 on 21 October 1988, prior to working the 2C39 15:21 Network SouthEast service to Reading. Note the two styles of platform awning. The modern one behind the DMU dates from the 1971 rebuilding, while the one in the background is a GWR original.

47552 crosses the M5 at Junction 11 (near Churchdown) on 3 January 1987 with the 1V55 09:20 Liverpool Lime Street to Penzance InterCity service. 47552 still survives (as 47802), but I doubt very much whether any of the other vehicles in this pictures are still around!

47521 doesn't seem to be in the best of health, as it approaches Wolvercote Junction on 18 August 1993 with the 1E45 16:30 Swindon to Newcastle Royal Mail vans. 47521 spent the last three years of its life as a parcels loco, moving from the NWRA Thames Valley passenger fleet in May 1992. It was withdrawn in May 1995.

60013 Robert Boyle passes Whisker Hill Junction (near Retford) on 22 June 2002 with the Past Time Rail 1Z56 14:59 York to Finsbury Park 'Spinnin' State III' railtour. The Class 60 worked the tour between Sheffield and Retford.

A symphony in green! D444 passes North Street on 23 May 2004 with the 10:55 Alresford to Alton service, during the Mid Hants Railway's Diesel Gala. The Class 50s never wore this livery in BR service, as the familiar blue livery had already been adopted as standard by the time the first of the class appeared in 1967. However, in my opinion, it certainly looks smart.

A sunny, but bitterly cold and frosty Sunday morning at Barford St Martin on 12 January 1992. 207013 disturbs the stillness of the Nadder Valley with the 09:25 Yeovil Junction to Salisbury Network SouthEast service. I only ever visited this location once (so far!), my main reason being to get a picture of D400, which was due from the other direction shortly afterwards.

319182 passes Horley on 21 September 1991 with the 12:48 Bedford to Brighton Network SouthEast service. Surprisingly, this view hasn't changed a great deal in the last quarter of century (apart from the traction). At most other locations near a large town, I would have expected the urban sprawl to have swallowed up the fields seen here on the right.

A close up view of 165004, as it leaves Basingstoke on 16 July 2001 with the 10:35 Basingstoke to Reading Thames Trains service. This picture clearly shows the 'Thames Turbo' branding on the side of vehicle 58804. In 1993 several two car Class 165/0s were transferred to the Thames fleet to supplement their Class 165/1s. They had all returned to the Chiltern route by 2004.

08649 crosses the mainline at Woking on 15 May 1993, en-route from the south to the north yard. A few weeks later this locomotive lost its dull grey departmental livery, and reacquired a coat of BR green paint, along with its pre-TOPS number D3816. It was also named G.H.Stratton. Later in its life it acquired the extremely colourful Rail Services UK blue, white and green colour scheme.

The red oxide primer of 20137 (D8137) catches the afternoon sun at Hailes on 9 November 1996, as the loco passes underneath the roadbridge with the 14:10 Toddington to Far Stanley service, during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's Diesel Gala.

60088 Buachaille Etive Mor passes Aynho on 2 November 1994 with the 6M38 Didcot Power Station to Toton MGR empties. By this date Didcot was receiving most of its coal from Avonmouth, with just a couple of paths left for trains from the Midlands.

43133 brings up the rear of the first ever HST to work over the Cotswold Line. This is the 10:25 Paddington to Great Malvern service, pictured leaving Evesham station on 14 May 1984, with consecutively numbered 43134 leading.

47813 S.S. Great Britain speeds past Taplow on 26 January 2000 with the 1A29 06:30 Plymouth to Paddington First Great Western service, deputising for the usual HST. At this time the only booked work for FGW's Class 47s were the sleeper trains, and associated ECS moves.

165105 stands at Kingham station on 21 September 1996 with the 1A23 07:14 Hereford to Paddington service. The trees have grown up considerably since this picture was taken, giving a much less open look to the station. The footbridge has been replaced, but happily however, the GWR style running in board is still in place.

165113 approaches Radley station at speed on 18 May 1995 with the 2A61 15:37 Oxford to Paddington service. Just a few seconds after this picture was taken the sun disappeared, hardly surprising judging by the dark clouds in the background!

Two locos, two wagons! 37673 & 37679 pass Flax Bourton on 30 January 1997 with the 6C20 13:45 Newport Alexandra Dock Junction to St Blazey Enterprise service. This train was often quite short, but this is taking things to the extreme!

47808 approaches the site of Ashbury Crossing, near Shrivenham, on 25 July 1990 with the 1C71 18:47 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads InterCity service. This was a favourite location to take pictures from the north side of the line on late summer evenings.

158882 passes Oaksey on 4 September 2017 with the 2B94 13:20 Cheltenham Spa to Swindon GWR service. The scree slope on the left, which was created when the side of the cutting was stabilised, should prevent any vegetation spoiling the view for a few years. It's just unfortunate that it doesn't come right up to the bridge!

D407 (50007) Hercules, 50049 Defiance, D821, 50044 Exeter, 50035 Ark Royal & D1015 Western Champion pass Oaksey on 4 September 2017, running as the 0Z50 11:50 Old Oak Common to Kidderminster. The locos were returning to the Severn Valley Railway, after being displayed at the Old Oak Common Open Day. The grassy bank in the foreground marks the site of Oaksey station, which closed, along with all the other small stations on the Swindon to Gloucester line, in 1964.

Although I remember seeing Warships on the mainline, that was long before I had a camera. So here is my first picture of one on the mainline! D821 (minus its Greyhound nameplates) passes Oaksey on 4 September 2017 in the middle of the 0Z50 11:50 Old Oak Common to Kidderminster loco convoy, hauled by D407 Hercules. Note the temporary through piping for the train air brakes.

175107 accelerates away from Leominster station (just visible in the background) on 2 September 2017 with the late running 1V37 08:30 Manchester Piccadilly to Milford Haven Arriva Trains Wales service. This was formerly the junction for the cross country route to Worcester, via Bromyard. The Bromyard lines occupied what is now a the overgrown wasteland on the right.

37254 Cardiff Canton & 37175 storm through Leominster on 2 September 2017 with the Brach Line Society / 565 Charters 1Z56 05:35 Carnforth to Carmarthen '565 Special' railtour. This was the first tour to be worked by a pair of Colas Class 37s. Given that this is an identifiable location, with the perfect sun angle, and the very large plus point of a semaphore signal in the immediate foreground, I was surprised to be the only photographer present.

The only way to successfully photograph steam locos running tender first is to go for a broadside shot, preferably framing the picture with something. So here is the Severn Valley Railway's Battle of Britain Class 4-6-2 34053 Sir Keith Park pulling away from Bewdley on 2 September 2017 with the 10:50 Bridgnorth to Kidderminster service, framed by a GPSS (Government Pipelines and Storage System) pipeline marker.

14xx 0-4-2T 1450 approaches Foley Park Tunnel on 2 September 2017 with the 12:15 Bewdley to Kidderminster Severn Valley Railway footplate experience train. The perfectly timed outpouring of black smoke may not be welcomed by the environmentalists, but it certainly improves the picture!

Battle of Britain Class 4-6-2 34053 Sir Keith Park emerges from Foley Park Tunnel on 2 September 2017 with the 12:30 Kidderminster to Bridgnorth service. 34053 was withdrawn by BR in October 1965, and then languished at Barry scrapyard, and then various other sites, including next to the Great Western Mainline at Thingley Junction, before restoration of the sad looking hulk finally commenced in the new Millennium. The loco entered service on the Severn Valley Railway in August 2012.

D1062 Western Courier approaches Foley Park Tunnel on 2 September 2017 with the 11:35 Bridgnorth to Kidderminster Severn Valley Railway service. I believe the 7S38 headcode refers to a mid 1970s St Blazey to Glasgow freight, often worked by a Western, at least for the first part of its journey.

D1062 Western Courier emerges from Foley Park Tunnel on 2 September 2017 with the 13:15 Kidderminster to Bridgnorth service. This is one of the Severn Valley Railway's most well known photographic locations, but despite the combination of a blue western and a mostly sunny day, surprisingly there were no other photographers around when this appeared!

14xx 0-4-2T 1450 approaches Foley Park Tunnel on 2 September 2017 with the slightly early running 13:45 Bewdley to Kidderminster Severn Valley Railway footplate experience train. A singe coach train is obviously the ideal length to be photographed from this position!

166203 passes Lower Moor on 2 September 2017 with the 1W41 14:22 Paddington to Great Malvern GWR service. Note the apple tree in the foreground, laden with fruit. Although some of the orchards in the Vale of Evesham are still mamaged commercially, there are numerous small abandoned plots and odd trees, and hundreds of tons of fruit must go unpicked each year.

Former Chiltern Railways 67014 passes Lower Moor on 2 September 2017 with the Belmond British Pullman 1Z96 16:35 Worcester Shrub Hill to Victoria 'Historic Worcester' railtour. Classmate 67012 was on the rear of the train.

Former Chiltern Railways 67012 brings up the rear of the Belmond British Pullman 1Z96 16:35 Worcester Shrub Hill to Victoria 'Historic Worcester' railtour at Lower Moor on 2 September 2017. 67014 was the lead locomotive.

43020 MTU Power Passion Partnership races past the site of Oaksey station on 1 September 2017 with the 1L36 08:31 Cheltenham Spa to Paddington GWR service. This photo is taken from a recently upgraded public footpath crossing, which explains the fence in the foreground. Whereas for years rural foot crossings were often nothing more than a stile in either hedge, now a guided walkway with signage at what is known as the 'Decision Point' is required.

800004 passes the site of Oaksey station on 1 September 2017 with the 3X17 09:02 Gloucester to Swindon crew training test run. Although there were only a few small clouds in the sky at this time, I was fortunate to get this in the sun, as it was cloudy just before it came into view, and again just after it had passed by! Photo taken from a public footpath crossing.

South West Trains, Cotswold Division! 158890 passes the site of Oaksey station on 1 September 2017 with the 2B90 09:18 Cheltenham Spa to Swindon GWR service. Oaksey station was opened by the Great Western Railway on 18 February 1929, and was closed by British Railways on 2 November 1964.

43040 Bristol St. Philip's Marsh leaves Worcester on 31 August 2017 with the 1P61 15:21 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington GWR service. For some unknown reason, I had never visited this well known location before, and as both the semaphore signal, and the former Metal Box factory behind it are due to disappear, I only just made my first visit in time!

The final train of off lease Class 319 EMUs for storage at Long Marston ran on 31 August 2017, hauled as usual by 37884. The 5V94 11:14 Bedford Cauldwell Depot to Long Marston arrived at Worcester just a few minutes early, and luckily left the yard in very welcome sunny spell. It is seen here passing the former Metal Box factory just to the south of Shrub Hill station. The units are 319443 & 319440. The semaphore signal is due for imminent removal, its replacement can already be seen waiting to be installed.

How's this for a loco convoy? 50049 Defiance hauls 50007 Hercules, 50044 Exeter, 50035 Ark Royal & D1015 Western Champion past Kemble Wick on 30 August 2017, running as the 0Z50 09:20 Kidderminster to Old Oak Common. The locos were being moved from the Severn Valley Railway for display at the final Old Oak Common open day. I wouldn't normally go out specifically for a light engine move, especially not in the rain, but this was too good to miss! At least the rain had almost stopped when they passed. Given the still and quiet conditions, I was surprised that I did not hear this approaching. Kemble Tunnel, which can be seen in the background, was built purely so that Squire Gordon of Kemble House couldn't see the railway from his house!

158884 passes Kemble Wick in the drizzle on 30 August 2017 with the 2G83 11:36 Swindon to Cheltenham Spa GWR service. The use of hired in South West Trains Class 158s has been common on this route for several years.

43169 The National Trust approaches Didcot North Junction on 28 August 2017 with the 1P35 08:26 Worcester Foregate Street to Paddington GWR service. In the background, the 1W19 09:22 Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street service is passing the masts of the massively delayed, horrendously over budget, and staggeringly incompetently managed electfrication scheme.

165134 & 165120 approach Didcot North Junction on 28 August 2017 with the 1P37 10:31 Oxford to London Paddington GWR service. This location has been transformed by the removal of the high voltage wires that effectively prevented this view from the roadbridge. This is just as well, as the alternative lower viewpoint has been become increasingly overgrown.

800003 passes Steventon on 28 August 2017 with the 3X14 09:50 Stoke Gifford to Reading Traincare Depot test run. The short gap in the electfrication masts at this point is due to the ongoing battle between villagers and Network Rail concerning the proposed demolition of the roadbridge. At least there is still one photographic vantage point still left on the line, at least in the short term!

08060 Unicorn crosses the A4130 near Winterbrook on 28 August 2017 with the 11:35 Cholsey to Wallingford service, during the Cholsey & Wallingford Railway's Diesel Weekend. The loco is wearing the highly appropriate black livery of its former owner, Guinness. Note the absence of coupling rods!