An early morning surprise at Moredon on 21 May 2019. Just as I arrived, a distant hoot indicated something unexpected was approaching, and shortly afterwards 66057 & 66094 came into view with the 6V70 20:57 Liverpool Euro Metal to Swindon Cocklebury scarp empties. Although I knew this was running, I had assumed it would be long gone, and hadn't noticed that it was running late. Although only half an hour late here, at one point in its journey it had been nearly three hours late! As the delay started around Landor Street Junction in Birmingham, I assume that is where 66094 failed, and 66057 was summoned to assist.

60062 Stainless Pioneer passes Moredon in superb early morning light on 21 May 2019 with the 6V15 20:18 Boston Sleaford Sidings to Swindon Stores covered steel carriers. After not running for a couple of months, this was the second Tuesday in a row that this train ran. In the distance a coach crosses the bridge at the site of Bremell Sidings.

166214 leaves Kemble station on 21 May 2019 with the 2B96 15:20 Cheltenham Spa to Swindon GWR service. The lush green spring foliage, and the superb sky makes up for the drabness of GWR's dark green livery!

800307 passes the site of Coates station (formerly Tetbury Road) on 21 May 2019 with the 1G47 15:36 Paddington to Cheltenham Spa GWR service. The cloud formation really makes this picture, as otherwise the dark green DMU is no pictorial match for the blue HST that would formerly have worked this train.

60062 Stainless Pioneer passes Coates on 21 May 2019 with the 6M53 16:20 Swindon Stores to Toton Up Sidings steel empties. The earlier cloudless morning had turned into quite a cloudy afternoon, and it seemed likely that this picture would be ruined, as the sun was on the very edge of a large black cloud. Luckily I got away with it this time! This is the site of Coates Goods Station, which was the freight handling facility for nearby Kemble station. It had originally also been Kemble's passenger station, and was named Tetbury Road until 1908.

56302 Peco The Railway Modeller 2016 70 Years passes Uffington on 20 May 2019 with the 6L39 05:00 Bridgend Ford Sidings to Dagenham Ford automotive engines. This was running exactly to time, after waiting at Swindon for nearly half an hour, time enough for what little sunshine there was to disappear!

Keeping up GWR's Cotswold Line tradition of late running, 43162 Exeter Panel Signal Box 21st Anniversary 2009 slowly pulls away from Hanborough station on 18 May 2019 with the penultimate northbound scheduled HST working over the line, the 1W29 11:22 Paddington to Great Malvern on 18 May 2019. As it was running half an hour late due to signalling problems between Oxford and Banbury, it was terminated at Worcester Shrub Hill. 43172 Harry Patch - The last survivor of the trenches is on the rear.

43172 Harry Patch - The last survivor of the trenches brings up the rear of the 1W29 11:22 Paddington to Great Malvern GWR service at Hanborough on 18 May 2019. This train, which was the penultimate northbound scheduled Cotswold Line HST service, was terminated at Worcester Shrub Hill due to late running. 43162 Exeter Panel Signal Box 21st Anniversary 2009 was leading.

43172 Harry Patch - The last survivor of the trenches accelerates away from Charlbury station in the rain on 18 May 2019 with the last scheduled up HST Cotswold Line working. This should have been the 1P61 14:35 Great Malvern to Paddington GWR service, but due to late running of the earlier northbound train, it started from Worcester Shrub Hill at 15:02. As if to emphasise the sadness of the occasion, the earlier moderately dull weather turned into really dark conditions with heavy rain. The end of the Cotswold Line's double track section can be seen near the rear of the train, and Charlbury church can be seen in the background, directly above the leading power car.

Castle Class 4-6-0 7029 Clun Castle passes Daylesford on 19 May 2019 with the Vintage Trains 1Z72 17:35 Oxford to Dorridge 'Cotswold Explorer' railtour. There was no-one else at this location, other than a couple out for a walk. They just happened to linger a while, and were extremely surprised and delighted when they heard this coming!

43009 passes Daylesford on 18 May 2019 with the final scheduled Cotswold Line HST working, the 1W08 18:22 Paddington to Hereford GWR service. 43185 Great Western is bringing up the rear. After a generally dull afternoon, there was almost a trace of weak sunshine for this, but at the same time there were spots of rain, which is probably why the driver is cleaning the windscreen. As I had photographed the first Cotswold Line HST 35 years earlier, I certainly wasn't going to miss this, regardless of the weather.

The end - quite literally! 43185 Great Western brings up the rear of the last scheduled Cotswold Line HST working, the 1W08 18:22 Paddington to Hereford GWR service, seen here at Daylesford on 18 May 2019. 43009 is at the front of the train. From the following day the Cotswold Line would be a purely DMU operated railway.

Fresh from its recent restoration and repaint, 46010 leaves Kidderminster station on 16 May 2019 with the 10:40 departure for Bridgnorth, during the Severn Valley Railway's Diesel Gala. Whilst twelve of the very similar Class 45s entered preservation, 46010 is one of only three preserved Class 46s.

GBRf 47749 City of Truro arrives at Kidderminster on 16 May 2019 with the 09:35 Bridgnorth to Kidderminster service, during the Severn Valley Railway's Diesel Gala. The same company's 60095 is bringing up the rear. The train is passing 88006 Juno, which had just arrived as the 07:45 light engine from Crewe Gresty Bridge.

60095 brings up the rear of the 09:35 Bridgnorth to Kidderminster service, as it arrives at is destination on 16 May 2019, during the Severn Valley Railway's Diesel Gala. The signal box is hiding the lead locomotive, 47749 City of Truro. Note the use of the prototype HST's Mk3 stock. Although only the position of the signal arm makes it look any different, I would ideally have photographed the train leaving shortly afterwards, but that picture was spoiled by a rogue cloud. 50007 Hercules, another recent GBRf repaint, can be seen in the background, on the right.

Two class 31s were renumbered into the 97xxx series in BR days, and painted into the striking Derby Research colour scheme. 97203 (the former 31298) only had a short live in this guise, before it was withdrawn with fire damage. It was replaced by 31236, which became 97204. Now there is a third one, as the Chinnor & Princes Risborough have repainted their 31163, as the next in the series, 97205. It was the star attraction at the Severn Valley Railway's spring 2019 Diesel Gala, and is seen here leaving Kidderminster on 16 May with the 11:23 service to Bridgnorth.

A hydraulic comparison at Kidderminster on 16 May 2019. D821 Greyhound prepares to leave with the 12:11 service to Bridgnorth, while Class 52 D1062 Western Courier waits to take over the 12:37 to Bewdley. The haze from D821's exhaust is partly obscuring two visitors to the Severn Valley's Diesel Gala: 37688, and prototype HST power car 41001. Partly obscured on the right is Deltic 55019 Royal Highland Fusilier.

Off lease 43091 passes Norton Junction on 16 May 2019 with the 5Z43 09:43 Laira to Long Marston ECS. 43078 is out of sight on the rear. This was during the last week of GWR HST operation, and is one of a number of sets that have been consigned to Long Marston for storage.

43078 brings up the rear of the 5Z43 09:43 Laira to Long Marston ECS at Norton Junction on 16 May 2019. The train is being led by 43091, which is approaching one of Norton's few remaining semaphore signals. The train would shortly be reversing at Worcester.

43078 attracts some attention at Honeybourne on 16 May 2019, as it takes the Long Marston line with the 5Z43 09:43 Laira to Long Marston ECS. 43091 is bringing up the rear. Whilst HSTs were until recently commonplace on the tracks through the station on the left, it is only these off lease storage moves that bring them to this line.

43091 brings up the rear of the 5Z43 09:43 Laira to Long Marston ECS at Honeybourne on 16 May 2019. 43078 is the lead power car. With the exception of one coach, a complete green rake. It does seem rather a waste of money repainted so many coaches, when shortly afterwards they are being consigned to storage!

Running 24 minutes late, 43301 passes Spetchley on 16 May 2019 with the 1S53 13:25 Plymouth to Edinburgh CrossCountry service. This was during the last week of long distance HST operation by GWR. Thankfully CrossCountry will continue with their use for some time.

66789 British Rail 1948-1997 passes Spetchley on 16 May 2019 with the 6V35 09:44 Clitheroe Castle Cement to Avonmouth cement tanks. This was running just two minutes late, but that was enough for it to miss a short and very unexpected sunny spell. At least it had only just started to go into thin cloud, and there is still a trace of a shadow, unlike the overall gloom of the previous couple of hours! The loco was specifically selected to work this train on this occasion, in order for it to be in the south, so that it could be used at the following weekend's Severn Valley Diesel Gala.

Framed by the hideous 25kV catenary at the site of Ashbury Crossing, 66515 speeds past Shrivenham on 15 May 2019 with the 4O70 09:56 Wentloog to Felixstowe North freightliner. These ugly structures make the ones on the East Coast Mainline look inconspicuous!

Working hard, but without a trace of exhaust because of the warm weather, Merchant Navy Class 4-6-2 35028 Clan Line approaches the site of Ashbury Crossing, near Shrivenham, on 15 May 2019 with the Belmond British Pullman 1Z91 08:45 Victoria to Bristol Temple Meads charter.

Shortly before the West of England trains were downgraded to Class 802 DMU operation, 43071 passes Hungerford Common with the 1C82 13:03 Paddington to Plymouth GWR service. The date is 15 May 2019, just three days before the end.

59104 Village of Great Elm passes Hungerford Common on 15 May 2019 with the 7C77 12:40 Acton to Merehead Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. This picture is clearly taken from a position that wouldn't have been possible until Network Rail's recent mammoth tree clearance exercise.

2019 not only sees the HSTs on the Berks & Hants line replaced by Class 802 DMUs, but also the Turbo units operating the local trains to Newbury and Bedwyn are to be replaced by Class 800/802s. The old order is pictured at Hungerford Common on 15 May 2019, as 166204 heads west with the 1K14 13:06 Paddington to Bedwyn GWR service. On most of my recent visits these trains had been worked by the outwardly similar Class 165s.

In the last week of HST operation on the Berks & Hants route, 43171 approaches Hungerford Common on 15 May 2019 with the 1C84 14:03 Paddington to Penzance GWR service. I pity the poor passengers doing the full 5½ hour journey from the following week, sitting on the hard Class 802 DMU seats!

It's all change on the Berks Hants line in 2019. While the change from HSTs to Class 802 DMUs will only be seen as an improvement by the GWR marketing department, the change from DB Cargo to Freightliner as the operator of the Mendip stone trains will merely be a change of traction. It will however see the end of the bright red Class 59/2s in the area. 59205 approaches Hungerford Common on 15 May 2019 with the 6V18 11:25 Allington to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. This was running 25 minutes behind schedule.

59202 Alan Meddows Taylor MD, Mendip Rail Limited approaches Hungerford Common on 15 May 2019 with the 6C76 14:39 Acton to Whatley Quarry Mendip Rail stone empties. Note the use of former EWS coal hoppers, now unfortunately, like most of the Mendip Rail stone wagons, mostly vandalised by the graffiti morons.

Merchant Navy Class 4-6-2 35028 Clan Line passes Compton Beauchamp on 15 May 2019 with the Belmond British Pullman 1Z93 17:11 Bristol Temple Meads to Victoria charter. I was really surprised to be the only person at this location, which although severely compromised by the new 25kV catenary, is still one of the least obstructed, and less backlit locations for an evening picture on the line between Swindon and Didcot. I suppose if it was the vastly overrated Flying Scotsman, rather than Clan Line, then there would crowds of the usual idiots everywhere!

156419 approaches Buckenham on 14 May 2019 with the 2J64 06:45 Norwich to Lowestoft Greater Anglia service. This picture clearly demonstrates the impracticality of white as a railway livery! It's odd that the front vehicle is far dirtier than the rear one.

37405 approaches Buckenham on 14 May 2019 with the 5J67 06:40 Norwich Crown Point to Lowestoft ECS. Superb early morning light, and well worth the 03:30 start, and the long drive from Oxfordshire! This is the first Class 37 hauled train of the day, that involves three round trips to Lowestoft, and four to Great Yarmouth.

156419 traverses the sharp reverse curves at Reedham on 14 May 2019 with the 2J65 07:35 Lowestoft to Norwich Greater Anglia service. Reedham Swing Bridge can be seen in the background. The gorse bushes in the foreground mark the site of a chord line connecting the Lowestoft  line to the Great Yarmouth route. If you think railway closures are all down to Beeching or BR, think again, as this line was closed in the 1880s!

37716 approaches Reedham on 14 May 2019 with the 2J67 07:47 Lowestoft to Norwich Greater Anglia service. In early 2019, Reedham's famous semaphore signals were removed, leaving only the ones protecting the swing bridge. The bridge can be seen in the background, with the signal just pulled off for the 2J66 07:55 Norwich to Lowestoft DMU.

37405 arrives at Great Yarmouth on 14 May 2019 with the 2P12 08:36 Norwich to Great Yarmouth Greater Anglia service. The mud flats of the tidal River Yare can be seen in the background, and in the distance, above the rear of the train, Ashtree Farm Drainage Mill is just visible. This is situated on the River Bure, and is one of a number of such mills in the area.

153306 approaches Breydon Junction on 14 May 2019 with the 2P14 09:36 Norwich to Great Yarmouth Greater Anglia service. The footpath in the foreground gives access to Acle Marshes, and the northern shore of the River Yare estuary.

37405 accelerates noisily away from Lingwood station on 14 May 2019 with the 2P18 10:36 Norwich to Great Yarmouth Greater Anglia service. Photo taken from a conveniently positioned public footpath crossing. This location certainly wouldn't look as good in a few weeks time, when the tree on the left would be in full leaf. The bare branches seen here contrast well with the young green leaves on the tree behind the locomotive.

37716 gets under way from Acle station on 14 May 2019 with the  2P17 11:17 Great Yarmouth to Norwich Greater Anglia service. The section of platforms this side of the footbridge are disused, and blocked for public access.

The weird design of the Stadler built Class 755 bi-mode DMU/EMU is shown to advantage in this side view of 755410 passing Whitlingham on 14 May 2019 with the 5Q07 12:12 Norwich Station Carriage Sidings to Great Yarmouth test run. With articulated bogies, and a small central section that houses the diesel engine and 25kV equipment, it is radically different from anything that has run in this country previously.

37405 passes Whitlingham on 14 May 2019 with the 2P20 12:36 Norwich to Great Yarmouth Greater Anglia service. 37716 is on the rear. Unfortunately high overhead midday lighting, and a predominance of green foliage do not make for a good picture.

37716 passes Postwick on 14 May 2019 with the 2P21 13:17 Great Yarmouth to Norwich Greater Anglia service. The train could easily be heard accelerating away from Brundall station (1½ miles distant), and then again from Brundall Gardens station (½ mile away).

Greater Anglia's brand new Class 755 bi-mode unit 755410 passes Postwick on 14 May 2019 with the 5Q08 13:45 Great Yarmouth to Norwich Station Carriage Sidings test run. The livery is certainly an improvement on Greater Anglia's white colour scheme.

37405 runs alongside the New Cut (an artificial channel linking the Rivers Yare and Waveney), as it approaches Haddiscoe with the 2J80 14:55 Norwich to Lowestoft Greater Anglia service on 14 May 2019. 37716 is on the rear. The Second World War pillbox may well have been built level, but 80 years later, inadequate foundations, and the soft ground have given it a noticeable tilt!

With St Olaves Marina in the background, the 2J83 15:48 Lowestoft to Norwich Greater Anglia service passes Haddiscoe on 14 May 2019, with 37716 leading, and 37405 at the rear. Needless to say this is an extremely popular spot with photographers, and in this case we have the ideal location, lighting and locos!

90011 East Anglian Daily Times - Suffolk & Proud passes Dunston on 14 May 2019 with the 1P55 17:00 Norwich to Liverpool Street Greater Anglia service. Just visible in the background on the left are some buildings in the southern edge of Norwich, while on the extreme right of the picture, a corner of the earthworks of the Roman town of Venta Icenorum can just be seen. This was built by the Romans after the revolt by Queen Boudica of the local Iceni tribe in AD 60.

90015 Colchester Castle speeds past Dunston on 14 May 2019 with the 1P57 17:30 Norwich to Liverpool Street Greater Anglia service. Unlike the company's DMUs, Greater Anglia seem to keep their white liveried locos reasonably clean.

90012 Royal Anglian Regiment passes a field of oilseed rape near Swainsthorpe on 14 May 2019, as it heads south with the 1P59 18:00 Norwich to Liverpool Street Greater Anglia service. These loco hauled trains are soon to be replaced by new Class 745 EMUs.

A toot from the driver of Volker Rail Matisa R24S Ballast Regulator DR77802, as it passes Swainsthorpe on 14 May 2019 with the Norwich to Norwich (via Stowmarket - twice!) driver training run. Volker Rail operate just two of these track machines.

Running half an hour early, 56302 Peco The Railway Modeller 2016 70 Years approaches Uffington on 13 May 2019 with the 6L39 05:00 Bridgend Ford Sidings to Dagenham vans, conveying Ford engines. Even when it doesn't run early, the lighting is still very challenging when this train passes through the Vale of White Horse, with the sun very nearly head on for much of the way. The line curves slightly here, and for a few miles the light is a little more acceptable.

Making a change from the brown livery of the CrossCountry units, and the awful dark green GWR colour scheme, 175115 brings a touch of brightness to the scene at Up Hatherley on 13 May 2019, as it nears journey's end with the 2G54 09:12 Cardiff Central to Cheltenham Spa Transport for Wales service. The unit is completely devoid of any branding, and still carries the obsolete Arriva Trains Wales livery. The abundant hawthorn blossom in the foreground also brightens up the otherwise monotone green scene.

The hawthorn is in full bloom at Up Hatherley on 13 May 2019, as 47815 Lost Boys 68-88 heads north with the 5L46 10:36 Bristol St Phillips Marsh to Ely Papworth Sidings ECS, conveying another rake of off lease GWR HST Mk3 coaches for storage. Luckily this was running 50 minutes early, which meant the sun was still fully on the front.

A close up view of the immaculate large logo liveried 47593 Galloway Princess, as it passes through the cutting at Up Hatherley on 13 May 2019, running as the 0Z10 09:30 Crewe to Goodrington Sands light engine. The loco was heading to the West Country for route learning duties.

43185 Great Western approaches Steventon on 12 May 2019 with the final standard HST operated train from Weston-super-Mare, the 1A10 08:15 Weston-super-Mare to Paddington GWR service. The driver would shortly have to apply the brakes, as bizarrely the early running 6Y46 10:19 Hinksey to Abbotswood Junction ballast train was let out from the bi-directional relief line, to cross over the up main line right in front of it! The board on the right is the traction changeover indicator for the Class 800/802 bi-mode units, signalling where the driver should raise the pantograph, after travelling through the Steventon dead section on diesel power.

Running 47 minutes early, and having just slowed down the progress of the final 1A10 08:15 Weston-super-Mare to Paddington GWR HST, by being signalled out of the relief line in front of it, 66545 passes Steventon on 12 May 2019 with the 6Y46 10:19 (09:31 in reality) Hinksey to Abbotswood Junction ballast train.

47841 Spirit of Chester approaches Redbridge on 23 December 2001 with the 1S39 09:05 Poole to Preston Virgin Cross Country service. The A35 Totton to Southampton road in the background looks surprisingly free of traffic. It always seems to be very busy whenever I need to use it!

37038 approaches Park Junction on 6 July 2002 with the Monmouthshire Railway Society 1Z27 16:30 Margam Moors to Newport 'Demon Docker' railtour. 37197 is bringing up the rear. After traversing various South Wales freight lines, the train is now heading for Ebbw Vale. Note the unmistakable industrial skyline of Newport in the background.

37197 brings up the rear of the Monmouthshire Railway Society 1Z27 16:30 Margam Moors to Newport 'Demon Docker' railtour at Park Junction on 6 July 2002. 37038 is leading the train up the line to Ebbw Vale. The Riley & Sons livery applied to 37197 was certainly eye catching, but not one for the purists!

The Aberystwyth Cliff Railway, pictured on 5 August 2002. This 4 ft 10 in funicular opened in 1896, ascending from near sea level at the north end of the town, to near the top of Constitution Hill, ascending approximately 430 feet in its 778 ft length. Three bridge cross the line, all of which can be seen in this view. The two cars were originally operated using the water balance system, but the line was electrified in 1921. This picture is taken half way up the incline, where the tracks separate sufficiently for the two cars to pass each other.

50039 Implacable approaches Oxford on 23 August 1985 with the 1A17 07:00 Hereford to Paddington service. This was running 45 minutes late, a delay that Cotswold Line passengers would become used to several decades later under the control of First Great Western, and especially its later incarnation, GWR. However, at the time this degree of late running was quite uncommon.

In the 1980s, Cotswold Line local services were usually worked by Pressed Steel Class 117 DMUs, with occasional appearances by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Class 118s, Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Class 119s, or the Metro Cammell Class 101s. In virtually all cases these were Western Region allocated sets, but here we see a Midland Region Class 101 set, complete with West Midlands branding, passing Cornbury Park (near Charlbury) on 26 April 1984. 53324 is leading the 2C74 14:15 Oxford to Hereford service.

37416 Sir Robert McAlpine & 37408 Loch Rannoch pass County March Summit in typical Scottish weather on 7 October 2001 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z83 10:00 Fort William to Cardiff Central 'Monarch of the Glen' railtour.

37417 Highland Region passes Penmaenmawr on 9 August 1995 with the 1D62 07:50 Birmingham International to Bangor service. Note how the side of the loco is quite clean, while the yellow front end is absolutely filthy, rather defeating the object of it being yellow!

D7633 crosses Victoria Bridge on 7 May 1993, whilst en-route from Kidderminster to Bridgnorth, during the Severn Valley Railway's Diesel Gala. Unfortunately this loco is no longer operational, being withdrawn by the Severn Valley Railway in 2000 due its very poor condition. It now languishes in a progressively deteriorating state, at the Dean Forest Railway.

47200 passes Kings Sutton on 28 July 1994 with the 4M04 15:25 Southampton Western Docks to Washwood Heath empty cartics. A rather short train on this occasion. 47200 would lose its faded Railfreight Distribution livery shortly after this picture was taken, in favour of the then new revised colour scheme.

31434 passes Eccles Heath in the rain on 16 April 1988 with the 1E66 08:20 Birmingham New Street to Norwich service. Note the luxury rolling stock compared with today. Six coaches plus a GUV for bikes, etc. Much better than today's basic DMU provision.

D1041 Western Prince passes through the cutting at Burrs on 7 October 1990, whilst en-route from Ramsbottom to Bury, during the East Lancashire Railway's Diesel Weekend. The loco sports one of the earliest attempts to make diesel locomotives more visible to track workers. Before the adoption of half yellow, and later full yellow ends, this yellow buffer beam was tried. Several locos were painted in this style, with slight variation between the Swindon and Crewe built examples.

47806 passes Earlswood station on 9 August 1997 with the 1S76 09:20 Brighton to Preston Virgin CrossCountry service, while a Class 73 hauled Gatwick Express disappears into the distance. This loco lives on as the rebuilt 57309.

56059 passes Horsemoor on 16 August 1988 with the 6L23 10:00 Mountsorrel to Trowse Redland stone train. I had photographed this train a little earlier at Three Horse Shoes. In the meantime it had dropped off the rear five wagons at March. These would be worked forward as the 6Y41 14:23 departure from March, to either Barham or Kennett, as required. 156404 is doing its best to get in the way with the 12:34 Cambridge to Peterborough service.

56043 passes Oxford North Junction on 2 October 1991 with the 6C13 11:22 Calvert to Bath Avon Binliner. The back end of the train can be seen weaving across from the single track line from Bicester. The Trap Ground allotments are on the left, with Port Meadow behind, and Wolvercote Paper Mill in the far distance.

50046 Ajax passes Knighton on 25 October 1980 with the 1A93 08:31 Cheltenham Spa to Paddington InterCity service. Apologies for the very poor quality of this picture, but it is one of only two pictures I have of Ajax in unrefurbished condition. This photo is taken from the site of Knighton Crossing, which in those days was easily accessible, with nothing obstructing the view from the truncated remains of the old road, even when standing behind the wire fence.

There was a token steam presence during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's 1993 Diesel Gala. Bagnall 0-6-0ST 2655 Byfield No.2 helps out 03069 with a Toddington to Gretton service, seen here passing Greet on 20 March 1993.

The end of the day at Toddington on 23 April 1994. Hunslet 0-6-0ST 1800 Robert Nelson No.4 has its smokebox cleaned out, after a day's use on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway. The loco was built in 1936 for use at Littleton Colliery. It entered preservation in 1972, and the following year became the first loco to steam at the fledgling Great Central Railway at Loughborough.

170108 passes Breaston on 23 September 2000 with the 11:23 Derby to St Pancras Midland Mainline service. Breaston village is in the background, and the imposing Hopwell Hall can be seen amid the trees near the horizon.

31185 & 31554 pass Defford on 15 September 1996 with a Spetchley to Bescot spoil train. As the locos were facing south in the engineering possession at Spetchley, they had to travel to Gloucester to run round, so two hours later they were back, in reverse formation.

Having just run round at Gloucester, 31554 & 31185 pass Defford on 15 September 1996 with a Spetchley to Bescot spoil train. This had been taking part in a Sunday engineering possession. Having seen the train go south two hours earlier, it was just a case of waiting for the return, although with the shadows lengthening, it was a good job we didn't have to wait too much longer!

166212 approaches Wolvercote Junction on 8 August 1994 with the 1F68 17:50 Paddington to Banbury Network SouthEast service. Before it became totally overgrown, this used to be one of my favourite Oxford area photographic spots, and although it is taken from the extremely busy A40 road bridge, a wide pavement (and now barriers) keep you away from the traffic. The bridge in the background is entirely different, and is a very precarious place to stand for any length of time. However, just a couple of weeks earlier, I did photograph this same unit from that bridge, travelling in the opposite direction with an early morning train.

47540 passes a field of oilseed rape at Culham on 12 May 1987, as it heads north with the 1M10 07:03 Paddington to Wolverhampton service. This is the early days of BR's new sector liveries, when often just a single vehicle in a train would be in the new colours, as here.

A Class 50 causing trouble in Kent. After working the Southern Electric Group's 1Z25 07:55 Paddington to Folkestone Harbour 'Vulcan Van Train' railtour between Paddington and Hastings on 15 March 1986, 50025 Invincible was sent light engine to Ashford (via Tonbridge), in order to be ready for the tour's evening return to London. In the meantime, 33206 was working the tour from Hastings to Ashford, via Rye. Due to single line working between Robertsbridge and Wadhurst, the Class 50 disrupted the timetable considerably. Having caused this havoc, it is pictured running along the dead straight Paddock Wood to Ashford line at Wanshurst Green.

L420 (51358, 59510 & 51400) & Class 121 'Bubble Car' 55028 (L128) head away from the camera at Honeybourne on 22 June 1985 with the Branch Line Society 08:55 Paddington to Hereford 'Cotswold Lion' railtour. The tour is just moving off the Cotswold Line, onto the freight only Long Marston branch.

55028 (L128) brings up the rear of the Branch Line Society 08:55 Paddington to Hereford 'Cotswold Line' railtour, as it leaves Long Marston on 22 June 1985. Class 117 set L420 (51400, 59510 & 51358) is forming the front part of the train.

47576 Kings Lynn passes South Moreton on 15 August 1991 with the 1B95 16:02 Paddington to Swansea parcels. The inappropriate livery is explained by the fact that the loco had only just been transferred from Network SouthEast's NWRA pool to the RXLC parcels pool.

It is often worth photographing diverted passenger trains, but this is only true up to a point here. 802104 approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 4 May 2019 with the diverted 1C84 12:48 Paddington to Penzance GWR service. Class 802s are common on the Berks & Hants route (which was closed for engineering works), but Class 800s are more normal here. Of course unfortunately they look exactly the same!

66718 Sir Peter Hendy CBE approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 4 May 2019 with the 6V32 09:48 Tilbury to Trostre Works steel empties. This is my first sighting of this locomotive since it acquired its unusual London Transport Museum livery. I chose this location, as in theory it would allow a second picture, as the train was meant to sit in the loop at Challow for half an hour, easily allowing enough time to get to Uffington. However, as can be clearly seen here, it was routed down the main line, and so that plan was scuppered!

166218 approaches Bredon in the rain on 2 May 2019 with the 2F99 16:48 Great Malvern to Westbury GWR service. This location has recently benefited from some much needed vegetation clearance, and as a result the viewpoint has been improved enormously.

After the rain! Although it had just about stopped raining in this view of Bredon on 2 May 2019, it is clearly still tipping it down to the south, in the Cheltenham direction. 66512 heads northwards with the 4E40 14:10 Port Talbot Grange to York Holgate Sidings, comprising a rake of Genesee & Wyoming branded MWA bogie box wagons.

66789 British Rail 1948-1997 approaches Bredon on 2 May 2019 with the 6V35 09:44 Clitheroe Castle Cement to Avonmouth cement tanks. This is definitely the only 'Shed' that I would go out specifically to photograph, especially in weather like this! It was actually reasonably fine when I left home, but a little way into the journey the heavy rain set in, and when I arrived at Bredon, I sat in the car for a while, as the rain poured down. Then, amazingly, just as the trains I had intended to photograph were due, it almost stopped raining, only to start again, as I drove home!

66621 approaches Bredon on 2 May 2019 with the 6V55 12:51 Radlett Redland Roadstone to East Usk Yard stone empties. This was just five minutes behind the much more interesting 66789, so it was worth the short wait in the gloom and drizzle.

Early morning at Banbury on 30 August 1993 sees the meeting of two very differently coloured Class 47/8s. D1962 (47833) Captain Peter Manisty RN calls with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z44 05:50 Paddington to Scarborough 'North Yorkshireman Explorer' railtour, while in the background the 1S59 06:00 Paddington to Edinburgh InterCity service waits to follow the tour out of the station.

D1962 (47833) Captain Peter Manisty RN passes Normanton on 30 August 1993 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z44 05:50 Paddington to Scarborough 'North Yorkshireman Explorer' railtour. The wide flat area on the right was once an extensive area of sidings. The remains of St John's Colliery can be seen in the background.

'Be Aware' says the notice! You could hardly fail to be aware of the freshly painted DRS 20305 parked outside the Brush Works, Loughborough, on 16 June 2002. This picture is taken from the embankment of the Great Central Railway.

47098 Oriole passes Millbrook on 30 November 1989 with the 6B63 11:35 Eastleigh to Fawley empty tanks, conveying an impressive mixture of vehicles, with fuel oil at the front and back of the train, a single bogie LPG tank, and a long string of bitumen tanks. The unofficial name Oriole had only been applied to the locomotive at Tinsley six days earlier.

Freshly restored 47105 gleams in the evening sunshine at Toddington on 21 June 1995. The locomotive had arrived at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway the previous year, after being acquired for preservation by the Brush Type 4 Fund. Class 14 D9537 is in the background.

50007 Sir Edward Elgar arrives at Windsor & Eton Riverside on 10 December 1989 with the 10:13 service from Staines. This was part of the Windsor & Eton Gala Day, and as if the prospect of a Class 50 on the Windsor branch wasn't special enough, the stock provided was Class 438 4-TC trailer set 8018.

Brand new 165102 passes South Moreton on 18 May 1992 with the 18:01 Reading to Oxford Network SouthEast service. A deliberately wide view was chosen here, in order to include the blossom covered hawthorn bush.

800303 passes Chilson on 30 April 2019 with the 1P18 06:42 Hereford to Paddington GWR service. I hadn't intended to photograph this here, but went to this location for the earlier 2E92 06:53 Worcester Foregate Street to Didcot Parkway two car Class 165, but that passed in thick fog, the remnants of which can be seen in the background.

165104 & 165114 pass Cornbury Park (Charlbury) on 30 April 2019 with the late running 1W16 07:50 Paddington to Great Malvern GWR service. This train would divide at Moreton-in-Marsh, with 165114 heading back south as the 1P23 09:50 Moreton-in-Marsh to Paddington.

165114 & 165104 pass Cornbury Park (Charlbury) on 30 April 2019 with the late running 1W16 07:50 Paddington to Great Malvern GWR service. The train is just entering the double track section, which was extended from Ascott-under-Wychwood to here in 2011.

An impressive cavalcade of Windhoff overhead line electfrication MPVs passes Shorthampton on 30 April 2019. DR98011, DR98009, DR98004 & DR9003 are working the late running 6Y53 09:30 Long Marston to Chelmsford, and whilst not actually a revenue earning freight, anything other than a dark green DMU is now very rare on the southern end of the Cotswold Line!