60028 passes Uffington on 17 May 2022 with the 6Z52 11:18 Oxford Banbury Road to Machen Quarry stone empties. I deliberately included the Cow Parsley in the foreground in order to add some contrast to the overall green of the landscape.

A large patch of Cow Parsley serves as a hedge between two fields at Uffington, as 70803 passes by on 17 May 2022 with the 6M40 11:37 Westbury to Stud Farm ballast empties. It's difficult to imagine, but the Wilts & Berks Canal formerly crossed this field.

66207 passes Uffington on 17 May 2022 with the 6C03 09:33 Northolt Sidings to Severnside Sita Binliner. The 'tramlines' in the wheat crop mark the approximate course of the Wilts & Berks Canal, which closed in 1914.

66793 passes Uffington on 17 May 2022 with the 5Q55 10:38 Stewarts Lane to Newport Docks (Sims Group), conveying former Southern EMUs 455809 & 455816 for scrap. The Trainload Construction logo isn't weathering very well. It doesn't seem to be sticking to the lower parts of the corrugated bodyside, and several sections have already peeled off.

Talyllyn Railway 0-4-2T 7 Tom Rolt passes Ty Mawr on 13 May 2022 with the 10:00 Tywyn Wharf to Nant Gwernol service. This loco was rebuilt from a former Irish 3ft gauge Bord na Móna locomotive. It is named after one of the Talyllyn Railway's founder members, the famous transport historian and writer, L. T. C. Rolt.

Talyllyn Railway 0-4-0WT 6 Douglas passes Cynfal on 13 May 2022 with the 11:45 Tywyn Wharf to Nant Gwernol service. The loco was repainted into this striking blue colour scheme in 2018 to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force, as well as the centenary of the loco itself. There cannot be many locomotives that carry the RAF roundel as a logo!

With the Irish Sea in the background, 97302 Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways & 97303 Dave Berry pass Llangelynin on 13 May 2022 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z13 10:17 Shrewsbury to Pwllheli 'Cambrian Coast Express' railtour. The train had originally started from Oxford as the 1Z12 05:00 Oxford to Shrewsbury, hauled by 66050. Although the sun was reluctant to come out, this still makes an excellent picture, especially with the drystone walls in the foreground.

The nameplates on Talyllyn Railway 0-4-0WT 6 Douglas, pictured (whilst it was moving!) at Brynglas on 13 May 2022. As well as the original Douglas nameplate, the Air Service Constructional Corps No.1 plate was added to celebrate the centenary of the Royal Air Force in 2018.

Talyllyn Railway 0-4-2T 7 Tom Rolt passes Brynglas Ground Frame on 13 May 2022 with the 13:30 Tywyn Wharf to Nant Gwernol service, after waiting for a few minutes in the loop for the 12:50 Nant Gwernol to Tywyn Wharf train.

158823 calls at Tonfanau station on 13 May 2022 with the 2I24 13:38 Pwllheli to Machynlleth Transport for Wales service. This station is a request stop, but on this occasion there were no passengers, just two photographers! Although the station was once almost surrounded by a large army camp, now there is hardly any habitation in the area, apart from the former station building, which has been converted into a private residence.

With the massive bulk of Foel Llanfendigaid dominating the background, 158836 passes Tonfanau on 13 May 2022 with the 2G65 15:37 Pwllheli to Machynlleth Transport for Wales service. A wider view is not possible here, as I was standing within a few feet of the cliff edge!

97302 Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways & 97303 Dave Berry pass Tonfanau in superb afternoon light on 13 May 2022 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z14 16:23 Pwllheli to Oxford 'Cambrian Coast Express' railtour. I had intended to travel further north for this, but it was probably as well that I didn't, as there was far more cloud to the north. In fact, there was still lots of cloud just inland from this spot, as can just be seen on the right of the picture.

97302 Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways & 97303 Dave Berry pass Oerffrwd (between Talerdigg and Caersws) on 13 May 2022 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z14 16:23 Pwllheli to Oxford 'Cambrian Coast Express' railtour. Terrible light, but as I was driving home right past this spot, just minutes before the train was due, I stopped for a record shot.

800004 approaches Kemble station on 12 May 2022 with the 1G07 08:28 Paddington to Cheltenham Spa GWR service. Extensive vegetation clearance has recently taken place in this cutting, leading up to the very short Kemble Tunnel, which can be seen in the background.

47826 passes Kemble on 12 May 2022 with the 1Z60 07:37 Sheffield to Bath 'Northern Belle' luxury charter. It was a pity that the sun wasn't out fully on the bridge and station in the background, but at least the first half of the train is in full sun, which given the amount of cloud, was extremely lucky. Extensive vegetation clearance and bank stabilisation has taken place here, and although there was always a view from the other side in the afternoon, this is the first time that I cam remember there being a clear view for southbound trains in the morning.

54488 & 51905 approach Glazebrook on 2 September 1987 with the 10:04 Hunt's Cross to Manchester Oxford Road service. Note the odd positioning of the two white dots in the former headcode box. These few fields are the remaining bit of countryside that separates Warrington from Manchester.

47509 Albion passes Lyneham on 19 April 1982 with the 1C56 17:00 Paddington to Hereford service. Its been a long time since this location was as open as this! This may have been in the so called 'bad old days' of British Rail, but at least then you had a comfortable train, without engines underneath the floor!

47521 passes underneath the brick arch bridge at Appleford on 29 February 1992 with the 1F39 09:05 Oxford to Paddington Network SouthEast service. This was during the last few months of NSE loco hauled trains on the route, although of course cross country services on the line remained in the hands of Class 47s for another decade.

An unusual loco convoy traversed the Cotswold Line on 10 May 2022, taking locomotives from the Swanage Railway to the Severn Valley Railway. D6515 (33012) Lt Jenny Lewis RN, 31128 Charybdis, 37703, D4 (44004) Great Gable & D182 (46045) are pictured arriving at Moreton-in-Marsh with the 0Z33 06:10 Swanage to Kidderminster, which most unusually was booked to recess in the down refuge siding, to allow a service train to pass.

D182 (46045) brings up the rear of the 0Z33 06:10 Swanage to Kidderminster loco convoy at Moreton-in-Marsh on 10 May 2022. The other locos in the convoy are: D4 (44004) Great Gable, 37703, 31128 Charybdis & D6515 (33012) Lt Jenny Lewis RN. The 33 & 31 were providing the power. The train would shortly reverse into the down refuge siding, to allow a service train to pass.

After recessing in the down refuge siding at Moreton-in-Marsh to allow a passenger train to pass, D6515 (33012) Lt Jenny Lewis RN, 31128 Charybdis, 37703, D4 (44004) Great Gable & D182 (46045) get under way again on 10 May 2022 with the 0Z33 06:10 Swanage to Kidderminster loco convoy. Despite the severe backlighting, I wasn't going to miss getting a picture of this highly unusual move. Note that due to a signalling problem, the convoy is leaving the siding without the appropriate semaphore signal being lowered.

66701 approaches the site of Ashbury Crossing, near Shrivenham, on 10 May 2022 with the 5Q55 10:33 Stewarts Lane to Newport Docks (Sims Group), conveying former Southern EMUs 455810 & 455825 on their final journey to the scrapman. I only just got this in the sun, with the shadow of the clouds rapidly advancing across the foreground field.

66001 passes Hungerford Common on 9 May 2022 with the 6Z25 09:16 Westbury to Cricklewood stone train, conveying yet another load of aggregate for the HS2 construction project. Hungerford station can just be seen in the background.

Quite a load for a Class 66! 66415 You Are Never Alone has 42 loaded stone wagons in tow, as well as a dead 59101 Village of Whatley, as it passes Hungerford Common on 9 May 2022 with the late running 7A09 07:12 Merehead Quarry to Acton Mendip Rail 'jumbo' stone train. The failure of the 59 resulted in an hour late departure, but as the train did not have to wait in Woodborough loop, it was only 16 minutes late here. In view of the 4,000+ tonnes load, another Class 59 would have been the preferred rescue loco, or at the very least one of Freightliner's low geared Class 66/6s, but obviously 66415 was all that was available. In spite of this, it seemed to be doing OK, and reached Acton only 8 minutes behind time.

60028 runs alongside the Kennet & Avon Canal at Little Bedwyn on 9 May 2022 with the 6Z50 09:44 Willesden DC Rail Sidings to Machen Quarry stone empties. The early morning sunshine had unfortunately almost completely faded out into high cloud.

L422 (51360, 59512 & 51402) passes Cassington on 30 August 1983 with the Cotswold Line's evening local train - the 2B60 16:33 Reading to Moreton-in-Marsh 'all stations' service. I have less pictures of L422 compared to other Reading allocated Class 117s, as unlike a lot of the class which stuck it out until the end of heritage DMU operations in the area in the early 1990s, L422 moved away from the Western Region in 1987.

B434 (51414, 59490 & 51372) passes Evenlode on 20 June 1987 with the 2A50 15:44 Great Malvern to Oxford service. Unfortunately a large radio mast now ruins this view, as well as the inevitable growth of lineside trees and bushes.

Sunshine at Brimpton on 12 May 1987, but clearly much darker conditions a little further to the east. 43129 races ahead of the dark clouds with the 1C51 14:15 Paddington to Penzance service, as the solitary grazing cow takes no notice.

47503 The Geordie passes Didcot North Junction on 22 June 1989 with the 1V97 15:18 Manchester Piccadilly to Paddington service. The fields visible behind the train have now all been built over. The Ladygrove housing estate was built in the 1990s, extending the town of Didcot to the north of the original Great Western Mainline for the first time.

47509 Albion pulls out of the up loop at Waltham St Lawrence on 2 June 1989 with a lengthy train of spoil wagons. It was always good to photograph inappropriately liveried locos at work, and this is definitely not an InterCity train!

1001 passes Chilson on 7 May 2022 with the Hastings Diesels Ltd 1Z65 07:17 Hastings to Worcester Shrub Hill 'Worcester Sauce DEMU' railtour. As far as I am aware, this is only the second time that a Thumper unit has traversed the Cotswold Line, the other occasion being the 'Severn Valley Rambler' railtour in 1984.

1001 heads away from the camera at Chilson on 7 May 2022 with the Hastings Diesels Ltd 1Z65 07:17 Hastings to Worcester Shrub Hill 'Worcester Sauce DEMU' railtour. The train is slowing down on the approach to a red signal near Ascott-under-Wychwood, as it was following right behind the late running 1W14 09:50 Paddington to Hereford GWR service.

Rainbow liveried 800008 arrives at Moreton-in-Marsh station on 7 May 2022 with the 1W23 14:50 Paddington to Great Malvern GWR service. The semaphore signal on the short post in the buddleia bushes to the left of the train is a relatively recent addition, allowing up trains to start from the down platform.

1001 passes through Moreton-in-Marsh station on 7 May 2022 with the Hastings Diesels Ltd 1Z66 16:50 Worcester Shrub Hill to Hastings 'Worcester Sauce DEMU' railtour. Unfortunately the timings of this train meant that it was backlit over the entire length of the Cotswold Line. However, the backlighting was less severe here, and the inclusion of the semaphore signals at this easily identifiable location still makes an excellent picture.

The fresh green colours of the spring landscape show up just how drab GWR's dark green livery is, as 165128 passes Chilson on 6 May 2022 with the 2E80 06:52 Worcester Foregate Street to Didcot Parkway service. This, and the corresponding evening down train, are now the only Class 165 operated trains on the Cotswold Line, serving all of the line's stations.

800001 passes Chilson on 6 May 2022 with the 1P20 08:13 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington GWR service. Just visible on the extreme left of the picture, a deer can be seen looking towards the railway. Although they are quite common in the area, I hadn't noticed this one at the time.

Running ten minutes early, 769939 & 769940 pass Ascott-under-Wychwood Signal Box on 6 May 2022 with the 5Q11 09:33 Long Marston to Eastleigh Arlington ECS. Although these supposedly unreliable units have a reputation for being underpowered when running on diesel, there didn't seem to be any problem here. This pair had managed to cover the 11½ miles between Moreton-in-Marsh and Ascot in 9 minutes, and certainly seemed to be travelling at their alleged top speed of 85mph when they passed me.

33051 (6959) Shakespeare Cliff & 33030 cross over the River Avon at Eckington on 6 September 1997 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z66 06:12 Salisbury to Holyhead 'Crompton Culminator' railtour. Unfortunately this early morning sunshine didn't last, with the rest of the day being very cloudy.

33030 & 33116 Hertfordshire Railtours run alongside the River Esk, as they approach Whitby on 14 June 1997 with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z49 07:26 Kings Cross to Whitby 'Whitby Jet' railtour. 1997 was definitely the year for Class 33 railtours, as all the tour operators rushed to organise special trains before the last of the class were withdrawn.

L404 (51379, 59489 & 51337) approaches Oxford North Junction on 13 May 1987 with the 2C08 07:20 Oxford to Bicester Town Network SouthEast service. As the reinstated service to Bicester had only commenced four days earlier, there is some excuse for the incorrect Oxford destination being displayed. Presumably the Reading based Class 117s were not yet equipped with destination blinds that included Bicester Town.

The Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway 1885 built Elsham Signal Box, pictured on 11 March 1997. The box closed in 2015, but it still survives, as it is Grade II listed. Note the standard feature seen at a number of level crossings - the car wheel trim hanging on the fence!

70803, 70810 & 70809 pass Yarnton on 3 May 2022 with the 6M50 07:59 Westbury to Bescot departmental working. Obviously this short train does not require three locos. The rear two locos are dead in tow, heading back north after Bank Holiday weekend engineering work in the south west.

37688 Great Rocks passes Yarnton on 3 May 2022 with the 5Z43 10:30 Crewe to Eastleigh Arlington ECS, conveying Mk1 13227, Midland Pullman HST Mk3 41182 & Rail Charter Services HST power car 43059. Less than an hour later, an identical length train with even more unusual motive power passed by, as 31128 headed south with the 0Z45 Butterley to Swanage loco convoy.

43059 brings up the rear of the 5Z43 10:30 Crewe to Eastleigh Arlington ECS at Yarnton on 3 May 2022. Midland Pullman HST Mk3 41182 & Mk1 13227 make up the rest of the train, which is being led by 37688 Great Rocks.

In 2022 there is just a solitary Class 31 registered for use on the national network, and even that sees little use. 31128 Charybdis is pictured here passing Yarnton on 3 May 2022 with the 0Z45 10:06 Butterley Midland Railway Centre to Swanage loco convoy, conveying 37703, D4 (44004) Great Gable & D182 (46045) for their appearance at the Swanage Railway Diesel Gala.

D182 (46045) brings up the rear of the 0Z45 10:06 Butterley Midland Railway Centre to Swanage loco convoy at Yarnton on 3 May 2022. D4 (44004) Great Gable & 37703 are the other two passengers in this ensemble, which is being led by 31128 Charybdis.

A line up of locomotives in the rain at Porthmadog on 1 May 2022. On the right is the Ffestiniog Railway's 2-4-0ST+T Blanche. In the centre is the Richmond Light Railway's Hunslet 0-4-0ST Sybil. On the left is Hunslet open cab 0-4-0ST Elin, also from the Richmond Light Railway, with the Ffestiniog Hunslet 0-4-0ST Britomart partly visible behind.

Hunslet 0-4-0ST 680 George B receives some attention at Bala on 1 May 2022, after arriving with the 15:10 train from Llanuwchllyn. The loco, which was built in 1898, worked in the Dinorwic Slate Quarry until 1965. After initially being stored at the Dowty Railway Preservation Society, Ashchurch, it arrived at the Bala Lake Railway in 2017 for a full restoration.

Corris Railway 0-4-2ST No.7 stands on the new traverser at Corris station on 30 April 2022. The traverser, which was constructed by Statfold Engineering, Tamworth, enables locos to run round in the very cramped station site. It is operated manually, with two people pushing on removable posts at each end of the table.

Corris Railway 0-4-2ST No.7 approaches Corris on 30 April 2022 with the 'Machynlleth Comedy Festival' special, returning from Maespoeth. The line bends to the left just behind the train, passing in front of the row of white houses.

The Corris Railway's diminutive Simplex 4wDM No.5 Alan Meaden, pictured in the sunshine at Maespoeth on 30 April 2022. The loco was built in 1965, and worked for Staveley Lime Products, Hindlow, until secured for preservation on 1974. Apparently the loco is unpopular due to its inertia starting system, that doesn't always work!

1983 built Baguley-Drewry Ltd 4wDH No.11 Trecwn stands at Abergynolwyn station on 30 April 2022, whilst employed on shuttle trains to Nant Gwernol. The Talyllyn Railway acquired three of these locos from RNAD Trecwn in 2008. One was used for spares, the other, No.12 St. Cadfan is out of sight on the other end of this train. The locos had to be regauged from 2' 6" after they arrived from Trecwn.

Kerr Stuart 0-4-2ST 4 Edward Thomas arrives at Abergynolwyn station on 30 April 2022 with the 15:30 train from Tywyn Wharf. The loco was built in 1921 for the Corris Railway, working on that line until 1947. The Corris Railway closed in 1948, and the loco was acquired by the Talylln Railway in 1951, along with the Corris's other loco, 0-4-2ST 3 (later named Sir Haydn).

ScotRail in Northamptonshire (with the Oxfordshire border just off to the right)! 47492 passes Kings Sutton on 20 July 1993 with the 1E45 16:30 Swindon to Newcastle Royal Mail vans. The loco not only retains its ScotRail branding, but also the Highland Rail stag logo from its time based at Inverness. Despite not having been a Scottish loco for a couple of years, it managed to hang on to this now inappropriate livery, getting progressively more tatty, until a repaint into Res red livery in 1995.

43088 climbs the gradient out of Patchway Tunnel on 29 April 1993 with the 1A65 14:32 Swansea to Paddington service. The appropriately named Orange Bus double decker on the right is obviously involved in the school run, working from the depot just the other side of the bridge, but what it is doing reversing, while on the wrong side of the road is a mystery!

33102 & 33002 pass Bradford Abbas on 24 May 1992 with the 1O38 14:26 Exeter St Davids to Waterloo Network SouthEast service. Note the short pipe on the front of 33102, just below the headlight. This was from its test use the previous year with the unfortunately named 'Swedish Scrubber' rail head cleaning train.

A dramatic low level picture of 20189 at work on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link near Longham Wood, Bearsted, on 19 July 2002. I had already taken a more conventional picture, but couldn't resist this alternative viewpoint. As the loco was only moving forward as required, it was easy enough to wait for a sunny gap amid the clouds.

Several Class 20s have visited the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway over the years. The Llangollen Railway's D8142 visited the line for the 1996 Diesel Gala. It is seen here with the line's resident 20137, accelerating away from Winchcombe station on 2 March 1996 with the 13:45 Toddington to Far Stanley service. Unfortunately the weather was terrible all day.

47111 passes South Moreton on 12 September 1985 with the late running 4O81 03:00 Coatbridge to Southampton Maritime freightliner. Not only were there far fewer freightliner trains in the 1980s, but usually they were much shorter than today's trains.

R405 (51340, 59491 & 51381) passes Hinksey Yard on 21 June 1986 with the 2F58 16:49 Paddington to Oxford service. For a while during the mid 1980s the DMBS vehicle of this set had the set number R405 applied to the front end, instead of the correct L405, which appeared on the other end. Obviously somebody thought that as the London allocated units were actually based at Reading, that the Berkshire Town should get some proper recognition!

70813 passes Grove on 26 April 2022 with the 6M50 07:59 Westbury to Bescot departmental working. The two sets of autoballaster wagons would be left at Hinksey Yard. This loco has obviously just had a good wash, as it looks considerably cleaner than many Class 70s that I have seen recently.

It looks like the driver of 66559 has got full power applied, as it passes Grove on 26 April 2022 with the 4L36 07:39 Wentloog to Felixstowe North freightliner. Like most trains that use the up relief line between Challow and Wantage Road, it had just been held at a signal near the bridge in the distance.

66537 runs along the up relief line at Grove on 26 April 2022 with the 6A60 08:32 Whatley Quarry to Oxford Banbury Road Mendip Rail stone train. There is plenty of warning of approaching trains here, with visibility of well over two miles.

166202 passes Kemble Wick on 24 April 2022 with the 2B08 13:01 Cheltenham Spa to Swindon GWR service. All southbound trains were being held at a signal to the north of Kemble, and consequently although this had been on time coming up Sapperton Bank, it was now running 15 minutes late.

'Face Mask' liveried 800321 approaches Standish Junction on 24 April 2022 with the 2G09 15:30 Swindon to Cheltenham Spa GWR service. It would be briefly held at the next signal, in order to allow 220034 to cross the junction with the 1V58 10:39 Newcastle to Bristol Temple Meads CrossCountry train.

A meeting of two different types of DMU at Standish Junction on 24 April 2022, both of which replaced more comfortable types of rolling stock! 220034 heads south with the 1V58 10:39 Newcastle to Bristol Temple Meads CrossCountry service (which should have started from Edinburgh at 09:08), while 800321 waits at the signal protecting the junction with the 2G09 15:30 Swindon to Cheltenham Spa GWR service.

50007 Hercules & 50008 Thunderer slowly approach Standish Junction on 24 April 2022 with the 5Z55 13:50 Eastleigh to Burton on Trent Wetmore Sidings ECS. This was the returning stock from the previous day's Branch Line Society 'Ore No More' tour of the Sussex coast. Hercules would be detached at Kidderminster, leaving Thunderer to carry on alone to Burton on Trent.

Running a few minutes early, 50008 Thunderer & 50007 Hercules slowly approach a red signal protecting Standish Junction, as they head north on 24 April 2022 with the 5Z55 13:50 Eastleigh to Burton on Trent Wetmore Sidings ECS.

Viewed from the approach to the public footpath crossing that actually crosses the pointwork of Standish Junction, 166202 heads north on 24 April 2022 with the 2G11 17:30 Swindon to Cheltenham Spa GWR service. This only got as far as Gloucester, where it was terminated, apparently due to an issue with the train crew.

166219 passes Standish Junction on 24 April 2022 with the 2B13 18:01 Cheltenham Spa to Swindon GWR service. It was on time here, but like all trains on the route on this day, it would suffer a signal check near Kemble, causing it to arrive at Swindon 10 minutes late.

43170 Chepstow Castle passes Standish Junction in superb evening light on 24 April 2022 with the 2T49 17:37 Worcester Foregate Street to Bristol Temple Meads GWR service. 43162 is bringing up the rear. These 'Castle Class' four coach HSTs are a regular sight on Sundays on this line, otherwise they are normally confined to Wales and the West Country.

Overlooked by the Hawthorn Crescent block of flats, 166201 passes Portcreek Junction on 23 April 2022 with the 1F58 07:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Southampton Central GWR service. After reaching Cosham Junction, in a few hundred yards time, the train will be travelling in almost the opposite direction from when it started from Portsmouth, a few minutes earlier.

50008 Thunderer rounds the sharp curve between Cosham Junction and Portcreek Junction on 23 April 2022 with the Branch Line Society 1Z38 05:08 Eastleigh to Portsmouth & Southsea 'Ore No More' railtour. 50007 Hercules can just be seen on the rear of the train. The tour was originally going to be called the 'Ore and More', but Network Rail could not provide a path from Eastbourne to Ore, so there was a last minute name change!

50007 Hercules brings up the rear of the Branch Line Society 1Z38 05:08 Eastleigh to Portsmouth & Southsea 'Ore No More' railtour at Portcreek Junction on 23 April 2022. 50008 Thunderer has already disappeared around the corner, at the head of the train. The train is just passing underneath the A27 dual carriageway.

313201 passes Portcreek Junction on 23 April 2022 with the 2S05 07:57 Portsmouth & Southsea to Littlehampton Southern service. This is now the oldest third rail EMU still operating on the national network, and to mark that fact it was repainted into original blue and grey livery in 2017. It is destined for preservation when its mainline career is over.

The sun breaks through the clouds just in time, as 50007 Hercules passes Portcreek Junction on 23 April 2022 with the Branch Line Society 1Z40 08:11 Portsmouth & Southsea to Bognor Regis 'Ore No More' railtour. 50008 Thunderer is bringing up the rear.

50008 Thunderer passes the Cemex Portsmouth Concrete Plant, as it brings up the rear of the Branch Line Society 1Z40 08:11 Portsmouth & Southsea to Bognor Regis 'Ore No More' railtour on 23 April 2022. The train is powering away from Portcreek Junction, with 50007 Hercules leading.

Running 12 minutes late, 377112 & 377108 power away from Littlehampton Junction on 23 April 2022 with the 1H86 07:15 Victoria to Littlehampton Southern service. The junction can be seen in the background, with the sharply curved line to Arundel Junction heading off into the bushes on the right. The South Downs are party obscured by mist in the distance.

50007 Hercules heads south from Littlehampton Junction on 23 April 2022 with the Branch Line Society 1Z42 09:48 Bognor Regis to Littlehampton 'Ore No More' railtour. This was travelling quite slowly, as it was just two minutes behind the 1H10 08:15 Victoria to Littlehampton EMU.

A platform full of passengers wait to board 377459, as it arrives art Angmering station on 23 April 2022 with the 1S15 09:29 Portsmouth Harbour to Brighton Southern service. The station is actually in West Preston, with the centre of the village of Angmering being nearly a mile away.

A fanfare of horns for the photographers, as 50008 Thunderer races through Angmering station on 23 April 2022 with the Branch Line Society 1Z44 10:20 Littlehampton to Brighton 'Ore No More' railtour. Although there was some cloud around, the weather was much better than forecast, so the relatively long drive to see Class 50s working in unfamiliar territory was definitely worth it!

313204 passes Tarring Neville on 23 April 2022 with the 2C26 11:41 Brighton to Seaford Southern service. Not a particularly inspiring location, but the gap between the bush and the pylon is just the right size for a three car EMU!

50008 Thunderer passes Tarring Neville on 23 April 2022 with the Branch Line Society 1Z48 12:06 Brighton to Newhaven Marine 'Ore No More' railtour. The Lewes to Newhaven line is rather featureless, and mostly with rather head on lighting for this train. This is one of the better spots for a decent light angle.

As the lighting was going to be very backlit wherever I went on the Newhaven line for the Branch Line Society 1Z50 12:52 Newhaven Marine to Eastbourne 'Ore No More' railtour on 23 April 2022, I opted for an arty shot of 50007 Hercules at Tarring Neville, with a large clump of rushes in the foreground. This is the typical landscape of the lower reaches of the River Ouse.

387221 calls at Glynde station on 23 April 2022 with the 2G34 13:01 Brighton to Ore service. The use of a bright red hired in Gatwick Express unit makes a change from the usual diet of green and white Southern Class 377s. Glynde station retains much old infrastructure, including this vintage covered footbridge.

50008 Thunderer races through Glynde station on 23 April 2022 with the Branch Line Society 1Z50 12:52 Newhaven Marine to Eastbourne 'Ore No More' railtour. The hill on the right is Mount Caburn, part of the Lewes Downs National Nature Reserve.

50007 Hercules (masquerading on this side as 50034 Furious) pass Beddingham on 23 April 2022 with the Branch Line Society 1Z52 14:30 Eastbourne to Cannon Street 'Ore No More' railtour. Unfortunately the earlier sunshine had now become quite weak.

Hired in Gatwick Express 387221 worked the 1G37 14:35 Ore to Brighton Southern service on 23 April 2022. It is pictured here passing Beddingham. The use of Gatwick Express units on the Sussex Coast started in 2020, when the global pandemic saw the complete shutdown of the Gatwick Express service.

800015 passes Churchill Heath in just about the only very brief sunny spell of the whole day on 22 April 2022. It is working the 1P28 11:55 Great Malvern to Reading GWR service, which was running in a VSTP path, in place of the normal 1P28 11:55 Great Malvern to Paddington train. Although it's nice to get a few minute's sunshine actually corresponding with a train, what a pity the same conditions didn't prevail half an hour later when the 'Honeybourne Hoover' railtour passed by!

50008 Thunderer & 50007 Hercules (masquerading on this side as 50034 Furious) pass Churchill Heath on 22 April 2022 with the Branch Line Society 1Z50 11:02 Burton-on-Trent to Eastleigh 'Honeybourne Hoover' railtour. This was a one way positioning move for the following day's 'Ore No More' tour of the Sussex Coast. This was also a welcome return of Class 50s to the Cotswold line, and brought back memories of the 1980s. It was BR blue or Network SouthEast in those days, now it is Hanson & Hall and GBRf.

166211 approaches Ashchurch on 21 April 2022 with the 2C12 08:45 Great Malvern to Westbury GWR service. Even though no freight trains were due, the combination of soft spring sunshine and one of the few remaining First Great Western blue liveried units was hard to resist.

Springtime at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth. The blackthorn is in bloom, as 59102 Village of Chantry runs along the up relief line on 21 April 2022 with the 6A60 08:32 Whatley Quarry to Oxford Banbury Road Mendip Rail stone train.

When the local trains between Oxford and Didcot were downgraded to a basic shuttle service, most of the trains were operated by two car Class 165s, although three car units do appear, as here. 165019 passes Didcot North Junction on 21 April 2022 with the 2L33 11:37 Oxford to Didcot Parkway GWR service.

60028 passes Didcot North Junction on 21 April 2022 with the 6Z52 11:18 Oxford Banbury Road to Willesden DC Rail Sidings stone empties. I thought I would take this picture from the footbridge, rather than the roadbridge in the background, as judging by how fast ash trees grow, and how little trackside maintenance Network Rail undertake, this may be the last year before the tree on the right obscures the view!

60028 approaches Wolvercote Tunnel on 20 April 2022 with the 6Z52 11:18 Oxford Banbury Road to Machen Quarry stone empties. This is about a mile from the train's point of origin, on the redoubled section of the Bicester to Oxford line. This viewpoint is a massive improvement on what it was like before the line's redoubling.

37601 Perseus approaches the site of Yarnton Junction on 20 April 2022 with the 5Q70 11:35 Long Marston to Wolverton Centre Sidings ECS, conveying GWR tri-mode unit 769927. 37510 Orion is bringing up the rear. This train reversed at Oxford and then headed to Birmingham via Banbury. Although the Banbury line is only a short distance from this spot, the train would be coming directly out of the sun, so instead I waited for yet more of GWR's troubled 769s, which came under their own power from the opposite direction, 40 minutes later.

769928 & 769923 pass the site of Yarnton Junction on 20 April 2022 with the 5Q12 10:51 Eastleigh Arlington to Long Marston ECS. Still yet to enter squadron service, years after their supposed introduction date, these troubled units do seem to spend a lot of their time shuttling backwards and forwards over the Cotswold Line!

47805 passes Croome on 29 December 1999 with the late running 1V48 11:17 Manchester Piccadilly to Bristol Temple Meads Virgin CrossCountry service. Nearly three years after taking over the franchise, and still not everything had been painted red!

47830 arrives at Charlbury station on 2 July 1995 with the 1M84 13:40 Paddington to Manchester Piccadilly service. The Cotswold Line had an excellent Sunday service during the 1990s, with through trains to the north which were unavailable during the rest of the week. This was due to them being diverted from the Banbury Line. I would imagine that the Honda is the only one of the cars in the car park that survives to this day!

47828 passes Ascott-under-Wychwood signal box on 7 July 1991 with the 1O06 08:30 Wolverhampton to Poole service. It looks like the train is composed of just a couple of coaches, but the rest of the train is hidden, as it is just coming off the double track section of the Cotswold Line. I think the signalman must have had to get out of the passenger side of his car, as it is parked extremely close to the fence!