66117 approaching Droitwich Spa station on 9 August 2005 with a very late running 6M26 00.01 Scunthorpe to Brierley Hill.

The introduction of class 66 to the British railway scene has probably caused more argument and controversy since steam haulage ceased in 1968. Dubbed "Red Death" by the more sensationalist railway press, the locomotives stirred up strong emotions amongst enthusiasts, the less rational of whom immediately swore never to photograph one regardless of the location or the train being hauled. I well recall this being said when class 60 was introduced, and look at their following today. Even in 2005 one still hears people saying the likes of, "I'm not bothering with that, it's only a shed". To my mind, this attitude shows that the person voicing the sentiment is not a true railway enthusiast, but a blinkered throwback to the never to be repeated times when a dozen different classes could be photographed in a single day without straying more than a few miles from home. Much as we might regret the passing of favourite classes, times move on and if we enjoy being at the lineside and photographing trains, then we have to accept that class 66 is here to stay. That the design is successful is undeniable. It is spreading across Europe and has rapidly become the standard freight locomotive of choice to most operators. In the UK, we have several different colour schemes, and this adds to the interest. I hope that the pictures in this section will show that the class does have some attraction and that it is the whole train that is of interest, not just the locomotive.

	I was fortunate to have been told at lunchtime on 15 October 2024 that Chiltern's 68013 had failed in "The Dip" just on the down side of Leamington Spa station while working 1H41, the 11.45 Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone. It was obviously necessary to clear the blocked up main line pretty smartish and 66606 was sent from Banbury off the Banbury to East Usk, 6B13. It arrived and went into the platform after crossing over to enable it to go onto the up main and reach 1H41. Two northbound freights passed in quick succession and this is the second, 6X50 from Westbury to Bescot, with 59003 on the front.
	This sort of fiddling about always take longer than one thinks and it was necessary on 15 October 2024 for 5H41 to allow 3 passenger trains to and from the Coventry line to get clear before 66606 was allowed to run into the platform line at Leamington Spa. I hoped that it would stop as expected because a a very long 6M48 was going to comnpletely block the view. Luckily, 5H41 stopped in the platform for several minutes to get the stranded passengers off and allow various checks to take place giving time for a few pictures to be taken. Just before it pulled away, 6M40 went north but driver of 66606 waited for it to pass before moving off. Thank you! I took some mobile phone footage for the record.
	Freight traffic on the Birmingham to Gloucester line is very sparse in 2024 and one of the few still likely to run is 6V92, the Corby to Margam empty steel carriers. On 17 September dayglo 66026 was allocated and is seen here climbing away from Ashchurch under a completely cloudless sky. I'm not a great fan of this colour scheme but anything with a locomotive on the front on this line is worth a shot.
	The 12.39 Burton-on-Trent to Cardiff Tidal, 6V51, was shown as having been cancelled on 17 September 2024 but ran anyway. Despite it having been around for a long time I prefer this colour scheme on class 66 to the later and brighter livery. This is 66080 passing Claydon with the long train of steel vans, well known for the vandalism on it applied by persons of limited intelligence.
	A class 4 train from Crewe Basford Hall to Long Marston came into the schedules for Thursday 29 August 2024. It was obviously a Freightliner job and turned out to be 66511 with 7 branded coal hoppers. This was a very welcome change from endless coaching stock movements but where to take a shot around 15.00 on a sunny day left few options other than around Evesham where the line drops down to the south-west. I chose the footbridge at Evesham station where the sun dipped a few minutes before 4Z66 appeared. On 8 March 2012 the same locomotive with a full set of hoppers working 11.15 Rugeley Power Station to Stoke Gifford through Defford.
	Since Porterbrook took over the Long Marston site most of the rail traffic has been various sorts of modern units being taken there for storage. On 24 June 2024 a potentially more interesting train was planned to leave there in the shape of a 6Z24 to Arpley Sidings at Warrington. This was preceded by an 0Z24 which turned out to be 66084 which was waiting for permission to enter the yard when I arrived. My hope was that some of the aggregate hoppers visible in the sidings would be the load but as they hadn't been shifted to the exchange sidings it ws clear that wasn't to be. The actual load was a single cement tanker that had already had a trip around the loop hauled by one of the resident shunters, 01543.
	The single wagon was soon attached to 66084 at Long Marston on 24 June 2024 and 6Z24 left the yard about 35 minutes early in a tiny bit of brightness. It didn't get far and had to wait for its booked path at Honeybourne before going on to Warrington Arpley via Worcester and Birmingham.
	During a walk along the towpath of the Grand Union canal just south of Hatton on 11 June 2024 I heard through the trees and bushes a class 66 ticking over. In the only relatively clear spot I saw 66741 standing at the signal at the exit of the Down Goods Loop with 4M16, the 00.10 Southampton to Ditton intermodal. This is a 'phone shot as there was no intention of taking any pictures today but this one seemed worthwhile. On 1 July 1985 I took this photograph of 50020 working the evening Paddington to Wolverhampton train from the same spot using a Praktica LTL3 camera with Ektachrome 100 asa slide film.
	I hadn't planned to do anything on the railway front on Wednesday 12 March 2008, but when a message came through saying that 66713 was running light engine to Long Marston, I decided, mostly out of curiosity, to go over and see what was being taken out. When I arrived, there was no sign of the 66, despite it having left Worcester around 45 minutes early, but there was a permanent way gang working on the branch. I thought for a moment that a tree had been blown across the line during the strong overnight winds but the locomotive, running as 0Z46, soon came into view and entered the yard.
	Standing on road 2 of the exchange sidings at Long Marston was a rake of 6 MkII coaches, 5 in Anglia colours and the final one in Virgin red and white. 66713 ran straight onto the stock and coupled on. It seemed to me that there were some problems with obtaining a brake as there was much to-ing and fro-ing of the crew and occasional loud hissing noise from 66713. All was eventually ready and the crew settled down in the cab and awaited departure time.
	The train, now running as 5Z46, started moving onto the OTO line to Honeybourne at 12.40, just as the sun was beginning to come out of some dense cloud. Fortunately, there was just about enough light for a decent picture with some shadow to be seen.
	I made the short drive to Honeybourne in the hope that the sun would come out enough to take one or two pictures while 5Z46 was standing on the East Loop while both up and down HSTs used the single track. In fact the sun stayed out pretty much all the time and I took an inordinate number of repetitive shots from slightly different angles. This one is my favourite, taken as the second HST, en-route to Worcester, slowly approached the station.
	Once the HST shown above had left Honeybourne station, 2 crew members left 66713 and made their way to the ground frame in readiness for operating the system to allow 5Z46 onto the main line once given permission to proceed the Evesham signalbox. I took a further shot of the train standing on the East Loop so as to show the colour contrast between the locomotive and its stock. For a slightly tighter view of the train click here. There was a very strong wind blowing and it was difficult to hold my camera and its long lens steady enough, so I was glad to have taken my monopod up to the bridge with me. These are great pieces of kit as not only do they greatly help in keeping a camera steady but also take the weight of a heavy camera and long lens combination off one's shoulders.
	Whilst I was waiting for 5Z46 to be given the right of way onto the Cotswold Line at Honeybourne, I had a play with a bit of differential focusing using a high shutter speed and a large aperture. It's a shame that the blossom on the tree wasn't more advanced but I was still quite pleased with the result. I that it would have been possible to try again with blossom in a few weeks if a suitable train came out of Long Marston. No luck...
	After standing for so long in the sun at Honeybourne, I felt slightly cheated when the sun didn't completely illuminate the stock when 66713 and 5Z46 moved across the spur from the East Loop onto the main line. The stock in the picture was heading for Eastleigh via a run-round at Worcester and then by sea to New Zealand where the coach bodies are to be used. The stock was in a terrible state some with boarded-over windows and with evidence of a fire in the Virgin-liveried example, which incidentally, was half-full of rubbish!
	The second GBRf operated ballast over the North Warwickshire Line worked overnight on 9 & 10 April 2024. This time the train, 6G61, ran from Bescot to the possession which commenced at Tyseley. The part in which I was interested was in the morning when it was scheduled to leave Bearley Junction at 05.40, run to Stratford-upon-Avon for reversal and head back to Bescot via Henley-in-Arden. It ran close to right time because of two ECS trains to Stratford in the area so I didn't need to leave home until it was past Wilmcote on the down run. I wanted a shot at Henley-in-Arden and 6G61 was timed to be there at just about sunrise. Despite this I had to use ISO 4000 because it seemed likely that the train wouldn't be hanging around and this was the case with a filthy 66748, 5 autoballasters and a much cleaner 66798 on the back. AS this was the first time I seen GBRf locomotives north of Bearley Junction I took this piece of video. Henley station has recently been beautifully refurbished with a micro-brewery, community room and bar being part of it.
	There was some engineering work on the North Warwickshire over the night of 3 & 4 April 2024 involving a topped and tailed 6G61 ballast train from Bescot with 66798 + 66777 providing the power. As usual it ran to Stratford-upon-Avon for a reversal and as this was just the second visit of GBRf locomotives to the terminus I decided to have a quick trip to the station. The weather was foul with a strong wind and heavy rain that shows up only too well in this image of 66798 arriving in platform 1.
	It took a few minutes on 3 April 2024 for the driver of 6G61 to change ends during which time the rain became heavier and it was a struggle to keep water off my lens while taking a few shots with varying exposures. As 6G61 left the station I took a short hand-held video sequence with 66777 leading the autoballasters and 66798 trailing. It was just 12 months since the first time that GBRf locomotives came to Stratford when when 66766 + 66717 appeared on a test run with new weedkiller stock.
	There was significant enginnering work on the North Cotswold Line between Evesham and Charlbury commencing the weekend of 23 March 2024. Two trains were scheduled to run during the late morning of Sunday 24th with the first being a 6Y45 from Westbury Yard to the start of possession at Evesham station. It ran late for the entire journey but eventually passed Evesham signalbox in a good patch of sunshine after a cloudy few minutes. The same locomotive worked a train from Long Marston on 19 July 2011 at which time the main line through Honeybourne was having double track reinstated. The working was also notable in that it was the first to run south along the NCL to Oxford after the resurgence in traffic to Long Marston, this image being taken at at Thistley Hill , just south of Honeybourne. On 24 March 2024 I didn't wait for 70814 to appear on the second train because I had no idea how long it might be and it looked as if heavy cloud was approaching. In the event it was only about 30 minutes later but I was at home by then.
	One of the "as required" stone trains from Hindlow Quarry to Banbury Reservoir Sidings ran on Friday 15 March 2024 and this, 6G34, was running in front of the HST special to London Marylebone. The freight was looped at Dorridge to let the special make up a few minutes and it was nearly late enough to pass Hatton in sun, but it would have been a lot better about 30 seconds later. Here is a video of 66799 with its loaded boxes approaching Hatton roadbridge.
	There were a few freights through Hatton on the afternoon of 19 September 2023 including a rare appearance from the Theale to Earles Sidings empty cement tanks, 6M91. This was in the Down Goods Loop at Hatton when I arrived and on checking the Railcams map watched as the exit signal was changed to green. This allowed a couple of minutes to walk to the footbridge to take this shot of 66623 in its latest colour scheme. The locomotive is no stranger to different liveries; in July 2012 it was put into a blue scheme marking Freighliner's association with the Bardon Group. It's a pity that no-one could be bothered to paint the roof...
	Another non-standard livery locomotive was on the next northbound freight through Hatton on 19 September 2023 in he form of GBRf's 66727. The train was 4H33, the 14.45 Banbury Reservoir Sidings to Hindlow empty stone boxes, the stone stockpiled at Banbury being used to build the immensely important and cost-effective Acton to Birmingham HS2. A rapid switch to the other side of the footbridge was needed as the sun popped out as the train rounded the curve in the background.
	I didn't bother with the third train heading north at Hatton on 29 September 2023 as the light died on a grubby 66/7 on a virtually empty 4M59 intermodal. A southbound infrastructure train was next in the form of 6O01 from Scunthorpe to Eastleigh with 66790 leading 69010 in green undercoat on the way for its final colour scheme to be applied. On this occasion the train was a decent length unlike the previous time I saw it with a class 69 in tow. Network Rail has done a sterling job in keeping the vegetation under control here, I'm used to intrusive bushes and trees on the side of lines but see undergrowth in between the running lines less often. On 27 December 2001 it was still possible to see the Grand Union canal.
	Some cloud had begun to build up by the time 6V05 from Round Oak to Margam had appeared on the maps as it waited for the road at Norton Junction. An especially annoying shadow was crawling south along the line as 66197 came into the section and if there had not been a 30mph TSR for freights it would have been well clear. At least it was the right way round...
	As 56096 with empty log carriers was heading past Norton Junction near Worcester on 11 September 2023 66061 was waiting for the road for 6V05, the 09.15 Round Oak to Margam (only to Llanwern on this occasion). The empty steel train was only a couple of sections behind 6Z54 and came down from Abbotswood behind what looked like a newly repainted 66061. I'm not a great fan of the day-glo colour scheme but it does have its uses on a really dull day as this image shows. The currently in-vogue stock, a CrossCountry HST, was also running south on 1V50 from Edinburgh but with no prospect of any sun and a hour or so to wait I headed for home.
	It's been over 3 years since anything ran along the branch from Ashchurch Exchange Sidings to the MPOD depot, in fact, the last train was on 26 March 2019 when 66776 took a 6X34 just after sunrise. The long wait ended on Saturday 12 August 2023 when 66791 ran as 4Z36 from Kineton MOD taking a long set of empty container flats in to be loaded. The train ran via Didcot, Swindon and Gloucester rather than the more obvious route through the West Midlands and encountered a delay south of Gloucester when a trespass incident caused all lines to be closed for around 30 minutes. Here is 4Z36 passing Ashchurch station just after the sun went behind some rapidly thickening cloud.
	There are two ungated public footpath crossings on the sharply curved Ashchurch branch and because the train must be propelled to the depot it is necessary for a man (or 2 on this occasion) to walk in front of it to ensure the safety of any pedestrians. The branch had recently had some vegetation cut back and this was the clue that it would be worth keeping an eye on things in case something was scheduled.
	It took quite a while for 66791 to propel 4Z36 from the sidings at Ashchurch along the branch to the MOD depot on 12 August 2023. The light had become a lot worse during this time and it was really dull when the locomotive was in the right spot for a photograph. I should have quite liked a picture from the station footbridge as seen in this one of 60079 in November 2007 but as expected the undergrowth has increased to the point where there is no clue at all as to the location. The vegetation growth in the view from roadbridge hasn't been quite so rampant as thie picture of of 66161 with a failed 60085 from June 2008 shows.
	Until an underground fire in 2013 forced the closure of Daw Mill colliery during the following year there were many daily MGR trains from there to various power stations. On 10 September 2004 66166 taking a train of loaded HTAs to Didcot PS passed 66166 at Whitacre Junction with empty HAAs heading for the colliery. Note the contrast between the HTAs and HAAs on the two trains.
	Another MGR at Whitacre Junction on 10 September 2004 with 66249 taking a mix of hooded and unhooded wagons to Didcot Power Station. It was common for a large number of trains to be sent to Didcot in the early autumn to increase the stockpile of fuel before the onset of cold weather.
	A less mundane load for 66160 at Defford on 5 May 1998 when it worked a 6X99 Sellafield to Plymouth nuclear flask in connection with the Royal Navy's nuclear-powered submarine fleet. There were some clouds building up in the background; far from unusual here with the Malvern Hills creating a micro climate a short way to the east of their location. 645
	That was a bit tight! I used to use 3 cameras on occasions with a Mamiya 645 on a tripod operated with a rubber bulb under my foot which sometimes caused a short delay in firing the shutter. On 13 October 1999 66144 was caught on film at South Moreton with the Washwood Heath to Dollands Moor train of new cars for export. I very much dooubt it this shot is worthwhile in 2023 with 25kv catenary in place over all four lines. 645
	A rumour ran around the West Midlands on Saturday 13 September that 37709 was to appear on 6B61 Bescot to Hams Hall. This was true, but the full story was a little less exciting in that it was booked DIT inside the allocated train locomotive, 66005. The opportunity thus presented itself itself to photograph a tractor inside a shed... The ensemble is seen passing the foot crossing at Coleshill long before the station was built on the site. 645
	I think that 66709 may have been the first of GBRf's locomotives to receive a one-off colour scheme reflecting the company's association with one of its customers. It was finished in black and yellow to mark GBRf's associaton with MSC, a major internation logistics and shipping company. The train shown here is the 4M21 Felixstowe to Hams Hall coming off the slow lines at Whitacre Junction on 15 August 2003 as it nears the end of the journey. The association with MSC continued and by 2019 66709 was in a different livery as seen here in Hatton DGL with a 6E33 Kineton MOD to Hexthorpe working.
	There are two freights up Hatton Bank within a few minutes of each other on weekday lunchtimes. The first is 4M19, the 09.47 Southampton to Birch Coppice, which on 5 July 2023 was hauled by by 66129 which is seen here on the down main line towards the summit of the 1/75 of Hatton Bank. It was a heavy train, fully loaded except for a couple of flats at the back and the gradient had slowed the train to about 20mph with the class 66 making about as much noise as they can - not a lot...
	There were two choices of trains to photograph on Monday 27 June 2023. The first was 56051 after it left Long Marston with the short set of ballast cleaners taken there by 56058 on 13 June or 66419 with an STP run of 4E18, recoded as 6X18, from Fairwater Yard to Doncaster. The latter was taking a number of vehicles from the Track Replacement Train, an impressive set of kit, so there was no difficulty in choosing to go to Hatton. It stuck to its timings north of Didcot and crawled around the curve towards Hatton station even though the signal at the end of the platform was green. I took this shot mostly to see if there was any potential for a similar shot much later in the day over the summer.
	The very slow approach of 6X18 to Hatton station on 26 June 2023 continued until it reached the footbridge when the driver opened up 66419 and it began to accelerate towards Hatton North Junction. As the load rather than the locomotive was the main point of interest I took this shot of some of the wagons followed by another towards the back of the consist.
	The main reason for my trip to Bentley Heath on 15 June 2023 was for a shot of 66743 + 69007 at the head of an unfortunately very short 6O01, the 1018 Scunthorpe to Eastleigh infrastructure train. I had planned for a picture using a medium telephoto lens to compress the perspective a bit but the first bit of shadow for days managed to cast a shadow in just the wrong place. This forced a rapid lens change which was possibly only because 6O01 was crawling towards an adverse signal prior to being turned into the goods loop for an extended layover of some 45 minutes. In retrospect the 35mm wide angle view worked out quite well contrary to what I initially thought. It seems likely that 69007 was having a tow to Eastleigh to avoid an expensive light engine move.
	My enthusiasm has been a bit on the low side recently but when (yet) another class 701 being taken to Long Marston coincided with a sunny day on 2 June 2023 a trip out seemed a good idea. There were quite a few freights on the Birmingham to Gloucester line and with only a couple of passenger services to potentially get in the way through strike action I went over to Defford. First along was 66169 with 6V92, the 10.34 Corby to Margam empty steel coil carriers, running 22 minutes early. This location was the site of Deford station and the area behind the bushes on the left formerly a small yard is now used by Network Rail as an access point.
	Another empty steel train was next along at Defford on 2 June 2023 in the form of 6V07 from Round Oak to Margam hauled by 66158. This was running 81 minutes early which although not unusual nearly caught me out as I watching a Railcams map covering Cheltenham and Gloucester for northbound traffic. There is a large tree on the other side of the road and I was sitting in my car keeping cool when I switched to another map and saw that 6V07 was already in the Abbotswood section.
	Empty steel train number 3 at Defford on 2 June 2023 with 66058 and 6V50 from Burton on Trent to Cardiff Tidal formed of vandalised ferrywagons.
	A change from the original class 66 livery was next to be photographed at Defford on 2 June 2023. As a result of the Nuneham Viaduct disruption on the Oxford line some of the freights from There have been been diverted including 6E11, the 11.07 from Appleford to Milford West Sidings empty flyash containers. This was running with 66142 about an hour late which from a photographic point of view was an advantage but the lack of wagons on the forst 4 flats was less welcome.
	A rare overnight ballast train for the North Warwickshire Line appeared on RTT in early May 2023 with the service code showing that it would be operated by Freightliner. Although not unprecedented following 2021 appearances on RHTT trains, I had no daylight shots of FL locomotives on the line other than some light engines on route learners. The possession ending early on 16 May 2023 was the entire NWL with 6Y60 booked to leave it at Bearley Junction at 05.45, run to Stratford-upon-Avon and sit there for about 45 minutes. I suspected that it might leave Stratford early so as soon as it passed Bearley Junction I went to Danzey station which is an easily recognisable location. As predicted 66585 and 66520 with a short set of autoballasters did leave about 30 minutes early and although there were a lot of shadows at 06.23 the images were acceptable. I took a short video clip as it was such an unusual working.
	During the last week 2023 of March 2023 I happened to notice on RTT that what appeared to be a weedkilling train was due to visit Stratford-upon-Avon during the night of 4 April. In recent years MPVs have been used but the service code suggested that this year's train would be operated by GBRf. The first working was from Bescot to Kings Norton on Sunday 1 April with 66717 with the new stock and 66766 providing the power and so the Tuesday trip to Stratford seemed to be likely although a similar job in 2022 was cancelled after departure time. No such problem on 3 April when 3Q98 ran early as far as Birmingham but then followed the last passenger from Kidderminster, 2S90, and therefore kept to right time. The arrival time was 23.31 just after the class 172 had left the station and here is 66716 making the first arrival at the terminus for the GBRf locomotive.
	The 21.54 from Kings Norton to Stratford-upon-Avon, 3Q98, stood in just the right spot for photography on 4 April 2023. The locomotive, 66766, was very clean and shiny which caused a lot of reflections from the LED lamps on the platform and the intensely bright headlight caused a bit of burnout in the image. The train itself is, as far as I know, the new set of stock that was introduced last years and which I photographed at Hatton on 20 March 2022. I took a shot of the control vehicle in which two crew members took a break while the reversal took place.
	As 66766 and 66717 were the first GBRf locomotives to arrive at Stratford-upon-Avon it seemed worth taking a shot with one of the station nameboards in view on 4 April 2023 - proof of presence!
	No red here! The regular train from Appleford to Milford Sidings formed of empty flyash wagons, 6E11, was unusually double-headed on Monday 27 March 2023 and even more unusual was that the two class 66s were 66047 and 66004 in their respective speical colour schemes. The weather forecast promised light cloud which would have been ideal for a shot from the north side of the line at Hatton but the sun was in a large clear patch for all of the 30 minutes or so I spent here. This limited the options and a different approach seemed to be a good idea so I used a 24mm lens to keep the foreground in focus and to help bring the green 66004 out of the shadow cast by the lineside tree. The train was a bit late but there was nothing close behind so 6E11 was given a clear run up Hatton Bank and through the station.
	The Rail Operations Group's 37800 received a new colour scheme in early November 2022 and was released for its first run on Friday 11th. Just after I arrived at Hatton for a shot of it, 6O01, the 10.18 Scunthorpe to Eastleigh, was four signals north of the station. There was just time to cross the bridge and grab a shot as 66724 led its train of low-sided ballast wagons, a change from the more usual rail carriers.
	This was probably the most unsatisfying image I took at Hatton on 25 October 2022 as this intermodal approached Hatton with the 05.47 4O43 Wakefield Europort to Southampton, with 66002 leading a set of empty flats with the just a few boxes out of sight towards the back. I moved a few feet to my right for a more head-on shot in order to minimise the impact of the poor load.
	The blockage caused by the failure of a class 70 at Solihull on 25 October 2022 was cleared by the time that 168004 left Birmingham Moor Street with 1H33, the 10.54 to London Marylebone. The Chiltern expresses were running as 8 cars rather than the usual 4 because of the expected demand caused by the half-term holiday.
	It's not just leaves that turn from green to orange in the Autumn! A friend told me earlier on the morning of 25 October 2022 that 4O90, the 06.04 Leeds to Southampton Freightliner had 3 locomotives on the front and even though it was running 62 minutes late with a rapidly clouding up sky I struck lucky with my final shot of the morning. The clear patch of sky held on nicely for 66502 + 55509 + 66550 to pass the roadbridge at Hatton station. Way back on 3 November 2007 66502 was leading a well-loaded 4O11 at the same locatiion but before the unchecked lineside completely took over.
	The sunny morning of 11 October 2022 tempted me out to try for a shot of the overnight 3S31 RHTT from Swindon Transfer to Cheltenham Lansdown Loop. This bridge at Ashchurch was, quite literally, the last place I wanted to be for my picture after having been here on 2 other occasions in recent weeks but 3 other locations I looked at were too heavily shadowed to be of any use. Just after I arrived 66034 was visible in the distance with a retimed 6V05 Round Oak to Margam empty steel train, the locomotive making a nice contrast with the surrounding scenery.
	I had an hour or so at Leamington Spa station during the early afternoon on MOnday 10 October 2022. Just as I arrived at the down end of the platform 66035 appeared with 4M71, the 09.49 Southampton to Birch Coppice intermodal so a bit of a scramble happened as I took my cameraout of its bag and set the exposure to somewhere near the correct settings.
	I have meaning to have a shot of this train, the 6G99 from Hindlow to Banbury Reservoir Sidings, for a while so when I was at Leamington Spa on 10 October 2022 it was good that 66727 was hauling it. The shot of it crawling to its booked stop on the up main line was in a patch of cloud but this cleared as it stood waiting for the road. There were a few other photographers around waiting for the Appleford to Milford Sidings train and this non-standard livery GBRf locomotive was a welcome addition for all.
	The main reason for my being at Leamington Spa on 10 October 2022 was to take my first picture of 66004 in its green livery associated with the locomotive's conversion to run on hydro-treated vegetable oil claimed to reduce emissions by up to 90% compared with diesel. The line between Banbury and Birmingham is not easy fro photography at around 14.00 on a sunny day with most of the line being largely invisible behind forests of lineside undergrowth. The best by far without driving to Tyseley was Leamington where the sun wsa spot-on for a conventionally lit shot. An added attraction is the train's consist of empty flyash containers making a nice change from the usual container traffic on the line.
	It sometimes happens that there is no load for the Doncaster/Scunthorpe to Eastleigh rail trains and this was the case on 28 September 2022 when it ran as 6O01 with 66781 + 66769. I don't always bother with light engine moves but as 66769, unfortunately the second locomotive on this occasion, was in a different livery I did a take a couple of shots as it approached the footbridge at Bentley Heath just before running into the up loop. The paintwork on 66769 is darker than the GBRf standard and marks awareness of prostate cancer. The nameplate seems to be related to football, a subject of which I have almost less than zero knowledge!
	My main aim at Bentley Heath on 28 September 2022 was to take a daylit shot of a Freightliner RHTT working. I had plenty of after-dark shots in 2021 when 3J04 worked to Stratford-upon-Avon for several weeks but thought that a sunny shot would be worth having in 2022. The sun went in 2 minutes before the train led by 66522 was released from the signal just behind 66507 and came out again as it passed Dorridge station. I had hoped that 3Jo4 would again be going to Stratford but RHTT duties have again been left to MPVs.
	The Round Oak to Margam train, 6V05, was released from Abbotswood Junction at the booked time and it took only about 13 minutes to appear at Northway, near Ashchurch. The locomotive was a reasonably clean 66119, the usual motive power for this working these days although class 60 is diagrammed now and again presumably to retain crews' route and traction knowledge.
	DRS locomotives apart from the odd class 68 working between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street are rare on the GWR line between Leamington Spa and Tyseley so when a 6Y15 with 66428 + 66434 from High Marnham to Failwater Yard appeared on RTT I wanted to have a picture of it. The second locomotive, 66434, used to look very different in 20212 when I photographed it at Ashchurch on the Daventry to Wentloog service. It was clearly going to be a long train of HOBC vehicles so a shot with a clear background would be needed to show it to the best advantage. With this in mind I looked at a few bridges around Rowington, Lowsonford, Kingswood and Chessetts Bridge but found each one to be so heavily shadowed at around 16.45, nearly an hour before 6Y15 was due, that they were hopeless. There was little alternative short of a run to Banbury but to go to the bridge at Hatton which although heavily backlit would be shadow-free. It's a shame that so few of the HOBC wagons are visible in this picture as it was possibly the longest train I have seen on this line. The shot was within a few moments of being obscured by 4M65 hauled by 66418 which was 45 minutes early after missing out its booked stop in Hatton DGL.
	During the afternoon of 22 April 2022 the very rare movement of a nuclear flask through Leamington Spa occurred when 66424 + 66431 took one from Carlisle KIngmoor to Kineton MOD. I missed this altogether because 1) I didn't notice in on RTT and 2) nobody who saw it further north bothered to post a message. The return working, the 1752 from Kineton, ran on Friday 29 April and I made sure not to miss this one. Because of the rarity I definitely wanted my pictures to be in a location that identified itself so decided on Leamington Spa station. A cloudy afternoon would have ideal and was forecast but the sky cleared and the sunny conditions made this choice of location a little tricky but after taking 54 minutes to drive from Stratford-upon-Avon (about 9 miles) because of a closed road in Warwick caused by the replacement of a rail overbridge in Princes Drive, there was no time for anything else. The train left Kineton on time and was a few minutes early when it appeared topped and tailed with 66424 and 66431 on the Down Main Line. This was lucky because a southbound Voyager was just around the corner on the Coventry line.
	Kineton MOD is the UK's largest munitions depot and there have always been unsubstantiated rumours in Warwickshire that nuclear material of some sort was stored there. My father, ex-Raf, always joked that it nuclear war ever broke out we should paint ourselves black and stand of the roof of our house facing Kineton to ensure a quick end! Here is the flask itself with one of the 2 DRS escort coaches just in the frame.
	Over the second May Bank Holiday of 2000 the Central Wales Line was used for the diversion of several freigh trains. On arrival at Llandrindod Wells 66221 was standing in the station and was apparently on standby duties in case of locomotive failure on the largely single track line. I had nothing wider than a 50mm lens and with no prospect of the loocmotive moving in the near future this was the only shot possible.
	On 28 May 2000 the attention of most enthusiasts on the Central Wales Line was naturally enough concentrated on the class 37s working steel trains. There was however at least one train with class 66 power, a Margam to Hardendale Quarry empty working which is seen here in the loop at Knighton. Later in the day I reached the wayside station at Hopton Heath where the sun came out at just the wrong moment meaning that the wider shot from the roadbridge would have both backlit and against the light. This platform-side shot seemed a better option.
	Class 66 does not have any booked passenger turns but can be seen on certain workings of the VSOE. The branch from Hatton to Stratford-upon-Avon is not cleared for class 67 locomotives so when the VSOE is scheduled to run to the town, class 66 has normally been diagrammed since the demise of the Royal class 47s. 660033 is seen here about to descend the 1/75 gradient from Wilmcote station, just visible in the background, with the attractive luxury train on 13 August 2003.645
	Some 6 weeks later on 24 September 2004, the train again ran in glorious light and this time I photographed it, behind 66150, a little closer to Stratford from the Bishopton Road bridge. I was glad that the EWS luggage van had been marshalled at the back of the train. This always looks a little incongruous when compared to the chocolate and cream of the passenger stock. The train was running some 20 minutes early after having been given the road from Leamington Spa in front of a Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill service. This would not have delayed the Chiltern Trains' unit as it would have been booked to call at Warwick Parkway, just a couple of miles from the junction with the Stratford branch. This clear view is no longer available as Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway station and a park and ride site now cover the land between the two bridges. 645
	The sun stayed out all afternoon on 24 September 2004 and after work I went to the northern of the two bridges at Bishopton and took this shot of 66150 on its way back to London Victoria with the VSOE. All the land visible in this picture has been built over with Stratford Parkway station, the park and ride and a huge housing now covering every piece of green. 645
	Apart from The Statesman dining train which went through Hatton on 30 March 2022 another unusual working turned up on the GWR line from Birmingham to Leamington Spa. This was a 3Q98 weedkilling set from Kings Norton OTP Depot which I originally assumed would be some MPVs but some local information established that it was operated by GBRf class 66s 66721 and 66799 due to leave Kings Norton at 08.48. The original schedule showed it running to Worcester via Birmingham New Street and Kidderminster and then to Leamington Spa for a reversal but after leaving 224 minutes late I had a feeling that the first part of the trip might be missed and that it would go straight onto the Leamington Spa. It did just this so I went to Hatton again arriving with about 5 minutes to spare and took this image as it sprayed along the up line. I hope that the bush in the 6 foot will be treated on the way back...
	The RHTT shown above was due to reverse at Leamington Spa so in the hope of another shot of it I moved to the roadbridge in Dark Lane at Hatton and heard a train approaching up Hatton Bank as I got out of my car. This was 4M71, the 09.49 Southampton to Birch Coppice intermodal which was moving slowly enough to allow me to grab my camera and take this picture with 66116 working quite hard on the 1/110 gradient.
	The RHTT running as 3Q98 reversed in platform 4 at Leamington Spa and was soon on its way back towards Birmingham with 66799 leading. I don't keep up with wagon matters but it looks to me as if at least the staff accomodation of this train may be new vehicles. The train went into the Stratford branch platform to allow a passenger service to pass and I hoped for a shot from the roadbridge by the station as it used the spur to the down main line but it moved off just as I reached the car park.
	A Hindlow to Banbury Reservoir Sidings loaded stone train has been running for some time but I have been waiting for the sun to be high enough at Hatton to avoid too much shadow on the line. The booked passing time of 6G34 is 09.40 so it had to be photographed before the clocks change on the morning of Sunday 27 March 2022. The weather forecast for most of the preceding week was good so I planned to go over on Tuesday 22 March but found that 6G34 was running nearly 90 minutes late because of an emergency possession which meant that it was detained at Peak Forest which later made it necessary to divert via Guide Bridge, Stockport and Wilmslow before regaining its booked route at Sandbach. This late running was a distinct advantage for me as the sun had cleared some early light cloud and cleared any remaining shadows from the track before 66707, complete with a smiley face on the dusty front end, with the heavy train of stone came around the curve from Hatton North Junction 66 minutes late.
	While 37418 was approaching Hatton on 7 March 2022 66743 in its Royal Scotsman colour scheme was in charge of 4M19, the 11.50 from Southampton Western Docks to East Midlands Gateway which was sitting in Hatton DGL to allow a few other trains to pass. It was good to see this colourful ensemble in good light and especially pleasing that it was fully loaded.
	There was a major possession between Warwick and Leamington Spa on Sunday 30 January 2021 with several Freightliner operated engineering trains associated with it. Two workings were due to pass Hatton in the morning and with some good sun forecast I had a trip over for the first, 6Y63 from Bescot to Warwick Parkway, with the option to stay around for the second if it stayed sunny. The train left Bescot about 25 minutes early and this continued as it approached a red signal at Hatton North Junction. This was potentially a nuisance as a lot of cloud was drifting over from the North and too long a delay wasn't required. Fortunately for the 2 of us waiting 6Y63 was allowed to proceed as far as the signal at the end of platform 1 at Hatton and passed us a few minutes before the light died. While waiting it was pleasant to been entertained by a Robin in an adjacent ash tree.
	Riviera Trains has vacated their previous occupied site at Eastleigh and their 16 Mk1 coaches were transferred from there to Burton-on-Trent on Friday 7 January 2022. The train, 5Z45, was originally diagrammed for 67013 but this was deemed too weedy before departure and 66084 + 66020 were allocated instead. Quite why 2 locomotives were needed for a train of some 600 tones is unclear and I suspect that 66020 was dead-in-train but it was good from a photographic point of view. The problem was to find a location close to home on the freezing cold and dark day where the whole train would be in view and the best I came up with was the tall roadbridge at Shrewley, just north of Hatton North Junction.
	A rare MOD train to Ashchurch ran on Monday 20 December 2021 with a 6V34 from Marchwood scheduled to go into the Gloucestershire terminal. The arrival was due before sunrise not that any sun was likely on a cold, damp and misty morning but as I've always quite liked photographing these trains over the years a trip across was made. The station seemed to be the obvious spot for an initial image as the bright LED lights would have helped with the exposure so it was irritating when they switched off just as 66792 appeared in the distance. This really left the small gathering of photographers with some quite flat and not very contrasty light as 6V34 slowed down ready to be propelled in the exchange sidings while making a fair impression of a diverted Birch Coppice to Southampton liner.
	This was the first train into Ashchurch since 26 March 2019 when 66776 took some armoured vehicles into the site. Once 6V34 had passed the station there was plenty of time to walk to the nearby roadbridge for a second image as the long train was propelled along the former Evesham branch. There were a few Network Rail men on duty keeping an eye on the proceedings in case of any issues during the lengthy propelling move. Because there are 2 foot crossings over the branch another man walked in front of the train to ensure the safety of any pedestrians.
	More after-dark photography on Wednesday 8 December 2021. The daily RHTT from Aylesbury to Banbury via Stratford-upon-Avon should be finishing its runs on 10 December and the chance for some better shots than my previous efforts came along with 3J04 being routed in platform 2 rather than the usual platform 3. The train still spraying and headed by 66510 is shown here arriving at the station about 15 minutes early having been given the road at Bearley Junction because of a late running passenger train on the North Warwickshire Line.
	Having arrived 15 minutes early at Stratford-upon-Avon on 9 December 2021 I had quite a wait before the crew moved to 66522 to change ends. In the meantime the locomotive's diesel engine had shut down so after the usual procedures it was restarted. There was a strong wind blowing which whipped the initial exhaust away. There didn't seem any point in waiting for 3J04 to leave Stratford on 8 December 2021 as there was still some 20 minutes to wait and with a Chiltern service to Leamington Spa going on the same route it wouldn't have been able to go early. I just took this image of the cab before heading off.
	It's sometimes hard to resist just one more shot and I can't imagine that 3J04 will be sent into platform 2 on either of the two remaining days on which it is due to run. So this view of 66510 tailing the RHTT tanks and spraying equipment was worth a frame with the station canopy and bridge being so well lit. This locomotive missed part of the jetting season through having wheel flats which meant a class 8 trip from Banbury to Tyseley very early one morning. Despite having been cleaned while in Birmingham its position at the spraying end of the formation meant that it soon regained the usual RHTT colour scheme.
	I noticed from a mapping app that a different locomotive in the form of 66507 to accompany 66519 was operating on 3J04, the Chiltern Line RHTT, on Tuesday 23 November 2021. I assumed that this one might be a bit cleaner than 66522 which had been working for about 3 weeks so walked to Stratford station for a couple of shots. Photographic opportunities at Stratford's platform 3 are limited to say the least and this view of a filthy 66519 arriving with the water jets still operating is the best available.
	It takes a few minutes for the train crew to change ends and prepare the train for reversal so there was plenty of time for some trial exposures before it left. On this occasion the rear locomotive coming to Stratford had been left running so there wasn't the chance for a shot similar to that I took of 66522 on 4 November but at least 66507's Freightliner green paint was still recognisable. The difference in colour between the two shots is noticeable and is the result of the later shot being taken on a cloudy evening with more ambient light diffusing from orange lamps in the area.
	When 3J04 started running in October I took this shot of it standing at Stratford-upon-Avon on a sunny evening. Comparison of the 2 pictures taken from the footbridge is striking...
	As soon as 196002 running as 5Q27 to Tyseley LMD had cleared the section out of Stratford-upon-Avon station on 4 November 2021, 66519 leading 3J04, the RHTT from Aylesbury, was allowed to cross over from the down main line and run into platform 3. This isn't the most photogenic platform at the station but it does have the best lighting which helped to show off the dirty state of the locomotive. I like the way that the light in Morrisons' car park illuminates the autumnal colours of the tree alongside the lineside fence, one of the bonuses of taking pictures in the darker evenings. Here is another vew of 66519 taken as I walked to the other end of the train.
	I wasn't sure if the RHTT at Stratford-upon-Avon on 4 November 2021 was far enough along the platform to allow a shot of 66522, a recent replacement for 66510, but it was positioned perfectly. The engine was shut down so I waited for the driver to turn the V12 over before taking a shot in the hope of getting a plume of smoke as it started. It worked well and the remaining touch of light in the western sky adds a lot to the scene. Another view of the other end of of 66522 is here to show the flower containers plated by FOSS and which add greatly to the attractiveness of the station. This locomotive once carried a slightly different colour scheme as can be seen here while it was working a 6Z22 Eastleigh to Stud Farm on 7 July 2011. The repainted bodyside patch can just be made out in this image taken from the car park.
	A "Z" working on the line through Hatton showed up for Thursday 28 October 2021 I went for a look without really knowing what was being moved. It originated at Milford Sidings and was heading for Didcot TC under thge headcode 6Z36. It was about 15 minutes early leaving the Birmingham area and with just a Chiltern local behind it was given a clear run without being looped at Dorridge. The light was very poor when 66102 with a huge train of JRA box wagons came around the curve from Hatton North Junction but this type of wagon is unusual on the line so the short drives were worth the effort.
	Another day and another crack at the RHTT from Aylesbury to Banbury via Stratford-upon-Avon. There aren't many worthwhile locations between Hatton and Stratford; the only bit I'm really interested in taking pictures of this because of the general lack of locomotive-hauled workings on the line. On Wednesday 6 October 2021 I chose Wilmcote station where a new older style running-in board has been installed and a lot of lineside trees have been removed. The latter wasn't of much significance for this shot because the sun, had it been out, would have been too low in the sky to reach the tracks but there was a bit more ambient light on the scene. The train was again using 66510 tnt 66519 and with the spray heads adjacent to 66510 it is already getting a little grubby.
	This view of 3J04 about to go down Wilmcote Bank towards Stratford-upon-Avon on 7 October 2021 is to show the difference in cleanliness between 66519 and the leading locomotive, 66510, as they work the Aylesbury to Banbury RHTT.
	The second run of 3J04, the Aylesbury to Banbury RHTT took place on Monday 4 October 2021. Ar just after 5pm the sky was cloudy but reasonably bright so I walked down to the station to take a shot mof 66510 arriving into platform 3. On arrival onto platform 1 the sun came out into a clear sky just as my mapping app showed that the train was clearing Bearley Junction and out it stayed. The shot wasn't quite as bad as I had feared and at least some of the RHTT tanks are visible as 3J04 slowed down for its stop and reversal. The gull on the lamp post didn't seem at all bothered by the train and didn't fly off for several minutes.
	The RHTT with 66510 + 66519 sits at Stratford-upon-Avon for around 20 minutes to allow a couple of passenger trains to come and go. This is the view of 66519 as the driver walks along the platform to prepare for departure on 4 October 2021. I wasn't going to bother with a shot from the bridge but quite like the way the sun lit up the background with the autumnal colours coming to the fore even the train itself was in shadow.
	Unless something dramatic happens such as complete disruption to passenger trains meaning that the RHTT is put into either platform 1 or 2 at Stratford-upon-Avon I probably won't take any more pictures of it before the nights are fully dark and images under the bright station lights are possible. With that in mind a shot or two of both ends of the train seemed in order and here is 66519 with the crew waiting for departure time on 4 October 2021. Before this year no locomotive-hauled RHTTs had been to the terminus so I took a final shot of 66510 with the sunlight filtering through the silver birch trees.
	After several road-learning runs for Freightliner crews the first locomotive-hauled RHTT train to visit Stratford-upon-Avon ran on Friday 1 October 2021. We used to see locomotives on the annual weedkillers but as far as I know only MPVs have done RHTT duties down here. The inaugural run was topped and tailed by 66510 + 66519 and I had been hoping for a cloudy but bright evening as 3J04, the 09.17 from Aylesbury Sidings 1-7, would use platform 3 at the terminus, completely useless at 17.30 on a sunny evening. Sod's Law intervened and the afternoon was clear and sunny and the least worst option for a shot was Stratford Parkway. The shadows were quite intrusive but not bad enough to wreck the shot completely.
	The first locomotive-hauled RHTTs to visit Stratford-upon-Avon for many years are due to start in September 2021 and in connection with these another few road-learning runs began on Tuesday 28 September following on from those which ran in July. The working, which ran as 0B40 from the Reservoir Neck Sidings at Banbury, involved 66507 which arrived spot on time and as booked into platform 3. I had lined up a shot using the lineside equipment as props so needing a wide-angle lens to fit everything into the frame. The sky in the background was clear but I was very fortunate that the sun was in a small gap in the clouds behind the camera at just the right time.
	Platform 3 at Stratford-upon-Avon isn't the best for photography but freight locomotives here are rare enough to warrant reeling off a few shots when they do appear. On 28 September 2021 66507 was booked to stand here for around 20 minutes, giving the 2 man crew time to visit the café just by the station entrance and buy refreshments. This wasn't the first visit here for 66507; it was one of the pair that were notable in being the first Freightliner locomotives to arrive at the terminus at 04.00 on 13 April 2021. It had been cleaned since then as it was so dirty on the first visit that it made the whole picture look slightly unsharp.
	The road learning runs for Freightliner crews are due to end this week and with 66415 being rostered once more on 29 July 2021, a mostly sunny morning, I thought a final shot would be worth the walk. The locomotive, running as 0B44 from Lawley Street, is booked to wait at Bearley to allow a WMR service from Birmingham via Dorridge and Hatton to go first and it is pot luck as to whether this actually happens or whomever is on the Snow Hill panel at Saltley lets the special to have a run if it's a few minutes early. It had to wait today and arrived just as the sun had dipped into cloud so I waited as the crew changed ends and was lucky that the sky cleared before it moved away.
	Although having made up my mind not to take any more photographs of Freightliners 66s on road learning duties at Stratford-upon-Avon I saw that on Tuesday 27 July 2021 there was a 33.333% of Genesee & Wyoming liveried 66415 being rostered for 0B44 at Lawley Street. It was worth taking my Canon G10 for a walk and just for once my hunch paid off when the locomotive came into platform 2 a couple of minutes late having followed a WMR passenger train from Bearley Junction. This colour scheme really stands out even on occasions when the sun was only halfway out some cloud.
	Running as 0B44, 66415 from Tyseley LMD to Stratford-upon-Avon ran part way along platform 2 giving me the chance of a second record shot of the first visit of a locomotive in this colour scheme to the terminus. No more shots of this now (unless a class 70 happens to be sitting spare on Lawley Street!)
	Another sunny day on 21 July 2021 and another Freightliner class 66 on road-learning trips to Stratford-upon-Avon. This time it was the second run of the morning for me as I had been out walking along the local canal earlier on and had been fortunate enough to film the first otter I had seen in the area. The locomotive for today's 0B44 was 66596 and here it is arriving into platform 2. I think I now may have enough images of class 66s running light here; I'll now wait for the RHTTs during the Autumn leaf-fall season.
	It made a change for 0B44 to enter the station rather than wait close to the signal at the end of the platform. As I walked home I took this view from the Alcester Road bridge with a 50mm lens on my Nikon D800 and then cropped it in the raw convertor to zoom in a bit. There were some disgruntled passengers on the station waiting for the 12.03 to Birmingham via Dorridge which was cancelled due to train crew shortages, They would have had to wait for the 12.26 via Henley-in-Arden but at least there is a vey decent café just outside the station so were able to obtain some refreshments in the meantime.
	After an early morning walk on the hot morning of 20 July 2021 I returned home to see that the Lawley Street to Stratford-upon-Avon road learning trips for Freightliner drivers were running and so went out again and walked to Stratford-upon-Avon station. Unusually 0B44 was running ahead of 5Q21, the Tyseley-based class 196 test run, and was waiting just around the corner for the 09.27 Stratford to Stourbridge Junction to leave platform 1. I was pleasantly surprised to the see pink 66587 appear but less so that it had been routed into Platform 3. A quick adjustment to the zoom setting on my Canon G10 compact camera had to be made which enabled this image to be shot albeit including the messy pile of trackside junk that has been left here.
	There was no point in crossing over the bridge for another picture of 66587 on Tuesday 20 July 2021 so I took this image as it stood with Morrisons supermarket looming in the background. One of the crew paused to take a picture of the locomotive behind the platform sign; maybe proof of presence on some required track!
	I saw from a mapping app that 5Q21 from Tyseley LMD to Stratford upon Avon was approaching the station on 20 July 2021 and took this image as 196006 ran into platform 2 with 66587 alongside in P3. This unit has now made many trips to Stratford and appears to have run reliably unlike the 4 coach versions which have been down here on previous occasions.
	I have been waiting for a sunny morning to get a decently lit image at Stratford-upon-Avon of the Freigthliner roadmlearning trip, 0B44, from Lawley Street. Tuesday 14 July 2021 was such a day and here is 66501 slowing to a stop in platform 2. It was slightly irritating that the driver had changed the lights from white to red before the locomotive stopped...
	It's not often that the chance come along to photograph a class 196/0 2 coach DMU alongside a class 66/5 at Stratford-upon-Avon but that is exactly what happened on 13 July 2021. On my way into town I dropped into the station with my Canon G10 in my pocket for a record shot of 66501 working 0B44 road learning special from Lawley Street. The new 196006 on a mileage accumulation trip arrived first and while it was standing in platform 1 66501 was allowed into the station and came into P2. Within a few moments the signal giving 196006 the road was cleared and the opportunity for this shot presented itself.
	Road learning runs between Lawley Street, Tyseley and Stratford-upon-Avon continued on 30 June 2021. Platform 1 at Stratford was finally reopened on Thursday 24th so there was a reasonable chance that a shot of 0B44 arriving into platform 2 was on the cards. I saw from RailCams that it was running early and was allowed to leave Bearley Junction before the WMR unit from Stourbridge Junction via Dorridge was anywhere near so walked down and arrived just as the 09.26 to Birmingham via Henley-in-Arden was leaving. A minute or two later 66529 came into the platform with a cab full of drivers learning the road prior to the Chiltern Line RHTT season commencing in the Autumn when a daily working will visit here.
	Another few local shots on Wednesday 23 June 2021. Freightliners's 66565 was again being used for road-learning trips between Lawley Street, Tyseley and Stratford-upon-Avon and I wanted a shot of it somewhere on the Birmingham side of Bearley Junction. The second trip offered the best chance of a well-lit shot and Edstone Aqueduct is just about the only possible location at around 11.30 so, even with the sun being much too high for a decent image, I had a drive over. The working again was 0B44 and here it is running about 10 minutes early about to pass under the Stratford-upon-Avon narrowly avoiding one of the many patches of fine weather cloud floating around.
	The road learning runs with 66565 contimued in the afternoon of Wednesday 23 June 2021 and with the sky being completely clear a shot at one of the most identifiable locations in the area seemed like a good idea. Even though it was only a light engine run and therefore mostly ignored by photographers I felt that a shot of any Freightliner locomotive on this line was unusual enough to warrant another trip out. Now running as 0Z46 under a VST plan 66565 had had to wait at Bearley Junction for about 10 minutes to allow a local train from Stourbridge Junction to Stratford via Dorridge to clear the section. There was a slight danger that a Chiltern service from Stratford to Leamington Spa might get in the way but it didn't and here is 0Z46 passing the well-known footbridge and lineside elder bushes.
	Light engine moves don't hold a lot of interest for me but when something unusual comes to my local station I do make an effort for a record shot. Freightliner's 66565 running as 0B44 from Lawley Street, just the third of its class to reach here, was down for several visits on 22 June 2021. As the timings were a lot more convenient than the first time that 66/5s came here when 66508 tnt 66507 arrived at 03.50 on 13 April 2021 I had a walk down. It was really lucky that the sun came out of a largely cloudy sky as 0B44 came across from the down main line into platform 3.
	The 2021 Rail Live event at Long Marston is due to commence on 16 June and some the exhibits began to arrive 2 days earlier with the dragging of new Merseyrail unit 777002 from Kirkdale Carriage Sidings. Because of numerous reversals at the start of 6X90's journey top and tail locomotives were required and here is 66723 passing through Honeybourne some 30 minutes late due to delays on the North Cotswold Line through track temperature related issues presumably at the site of the new bridge over the River Avon at Fladbury where the track has yet to be fully stabilised. Note the temporary platform under contruction on the Long Marston branch in preparation for shuttles between here and the Rail Live site. The large number of orange-clad workmen were having their lunch break at just the right time for this picture.
	I chose Honeybourne for these images as I wanted a reasonable view of 777002 even though it was surrounded by barriers so here it is passing under the road bridge on the way to the hut where the crew will collect the single line staff for the branch. The class 777 unit wasn't the only exhibit being moved and some wagons for display were also conveyed. A bit later in the afternoon 66715 took some oil tanks from Long Marston to Parkeston Quay but I didn't hang around to see this train to leave the storage site.
	On Monday 10 May 2021 there should have been 2 locomotive hauled trains going south through Hatton within a few minutes of each. Both these trains were late leaving their originating points but the one shown here, 5O07 from Doncaster West Yard to Eastleigh picked up all its lost time and gained some more so came before the other. It was a short train of 2 barrier vehicles hauled by GBRf 66792 and on a day of sunshine and downpours managed to come in an especially vile example of the latter as can be seen from the rain coming off the roofs of the barriers. Within 2 or 3 minutes of the train passing the sun was shining and clouds of water vapour were rising from the road and car park at Hatton station.
	On Monday 20 April 2021 66705 was sent from Bescot to Long Marston in order to collect 12 Chilten and Greater Anglian Mk3 coaches and taken them to Mossend. The locomotive's arrrival was at around 09.45 with the departure being at 11.44 and I arrived just as 66705 appeared coming along the branch from Honeybourne. Of more interest is the extensive ground clearance that has taken place to the left of the fence marking the boundary of the railway's land: this is owned along with much of the land and property around around here by Tony Bird, a wealthy local property developer. I have no idea what is going on and suggestions that Porterbrook may lease or buy the land to lay more sidings are no more than rumour. Mr Bird was there today and watched as a couple of workers spread what appeared to be grass seed on the ramp of earth to the left of the picture.
	Coupling 66705 to the stock and brake testing took only only about 20 minutes at Long Marston on 20 April 2021 and I though that an early departure was going to happen. Wrong! The ground crew closed and locked the gates before driving off across the site leaving the GBRf crew standing in the warm sun kicking their heels. I had no intention of waiting there potentially for 90 minutes and with the sun being in the wrong place for any further local moves went home. I later saw from RTT that the departure of 5S59 from Long Marston was on time, 11.44.
	Some engineering work took place in the Wootton Wawen area on the North Warwickshire Line during the night of 12th and 13th April 2021. The train was showing as coming down to Stratford-upon-Avon to reverse before returning to Bescot and the service code indicated that Feightliner was operating it. I don't think that any Freightliner locomotive had previously been to the terminus and this was a bit of an incentive for me to go down for a shot or two during the arrival and reversal process which was scheduled to take place at around 05.00. I woke up at about 03.30 and checked the online maps and saw that the train was standing at Wootton Wawen under a green signal so got up and waited for it move over Bearley Junction before making the short drive to the station. As soon as I set foot on platform 1 at about 03.50 some headlights appeared with 66508 running as 6Y66 leading 5 autoballasters and 66507 into platform 2.
	I never thought that I would be standing at the end of Stratford-upon-Avon's platform 1 at 04.00 in the morning but the first visit of a Freightliner locomotive to the town saw me doing just that on 13 April 2021. The train was a set of 5 autoballasters sandwiched between 66508 and 66507 the latter of which is seen here as the driver prepared to return to Bescot with 6Y66 some 54 minutes early. The locomotive was a bit grubby which hasn't helped the overall look of the image but there was nothing to be done about it. Platform 1 has been closed for some weeks and a coating of rust can be clearly seen on the nearmost tracks. The closure doesn't affect day-to-day operations at the terminus and Network Rail has obviously put the repairs to the pointwork on their "whenever" jobs list. Thanks to Adrian Kenny for the headcode information.
	Later in the day on 13 April 2021 2 GWR power cars, 43086 + 43196, were taken from Burton on Trent to Long Marston where 2 more were to be addedand taken to Laira depot. The stored power cars have lower engine hours and are to be used in the company's Castle Class HST sets. The inward move move led by GBRf 66748 ran close to time and I chose to go to Evesham where 0V20 is seen about to pass through the station. The locomotive was one of those at one time painted in overall grey livery which I photographed at Hatton North Junction on 28 September 2015 while working 6M40 from Westbury to Stud Farm.
	There shouldn't have been too long to wait for 66748 and its train to be sorted out at Long Marston on 13 April 2021: ostensibly just add on a coach and a couple of power cars and then get going. It transpired that 1) the schedule had been entered for multiple unit operation and could not be properly consisted and 2) once the locomotive had run-round the stock at Worcester the coach would have been behind 66748 leaving 3 locomotives at the rear of the consist, something that is not permitted presumably because of the weight on the coach's coupling. A lot of consultation was held including a request to route the train via ledbury and Hereford which was declined because of a lack of passing places. In the event the train was re-consisted without the coach and allowed to leave some 50 minutes late. Here is 0C20 with 43056, 43087, 43193 and 43197 about to enter Honeybourne to await a path to Evesham and Worcester.
	A second set of Freightliner coal hoppers, HAAs, were taken for storage from York to Long Marston on Tuesday 6 April 2021. This time there were just 10 wagons hauled as 4V66 by 66556, on at least its second trip along this line, and which had been running around an hour early until Stoke Works loop where they were sidelined until right time despite there being nothing in the way for much of that time to stop the early running continuing. The weather forecast was for bright sunshine but in the event the sky was mostly cloudy so I changed my ideas on a location and just went to Honeybourne for a shot as the train left the North Cotswold Line and started along the Long Marston branch. In common with the previous train on 11 March 2021 those being moved had been heavily vandalised while temporarily stored at York.
	There were 2 trains worth a photograph through Hatton on Monday 15 March 2021. The first was the regular movement of new steel rails on its way to Eastleigh with the added attraction of having double-headed GBRf class 66s with Cemex liveried 66780 leading. It ran several minutes early but was held to time time in Dorridge loop and is shown here about to pass Hatton station in a patch of sunlight just large enough to light the whole of the train.
	GBRF has started a project to convert class 56s to a new class, 69, for use on some of their stock movements. The second to released from Longport is 69002 which unlike the first of the class painted in grey undercoat came out in a grubby sort of green. The main external differences apparent from this shot at Hatton on 15 March 2021 seem to be on the noses where the horn grille have been plated over, a new multiple-working coupler fitted and extra cooling grids in the bodysides. It is hard to comment on the appearance until the GBRf colour scheme has been applied and it shouldn't be too long to wait as it was on its way to Eastleigh as 0O69 behind 66706 for this to be done. The conversion to 69002 is from 56311 which is on the still single track of the North Cotswold Line on April 2010.
	A long set of Freightliner HAA coal hoppers was taken for storage from Leeds Hunslet to Long Marston on 11 March 2020. Of all the freight operators Freightliner is the least frequent to visit the North Cotswold Line and the Long Marston branch so I timed our weekly farm shops visit to be at Honeybourne between two such establishments at the appropriate time. I had been on the footbridge for 2 or 3 minutes when 66502 came around the curve from Evesham and onto the branch. The sun was just edging into some cloud as it approached. The HAAs in today's train had seen the unwelcome attention of vandals while stored at Leeds as shown here as the train passed the footbridge. It is interesting to compare the front end of the locomotive in 2021 with how it looked in 2007 when working a diverted a diverted 4O11 through Hatton.
	I was at Hatton on Wednesday 28 October 2020 for the diverted 6X50 Westbury to Bescot train and arrived just in time to hear 66133 climbing Hatton Bank with 4M71, the 09.49 from Southampton to Birch Coppice. The light was poor but the Autumnal colours and the remaining flowers in the planter on the platform lift the scene a little as the train approached the summit of the 1/110 climb from Warwick.
	Tuesday 28 October 2020 was a largely dull day and not one on which I would usually go for a shot of a day-to-working but as I was already at Hatton for a diverted freight I waited a few minutes for this image of 66754 with the 13.27 Hams Hall to Southampton service, 4069, being hauled on this occasion by 66754. The saplings visible between the down main line and the Stratford-upon-Avon branch will be a nuisance within 12 months if Network Rail doesn't get its act together and do some long overdue vegetation control.
	There was a notable train on the Long Marston branch on Friday 9 October 2020 in the form of 40145 with a barrier coach going to collect an HST power car. First though there was another train with 66148 hauling 2 of the oil tanks involved in the fire on the line at Llangenneth in West Wales a few weeks earlier. It was also due to take a replacement rake of oil tanks to Margam via a layover at Bescot with a departure time of about 12.30. When I arrived at Long Marston 40145 was just passing Evesham but I heard a locomotive horn on the branch and then saw a train of tanks, apparently with no locomotive at the head, coming back towards me. As it came around the bend in the background it was clear that a man was walking in front of the train in accordance with the propelling rules and was in radio contact with the driver. Before it had gone much further it stopped and within a few moments went back towards Honeybourne. I can only surmise that 66148 had problems with delivering power and was limping back to the yard when it sprang into life and could resume its journey to Bescot some 3 hours early. It was obvious that 40145 with 5Z40 would have had to recess in Honeybourne Sidings so a fast car to Honeybourne station was the order of the day.
	This isn't the greatest shot available at Honeybourne but 40145 was the main target for 9 October 2020 and if a Maritime liveried locomotive hadn't been on the front of the tanks I probably wouldn't have bothered. The arguably more interesting image is this one with the class 40 in shot as 6Z30 was about to join the North Cotswold Line. I have always liked class 40 locomotives and was fortunate that I started "serious" photography in time to see some examples in service before their withdrawal from service. There are some of these pictures to be found here.
	A train from Tonbridge West Yard to Long Marston on Tuesday 15 September 2020 with GBRf's 66767 in charge and as the morning was bright in Stratford-upon-Avon I had a trip to Blackminster, specifically Mutton Bridge on the Offenham Road. As soon as I arrived some murky mist and cloud built up which began to clear very slightly as the barriers protecting the road behind the camera were dropped. The sun didn't come out properly but at least there was a touch of brightness as 6Z21 passed the greenhouses so typical of this part of the Vale of Evesham. The hoppers, presumably for storage, are ERG JGAs some of which are branded with GB Railfreight logos.
	A rare working of a DBC stone train from Moreton-on-Lugg took place on 22 July 2020 with a 6Z41 to Small Heath, near Tyseley. There appeared to be issues with the locomotive, 66011, with a report of excessive exhaust smoke near Bristol and what seemed to be a very late arrival at Oxford. However, a kind soul told me that the train had been retimed to run significantly later and that some of the online systems didn't receive the revised feeds. One app did show the new timings and said that 6Z41 would enter Hatton DGL at 16.19 and stay there until 17.35. This meant that the best bet for a shot would from the road bridge in Dark Lane, Hatton but as the very heavy train approached Budbrook Junction the map showed that it was coming non-stop along the down main line. I was initially disappointed as this caused me to move other side of the bridge which makes for a less attractive shot but when I saw it rounding the curve the smoke noted earlier was still in evidence making the locomotive rival a kettle working hard in warm weather. I don't generally favour going-away shots but succumbed to temptation on this occasion. It is understood that this working will become a regular at some point with 2 or 3 running each week.
	A new addition to the freight working timetable meant that there was the chance to photograph 2 trains at Hatton North Junction within a short time on Thursday 16 July 2020. GBRf have commenced a 4M19 Southampton to East Midlands Gateway (the site of the erstwhile Castle Donnington Power Station and not having to have been called an electricity gateway!) which reaches reaches Hatton at 15.46 after a short stop in the DGL. I arrived to find from my mapping app that it had just entered the loop and should therefore pass on time. The locomotive was 66727 which had been especially cleaned for the first run on Tuesday 15 July so was still looking impressively smart and a bit different from the days when I took this image of it leaving Long Marston in September 2007 with a long rake of box wagons.
	One of two reasons for my presence on the footbridge at The Park's (the apostrophe usage is correct!) footbridge just south of Evesham on Tuesday 23 June 2020 was to photograph 66735 on an unusual looking train of barrier coaches with a rake of box wagons going for storage or scrapping at Long Marston. This train should have originated at March but things must have changed overnight and it actually started from Peterborough but in the same path as was already in the system. The barrier coaches were included in the train as a 5Z85 from Long Marston to Doncaster needed them at either end of coaching stock being taken from storage. I didn't hang around for this because the sun would have been too high in the sky by the departure time and shining virtually into the camera lens along most of the North Cotswold Line.
	A long rake of JGA bogie aggregate wagons was taken from Hexthorpe Yard to Long Marston for, presumably, storage on Monday 20 January 2020. I initially discounted going for a shot of the train, 6V84, because the weather had been poor with mist and fog but by 09.00 in the morning the sun was out and reasonably strong. Honeybourne seemed to be the best bet for a photograph and as I knew that lineside shadows would be an issue on the line near the footbridge I took a long lens to take advantage of a clear patch furher down. The locomotive was GBRf's 66746 in Belmond Royal Scotsman livery which was an added attraction to the already eminently worthwhile train. Here is 6V84 just after leaving the North Cotswold Line and on its way to Long Marston.
	Ever since the Long Marston branch had a lot of its track renewed in 2019 it's not always been possible to chase and beat a train from Honeybourne to the bridge near the gate into the site. On this occasion, 20 January 2020, I was going in that direction on my way to the gym and swimming pool so put my foot down a bit and arrived just as 66746 came into view on the branch. There was never going to be an especially good shot here but I was happy to get a record both of the locomotive and the JGA wagons. I don't have any real interest in wagons per se but am always happy to take an shot of a new type for this section of line.
	I used to go to the Calvert area on a quite a regular basis to get shots of the Avon Binliner train and any other bits that were around at the time. This photograph, taken on 4 September 2003, shows 66551 rounding the curve on the approach to Quainton Road station with 6V40 away from its usual route. There was a 2 week possession between Bicester and Oxford necessitating this move, which meant that the bins were diverted via Aylesbury, the Chiltern line, the Greenford Loop to Hanwell and then the GWR main line to Didcot where its normal route was re-joined. I waited until until the 2nd week of the possession in the hope of a fine day and was, for once, not disappointed.
	There were at least 2 diversions of freight trains on the line through Defford on 31 October 2019. First was 6M40, the 11.56 Westbury to Stud Farm empty boxes, powered on this occasion by 70813 which at least provided a bit of colour on the increasingly dull afternoon. The second diversion I photographed at Defford on 31 October 2019 was the 1309 Llanwern Exchange Sdgs to Dee Marsh, 6M86. The light had deteriorated even in the few minutes since my previous shot so I tried to make the most of a bit of Autumnal colour in the roadside bushes as 66017 approached the bridge. I'm not a fan of the DBC day-glo orange colour scheme but it does stand out in such dull weather.
	This train appeared in the system on Monday 14 October 2019 and I made a mental note to go and have a shot of it if 1) it ran and 2) the weather was reasonable. Earlyish in the morning of 17th October I checked and saw that it hadn't left Bescot and assumed that it was cancelled. I looked again at about 08.00 and saw that it was on the way to Long Marston but something in the region of 60 minutes late. It was a clear and sunny morning so once I had seen that it had left Worcester went across to Long Marston and within a few minutes heard a locomotive horn somewhere on the branch from Honeybourne. There was no indication anywhere what the load was and I had assumed that it was perhaps one or two wagons going for store or maintenance so was pleased when 6Z23, a long set of brand new unbranded JNAs, appeared in the distance behind 66063 with the sun behind a single small cloud which materialised at just the wrong moment. A gentleman also on the bridge told me the new wagons had arrived at Wembley via the Channel Tunnel last week and had been tripped to Bescot a day or two later. They were not allocated to any freight company and were thought to have been bought speculatively for a traffic flow yet to materialise. For those interested here is a data panel from one of the boxes. There was no return load and I later saw that 66063 running as 0Z24 was on its way light engine to Didcot via Worcester, Birmingham, Hatton and Oxford.
	I noticed from RTT that a train was to run to Long Marston to Bescot early on the morning of 30 September 2019 but until I had a message from a friend the previous evening I assumed that it would be the transfer of one or two wagons. It turned out that the load was to be a set of Caledonian sleeper coaches which ran from Polmadie during the night before a locomotive change at Bescot. The forecast for the morning was for some bright weather so I left home as the train, 5Z12, approached Evesham and arrived at Long Marston at 07.45. Within 5 minutes I heard the train moving down the branch and it arrived behind 66757 shortly afterwards about 25 minutes early as I had expected. I took just one more shot of the stock before leaving for home before the traffic through the nearby villages and into Stratford-upon-Avon built up into its usual chaotic state.
	I have been meaning for a while to go for a shot of 6V84, the Clitheroe Castle Cement to Avonmouth empty cement tanks but on the few occasions when the weather was decent enougf for a day-today working it has run very early and caught me out. On Saturday 24 August 2019 there was something else on the same line to go for and it was sunny so made sure that I was at Stoke Works Junction in time. As usual on a Saturday 6V84 this time with 66756 on the front was early away from the Birmingham area and I took this image some 40 minutes ahead of schedule. A class 170 running as 1M61 from Hereford to Birmingham new Street was approaching from the other direction having just joined the main line from the single track to Droitwich. As the final tank of 66756 wsas under the road bridge 170652 in its new colour scheme was heading towards Bromsgrove and the climb up the Lickey Incline.
	A light engine move from Didcot to Long Marston via Oxford, Leamington Spa and Birmingham, 0Z55, appeared in RTT to run on Monday 19 August 2019. It was cancelled long before departure but reappeared later with the route having been changed to the Golden Valley line via Kemble. A return to Didcot also appeared and although I had no idea what the return load might be went across to Long Marston for a look. A set of JSA steel hoods was in the exchange sidings and 66139 arrived within a few minutes and was coupled onto the wagons. After waiting for a few moments for the sun to come out I took this image and then went straight to Honeybourne, suspecting at an early departure from the yard would be a strong possibility.
	I had been on the road bridge at Honeybourne for only about 5 minutes, in bright sunshine, on the afternoon of 19 August 2019 when 6Z55 approached the staff hut to drop off the branch token. As soon as it moved the sun went in and 66139 brought its rake of JSAs towards the red signal protecting Honeybourne West Junction, there being a down passenger service signalled on the main line. It made a bit of a change to see anything but an old locomotive here, most recent trains having been in the hands of 1950s and 1960s motive power.
	MOD trains run from time to time on the GWR line through Hatton usually to or from Kineton, a few miles to the south. On Thursday 15 August 2019 a different destination was Warminster in Wiltshire to where a long rake of flats conveying mostly Foxhound vehicles was sent from Carlisle. Allocated the headcode 6V64 it was booked to pass Hatton at around 09.45 after a short layover in Dorridge loop which with the train being on time there was no chance of it avoiding. I timed leaving home to coincide with its arrival into the loop and arrived at Hatton a few moments before it left. This gave me 10 minutes to park, walk to the bridge and set up my camera. I soon heard 6V64 double-headed by 66722 + 66725 coming towards Hatton North Junction which coincided with the sun mostly coming out of some heavy cloud. The foxhounds were at the front of the consist with a few different examples at the back. I have been photographing here since it was possible to see boats on the Grand Union canal in the right background but have never seen the vegetation on and around the track left to grow so rampantly as it has been this year. Network Rail needs to get its backside into gear and get some work done. The leading locomotive used to be in GBRf's Metronet livery and here it is at Honeybourne in 2008 with a varied load heading for Crewe.
	A schedule for a Hexthorpe Yard to Long Marston train running on Wednesday 31 July 2019 appeared on the preceding Monday. The weather on the Wednesday morning was dull and cloudy and given that the train, 6V84, wasn't all that unusual for the branch had decided not to go for a photograph. My mind was changed when a posting, in itself an increasingly rare event these days given that most enthusiasts don't bother to pass on information, saying that green 66779 Evening Star was hauling the pair of tanks going either for storage or cleaning. I reckoned that I just about had time to reach Long Marston road bridge and arrived just as the short train appeared in the distance. This is only the second time that I have seen this locomotive and fortunate that the ECS it was hauling through Hatton North Junction on 12 September 2016 was in much better light than was the case today.
	The regular train of empty ballast boxes from Westbury to Stud Farm, 6M40, was once a fairly runner but has been more sporadic in recent months. I haven't photographed it since Colas took over the job from GBRf so today was a first for me. The usual motive power when it does run is a class 70 but 66847 was allocated on 17 July 2019. I was already on the 3 arch bridge near Hatton so hung on for a few minutes so as to take an image as it ran along the Down Goods Loop. The sun was in and out but luckily it was behind cloud at just the right momnent as a shot of a train in this loop on a sunny afternoon is not worth the effort.
	I wasn't expecting to see this train, the 06.26 from Awre to Bescot empty ballast hoppers as it left its originating point 98 minutes early. Control had other ideas and it festered at Gloucester for ages before being released 14 minutes late and then losing an extra 10 minutes in Eckington loop to allow some passenger trains to pass. The sun was just coming out of some unexpectedly thick cloud as 66015 with 6W02 approached the bridge at Croome Perry. I used the out-of-focus foliage on the left of the frame to provide a bit of a framing effect but in retrospect should perhaps have gone a bit to my left and avoided it.
	I've been on holiday so had an extended gym and swimming pool session on Monday 17 June 2019. On arrival home at 11.45 I found a message from a friend on my 'phone saying that 66423 + 88007 were double-heading some point carriers and a crane from Toton to Long Marston for display at the 2019 Rail Live event; a quick check on RTT telling me that it had passed Norton Junction and was on time approaching Evesham. I had seen that a train was running but had assumed that it was some OTP which, had it been sunny, I should have made an effort to photograph at Evesham but as it was dull and overcast... The only location which could be reached in time was the road bridge at the entrance to the site at Long Marston where I arrived at about 12.05. It wasn't many minutes before 6X97 appeared in the distance and the unusual formation was shot as it drew to a halt ready to allowed into the exchange sidings.
	Long Marston must have seen more strange combinations of traction and stock than most places and the sight of 66423 + 88007 certainly fits into that category. The train, 6X97 from Toton, is shown just just after arrival on 17 June 2019 awaiting the gates' opening and being sent into road no. 2 of the exchange sidings alongside another similar set of stock which had arrived the previous week.
	One of the regular freights along here is 6M40, the Colas operated Westbury to Stud Farm ballast empties, was unfortunately cancelled on 15 May 2019 so the only other freight I was expecting to see was 6O30, the 14.27 Washwood Heath Jaguar to Southampton car carriers. On this occasion 66105 was hauling a 2 sets of enclosed wagons to protect the JLR products; on other occasions some of the cars have been on open flats.
	There has been a 6Z31 from Cardiff to Long Marston planned for a few weeks but on previous occasions it was cancelled. On Thursday 9 May 2019 it actually ran and with 66718 in charge. I hadn't seen this locomotive in its current colour scheme so was a bit disappointed when I realised that for various reasons I wouldn't be able to go out for a picture. Luckily, things changed slightly and I just had time to drive to Long Marston for its arrival and decided on a shot from the roadside rather than from the usual road bridge. Things nearly went wrong because 1) the new continuously welded track on the branch doesn't allow one to hear a train coming and 2) the driver didn't sound his locomotive's horn on the way here. Because of this I was on the wrong side of the road when 6Z31 appeared and with a car coming wasn't able to get across so this view isn't exactly as planned with a bit too much undergrowth visible. This locomotive has been here on several previous occasions including a visit on 23 July 2008 when it was sent to collect a brand-new set of JPA cement tanks and take them to Earles Sidings.
	I had an almost unprecedentedly early start on Tuesday 26 March 2019 with the aim of photographing the first train for several years to Ashchurch MOD. The train was scheduled to sit in Worcester TC overnight but on looking at a mapping app at 04.45 I saw that 6X34 from Marchwood MOD was actually in Ashchurch loop where it had spent the night. As I was awake I drove over and met the very friendly and helpful shunter waiting for his colleague near the track leading to the exchange sidings/yard alongside the main line. While chatting to him the train went past and reversed from the main line into the yard - his colleague had used another entrance! I walked up to the road bridge and in the distance saw a headlight which turned out to be 66772 with 6M90, the 0511 Avonmouth Hanson Sdg to Clitheroe Castle Cement. The time was 06.05 and the sun had risen into some light cloud a few minutes earlier. For anyone interested the settings on my Nikon D800 were 1/320 at f3.5 on a Nikon 50mm 1.8G lens with ISO 1600.
	I was waiting for around 30 minutes on the cold and slightly frosty morning of 26 March 2019 before there was any movement from the locomotive and ground crews which I took to mean that they had to wait until the MOD were ready to receive the train of armoured vehicles. The move here involves a man walking down the track in front of the train to protect the 2 unguarded foot crossings on the branch. There are no run-round facilities so the train has to be propelled under radio control along the tightly curved track. This was never going to be a easy shot but it was worse than I had anticipated because the sun cleared its bank of cloud. Luckily, it was still too low to illuminate the train or track and the image is a just about acceptable record of the event. It was interesting to watch some commuters on Ashchurch station pointing their 'phones at 6X34 as it went along the branch; I can imagine some bemused colleagues when the footage is shown...
	The regular empty ballast wagons from Westbury to Stud Farm is operated by GBRf, although at the time of writing not for much longer as Colas are shortly to take over this train. On Monday 25 March 2019 the sole large logo liveried 66789 was diagrammed for the train, apparently as a way to work in northwards after railtour duties in the West of England on the previous Saturday. I had a dull shot of the locomotive but the weather on 25 March was clear and sunny and looked to be set that way for the whole day. Hatton North was the obvious place for a shot and a group of 8 photographers were either on the bridge or, as was I, in the field. The train, 6M40, ran close to right time and left its booked stop in Hatton DGL just as scheduled and soon came around the curve from Hatton station in perfect light.
	The regular train carrying new rails from (usually) Scunthorpe to Eastleigh is generally hauled by a DBS 66 with very occasional incursions from a class 60. On Friday 22 March 2019 the usual 66 was accompanied by 67013 which gave the prospect for an unusual picture. The dayglo pair, 66114 with the 67 DIT, along with a decent length train are shown here about to pass Hatton station spot on time and unusually with the headcode 6G01 rather than 6X01. Class 67s were a very common sight along this line when they were operated by WSMR and Chiltern but one of 67013's more notable workings was when it powered the last up WSMR train in daylight hours. It was, admittedly, only just daylight when it went though Hatton on 28 January 2011 with 1P23 which had a couple of extra coaches in the consist to cater for the enthusiast demand.
	The only daylight movement other than OTP to the latest engineering work on the Long Marston branch ran on Wednesday 6 March 2019. Freightliner's 66587 topping and tailing 66509 operated 6Y43, the 15.41 from Hinksey Yard to Honeybourne and I was quite impressed to see from a mapping app that the train was given the green light from the yard spot on time. I wasn't quite as impressed with the weather which deteriorated rapidly on the drive to Honeybourne culminating in pouring rain by the time the train appeared in the distance. To makes things worse there was bright sky to the South-East (out of camera to the left) which made for a difficult bit of exposure calculation (guessing) as 6Y43 slowed for Honeybourne North Junction where it would reverse and join the branch.
	It took 25 minutes for the reversal to take place, the delay not being helped by the heavy load of autoballasters and wet rails on the short but steep climb from the main line to the branch. Now at the front of the formation, 66509 could be seen and heard to struggle its way up the incline for several minutes before the bulk of the load was onto more level track. At least by the time 6Y43 reached the road bridge at Honeybourne the rain had stopped and the light picked up enough to enable me to reduce my ISO setting from 1600 to 400.
	One of the infrequent MOD trains from Kineton to Hexthorpe ran on Tuesday 29 January 2019. These quite often have a colourful consist so despite the overwhelmingly gloomy weather I went to the bridge towards the summit of Hatton Bank where the road passes over the 3 track section. The train, 6E33, was routed via the Down Goods Loop and as it ran close to right time there seemed little chance that it would be sent main line especially as the following passenger services were also running to schedule. The motive power was 66709 so the wider angle available at this locatiion was welcome this being the first time that I seen it in its current colour scheme. I have plenty of shots in the former Ledite livery including this one a bit further north when it was taking the last class 508 unit from Donnington to Eastleigh on 23 November 2011. The MOD working was mostly comprised of flats but there was a single ferrywagon at the back, just out of sight in this view.
	After photographing 66709 in the DGL on Hatton Bank on 29 January 2019 I drove round to the tall bridge at Shrewley for a second image. First along was 66420 with 4M55, the 09.02 Southampton to Lawley Street Freightliner. It's a bit dark in the deep cutting on such a dull day but this isn't a location that is the slightest use for a down train on a sunny day because of the undergrowth and the fact that the sun is unlikely to penetrate the cutting except late on a sunny evening. The same locomotive was on the same train on 16 January 2015 when I saw it a few miles further south at Budbrook when in a different colour scheme and before the embankment became too overgrown for photography.
	As soon as 4M55 had passed Hatton station 6E33 was released from the DGL and appeared a few minutes later at Hatton North Junction. This image just about shows the solitary ferrywagon at the back of the train and the 2 different types of flats forming most of the train.
	While 66709 with 6E33 from Kineton MOD to Hexthorpe was being released from Hatton Loop 66761 was climbing the bank against adverse signals with 6M26, the 08.50 Eastleigh to Stud Farm empty ballast train. It had been stopped at the signals just south of the station and was allowed to proceed when 66709 had passed Hatton North Junction. I was minded not to bother with a shot of this service but given that it was only moments away I hung on. To make a slightly different view I took this slightly unbalanced-looking image as my eye had been caught by the lichen growing on the trunk of the tree in the right foreground.
	The second train of 2019 to Long Marston ran on Wednesday 9th January when 66769 took a pair of bogie oil tanks from Cardiff Greenery to the site for, at a guess, deep cleaning. The first train of the year had run the previous day but I wasn't able to photograph it as I needed it to have been at least 20 minutes late leaving Worcester when it was actually about 40 early. The GBRf train left Worcester 25 early but bearing in mind the single track from Norton Junction to Evesham West Junction and an on-time down FGW service there was no way it was going to be more than a few minutes early leaving Norton. This was fortunate for me as I encountered 3 sets of temporary traffic lights and 2 diversions between Stratford-upon-Avon and Honeybourne! I wanted to try a shot from the far end of the newly extended up platform where I thought that there would be a clear patch in the undergrowth; just right for a short train such as 6Z31. The space was just right with a slightly wide-angle lens but once the vegetation has grown up in the Spring I doubt anything will be possible there. There was a return train, 4Z32 to Hams Hall, but I didn't feel like hanging about in the cold wind for what was likely to be no more than a few container flats.
	My first photographic outing of 2019 was a quick trip to Hatton for an image of 66504 taking 23 coal hoppers from Southampton to York. Coal trains were a very frequent sight on this line some years ago when Didcot Power Station burned that commodity but have become a rare sight; so much so that to see that one is running in 2019 means a shot is worthwhile even in horribly dull conditions. I needed ISO 1000 for this view of 66504 passing the platforms at Hatton station which I chose 1) because it's a recognisable spot and 2) I couldn't be bothered to walk up to Hatton North Junction in such poor light. The last time I saw coal wagons around here was on 17 May 2018 when 66524 worked 6V40 Barrow Hill to East Usk Yard which, in much better light, I photographed from the bridge at Shrewley, a mile or so north from Hatton.
	Four KXA awagons were due to be taken to Long Marston during the week commencing 31 December 2007. The train, from Crewe, ran very late and through the combination of a lack of paths on the Cotswold Line and darkness, which was considered unsafe at the unlit Long Marston facility, the wagons were stabled in the up refuge siding adjacent to Evesham signalbox. On 9 January 2008, 66406 was sent from Crewe to take the KXAs to Long Marston and to collect another rake which were to go to Carlisle. Here is the locomotive arriving ay Evesham just about on time at 12.45 with the driver being given instructions by the signaller. The plan was to run forward into the platform and then reverse into the sidings, couple up the wagons and then go to Long Marston, departing at 13.55.
	The first part of the exercise ran smoothly with 66406 running into the platform and the signaller setting the road for the siding. Unfortunately, he seemed to have difficulty in pulling off the ground signal and eventually, with an up passenger train waiting at the outer home signal the locomotive ran forward beyond the starter and then reversed into the down platform to allow the Adelante to come into the station. 0Z73 then went beyond the signal box and onto the single track towards Worcester before reversing yet again and going into the platform. This time, a Network Rail man clamped and scotched the points and after a bit of manual labour, the ground signal cleared. Here is 66406 leaving the main line and entering the siding. By this time, the weather had deteriorated and rain had just started to fall with a sudden increase in the strength of the wind.
	It didn't take long to couple 66406 to the KXAs but there did appear to be some problem with the brake connections as various hi-visibility jacketed men were walking up and down the down the train while the locomotive's compressor could clearly be heard working away. The sun made a brief appearance and I took the opportunity to take this shot, albeit not one with which I am especially happy, but it is very rare to see anything but on-track plant using this piece of line. The few of us watching proceedings from the nearby road thought that we might get the shot of 4Z73 departing in some decent light, but it seemed that both the locomotive and Network Rail crews were due a break and most of them went into the signalbox for a well-earned brew-up. In the meantime, their path to Long Marston had gone and an up HST came and went....
	The break became quite extended and I was beginning to wonder if the crew had found a problem with the train. However, all was well, and after some record shots had been taken by the crew, they joined the locomotive and moved away towards the station. Here is 66406 and 4Z73 scoring some rare track in the last remnants of brightness. None of these could be repeated as the siding was taken out of use when the North Cotswold Line was redoubled and and late in 2018 work to extend the up platform in Evesham station. This removed the site of the crossover. I have always thought that a refuge siding here, at the start/end of the single line section from Norton Junction, would be useful in case of failure or delay but it seems for now at least that the chance has gone.
	I had originally thought that the train consisted of flats similar to those used by Freightliner but was surprised to see the size and scale of these double-bogied vehicles. Click on this hyperlink for a closer look at the first vehicle in the train. It was no surprise to learn that the return working of another set of wagons from Long Marston, 4Z37 to Carlisle ran late and was observed by a friend on the 15.51 ex-Paddington just coming to a halt at Honeybourne Junction at 17.50. The delay increased mightily and the train passed Worcester Depot at 22.50 observed by another friend working there. There had been a crew change - to a blond lady driver who had come in a taxi from Crewe! Thanks to David Guy and Steve Widdowson for the additional information from Honeybourne and Worcester.
	It has been known for some time that the trackwork on the Long Marston branch has been a bit ropey, to say the least, and I've been keeping an eye open for any engineering trains scheduled to visit there. On Tuesday 11 December 2018 a Hinksey to Honeybourne was booked with a very user-friendly arrival time of 11.50. I had a gym class earlier in the morning (during which I saw two low-loaders taking class 319 trailers away from Long Marston) but had time to go home and collect my longest lens. This was needed because of the unforecast appearance of bright sunshine as I planned to go to Honeybourne station but knew that there would be a lot of shadow around at this time of year. I stopped briefly in Long Marston village to check on 6Y40's progress and saw that it had missed a lengthy stop at Charlbury (good old GWR timekeeping...) and was now 30 minutes early. There was still loads of time and I arrived well before 66585 + 66592 topping and tailing a very decent load came down from Moreton in Marsh. Before it could reverse, cross over and join the branch it had to wait while the the non-stop 1P27 from Great Malvern passed by. There is a short but steep gradient onto the branch and the sound of 66592 slipping a little as it lifted the heavy train up the bank was clear to the 3 of us taking photographs. The OTP also ready for use during the work is visible in Honeybourne sidings just above the autoballasters.
	Once 6Y40 had partly passed by it was stopped for the train crew to be given instructions by the ground crew waiting alongside the staff hut. This gave me time for a walk to the road bridge to take a more panoramic view of it moving away along the branch and have a close-up of one of the more unusual vehicles in the consist. This wasn't 66585's first visit to the branch as it took some box wagons for storage at Long Marston in January 2017 and it is clear to see that the rusty patch under the cab window hasn't seen any attention in the intervening period.
	One of the workings class 66 took over until class 67 became more widely available was the SERCO train. Here, 66027 is topping the train as it passes Evesham signal box and the remains of the inner home bracket signal on 1 April 2005 with 66030 on the rear of the train. This was the only patch of sun that appeared all day, the return working from Oxford being witnessed in extremely dull weather. This view of Evesham has changed dramatically in the years between 2005 and 2018 as can be seen from this recent scene.
	A train of wagons to be operated by GBRf was shown as running from Eastleigh to Hexthorpe Yard on Thursday 25 October 2018 with the headcode 6Z59. It didn't take a lot of imagination to work out that 59003 would provide the power but what was slighly less clear was whether or not it would run because it used the same path as 6M40, the Westbury to Stud Farm empty ballast hoppers. The latter was soon cancelled but in view of the very dull and cloudy afternoon I had decided not to bother. A text from a friend further south chnaged my mind when it became clear that 16 ex-Fastline coal hoppers was the load; something quite unusual along the GWR line from Leamington Spa to Birmingham. I left it very late to make the drive from Hatton to the Dark Lane overbridge and arrived just as a mapping app showed 6Z59 about to enter Hatton DGL. Despite the train travelling at walking pace while climbing through the loop an ISO setting of 800 was needed such was the light but no-one would want to take this shot on a sunny day with the sun being all wrong.
	After taking the shot shown above there was plenty of time to drive to Hatton station for another image as 59003 with 6Z99 passed the station. As this train was in the same path as 6M40 the reason for it being looped was the same; to allow Chiltern Railways' 1R37, the 14.10 from London Marylebone, to pass. As soon as 168218 had passed the points allowing egress from the loop were switched and 59003 soon appeared with the vandalised hoppers. A similar set of wagons was taken from Chaddesden to Long Marston which I photographed at Blackminster in April 2010, one of several such moves at that time.
	By the early part of October the shadows for a southbound shot at Hatton North Junction ared becoming a bit intrusive but it is just about possible to take a half-decent shot of 6O30, the Castle Bromwich to Southampton train of JLR vehicles. Here is 66087 with the usual impressively long train of open wagons and vans. I imagine that the higher value vehicles are in the better protected environment towards the back of the train.
	A pair of GBRF container trains has recently started to operate between Southampton and Hams Hall. The afternoon working is 4O69 and on Tuesday 9 October 2018 it ran, some 75 minutes late, with 66713 on the front. As I mentioned above the shot from the footbridge at Hatton North is becoming shadowed but a broadside view is available at a few points along the footpath away from the line. It was unfortunate that there were no containers on the front wagons as an extra splash of colour would have been welcome. The stock feeder in the left foreground is unlikely ever to be used; this has been a turf producing farm for many years. Just a few sections behond 66717 was palindromically numbered 66066 with 6X01, the Scunthorpe to Eastleigh train of long welded rail sections.
	One of the attractions of a sunny Autumn day is the deep shadows that are cast by the sun as becomes lower in the sky. This is demonstrated in this view of 59003 with 6M40, the Westbury to Cliffe Hill empty ballast wagon train as it passes Hatton North Junction on 9 October 2018. It seems to the fashion in some quarters to use the Shadows and Highlight Tool in Photoshop to such an extent that no truly deep black is visible. I was always taught that a full range of from 0 to 255 should be the aim to show fully in every digital image and not to bleach out blacks in shadowed areas. GWR Hall 4936 was coming this way but I didn't feel like hanging around for the thick end of an hour so left although I did see the kettle from my car shortly after the train had left Stratford.
	The Indian Summer of 2018 continued on 10 October 2018 so when a light engine move from Doncaster to Long Marston showed up on RTT a quick trip during the afternoon seemed to be in order. I arrived at the latter a few moments before 66717 and watched it run into the exchange and couple up to the 6 large box wagons in road 2 ready for the run to Hexthorpe Yard. This view was taken as the crew prepare to leave with 6E31, and with some varied stock visible in the yard, including some D Stock hopefully awaiting conversion to class 230 in one of its guises.
	There were several freight movements at Hatton North on 9 October 2018 and although I did photograph all of them the images from a single location can look a bit repetitive so edited highlights only... This shot of 66127 with 4M71, the 0947 Southampton Western Docks to Birch Coppice, is included because of the exhaust from the locomotive as it climbes the final few yards of Hatton Bank after leaving the Down Goods Loop to allow a couple of passenger trains to pass. The class 172 waiting at the signal is the 14.03 Stratford-upon-Avon to Stourbridge Junction, 2W80,formed of 172345.
	It takes quite a while for anything to traverse the length of the Long Marston branch at the moment so it was necessary to wait at Honeybourne while 6E31 picked its way over the rotting trackwork on the parts of the line. There was no prospect of the sun going anywhere as there wasn't a cloud to be seen ion the sky over Honeybourne station as 66717 moved towards a green signal giving it the road onto the down main line. The GBRf man in the background had come by road to operate the ground frame equipment and walked back to his vehicle. What a ridiculously disjointed railway we have at the moment. Someone has to drive from heaven knows where for a simple operation like this on a branch line backwater. The worst I have seen here was when a man had to drive from Woking to operate the equipment for both inward and outward moves and then drive home. It could have been worse; it might have been a taxi as is the case all too often.
	Whilst waiting for 1Q18 with 37025 + 37099 in charge at Croome Perry on 25 September 2018 I saw from an online mapping app that the Corby to Margam empty steel coil carriers was behind a red signal on the main line Abbotswood Junction. As soon as the test train had cleared the section 6V92 was released and soon appeared under the farm occupation bridge. Just a few minutes later the Berkeley to Crewe nuclear flask working, 6M56, came north and with a lineside tree in just the wrong place I simply stayed where I was and took this view as it went away towards Abbotswood Junction.
	A train I hadn't photographed before 25 September 2018 was 6V50, the 13.04 Burton-on-Trent to Cardiff Tidal. This is of interest largely because it utilises ex-MOD ferrywagons thus making for a relatively rare sight on the line through Croome Perry. It ran about 60 minutes early from Cofton Junction which was handy because there was no way that I would have waited for an on-time arrival! It was held for a few minutes in Stoke Works loop to allow a couple of passenger trains to pass but after that had a clear run. Here is 66024 with its vans in an interesting colour scheme no doubt applied by brain-dead vandals in a yard somewhere or other.
	One of the occasional Longtown MOD to Fenny Compton MOD trains ran on Wednesday 5 September 2019. I had been meaning to to go for a shot of one so with the times of 3F04 being convenient went to Hatton road bridge. I had seen from a mapping app that the train headed by 66131 was likely to escape from the Birmingham area early and even though there was a chance that it might be held to time in Dorridge loop I went in plenty of time. This was a good job as the app showed it passing Lapworth, about 3 minutes north of Hatton, as I arrived on location. MOD traffic can carry a huge range of different wagons and although today's wasn't the most inspiring I have seen the combination of 4 wheel open trucks and containers made for an interesting contrast.
	I had a message during the morning of Monday 11 June saying that 59003 was working 6M40, the Westbury to Stud Farm empty stone hoppers. This was well worth a shot so I went to one of the very few remaining northbound locations on the Leamington Spa to Birmingham line, Hatton North. The first freight to pass was 4E18, the 09.47 Fairwater Yard to Doncaster Wood Yard train conveying new concrete sleepers. This train is often used to move spare Freightliner locomotives around the system but on this occasion just one, 66531, was in use. It's notable that this was the engine used for the first train to Long Marston after the branch from Honeybourne had seen no traffic for several years. This ran on 16 September 2005 when some Virgin coaches and DVTs were taken for storage.
	One of the regular runners on the line through Hatton North Junction is the 11.56 Westbury to Stud Farm stone empties, 6M40. This is invariably a GBRf class 66 job but this habit was changed on 11 June 2018 when 59003 was allocated. The light was good during the afternoon and the sun had just about dropped enough for a decent shot; it being much too high and harsh between about 11am and 3pm at this time for a good result even if it is on the front... The empty stone hoppers are booked into Hatton DGL for about 10 minutes but because of a Chiltern service running 2 minutes late it was 3 minutes leaving. I could hear 59003 working hard after leaving the loop mand passing through Hatton station but it was accelerating well as it came towards North Junction.
	Coal trains have been a very rare commodity of the GWR line from Tyseley to Leamington Spa in recent years. On the morning of 17 May 2018 I had a mesdage from a friend saying that a Freightliner locomotive was in charge of a 6V40 Barrow Hill to East Usk Yard and was due at Hatton at 11.50. I changed my plans so as to be able to take a photograph of this unusual working and decided to go to the hight bridge at Shrewley, just to the north of Hatton North Junction. The train, which had originated at York on the previous day and had been recessed overnight at Barrow Hill, was running about 20 minutes late but this wasn't a bad thing because 4M55 hauled by 66516 was in Hatton DGL and was a candidate for blocking out the view of an up train. All was well however and 6V40 came around the bend surrounded by Spring greenery and a healthy sprinkling of hawthorn blossom. Talking of flowers, this iris was growing on the narrow grass verge alongside the bridge.
	The engineering work on the Long Marston branch continued over 2 and 3 May 2018 with another 6X04 from Fairwater Yard on the Tuesday afternoon. Knowing that a lot of vegetation had been removed from the North Cotswold Line I went, in hope, to a spot near Mickleton where a clear shot would be available. The location had seen significant clearance work and I was hopeful of a decent outcome at shortly before 20.00. Running in front of 6X04 was 1W36, the 17.52 Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill which was 2 or 3 minutes late when it passed me formed of 165109.
	The shadows at Mickleton were becoming a bit intrusive on 2 May 2018 as I was waiting for 6X04, the 13.45 from Fairwater Yard to Honeybourne North Junction. The preceding passenger service didn't help matters by being 2 or 3 minutes late as the sun was sinking rapidly and the remaining lineside bushes' shadows were encroaching on the line. Nonetheless, freight of any description is as "rare as the stars upon a clouded night" (Louise Morgan Sill) along the North Cotswold Line south of Honeybourne so to take an image in mostly decent light was more than welcome. The locomotives were 66543 and 66526, the same as Monday's run and the train's consist looks to be much the same.
	The first of the infrastructure trains to the Long Marston branch was 6X04 from Fairwater Yard at Taunton which ran during the afternoon of 30 April 2018. The arrival time at Honeybourne wa 19.52 and as the weather had improved from the poor forecast earlier in the week I had my second drive of the day across there for a shot. The sky had been consistently cloudy albeit with decent light levels and this was just the job for this time of time of day. Unfortunately, the sun dropped out of the cloud a few minutes before 66543 and 66526 appeared by which time it was too late to go to an alternative location a couple of miles further down the line where the sun would have perfect. That being so I went for a head-on view to minimize the impact of the sun's angle and compromised the composition a little to include the belt of dark cloud which I thought made for a better picture. The track machines were at the back of the train, these I think being the devices used for laying the new track.
	On 2 May 2018, the day following the date of the shots shown above, I had a drive around the Long Marston and Honeybourne in my Morris Minor and took just a compact camera in case anything was around. I stopped at the roadbridge at Long Marston and could hear ballast being moved around with shovels. This shot shows a p-way gang levelling the ballast prior to tamping. Most of the branch is well away from roads so my next visit was to Honeybourne where a short ballast train, 6Y05 I think, was standing at the end of the possession. My compact's zoom was at full stretch and some cropping was done in post-processing to achieve this poor result showing 66507 and 66528 waiting for permission to return to Westbury. This was at about 11.30 and as far as I know the train didn't move until 16.00. The train booked for later in the day was cancelled as was that the next morning. Whether anything will run is at the moment unknown...
	Thursday 19 April 2018 was a perfect warm and sunny day and with the prospect of several freights over the line through Hatton a trip to the North Junction there was in order. This is the only location in the area with a two-way shot even worth the thought although the view for a down train is better for an up working. First along was 66082 with 6O30, the very lengthy Castle Bromwich Jaguar to Southampton, a train always worthy of an image because of the good load and different wagons in use. It is seen here about to pass under the footbridge at Hatton North Junction with the covered wagons at the back still under the road bridge at Shrewley.
	No more than a minute so after 66082 had gone south at Hatton North on 19 April 2018 66777 came in the opposite direction with 6M40, the 11.56 Westbury to Stud Farm empty boxes, running about 12 minutes early after missing the booked stop in Hatton DGL. Some white stone dust is visible on the locomotive's roof; clearly a legacy of the loading point for the full load the previous night. Some signs of Spring foliage are beginning to appear in the background and this will soon become reminiscent of a green tunnel given the unchecked growth around here.
	Another regular southbound runner was next along, this being 66047 with the loaded rail train from Scunthorpe to Eastleigh, 6X01, on this occasion just a short formation. This is probably the best time of year for this view as the background is still relatively clear, a situation which will change once the trees are in full leaf.
	A recent addition to the Hatton WTT is 6E45 from Theale to Immingham discharged oil tanks. This is generally run on Wednesday and has recently produced 3 of GBRf's "celebrity" or locomotives in a non-standard colour scheme. This week however the train ran a day later on 19 April 2018 and had 66724 provoding the power. The train left Theale 81 minutes late but by missing out booked stops in a couple of loops was just 34 minutes behind schedule. Despite several attempts this is my first shot of 6E45 in decent light and I opted for a fairly wide view to show a bit of the Hatton landscape. The train is routed this way for only a few more weeks until engineering work on the Midland Main Line is completed so it's been worth getting a few in the bag.
	Another Wednesday and another of GBRf's non-standard liveried class 66s on the Theale to Immingham empty oil tanks, 6E45, once again diverted via Oxford and Hatton. This time on 4 April 2018 it was 66783 (previously DBC's 66058, once a Lickey Banker) which has been adorned with a bright orange colour and named The Flying Dustman to mark GBRf's associatiion with Biffa, the waste management company. No over-the-top transatlantic political correctness with the name here, thank goodness; The Flying Refuse Collection and Disposal Operative wouldn't have had quite the same effect. I had intended to take my image as 6E45 climbed Hatton Bank on the DGL but late running made it obvious that the booked layovers at Fenny Compton and Hatton wouldn't happen so I went to Hatton station to get a decent background given that it looked unlikely that sun would be out. As it happened it looked as if it might have been sunny at Hatton North but I didn't feel like yet another walk across the gooey and muddy footpath from the canal towpath.
	Thanks to a tip-off from a friend during the morning of 29 March 2018 I saw from RTT that 6E45, the Theale to Immingham empty oil tanks was running under a VAR schedule via Oxford and Hatton instead of its usual Midland Main Line route. I like to get shots of these workings especially as there are currently no regular oil trans on the Hatton line, at least in daylight. So, over to Hatton North Junction where I arrived just in time to take an image of 66594 leading 66538 on 4E18, the Fairwater Yard to Doncaster rail infrastructure train. This service often seems to have more than one locomotive working it and I assume that it is a convenient way for Freightliner to move spare resources without the expense of a light engine path.
	Just a couple of minutes after 4E18 as shown above had passed Hatton North Junction on 28 March 2018 a southbound freight appeared. This was 66087 in charge of 6O30 from Castle Bromwich JLR to Southampton Docks and as usual this was an impressively long train with the wagons easily spanning the distance between the road bridge at Shrewley and the foot bridge at Hatton North. Although the sun had appeared just before 6O30 there was quite a strong and cold wind blowing light hail straight into the camera lens.
	The next freight at Hatton North on the unusually busy afternoon of 28 March 2018 had followed 4E18 quite closely from Banbury to Budbrook Junction where it was turned into the DGL. This was, of course, 6M40 the 11.56 Westbury to Cliffe empty ballast boxes. I didn't know which GBRf class 66 was hauling this until 66723 appeared carrying its distinctive livery including the Royal Airforce Standard, the aircraft number ZA from the Chinook fleet and the view of a Chinook twin-rotor helicopter, all to commemorate the 100th anniversaryof the RAF in 2018. With the accompanying dark sky and strong sun this was easily my favourite image of the day despite what was approaching from the south. My previous shot of 66723 on this line was a little different; it was taken on 8 July 2014 and shows the rescue from Banbury of 7X10 when one or more of the usual class 20s failed.
	GBRf is well known for not sticking dogmatically to the corporate colour scheme on its class 66s and one of the latest to receive something different is 66789. This used to be operated by DBC under the number 66250 but has been repainted into a slightly updated version on the BR large logo livery to mark the 70th anniversary of British Rail. I'm not sure if I like the look of it but it's always worth a getting a shot of something new while still reasonably clean even though the sun failed to cooperate; the train would have needed to be either 30 minutes late or early for that to have happened. Anyway, the main point of interest is that this picture shows 6E45, running on a VAR schedule, an oil train on the GWR line north of Leamington Spa, a rare event these days. The usual route is along the Midland Main Line although a Saturday path via Oxford and Hatton is occasionally used. I imagine that the diversion is used to maintain drivers' route knowledge for when diversions are necessary.
	Some sunshine and 2 freights in relatively quick succession tempted into a drive to Hatton on Thursday 15 February 2018. The first train I expected was 6O30, the 14.27 from Castle Bromwich Jaguar to Southampton, and on checking an mapping app saw that it had nearly an hour early and was at St. Andrews Junction. I left home straight away and after a quick journey arrived to find that it was in Small Heath South Loop and seemed likely to wait until the booked time. A few minutes later 6X01 passed it and headed south only to end up in Dorridge Loop so I stayed in my car to see what happened and when. The car train left the loop at Small Heath and had an uninterrupted run allowing to stay out of the wind until it passed Lapworth. Not a shot for "sun on the front" brigade and with more than enough shadows 66200 approaches Hatton station with its very long train of open wagons together with what appeared to be a full set of covered vans tagged onto the back. This is one of the longest trains on this line and rivals a diverted Wembley to Longbridge service which I photographed at Whitnash on 24 March 1994behind 47326.
	I was in two minds on 15 February 2018 about whether to wait for about 20 minutes at Hatton for 6X01 after photographing 6O30 as shown above and in retrospect probably shouldn't have. The shadows were a bit over the top and 66139's train wasn't a very interesting short load of rail carriers en-route from Scunthorpe to Eastleigh.
	An infrequently running freight and one that I hadn't previously photographed is 4E18, the Freightliner operated 09.47 from Fairwater (Taunton) Yard to Doncaster engineering service. I saw that it running on 7 February 2018 and from a message, one of very few these days, posted onto an email site had noted that it was triple-headed. It had left Taunton the best part of an hour late but there are a couple of waits booked in loops and by missing out the one scheduled for Banbury was close to right time by Leamington Spa. I watched 4E18 entger Hatton DGL on a mapping app and then leave a few minutes later just as the sun came out of a patch of cloud and took this as my cue to move from the footbridge to the field. The heavy train, not made any lighter by the presence of 2 dead class 66s, seemed to take ages to reach Hatton North Junction and to be honest I should have preferred just a single locomotive so as to have been able to see more of the train. I'm not interested in recording locomotive numbers but the leading 2 are 66559 and 66596; I couldn't quite make out the third from the RAW(NEF) image.
	I had my second pop at 6O30 from Castle Bromwich to Southampton on Wednesday 8 February 2018 whilst at Hatton North Junction. This isn't the best location for a southbound train in early February given the height of the lineside trees but decent 2 way spots on this line are few and far between and I had a few northbound workings in mind. On this occasion it was a huge train with open wagons and several covered blue vans on the back, all hauled by 66055. The class 172 on the down line had just left Hatton North Junction after travelling from Stratford-upon-Avon on its way to Stourbridge Junction. Some would object to its presence but I find it unobtrusive and adds a little railway interest to the scene.
	Just as 4E18 was leaving Hatton DGL 6M40 from Westbury to Stud Farm with 66720 in charge was being sidelined to allow a couple of passenger trains to pass. The light levels had dived by the time it was released as a large block of cloud which had been approaching from the North-West reached the sun. The last time I saw 66720 was on the same train but when diverted to run via the Gloucester to Birmingham line on 12 August 2017 in better light than today.
	A train appeared in the working timetable in 2017 that, as far as I am aware, ran for the first time on 5 February 2018. I didn't notice this until it was too late but saw that it was due to run the following day so kept it mind to check at the departure time. The working in question was 6O30, the 14.27 from Castle Bromwich Jaguar to Southampton Eastern Docks, conveying JLR's automotive products for export. The light was dreadful on my arrival at Hatton but it's always good to get a shot of a new working in the bag in case it doesn't run again. It was few minutes late passing Bordesley Junction but was close to right time by the time it reached me with 66055 providing the power. The DBS colour scheme isn't my favourite but it is quite handy in the dark. I was expecting some form of covered wagon given the high retail value of the SUVs being conveyed so was mildly surprised to see the open flats in use on this occasion.
	There was a railgrinder move from Okehampton to Derby on Saturday 13 January 2017 involving 50008 and 56104. I quite liked the idea of an shot of that so went to Stoke Prior near Bromsgrove. Things didn't run smoothly for 4Z03 and first along was 66018 with 6V93, the Saturday vesiion of 6V92, the Corby to Margam empty steel train. On such a dull afternoon it was something of a relief to see newly(ish) liveried 66018 coming around the curve from Bromsgrove.
	Another VSTP for Long Marston was showing on RTT on the morning of 12 October 2017. This time it was a 6Z27 from Lindsey Oil Refinery and it seemed likely that some oil tanks were being taken for either storage or for purging prior to scrapping. There were no reports of sightings that I saw so had no idea what length of train that 66040 would be hauling; experience has shown that anything between 1 and 30 vehicles can turn up on this type of working. The weather was sunny after a misty start but I knew that there would be a lot of shadows across the line near the road bridge so took a long lens whch would allow a shot avoiding the worst of them and which would also compress the perspective and show the attractive Autumnal colours off to their best advantage. The train ran close to right time from a short layover at Worcester and was 2 or 3 minutes early when 66040 came into view on the final half-mile or so of the branch with its long set of TEAs and TDAs in tow.
	One of the things I like about Long Marston is the frequent opportunity to photograph something unusual along with the intended target. On 12 October 2017 a single driving car of a former 3 vehicle DMMU in Network Rail yellow was running around the circuit and happened to present itself in just the right spot as 66040 with 6Z27 from Lindsey was waiting for the gate to be opened. It looked as if there were several devices on the roof of the unit and although I have no real idea about what they might be they did look a bit like GPS receivers. In this picture the unit looks slightly unsharp and this is a result of passing behind the heat haze and exhaust from 66040.
	A quick trip to Hatton for just the one shot on Tuesday 19 September 2017. The train in question was a 5Z44 10.00 Burton-on-Trent Wetmore Sidings to Eastleigh with an unknown locomotive taking an unspecified load for unknown reasons. As usual no-one who saw 5Z44 between Burton and Hatton bothered to post so it was just like the old days before mobile communications made everything easier. It was therefore a pleasant enough surprise when what seemed to be a freshly painted 66055, complete with supplementary headlight for when in use as a Lickey banker, came around the curve from Hatton North Junction with its modest load. The contrasting colour schemes carried by the coaches represented 2 of the liveries carries by locomotive-hauled stock which were commonplace on this line in times past. I have little knowledge of coaches but the chocolate and cream example leading seems to have an exhaust port in the roof so may carry a generator for ETH supply while the other looks scruffy enough to be privately owned and used as a support coach for steam specials.
	Monday 28 August 2017, a Bank Holiday, was for once a hot and sunny day. There were a few trains about on the Birmingham to Gloucester line, the first of which was the DIRFT to Wentloog "Tesco Express" running in the later afternoon path. I didn't get this largely because of early running which I saw on the online systems from home so didn't go out. Another freight I was keen to photograph was 6V35, the 12.20 Bescot to Avonmouth empty cement tanks, again running in a different path from the inconvenient, for me, one around 17.30. Today's schedule had it passing Abbotswood Junction at 14.18 and with sun looking guaranteed I went to the bridge at Croome Perry. There wasn't long to wait before 66167 appeared coming through the wood with its distinctive Hanson branded silver tanks in tow. The pony in the field to the right of the railway is a long-term resident there but this year is almost dwarfed by the vegetation in his domain.
	The 10.21 Corby to Margam empty steel coil carriers, 6V92, isn't one of the most photogenic trains on the network with its load of rust brown wagons although on 28 August 2017 the 2nd wagon was slightly different to the others in the consist. The train, headed by 66051, is booked to pass Abbotswood Junction at 14.32 and was a minute or so early when it came out of the shadows of Croome Perry wood on 28 August 2017.
	A Freightliner service, 4O90 from Leeds to Southampton ran not far behind the class 47 hauled additional to Marylebone and a wait of a few was worthwhile as the sun seemed to be picking up a little by then. The locomotive was 66556 pulling a fully loaded train, unlike another occasion recently when just a single container was carried. I didn't take a shot of that one...
	Trains of oil tanks are a rare sight on the GWR line between Leamington Spa and Birmingham and those with GBRf power even more unusual. There is just one timetabled and even this is an infrequent runner. The working in question is 6E45, the 13.30 from Theale to Immingham empty tanks which runs SO as required. To the best of my knowledge it has run only twice this summer and I didn't know about the first until it was too late because I didn't check RTT. The second working was on Saturday 19 August 2017 when 66712 was scheduled and I had checked on its running earlier in the day. It ran close to right time all the way and although the forecast sun didn't materialise a drive to Hatton North Junction was well worth the effort just in case it doesn't run again before the clocks go back by an hour in September.
	The third and possibly final train of TTA tanks from Fawley ran to Long Marston on Thursday 10 August 2017 after being taken from Hampshire to Bescot on the previous day. I was keen to take a shot of this as I had missed the 2nd run by no more than 10 seconds thanks to agricultural vehicles on a B road and a lengthy traffic light stop in Bidford on Avon. I went to Evesham so as to obtain a reasonably wide shot showing the tanks which, after all, are the reason for the train so a head-on shot seemed pointless. Because of largely unchecked lineside vegetation there are few decent locations on the North Cotswold LIne at the moment so Briar Close seemed the best bet. The train, 6Z30, headed by 66167 ran close to right time throughout but as usual picked up just over 10 minutes after leaving Worcester Traffic Centre.
	The TTA tanks that ran from Fawley to Bescot on 19 July 2017 were combined with another rake of similar vehicles which had arrived from Alexandra Dock Junction and were taken to Long Marston the following day. Just after arriving at Honeybourne to photograph 6Z30 headed by 66116 one of the others present noticed a barn owl flying close to the branch platform. It's unusual to see these birds in daylight and I can only assume that last night's rain had made hunting difficult and that some juveniles needed food. It landed close to the track but the combination of dense undergrowth and my not having a long lens with me made a decent image tricky and this was the best I could do until 6Z30 came onto the branch and pushed it towards the camera. For anyone interested the conventional view of the train is here. I did drop in at Long Marston on the way home but there was no sign of 6Z30 and I think that it may have been delayed by the lack of a Network Rail man in a van to take the staff for the single line out of the staff hut and conduct the train to its destination. There was another working along the line later in the day with 37884 taking 2 319s but this seemed to be no more than a severe case of deja-vu so I stayed at home.
	The GWR line between Leamington Spa and Birmingham sees little variety in its freight traffic in 2017 with the majority being container and infrastructure trains. On Wednesday 19 July 2017 a train of TTA oil tanks was to be moved from Fawley to Bescot where there were due to be staged overnight before going to Long Marston where any remaining oil will be purged to allow for them to scrapped without the danger of fire or explosion. This type of load is rare on the line so I went to Hatton North Junction where a decent views of the tanks can be had from the footbridge. The train, 6Z29 hauled by 66125, left Fawley 60 minutes late but managed to make up most of the deficit and passed me about 15 minutes late. It was booked to go into Hatton Down Goods Loop but even had it been on time it would not have done so as the loop is currently out of use and I imagine that it would have used either Fenny Compton or Dorridge loop too allow a CrossCountry service to pass. The weather was poor with a drizzly rain just starting to fall but the rarity value made the shot worthwhile.
	Normal service at Long Marston was resumed on Saturday 24 June 2017 with the running of a 6Z27 from Immingham Sorting Sidings. The train, led by 66140, consisted of about 15 bogie tank wagons destined either for storage or maintenance all of which left Immingham about 2 hours late. Arrival at its destination was down on the schedule by 75 minutes or so, arrivng at a convenient time for me as it fitted in nicely with some organ playing I had to do at nearby Welford-on-Avon at about 11.30. The light was improving after a dull start to the day but the sun was still quite weak as 6Z27 became audible as it ran along the branch from Honeybourne. There was no return load and 66140 went back to Immingham light engine later in the morning.
	The amount of freight along the Birmingham to Gloucester line is probably at an all time low with just a handful of workings during daylight hours. One reasonably reliable train is the Corby to Margam empty steel carriers, 6V92, although even this runs less frequently than in previous years. It ran on 31 May 2017 and passed Defford close to right time with 66165 in charge.
	There were 2 trains of interest to me on the Birmingham to Gloucester during the afternoon of Saturday 13 May 2017. The first was 6W09, the 14.22 Bescot to Llanharan, a shortish set of what I take to be autoballasters which I chose to photograph at Defford as a 2 way location was needed on this occasion. The train was booked to sit in Abbotswood loop for a while to allow a passenger train or two to pass but despite this it was 9 minutes early when it came around the curve with 66174 in charge. It was lucky that the sun was out for this image as a large bank of cloud was building up from the South-West which boded ill for the other workibg I was after a few minutes later.
	Wednesday 10 May 2017 was a sunny day and there was at one stage an evening train scheduled from Wolverton to Long Marston conveying a class 319 unit for storage. This was cancelled so rather than waste the sunshine I went to Hatton North Junction for a couple of northbound trains; nothing special but the only time that I bother with routine workings is when the light is good. My first shot was of 168002 on 1G43 from Marylebone to Birmingham followed by the only freight that one is likely to see at this time, 4M52 from Southampton to Castle Bromwich, the empty car carriers hauled on this occasion by 66122.
	A light engine ran from Immingham Sorting Sidings to Long Marston on Tuesday 25 April 2017 with a loaded return showing to Lindsey Oil Refinery. No great brain power was needed to work out that the train would consist of oil tanks but the size of the train was a different matter as on many occasions only a single vehicle was due to be moved; not an especially interesting prospect. I arrived just before 66037 came into sight on the branch from Honeybourne and noted that a long rake of TEAs and TDAs was in No. 2 road so it seemed likely that this was the train to form 6Z28. The gates were still closed but a Long Marston shunter was on the way around the loop with a single ICA which it took to back of the consist and tacked onto the back.
	The gate was soon opened and 66037 was coupled onto the tanks. A crew member walked the length of the checking that the handbrakes were released while an air brake test was carried out by the driver. Quite a variety of stock is visible in this long lens view including several lines of ex-underground stock some of which will hopefully be converted into class 230 DMUs or one of the varieties thereof planned by Vivarail. On the other hand what the future holds for some of the freight wagons, including steel "hoods" is probably less secure with just the scrappers torch awaiting them. As soon as the brake and other checks were completed 6Z28 was free to move out of the Long Marston site and onto the branch. The sun just managed to miss this movement and with the sky looking very doubtful in the Honeybourne direction I headed for home.
	Bank and public holidays often have scheduled engineering work on the railways and these sometimes cause the diversion of freight services. On Good Friday, 14th April 2017, the Exeter Riverside to Bescot loaded china clay train was diverted from its usual route via the Lickey incline and ran via Oxford, Leamington Spa and Solihull. I like to record these occasional workings so went to Hatton station to take an image of 6M60 with a suitable background to identify the ususual nature of the train. It ran early for most of the journey and is seen here as it passed the platforms at Hatton at no more than 15mph having almost finished climbing the average gradient of 1/100 of Hatton Bank. The locomotive was nicely grubby and the early Spring blossom in the nearby foliage lifts the scene a little on a very dull morning.
	During the late morning of Thursday 6 April 2017 I saw a message suggesting that 4V38, the daily DIRFT to Wentloog "Tesco Express", may have failed in the Washwood Heath area. I checked a few online sites and saw that an 0V38 was on the Sutton Park line although there was no clue to the identity of what was clearly a rescue locomotive. I had a vague hope that something other than a class 66 from DRS's vast and under-utilised trainset, perhaps even a 68, might have been allocated so had a trip over to Croome Perry near Pershore. On arrival I saw that 4V38 was nearing Kings Norton some 220 minutes late which didn't leave too long a wait. It was at 13.49 that the train appeared with 66403, looking newly painted, dragging 66423 and the usual set of wagons. The leading locomotive was one of those originally operated by Fastline Rail which I photographed on 6 December 2008 at a shadowy Hatton North Junction as it operated 6M90 from Avonmouth to Ratcliffe Power Station hoppers of biomass.
	Thursday 9 March 2017 was the first sunny day for what seemed like ages and with 3 freights running relatively close together I spent part of the afternoon at Hatton North Junction. The first to come was 6M40, the 11.56 Westbury to Stud Farm empty ballast wagons, hauled on this occasion by 66778. It was 20 minutes late at Fenny Compton but because of this avoided its booked wait in Hatton DGL and so passed me, and 172336 waiting to join the main line from the Stratford-upon-Avon branch 18 minutes early.
	The view looking north from the footbridge at Hatton North is a little shadowy at this time of the year, 9 March 2017 but by using the shadow some decent results can be had. For this shot of 66118 with the 10.17 Scunthorpe to Eastleigh rails, 6X01, I included the gnarly oak tree while a silhouette of it before foliage appears is possible. I have avoided any temptation to make the image look contrived by bleaching out the shadows by misuse of the shadows and highlights tool; it's better to use what's there as a prop to show the actual scene on the day in my view.
	A additional train running as a short term plan has been serving the stone terminal at Banbury in recent weeks. As the usual train runs in the late morning a shot of it on a sunny day is tricky given that the sun would be shining on the tail-lamp! The STP working is booked at Hatton North at 16.15 so given the pleasant weather on 9 March 2017 I went for a pop at it. The train uses the same headcode, 6M31, as the one in the earlier path but I noticed before departure that is had changed to to 4M31 denoting that it would be able to run at up to 75mph. Because of a late departure it was held in Fenny Compton loop to allow 2 passenger trains to pass but because of this didn't go into Hatton DGL so was close to right time as it rounded the curve from Hatton station. I was expecting a Self Discharge Train and even the fact that it was running as a class 4 didn't register with me so I was mildly surprised to see this rake of grey box wagons behind 66083.
	I was going to Hatton North Junction for a shot of 37608 when a friend let me know that an earlier train, the 09.29 Southampton to Garston freightliner, 4M28, was double-headed by 66416 and 70016. Images of this sort of thing are always worthwhile so I drove over a little earlier and arrived with a few minutes to spare before it arrived. A previous shot of 66416 double-heading a class 70 was arguably more interesting when I saw it in February 2012 a little way south of today's location.
	Trains ran from Crewe to Long Marston both on 10 & 11 January 2017. The first which I was unable to photograph was 66513 with some large box wagons and the second 66585 with another set of JXAs. The booked arrival time for 6Z65 was around 10.00 but guessing that it could easily be 15 minutes early even after a right-time passing of Evesham I left home with time on hand. I had planned to go to foot crossing on the Broad Marston Road but paused for a look over the bridge at Long Marston and heard a horn just around the corner so stopped and had to make do with this slightly shadowed shot as 66585 arrived. There was a second train shown as running here later in the day with an after-dark arrival time of about 17.00. On the face of it this was of some interest being Colas Rail's 60002 with a load from Immingham but reports said that it was no more than a single ICA wagon being moved. Even in strong light I doubt that I would have bothered with covering such a short formation; one surely not worth the expense of running at all bearing in mind that there was no return load and that the locomotive was heading light engine to Washwood Heath.
	The locomotive that had run light from Bescot, 66148, arrived and was soon coupled to the set of 5 oil tanks at Long Marston on 29 November 2016. As soon as a brake test had been carried out it left an hour early and running as 6Z16 back to Bescot. The undergrowth here is becoming intrusive even in the winter but at least there is some colour from the myriad of berries on the bushes. Old and superstitious country lore would have us believe that this is a portent to a hard winter. Absolute nonsense of course, it is the result of a favourable Spring and a good growing season allowing the bushes to fruit prolifically.
	Following the departure from Long Marston of 66148 with 6Z16 on 29 November 2016 I had a drive over to Honeybourne and walked onto the road bridge to await the train's arival. It wasn't many minutes before it came along the branch where the crew did the business with the single line token and moved towards Honeybourne station. The shadows from both the lineside hedges and the new housing estate were just about clear of the tracks and allowed a view of the blue tank on the back of the consist which, as the NR crewman told me a few minutes later, is one that was severely damaged at Kingsbury but has been repaired and making its first trip on this occasion.
	After problems with class 56s on Cotswold LIne RHTT trains earlier in the week commencing 6 November 2016 when wheelflats on 56078 and power delivery trouble with hired-in 56104, Freightliner came to the rescue in the form of 66513 + 66523. Their first working was 3S33 on 9 November 2016 from Gloucester Horton Road to Swindon, Worcester Shrub Hill, Moreton in Marsh and back to Worcester and Gloucester. The weather was atrocious in Stratford-upon-Avon but cleared a little during the drive to Evesham station where on arrival I found that there were problems with FGW passenger trains with 2 cancellations and an STP, 1Z12, from Oxford to Worcester Foregate Street replacing a Paddington to Great Malvern. This ran late and caused some 20 minutes delay to 3S33. The deficit was reduced to 16 minutes when 66513 came through the station passing the well-tended garden adjacent to the up side platform.
	Once 3S33 was on its way to Moreton on Marsh I left Evesham and went to Honeybourne where, on checking RTT, saw that it reversed quite quickly and left 1 minute early. I arrived on the road bridge with about 3 minutes to spare and decided on a wide view of the line so as to include as much Autumnal colour as possible despite the poor light. Now with 66523 leading and adding to the surrounding wetness 3S33 runs alongside the Long Marston branch just before passing through Honeybourne station. I noticed later that the train reversed at Norton Junction rather than run to Worcester Traffic Centre and thus converted a 3 minute deficit to being 3 minutes early when it ran into Ashchurch loop for the booked pathing stop.
	Tuesday 18 October 2016 saw a second rake of TEA tanks taken for storage from Cardiff Greenergy to Long Marston. I wasn't able to to get out for the first movement but was free for this move so went to Honeybourne in the hope that the mostly blue sky would remain to enable a sunny shot to be taken. The train, 6E33, was hauled by GBRf's 66767 left South Wales about 45 minutes late but was close to right time when it appeared crossing over from the up main line to the Long Marston branch. The sun, unfortunately, was behind some thick cloud at the crucial moment and frustratingly came out as 6E33 waited for the ground crew to arrive and join the train for the run along the branch.
	I didn't rush away from Honeybourne after photographing 66767 join the Long Marston branch but hung around for a while having a chat before walking the few hundred yards back to my car needed after finding the station car park full to overflowing. As I approached the road bridge at Long Marston it was clear that 6E33 hadn't arrived so I parked on the roadside and wandered to the bridge. The lighting was a challenge to say the least as the sky had now cleared but I quite like the impressionistic result which makes most of the tanks appear silver. They were actually quite colourful as this view of the first TEAs show as the train waits for permission to enter the site.
	The stock from the recent "GBRf 15" 4 day charter was returned to Burton-on-Trent's Wetmore Sidings on Monday 12 September 2016. In direct contrast to the ECS before the tour which used 2 of the oldest locomotives on the network today's train was hauled by the newest, GBRf's 66779 Evening Star, the last of the class to be imported into the UK. This was marked by it being finished in the attractive BR-style green as used on the steam locomotive of the same name. The light was poor when I left home for Hatton North Junction but some breaks did begin to appear during the walk to the footbridge. A time deficit of some 30 minutes before Didcot was made up and 5Z15 was close to right time when it appeared on the curve from Hatton station and, remarkably, a clear patch of sky appeared at just the right moment. I am probably alone in this opinion but I feel that the mixed stock behind 66779 enhances the scene, especially the Anglian liveried first coach.
	The first freight I photographed at Defford on 12 August 2016 was 6V07, the 14.27 Round Oak to Margam empty steel carriers. This had left Round Oak 26 minutes early but given the extensive passenger service on the Stourbridge Junctiion line this was reduced to 5 minutes by the time it was allowed to leave Kingswinford Junction and it was just 2 minutes early when it passed me. Some cloud was floating around as the train went though Abbotswood Junction but by the time 66082 came under the road bridge in the background a clear sky was the order of the day.
	Running just 4 minutes behind 6V07 at Defford on 12 August 2016 was the 10.15 Scunthorpe to Eastleigh rail train today running as 6O01 rather the the usual 6X01. This train was diverted from its usual route via Solihull, Leamington Spa and Oxford because of flood alleviation works behind carried out around Hinksey Yard. It was quite a long train today with a rail-borne crane, just about visible in the background, bringing up the rear.
	This train is the real reason I made my second visit, on 12 August 2016 to Defford in 2 days. It is 6M40 from Westbury to Stud Farm diverted for the final time (unless things go horribly wrong...) from the Oxford and Leamington Spa line because of engineering works at Oxford and with the sun being almost guaranteed thought another shot of 66720 was worth the trip. I went on the previous day because previous experience has shown that 6M40 doesn't always run on Fridays and I had wanted to get at least a record shot of it on the Gloucester line. Once again, as soon as the Eastleigh-bound rail train had gone south the headlight on 66720 was visible in the distance which gave me a couple of minutes to cross the road and set up the shot. This location is one of the few in the area where a decent view in both directions is possible; the northbound view being particularly attractive with the backdrop of Bredon Hill dominating the scene.
	During August 2016 the line between Leamington Spa and Didcot has seen considerable disruption because of engineering possessions at Banbury and Oxford. As is inevitable these days, instead of interesting diversions being put in place, passenger trains were replaced by buses for part of the journey. Freight services were diverted and several were booked to run along the Gloucester to Birmingham line instead of their usual route. One of these was 6X01, the 10.16 Scunthorpe to Eastleigh, conveying new rails. I had been waiting for a decently sunny afternoon which was convenient for me but by Thursday 11 August 2016 I hadn't been out for this and one other train so went to Defford despite the poor light. On this occasion the train, hauled by 66027. was quite short but at least fitted nicely between the 2 bridges. One of the other freights I had been hoping to photograph was the empty blue car carriers running between Southampton Docks and Castle Bromwich but it seems that the rail blockades coincided with the annual summer shutdown of the Solihull works.
	The two diverted freight trains I wanted to photograph at Defford on 11 August 2016 were due to pass me within a few minutes of each other therefore with a risk of crossing at just the wrong spot. Nothing went wrong this time and as soon as 6X01 had passed I crossed the road and saw a distant headlight as 66720 with the 13.19 Westbury to Stud Farm empty boxes, 6M40, came into view. The light had picked up a little since I arrived but was still a long way from being sunny but I was happy enough to have a record of the diversion. Even with this locomotive in charge of the train I didn't see a single posting about on any of the lists to which I subscribe; it seems that most people like to take information all the time but aren't prepared to make the tiny effort to pass anything on to others.
	On Thursday 4 August 2016 there was an Arpley Yard to Kineton MOD train booked to run early in the morning along with a later return. As these trains are unusual on the GWR line from Leamington Spa to Birmingham and this was presumably runnng only as a result of the extensive blockade at Banbury a trip to Hatton was in order. I had been hoping for a long train and no sun but was thwarted on both counts; 6V03 hauled by 66156 consisted of a single ferrywagon and managed to arrive about 10 minutes early in the only clear patch of sky.
	During the week commencing 1 August 2016 a 9 day blockade at Banbury was in force to allow extensive engineering work to be carried out involving replacing the entire signalling system. There were predictably a number of trains involved including some from Bescot and on the afternoon of 3 August I went to Hatton to record some of them. The first I saw was 6P37, the 12.09 to Banbury Reservoir Junction hauled by 66057 which I photographed as it approached Hatton station. The light was indifferent but I felt it worthwhile to have some record of the event.
	My next shot on 3 August 2016 was of 66121 returning from Banbury to Bescot, 6P33, which I took from the footbridge at Hatton North Junction. The light lifted a little as the heavy train reached the summit of Hatton Bank but it missed some full sun by some time. Had it come on time rather than about 50 minutes late it would have been a very different picture.
	I rarely photograph Arriva CrossCountry Voyagers but on 3 August 2016 the combination of bright sunshine, a black sky and some colourful lineside flowers prompted me to press the shutter release. The train was 1O88, the 11.35 Newcastle to Leamington Spa which, as the headcode suggests would have gone on to Bournemouth or somewhere but the Banbury blockade meant that its journey was curtailed.
	I was lucky to take one sunny image of a northbound engineering train from Banbury Reservoir Junction on 4 August 2016. This one was 6C31 led by 66030 which I took with a wide-angle lens to show a slightly different aspect of Hatton North Junction. A very strong wind was blowing as can be seen from the angle at which the poplar tree on the extreme right-hand edge of the image amd by the buddleia flowers being blown through the railings of the footbridge. I took a couple of other shots of similar trains during the afternoon but haven't put these online as I think that enough is enough - I'm not trying to create photo-journalism...
	Other than a couple of OTP moves and an overnight visit by a weedkiller there has been nothing along the Long Marston branch since 29 June 2016. On 1 August a light engine, 66075, was sent from Bescot to Long Marston and after wondering if the move was cancelled after the locomotive stood at Castle Bromwich for over an hour I finally saw that it was on the move some 70 minutes late. A lot of time was gained by not having to be looped further into the journey and its eventual arrival was only in the region of 20 minutes behind schedule. The load for the return train, 6Z01, wasn't especially inspiring being just a brace of TEA tanks but it took very little time for 66075 to be coupled to them and the necessary checks completed. I took this picture during the short time that both the red and white lights were lit; something I don't recall having shot before.
	Within a few minutes the train was ready to leave Long Marston and pulled out onto the branch to Honeybourne at 13.21, 24 minutes early. The length of the train and poor weather combined to disincline me from going either along the branch or to Honeybourne for another shot so I left for home. I later saw from RTT that 6Z01 appeared to have run via Kidderminster rather than Bromsgrove and it arrived at Bescot about 80 minutes early.
	I had another brief visit to Hatton North Junction at lunchtime on Friday 29 July 2016. The first train along was 4M28, the 09.26 Freightliner from Southampton to Garston, hauled by 66593 which I photographed just about to reach the summit of Hatton Bank. At the same time the 12.55 from Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone was running south propelled by a Chiltern Railways class 68. The freight service was a long and almost fully loaded train which the average gradient of the bank, 1/110, had managed to slow down to something in the region of 25mph.
	My second shot at Hatton North on 29 July 2016 was of 66721 with an ECS from Eastleigh to Doncaster, 5Z22, ready to form a a GBRf staff charter on the following day. I hadn't photographed this locomotive since its previous Metronet livery was replaced with the current depiction of the London Underground map. I don't chase locomotives around when something like this happens as it will probably turn up close to home at some point. The light today was poor but I now have an image in the bag and may be able to improve on it on another date when the sun is shining. The London Midland train waiting on the spur from Hatton West Junction is formed of 172216 + 172215 running as 2W78, the 13.03 from Stratford-upon-Avon to Stourbridge Junction.
	An early morning locomotive list on 26 July 2016 suggested that 60074 had worked a SDT from Mountsorrel to Banbury. This would usually mean that 6M31, the returning empty wagons, would have the same power so whilst not being especially bothered about class 60s on their usual trains quite fancied a shot of one on something much more unusual. As the sky was cloudy I just went to Hatton North Junction arriving just in time to take this image of 66572 slowly climbing the last yards of Hatton Bank with 4M55, the 08.55 Southampton to Lawley Street Freightliner which was about 10 minutes late. When I checked RTT for 6M31 I saw that its code had changed to what appeared a light engine move which was confirmed by a message from a friend saying that it had been seen passing Warwick Parkway. That wasn't something that interested me so I started the walk back to the station car park. As I walked along the canal towpath I heard the locomotive approaching and was sure, even with only a quick glimpse through the heavy undergrowth, that some yellow wagons were behind it. I had wondered why it had been put into Hatton DGL when the following train was still south of Leamington Spa as a light engine would be well clear at least to Dorridge. I shall probably never know.
	The weekend of 18/19 June 2016 saw major engineering work taking place at Malvern Wells. There was a northbound ballast from Hinksey yard to Newland East signal box which was operated by Freightliner. This is relatively unusual for the North Cotswold Line and with no organ playing duties for me during the morning I went to Honeybourne station to show the train in a recognisable environment. Here is 66524 leading its long train of assorted wagons, 6Y77, passing at speed with a dead 66536 bringing up the rear. The change of gradient under the road bridge is quite noticeable; this is the start of Campden Bank for which in steam days a few bankers were kept ready for work at Honeybourne to assist southbound (up) freights.
	There were 2 return train working from the Malvern Wells possession to Hinksey yard on Sunday 19 June 2016. The first, 6Y71, left around 60 minutes late which meant a long wait for me - keen to get a shot of at least one of them. Here is 66128 climbing away from Evesham pictured from the tall occupation bridge at Aldington. It was fortunate that the sun wasn't out at the time as the shot from the south side is heavily restricted by the last few years unchecked vegetation. The second returning train was about 30 minutes behind 6Y71 but I couldn't be bothered to wait any longer so went home.
	A light engine ran from Bescot to Long Marston on Thursday 2 June 2106 from where a load was to be collected and returned to the West Midlands. The locomotive allocated to 0Z01 was 66125 and with an arrival time of shortly before 12.30 I arrived just in time to hear it rolling down the branch from Honeybourne. At the same time a helicopter employed by those responsible for the electricity grid was flying around and just as 66125 came into sight was checking the junction in the cables by the railway line, presumably for hot spots. Within a few seconds the aircraft had flown away so I was fortunate to have taken this image.
	The load for which 66125 ran to Long Marston was a far from inspiring single VTG bogie oil tank. The only upside was that after a long wait in the yard with what appeared to be problems with the wagon's brakes the sun managed to come out as 6Z01 began its journey back to Bescot. Another locomotive, 66727, was on the way here from Toton to collect something destined for Wellingborough but wih no clue as to what the consist might be and with at least 90 minutes and possibly more to kill before anything was likely to happen I called it a day and went home. In the event it later transpired that 6Z20 was cancelled so for once I made the right move!
	The second of the engineering trains that I photographed on the North Cotswold Line on 28 May 2016 was, according to the service code on RTT, a DBS working so giving some variety to the Colas jobs of the other three. The locomotive allocated to the 05.40 from Westbury, 6W08, was 66124 which is shown between Moreton-in-Marsh and Honeybourne passing a field of broad bean plants. I have been waiting for something non-passenger to run here for a while given that anything with locomotive haulage is rare on the section of line south of Honeybourne and even more so early enough in the day to allow a shot from this side. I don't think that a "sun on the front" shot would ever be possible here but that doesn't really matter a great deal to me; the rarity value trumping other considerations. Just before the freight arrived a FGW class 166 went north running as 1W11, the 06.10 London Paddington to Great Malvern and just fitting nicely in the gap between lineside bushes.
	A schedule appeared in the system showing a GBRf light engine move on Thursday 26 May 2016 from Toton to Long Marston followed by a Long Marston to Wellingborough train of freight stock. The locomotive turned out to be 66757 and the stock a long rake of JNAs which had arrived here on 15 April. As usual, the locomotive arrived early having been allowed an unfeasibly generous time to travel from Honeybourne and it wasn't long before it and the JNAs were coupled together, the headlights switched on and the appropriate brake and other checks carried out. This is one of the few locations to which I carry my 200mm f2.8 lens as the compressed perspective it provides gives an idea of the variety of stock in storage.
	The view of a train leaving Long Marston becomes tighter with each passing year as the undergrowth encroaches on the line. As a result of the blossom it wasn't too unattractive on 26 May 2015 as 66757 left the yard with its train of new JNAs running as 6Z66 to Wellingborough but once it has died down little more than a green tunnel will remain.
	There is usually plenty of time to drive from Long Marston to Honeybourne when a train has left the former, particularly if the consist is as long as that forming 6Z66 to Wellingborough on 26 May 2017. There was no exception to this general rule on this occasion and it was quite a while before 66757 came into view in the distance. This delay did allow the light a chance to pick up slightly which brightened up the scene considerably as the train ran towards Honeybourne station which was passed non-stop under a green signal to allow 6Z66 to cross over onto the down main line. The wagons arrived in completely plain grey paint and it seems that the visit to Long Marston was to allow some decals and the statutory information to be applied.
	The first train I had set out with the intention of photographing at Hatton North Junction on 12 May 2016 was 4M52, the 11.32 Southampton Eastern Docks to Castle Bromwich Jaguar. On this occasion the motive power was provided by DBS liveried 66101, one of relatively few class members to have received this colour scheme. As is usually the case 4M52 was running close to right time here although was about 15 minutes late until Fenny Compton where its booked spell in the down loop put it back to schedule.
	Thursday 5 May 2016 was a warm and sunny day and it seemed almost rude not to take advantage of the conditions and get a shot or two in the bag. With the prospect of something a bit unusual on the Gloucester to Birmingham line I went a short distance to the south of Abbotswood Junction arriving a few minutes before 66147 appeared some 20 minutes early with 6V92, the 10.22 empty steel coil carriers from Corby to Margam. I had hoped that more hawthorn blossom would be present in this spot but guess that I have missed the best by some days. This is yet another location that has seen much vegetation growth over the years. Here is what I think is one of the first shots I took here in 1992 showing 37504 + 37241 as they worked a special from Albion Oil Terminal in the Black Country to Waterstone refinery.
	On Saturday 30 April 2016 a railtour, The Pines Express, was run from London Euston to London Waterloo via Manchester Piccadilly and Bournemouth. The southbound run from Manchester was routed via Birmingham, Solihull and Oxford and with the skies being relatively bright I thought that a shot here would be worth a drive out given that the motive power was GBRf's 66747. As it turned out the weather turned unpleasant so I just went to the roadbridge at Hatton, this being the closest spot to my home. The train, 1O95, was running on time and managed to avoid the heavy shower approaching from the North-West by a few minutes.
	After photographing 47739 at Hatton North Junction on 28 April 2016 I stayed on for a few minutes to take an image of 66572 with 4M28, the 09.32 Southampton to Garston Freightliner service. The rain had just stopped and the shower clouds are visible over the pair of class 172/2 units waiting at the signal whilst working from Stratford-upon-Avon to Stourbridge Junction via Dorridge.
	It's not that frequently that trains run on consecutive days to Long Marston but this did happen on 14 and 15 April 2016. The latter train was 6Z66 from Wembley Freight Operations Centre conveying 26 JNA wagons hauled by GBRf's 66749, one of the fleet imported from the Dutch railway network. There was some early running before a planned layover at Worcester TC but it was held to time there presumably because a "man in a van" was due to meet the train at Honeybourne to operate the branch token equipment and the Long Marston ground frame. Some time is usually picked up between Evesham and Long Marston and this was the case for 6Z66 resulting in a 20 minute early arrival at about 17.10. I had considered taking a shot similar to this but decided against it for several reasons the main two being the murky background and the fact that a long train will straddle the public foot crossing for quite some time as the gates into the site are opened and before it is taken inside. The JNAs look brand new and appear still to be in grey primer so maybe they will emerge from here at a later date in some new colour scheme.
	The second attempt to run a Besccot to Long Marston and return train took place on 14 April 2016, the schedule shown for the previous week having been cancelled. The light engine working from Bescot, 0Z01, arrived at Long Marston as expected about 30 minutes early and here is 66151 passing the foot crossing at the end of the path amidst the first of this year's hawthorn blossom. The weather was quite dull and misty alhough a little brightness did appear just as 0Z01 apeared in the distance. The outward load consisted of 3 VTG TDAs which can be seen here just after 66151 had been coupled up and already, some 90 minutes early, preparing to leave. The resident shunter is on th eright-hand of the picture , its front end pointing directly at the camera. The misty conditions are even more evident in this image although several rows of what I think are D Stock ex-LUL trains can be made out in the sidings behind the rows of tanks. I wonder if these will ever be converted to class 230 DMUs and used on the main line network?
	With just 3 tanks forming 6Z01 on 14 April 2016 I had decided to take another shot of the train from one of the crossings on the Pebworth road just around the corner from Long Marston. As I drove towards the one I had in mind it was evident that I should have to change my plan because a Network Rail van was parked on the side of the single track and would be all too prominent in the picture. I carried on to Honeybourne where there was only a short wait until 66152 came around the curve towards the staff hut running some 80 minutes early. As soon as the branch staff had been replaced in the hut the train pulled forward fortuitously running alongside an HST forming 1W02, the 10.22 from Paddington to Hereford. I assumed that 6Z01 would follow the HST as soon as the down line was clear but it was held to its booked time before being released. I've no idea why it had to wait but the early running at least allowed the staff at Long Marston site crew and the Network Rail man who had arrived in a van to deal with the staff at Honeybourne and the ground frame at Long Marston to avoid hanging around for over an hour.
	While browsing RTT on 7 April 2016 I noticed that 6V35, the Bescot to Avonmouth cement train, had 2 schedules for the following morning. The first was a VAR showing the train running via its normal route via the Lickey and the second a VSTP with it going through Solihull, Hatton and Didcot. I thought that the second would prevail and the Friday morning showed this to be the case. Even though the light was poor a shot of a new train for the line attracted me enough to go over to Hatton where 66061 with 6V35 was running a few minutes late and losing some more time because of a speed restriction on the up line. This was unfortunate as it meant that a Chiltern Railways unit on the down line managed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The situation was salvageable to some extent because of a decent 24-70mm f2.8 zoom lens and some judicious cropping in Photoshop.
	On Saturday 26 March 2016 a First Great Western unit move, 5V65, was showing as running via Hatton and Leamington Spa between Wolverton and Reading Traincare Centre. FGW's DMUs aren't exactly common on this line so I went over to Hatton intending to take an image as it passed through the station. Also running was a 1Z36 Eastleigh to Eggborough Power Station charter and whilst I am ambivalent about "specials" I thought that I might as well have a crack at this too. On arrival at Hatton there was no 3G signal and so neither RTT nor Railcams was available. I knew that the charter had been on time before I left home so guessed that it wouldn't be far off its booked time here, 09.09. It came about 2 minutes early behind 66059 and with a decent load of 12 coaches. The weather was poor with heavy cloud and light rain but it was still worth a shot for the relative rarity value. Once it had passed I 'phoned a friend to ask about 5V65 only to be told that it hadn't moved and looked like a cancellation. This subsequently proved to be the case.
	Northbound freight trains running in the morning are a bit thin on the ground on the Cheltenham to Birmingham line at Stoke Prior, the only semi-regular working being the Margam to Corby steel train. Having seen that the shot here has been opened up by the removal of some small trees I was interested in taking an image of something locomotive-hauled on a sunny day. Sunday 13 March 2016 offered the chance of such a train in the form of 6W01, an 08.00 Cwmbran to Bescot due to pass just before 10.00. I saw from RTT that it was running in the region of 30 minutes early so made sure I was in place with some time to spare. The train, headed by 66183, managed to lose 8 minutes between Spetchley and Stoke Works Junction but, with its uniform consist of HOAs, made for an attractive shot in the Spring sunshine. This was one of those occasions when the train and its location were of more importance than the locomotive pulling it. Anyway, I had no idea what was on the front until it appeared but was happy with the result.
	After photographing 37025 at Hatton on 11 March 2016 I stayed on the bridge to take a shot of 66589 + 70801 double-heading 4O95, the 12.12 Leeds to Southampton Freightliner. I don't know why the Colas Rail locomotive was in the train but assume that it was either on hire to Freightliner or was hitching a lift to save a light engine path. In the 20 minutes since 37025 had passed the light had deteriorated and I needed to up the ISO rsting to 800 in order to be able to use 1/1000 second at f3.2.
	Whilst having a quick look at the Hatton page of RTT on the morning of Saturday 27 February 2016 I noticed a Friars Junction (Acton in West London) to Bescot engineering train due to pass in mid-afternoon. I wondered about whether to go out for photograph but when a friend told me that the locomotives were 60002 + 66850 I thought that it would be worth a look given that there are few Colas Rail workings on the line between Leamington Spa and Hatton. The weather wasn't brilliant as 6C26 approached Warwick but a clear patch did appear that would have meant a sunny shot if it were not to be turned into Hatton DGL. Even though the following train, 1E48, hadn't reached Leamington Spa the engineeering train was looped which allowed the clouds to come back before it reached Hatton North Junction. I had hoped that the locomotives would be double-headed and wasn't bothered which of the 2 was leading but as is usual with this type of train they were in top-and-tail mode with 60002 bringing up the rear. In times past any locomotive on the back of a train climbing Hatton Bank would have been a banker added at Warwick but today 60002 was dead and simply adding 100 tons plus of extra weight.
	After photographing 37025 at Ashchurch on 23 February 2016 I hung for a shot of 6V92, the empty Corby to Margam steel coil carriers hauled by 66184. In some ways the afternoon shot here is better than that available from the other side of the bridge in the morning because much more of Bredon Hill is visible. It was slightly ironic that there was no danger of the cloud for this shot, unlike that of 5V37, but I am always happy to get a well-lit shot of a routine or daily working which aren't usually worth the effort in poor light as better versions are already in the bag. Just before 6V92 appeared a northbound freight was due in the form of a late-running 6E41, the Westerleigh to Lindsey empty oil tanks with 60017 on the front. Not an image that I would normally even consider taking but there is some conjecture that DBS 60s are on their last legs so it seemed appropriate to put this one on record.
	The empty cement train from Theale to Earles Sidings is usually routed along the Midland Main Line but on occasions like 24 August 2015 is diverted via Oxford and Solihull. Another such occasion was Saturday 13 February 2016 when 66620 was rostered for the train and despite it being a cold and slightly damp day I went over to Shrewley for a shot of it, 6M91, coming north from Hatton. The train was routed into Hatton DGL to allow a slightly late-running CrossCountry service to pass and is shown here in the deep cutting just to the north of Hatton North Junction which is just about visible through the murk. This clearly isn't a location that anyone would choose to use on a sunny day as the sun would be on the side of the down line and therefore casting shadows all over the place but it's OK on a dull day for a record shot of an ususual working. The last time I saw 66620 was back on 6 September 2006 when it rescued a couple of failed DRS locomotives on the Bridgwater to Crewe flasks.
	This is not a new image but one taken at Leamington Spa station on 10 October 2008. It shows 66568 hauling the morning Leeds to Southampton Freightliner service, 4O54, out of what is locally called the dip. This is a short but quite stiff gradient just before the junction with the line from Coventry. In past times signallers were instructed that heavy southbound freights should not be stopped or even checked if at all possible when approaching to avoid the possibility of stalling in a critical location. With modern traction this is less of an issue but the exhaust haze from 66568 shows that full power has been applied to keep this heavy train moving at a decent speed.
	Despite the clear sky at Defford on 19 January 2016 some shadows were beginning to encroach on the line when 66199 working 6V92, the 10.22 Corby to Margam empty steel carriers came around the curve some 4 minutes late. I can see that this location might become a little more difficult when the undergrowth has sprouted in Spring and Summer and that a tighter angle of view might be in order. There is a semi-permanent although small p-way yard here and some S&T work was underway, no doubt in connection with the new signal which has been erected on the other side of the road bridge. The signal no longer considered well-placed can be seen here, the new being no more than a hundred yards further south.
	The first train of 2016 to Long Marston ran on Wednesday 13 January when GBRf's 66754 arrived as 0Z71 from Hams Hall to collect a set of wagons destined for the Crossrail site at Plumstead Yard. The locomotive arrived about 15 minutes early having been allowed over 30 minutes for the journey from Honeybourne and was soon waved into No. 1 road of the exchange sidings where a very long rake of boarded flat wagons was waiting for it. The sky was relatively clear although some cloud was evident to the South-West and this was moving towards the sun. The decent light hung on for long enough, albeit not in the best position, to allow an image to be taken just after the lights had been changed from the red to white on the locomotive. The departure time was 14.59 but it was just about an hour before this that 4Z71 moved onto the branch to Honeybourne just after the sunlight had faded a little making the scene look far more wintry and cold.
	As soon as 4Z71 had gone a little way onto the Honeybourne line I went to Honeybourne itself to await its arrival. The light had collapsed entirely during the 10 minute journey and I was resigned to a dull record shot. In the event it was about 45 minutes later when 66754 was heard rattling along the branch before appearing in the distance. In the intervening period the sun had found a long but quite narrow patch of clear sky and the 4 of on the roadbridge were lucky enough to score a nicely lit shot as the train of flats passed us before going into Honeybourne station where it stood for a minute or two as an up FGW class 166 cleared the junction. A large new housing estate is under construction to off the picture to the right and the roofs are, at this time of the year, just about casting shadows across the tracks but it was possible to find some clear patches.
	Engineering work on its usual route caused the diversion of 6E28, a Brentford and Southall empty scrap train, via Oxford and Solihull on 30 December 2015. It was due to pass Hatton station at 15.10 which, on a decent day, would have given the chance for a reasonable shot at Hatton North Junction. A decent day was something that did not happen so my hoped-for shot of an unusual train for the line turned into a technical exercise in low-light photography in very heavy rain which shows up on this image only too well. My Nikon 50mm prime lens was wide open with a shutter speed of 1/500 second when 66098 came through Hatton station spot on time as result of not being recessed in Hatton DGL because a Reading to Newcastle Voyager overtook 6E28 at Banbury. I'm not quite sure what the green light on the "cow-catcher" of 66098 might be but assume that it's a reflection of the signal on end of the down platform. That's how dark it was...
	Not a current picture but one taken on Saturday 21 January 2005, not long after I bought my first digital SLR. The train is a diverted 4V60 Calvert to Bath and Bristol empty binliner; a working which ran on 2 consecutive weekends at this time. The first was the previous week which ran in virtual darkness with the same locomotive as the main picture, 66609. On the second run the light was better and the sun just about poked out as 4V60 came around the curve from Hatton station having just left the Down Goods Loop. This was quite a diversion with the train leaving its usual route at Didcot West Junction and then running via Hatton, Birmingham New Street, Bournville and Kings Norton before going on through Cheltenham and Gloucester.
	It's been a while since anything moved into or from Long Marston so when on 16 December 2015 I saw from RTT that a light engine was scheduled to run there from Southampton and then take a train to Ipswich I thought that I would go over for a look. 66572 ran close to right time for most of the journey but did make up a bit of time on the final few miles, arriving at Long Marston's gate about 15 minutes early. There were 2 TDA tanks and 4 Freightliner flats waiting in the exchange sidings and the locomotive was soon coupled up before a brake test preceded its move out onto the Honeybourne branch.
	Despite there being a lot of cloud around, behind the camera at least, the sun managed to stay out as 66572 with 6L31 joined the Honeybourne branch at Long Marston before heading to Ipswich. This shot is becoming increasingly difficult given the amount of undergrowth in the nearby hedges. The front end of the locomotive appears to have some rusty patches cut out and plated over; something that seems to be all too common on the class. Some of the stock previously stored in the sidings here has been moved and I think that this might be because of the need to run some newly converted "D" Stock around the circuit as tests take place.
	I didn't think that it would be long before 6L31 appeared at Honeybourne so went straight across to take another shot of what is now a unusual train; a mixed freight. Despite having to park in a nearby lane because the station car park was overflowing with commuter's vehicles there was still 3 or 4 minutes before 66572 came into view in the distance. It was unfortunate that the sun found some cloud cover in the few minutes it took for the single line token to be returned to the cupboard but a couple of frames were still exposed to record a wider view than is possible at Long Marston.
	While waiting for an ECS train at Hatton North Junction on 27 Novemner 2015 I saw that 4M28, the 09.23 Southampton to Ditton Freightliner service was in the Down Goods Loop having arrived at Budbrook Junction the thick end of 30 minutes early. Once the passenger stock had passed I hung around for a few minutes until 66587 was released a section or two behind a Chiltern Trains class 168 on a Birmingham service. It was clearly a heavy train if the exhaust smoke is anything to judge this by and 4M28 was still moving at little over walking pace at this point. A London Midland class 172/2 on a service from Stratford-upon-Avon to Stourbridge Junction via Dorridge is waiting at the signal protecting the junction and this followed the freightliner within a minute mor two. There was still some Autumnal colour in the background trees but given the windy forecast for the coming weekend I imagine that the scene will look different next week.
	A long train of green TEA oil tanks was taken from Grangemouth in Scotland to Long Marston on 6 October 2015. This should have happened during the previous week but I assume that the tanks weren't ready for movement as a light locomotive ran in the path of the booked working but with a destination of Bescot, presumably so that it was able to complete its diagram. The second attempt ran close to time throughout the night but 6Z65 encountered delay after problems caused by the Lindsey to Westerleigh tanks having had a SPAD incident at Shrub Hill. This made it about 50 minutes late arriving at Long Marston which for me was good because I wouldn't have been there just after 08.00. The weather was clear and sunny during the drive from Stratford-upon-Avon until I came to Rumer Hill between Welford on Avon and Long Marston when a large bank of low cloud and fog was visible in the direction of the rail site. Some of the murk cleared just before 66060 came along the branch from Honeybourne and a little patchy sun lit some of the Autumnal colours alongside the line. There was no return load and 66060 ran light engine to Bescot.
	The afternoon of Monday 28 September 2015 was warm and mostly sunny so armed with the knowledge that GBRf's 66748 in grey livery was working 6M40, the 11.56 Westbury to Cliffe Hill empty ballast wagons I went over to Hatton North Junction to take a well-lit shot in case the weather were to cave in over the next few weeks. The train is booked to sit in Hatton Down Goods Loop to allow 1R42 from London Marylebone to pass as this linked image shows as 168113 goes by. It was only a couple of minutes later that 66748 came into view working quite hard on the last yards of Hatton Bank but still managing to chuck out fewer emissions than a VW Golf Diesel (topical humour...). I went for the wide shot from the top of the field rather than that from the footbridge mostly to show a bit more of the Autumnal colour that has started to appear around here.
	Whilst waiting for a class 67 hauled ECS on 18 September 2015 the 11.52 Crewe Basford Hall to Southampton, 4O09 came south through Hatton behind 66594. The last few times I have seen this working the train has been in the hands of a Freightliner class 70 so, for me at least, this is a rarish shot if a FL 66 could ever be considered rare! I don't often bother with routine day-to day workings if the light is poor as I have almost certainly taken an equivalent shot in good light but on this occasion I thought it worthwhile because the background trees were beginning to change colour and the containers made a good contrast against the foliage.
	The Sunday Tunstead to Westbury cement train has been running via Birmingham, Hatton and Didcot for the last few weeks although it didn't, as far as I am aware, on 23 August 2015. This notwithstanding, the returning empties were srill shown as being routed via Hatton on 24 August and fortunately in a VAR path some 3 hours later than on previous weeks. This made it a bit a more convenient and as 6M72 was routed via Hatton Down Goods Loop I went to the 3 arch bridge just south of Hatton station. The train ran close to right time and was just a few minutes early when it came along the DGL at the regulation 10mph with 66610 in charge. The light was dreadful but at least it was evenly dull unlike Sunday 2 August when I photographed the loaded train in quite tricky backlit conditions.
	As soon as 66610 had passed me with 6M72 as it climbed Hatton Bank along the Down Goods Loop on 24 August 2015 I made the short journey to Hatton station to get another picture of this rare working in more recognisable surroundings. There are 2 routes available to signallers for a train leaving the DGL, one onto the down main line before the station and the other through platform 3, the Stratford-upon-Avon branch platform before joining the main line just beyond the road bridge. The latter was used on this occasion and although maybe not quite as satisfactory from the compositional point of the view I find that shooting a freight in the branch platform, normally used only by Chiltern Trains' units, more interesting. A Birmingham Snow Hill to Leamington Spa unit, 165026, had just stopped in platform 1 and this helps to balance the picture a little. This is a long train and the last few JGAs are just out of view around the corner and still in the DGL.
	During the afternoon of 13 August 2015 I noticed from RTT that a train was running from Ipswich to Honeybourne Sidings. My immediate thought was that 1) it would probably be a few of the TTA tanks taken to Ipswich from Long Marston on 17 June 2015 and 2) that it would run to Long Marston not just to Honeybourne. I was wrong on the first count as the train, 6V34, consisted of 4 IKA intermodal flats but it did run to Long Marston where the wagons are to be, presumably, stored. The weather was foul in Stratford-upon-Avon with leaden skies and pouring rain and I had almost decided not to bother with this one but the rain did stop just when the train was due to leave Worcester TC after a run-round. The other factor in favour of going out was that the locomotive was 66414 in the new(ish) Powerhaul livery, certainly the first in this colour scheme to have run along the Long Marston branch. I wanted a recognisable background on such a dull day so opted for a shot from the road bridge overlooking Honeybourne station where I arrived just as 2 men walked to the Staff Hut ready to obtain the single line token. A minute or two later 66414 came around the curve from Honeybourne North Junction and joined the branch.
	I had parked near the road in the car park at Honeybourne and made a quick exit with a view to beating 66414 with 6V34 to Long Marston. I did so with no more than 2 minutes to spare and took this image as the train crawled along the final few yards of the branch with, in the background, the heavy cloud which had provided the morning's rain visible over the nearby hills and as a pheasant narrowly avoided being squashed. There was a short delay until a van drove along the trackway just to the right of the sidings as, on this occasion, the diesel shunting locomotive was not being used. As far as I knew no load was due to be taken out and the locomotive was scheduled to run light to Southampton before working 4V26 later in the day. There was certainly nothing visible that looked ready to leave Long Marston and with the newly-arrived FGW class 165 DMU standing in No.2 road there was clearly no way for 66414 to run-round in the usual way. This probably meant some delay would be encountered while the IKAs were propelled out of the way so I left for home and a slightly late lunch.
	Engineering work on the Hereford line on Sunday 3 Augist 2015 caused the diversion of 6V82, the 13.54 Tunstead to Westbury loaded cement tanks, via the GWR line from Birmingham to Didcot and Swindon. This type of train is unusual in this area so I was keen to get a shot of it and had planned to go the Widney Manor or Dorridge area where the light would be at its least worst at an awkward time, late afternoon. In the event the train headed by 66617 waited for the thick end of an hour at Landor Street and with there being little chance of it having to go into either Small Heath South Junction or Dorridge loops as booked my options were reduced. I didn't feel like driving to Widney Manor only to find that 6V82 had been cancelled for some reason and thus have a wasted journey and with insufficient time to get there once it was on the move I almost decided not to go out at all. Looking to the north of my home there was quite a lot of light cloud and I figured that Hatton might not be fully lit which, at close to 18.30 would be close to useless. A 12 minute drive found me on the road bridge adjacent to the station and after a further 3 minutes or so 66617 came round the curve with its heavy load of cement tanks. This was never going to be more than a record shot but I was happy enough to get that...
	There was the prospect of the now rare sight of a class 60 on the GWR line from Leamington Spa to Birmingham on 27 July 2015. With this in mind I went, on this exceptionally dull day, to the footbridge by Hatton Locks where a reasonable shot from the north side of the line can be taken. First along was 66059, one of the Lickey Bankers with an additional headlight, with 6M66 from Southampton Docks to Garston carrying various new Ford vehicles. The train was crawling along at the 10 mph required for those about to enter Hatton Down Goods Loop into which it was routed to allow 66733 with a very late running 6M26 from, on this occasion, Eastleigh to Mountsorrel to pass by followed by a class 168 on Chiltern service to Birmingham Snow Hill.
	Once 68004 had cleared the line at Old Milverton on 18 July 2015 it was possible for 66119 hauling 6M44, the 05.18 Southampton Eastern Docks to Halewood empty car carriers, to come north. The light was a little higher than for the previous shot although the shadows were still more intrusive than anyone would really like. The class 66 on the freight wasn't making a lot less noise than the preceding class 68 and even though empty I guess that the train was probably heavier than the 455 or tonnes of the 13 coach passenger service.
	Hinksey Virtual Quarry (a large pile of stones!) is currently consuming large tonnages of material and one of the supplying trains is 6V16 from Stud Farm. It runs 2 or 3 times most weeks and is powered by a Freightliner class 66. On 30 June 2015 66507 was in charge and I pictured it as it approached Bentley Heath crossing running a few minutes early. The sun really is too high and harsh at this time of the year although by 14.30 it has dropped a bit from its zenith so that shadows over the wheels are not too much of a problem. The temperature was a bit extreme for my tastes; the thermometer in my car suggesting that it was marginally under 30 degrees Celsius when I arrived...
	My final image at Bentley Heath on 30 June 2015 was of 66069 with 6X01 from Scunthorpe to Eastleigh. This service conveys new long welded rails and is normally a heavy and well-loaded train. I missed 2 other freights during this session, the first was 4E69 from Southampton to Wakefield which was stuck in hatton Down Goods Loop for 4 hours because of buckled track on the first properly hot day of the summer and 6M40, the GBRf train of empty ballast hoppers from Westbury to Stud Farm. I didn't take a shot of this one because I was at ground level on the wrong side of the crossing waiting for 66069.
	A bit of an odd one on Wednesday 17 June 2015. A light engine, 66544, was shown as running from Southampton to Honeybourne Sidings from where it was apparently to pick up something and then go to Ipswich. As only OTP uses the sidings in the normal course of events the feeling was that a failed tamper of similar was to be rescued, but by Freightliner and to Ipswich? I arrived at Honeybourne and asked the Network Rail man in a van if it had arrived. He said that it had and was en-route to Long Marston to collect some tank wagons. That's more like it! Off then to Long Marston to find 66544 standing at the gate, the first Freightliner locomotive here for nearly 4 years. The tanks for the load out were some of the green TTAs that had arrived behind 56113 on 25 March this year; at the time I had thought that their last journey had been made and that the scrapyard was their final destination.
	The usual procedure here is for the locomotive to be coupled to the wagons, brake tests and so on to be carried out before an early departure for Honeybourne is made. There was, of course, no departure time for Long Marston shown, but the time from Honeybourne Sidings was 12.06. This came and went with little activity except for the single line token being taken from the ground frame and removed from the site. This coincided with a message from a friend saying that 31601 was on its way here to collect 86246 which was going to Wembley to donate some spare parts. That would explain the token being taken away but a while later it came back, was replaced in the frame with the crew rejoining their locomotive and making ready to leave. This coincided with several fresh messages saying that 31601 has gone to Bristol to collect a failed class 56 meaning that 6L31 was free to leave. The No.1 road has been reinstated since my last visit here on 27 April 2015 so a return to full functionality is imminent.
	No more time was lost and 66544 with the TTA tank wagons came onto the branch and moved away towards Honeybourne. The usual stop was made for the single line token to be collected and returned to the cab before finally leaving. It was a shame in a way that 31601 hadn't made it here because a shot of the 2 trains sitting side by side in the sidings would have been interesting. A freightliner locomotive with green tanks isn't the greatest colour combination here at this time of the year given the amount of foliage around the gate; this is where COLAS score more heavily...
	I wasted no time either and went straight over to Honeybourne arriving just as 66544 with 6L31 was pulling away from the staff hut where the single line token is kept. There is a lot of green here too but at the least the main North Cotswold Line gives a little contrast and the sun did try to make an appearance although rather feebly. The signal for the down main line was on green and I knew that there would be another shot available as the train stood at the end of the branch.
	The driver said that he was expecting a 13.35 departure from Honeybourne where a picture, although a bit weedy this year, and that he didn't know at this time if he would be routed back along via Moreton-in-Marsh or via Gloucester, Kemble and Swindon, the choice being dictated by pathing south of Charlbury. In the event the North Cotswold Line was the choice but with nearly 2 hours to wait I didn't see it although the line south of Honeybourne is the most attractive for photographs given the paucity of locomotive-hauled trains here. In the event 6L31 did run as planned via Moreton in Marsh although with a 2 hour wait I'd long gone. A few weeks later some intersting information about the purpose of 6L31's run to Ipswitch came to me courtesy on John Day. It appears that Freighliner had been receiving their locomotive fuel supplies from Fawley via a DBS trip to Ipswich. When this ceased Freightliner obtained their fuel from Lindsey refinery, using 8 TEA bogie tanks which they hired. As they had a financial interest in the green TTAs these were taken out of storage at Long Marston and arrived ready for the traffic. For a while both types of tanks were used as seen in this image taken at Reedham Market on 30 June 2015 as 66534 passes through with 6E53, the 08.50 Ipswich SS to Lindsey. My thanks to John Day for the information on the TTAs new use and for the use of his image.
	A train of fly-ash from Drax Power Station has been running, via a layover at Milford East, to Appleford landfill site near Didcot. There seem to be 2 paths used, one very early in the morning before it's light, and another a bit later which sees 6V85 pass Hatton at 06.13. I have set the alarm on a previous occasion when the train ran in the later path only to find that there was a completely clear sky with a strong Springtime sun shining. This is hopeless for a shot at Hatton or indeed most locations south of Birmingham but when I saw that the train was down to run on Bank Holiday Monday, 25 May 2015, I checked the forecast and found a cloudy and bright early morning was likely. I like to get these odds and ends of trains with different loads to the norm for the line so had an early start and arrived at Hatton Station just as 6V85 was passing Widney Manor just about on time. It soon rattled noisily around the curve from Hatton North Junction amidst quite a profusion of Hawthorn blossom on the lineside trees. The bulk containers used on this service are loaded onto flats and can sometimes be seen in the consist of intermodal trains.
	The sunny weather of recent days continued during the morning of 22 April 2015 so with a 6Z57 train from Llanwern to Long Marston on the cards I went over to a foot crossing on the branch from Honeybourne for a photograph. The allocated locomotive was 66152 and the train a long rake of JSA steel hoods going back into storage after another period of use. Here is 6Z57 coming towards the end of the branch in some nice morning light against a backdrop of blackthorn blossom just beginning to fade. The repainting of class 66s from EWS maroon into the day-glo colour scheme of DBS seems to have stalled recently with relatively few examples having been so treated.
	Not a new window safety screen being trialled by DBS for use in dodgy areas of the network but merely a reflection of Bentley Heath footbridge. The train is the 09.32 Southampton to Wakefield, 4E69, photographed on 21 April 2015 and not an image that I would normally have put online but thought the comedy effect of the reflection enough to make it worthwhile.
	One of the non-container trains on the Dorridge line is 6X01 from Scunthorpe to Eastleigh which conveys new rails, on this occasion with 66144 passing a load of scrap rails awaiting eventual removal from Bentley Heath. This train is booked to run into the up loop between Bentley Heath and Dorridge station and was thus moving at walking pace when I pressed the shutter release. The background trees are just beginning to show their Spring colours making a nice contrast with the EWS livery of 66144.
	My final photograph from Bentley Heath footbridge on 21 April 2015 shows 66704 with a shorter than usual 6M40 Eastleigh to Stud Farm train of empty ballast boxes. This isn't a brilliant location for northbound workings given the plethora of lineside poles and various railway related structures in the near background but it is a better both-ways shot than most in the area and is immediately identifiable.
	The only northbound freight that I was expecting to see at Hatton North Junction on 14 April was this, 4M52, the empty car carriers from Southampton to Castle Bromwich hauled on this occasion by 66006. This was running on time when it came around the curve from Hatton station at 17.19. I don't think that the light at this time of day in the middle of April can be bettered; low enough to show all the train's details but high enough to avoid any extraneous shadows being cast around the scene. Here is another shot of the train taken in the same location a couple of years ago with more unusual motive power. A few minutes after 4M52 had passed 4O55 from Leeds to Southampton went south behind 70007 and 66537. I don't know whether the 66 had failed or if it was a quick and easy way to get another locomotive to Southampton for other duties.
	This is a train that appeared in the schedules only during the afternoon of 14 April 2015. It is a special working from Bescot Down Side to Eastleigh conveying empty vehicle carrying flats and hauled by 66177 shown passing Hatton North Junction. This isn't my favourite southbound location at any time of the day although I suppose that the interplay of light and shade coupled with emerging foliage does have some attraction.
	The afternoon of Thursday 19 March 2015 was exceptionally dull and misty with, according to the BBC weather website, high levels of atmospheric pollution. Not generally the conditions for a photographic outing. I changed my mind when I was told that 66711, recently painted into Bardon Aggregates livery similar to 59001 and 59005, was working 6M40 from Westbury to Stud Farm. This is due to pass Leamington Spa at 14.59 and if on time to pause in Hatton Down Goods Loop to allow a couple of Chiltern Railways trains to pass. I had thought of taking a shot as 6M40 ran along the loop but decided against it as the view looking into the murky cutting would be very dark so went instead to Hatton North Junction where it should be a little brighter. It was, although not by much I suspect, but it was good to get an image while the locomotive was still clean and shiny without even any exhaust smuts on the grey roof. Let's hope it soon turns up again in the area on a sunny day...
	My first trip to the Leamington Spa line since the Harbury landslip was resolved was on Tuesday 17 March 2015. The main object of the exercise was a shake-down run for my 1969 Morris Minor after renewing the entire cooling system as part of an ongoing job to replace original parts which may soon become time-expired and before a failure is likely but it seemed a good idea to fit in a quick photograph part way through the run. This gave me to chance to check for leaks (there were none) and take a shot of 66515 hauling 6V16, a Stud Farm to Hinksey Yard train, at Hatton. The sun was in and out during the 10 minutes or so I was on the road bridge but when 66515 appeared an awkward piece of cloud was hanging in just the wrong place which meant a heavily cropped picture was required to avoid a locomotive in shade and a train in sun.
	Another long walk around the Grand Union canal near Hatton on the mmorning of 21 January 2105 found me arriving at the footbridge at North Junction at 12.57 just as a dirty and clearly unhealthy 66501 came around the curve from Hatton station with 4M55, the 08.58 Freightliner from Millbrook to Lawley Street. There was no time for any composition or fiddling camera settings as the train was already by the old platelayers' hut when I took my camera out of its bag.
	The next northbound train I was expecting to see at Hatton North on 20 January 2015 was a class 172 coming off the curve from Hatton West Junction after leaving Stratford-upon-Avon for Stourbridge Junction. As it happened, the DMU was held at the signal to allow 66181 and a self-discharge train to come north with 6M31 from Banbury to Mountsorrel. This isn't a working I see very often and had it run on time rather than about an hour late on this occasion it would have been somewhere north of Birmingham by the time I arrived at Hatton.
	Container and intermodal trains form the majority of traffic on the GWR Birmingham to Oxford line and this example is 4M28, the 09.24 from Southampton to Ditton running about 20 minutes early behind 66538. This service is timed to pass Hatton at very much the same time as the new working from Stud Farm so a missed shot of one or the other is always a possibility but 4M28's running today coupled with 6V16 being a bit late put paid to any potential conflict.
	Hinksey Yard near Oxford seems to be taking in a lot of ballast at the moment for the many engineering projects taking place in the area. This one is 6V14, the 10.41 from Stud Farm, in the hands of Freightliner's 66953. This train's schedule was entered into the system just before its departure, the previous one having been cancelled a few minutes earlier. In contrast to the runs last week large yellow box wagons were used on this occasion. These are often seen here on a northbound daylight working, 6M40, but are rarer coming south. This isn't my favourite southbound shot, especially in the winter because of the shadows, but as the length of the days increases it gets a bit more acceptable.
	Until the vegetation took over this location near Warwick Parkway was one of my favourites on the GWR line from Leamington Spa to Birmingham. I hadn't been here for a while because of the undergrowth but during the course of walking around the Hatton Locks, Budbrook and Hatton footpath earlier in the week I noticed that there was just about a big enough clear patch for a photograph so put it on the list for a visit before the foliage on the hedges emerged. On Friday 16 January 2015 with clear skies in prospect I arrived a few minutes before 66420 came north with 4M55, the 08.58 Millbrook to Lawley Street Freightliner service. This spot is just over half way up Hatton Bank which starts mid-way between Leamington Spa and Warwick so locomotives are working quite hard here and can be heard for a while before coming into sight.
	My final shot just north of warwick Parkway on 17 January 2015 was of 66755 hauling 6M26, the 10.24 Hinksey Yard to Stud Farm stone empties. This has generally been running from Eastleigh in recent weeks with good timekeeping but on this occasion left its originating point 48 minutes late although it picked up about 15 minutes by not having to stop at Banbury Junction. By this time some cloud was building up so I with nothing else due for quite a while felt that it was time to go home for lunch.
	Another short trip to Hatton on 14 January 2015 in slightly brighter conditions than the previous day for a second crack at the Stud Farm to Hinksey ballast train. First though was a late running 6M26 Eastleigh to Stud Farm empty ballast boxes headed by GBRf's new 66755. This had been recessed in Hatton Down Goods Loop and after its exit was routed though platform 3, that mostly used by train to and from Stratford-upon-Avon. I always find that achieving an accurately level horizon is dificult here as the platforms slope towards the tracks meaning that some of the infrastructure is not perpendicular. I have used the footbridge as a datum point on the assumption that this, at least, is probably level.
	I don't often go to the same location for the same train on 2 consecutive days but with conditions close to being sunny on 14 January 2015 I thought that a comparison between the images of 66601 on 6G16, the 10.24 Stud Farm to Hinksey ballast train might be worth the effort. There had been a small amount of snow the previous night which was still lying around by lunchtime which made a change from sleet blowing into my face. There were several northbound trains with the potential to block this shot and indeed 4M28's final wagond were only just out of sight around the curve in the background when 6G16 came into view. Although the sun wasn't fully out it's good enough for me and I won't bother with this train again unless the sky is completely clear and I can be bothered to go to a different location while it is still running.
	During the course of a quick look at RTT I saw that there was a train, running on a STP, from Stud Farm to Hinksey Yard, Oxford on Tuesday 13 January 2015 and at least for a few subsequent days. The weather in Stratford-upon-Avon wasn't too bad at 12.45 when I left for the short drive to Hatton but before long it was lashing down with rain with dropping temperatures which was apparent when my car's systems pinged to warn that 3°C had been reached. I reached Hatton and checked RTT which showed that the train had reached Dorridge and passed straight through without visiting the loop so walked to the roadbridge just as 4M28, the Freightliner service from Southampton to Ditton was heading north, meaning that an obscured shot of a southbound train was less likely. The wind had become quite strong by now and a nasty sleet was blowing directly into my face as I waited for 6G16, hopefully, for no more than a couple of minutes. I had no idea which TOC was operating the ballast train to Hinksey but soon saw 66601 coming around the curve from Hatton North Junction so grabbed my camera and took what was very much a rushed shot to avoid my lens from being covered in icy sleet.
	Some evidence of use on RHTT trains is apparent on 66716 as it tops Hatton Bank on 16 December 2014 with 6M26, the 08.50 Eastleigh to Stud Farm empty boxes. It was running in the region of 50 minutes late and had been turned inside at Budbrooke Junction for a run along Hatton Goods Loop in order to allow a CrossCountry Voyager to pass. It was travelling at little more than walking pace when it went under the footbridge at Hatton North Junction with 66706 adding to the drag on the back of the consist. Making a lot noise than 66716 was a Chinook twin rotor helicopter heading towards the south. I know that I have a comitted a cardinal sin by using a fast shutter speed and thus frozen the motion of the blades!
	Over to Hatton North Junction on Monday 15 December 2014 for the first loaded run of a Chiltern Railways class 68. With the chance of a few other workings I arrived about 30 minutes before the 68 was due and just in time for a shot of 66706 hauling 6M26, the 08.50 Eastleigh to Stud Farm empty ballast boxes which despite a 46 minute late start was spot on time. The early weather forecast was for unbroken sun but the BBC weather application changed its mind during the morning and a solid bank of cloud had blown over the area.
	Just 6 or 7 minutes after 66706 had gone north at Hatton North Junction on 15 December 2014 a late running 4O54 from Leeds FLT to Southampton came south. The lateness, some 90 minutes, was caused by the failure of 70017 in the Hare Park Junction area which as luck had it isn't too far from Leeds FLT from where 66516 was summoned and dropped on the front. The light never managed to exceed poor but something like this is always worth a shot in my opinion and the few remaining leaves on an adjacent oak tree add a little colour to the scene.
	After about 3 months with no activity Long Marston saw 2 train within a few days at the end of October and beginning of November 2014. The first, a DCR move, encountered problems with the points at Honeybourne North Junction which resulted in the locomotive, 56303, being sent back to Worcester for another try later in the day by which time it was dark. The second train was a DBS working on 4 November which saw 66156 being sent light engine from Bescot to collect a long train of VTG bogie oil tanks. After a beautifully clear and sunny start to the day the weather soon collapsed with dark skies, low temperatures and heavy rain being prevalent as both 66156 and I made a simultaneous arrival at Long Marston. The booked departure time for 6M17 to Bescot was just before 1pm but it actually left at 11.30 - just as well as I wasn't going to hang about for long in that weather. I didn't bother with the run to Honeybourne for another shot but I later saw from RTT that the train sat there until its scheduled time, 13.07.
	The train I was most interested in photographing at Ashchurch on 9 September 2014 was a new flow of gypsum from West Burton Power Station to Portbury. This had commenced the previous week and looks to be running each Tuesday and Wednesday for the time being. GBRf operates the service which carries the headcode 6V80 and which was due to pass me at 08.53. It had run early around Birmingham but managed to lose 18 minutes between Longbridge and Barnt Green, no doubt having been held to allow a Redditch train and an Cross Country voyager to pass. Thanks to a shorter than planned stop in Abbotswood Loop it was just 2 minutes behind time when 66715 took the heavy train of de-branded Freightliner MJA wagons past me just after the sun had finally emerged from some high cloud.
	Steel traffic between South Wales and the West Midlands remains bouyant and a major flow is to Round Oak terminal on the stump of the truncated Stourbridge Junction to Walsall freight line. The morning train, 6M81, was in the hands of 66134 on 9 September 2014 and is seen having just passed through Ashchurch station some 3 minutes late. In all honesty, it's not much of a shot looking south from this footbridge but I do like to record whatever comes along.
	Only a minute or so after the Margam to Round Oak steel train had gone north at Ashchurch, 66011 came south with 4V70, the 05.07 Ratcliffe to Avonmouth empty coal hoppers. Despite leaving its originating point 69 minutes late it was 32 early when I pressed the button on the Northway footbridge. The sun had just managed to find another bit of wispy cloud which has taken the edge off this image; I could have fiddled around with it in the RAW convertor but decided against it...
	More backlighting at Ashchurch on 9 September 2014 as 66155 runs north with the 06.21 Cardiff Tidal to Saltley EMR empty scrap wagons. At this point the train was 64 minutes late having made up some of the 93 minute deficit caused by a late start. Had it been on time I would have missed it by quite a margin.
	One of the colourful regulars on the Cheltenham line is 4V38, the 08.23 DIRFT (a misnomer if ever there was one, as Daventry's rail service finished decades ago...) to Wentlog train of supplies for Tesco. A solid class 66 turn, except on 2 occasions, the time keeping can be a bit variable but on 9 Septmber 2014 it rolled towards Ashchurch 7 minutes early behind DRS's 66425. The undergrowth in the hedges at the bottom the gardens on the west side of the line has grown a lot over the past couple of years in common with most places but at least this won't be a problem from a photographic point of view for the foreseeable future.
	I had intended to go home after photographing the DIRFT to Wentloog train at Ashchurch on 9 September 2014 but saw from RTT that the Didcot to Ashchurch MOD service was running. This needs to run past its destination all the way to Worcester Shrub Hill for a run-round before heading back south to enter the exchange sidings before propelling along the branch to the depot. This train, 6B36, can haul a load ranging from a single flat to a very long consist of army vehicles going to Ashchurch for maintenance. On this occasion a single loaded flat was all that could be mustered so I abandoned a tentative plan to drive a few miles north to a different location for a shot of the run down from Worcester.
	Most of the trains from Didcot TC to Long Marston run via the rather convoluted route through Swindon, Kemble, Gloucester and Worcester but on Tuesday 29 July 2014 one ran on the shorter and more interesting route from Oxford along the North Cotswold Line. A scruffy class 66 with just 2 TEA tanks might not have been enough to tempt me out these days but the extreme rarity value of a revenue earning freight south of Honeybourne saw me drive to Thistley Hill coppice near the village of Mickleton. I had previously checked an online sun compass for the sun's position because I can't recall having photographed a northbound train in that area much before 15.30, but even so I was relying on luck to find the line free from shadows. The short train, headed by 66051, managed to turn a 13 minute time deficit at Moreton-in-Marsh into a 2 minute early arrival in front of my lens and although the light was well round to the south I was more than pleased to get this image in something of a freight desert. The track arrangements at Honeybourne don't allow for direct access from the down line into the sidings for a run-round so a journey to Worcester TC was necessary prior to a return to Honeybourne and the Long Marston branch. I did hang around for a shot as 66051 ran along the first few yards of the branch but the sun was too straight and too high by 11.00; I much prefer the earlier attempt.
	I had a text message during the morning of 8 July 2104 telling me that 7X10, the Amersham to Derby tube stock train had been cancelled at Banbury. It soon became apparent that the pair of 20s hauling the train had failed and that 66723 had been sent light diesel from Ironbridge Power Station to effect a rescue. RealTime Trains showed a new departure time of 10.10 and shortly after then the northbound working was shown as moving. There was plenty of time for a run over towards Hatton where I had planned for a shot from the footbridge at the south end of the cutting. On the way over the sky began to clear and I felt that the light, always tricky on this line during the late morning, would be at its worst south of the station so went slightly north to Hatton North Junction. The sun was overhead although not fully out and even though there was some light on the side of the train it was still far from ideal when 66723 with dead in tow 20118 + 20132, the stock and 20096 + 20107 came around the curve towards the lookout protecting a p-way gang working on the junction points onto the Stratford-upon-Avon branch. Running only a few minutes in front of 7X10 had been 67020 hauling 1R22, the 10.15 London Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street express from Chiltern Railways, of which I just about grabbed a shot of sorts. I hadn't previously seen this locomotive on a Chiltern service; it seems to have been used mostly on test trains in the recent past.
	The regular Scunthorpe to Eastleigh train of long welded rails usually passes without being remarked upon because it is more often than not hauled by a class 66. On 3 July 2014 one of the royal class 67s, 67005, was in the consist and I thought that this would be worth a shot. The train ran early as far as Dorridge loop and if the earliness had continued I would have been unable to get out in time, but when I saw from RTT that it had gone into the loop as booked a quick check on the running of up passenger trains confirmed that it would be held to time. This gave me the chance to make it to Hatton station roadbridge with a few minutes to spare but as soon as I saw that 6X01 had passed Lapworth I heard 66704 leaving the Down Goods Loop with 6M40 to Stud Farm. I was convinced that this was about to turn into comedy corner but on this occasion good fortune prevailed and 6M40 was well out of the way when 66081 + 67005 rolled towards Hatton station.
	There was an unusual train at Hatton North Junction during the afternoon of 1 July 2014 so with a relatively clear sky I had a trip over to take a few pictures. As I arrived the sun was beginning to go into some cloud and by the time that 66164 with 4M52, the Southampton to Castle Bromwich empty car carriers, was audible on Hatton Bank the cloud cover was complete. I hadn't photographed this working for quite a while but one of the more memorable occasions was on 21 March 2012 when 67011 was in charge. The undergrowth was less obtrusive then; the shot from the field now being virtually impossible once foliage has appeared on the bushes.
	The second freight at Hatton North Junction on 1 July 2014, and the one in which I was most interested, was a 6Z73 Swindon Cocklebury to Aldwarke train of loaded scrap wagons. This type of load is uncommon on the GWR Leamington Spa to Birmingham line and even though the light had collapsed by the time it was due I thought it worth while to hang on a take a shot. The locomotive, 66006, was working very hard to lift the heavy load away from the booked stop in Hatton Down Goods Loop and because the contents of the big box wagons weren't visible from my viewpoint on the steps to the footbridge I hopped up to the bridge's deck and saw that what appeared to be blocks of baled steel, possibly with a coating of zinc. My thanks to Brian Williams for information on the composition of the wagon contents.
	There was a highly unusual, not to say unique, working on Saturday 17 May 2014 when privately owned 50007 was booked to work the Washwood Heath to Boston empty steel train. This was due past Lea Marston at about 09.50 so I arrived with time to spare and to photograph an early running 4M07, the 02.30 Felixstowe to Birch Coppice intermodal which was routed over the fast lines from Water Orton rather than its booked route on the slow lines. Here is 66039 trundling past the half-dozen or so photographers waiting for something a tad more colourful.
	West Coast Main Line engineering work caused the diversion of 6067, the 10.56 Daventry (actually Rugby, the line through Daventry having closed decades ago!) International Railfreight Terminal to Dollands Moor to be diverted via Solihull and Leamington Spa. The load of cargowagons is unusal for this line so I wanted a record photograph and went to the footbridge just to the north of Shrewley village, walking along a very overgrown public footpath with a plethora of scratching brambles and stinging nettles. The train hauled by 66127 ran late as far as Dorridge Loop but by dint of missing out a booked stop in the up loop there was a few minutes early when it passed the bridge. The wagons were presumably going to be taken back to France for another another load of bottled water for gullible UK customers who don't worry about the unsustainable and environmentally unsound nature of the product being imported into a country with a very plentiful supply of high quality and very cheap tap water...
	A new loaded car train from Southampton Western Docks to Trafford Park Euro Terminal ran on Wednesday 23 April 2014. This conveyed new Renault vehicles in open-topped wagons and was hauled by 66024. The service, 6M66, was the first northbound car train with a load that I had heard about on this line for some time so even though the weather was poor with dark skies and drizzly rain felt that a shot was worthwhile. I wanted to be north of Hatton station as a steam special from Andover to Stratford-upon-Avon was running not far in front of 6M66. This meant that once again Hatton North Junction was the best bet even though the vegetation is growing rapidly given the warm weather we have recently enjoyed. The schedule showed that 6M66 was routed via Hatton DGL and even though it was running almost 10 minutes late this stop, to allow a CrossCountry Voyager to pass, was taken and this picture shows 66024 accelerating away from the loop and station whilst putting up a good show of exhaust.
	The Westbury/Eastleigh to Stud Farm empty ballast wagons, 6M40, changed from Freightliner Heavy Haul haulage to GBRf with effect from 1 April 2014. The first day of the new operator was dull and cloudy so I decided to wait for a better day on which to photograph it. As it happened, 2 April provided the right conditions so I went to Hatton North Junction, the best bet for a well-lit image, ready for 66742 with its long train of low-sided trucks. The train ran a few minutes late between Oxford and Hatton Down Goods Loop but was released from there on time and is here seen accelerating around the curve from the station. It will be interesting to see how long it takes for one of GBRf's multi-coloured class 66s to appear on this service; and whether those runs coincide with sunny days...
	The weather forecast for the afternoon of Wednesday 19 March 2014 was for relatively clear skies so with the prospect of a few freights on the Cheltenham line I went off to Croome Perry. First along was 66724 with 6V94, the Ironbridge Power Station to Avonmouth empty biomass hoppers. This was running a couple of minutes early and managed to miss out a brief stop in the loop at Abbotswood Junction. I have heard that these trains are likely to become less frequent runners so was reasonably happy to get a shot of the train with some weak sun coming through thinning cloud.
	Ironbridge Power Station burns both coal and biomass and here is an example of the train that had delivered the former passing Croome Perry on 19 March 2014 when 66559 went south with empty hoppers en-route to Stoke Gifford. This is a pleasant spot at which to spend a short time but there is little variety in the shots available so everything looks much the same apart from the colour schemes of the various locomotives. At least the sun had come out properly and it was getting quite warm on this calm afternoon.
	The Margam to Corby and return trains conveying steel coil are generally quite reliable on the Cheltenham line and on 19 March 2014 66139 was provided for 6V92, the 10.22 from Corby which was running about 5 minutes on the booked times. This was a shorter than normal train although I doubt that this was the cause of the early running given the relatively lightweight nature of the empty coil carriers.
	I wasn't expecting to see 66606 on 6M40, the 11.56 Westbury to Stud Farm stone empties, at Hatton North Junction on 7 March 2014 much before the booked time of 15.36. Looking at RTT I saw that it was 15 minutes early on the approaches to Leamington Spa and wondered if it would be given a run without going into Hatton Down Goods Loop. It was, and here it is with its uniform set of IOA box wagons somewhere in the region of 40 minutes early.
	After missing out on a shot of 67015 leading a test train at Hatton on the morning of 5 March 2014 I went back later in the day to try again on the return trip. My arrival at Hatton North Junction just about coincided with the passing of 66569 with 4M28, the 09.20 Southampton to Ditton Freightliner. A pair of London Midland class 172s led by 172216 is waiting at the signal on the curve from the Stratford-upon-Avon branch while forming the 14.03 from Stratford to Stourbridge Junction via Solihull.
	A train giving some variety on the Hatton line is 6M40, the 11.56 Westbury to Stud Farm ballast empties which is booked to sit in hatton Down Goods Loop for 22 minutes. Despite an early arrival on 4 March 2014 66602 was still looped and is here seen beginning to accelerate away from the stop just as the sun began to clear some cloud. If this viewpoint is to be usable over the Spring and Summer some serious gardening will be necessary to clear a few patches of elder which will soon take over again.
	A regular train of new rails runs from Scunthorpe to Eastleigh and is due to pass Hatton North at 15.42. On 4 March 2014 66115 was in charge as the short train began its descent of Hatton Bank through the cutting adjacent to Shrewley cutting.
	The view looking north from the occupation bridge at Old Milverton on 24 January 2013 was too shadowed for my taste so for my shot of 66084 with 4O21, the late-running 11.00 Bescot to Southampton intermodal, I walked the few yards to the road bridge. Here the shadows were clear of the line within range of a medium-length lens and it wasn't long before the train appeared coming through the trees just south of Kenilworth. The lack of a fully loaded train isn't too much of an issue with a head-on view like this one but I still think that this line has little to commend it from a photographic point of view
	Having just photographed a DRS working at Leamington Spa on 13 February 2014 I waited a few minutes to take a shot of the Leeds to Southampton freightliner, 4O54, which was double-headed by 66556 + 66593. Both locomotives were under power and I assume that an earlier unbalanced working or locomotive failure had taken place which necessitated an extra locomotive move. The station garden at Leamington is always carefully tended and a hedge has received some attention from a topiarist to form a train, named the "Leamington Flyer", with Pampas Grass making up the steam.
	One of the most reliable morning freight trains on the Hatton to Leamington Spa line is 4O54, the 06.13 Leeds to Southampton Freightliner service. On 4 February 2014 it ran around 20 minutes early until it St Andrew's Junction in Birmingham but after that the early running began to fade away until it was only about 5 minutes up on its schedule by the time it reached Hatton. On this occasion 66538 was in charge of the well-loaded train and it managed to pass by just a few moments before a patch of cloud covered the sun.
	The 10.18 Trafford Park to Southampton Freightliner service, 4O09 is due to pass Hatton North Junction at 14.39 and it was just 1 minute after this time on 14 January 2104 that 66566 came into view under the Shrewley Road bridge. The sun had gone into thick cloud by this time but this was probably a slight advantage because the line would have been plagued by shadows at this time of year had it been fully out. Just after the train had passed I had a 'phone message saying that my reason for being at Hatton North Junction, the Amersham to Derby S stock move which had failed at Fenny Compton early that morning, was shut down and that a 66/7 was on its way to effect a rescue. This would have happened well after dark so it was time to head home.
	Much of the freight along the GWR line from Leamington Spa to Birmingham is made up of container traffic but on Thursday morning there is an empty working of the Self Discharge Train from Banbury to Mountsorrel. This isn't a train that I see very often as it runs at a time of day when the light isn't especially favourable and I can't often be bothered to spend time on routine traffic when the light is indifferent. On this occasion, 12 December 2013, 66058 was allocated to 6M31 and the train is seen passing Hatton North Junction a couple of minutes late behind a correspondingly late passenger train which it had followed from Banbury. The clue to why I was here at this time of day can be seen standing at the signal on the curve from Hatton West Junction.
	A light engine from Immingham, which changed overnight to Doncaster, was scheduled to go to Long Marston on Thursday 5 December 2013 where some oil tanks were to be collected and taken to Humber oil Refinery. The scheduled arrival time was 10.11 but as is often the case it was earlier than this when the locomotive went into the yard. When I arrived at 10.05 66200 was already on the tanks, headlights on and ready to move despite the booked departure not being scheduled until 12.34. Within a few minutes 6Z16 was on the move and moved onto the branch line to Honeybourne at 10.12. The tanks are blue TEAs similar to those that left here behind 60019 on 12 June 2013. There seem to have been a large number of these tanks in Long Marston and some brand new examples that arrived in 2012 had decals proclaiming the "green" energy efficiency of railfreight. The tanks leaving today seemed to have cleanish patches on the sides about where these decals had been situated but whether they had been removed or the cleaner paint had another cause I don't know.
	There was plenty of time for a drive across to Honeybourne before 66200 appeared coming slowly down the Long Marston branch where the single line staff was replaced in the cabin. It soon moved away towards the station passing some attractive Autumnal colours which were rapidly disappearing as the extremely strong wind stripped most of the remaining leaves from the trees. The locomotive looks as if it may be have recently been on RHTT duties before being run through a washer if the state of its roof is a guide. The signal protecting the main was at red as 6Z16 ran into the platform allowing plenty of time for a final shot. The gentleman just visible in the waiting shelter was hoping to catch the 10.37 departure for London Paddington but at this point the train was some 15 minutes late. Thanks to RealTime Trains and in the absence of any tannoy announcements I was able to let him know that his train from Great Malvern had been cancelled due to some problem "at the depot". At that moment he was not a fan of FGW...
	I saw from RealTime Trains that the Didcot to Ashchurch MOD train, 6B36, was running on Thursday 17 October and with the army transport maintenance facility there being closed within the next year thought that a trip across to Northway was in order. The train was running early after its run-round and reversal at Worcester T.C. and came into sight only a few moments after my arrival on the footbridge. Unfortunately, the train wasn't one of the longest I have seen, conveying just a single Land Rover as 66093 ran along the goods loop where it sat for some 15 minutes before being released, with nothing having passed by on the main line, to enter the exchange sidings before propelling the train along the branch line. There was no return traffic and 66093 left light engine a while later.
	COLAS Rail have recently won a contract to move coal from Portbury Docks in Bristol to Ratcliffe Power Station. The loaded train runs at an unsociable time, in the Midlands at least, but the returning empty hoppers are more photographable being booked to pass Ashchurch at around 11.30. The sun was in and out as I waited on the footpath alongside the line and although at this time light is getting a little too head-on there was a covering of light cloud to take away some of the harshness as 66848 with 4V30 passed under the footbridge. Once the clocks have gone back in a couple of weeks this location will be no good after about 10.30 so I was keen to get one or two shots here before that happens.
	After photographing 60074 with 6V05 from Round Oak on 17 October 2013 I had intended to move back to the footbridge for this shot of 66956 on 4V07, the 08.52 Rugeley power Station to Stoke Gifford sidings, but a fellow enthusiast on the bridge was good enough to shout and wave to indicate that it was approaching the level crossing just to the north of Northway. The result was therefore a third shot in a row from the same location alongside Ashchurch Loop; my final photograph for the session.
	A new flow of cement has just started to run along the Birmingham to Bristol main line and as I like to get a record of different types of train on my local lines went to Croome Perry on Wednesday 9 October 2013. Just after getting out of my car I could hear a freight coming south and grabbed this shot as 66055 with 6V05, the 10.01 Round Oak to Margam empty steel carriers, came under the bridge about 20 minutes early. The weather as I left Stratford-upon-Avon wasn't too bad but the cloud thickened as I approached Pershore and by the time I had reaached Croome the cloud cover was complete. The locomotive here pictured is one of those fitted with an extra headlight used when on Lickey banking duties.
	The cement train to which I referred above is a Clitheroe to Avonmouth Bennets Sidings which left the originating point at 17.20 on Tuesday 8 October 2013 and then staged at Bescot for 12 hours before continuing its journey to Bristol. The schedule for the second leg of the journey had been altered so it appeared that it hadn't left Bescot by the time it was due at Croome Perry and I had resigned myself to having to come back another day for a photograph. I had just decided to go home when I heard a heavy train on the run down from Abbotswood Junction and was pleased when 66041 came into view with its uniform rake of some 30 Castle Cement tanks. The locomotive has been liberally splashed with china clay after working such a train on the previous weekend and the bogies appear to have received a good dusting with cement from today's train. There were a couple of northbound trains, namely a Didcot to Derby test train and a Berkeley to Crewe nuclear flask working, operated by DRS locomotives due about an hour after 6Z35 passed but these weren't enough of an attraction to cause me to delay lunch any longer...
	I had a run to Bentley Heath footbridge on the afternoon of Friday 27 September 2013 and the first freight to come along was 6X01, the 10.17 Scunthorpe to Eastleigh train of new rails with 66143 doing the honours. This location is like many others these days in that lineside vegetation is beginning to cause problems with shadows and at this time of the year it is impossible to put the whole train in clear sun but at least the locomotive, although a bit grubby, was well lit. The sun had only just come out properly and a short while before, the sky was cloudy; as it had been when I arrived on the bridge and just grabbed this not very well composed shot of 153386 leading 170631 on the 14.46 Dorridge to Worcester service. I don't know how often 170s are used on these trains but all the others that I saw this afternoon were class 172s in various formations.
	There was quite a gap until the next freight train at Bentley Heath on 27 September 2013, in fact it was just before 15.55 when the barriers protecting the road were dropped to allow 66512 a clear run north with the 10.31 Exeter Riverside to Cliffe Hill empty ballast boxes. A little while earlier I had put a 200mm lens onto my camera ready for this shot. Unfortunately, I had jumped the gun by a couple of minutes as the first of the reliveried Chiltern Railways class 168 units, 168219, came south with 1H63, the 15.12 Birmingham Snow Hill to Marylebone train. Not the ideal shot to say the least but at least it does give a reasonable view of the new coat of paint.
	I don't often photograph regularly running trains in poor light, preferring to save that pleasure for a day with decent light but as I was at Hatton for an unusual move I did take this image showing 66558 working very hard through the station with 4M28, the 09.32 Southampton to Ditton Freightliner service. I don't mind the occasional short session of station photography as it's good to record the infrastructure which in years to come will probably be at least as interesting as the train, if not more so, as things change.
	Another of the Hinksey Yard to Crewe trains, 6M52, ran during the late afternoon of Saturday 7 September 2013. This time, both locomotives involved during the week, 66849 and 47727, were on the front of the train and it was this that prompted me to go out for a shot. The sky was completely cloudy when I left home and the plan was just for a record shot from the north side of the line at Hatton station. As the train passed Leamington Spa a few minutes late the cloud seemed simply to evaporate and the sun came out which left me with a bit of a dilemma. The shot through the platform on the sunny side isn't exactly what I had in mind given all the shadows at this time of day but there wouldn't have been time for the walk to Hatton North Junction which, of course, would have been absolutely ideal. So, this is about the best I could do but still hope for another chance during the coming week if the weather is right.
	After failing to photograph the Hinksey Yard to Crewe train, 6M52, on 4 September 2013 I had another go at it the following day. The sky was a bit cloudy in Stratford-upon-Avon at around 17.15 but looked to be clearer to the north, in which direction I headed. Unfortunately, cloud was just reaching the sun when I arrived at Hatton North and unusally for me I didn't know which locomotive was working the train or whether, unlike the previous day, it was actually pulling anything. An early warning system was in force in the shape of an S & T gang working just south of Hatton station and I heard the sound of a class 66 horn rather than the squeak of 47727 as 6M52 approached. I hadn't seen a COLAS class 66 here so was happy enough to take this image even though the light was on the rubbish side of poor. If we get another sunny evening this train should be photographable for a week or two before the light at 18.00 becomes too low and causes problems with shadows.
	A new traffic flow has just appeared on the Hatton line in the form of empty ballast hoppers from Hinksey Yard to Crewe running in connection with the project to link the Oxford to Bicester line with the main line through Bicester North. Wednesday 5 September 2013 was a sunny day and the new train, 6M52, was showing on the system as a "goer" so I went to Hatton for a photograph. I was aware that 66134 was also coming north with 4M52, the empty car carriers from Southampton to Castle Bromwich and as I wouldn't have had time to walk to Hatton North Junction before this came decided to stay at the station. I was just walking from the car park to the footbridge when a class 66 horn blasted. It couldn't have been 66134 as this was still just south of Leamington Spa so it was a surprise when 66604 appeared from the Down Goods Loop with a very late 6M40 from Westbury to Stud Farm. On looking at RealTime Trains I discovered that it had lost 90 minutes between Chippenham and Wootton Bassett Junction, this deficit being maintained. The driver pulled up at the signal on Hatton platform and spoke to a signaller at Landor Street Junction before continuing his journey. There didn't appear to a problem with the locomotive at this stage as 6M40 made steady progress along the GWR at least as far as Bordesley Junction when I stopped watching it.
	I referred above to the car carriers from Southampton to Castle Bromwich, 4M52, and this appeared at Hatton station on 4 September 2013 running very close to right time. Even though the the wagons are empty this is still a heavy train and 66134 was working hard as it approached the summit of the 1/110 climb from Warwick. My reason for being at Hatton was to photograph 47727 with 6M52, the 16.21 Hinksey to Bescot (not Crewe on this occasion) but after quite a delay it turned out that things had changed and 66849 ran light engine instead, by which time I had gone home. I have a black and white negative and a video sequence somewhere of an EWS class 37 hauling a similar train in this spot following the failure of a 66; on that occasion it the train was audible for a long time, even with the omnipresent drone from the nearby M40 in the background!
	Another locomotive-hauled Network Measurement Train was due to pass northwards through Hatton on Friday 30 August 2013 and, with a reasonable weather forecast, I went out to photograph it along with some routine freight workings. I looked for a location south of Hatton and tried the Black Bridge at Whitnash and the footpath near the line at Budbrook. Both were completely useless although Whitnash may just about be OK for an early morning shot of a northbound train; not what I wanted. Knowing that 66604 was in the down goods loop at Hatton with 6M40, the 11.56 Westbury to Stud Farm stone empties I had little option but to go once again to Hatton North Junction. It wasn't long before I heard 6M40 leave the loop and accelerate past the footbridge with a good show of exhaust smoke.
	The next freight to appear at Hatton North Junction on Friday 30 August 2013 was 6E55, the 13.00 Theale to Lindsey discharged oil tanks hauled by 66114. This was 55 minutes late leaving Theale but with plenty of recovery time in the schedule it was 11 minutes early passing Warwick Parkway station. This train is not scheduled to use Hatton DGL but when it didn't appear when expected it wasn't hard to work out that it had been routed into the loop to allow a Chiltern class 168 to pass. It was exactly on time, 16.16, when it appeared coming around the bend from Hatton station also making a lot of exhaust smoke. The sun had just gone behind a cloud; very much the story of this afternoon's photography.
	Three Murco branded TDA bogie oil tanks have been sitting in a dead-end siding at Didcot for some time and trains have twice appeared in schedules to move them to Long Marston before baing cancelled. On Wednesday 28 August 2013 they finally made it and unusually ran via the North Cotswold Line throughout although too early in the morning to be worth a trip out somewhere south of Honeybourne where revenue-earning freights are exceptionally rare. The train, 6Z36, ran to Worcester TC where 66112 ran round the tanks before heading back to Honeybourne North Junction where it left the main line and joined the Long Marston branch. I was walking to a public crossing of the branch when I heard the locomotive's horn in the distance and made it to the stile at the edge of a field with only a minute or so to spare; 6Z36 with the TDAs by then being close to 20 minutes early. The schedule indicated that a return load, again via Moreton-in-Marsh, was on the cards and this would have the more interesting train but there was nothing in the yard at Long Marston and 66112 left straight away running back to Didcot light diesel on the booked route except with a reversal at Norton Junction rather than Worcester.
	After a wet start, Friday 16 August 2013 turned into a warm and sunny day so in the early afternoon I went over to Hatton North Junction for a few photographs of the regular freights. I arrived just as a plain blue Freightliner 66 on the Trafford Park to Southampton service went south about 25 minutes late which reminded me that I should have checked RTT before leaving home as a slightly quicker drive and walk would have put that one in the bag! As it was, the first freight I photographed was 66607 on 6M40, the 11.56 Westbury to Stud Farm, which was about 5 minutes late coming out of Hatton Goods Loop after sitting there to allow two passengers through. The exhaust smoke shows that the locomotive is working hard to get its rake of IOA boxes on the move up the last few yards of Hatton Bank.
	Oil trains from Lindsey Refinery to Theale have been a bit thin on the ground over the past few months because of a downturn in the demand for petroleum products. On Friday 16 August 2013 the loaded train did run during the early hours meaning that the return, 6E55, would be up Hatton Bank sometime after 16.00. It ran close to time throughout and appeared coming around the bend from Hatton station just one minute late behind 66053. The sun is just about pefect at this time, 16.16 although it is rare to see any other photographers on site unless a class 60 is in charge such as in early October 2012 when the footbridge was almost groaning under the weight of the assembled throng.
	I saw from RealTimes Trains that a GBRf locomotive was booked to run from Doncaster to Long Marston on Monday 29 July 2013. As it turned out, a load of five JNA box wagons was found and which were conveyed either for maintenance or storage. The arrival time was 14.14 which if the sun is out is completely hopeless for an arrival shot at Long Marston and I hadn't given myself time to go to Honeybourne so hoped that some clould would help me out. In the event it was the worst possible scenario with the train in shadow but with bright sunshine from above and behind the train illuminating the background. I therefore waited for 66702 to take its train into the yard and for the HNRC shunter to prepare to couple onto the wagons before pulling them into the headshunt so that the mainline locomotive was able to cross over and join its train of smaller box wagons destined for Northfleet's Lafarge facility in Kent.
	The train from Long Marston to Northfleet wasn't scheduled to leave until 16.05 but I hoped that the usual movement would apply. The sky towards Honeybourne looked fairly clear so I set off leaving plenty of time in case last week's roadworks were still causing long diversions between the two points. As it happened the roads were clear and I went straight to Honeybourne station and kept an eye on RTT while sitting in my car in the shadow of some trees. It was quite a long wait as 66702 with what I guess was 6Z81 didn't leave Long Marston until 15.48, just 17 minutes early. Just as it came into view on the branch 180104 entered the down platform at Honeybourne and stopped to pick up a few passengers. 66702 moved towards the road bridge under which it stopped for quite a while as several crew members went to and fro while a driver change took place. The signal soon cleared and the train ran straight past the platforms, across Honeybourne West Junction and off towards towards Worcester.
	The OTP event at Long Marston finished on Thursday 25 July 2013 and on the following morning the train I had photographed on Tuesday last returned to Westbury. The original departure time was just after 06.00 which would have been too early for me considering where the sun would have been at that time, but as there was no locomotive at Long Marston it seemed unlikely that anything would happen. A schedule then appeared bringing a light engine, 66850, in from Worcester Yard and once I had seen that this had passed Evesham I went over to hopefully photograph the departure. As I arrived I could hear a class 66 only a few yards away. It ran into the yard where the colourful train was ready for it and by 09.00 was preparing for departure. It moved onto the Honeybourne branch at 09.06 when this picture was taken. I didn't go any further along the branch as any more shots would have been almost straight into the sun. The booked departure time was 10.55 and 7Z56 was shown as leaving at the right time so I assume it festered somewhere around Honeybourne until then.
	The afternoon of Friday 12 July 2013 was hot, sunny and with good clarity at light in Stratford-upon-Avon so I went out to the Cheltenham line for a couple of hours with the prospect of at least three and maybe four freights. Unfortunately, by the time I had reached Eckington the sky was quite "milky" and the light not so crisp as it had been at home. The first train along was 6V92, the 10.23 Corby to Margam empty steel coil carriers, hauled by 66012. As can be seen, this is point where the goods loop for the northbound line commences so there is always a slight risk that a southbound shot will be blocked although this is not so far happened to me; there aren't many up freights in the afternoon...
	I had expected to see a Freightliner class 66 or 70 taking empty coal hoppers from Ironbridge Power Station to Stoke Gifford during my stay at Eckington on 12 July 2013 but the train was about one hour late arriving at Bescot Up Loop for its run-round and a huge four hours late departing. Instead, I decided to wait an extra twenty minutes or so to photograph 66001 with the Fridays only Halewood to Southampton cars, 6O42. I hadn't photographed this working previously despite it having run for the past couple of years so was happy enough to obtain this shot of it despite the fact that the light was by now quite unpleasant under the veil of high thin cloud. On this occasion the train from the Jaguar Land Rover factory was loaded with new Range Rover Evoques, all carefully wrapped in white sheeting to protect their paintwork during the journey for export.
	Yet another long train of empty oil tanks was taken for storage into Long Marston on Tuesday 9 July 2013. This time it was a 6Z16 02.27 from Humber Oil Refinery which ran early all the way until it reached the black hole that is the section of line between Castle Bromwich Junction and Landor Street at the latter of which a crew change was booked. The lateness continued and 6Z16, headed by 66172, lost its original path from Worcester Traffic Centre to Evesham West Junction and had to wait at the latter until 10.30, some forty minutes behind time. The slight advantage of this from a photographic point of view was that the sun had moved around to the south a bit further which distinctly helped with the angle of the light at Mutton Bridge, Blackminster. The blob visible in the sky to the right of the rear of the train isn't a mark on my camera's sensor but a police helicopter hovering above the Aldington area.
	There isn't usually much of a problem in taking a second shot of a train going into Long Marston after a first one at Blackminster and such was the case on 9 July 2013. I arrived at a foot crossing on the Pebworth road of the branch from Honeybourne with a good five minutes to spare and as the light was good with little haze about decided on a picture taken with a long lens. Here is 66172 rolling slowly along the line with its long rake of 100 tonne bogie oil tanks heading for, hopefully, short term storage.
	One of the infrequent trains from Long Marston to Didcot ran on Friday 5 July 2013. I had sort of hoped that 67029, which has been at Didcot for a few days, would be sent to work this train but it went instead to COD Kineton on 6M21. Still, 66118 was the first of the class in the day-glo DBS livery to reach Long Marston although 60019 in the company's colours was here a few weeks ago. The bright colour, to my eyes, suits class 66 much better than the slab-sided class 60. The load of today's train was a modest three large oil tanks including a brightly coloured example bringing up the rear. Had the train been longer I would have gone down to Honeybourne for another picture but on this occasion went over to Hatton, via a drink break at home, to see 57601 at Hatton.
	There was the prospect of an unusual train passing Hatton during the early aftertoon of 26 June 2013 so I had a trip to the North Junction. The train I was after was a diversion and so didn't appear on the RealTimes Train system but I gave myself plenty of time and therefore the chance to photograph a few other workings. First along was 4M28, the 09.32 Southampton to to Ditton Freightliner, hauled by 66567. The sun was in and out, more in than out with a lot of fine weather cloud bubbling up but this one came around the curve from Hatton station in a small patch of sunshine.
	Next along at Hatton North on 26 June 2013 was 66061 with the 09.32 Southampton to Birch Coppice intermodal. This was clearly a very heavy train if the speed at which it was running was any guide and I knew that it hadn't been looped to the south of Hatton station as I had heard it coming up the bank for some time. Once again the sun just about managed to stay out long enough although a large chunk of black cloud was approaching rapidly from the west. While waiting for some railway action I spent a moment or two photographing this insect, a Cinnabar moth, Tyria jacobaea. The main foodplants of the caterpillars are ragwort and groundsel, both rich in alkaloid poisons. The larvae are immune to these toxins which are stored in their bodies and passed on through the pupa stage to the moth, making them the most poisonous moth species in Britain.
	The unusual train for the line through Hatton on 26 June 2013 to which I alluded above was a diverted 6M91 Theale to Earles Sidings empty cement tanks. The usual route for this working is from Reading to Acton and thence, eventually, north along the Midland Main Line. I have no idea why it was diverted on this occasion but it's been a very long time since I saw a similar rake of wagons around here. The last occasion I can recall was when I photographed 47101 in May 1986 whilst working a Greaves Sidings (near Banbury) train. The first message that I saw about 6M91 was when it was passing Didcot at just after 13.30 but it was two hours after this that it reached Hatton after, no doubt, being routed into every possible loop along the way. It was certainly just out of Hatton DGL when I photographed it with the locomotive working hard and producing quite a lot of exhaust smoke. The sun didn't cooperate, as it hadn't a few minutes earlier for 67013 with 1R34, the 13.15 London Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street and whilst disappointing, the object of the exercise was to record the unusual movement so the quality of light was a secondary consideration.
	The morning of Saturday 22 June 2013 saw 6M60, the Exeter New Yard to Bescot china clay tanks, diverted to run via Didcot, Oxford, Hatton and Tyseley to its destination. The schedule included an awful lot of time where the train festered in various loops but as is often the case things worked out differently and thanks to the invaluable RealTime Trains website I kept an eye on it and saw that very early running was the order of the day. The sky at home looked to be quite uniformly cloudy and so I went to Hatton North Junction for a record shot of the unusual train for this line. After an uncomfortable walk through the stinging nettle-lined footpath I arrived at the footbridge with a virtually clear sky overhead and with little prospect of seeing any cloud cover in the next thirty minutes. The train was by this time approaching Leamington Spa some 148 minutes early so I had to settle for this shot, complete with heavy backlighting, taken from the footpath leading to the bridge. On occasions, three or four locomotives are at the head of 6M60, the working being used to move them around without the trouble of setting up paths for light engines, but given the relatively small gap available in the undergrowth, it was probably a good job that 66011 was alone on this occasion. The picture nearly didn't happen at all as when I pressed the shutter release a Freightliner 66 with 4O27 heading to Southampton from Garston was just at my shoulder...
	I saw from Reaaltime Trains that a locomotive was booked to run light diesel from Didcot to Long Marston during the morning of 20 June 2013. Whether there was a return load wasn't clear but as I was within about two miles of this bridge when it was due to arrive I went for a look. There was nothing in the exchange sidings and judging by the number of crew in the cab of 66084 I assume that it was a driver familiarisation, road learning or rail polishing trip. Within a few minutes of arrival it was on the way back to Didcot. The outward journey had been via Swindon, Kemble, Gloucester and Worcester but the return ran to Norton Junction and then crossed and went back through Moreton-in- Marsh.
	There were a couple of reasonably interesting workings around Hatton on the afternoon of 29 May 2013 so even though the weather was poor I had a trip over to take a few photographs. Only a minute or two after I had arrived on the footbridge at Hatton North Junction I saw 66568 coming very slowly around the bend from the station with a late running 4M55, the 08.54 Southampton to Lawley Street, which was just about one hour behind schedule and had obviously been in Hatton Down Goods Loop to allow a passenger train to pass. The light for this shot was just about as good as I saw it this afternoon with just a hint of hazy sun poking through the cloud and mist. It became worse...
	Not far behind 4M55 on 29 May 2013 was an on-time 4M28, which is the 09.32 Southampton to Ditton service hauled on this occasion by the sole, at the time of writing, Freightliner 66 in Powerhaul livery, 66504. The light had deteriorated in the time since 4M55 had gone by but at least the locomotive was still reasonably clean and looked quite respectable. This train hadn't been looped and 66504 was making quite a noise for class 66 as it brought the heavy load up the final few yards of Hatton Bank.
	An intermodal with a different company's class 66 was the target of my next shot at Hatton North Junction on Wednesday 29 May 2013. This time it was 66084 with the 09.32 Southampton to Birch Coppice, 4M66. The very long and heavy train had been looped just to the south of Hatton station and as rain had begun to fall the locomotive was struggling for adhesion on the greasy rail, a problem compounded by the 1/110 gradient and severe curvature of the line. Nonetheless, the sanders and anti-slip control did their jobs as 4M66 made its way away from Hatton towards Birmingham.
	Freightliner is still using several DRS branded class 66 locomotives for their intermodal traffic and on Thursday 16 May 2013 66416 was put in charge of 4O54, the 06.15 Leeds to Southampton train. As this runs through Hatton at the best time for the light direction during the morning I went to the three arch bridge in Hatton cutting for a shot in, hopefully, full sun notwithstanding that some clouds were beginning to appear. Everything worked out well and 66416 came around the curve from Hatton station just about one minute early. This wasn't the first time that 66416 has been along here, a more notable working was when it rescued 70018 when the latter failed while working 4O18 on 21 February 2012.
	After photographing 56303 near Islip on 7 May 2013 I decided to hang on for a few minutes to take a shot of 66124 heading to Bicester COD with 6A49 from Didcot Yard. This train can be a bit of lottery as far as loading is concerned as it sometimes has just wagon, sometimes none at all and as on this occasion a reasonably long set of flats and ferrywagons. The red light warning road users to wait before opening the gates can just be seen on the left of the gates and I was pleased to get a few shots here before the crossing is permanently closed and the scene changed for ever when the line is reopened and electrified as far as Bletchley. I didn't see any vehicles apart from my own using the crossing while I was here and I don't suppose that too much hardship will be caused by its loss, although I did see a couple of people on foot cross the line. I wonder if Network Rail will go to the expense of a footbridge to maintain this right-of-way?
	One of Freightliner's class 66s has just been released into traffic carrying the company's newish Powerhaul colour scheme. One of its first runs was on 4O55, the 12.18 Leeds to Southampton train and as the afternoon of 2 May was nice and sunny I decided to go for a shot so as to have one in the bag while the locomotive was still clean and shiny. As usual for me, I couldn't be bothered to go far and given the heavy traffic heading south from Leamington Spa at this time of day just went to my nearest bridge. I knew that the backlighting would be quite severe but still OK to give an idea of the livery. The only possible problem was a northbound Chiltern Railways unit due past here about four minutes before 4O55 was due and with the freight running slightly early I hoped all would be well. It was and the unit would have been beyond Hatton North Junction when 66504 and its well loaded train came into view.
	I have been meaning to go out to get a photograph of the Ironbridger Power Station to Portbury biomass empty train for a couple of weeks so when the weather looked to be good on the afternoon of 1 May 2013 the chance presented itself. As I drove towards Pershore there were ominous signs that a lot of cloud was bubbling up and on arrival at Defford I seemed to be on a little cloudy island surrounded by sunny fields. The first train along was 6E41, the Westerleigh to Lindsey empty oil tanks hauled by 60019 and I wasn't bothered that the light was poor - same old loco with the same old tanks - but when I saw that 4V94 with 66702 had managed to be thirty four minutes early and had passed Abbotswood Junction it was likely that the chance of sun was zero. I was right, but only by a minute or so and didn't fare much better with 66559 hauling 4V47, the Rugeley to Stoke Gifford empty coal hoppers a few minutes later...
	The only train that rolled past Defford in decent light on the afternoon of 1 May 2013 was 6V92, the Corby to Margam empty steel wagons hauled by 66230. This managed to arrive in a small clear patch just a couple of minutes early on the booked schedule. This location is the site of Defford station and is both an access point for Network Rail engineers and a yard used by road hauliers. The lineside clutter is a bit of a mess but careful framing will get rid of the worst of it. The blue painted drain covers are an irritant and I know that some would go to extreme lengths to remove them during post processing but to my mind that is a waste of time; they're part of the current scene and show the railway as it is, not as someone thinks it should be. Having said that, I have been known to remove an obtrusive growth from the roof of a locomotive, especially in a ground level shot!
	Container trains form the majority of freight traffic on the Leamington Spa to Birmingham line and this one, 4O54, is a weekdays-only runner from Leeds to Southampton. On 30 April 2013 it was exceptionally well laden and 66569 was working hard to keep the heavy moving at line speed despite being on the downgrade towards Warwick as it is about to pass Hatton station. This train was running spot on time and passed me, as scheduled, at 10.39. Not far behind it was the third working I had noted but I had misread the information I had been given and hadn't noticed that it originated from Bescot TMD rather than Bescot Engineers Sidings. I had expected a ballast train but instead saw a trio of class 66s, 66140, 66097 and 66201 working to Didcot ready for some engineering work.
	The afternoon of Friday 19 April 2013 turned out warm and reasonably sunny so I went over to Bentley Heath to photograph a couple of routine freight workings; something that I will only do if there is a better than evens chance of the sun being out. The first train to appear a few minutes after I had arrived was 6X01, the 08.31 Scunthorpe to Eastleigh train of new rails. This had had a late start but wasn't too far from being back on time when it passed heading heading for a short sojourn in Dorridge Up Loop to allow a Chiltern Railways class 168 to pass.
	The view looking south towards Dorridge station from the footbridge at Bentley Heath isn't my favourite for a northbound train but it's not too bad if one doesn't mind a bit of modern railway infrastructure and clutter appearing in the photograph. This train is 6M40, the 11.56 Westbury to Stud Farm empty ballast wagons, hauled by 66603 and pictured hurtling across the level crossing on Friday 19 April 2013. This is quite a busy road and it's not unusual to see long lines of traffic waiting for the barriers to lift, especially if there are two trains in the section This often happens because of the twenty minute frequency of the London Midland passengers trains which terminate and start from Dorridge.
	Several long rakes of oil tanks have been taken for storage into Long Marston in recent times and another went in on Wednesday 10 April 2013. The train, 6Z16 from Immingham, consisted of TEA bogie tanks and was hauled by 66055 which is notable for being one of the Lickey Bankers, recognisable because of the additional headlight used at night for buffering to the back of the train to be assisted. The weather was a bit dull and misty but with the sun trying to break through I plumped for a location where it would be in the right place if it did come out. The other advantage of the public foot crossing on the Broad Marston road is that the whole of the very long train can be seen. The booked arrival time of 6Z16 was 10.13 but it was at 09.51 that it passed me after a good clear run from Worcester Shrub Hill from where it departed at 09.23. There was no return load and 66055 left Long Marston for Bescot the thick end of three hours early.
	There isn't usually much freight scheduled to run on Bank Holiday Mondays and 1 April 2013 was no exception but one "Z" working that was of interest was 6Z16, the 08.30 Milford West Sidings to Westbury which conveyed a set of twenty ex-National Power coal hoppers. These are intended for use on aggregate traffic from the Mendips quarries. Some HTA coal hoppers from the erstwhile Avonmouth to Didcot Power Station traffic were apparently tried out but were found to be unsuitable for some reason and were sent to Bescot. The train to Westbury ran close to the booked time but by missing out a stop in Stoke Works loop was around fifteen minutes early when approaching Abbotswood Junction. As there were a couple of passenger trains approaching from behind 6Z16 was put into Abbotswood loop for a while and left there fourteen minutes late although it was back on time by the time it passed Ashchurch. It should have gone into the loop there but this was unavailable because of a points problem, hence the extended stay at Abbotswood. My photograph was taken at a chilly and quite dark Croome Perry which although an over-used location is ideal when a wide view is desired to show off the unusual wagons for this area.
	Monday 4 March 2013 was, after a dull start, a reasonably bright and sunny day so with the chance of photographing at least two freights at Hatton North Junction off I went. The first to appear should have been 6E48 from Didcot Power Station to Lindsey Oil Refinery but this left its originating point some two hours late and 66607 with 6M40, the 11.56 Westbury to Stud Farm empty ballast wagons was the first locomotive hauled train that I saw. It had been running early but by the time it left Hatton Down Goods Loop it was very close to the booked time and was just beginning to accelerate by the time it passed me and small plume of exhaust smoke is just about visible over the first couple of wagons.
	A couple of engineering trains were scheduled to visit the station at Stratford-upon-Avon during the week commencing 10 February 2013. The first of these was 6P50, the 19.52 from Bescot to Bearley Junction where an overnight possession was in force. The train, with 66161 in charge, arrived at the terminus a few minutes early at 21.41 as soon as the final London Midland service of the day had left. It ran into platform 2 and once the locomotive had run round its load of five autoballasters I had plenty of opportunities for some time exposures. The relatively new station lights at Stratford are quite bright so very long exposures are not necessary but there are a lot of extraneous light sources, most noticeably the lamp-post apparently growing on the roof of 66161!
	During the week commencing 27 January 2013 at least three trains were scheduled for arrival or departure from Long Marston. These should have been operated by COLAS, DCR and DBS and predictably enough I suppose only the DBS train, 6Z16 from Imminghamm managed to run. I particularly tend to ignore predictions of DCR workings until the train comes into sight such is their track record. Anyway, 66046 with a very long rake of red VTG TEA tanks for storage was just about on time at Landor Street, Birmingham but managed to be nearly one hundred minutes late by the time it reached Worcester. There had been a layover of one hour scheduled for Worcester Yard so the actual deficit wasn't too bad by the time it became audible rolling along the Long Marston branch. The light here at just before 10am on a sunny morning isn't brilliant given the mottled shadows and the sun's angle but worth a shot given the length and colour of the train. Some class 460 EMU stock is visible from the road bridge at Long Marston. These EMUs are to be modified at Wabtec, Doncaster to make them compatible with the similar Class 458 units used by South Western trains; they will then be used to extend the 458s to five-car units. These vehicles will be taken to Wabtec as space there allows. What a shame that road transport was used to move this stock; it would have made for a most unusual shot on the North Cotswold Line. My thanks to Brian Williams and Steve Widdowson for the EMU information.
	The MOD train from Didcot to Ashchurch, 6B36, hasn't run all that frequently in recent months and the depot is due to close in the near future with the loss of all traffic. When I saw that 66002 was booked to visit Ashchurch on the morning of 22 January 2013 I went over to take what might be a final shot. By the time I arrived at Northway the train had already gone north to Worcester for its run-round so I waited for it to turn up again. There wan't as much snow on the ground as I had hoped, certainly much less than we had had over the weekend in Stratford-upon-Avon so my plans for a shot or two in really white conditions were thwarted. A new housing development is taking place on the north side of the line on the site of a car park and where rows of increasingly derelict and sordid looking garages had previously been. I wonder how it will be before the new residents are complaining about the noise from the railway?! For those who photograph here only roadside parking amongst the contractors vehicles is currently available. Anyway, 66002 soon appeared with 6B36 which consisted of a good load of army Land Rovers and here it is after having been routed into the goods loop to allow a FGW stopping service to pass by.
	By the time I had made my way to the roadbridge at Ashchurch, 66002 was out of the loop and passing through the station ready to stop beyond the points for the sidings before propelling 6B36 through the second road and onto the Ashchurch branch. While this process was ongoing FGW's 150124 was approaching the station from the south with a stopping train on its way to Worcester so I took a photograph of this showing the sidings with quite a bit of on-track plant around ready for the next Sunday blockade and, more interestingly, the Network Rail man walking in front of the train as it joins the branch. This unusual arrangement is necessary because the branch is sharply curved and crossed by two public footpaths which would obviously be out of the drivers sight with the propelling move.
	It wasn't long before 66002 passed under the roadbridge at Ashchurch on the tail of 6B36 with its load of Land Rovers and a single ferry van on the way to MOD depot. The remains of double track here mark the Ashchurch end of the Midland Railway branch from Alcester via Evesham which closed some forty years ago. When the MOD traffic ceases in the new year I imagine that the branch will be lifted in double-quick time meaning that there will be no freight facilities at all in Gloucestershire. I believe that a housing and leisure complex is to be built over the whole site, effectively a new village to join the other new developments in the immediate area.
	While I was waiting for 6B36 on the footbridge at Northend on Tuesday 22 January 2013 I had expected to see 66425 come south with 4V38, the 08.25 Daventry to Wentloog train operated by DRS on behalf of Tesco. This working suffers from bad timekeeping so I shouldn't really have been surprised that it didn't appear at the booked time of 10.30ish but about ninety minutes later when I was on the roadbridge over Ashchurch station. There has clearly been more snow further north given the amount that is on the top of the first container behind the locomotive. It would have been good if 66425 had made it about thirty seconds earlier as it would have been nicely alongside 66002 as the latter propelled its train down the branch to the MOD depot. As it turned out, 6B36 was only just visible in the extreme right hand side of the frame.
	Sunday 13 January 2013 was part of the second weekend that major engineering work took place on the Birmingham to Cheltenham line. There were several trains involved and a couple of them if they ran as booked, fitted in with my plans. I had intended to photograph 6W37 which was due to leave Abbotswood Junction at around 10.15, run to Worcester Yard for the locomotive to be run round its train, and then head for Hinksey Yard via the North Cotswold Line through Evesham. There are a few places clear of shadows around Evesham but I really wanted a more indentifiable location for something relatively unusual over the line so decided on Honeybourne station. This was more shadowed than I had anticipated but with a decent enough clear patch in the right place alongside the station name board. As I soon as I arrived a friend told my that 6W37 had left the possesion about two hours early through having gone into the worksite ahead of 6W36 but that the latter was on its way, having had to wait at Norton Junction for a down HST to clear the single line from Evesham West Junction. A few minutes later 66084 came into view with its train of Coalfish and MHA wagons heading for Oxfordshire. As I was waiting, a couple of FGW staff were spreading salt and grit onto the platforms and footbridge ready for the overnight snow which had been (accurately, as it turned out) forecast.
	The main reason for being at Eckington on Saturday 8 December 2012 was to record the running of 4V64, the 10.57 Crewe Basford Hall to Wentloog Freighliner which normally runs on the North and West line via Hereford but was diverted this way through, presumably, planned engineering work. I hadn't seen a container train on this line, other than the DRS working from Daventry to Wentloog, for a very long time so was keen to have a crack at it. Here then is 66591 passing Eckington four minutes early and in some perfect sunlight. I believe that this was a one-off move due to Network Rail commissioning new signalling between Crewe and Shrewsbury so it was good to get a sunny shot of it; just the reverse of what usually happens on these occasions.
	After photographing 60054 at Croome Perry I wasn't expecting any further southbound freight activity but decided to hang on in case an empty coal train heading for Stoke Gifford turned up. In the event I was surprised to see 66433 with the 08.22 Daventry to Wentloog "Tesco Express", 4V38, coming around the curve under the occupation bridge some ninety minutes late. By this time the sun was in a big clear patch of sky so I had no fears that cloud would mess up the shot. If 4V38 runs to time this isn't a suitable location as the sun would be almost straight onto the front of the locomotive with little illumination on the side of the train so I was happy enough to obtain a properly lit shot of it here.
	Tuesday 6 November 2012 was a cold, wet and miserable day and I had no plans for anything railway related. A friend told me that 66136 was at Long Marston with a 6M17 13.10 to Bescot and as I had to go to a nearby village at some point during the afternoon decided that it might be worth a look. On arrival at Long Marston at about 12.45 there was nothing in sight although the rails by the roadbridge looked suspiciously shiny. A quick drive to Honeybourne found 66136 with a very long rake of KEA wagons in tow standing at the signal protecting Honeybourne West Junction and with a green aspect on the up main line signal I knew that there would be time for a quick shot over the railings. The green light on the up main line was for 180102 which came into view a moment or two later whilst heading for London Paddington.
	One of the infrequent charters starting at Stratford-upon-Avon ran on Saturday 6 October 2012. This time it was a 1Z50 07.07 Stratford to Carmarthen operated by Cheshire Cat Railtours with 66067 the chosen locomotive. I was keen to try out my relatively new camera at a high ISO setting so went to the reasonably well-lit Wilmcote station to see how it performed. The sun was due to rise at 07.16 some five minutes after 1Z50 was due and with a lot of mist around after some heavy overnight rain I wasn't expecting too much. The preceding London Midland train to Stourbridge Junction was formed of 172343 and was, as it was just drawing to a halt, quite easy to photograph as a modest shutter speed of 1/125 second was possible. When 66067 came into view it was clear that a much higher shutter speed would be needed and as my lens was already wide open it was inevitable that some under-exposure would be likely. I took the picture early both to avoid speed blur and to show the attractive GWR station buildings under the statiion lights.
	This is a train that I didn't expect to see at Hatton North Junction on Friday 7 September 2012. It is the 10.34 Southampton Eastern Docks to Halewood, 6M48, which was for some reason unknown to me diverted away from its normal route via Leamington Spa, Coventry and Nuneaton to run along the GWR line from Leamington to Birmingham. It had clearly been looped in the Down Goods Loop at Hatton to allow a Chiltern Railways service hauled by 67012 to pass as 66182 was working hard and producing quite an exhaust as it accelerated the empty car carriers up the final few yards of Hatton Bank.
	Early in the morning of 6 September 2012 I was told that a GBRf class 66 was to run light engine to Long Marston in order to collect a rake of oil tank wagons. These were then to be taken to Cardiff Tidal Sidings, after a couple of hours in Worcester Yard, ready for a run to Tonbridge Yard during the following morning. The departure time for the train, the headcode of which I forget, was 16.21 but as this would have put the train uncomfortably close to the busy evening period on the North Cotswold Line I guessed that an early departure might be possible. I had a message from a friend saying that 66716 was in the south-west of Birmingham at 12.53 so arrived at Long Marston at about 14.15 to see what was going on before moving on to a location where a picture would be possible in the middle of the afternoon. There was nothing happening and I sat in my car for quite a while, about ninety minutes, before hearing the Long Marston shunter move into position by the gate. On looking towards Honeybourne I saw 66716 approaching, but not light engine as I had supposed, but with a very long rake of TDA tanks. As the line speed around the cruve in the distance is 10mph I had plenty of time to use the public crossing over the line and to get into position in the adjacent field. The train was so long that a lot of it was hidden behind the trees when I pressed the shutter release and was, I guess, formed of close to thirty wagons.
	As I mentioned above the train behind 66716 was very long. In fact it was so long that it had to be split before it all could be accomodated in the yard at Long Marston. This meant that I had to stand in the field by the foot crossing which was blocked by the TDA wagons until the first half was removed or find another route back to the road bridge. I chose the latter option and arrived to find 66716 just about to hook on to the second part of the train before drawing it into the exchange sidings. The resident shunter had already moved the first half, the right hand tanks in the foreground, out of the way and when the shunt by 66716 was completed propelled its set onto the others prior to taking them around the circuit for storage. Just before I left 66716 went light engine towards Honeybourne and ran as 0Z03 to Gloucester Yard. At the time fo writing I have no idea what happened to the move of tanks to Cardiff but hope that it will happen soon as I suspect that it will be the brand new set of blue tanks that were taken in for final checks on 20 July 2012.
	After a couple of hot and sunny days I decided to have a brief session at Hatton North Junction during the afernoon of Friday 27 July 2012. I don't like photographing for at least two hours after midday at this time of the year because the sun is too high to achieve a decent picture so I arrived on the bridge just before 15.00. I looked to the north and saw 66594 coming under the Shrewley road bridge with 4O09, the 10.18 Trafford Park to Southampton Freightliner service and just had time to get my camera out and grab a shot. This isn't my favourite southbound shot on the line by any stretch of the imagination but it's not too bad in mid summer when the shadows from the nearside trees aren't too intrusive.
	The first northbound freight one can expect to see at Hatton North Junction after 3pm is the 11.56 Westbury Virtual Quarry to Stud Farm empty ballast wagons, 6M40. On Friday 27 July 2012 I thought that the train had been cancelled as it hadn't reported when a friend checked for me earlier in the afternoon. It turned out that 6M40 had left Westbury rather late although it had made up time when it passed me shortly after 15.30, nearly taking me unawares and having to take the second hasty grab shot of the afternoon. The locomotive is 66623 carrying not quite enough blue paint to look entirely convincing...
	One train that I like to photograph at Hatton is 6E55, the 13.35 Theale to Lindsay discharged oil tanks. My usual and entirely predictable habit is to take a couple of shots from the tall footbridge and then move onto the footpath in the adjacent field for a different angle for one or two other northbound trains. For the first time, this year has so much growth from the lineside vegetation, in particular a couple of elder bushes, that the wider view has become impossible. Perhaps, if a northbound steam special running in the middle or late afternoon on the main line is scheduled the bushes may receive some attention unless someone with a cordless hedge trimmer fancies a few minutes altruistic work! Anyway, it was back onto the bridge for me before 6E55 headed by 66177 came along. The white roof was intended to make the cab a slightly cooler environment for the driver but since the experiment doesn't seem to have been extended to all class members can one assume that it wasn't much use?
	A set of 24 Polish built oil tank wagons for eventual use by GBRf were taken from Wembley to Long Marston for their final checks before entering service on Friday 20 July 2012. The train, 6Z37, ran via Didcot, Swindon, Kemble and Gloucester before heading to Worcester for a run-round. The scheduled departure time from Worcester was 11.41 but due to a fatality on the GW main line at Hayes and Harlington causing problems for all services this was delayed by the thick end of three hours. I knew that the 6Z37, headed by 66003, would be at least an hour late and allowed for this but after standing on the bridge in the background of this photograph at Evesham for about forty minutes was told that further delay had been met. Being in need of some lunch by then I walked down to the station and had some sustenance from the excellent café on platform 1 and then sat around until I was told that the train had left Norton Junction. The sun had long gone by then and I couldn't be bothered to walk back to the bridge so settled for a shot as 66003 passed the platforms. The tanks carry a variety of messages extolling the virtues of railfreight, one of which is shown here.
	A short rake of TTA tank wagons used for aviation fuel has been hanging around at Didcot for a while and after two cancelled trains they finally made their way to Long Marston on Wednesday 18 July 2012. The weather was terrible, just for a change, but I was playing the organ at a nearby village church and took my camera along in case I was able to get out in time. On arrival at Honeybourne a DBS crew were just making their way along the branch to the staff hut where the single line token is kept. This was a clue that 6Z56 wasn't far away and within two or three minutes 66058 appeared as it left the main line and joined the Long Marston branch. Rain was falling but the accompanying wetness gave the locomotive roof and the brightly coloured tanks a bit of a lift. Once the train had passed I legged it back to my car and headed for the road bridge at Long Marston, arriving at the same time as the train thanks to a strange looking farm vehicle, slightly wider than the Broad Marston road, causing a bit of a blockage. Still, I just managed a grab shot as it crawled along the final few yards of the branch. It was only when processing the RAW image that I noticed the extra headlight on 66058, showing it to be one of the Lickey bankers, the light being put there to help the driver buffer up to the back of the train being banked during the night.
	Some Wednesdays and most Fridays see a trainload of scrap metal, 6Z30, running from Handsworth to Cardiff. I had ascertained that it was running on Friday 25 May 2012 and that GBRf's 66715 was the motive power. The usual departure time is 16.40 but on this day was retimed to 15.18. This saw it crawl around the curve from the Cradley Heath direction at just before 16.40 and with a full load, the locomotive was working at full power when it passed the signalbox. One of the strangest passenger carrying rail vehicles in the UK can be seen every few minutes at Stourbridge Junction in the form of the Parry People Mover which shuttles between the Junctiion station and Stourbridge Town. One needs to be here in the morning for decent shots but as this was my first sight of class 139 I include this rather distant crop from a full frame shot for the novelty value.
	The other southbound freight likely to be seen at Stourbridge Junctiion in the late afternoon is 6V07, the 17.03 Round Oak to Margam empty steel carriers. This train arrives at Round Oak in the mid-morning as 6M81 usually after dropping off traffic for the Metal Box Company at Worcester. The train doesn't see much attention these days except on the rare occasions that a class 60 is diagrammed but there were at least two photographers recording its progress through Stourbridge Junction on 25 May 2012. The "T" board so prominent in this picture had been erected only within the past hour as a temporary spreed restriction had been put in place through the station following the discovery of a damaged rail adjacent to thje platforms.
	I received a couple of messages during the morning of 17 April 2012 saying that 66713 was on its way to Long Marston to collect some wagons forming a 6Z66 13.20 departure to Cardiff Tidal Sidings. The light engine arrived on site at 12.14 and was soon attached to the rake of JNA and JXA box wagons waiting in road 2 of the exchange sidings. After brake tests 6Z66 moved out onto the branch to Honeybourne some forty five minutes early and just managing to miss the best of the sunlight. As this was a long train I knew that there would be no need to rush off to Honeybourne for another photograph because the locomotive's second man would have to walk the length of the train once the last wagon was clear of the pointwork after collecting the single line token from the groundframe controlling entrance and egress from the sidings.
	As I had predicted there was a wait of several minutes before 66713 with 6Z66 appeared in the distance at Honeybourne. The train stopped, as required, at the stop board on the branch before the signal adjacent to the up platform at Honeybourne station was cleared at 13.00 allowing it to move forward to cross the up main line and head off towards Evesham and Worcester before a run-round took place and it went back south via Norton and Abbotswood Junctions. It looks as if some remedial work has been carried out on the wagons including some plating and painting ready for a new lease of life on scrap metal trains of some description.
	The fine weather towards the end of March 2012 continued on Wednesday 28th and with a few freights about I was keen to take some photographs on the Birminhgam to Gloucester line. I had a commitment first thing in the morning but thoght that there would be time to make the thirty minute drive to Ashchurch, just about the nearest spot on the line for me, before anything came along. I had been on the footbridge at Northway for about ten minutes when 66014 appeared in the distance with 6V05, the empty steel wagons from Round Oak returning to Margam. This train runs most weekdays and is usually in the hands of a DBS class 66 although a class 60 substitutes from time to time. I photographed the same train with the same locomotive just over one year ago from the road bridge at the south end of Ashchurch station whilst waiting for the very unusual sight of 59201 on the Ashchurch MOD train from Didcot.
	The 07.32 train from Didcot to Ashchurch, 4B36, runs at some point most weeks and 66058 was hauling it on 28 March 2012. Here it is approaching the footbridge at Northway, adjacent to the MOD depot, on its way to run-round at Worcester before returning to Ashchurch. There is an emergency crossover by the exchange sidings to the south of Ashchurch sidings but this has no signalling and can be operated only by the ground frame so isn't available to the MOD train. This is the reason for 4B36 having to make the extra journey to and from Worcester.
	One of the reasons I was keen to be at the lineside on the sunny morning of 28 March 2012 was to score a photograph of DRS's only class 66 in non-standard livery. I had seen that 66434 was in charge of 4V38, the 08.22 Daventry to Wentloog "Tesco Express". I don't keep records of the locomotives I photograph but did know that I hadn't previously obtained a picture of the unique 66434 so was happy to get this image of it passing Northway. One never knows how long locomotives will carry a particular colour scheme and it is always good to have a record of the "one-offs" before something happens...
	After visiting Ashchurch during the morning of 28 March 2012 I returned to Stratford-upon-Avon to have forty-five minutes in the swimming pool at my health club before returning south-west again, this time to Evesham. The target this time was Colas Rail's 66846 taking a long rake of redundant scrap wagons from Sheerness in Kent for storage at Long Marston. With such a long trip taking in the London area around the morning rush hour there is always the chance of something messing up the timings but on this occasion all went very close to schedule. I hadn't photographed anything other than an engineering train passing the signalbox here since the semaphore signals were abolished and part of the line re-doubled last year so thought this a good opportunity for a shot of, after missing a couple of previous opportunities, a Colas 66 on the North Cotswold Line. The train, 6Z69, was about ten minutes early when I pressed the shutter release at 13.41 and following the Spring time change the previous weekend the sun was still very much in the right place. This most certainly wouldn't have been the case anywhere on the Long Marston branch so I went straight home.
	A train into Long Marston was booked to run from Immingham on Wednesday 21 March 2012. I hadn't seen a train there so far this year because the weather for the few that have run was so poor that I didn't bother. I knew that the inward train, 6Z16, had only a single tank as the consist so didn't go for that but after an earlier than usual swim went across to see what the return load, running as 6M16 to Bescot might be. I arrived just as 66102 was moving along the exchange sidings where the tank from Immingham had been left and it was clear that nothing was coming out so I just took this picture for the record along with another of a self-propelled crane running around the internal system.
	After a fairly dull morning, Wednesday 21 March 2012 became warm and sunny after lunch so a bit later on I headed for Hatton North Junction for a couple of scheduled freights. First along, running a couple of minutes late at just after 16.15, was 66149 with the empty oil tanks from Theale to Lindsey Oil Refinery. A regular runner on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, this train generally only gets noticed these days on the rare occasions that a class 60 is diagrammed for it, despite having run solidly with the older traction for years.
	This train is 4V38, the 08.22 Daventry to Wentloog container service operated by DRS for Tesco and is a recent addition to the timetable. Thursday 8 March 2012 was the first time on a sunny day that it was convenient for me to go for a photograph of it although I did take a shot of the first working in appalling light some way further south. Quite a lot of the Birmingham to Cheltenham line is quite straight and I was keen to have a bit more background interest in my picture hence choosing this location on the Worcester avoider. Bits of cloud were building up quite rapidly by just after 10. 15 when the train, headed by 66431, appeared and it was a good job that it was for once running on time. By the time that I was halfway home the sky was almost completely cloudy.
	After a dull middle part of the day on 8 March 2012 the sky to the south-west of Stratford-upon-Avon seemed to be clearing so I made the short journey over to Defford, just to the south of Abbotswood Junction. First along was 66511 with 4V47, the 11.15 Rugeley Power Station to Stoke Gifford train of empty coal hoppers which is here seen passing the rather untidy site of the long-gone Defford station.
	Only a few minutes after the empty coal hoppers shown above had gone south through Defford on 8 March 2012, 66086 came south with the 10.18 Corby to Margam empty steel carriers. This train, 6V92, runs pretty much every weekday and is generally quite reliable with its timekeeping. Just out of view to left of this picture is the rather untidy yard of a road transport company and closer to the bridge is a dreadful looking pile of discarded concrete sleepers and broken drain castings. I do wish that Network Rail would make more of an effort to tidy up after permanent way work...
	The line through Ashchurch isn't exactly blessed with a large number of freights in daylight hours, although in recent months things have begun to pick up a little with several new workings appearing in the timetables. One of the reliable regulars is 6V05,the 09.10 empty steel from Round Oak to Margam which on 28 February 2012 was in the hands of 66102. I was at Northway near Ashchurch for the inaugural run of the new Tesco train to Wentloog when 66012 came ionto view in the distance with 6V05. The light was truly dreadful and with no sun I took the opportunity to take a shot from the north side of the footbridge. The mist and low cloud over Bredon Hill had just begun to clear which gives a little perspective to the otherwise rather bland scene.
	A new flow of containers from DIRFT near Rugby to Wentloog in South Wales for Tesco has been on the cards for some time. A few weeks of light engine moves to allow DRS crews to become familar with the routes involved was followed on 28 February 2012 by the first train, headed by 66426. This working is here seen passing Northway running in the region of twenyt minutes late. This is the first container train along the Birmingham to Gloucester line for many years although containers are often seen amongst the consist of MOD services going to and from the Ashchurch site adjacent to this location. The containers all carry the legend "Less CO2" in recognition of the lower emissions from a single locomotive than from a fleet of road vehicles. I may be a cynic but if road transport were a cheaper option then Tesco would use it such is their dedication to maximisation of profit and shareholder dividends. Still, even on a desperately dull day, 4V38 was a welcome sight on a line that has in recent years seen very poor levels of freight traffic.
	The afternoon of Thursday 23 February 2012 was warm and sunny so with the prospect of a few freights I went across to Eckington on the Birmingham to Gloucester line. I arrived at about 13.20 and hadn't expected to see 60011 coming north with 6E41, the discharged oil tanks from Westerleigh to Lindsey Oil Refinery as this would normally have been long gone. This was my first sight of a class 60 in the new DBS colour scheme and all I can say is that I'm glad that the paintwork was a bit grubby. I didn't bother with a shot as 1) it's an everyday train which can wait until I'm in a better spot and 2) it is so backlit at this of day that only the Granny SSmiths of this world would (pretend to) be interested... The real point of interest for me was a crack at 66738 + 66709 on the empty biomass hoppers from Doncaster to Portbury and this appeared running quite early at 13.51. I was initially disappointed that the leading locomotive was in unbranded green showing its former Freightliner identity but on reflection it's probably more interesting to get a photograph in these transitional liveries. Having said that I should like a picture of 66720 leading this train on a sunny day!
	There are generally two Freightliner Heavy Haul coal trains along the Cheltenham line during the afternoon, the second of which is 4V47, the 11.15 Rugeley to Stoke Gifford empty hoppers. On 23 February 2012 66518 was in charge and was pictures passing the village of Eckington with the tower of All Saints church prominent in the background.
	I had been out during the morning of 21 February 2012 and on returning home at 11.00 found a message on my PC to the effect that brand new 70018 working the 07.00 Birch Coppice to Southampton Freightliner service had failed near Widney Manor, between Solihull and Dorridge. A text message arrived a few minutes later saying that 66416 had run from Lawley Street to Dorridge via Coventry and a reversal at Leamington Spa to effect a rescue. I didn't know the exact situation so went straight to Hatton to await the train which was by now close to four hours late. The up line had been completely blocked by the failure and I assumed that once 66416 had been attached to 70018 it would take the train into Dorridge up loop to allow the passenger services behind it to get on with their journey. I was wrong and the first southbound train that I saw was the 'liner coming around the curve from Hatton North Junction. Unbeknown to me at the time was the location of a down freight, the 08.50 Eastleigh to Stud Farm, 6M26, which was right under the roadbridge as 66416 + 70018 passed by. Luckily, the northbound train was moving very slowly having been checked by adverse signals otherwise some profane language might have been heard...
	Trains of imported biomass (vegetation grown in countries which would probably be better employed growing food for their own population rather providing fuel for our power station furnaces) seem to have to started up again, running from Portbury in Bristol to Drax. There was a single train in October 2011 and since then nothing until Friday 17 February 2012. The empty hoppers ran south during the afternoon with GBRf's 66706 + 66723 providing the power; two locomotives being necessary for the loaded returning train so as to avoid the need for the TOC to send a banker to give it a shove up the Lickey incline. The only trains currently banked are those operated by DB Schenker and I don't imagine that they would be interested in helping another company's services. The train, 4V49, ran to time all the way from Drax Power Station and is shown passing Croome Perry Wood near Pershore in near darkness at 15.45. I had planned to take my photograph a few miles further south but the road through Eckington village was closed for maintenance work and the diversion would have taken too long. I don't often bother going out in such awful conditions but these odd sort of flows often turn out to be very short lived so it's good to get at least one shot in the bag. I do hope that it does continue as plenty of different locations are available for a mid-afternoon southbound run.
	COLAS Rail have been operating loaded timber trains from Teigngrace, on the Heathfield branch near Newton Abbot, to the Chronospan factory at Chirk for the past few weeks. For various reasons I didn't make it over to the Cheltenham line for the run of the empty wagons, 6Z50, before Thursday 2 February 2012. In the past, I've had no luck with COLAS class 66s, having missed a few shots by turning up late or not finding out about a working until the following day but felt confident that I would nail this train, hopefully in good light. It nearly went all wrong when I missed a turning in the lanes around Wadborough and ended up having a long walk through Croome Perry wood before 'phoning a friend and getting fresh directions. I arrived at this foot crossing with no more than 10 seconds to spare and with the train accelerating away from Abbotswood Loop. The locomotive is 66850 and someone has clearly had a go at cleaning the number on the otherwise work-stained cabside.
	After photographing 66850 near Wadborough on 2 February 2012 I moved to another foot crossing a few hundred years to the south to take a shot of 66527 on the late running 4V06 Rugeley Power Station to Stoke Gifford empty coal train. I hadn't been there long when the barriers protecting the road crossing were lowered and 66527 and its train came charging south. The long train caused a surprising amount of turbulence in the still air, reminiscent of that found on stations on the London Underground, albeit less warm and smelly!
	One of the most reliable trains on the Birmingham to Gloucester line is 6V92, the 10.18 Corby to Margam empty steel wagons. On 2 February 2012 66141 was in charge of the shorter than usual formation which is here seen passing a foot crossing just south of Abbotswood Junction where it had beenlooped to allow a CrossCountry Voyager to pass. The sun was just about to go into a chunk of cloud but managed to hold on just long enough and the shot also came within a couple of seconds of being obscured by a northbound Voyager.
	Monday 16 January 2012 was the third clear and sunny day in a row. I knew that 66419 was due to take 4V11, the 10.49 Washwood Heath to Fairwater Yard train of sleepers, through Hatton and as this was a working that I had yet to photograph went over for a short session. In the event I didn't see 4V11 as was some three hours late after loading issues, but did see this pair of 66s, 66504 + 66589, on 4O54 from Leeds to Southampton, as they rounded the curve from Hatton North Junction to the station.
	A Freightliner working seen at Hatton only on Mondays is 4O49, the 10.13 from Birch Coppice to Southampton. On Monday 16 January 2012 this was powered by 66570 as it comes round from Hatton North Junction just about spot on time. The shadows here at this time of year are a bit of a pain but now that the shortest day is behind us the situation can only improve in the following weeks.
	The first locomotive hauled train that I saw at Eckington on 13 January 2012 was a 6Z56 12.30 Newport Alexandra Dock Junction to Bescot with 66161 in charge. The northbound view here isn't particularly inspiring at the best of times but I hadn't previously photographed anything entering the down goods loop so took a shot for the record. Strangely, 6Z56 sat in the loop for about five minutes before heading off again without another train having passed by. I assume that the pause was simply a pathing stop to allow a clear run further north where the line is a little busier. Just before 66161 came along a Network Rail contractor arrived on the other side of the crossing where a ballast drop took place in preparation for some forthcoming work.
	The winter of 2011/2012 has seen quite a number of Freightliner Heavy Haul trains of imported coal working from the Bristol area to the power station at Rugeley. This picture taken on 13 January 2012 shows 66558 working 4V47, the 11.15 from Rugeley to Stoke Gifford yard, past the village of Eckington on the main line from Birmingham to Gloucester. The train was running in the region of twenty minutes late at this point and was only a couple of minutes behind 60071 working the Corby to Margam empty steel train.
	A long rake of TEA tank wagons was moved from Immingham to Long Marston on 30 November 2011. The train, 6Z57, was hauled by 66115 and was due to pass Evesham at 09.39. I arrived at Honeybourne just before 09.30 and within a couple of minutes it came into view as it left the main up line at Honeybourne West Junction and headed along the new trackwork forming the start of the Long Marston branch. Just before leaving home I had a feeling that shadows cast by the new station footbridge might cause a problem so picked up a long lens just in case. This was lucky as the nearest spot clear of shadow was by the new branch signal protecting the main line.
	As soon as 66155 had passed Honeybourne station I headed off to Long Marston for an arrival shot. The new arrangements involving the branch token have speeded up proceedings and I arrived with no more than ten seconds to spare. It's not a great winter location for a shot of anything arriving but as the roadbridge here is on my way home from Honeybourne it seemed worth a single frame. I assume that the tanks, formerly used to carry bitumen, are going into Long Marston for storage.
	Long Marston has been a little quiet of late although I did miss a DRS move whilst on holiday in mid-November, so when a friend told me that 66119 was on the way there light engine from Didcot on 24 November 2011 I thought that a quick drive across to see what was to come out would be worthwhile. The scheduled arrival time for 0A17 was 11.53 but when I arrived at about 11.35, 6Z17, the 12.53 to Didcot, was already ready for departure. It pulled onto the branch to Honeybourne almost exactly one hour early and just about managed to catch a little light as it did so. The Autumnal colours are showing quite nicely at the moment including a good crop of hawthorn berries which the local blackbirds and thrushes along with migrant fieldfares and redwings are feasting on, at least when a train isn't disturbing the peace. I'm not sure, but this may the the rake of ferrywagons although minus a tank wagon, that was brought here by 67016 at the beginning of September.
	After leaving Long Marston and clearing the yard's pointwork, 66119 with 6Z17 had to wait for a few minutes while the branch token was collected from the groundframe and returned to the cab. It then made its way to Honeybourne where there was another short pause to allow the token to be returned to the box a couple of hundred yards before the road bridge. Once that had been done the train moved along the new trackwork which replaced the former spur across to the then single track of the North Cotswold Line. This was the first train that I had seen making a move in this direction so was happy enough to get a reasonable photograph even though the sun wasn't really making much effort to shine.
	The last of the class 508 units stored at Donnington RFT, 508202, was scheduled to be moved to Eastleigh on Wednesday 23 November 2011 with 66709 providing the power. The weather forecast was for good sunny spells across the Midlands and I had planned to go to Bentley Heath, near Dorridge, for my photograph. In the event the sun was notable mostly by its absence and a friend in Solihull told me that it was cloudy there. I therefore wasted as little petrol as possible and just went for a record shot from the road bridge at Hatton station where the sun was just about poking through some lightish cloud as 5O08 came around the curve from Hatton North Junction. I am these days less and less and inclined to go out for routine movements if the sun isn't shining as the results are almost always disappointing but this train just about counts as one worth making a little bit of effort to picture.
	The 11.56 Eastleigh Virtual Quarry to Stud Farm empty ballast wagons has been hauled by 66623 for at least the last seven days. On the afternoon of Friday 21 October 2011 the weather was dreadful with leaden skies being the order of the day but with 60099 in charge of the Theale to Lindsey empty tanks I went across to Hatton North for a record shot. I wouldn't normally have seen 6M40 as 1) I didn't arrive until 15.35 and 2) don't usually bother with day-to -day traffic in such poor light, but it was running close to an hour late and passed me at just after 16.00 at very slow speed having been looped to allow a couple of passenger trains precede it.
	Ever since the latest resignalling work on the GWR Leamington Spa to Birmingham line it has been possible for down freights using Hatton Goods Loop to be routed through the Stratford-upon-Avon branch platform at Hatton station before rejoining the down main line via a spur just beyond the adjacent roadbridge. Not all looped trains do this and I have seen only one other take this route, at least when I have had a camera handy. On Wednesday 19 October 2011, a late running 4M55 Southampton to Lawley Street headed by 66541 was "put inside" to allow 168109 to pass.
	A third train of redundant class 508 units was scheduled to be dragged from Donnington RFT, on the Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton line, to Eastleigh on 19 October 2011. It transpired that there was some problem or other with the two barrier/translator vehicles which meant that they had to be returned to Eastleigh for rectification work before the 508s could be moved. I had originally planned, depending on the weather, to go either somewhere around Solihull or south of Banbury for a photograph but didn't feel inclined to waste time or petrol on such a short train. I did though want to try for a sunny photograph of 66705 as my only previous shot of it was taken in dull conditions. One can never be sure how long one-off liveries may last in these days of corporate identity so I felt that it was worth a go. It was sunny when I left home but on arriving at Hatton station roadbridge, the ideal spot for a small train, found some thick cloud over most of the sky. Luckily, some of this blew away just before 5O08 appeared and a reasonable picture ensued. In fact, I was a bit lucky as when 66705 rounded the curve I was on the other side of the road taking an image of 66541 in the branch platform. I was fortunate that a friend was also on the bridge and he called me across with a split second to spare.
	The afternoon of Friday 14 October 2011 turned out to be unexpectedly bright and sunny but I had no intention of going out until I saw a message saying that partly blue 66623 was working 6M40, the 11.56 Westbury Virtual Quarry to Stud Farm empties. I had previously taken only one photograph of this locomotive and that was from the middle of June 2010 when the sun was much too high for a decent image. As the sun is more favourable in October I had a quick trip to Hatton North Junction and was happy enough when 66623 came along just about at the right time. It seems to me that the paint job on this locomotive is a bit of a cheapskate effort; couldn't Freightliner afford enough paint to do the roof?
	There are just two northbound freights to be seen at Hatton on a Friday afternoon, the first being 6M40 at around 15.15 and the other, about an hour later, 6E55, the Theale to Lindsey Oil Refinery empty oil tanks. The second of these was in the hands of 66095 on 14 October 2011 and was running slightly early having been pathed before the Chiltern Railways unit that forms an all-station stopper between Leamington Spa and Birmingham Snow Hill. It felt quite strange to be standing around in light trousers and shirtsleeves in the middle of October; long may it last...
	A new flow of Biomass for combustion in Drax Power Station started on 11 October 2011 when GBRf ran its first train from Avonmouth in Bristol. This train should have run on the previous day but problems with loading the covered IIA hoppers meant that a twenty four hour delay was encountered. I found out that 6E32 was running on 11 October at just about the last minute and went over to Defford in Worcestershire which is probably the nearest half-decent northbound shot for me on the Gloucester to Birmingham line. After a wait of about ten minutes a friend 'phoned to say that 66731 + 66726 had just passed Ashchurch and were therefore due with me in about a further seven or eight minutes. The sun was in and out of the edge of a large black cloud and when the train came gave me just about the worst possible lighting conditions with sun shining on Bredon Hill in the background and the subject of my photograph in shade. Still, it's always worth getting a shot of an early run of anything as one never knows for how long these things will run, and in any case it will be too dark before many weeks are out at just after 15.30. I understand that double-headed locomotives are necessary as 6E32 is routed via the Lickey incline and GBRf do not have any facilities at Bromsgrove for a banking locomotive.
	The glorious weather that has been enjoyed at the end of September 2011 continued on Friday 30th. Once again I had a couple of hours at Hatton in the afternoon with the intention of photographing the two regular northbound freight trains that appear there. First along was 66615 with 6M40, the 11.56 Westbury Virtual Quarry to Stud Farm empties; the same locomotive as had worked the train for the past few days. This isn't the greatest location because of the restricted view but I had spent the previous ninety minutes driving and walking around a bit further south trying to find a different spot but unchecked growth had made the search completely fruitless. Nonetheless, the light here in the mid afternoon in late September is as good as it gets anywhere so I was more than happy to spend a little time perched on a Corona drinks crate and leaning on the fence between the footpath and the railway.
	My final shot from Hatton cutting on 30 September 2011 is of 66130 hauling 6E55, the 13.35 empty oil tanks from Theale to Lindsey. This train had been checked as it approached my position and was travelling so slowly that I thought it was going to put inside and have to run along the loop. Fortunately, it stayed on the down main and is here seen beginning to accelerate as the driver sighted a clear signal on the gantry a little way to the north. Some exhaust smoke is just visible in the clear blue sky as the locomotive was opened up for the final stretch of the 1/110 of Hatton Bank.
	The 10.18 Trafford Park to Southampton Freightliner service, 4O09, is routed to run via Solihull and Hatton rather than Nuneaton, Coventry and Leamington Spa. On Wednesday 28 September 2011 66563 was in charge of the train and was spot on time when it approached Hatton North Junction. The shadows here can be a bit of a problem once the summer has passed but with the right lens a reasonable shot can be obtained. I actually quite like the interplay of light and shade in the cutting between the footbridge at Hatton North and the roadbridge at Shrewley, the scene being enhanced by the variety of colours in the background trees and bushes.
	One of the regular afternoon freights on the GWR line from Leamington Spa to Birmingham is 6M40, the 11.56 Westbury Virtual Quarry to Stud Farm empty ballast wagons. This is usually allocated to a Freightliner class 66/6 and on September 28 2011 66615 was on the pointed end as the train came slowly up the last few yards of Hatton Bank, having been checked by adverse signals as it was following a Chiltern Railways service booked to call at Hatton station.
	One of the few trains on the Hatton line to convey something other than shipping containers is 6E55, the 13.35 Theale to Lindsey Oil Refinery empty tanks. I like to take a picture of this from time to time and as the afternoon of 28 September 2011 was perfectly lit it seemed to be the right time for a shot, particularly as the trees around Hatton North Junction have begun to change colour as Autumn approaches. On this occasion 66169 was hauling the rake of around twenty two bogie tanks.
	There isn't much of a shot for down trains from the bridge at Shrewley but when the sun is shining I'm happy enough to take pictures of whatever comes along. This shot is of 66558 with 4M55, the 08.55 Southampton to Lawley Street Freightliner, taken on 27 September 2011 and shortly after the summit of Hatton Bank had been reached. The train was fully loaded on this occasion and the weight had taken its toll on the speed that 66558 was able to achieve; it was probably doing no more than 30mph at this point. This photograph was taken only a few seconds after 168111 had sped south with one of the regular Birmingham to London Marylebone Chiltern Trains services.
	Another train of wagons for storage at Long Marston ran from Didcot on Wednesday 7 September 2011. This one wasn't quite as impressive as that which run the previous week when 67016 took in a very long train and neither was the weather quite so favourable. The train, 6Z36 again, was just two tank wagons hauled by 66108 and was sufficiently mundane to ensure that no-one else was at Honeybourne which meant that I was able to take this shot from the road bridge overlooking the station without a number of other photographers being in the picture. When I arrived, the points just beyond the red signal were set for the small yard in the background but within a few minutes they were switched back to allow a train to run along the Long Marston branch; a bit of a clue that 6Z36 wasn't far away. Once through the station, trains on the branch have to stop at a board, from where the driver must contact the Evesham signaller who will then release the single line token necessary to proceed and also to unlock the ground frame inside the Long Marston site.
	After leaving Honeybourne and picking up the branch token, 66108 headed along the branch to its destination at Long Marston. I was on my home and stopped at the road bridge just outside Long Marston village to see if any traffic was in the yard for 66108 to take out. There was nothing in sight but 6Z36 was just appraoching the site so I took a single photograph as the train came up to the footpath across the line. I later heard that there was indded no return load and that 66108 went out light engine and ended up in Hinksey Yard although I don't know by route it reached Oxford. I can't see any reason why it shouldn't have run straight up the North Cotswold Line now that there is double track for most of the way and going via this route would have saved a lot of time.
	The regular Mountsorrel to Eastleigh Virtual Quarry train of loaded ballast ran on Tuesday and Wednesday, the 30th and 31st of August 2011, following the August Bank Holiday; on both occasions being hauled by black liveried 66709. The weather on the other time, a few months ago, that this locomotive had worked 6O96 was dreadful and although it wasn't too good on 31 August there did appear to be a small chance of some sun. I was already having a drive around the Warwickshire lanes in my Morris Minor and timed things so as to be near Hatton just before 13.00. If the sun had more likely to appear I would have gone to a location further north but with a fairly solid cloudbase I didn't bother to go too far. The southbound CrossCountry Voyager due here just before 13.00 was running late and this had a knock-on effect both to the following Chiltern Trains service and to 6O96 which was doubtless looped at Small Heath until a clear path was available making it some fifteen minutes late. I now have photographs of most GBRf colour schemes on this train, but should quite like 66705 with its Union flag to make an appearance...
	There was another opportunity to photograph 66720 on the GWR Birmingham to Leamington Spa line on 24 August 2011. This time the locomotive worked a 6Z96 wagon move from Bletchley to Eastleigh, running via Rugby, Nuneaton, Water Orton and Landor Street. I originally intended to go somewhere around Dorridge but while driving up the A3400 it looked as if cloud was rapidly building up towards the Birmingham direction so I diverted to the south end of Hatton cutting. This was a bad move as when 6Z96 came, running about 20 minutes late, the sun hadn't quite escaped from some cloud and could really have done within being about ten seconds later. I have found that one has to quite careful with the post processing of images of GBRf class 66s as the yellow front end can all too easily disappear into the darker shade of cab if any additional colour saturation is added once the RAW (NEF) file has been processed. I generally never use any extra saturation at all unless an image has been taken under extremely dull conditions when a tiny amount may be beneficial.
	One of GBRf's class 66s, 66720, was fairly recently painted into a graffiti-style livery designed by a six year old girl and looks, in my opinion, rather better than some of the professionally designed schemes to be seen on passenger units on the network. I do like to have a photograph of these one-off colour schemes and so was hoping that the locomotive would turn up on one of the GBRf turns in my area before either it was repainted or suffered a mishap. The first chance came on Monday 23 August 2011 when it worked 6O96, the 10.25 Mountsorrel to Eastleigh Virtual Quarry train. I was unable to get out then but hoped that it would follow the usual pattern and do the same trip on the following day. It did, and even though the weather forecast for the late morning and lunchtime was poor I decided to go out. The weather was actually nothing like as bad as forecast and 6O96 had an evens chance of being in the sun. It was around fifteen minutes late and managed to avoid a couple of clear patches of sky above Hatton but I was happy enough to get a decent record shop - much better than not having one at all. I hope now that it will make another appearance on a sunny day. For the record, this is how 66720 looked on 26 November 2010 when it passed Evesham signalbox; a scene also radically changed over the past weeks following the removal of the semaphore signals and some sidings.
	The second train taking class 508 EMUs from Donnington to Eastleigh ran on Friday 19 August 2011. The weather, in complete contrast to the first run, was just the job with a good clear patch exposing the sun at the right time as 66723 with 5O08 formed of 508210 + 508201 with barrier/translator vans came south out of Hatton cuttin I thought that this location would be about right for an eight coach train and it did fit in the gap, but only just... The first run was marked not only by poor weather but also late running, about two days, caused by sticking brakes on one of the units. There were no problems this time and 5O08 was a couple of minutes early at this point. The vandals have been at 508201 at some point since its withdrawal from service but whether this was at Donnington or a previous storage site I don't know.
	A GBRf class 66 paid a visit to the North Cotswold Line possession on Thursday 11 August, 2011. It was due to arrive at Moreton-in-Marsh, the southern end of the possession, at around 16.20 in the afternoon although I had no knowledge of any times further down the line. In the hope that it would continue to run towards Evesham I went to Honeybourne where, after about ten minutes I heard a class 66 horn coming from the wrong direction. This turned out to be 66005 with the same train that I had seen at Evesham the previous day and it came slowly around the curve beyond the platforms and stopped before a digger starting loading spent ballast into the wagons towards the rear. This put paid to any chance of seeing 66713! Still, as I was there it would have been rude not to have taken a few shots showing the enormous amount of work that was being carried out. This picture shows the new through road on the right that forms the new end of the Long Marston branch and the hyperlink another new line leading to a three road exchange/run-round siding. along with the supports for the new approach ramps and footbridge spanning the east end of the station. For completeness, this is the view from the other side of the road bridge showing that the old spur from the Long Marston branch and the token hut have been removed.
	The North Cotswold Line between Worcester and Moreton-in-Marsh is, at the time of writing, under an engineering possession to allow the final stages of re-doubling to take place. A train from Bescot to the area of Clayfield Lane crossing was scheduled for the morning of 10 August 2011 with the actual work to take place on the newly laid line. I wasn't sure if the new line over the nearby level crossing at Blackminster had been put in place to allow trains to run over it so went to have a look. As I suspected, the road itself was closed to all traffic and as this view shows, the road surface has been completely removed and the second line yet to be laid. The use of a very long lens has exaggerated the perspective but it can be seen that a lot of work is still to be done before double track working can be instituted, including a major slewing of the existing single track which will form the down line.
	As it was clear that the engineering train from Bescot ES would not be able to run to Clayfield Lane crossing over the new down line, there wouldn't be much point in staying where I was and repeating, in much worse light a shot that I had taken only recently. I therefore retraced my steps to end of Evesham bypass and made my way to the road bridge just on the down side of Evesham station. A lot of recent work was in evidence, including two new signals and some new track panels being made ready for installation. I had been only for a couple of minutes when 6W81 headed by 66005 came slowly into view and the yellow front of the locomotive can just be made out underneath and to the right of the sole remaining semaphore signal which has very recently lost its finial. The train from Bescot ES did not stop either here or in the station but carried straight on towards the worksite.
	I had just photographed 172340 + 172339 at Edstone on 3 August 2011 when my telephone rang with the news that 66030 was at Norton Junction, near Worcester, about to head south on the North Cotswold Line with a long train of loadd ballast wagons and that it would leave Evesham at 11.25. I reckoned that I should just about have time to reach somewhere south of Evesham and headed for the bridge at Blackminster. After a bit of a slow journey through the villages I had just passed over the level crossing on the road at Blackminster when I saw, in my rear-view mirror, that the lights had just started flashing prior to the barriers being lowered. The bridge over the line is only just around the corner and I arrived in time to hear a class 66's horn in the distance warning the many track workers in the area that a train was on the way. A minute or so later 6W56, the 09.10 Bescot Down Siding to Honeybourne, came into view with 66030 leading a variety of ballast wagons and 66183 dead on the back with the leading locomotive working very hard to get its heavy load up to line speed.
	The destination of 6W56 wasn't known to me when I photographed it at Blackminster but I couldn't see that it would be able to get any further than Honeybourne because a First Great Western passenger train wasn't all that far away. With that in mind I moved to Honeybourne to find the train about to move onto the Long Marston branch. The light is all wrong here at this time of day but it was worth taking a record shot or two particularly as the track layout here will change over the next few weeks and the ground frame with its associated cabin housing the instruments will be removed. Here then is 66183 being taken across the spur to the branch and a few moments later as the crew are about to unclip the points before the road can be reset for the main line once the train has fully reached the branch. I wasn't able to stay longer any but understand that the new line from the branch, running around the "back" of the refurbished island platform, was later ballasted.
	I was driving towards Hatton on Thursday 21 July 2011 when my 'phone beeped with a message. As I was nearly at the station I didn't stop to read it then but carried on, parked, picked up my camera bag and read the message from a friend at Solihull as I walked towards the bridge. The message said that a double headed Freightliner service had just passed with an EWS liveried locomotive leading a Freightliner example. I had been in position only for a few moments when the train, 4O09, the 10.17 Trafford Park to Southampton, rounded the curve. I understand that a class 70 had failed on a northbound service during the previous evening and 66221 was needed to take the train to its destination and thus ran south on 4O09 to save on a light engine move.
	The primary reason for my visit to Hatton on 21 July 2011 was to take a photograph of 66731 hauling two class 508 EMUs, 508211 + 508208, from Donnington to Eastleigh where they were to be put into secure storage. Donnington, on the Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton line, has no cover and the units had been standing out in the elements for some time. This is probably for the reason for the train being cancelled a couple of days earlier when the brakes on the EMUs were found to be seized and wouldn't move. Hardly surprising, and one would have thought that someone in authority would have realised this in advance. Anyway, 5O08 was rescheduled for Thursday and managed to reach Albrighton before the units' brakes stuck on, the train eventually making it to Oxley loop where some rectification work was carried out. To cut a long story short, the train eventually passed Hatton something like 150 minutes late but under an attractively dark sky and with the Arlington Fleet Services translator van giving an extra splash of colour.
	The flexibility offered by the southermost part of the North Cotswold Line having received double track was demonstrated for the first time on Monday 19 July 2011. A transit move of eleven scrap carrying wagons was moved from Long Marston to Dagenham and the train, 6Z66 was routed from Honeybourne to Worcester for a run-round and then back up the Cotswold Line to Oxford via Moreton-in-Marsh, making it the first revenue earning freight along the line since, I think, 10 March 2007 when 66527 led a northbound train of PGA hoppers towards Honeybourne and Long Marston. The more recent move left Long Marston just over one hour early and had gone when I drove over the bridge across the line so I carried on to Honeybourne where the train was just drawing to a halt under a very moody sky.
	As I mentioned above, 6Z66 from Long Marston to Dagenham Yard left just over one hour early. This was of no benefit as it still had to wait for the booked departure time from Honeybourne because of the still single track between Moreton-in-Marsh being occupied by scheduled FGW passenger trains. With this being the case I went home for lunch before turning out again at 15.30 and heading to a spot just outside Mickleton for a shot of 66547 climbing Campden bank. The reason for coming here was to obtain a rare picture of a revenue earning freight south of Honeybourne, but on a section of line still operating as single track. The new down line has been laid but as can be seen in my first photograph of 6Z66, stops short of Honeybourne station to allow for the considerable remodelling of the junction that will be necessary over the coming weeks. There was a certain amount of doubt about the pathing of 66547 and its train because of a late running down FGW service; the lateness having been caused by a woman leaving her children on the platform at Slough station and the concomitant faffing around necessary for her to retrieve them. Anyway, some good regulation by the signallers involved saw the freight leave Evesham not far off booked time and it is here seen climbing towards Chipping Campden tunnel through an increasingly dense patch of new vegetation. That bodes well for the leaf fall season then...
	I had an early trip to Hatton North Junction on Monday 11 July 2011 because there was a test train scheduled to run over the rarely used North to West Junction track. At the booked time, 07.20, the sun would be just right so as the skies were largely clear I felt that the short journey would be well worthwhile in order to finally obtain a decently lit photograph there. After a thorough soaking from the long and damp grass, not to mention nettles, along the footpaths from Hatton station I arrived just after 07.00 and in time to see a couple of northbound engineering train pass by from a possession on the Chiltern Line, including 66184 tailing 66120 and 6P11 from Saunderton to Bescot. Next along was a class 168 from Birmingham Snow Hill to Marylebone after which I expected the points leading to Hatton Junction to be shifted across but first was a slightly late running 4O20, the 05.00 Bescot to Southampton loaded car carriers hauled by 66024. This isn't a train I had seen before so was happy enough to score a well lit shot of it powering hard amongst the Rosebay Willowherb before dropping downhill towards Warwick and Leamington Spa.
	There are very few southbound morning freight trains over the Birmingham to Gloucester main line so when I was told that a 4Z32 from Ratcliffe power Station to Avonmouth was booked for the morning of Saturday 9 July 2011 I felt that a trip across to Worcestershire would be worthwhile. This train was booked a few minutes a charter involving 55022 and missed being in the sun by about five minutes. With a friendly wave from the driver, 66058 is seen heading south along the Worcester avoider line with its load of HTA hoppers which will no doubt be reloaded with power station coal ready to return north within the next few days.
	An extra ballast train from Stud Farm to Eastleigh Virtual Quarry has been running for a few days, the loaded run being overnight but with the return timed to pass Hatton just after noon. On 7 July 2011 the locomotive allocated was 66522 which has an odd livery marking the association between Freightliner and Shanks & McEwan, the landfill owning and operating company. My philosophy with these one-off liveries is that I can't be bothered to chase around after them but trust to luck that something will bring them close enough to enable me to obtain a picture without expending too much time or effort. It's taken a while with this one, but a ten minute drive and a short walk each way made it worthwhile to go to the nearest location for me, a footpath adjacent to the line at Hatton cutting. Here then is 66522 adding to the other green tints around the line as it climbs Hatton Bank a few minutes after a torrential shower had passed, but not without giving me a good soaking, and just as the sun began to come out again.
	I arrived home after my daily swim on 4 July 2011 to find on my 'phone a message from a friend saying that 66713 was just about to arrive at Long Marston to pick up something which would go to Doncaster in the usual lunchtime departure slot, 13.11. I had plenty of time and went across to Long Marston where I arrived at about 12.45 to find 66713 coupled onto a long rake of Fastline branded coal hoppers. I was glad when it began to move some twenty minutes early because the air was absolutely alive with thunderbugs, aka Thrips or Thysanoptera, which were crawling all over me within moments of setting foot on the bridge. The sun just managed to poke out from the patchy cloud as the train, 6E53, pulled onto the branch to Honeybourne, although I think that the light is too harsh in the middle of the day at this time of the year for good photography.
	It doesn't take long to drive from Long Marston to Honeybourne where I arrived about ten minutes before 66713 came into view around the curve towards the station. The train had to stand here for a while to allow a down class 165/166 to go towards Worcester so I was able to wait for the sun to strengthen abit before taking this shot. There is plenty of evidence here of the considerable amount of work being done to double this section of the North Cotswold Line and the new up line is gradually approaching the roadbridge across the line. This bridge is now a lot more comfortable and safe for photography as the County Council have introduced "single line working" across it controlled by traffic lights which does mean that there is a bit more room to stand without the danger of being squashed by one of the many HGVs using the road. The view towards Worcester shows the progress being made at Honeybourne station where the new up platform is rapidly taking shape. Use this hyperlink for the equivalent view in August 2010.
	After photographing 66713 with 6E53 to Doncaster at Honeybourne I went a couple of miles further west to a bridge on the Offenham road where the line passes Aldington village. I had only a few minutes to wait before the bright headlight appeared and the train came rapidly towards me on the currently bi-directional single line. The new down line is in place along the whole section with the exception of the level crossing at Blackminster and I have been waiting for the chance to photograph something here before a major possession takes place in August 2011 after which trains to Worcester and beyond will use the new track. The view will be a lot tighter unless some quite radical and probably uneccessary (apart from a photographic viewpoint) tree clearance takes place. I thought about going for another shot to the west of Evesham but the high sun put me off so I went home via the nearby fruit farm where this season's fresh cherries are available. Brownie points time again...
	A train operated by DRS was scheduled to run from Carlisle to Long Marston on Monday 20 June 2011. Running with the headcode 4Z20 and with the former Fastline Freight locomotive 66301 in charge, it consisted of a long rake of Fastline coal hoppers going for storage; quite possibly a set that was refurbished at Long Marston only fairly recently. I hadn't previously photographed a Fastline locomotive on either the Cotswold Line or Long Marston branch so went for a photograph or two as there may not be too many more chances as these class 66s will probably end up being repainted in DRS's own colour scheme. My first shot was at Evesham so as to have a picture in a thoroughly recognisable Cotswold LIne location and here is 4Z20 passing the signal box and the soon to be removed lower quadrant semaphores. The sky was clouding up quite rapidly and 66301 managed to arrive a little bit too early, or late when the sun was partially obscured.
	After crossing a down passenger service at Evesham, 66301 with 4Z20 was soon on its way to Long Marston over the section of line that will soon be operating as double track. I thought that the sun might just appear at Blackminster before the train arrived and it nearly worked out. I don't really like "spotlight" illumination but if it is going to happen then I much prefer it this way round rather than with the locomotive being in cloud and the back of the train in sun! I'm sure that a lot of people thought that this working would be in the hands of a couple of DRS's older locomotives but someone within the company obviously saw the attraction of sending out a complete Fastline set.
	As I hadn't previously photographed a Fastline liveried locomotive on the Long Marston branch I made my was home via the village, arriving about ten minutes before the train was due. The photograph here at midday is never going to be especially good particularly close to the longest day of year when the sun is far too high to obtain a decent image. Luckily, some cloud appeared at the right moment which reduced the contrast a little just as 4Z20 crawled up the last few yards of the branch towards the gate, alongside which some new pallisade fencing was being installed. This shouldn't too instrusive in a picture of something leaving the site, although the green painted fencing would be easier on the eye.
	There was a return working from Long Marston to Worcester Yard on 20 June 2011 with a scheduled departure time of some time after 15.00. I had hoped for the usual earlier departure but it soon became clear that a fair amount of shunting around was going to be necessary. Here is the local shunter bringing the stock of 4Z20 forward from road no. 2 so that 66301 could be released ready to couple onto whatever was meant to be going out. I had no intention of hanging around for the thick end of two hours so went home before seeing what was really happening.
	The last day of May 2011 was largely sunny and I quite fancied a shot of "Barbie" liveried 66730 on the Mountsorrel to Eastleigh Virtual Quarry loaded ballast train, 6O96, rounding the curve at Hatton station roadbridge. The train was running about ten minutes late north of Birmingham but was around fifteen early by the time that it arrived in front of my camera. The locomotive was still under power with its heavy train as it started the descent of Hatton Bank but despite the sound of the exhaust, the nearby M40 drowned out the noise until 66730 appeared on the curve from Hatton North Junction meaning that this was almost a last-second grab shot.
	I had an earlier than usual visit to my health club's swimming pool on Wednesday 25 May 2011 which left me with just enough time to drive to Hatton for a few photographs. Only a few seconds after I arrived, a bit like the previous day, 4O54, the Leeds to Southampton Freightliner came around the curve from Hatton North Junction towards the station behind 66543. Unlike yesterday's train hauled by 66504 today's run was fully loaded apart from the third flat, making for a much more satisfactory picture.
	Next along at Hatton on 25 May 2011, apart from a class 168 Chiltern Railways unit and an Arriva Cross Country Voyager, was 66090 on the Daw Mill to Didcot Power Station loaded coal, 6V37. The weather forecast had changed overnight from clear skies and sun to one promising mostly cloud, thickening during the late morning. The sky here was quite well covered with that thin but irritating white cloud which doesn't exactly veil the sun but certainly take the edge off the light's quality. There were a few gaps, one of which had just passed when 66090 came south...
	Coal trains have run from Daw Mill colliery to Didcot Power Station for quite a while over the past weeks but I wasn't sure if the contract had finished when I went to Hatton cutting on 24 May 2011. The first train to come along, literally as I reached the footbridge, was 4O54, the 06.13 Leeds to Southampton Freightliner service hauled by 66504. I don't recall seeing this train quite so poorly loaded before, just two containers forming the entire payload. Not long after this had passed, another heavy rumbling became audible as 66090 rolled south with with 6V37, the 08.50 from Daw Mill, just missing the sun on a morning for which unbroken sunshine and blue skies had been forecast.
	The afternoon of Monday 16 May 2011 saw the skies clearing after a cloudy morning so I went over to the south end of Hatton end of Hatton cutting and only a minute or two after arrival I saw 66020 coming slowly north with 4M66, the 11.11 Southampton to Birch Coppice. There was a strong westerly wind blowing and there was no audible notice of the train's arrival at all so it was a good job that it was routed into the loop as this just gave me time to jump up onto the plastic crate I use to see over some of the lower fences and which I find more comfortable and stable than a step ladder. A few minutes later there was a southbound rumble as 66429, hired by Freightliner, came along with 4O09 from Trafford Park to Southampton. This train was carrying only two containers, both at the front so a conventional front three-quarter view would have been even less satisfying than this going-away shot...
	One of the freights that I expected to see at Hatton on Monday 16 May 2011 was 6M22, the 11.56 Westbury to Stud Farm empty ballast train. Through a combination of unchecked lineside vegetation and a very strong wind blowing towards Warwick there was no warning of a train approaching so I had to stay perched on a plastic crate so as not to miss anything coming north. Here is 66607 coming quite slowly up the gradient running a few minutes early at just before 15.10.
	Friday 13 May 2011 started off with clear blue skies so it seemed like a good idea to have a trip to a bridge near Knightcote, just north of Fenny Compton, to photograph a couple of container trains and anything else that happened along. The first train to appear was 4O53, the 04.33 Wakefield Europort to Southampton, hauled by 66111 which is here seen dropping down the gradient towards Fenny Compton, the junction for the truncated stump of the Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway line which serves Kineton COD. At the time of this picture, just after 08.30, the shadows close to the bridge were still intruding on the track so a slightly more distant view with a longer lens was necessary.
	Freightliner and intermodal trains to and from Southampton form the majority of freight traffic through Leamington Spa and one of the latter, operated by DBS, is here seen as 66116 takes 4O23, the 11.13 Hams Hall to Southampton on 9 May 2011. This train runs via Coventry and its locomotive was being worked hard to get the heavy load away and up the steep bank faced from here as far as Harbury tunnel. Another train from Hams Hall, this time a Freightliner service running via Hatton, had been held to the west of Leamington Spa and came along a few minutes later. This one, 4O49 hauled by 70009 was poorly loaded towards the front which always makes for a less than satisfactory picture despite the quite dramatic lighting.
	The first freight that I expected to see at Shrewley on 3 May 2011 was 6O96, the 10.25 Mountsorrel to Eastleigh Virtual Quarry loaded ballast. This is timed to pass here just after 13.00 but it was running about 15 minutes late when it came into view behind GBRf's 66703. The scene is enhanced by the seasonal blossom on the lineside bushes but it isn't quite as peaceful here as the picture suggests. The M40 motorway is only a short distance to the left of the line and the constant drone of heavy traffic becomes wearisome after quite a short time.
	After photographing 6O96 as shown above, I was expecting to see two other southbound freights pass Shrewley on 3 May 2011. They were noted as passing Whitacre Junction no more than ten minutes apart and I hoped that they would make it down the line to me without too much dealy around Birmingham. However, a late-running CrossCountry service formed of 222005 put paid to that idea and it was over an hour before 66529 rounded the curve with 6Z98, the 12.57 Daw Mill to Didcot Power Station loaded coal train, what would have called an MGR in times gone by. The current contract for coal from aw Mill seems to have lasted for longer than in previous years and involves not only Freightliner but also DBS who are running a couple of trains each day at the moment.
	The shot for northbound trains at Shrewley isn't espcially good because of the amount of lineside vegetation and I don't think that I would go there with the sole intention of taking such a picture. However, when the sun has gone far enough around during mid-afternoon I suppose that the view is just about "do-able" and here is 66617 with 6M22 from Westbury to Stud Farm taken a few minutes after 3pm on 3 May 2011.
	There was another long pause in the southbound freight activity at Shrewley on 3 May 2011 before the final train I wanted to photograph came along, during which time I photographed another couple of passenger trains, including 165014 on a Birmingham to Marylebone service. Here is 66111 with 6V27 from Stud Farm to Hinksey Yard about to hit the favourable gradient which rolls the train down Hatton Bank to Warwick.
	A rake of 18 ex Fastline IIA hoppers was taken from Long Marston to Doncaster on Thursday 28 April 2011. The train, hauled by GBRf's 66732 and with the headcode 4E53, is here pictured passing Blackminster crossing a few miles to the east of Evesham amidst a mass of Hawthorn blossom. The newly laid but still out-of-use down line is in place on either side of the road in the background and it is apparent that unless an awful lot of vegetation is cleared, and kept cleared, from the right had side of the tracks there won't be much of a photograph of a down train from here when the double track is operational.
	The coal trains to Didcot Power Station that have been running for a few weeks continued on Friday 22 April 2011. Here is 6Z98, the 12.57 from Daw Mill, about to pass Hatton station behind 66545 pictured passing the banner repeater showing the aspect of the signal situated on the end of Hatton's up platform. A DBS operated coal train had run earlier in the day, before I went out, and returned later, just after I had gone home.
	Easter weekend 2011 saw the usual blockades for engineering work across the railway network. In connection with this, there were several additional trains running through Hatton on 22 April and the first that I saw was a 6Z22 1005 Doncaster Belmont to Hinksey Yard hauled by 66065, here seen passing Hatton North Junction. There aren't many "two-way" locations on this line but this footbridge is one of the better although not one for those who want the sun on the nose of a southbound train in the afternoon.
	My main interest on afternoon of 22 April 2011 was 6V06, the 1514 Handsworth to Tidal Sidings train of scrap metal diverted from its usual route via Cheltenham and Gloucester. Scrap trains are not common on the Hatton line so I pleased to get this image of 66187 passing the little used junction to Stratford-upon-Avon. I don't recall photographing a similar working around here since 2005 when 60060 worked a 6V97 Beeston to Cardiff train also diverted because of engineering work.
	Another of the trains runnng via Hatton on 22 April 2011 associated with Easter weekend engineering work was 6O01, the 1233 Toton North Yd to Hinksey Yard. This appeared to empty rail carriers presumably destined to be loaded with redundant track panels. The motive power allocated to this train was 66207 and the ensemble is seen passing under the footbridge at Hatton North Junction. This was a bit of grab shot as I had just photographed a northbound working as 6O01 was approaching so made a dash for the lineside fence by the stile leading to the footpath for this view.
	Making a change from loaded ballast trains working to Hinksey Yard on 22 April 2011 was 6M22, the 11.56 Westbury to Stud Farm empty wagons. This was running late due to a delayed start from Westbury and passed Hatton North Junction approximately in the path normally used by 6E55, the Theale to Lindsey tanks which had already gone north.
	My final shot from Hatton on the busy afternoon of Friday 22 April 2011 was this of 66027 with 6V77, the 14.17 Bardon Hill to Hinksey Yard loaded ballast; another heavy train, the payload of which was destined for the approaching busy weekend of engineering work. This was easily the busiest afternoon I have witnessed on this line for some years and without a single example of a container train, the line's usual staple fare, being seen. Another two northbound trains were not far away by the time that I left but I had had enough and so went home.
	There haven't been many DBS hauled trains to Long Marston in recent times and none this far in 2011 as far as I can recall. However, on 21 April 2011, 66185 took a rake of JNA and KEA boxes from Milford Sidings for storage there. The usual headcode, 6V17, and lunchtime path was used which gives an arrival at Evesham shortly after 13.00 and as I was already in the area having photographed the NMT I just went to Evesham station for a picture. This avoided the problem of a misty background caused by the current weather conditions and gave a nice identifiable background to the shot. The train, the focus of attention for the passengers on the down platform, is here seen pulling to a halt in the up platform where a brief pause was necessary until a Great Malvern had cleared the single line section from Moreton-in-Marsh. This pause was plenty long enough for me to wander up to the roadbridge for another picture taken as the driver of 6V17 took in a pleasant bit of sunshine. On the other side of the station the downside trackbed was in the process of being cleared ready for double track to be extended in the region of one mile further towards Worcester.
	The ballast trains from Mountsorrel to Eastleigh Virtual Quarry seem to be running less frequently than in the recent past with Mondays and Tuesdays being the best bet for a photograph. On 19 April 2011, 66712 was in charge and is here seen in the suburbs of Warwick as it heads south some ten minutes later than its scheduled time. The front wagons of 6O96 were empty with ballast being conveyed only in the back half-dozen or so; maybe this explains the reduced number of trains running at the moment.
	A sunny day is the only time that I can be bothered to go out and photograph routine, everyday traffic these days but given the lovely light on the morning of 24 March 2011 it seemed rude not to take advantage of it. I didn't want to go far so went to Hatton where I knew that two freights would appear in a fairly short space of time. The first was 4O54, the 06.13 Leeds to Southampton Freightliner service hauled by 66575. This is seen passing the banner repeater signal just to the north of the station not far from its booked time. I'm surprised that this picture is sharp as at the precise moment I pressed the shutter the driver of the class 66 blew a greeting on his locomotive's horn to the small gallery photographing him; this made me jump, as it does, and I expected a blurred or mis-composed image to be the result.
	As I mentioned in the caption of this picture, there are some coal trains running from Daw Mill Colliery to Didcot power Station at the moment. One of the loaded workings is 6V37, scheduled to pass Hatton at about 10.40, a few minutes after the Freightliner train shown above. It was a short while later than this when it appeared on 24 March 2011 but it was none the worse for that. The same locomotive, 66192, as I had photographed on the northbound working on the previous day was still on the circuit and the train is here seen about to pass under the roadbridge at Hatton. It doesn't seem all that long ago that it was possible to photograph quite a few loaded and empty MGRs on this line, usually hauled by classes 56 and 58 with the odd appearance of a 47 or pair of 37s. Such workings are unusual enough these days to warrant some attention, especially as the flow of coal is only for a few days in duration and intended to top up Didcot's stockpile before the summer shutdown. It looks as if a bit of ivy trimming on the bridge might be in order or perhaps I should learn to look more carefully at the whole frame through my camera's viewfinder!
	Another spell of fine weather coupled with a fair variety of traffic tempted me over to Hatton North Junction on Wednesday 23 March 2011. The first train I had hoped to photograph, the GBRf ballast train from Mountsorrel to Eastleigh, didn't run so I had a bit of a wait before the first freight appeared. This was 6Z98 Daw Mill Colliery to Didcot Power Station hauled by 66554 which passed me a couple of minutes late. Some stockpiling of coal at Didcot is currently taking place before the summer period when few trains run because the power station generally produces power only in the winter months. Freightliner hauled coal trains are far from commonplace on this line so a sunny shot was welcome as the train passed under the Shrewley road bridge just to the north of Hatton.
	There is a great deal of weekend engineering work on the former Southern Region, the Cotswold Line and the Chiltern Line at the moment and additional trains are running to provide the necessary ballast. One of these is 6Z27, the 11.56 Stud Farm to Hinksey Virtual Quarry, from where the ballast is tripped out as required. On 23 March 2010 the train was in the hands of 66030 and is here seen passing Hatton North Junction where the little used line to Hatton West Junction and Stratford-upon-Avon diverges from the GWR Birmingham to Leamington Spa line.
	A regular ballast working at Hatton North Junction is 6M22, the 11.56 Westbury Virtual Quarry to Stud Farm empties. This is usually hauled by one of Freightliner's class 66/6 locomotives and there was no exception on 23 March when 66603 was provided. The train is about to pass Hatton North Junction just about on time at 15.17 with its uniform rake of large boxes. Next along was a late running 4M66 with no visible load, although a few containers were towards the back of the train hauled, on this occasion, by 66100. I know that it's a sign of the times and the financial difficulties the country is facing, but I think an empty intermodal train is just about the least satisfying sight on the network, especially in perfect light when the splash of colour from a well loaded train can be quite attractive.
	I had hoped to photograph the empty oil tanks from Didcot Power Station to Lindsey on 23 March 2010, due at Hatton North Junction at around 16.15 but by 17.15 there had been no sign of it. I decided to hang on for a few minutes more in case the returning empty coal train from Didcot to Daw Mill, 6M53 was on time. By 17.35 I had had enough and just after putting my camera back in its rucksac and started to walk towards the bridge I heard a rumble in the distance. This turned oout to be 66192 with 6M53 which arrived just in time to avoid the worst of the shadows being cast by nearby trees and vegetation.
	This train from Didcot to Long Marston nearly escaped my attention on 14 March 2011. I don't always read all the locomotive allocation lists that are kindly posted and if it hadn't been for an intermediate sighting of 6B17 provided by a photographer on the Gloucester line I would have known nothing about it. I knew no times but it seemed likely that the usual lunchtime path from Worcester to Honeybourne would be used, when the train leaves Evesham at around 13.17. I needed to go to a local farm shop at some point during the early part of the week so made use of this excuse for a shot of 66136 and its short rake of tanks going for storage. I expected that once the down train heading for Great Malvern had reached Evesham, 6B17 would be released and the barriers protecting the road behind me would be lowered. Wrong again... The freight had obviously missed its path south so had to wait for the passenger service to reach Norton Junction before heading along the single line to Evesham and then on, after a token exchange, towards Honeybourne. This being the case, 66136 came into view just before 14.00 and passed this bridge at Blackminster a few moments later.
	An unusual locomotive, 59201, was allocated to work 6B36, the Didcot to Ashchurch MOD train on 11 March 2011 meaning that I had to have my morning swim about an hour earlier than usual so that I could photograph it. I don't recall that a 59/1 has been on the Ashchurch branch before and don't think that many have been on the Birmingham to Cheltenham line either, although the same 59 did work a railtour as far as Worcester in February 1999. Anyway, I arrived on the roadbridge just to the south of Ashchurch station only a couple of minutes before 6B36 came slowly into view, unusually, in my admittedly limited experience, not running into the down goods loop, largely because 66014 was already there with 6V05 Round Oak to Margam. It had been sunny for most of the drive over but a large piece of cloud appeared at just the wrong moment. Still, better to get a cloudy picture of a rare move than none at all...
	By the time that 59201 had propelled its train from the main line, through the exchange sidings, and onto the branch to the MOD, formerly the Midland Railway line to Evesham, the sun had reappeared which more than made up for the dull shot on the main line. I much prefer to get this sort of train on its destination line so the sun was welcome for this picture. If I were to be picky I should have preferred a longer train but there again, this little formation does fit quite well into the available space. There was no traffic for Didcot so the return was just a light engine move which left as soon as a path south as far as Standish Junction was available. I know that 59201 isn't a class 66 but it's included in this section because I see so few 59s that it wasn't worth setting up a separate web page.
	While I was photographing 59201 on the Ashchurch branch during the morning of 11 March 2011, 66014 was sitting in the down goods loop with 6V05, the 09.23 Round Oak to Margam empty steel wagons. Just before sun disappeared, 6V05 left the loop and headed slowly south through Ashchurch station and away towards its destination. The tree on the right-hand side of the picture has been a feature of this shot for as long as can remember and forms a very attractive and useful prop to aid the photograph's framing.
	There was quite an interesting ECS move from Crewe to Eastleigh running on 8 March 2011, booked via the WCML, Nuneaton, Coventry and Leamington Spa. I knew that it was running almost two hours late so had shelved my earlier plans to go to a location near Fenny Compton and went for a look at Whitnash. I arrived on the bridge there just in time to see 66541 coming up the gradient from Leamington Spa with 4O54, the 06.13 Leeds to Southampton Freightliner service. That company certainly gets its moneys worth from these locomotives; I photographed it the previous afternoon while it was working 4O49 from Birch Coppice to Southampton, so it must have run from Southampton to Leeds overnight. The light was getting too straight here for a decent picture so it was necessary to move elsewhere for the ECS move mentioned above.
	The northbound photograph at Bentley Heath is not the most attractive in the area with a variety of intrusive poles and ground-level structures to distract the eye, so this shot of 66563 hauling 4M55, the 08.55 Southampton to Lawley Street freightliner is included only for completeness. This train was particularly well loaded on 7 March 2011 with only one gap at the front and two at the rear of the consist. I don't much like pictures of mostly empty freightliners or intermodals as there is something most unsatisfying about a set of small-wheeled flats being dragged around.
	The picture I was especially keen to take on 7 March 2011 was of 66706 hauling 6O96, the 10.27 Mountsorrel to Eastleigh Virtual Quarry loaded ballast train. It is due to pass Bentley Heath, near Dorridge, at about 12.55 but it wasn't until 14.43, some 110 minutes late, that it finally appeared under the road bridge in the backgound going so slowly that it was clearly routed into the up goods loop, so increasing the lateness. The train had passed Whitacre Junction only about 20 minutes late but this was obviously enough to cause it to lose its path through the black hole that is sometimes to be found in the Washwood Heath area.
	A rake of VTG KEA box wagons should have left Long Marston for Beeston on Friday 18 February 2011 behind COLAS Rail's 47727 but problems with the stock caused the abandonment of the run. Another attempt, albeit operated by GBRf (but with a COLAS crew), took place on 23 February with the wagons this time being destined for Doncaster. Newly painted 66729 was diagrammed for the job and is here seen waiting to enter Long Marston to pick up the train which was being shunted on the other side of the site as I arrived. It wasn't long before the locomotive and stock were united as can be seen in this view taken in a very short-lived patch of weak sunshine. The wagons are to be used to convey coal from Maltby Colliery to Immingham where it is to be blended with coal from other sources before use.
	The scheduled departure time for 6Z98 was 15.30 and it was a few minutes before this time when the train moved out of the exchange sidings and onto the branch towards Honeybourne. The secondman from the locomotive has to retrieve the single line staff from the ground frame at Long Marston once the train has cleared the pointwork at the end of the exchange sidings and, in this case, had quite a long walk back to the locomotive. This gave me time to drive around the corner and obtain this photograph as it rounded the bend towards Broad Marston and Honeybourne. The railings protecting the line are a bit intrusive but they are at least proper wooden staves rather than the horrible pallisade fencing which infects ever increasing amounts of the railway. The light was such that I didn't bother to go any further and so returned home.
	The train conveying empty steel coil carriers from Corby to Margam, 6V92, used to receive a lot of attention from enthusiasts when a class 60 was diagrammed to haul it. These days, a class 66 is the usual motive power so it not often reported. On 22 February 2011 66089 was in charge and is here seen passing the temporary permanent way yard at Defford, near Pershore. I have included this wide view to highlight the appalling state in which Network Rail leaves its worksites. This mass of sleepers and pallets must surely be an invitation to those whose idea of fun it is to place objects on the line with the intention of killing or injuring travellers on the railway. Why on earth the debris cannot be dumped inside the compound quite escapes me.
	I don't often take photographs of nuclear flask trains but was keen to obtain a shot of this one, 6M56 from Bridgwater to Crewe, because I have thus far not seen the flasks with a pair of DRS class 66s in charge. I fully appreciate the safety regulations that require these sensitive loads to be hauled by two locomotives but the whole thing does look a bit odd, especially when the train is approximately 1/3 the length of the motive power! The location for this shot from 22 February 2010 is Defford and the locomotives are 66423 + 66421. I wasn't too displeased with this picture despite the extremely dull conditions and put this down to careful exposure using the camera's histogram rather than the exposure meter. The RAW image needed virtually no manipulation to produce this image; all I really did was to slightly darken the misty Bredon Hill in the background.
	Trains conveying coke from Redcar to Margam have been running for quite a while but for various reasons, mostly revolving around my own inertia in times of poor weather, I hadn't photographed either the loaded or returning empties. Thursday 3 February 2011 started off dull in contravention of the weather forecast but by mid-morning the skies had cleared well so I made the short journey to Croome Perry with the aim of getting a shot of 6V67, the loaded southbound working. It wasn't long before 66180 came slowly under the bridge, the down line being under a temporary speed restriction, with its long train of EWS branded HTA hoppers. A few minutes later the corresponding empty working, 4E66, came north behind 66164. This isn't the best location at which to photograph northbound trains at any time of day, but I don't mind the occasional backlit shot as a change from the norm.
	Pathfinder Railtours ran a train on 27 February 1999 which utilised motive power imported from the USA and Canada. The first leg, from Sheffield to Worcester Shrub Hill, was in the hands of 59201, recently painted in EWS colours after having been in National Pwer blue and white, and 1Z45 is here seen approaching Droitwich having run from the Birmingham area via Stourbridge Junction and Kidderminster. The shot here was becoming quite messy by this time but at least there was a clear view towards the semaphore signals and signalbox. The area immediately to the right of the train has now been turned into a car park and a communications mast has been erected in just the wrong spot for photography meaning that this classic view has been ruined. Note. I am aware of the differences between class 59/2 and class 66 and the inclusion of this image in the class 66 section is just for reasons of convenience and continuity with the shot below. 645
	On arrival at Worcester Shrub Hill this railtour, "The Yankee Sidewinder" saw a locomotive change from 59201 to 66028 which was booked to go south to Oxford via Evesham and Moreton-in-Marsh. It is here seen arriving at the former, the single line token for the section to Moreton having been handed over by the signaller. I was lucky with the sun on this occasions as the original slide has quite a large patch of shadow in the foreground, which I have cropped out in this version. As far as I am aware, this was the first class 66 to have travelled over the North Cotswold Line although it is possible that a class member might have been used on an engineering train prior to this date. The scene here has changed somewhat in the intervening years, here is a 2010 photograph from the same spot, albeit taken with a wider angle lens. 645
	After seeing 66403 on the Mountsorrel to Eastleigh loaded ballast train on 8 December 2010 I thought that as the same locomotive was working the same diagram on the following day it would be worth having a trip out to get a more satisfactory picture of it in a better spot. With this in mind and having seen that the sky was clearing I went to a footbridge north of Shrewley which, although not really one of my favourite locations because it is a bit anonymous, would have a reasonably extensive area clear of shadows; always a problem in this area during the winter. The train, 6O96, was running in the region of 45 minutes late and just missed the very best of the sun, a small area of light cloud having just developed and taken the edge off the light. All in all though, I was happy enough to get this shot of the somewhat grubby ex-DRS 66403, now leased to GBRf, on its lengthy train of IOA wagons loaded with ballast along with a light coating of recent snow.
	The third train of the week to go to or come from Long Marston ran on Friday 26 November 2010. This time it was a rake of KEA wagons from Doncaster running as 6C54 and due to arrive at Evesham at 11.12. I arrived on the bridge near the signalbox a couple of minutes before the train came into view in the distance, having left Norton Junction four minutes late but with that time made up by the time it reached here. The light was as good as it ever gets and showed off the attractive Metronet livery of the locomotive to some advantage. I quite fancied another shot of 6C54 and went straight off to Aldington where the sun was just, but only just, on the track. Unfortunately I missed it due mostly to some very slow traffic around the Tesco store in Evesham. Still, just one shot will be the norm when the North Cotswold Line is doubled to the east of Evesham as there will rarely, if ever, be a need to stop there once the token system for the currently single track is abolished.
	I wasn't particularly happy with the first photograph that I took of this train, 6O96, the 10.25 Mountsorrel to Eastleigh East Yard loaded ballast train so when it ran again on Tuesday 23 November 2010, a bright and sunny day, I decided to have another pop at it in the same location. This time the locomotive was 66701 and the train is rounding the curve just to the north of Hatton station running a couple of minutes ahead of the booked time. This location gets more shadowy as each passes thanks to the ever-growing "island" of trees in the triangular junction which once was quite a large freight yard.
	Monday 22 November 2010 saw a light engine move by GBRf's 66705 from Peterborough to Long Marston in order to take a rake of 9 JNA box wagons to Doncaster. I was told about the train first thing in the morning but it took for me to remember that 66705 was the class member that had had a Union Flag painted on the bodysides ready for its naming as "Silver Jubilee". This is one of the livery variations that I had in mind for a photograph but, as usual, I didn't intend to make any effort until it came within easy reach. The locomotive ran early as far as Evesham but then had to wait for its booked path over the single track to Honeybourne and thence to Long Marston. I thought that a very early departure was on the cards as the headlights on a slightly grubby 66705 were switched on for a while but the driver then switched them off again and headed off towards the control tower with the Motorail Logistics crew. I sat in my car for a while but got out for a quick look at 12.40, about 30 minutes before the booked time, to find the train just beginning to move and here is the shot of 6E53 taken in very dull conditions; so dull in fact that I didn't go any further. Still, I have a shot of this locomotive complete with flag and look forward to getting a better lit one at some point.
	A new train ran for the second time on Thursday 18 November 2010. This was a GBRf working, 6O96, the 10.25 Mountsorrel to Eastleigh East Yard, and both for the inaugural run yesterday and today's, Metronet liveried 66721 was allocated. It's always nice to get an early run of anything; in this game things sometimes change very quickly, so knowing that it was running in the region of an hour late and was recessed in Bordesley loop I drove over to Hatton, arriving at 14.10, just as a southbound Arriva Voyager was passing. Just a few minutes later 66721 came around the bend from Hatton North Junction in a fortuitous and short-lived patch of sunlight.
	At about 07.30 on the morning of 28 October 2010 I was returning home after taking wy wife to work and when passing the station at Stratford-upon-Avon noticed that there were various engineering vehicles and at least one class 66 in the platforms. I went home to collect a camera and tripod and returned just as it was getting light. Here is 66069 standing in platform one with 6X23 alongside a long ballast train, ufortunately unphotographable, headed by another of the same class. This shot was taken with settings of 1/2 second at f6.3 with the camera set at ISO 100.
	The train standing in the adjacent platform to that headed by 66069 at Stratford-upon-Avon was 6P42, due to depart for Bescot at 11.00. As I haven't had a lot of luck with the engineering trains thus far in the possession I went over to Henley-in-Arden in the hope of photographing 6P42 passing the station, but found that engineers were laying a temporary boarded crossing for use on the following day by the machinery employed to demolish the by now stripped signalbox which, on the previous day, was having the last panes of glass knocked out of the frames. Note that several signal levers are just visible in the grass alongside the track. It seemed unlikely that a train would be allowed over the line while this sort of activity was in progress so I headed back towards Stratford to see what was going on there.
	When I arrived at the station, 6P42 had disappeared but whether it had gone back to Bescot or just out of sight around the bend I have no idea. It did mean that another view of 66069 with 6X23 was possible so I took a couple of shots including this one with a wider lens, along with one of the Kirow crane standing further along platform 1.
	After the perfect light I enjoyed on 25 October 2010, that on the 26th couldn't have been more different with thick cloud and heavy rain being the order of the day. This weather unfortunately coincided with the appearance of 66124 at Stratford-upon-Avon with a 6X21 working of various rail carrying wagons. Here is half of the train in platform 1 with an unknown class 66 out of sight around the bend with the other portion in platform 2. A little later, the first part had gone leaving a much shorter formation standing in the platform normally used only by the summer Sunday steam excursions from Birmingham, as a work gang goes towards the car park for their lunch break. A new track section and up-to-date buffer replacing the wooden steam age version has been installed on the end of platform 3.
	Even though the weather was dreadful with accompanying low light levels I wandered down to the station at Stratford-upon-Avon to take a slightly closer view of 66124 and its train of rail carrying vehicles. It was pouring with rain so a brief spell under the platform canopy was a welcome respite from the soaking I had earlier had. The hyperlink gives the view from the station footbridge showing the formation of 6X21 along with another wagon parked in platform 3m usually used by the Chiltern Railways' trains to London Marylebone. New arrangements at Stratford will mean that trains will be able to access any of the three platforms directly from the main line rather than having to run into platform 1 and then shunt into one of the others.
	Sunday 24 October 2010 marked the first day of the major occupation of the North Warwickshire Line and during the morning I had a 'phone call from a friend saying that there were four engineering trains at various locations between Wootton Wawen and Wilmcote. I had a quick drive around and found 66124 on the rear of 6X21 in the platform at Wilcote station. The photographic opportunities were limited and this shot is about the best that could be achieved. The train had quite a mixed consist but there was quite a collection of these rail carrying wagons.
	After photographing 67026 near Ashchurch on the morning on Saturday 16 October 2010, I carried on down the M5 towards Cheltenham with the intention of obtaining a shot of 6M60, the 04.00 Exeter Riverside to Bescot train loaded with china clay, which will eventually make its way to Stoke-on-Trent for the pottery industries found there. Depite the sunny start to the day and a good weather forecast, the skies rapidly became overcast and by the time I had reached my destination the cloud cover was heavy, although the sun was still shining a few miles to the north-west. The first train I photographed was 6V40, the 04.25 Scunthorpe to Margam train of empty steel carriers which managed to arive in the worst light I had seen all morning. Fortunately, 6M60 was running about 30 minutes late and by the time it came into view, the sky had almost cleared and the only cloud was a wispy bit which cast a shadow on part of the train. The locomotives were a numerically coincident 66149 + 66148 and the train a nicely uniform set of polybulks. I had originally intended to photograph 6E41, the Westerleigh to Lindsey empty oil tanks hauled by 60073 but a friend told me that it was a good forty five to fifty minutes away and with the cloud beginning to build up again I went home.
	Ballast trains hauled by DBS locomotives are not that common on the GWR line from Birmingham to Leamington Spa so when I was told about 6Z61 from Mountsorrel to Hinksey Yard, Oxford on 2 October 2010 I thought that a picture would be well worthwhile. Here then is 66014 passing the banner repeater signal at Hatton South Junction with about twenty five loaded MEA box wagons running spot on time and a few minutes behind 168004 on a Birmingham Snow Hill to Oxford service, the Chiltern Line being shut for engineering work. The sun was just beginning to weaken after a fairly clear morning, but it just about held on long enough for this photograph. My thanks to David Weake for the information and updates.
	The morning of Saturday 25 September 2010 was one of those absolutely clear and sunny occasions when it would be rude not to go out and take a photograph or two, given that the light at this time of the year is just about the best we ever get. Unfortunately, I had only about ninety minutes to spare so I went, just for a change, over to Hatton. I been there only a couple of minutes when a Freighliner became clearly audible and around the bend came 66589 with a well loaded train. The time was about 10.15 and the scheduled times for 'liners here are 09.15 and 11.15 so this could be either 4O27, the 05.29 Garston to Southampton service or 4O29, the 08.14 Crewe Basford Hall to Southampton. To be honest, I'm not remotely bothered which it is; after a long spell of mostly dull weather it was just good to get a picture without continually glancing at the sky to see if the sun was about to be obscured.
	When I was told that there was to be a 4Z50 Bicester COD to Shirebrook train on 23 September 2010 I assumed that it would be short set of redundant container flats; quite possibly the least interesting thing to move on rail whatever the motive power. However, it transpired that a long rake of new Network Rail IFA sleeper carrying wagons formed the train and this would make for a relatively unusual sight on the GWR Leamington Spa to Birmingham line. I was a bit short of time and with no idea where 4Z50 hauled by 66043 might be after its run-round at Hinksey Yard, I went to the closest location to my home. Unfortunately, this is also the worst view of the line around Hatton, being almost completely boring and anonymous these days and the sort of spot that one would visit only in extremis. As it happened, 4Z50 was about twenty minutes late and I would, with hindsight, have had plenty of time to go to one of several much better locations, including one a bit further north, where the sun was shining...
	I haven't done nearly as much photography in 2010 as in previous years because sunny days seem to have been few and far between. As far as trains that run on a regular basis are concerned, I don't often bother to photograph them if I have previously had a similar shot in better light but the afternoon of 22 September 2010 looked quite reasonable so I tied in a trip to Hatton North Junction with a trip to Leamington Spa for a non-railway matter and arrived just in time to see 66617 with 6M22 from Westbury to Stud Farm coming around the curve from the station, running about 10 minutes early. As usually happens, the edge was taken off the light by a bank of high level thin cloud, but at least the train was formed of the bigger wagons which, to my eyes, makes for a more attractive picture.
	Freight on the Hatton line can be a bit thin on the ground, so after photographing 66617 on 6M22 as shown above I knew that there would be a wait of around an hour before anything else appeared. In the meantime I amused myself my taking a few shots of some wildlife basking in the sun. Here is a picture of a Red Admiral butterfly soaking up some sun by a concrete block and a Comma on a patch of stinging nettles, the favourite food of its caterpillars. Anyway, the only other freight I expected to see on 22 September 2010 was 6E55, the empty oil tanks from Theale to Lindsey oil refinery which arrived almost spot on time with the uniquely coloured 66152 providing the power and giving the almost entirely green surroundings a splash of colour.
	Another proper-length train ran on the North Cotswold Line on Friday 10 September 2010, this time a rake of 42 TTA and TUA tankers going into storage at Long Marston. The train, 6V17 from Bescot, should have run on the preceding Wednesday, but for some reason which I suspect was late running returned to Bescot. All was well with the second attempt and here is 66120 about to enter Evesham station a few minutes early at 13.02 having a rapid run up the single track from Norton Junction. This wasn't my first choice of location but the light collapsed completely as I drove over from Stratford-upon-Avon and some quite heavy rain started to fall. This meant that I would have had to have used a stratospheric ISO setting to achieve a high enough shutter speed on the open line so made for somewhere I knew that the train would be barely moving. Luckily, the rain had stopped by the time that 6V17 came into view and there was the merest touch of brightness as it came past the signal box.
	After 66120 with 6V17 from Bescot to Long Marston arrived at Evesham it would have to wait until a down passenger train cleared the section from Moreton-in-Marsh and entered the platform. This give me a few minutes to head for a bridge near Blackminster for another shot, and sure enough, as I arrived there a FGW HST was just going underneath. It wasn't too long before the barriers protecting the road crossing behind me were lowered and the long rake of four-wheel tanks came into view with 66120 working hard and making quite an exhaust. I'm glad that I didn't have to wait more than a few minutes as the sewage works just to the left of the line was making itself only too obviously present in the strong South-Westerly wind. The light had deteriorated and I debated whether or not to bother with this picture but as I was there...
	I can go home from Blackminster using a variety of routes and chose a scenic option which would take me through Long Marston village via several villages, most of which are called Littleton with a directional prefix. I didn't really expect to get to Long Marston before the train as I wasn't going to burn rubber along the narrow lanes but there was no sign of 66120 when I did finally arrive. The Motorail Logistics ground crew were in their Sentinel shunter waiting to open the gate but it was another fifteen minutes or so before 6V17 appeared in the distance. It takes quite a while to get a long train onto the branch as once it is clear of the points from the main line the ground frame has to be locked and the branch token taken the length of the train to the locomotive. The weather hadn't improved on the way over and as soon as I had taken this view of the train straddling a public footpath across the line, went home.
	It was just a couple of months ago that surplus Fastline branded coal hoppers were taken to Long Marston for storage. Such are the vagaries of the power station coal market that a set of 24 of these were taken from there to Doncaster on 6 September 2010, ready for use as the season for increased demad on electricity suppliers approaches. This time the ex-DRS locomotive 66403, now hired to GBRf, was used and it is here seen in a brief patch of sunlight a few minutes before departure time. The previous leaser's name on the sides of the locomotive was simply painted out as is clearly visible on this view taken as it arrived.
	I had been hopeful that an early departure for 6E53 was on the cards but after coupling up to the hoppers and conducting a brake test the crew disappeared in the direction of Motorail Logistics' office, no doubt for a welcome cup of coffee! The short-lived patch of sun had gobe when 66403 pulled out of the exchange sidings with one of the longest trains to come out of here for quite some time. I believe that Medite liveried 66709 had originally been earmarked for this working but was apparently receiving maintenance at the time. Still, it's always good to catch a locomotive in what may be a short-lived transitional colour scheme.
	It looked as if there was patch of clear sky to the south so I drove down to Honeybourne in the hope of a sunny shot as 66403 stood on the old Stratford branch, and there was a sunny spell as I walked onto the roadbridge this unfortunately coming to an end as the train came into view. I haven't seen many trains here the back ends of which are still on the curve adjacent to Honeybourne tip. There was quite a wait here as a FGW HST heading towards Worcester was delayed by nearly half an hour meaning that 6E53 had to sit here until the passenger train had cleared Evesham. The light remained poor but I did hang on to take a shot as the train came over the spur onto the currently single North Cotswold Line. This line is shortly to receive double track, along with station improvements and here at Honeybourne some track enhancements to ease the passage of trains to and from the Long Marston branch whether coming from the north or south.
	A major blockade of the lines to Stratford-upon-Avon is due to occur later in 2010 when the final stages of the North Warwickshire Line upgrade and resignalling should take place. In connection with this, some Bescot drivers are having to learn the road to the terminus so that they will able to operate the required infrastructure trains. One of the route learners, 0Z30, ran on Wednesday 11 August and armed with a bit of foreknowledge and some sun I went to the station to get a record shot. Light engines can look out of place on the main line but with a bit of care can make for a reasonable photograph if some railway infrastructure can be included as with this shot of 66153 arriving at platform 1 a few minutes after the 09.27 to Stourbridge Junction had departed. The Chiltern Railways class 165 on the extreme left was about to leave as the 09.36 to London Marylebone.
	After arriving at Stratford-upon-Avon, 0Z30 ran under the road bridge and crossed over to the up line by means of the crossover situated on the stump of the former line to Cheltenham. It is here seen running through platform 2, generally used only by charters, before heading back to Bescot under a sky too good not to picture. The station has recently received new platform lights in the style of old gas lamps and these have also been installed along the approach road. The footbridge looks as if some work may soon be necessary judging by the state of some of the wood visible in this view.
	A short rake of nine of the former Fastline Rail coal hoppers was removed to Gloucester from Eastleigh on the evening of Monday 9 August 2010. On the following morning they were taken by 66703 to Long Marston where the plan was to add another nine hoppers and then move the whole set to Doncaster yard. Here is the first part of the move at Blackminster shortly after 4C53 had left Evesham where a little brightness had just appeared after a dull and quite wet morning. The undergrowth has grown rapidly over the past couple of months and it looks as if some more clearance will be needed when the track redoubling finally comes to fruition towards the end of this year.
	After taking the photograph shown above I headed across country to Long Marston and arrived four or five minutes before 66703 came into view in the distance. The light picked up quite a lot just as 4C53 came along the final few hundred yards of the branch and made for a pleasing enough picture, especially with the dark sky threatening some more rain. It is relatively unusual for this path, an 11.30ish arrival, to be used which is a shame because the light is a lot less favourable a couple of hours later in the usual arrival slot when the sun is virtually straight into the camera's lens.
	Once the gate into the Long Marston site had been opened 66703 took its rake of IIA hoppers onto road 1 of the exchange sidings. One of the site shunters moved onto the stock in road 2 and propelled it around the corner in the distance so that 66703 was able to run round its train. While this was going on another shunter, in MOD colours, was moving 87031 around, the ensemble looking as if an exercise of some sort was underway. The last time that I saw 87031 it was on a broken-down low-loader on the outskirts of Stratford-upon-Avon on 10 April 2009 whilst en-route to Long Marston. The weather on 10 August 2010 had begun to deteriorate with a chilly wind and rain so I decided not to wait for the second part of the day's events and headed for home.
	The afternoon of Friday 17 October 2008 was reasonably sunny and fancying some fresh air without travelling far I decided to have a walk along the towing path of the Grand Union canal, ending up at Hatton North Junction just before 15.00. I expected only two freights plus the HST NMT but it's a pleasant enough place to spend an hour on a sunny afternoon. The first of the expected freights was 6M01, the 14.10 Hinksey Virtual Quarry to Stud Farm empties behind 66546 which caught me out by sneaking very quietly around the curve as I was watching a Common Buzzard circling in search of prey. I grabbed my camera from the ground just in time and took this without checking any settings - fortunately all was OK from my initial few minutes spent setting up the exposure and focus.
	I was expecting to see the Didcot to Lindsey Oil Refinery empty oil tanks behind 60055 on Friday 24 October 2008 but when an hour had elapsed beyond its booked time at Hatton North Junction. I started to pack my camera away. Just then, 66085 headed around the curve in the last clearish patch of sunlight with 4M36, the Southampton to Birch Coppice intermodal. I'm not sure whether or not I like these "final moments" shots in shadowy locations, I do really prefer something a little clearer. The empty oil tanks didn't appear largely because, as I was later told, they passed north of Burton-upon-Trent around 14.30 and, with the clocks being put back one hour this weekend, it is unlikely that I will photograph it here much before early February 2009.
	Five TDA tank wagons were taken from Bescot to Long Marston on Tuesday 28 October 2008. The allocated locomotive was 66097 and the train, 6V17, is here seen approaching the end of its journey spot on time at 13.05 amidst some Autumnal colours on either side of the branch from Honeybourne. The Motorail Logistics crew arrived to open the gate in a rail vehicle I hadn't previously seen, which appears to be painted in colours similar to those of Porterbrook, the owner of many of the locomotives stored at Long Marston. A return to Bescot, 6M17, was booked to run and five Virgin liveried DVTs were taken out. I didn't stay to see this move as the light deteriorated and it poured with rain. In the event, 6M17 was some 90 minutes late at Evesham so I think that I made the correct decision.
	After photographing 60060 just south of Danzey station on 1 November 2008 I carried on to the station to find 66019 standing beyond the platform on a long train of flats loaded with the redundant track panels. The light was becoming worse by the minute and a strong wind was blowing but a couple of shots just had to be taken with the 200mm lens in conjunction with a monopod to minimise camera movement. Here is the train and a road/rail crane in operation along with all the uusual impedimenta of engineering work on the trackside.
	66019 soon pulled its train of track panels forward and out of sight to the south of Danzey station which allowed 66200 with a rake of empty JNAs to come into the area ready to be loaded with spent ballast yet to be dug out of the trackbed. This was the time for crew changes and a taxi came to pick up one set of men whilst a van carrying their relief arrived. By now it was nearly 3pm and the light had all but gone, so off home into the warm...
	A second weekend of engineering work took place on the North Warwickshire Line starting overnight on 7/8 November 2008. I didn't know where the work was taking place so had a look at Henley-in-Arden where nothing other than line protection boards were visible, before driving on to Danzey Green. This was the scene there, with 60060 standing on the northbound line with a single track panel flat, 66177 at the head of a long train of scrap panels and and road/rail vehicle heading south and into the worksite. The track panels were in the process of being secured to the wagons but it seemed to me that the departure might not be too far away. I quite like watching the movements associated with permanent way work as it passes the time whilst waiting for a locomotive hauled movement. Here is another view at Danzey, this time of some more road/rail vehicles passing through the station, and here is a close-up view of the second of them.
	A friend turned up at Danzey and we decided that it would be worth the short trip to Wood End, the next station towards Birmingham, in case the train of scrap track panels standing wrong road made a move. Nothing happened in the 30 minutes or so we were there and as Steve had to return home he dropped me off at Danzey where my car was parked. After about 10 minutes, the driver of 66177 walked up the track and joined his train. This was the cue for me to go back to the road bridge just north of Wood End station and before too long I heard a horn as the 66 moved away form Danzey. A couple of minutes later the horn was blown again as it entered the tunnel and then the train stopped at the protection boards in the station. The appropriate board was soon removed and 66177 headed wrong line towards Shirley, the site of the first available crossover, and then off to Bescot. The light was quite poor but class 66s aren't all that common on the North Warwickshire Line and I was more than happy with the result as the train pulled away. As Danzey station was on the way home, I dropped in again to see if anything was moving. 60060 was still standing on the up line and it looked as if it was time for the relief crews to take over the job as several cars and vans appeared. I took a final shot of the yard, mostly because of the Autumnal colours and dark sky, before going home.
	A long rake of PGA hoppers has been languishing at Bescot for a few weeks awaiting movement to Long Marston. On Tuesday 11 November 2008 that move finally took place as 6V17, the 09.30 from Bescot. The train left some 75 minutes late but had picked up about 20 minutes by the time it reached Worcester, where it is booked to sit for a while, awaiting a path behind a Paddington bound HST. Unfortunately, the HST was running late too, so 66160 with 6V17 didn't leave Worcester Yard until 13.13, just about the time it should have been arriving at Long Marston. For once, the late running was an advantage as the very heavy cloud around Evesham was breaking up nicely by 13.35 when I heard the locomotive's horn as it approached the distant signal for Evesham station. The sun broke through nicely as the train came slowly around the curve by the signalbox and drew to a halt in the station, to await the passage of a northbound Adelante. The rusty appearance of the PGAs blended in well, I thought, with the remaining Autumnal colours of the trees in the background.
	A GBRf move out of Long Marston was planned for Wednesday 3 December. This looked as if it might be quite interesting as it was running as 5Z90 and going to the PRDC at Wembley. The light engine, from Bristol, was due to arrive at 11.10 so I arrived a few minutes before that time to find the gates into the site open. In the event 66731 was a few minutes late, no doubt due to late running by First Great Western on the main Cotswold line. Unusually, as soon as the locomotive was inside the secure area, the gates were closed. This set alarm bells ringing and when I heard the driver on his telephone saying that, "The wagons aren't ready" I took it to me that the 12.15 departure time wasn't likely to be achieved. In fact, it was some 2 hours later and after a change of headcode to 6Z90 that the diminutive shunting locomotive propelled 6 KVA ferrywagons into road No.2 ready for 66731 to move onto them. The departure time had been put back a couple hours to 14.14. As the sun, which had shown no signs of disappearing all day, would be completely wrong for a departure shot at that time, I drove down to Honeybourne, via some still icy lanes.
	For reasons unknown, 66731 with 6Z90 was further delayed leaving Long Marston and by the time it reached Honeybourne the sun was very low and the track heavily shadowed. That notwithstanding, there was enough of a clear patch on the former East Loop to allow a reasonable photograph to be taken against a very Autumnal looking Cotswold backdrop. An up HST passed and within a couple of minutes the driver of 6Z90 left his locomotive and walked towards the groundframe. As soon as the HST had reached Moreton-in-Marsh, the frame was released and 66731 pulled its train forward on the main line and off towards Worcester. I don't know why ferrywagons are needed at the PRDC, I had assumed that some NPCCS for Christmas mail use was to be taken there, but maybe another day...
	I was hoping to see two or three freights at Hatton during the afternoon of 6 December 2008, the first of these being 4E69, the 09.45 Southampton to Doncaster Belmont intermodal, due here at about 13.45. The train, headed by by 66006 passed me at 13.57, so wasn't too far off its booked schedule and was travelling very slowly at this point having just exited the Down Goods Loop, as witnessed by the haze of exhaust visible over the third and fourth containers. The track here joining the main line is the branch from Stratford-upon-Avon and Hatton West Junction which sees just one timetabled train per day, a service from Birmingham to Stratford running first thing in the morning. Occasional test trains from Derby also use the curve along with steam runs to Birmingham Snow Hill on Sundays over the Summer.
	The shadows at Hatton North Junction begin to encroach on the tracks by about 14.30 and were all too visible when 66304 came around the curve at 15.13 on 6 December 2008, with 6M90, the 11.30 Avonmouth to Radcliffe loaded coal train. The train had left Avonmouth some 35 minutes late but had picked up most of this time by the time it reached here, and considering how close the sun was to the horizon the result wasn't too bad. This is a heavy train but the class 66 was making quite light work of the job and passed at a reasonable speed having had a good run up Hatton Bank with favourable signals all the way from Leamington Spa.
	Three more class 87 locomotives were booked to be taken from Long Marston to Crewe on 10 December 2008. The motive power for the move was 66723 which is here seen about to be allowed into Long Marston after a slightly late arrival from Bristol. The three freshly painted 87s, 87006, 87003 and 87034, can be seen in the exchange sidings having just been deposited there by the shunting locomotive also in shot.
	The booked time for the departure of 0Z90 was 12.15, but after the delay in bringing the 87s to the exchange sidings it was some 15 minutes after this time that 66723 moved towards the branch to Honeybourne. The sun had just come out of a bank of cloud as the train started its journey to Crewe, after a morning much cloudier than had been forecast. The eventual destination of the trio is Bulgaria, as it was for the others of the class to leave here. As soon as I had taken this shot I went to Honeybourne with the intention of taking a shot from the station platform, framed by the roadbridge, but there light was quite poor so I didn't bother and headed straight off to another location as the sky looked much clearer towards the North-West.
	Lower Moor, between Evesham and Pershore, is really just about the only location that is both relatively quick and easy to get to when chasing a train and is guaranteed to be free of shadows in the early afternoon in December. I arrived there to find about 6 cards already in situ and with, I guessed, about 10 minutes to wait before 66723 with 87006, 87003 & 87034 came into view. My guess was about right and the colourful ensemble soon came into sight. I don't normally go for a very wide shot such as this, but have been waiting for quite some time for a short train in perfect light to run along here at the right time of day so as to show the attractive Vale of Evesham scenery off to its best advantage.
	The week commencing 15 December 2008 saw the first weekday runs of Fastline Freight's coal service between Portbury and Ratcliffe Power Station. After watching the weather forecast for the week on the previous Sunday, I reckoned that Wednesday 17th would be the day for a shot of this and sure enough the light was near enough perfect in the late morning so decided to go to Croome Perry where the sun would be spot on even if 4Z18 ran late. There was also a Long Marston to Barrow Hill train booked with, allegedly, a class 47 and 7 Mk2 coaches to be taken out by 66723. I paid a quick visit to see what was going on on and arrived just in time to see 66723 roll up as 6 Virgin and 1 one Arriva liveried coaches were being shunted into place. There was no sign of a class 47 and with time being a little short if 4Z18 was on time I left Long Marston and arrived at Croome Perry with only about 10 minutes wait before 66303 rolled out of the wood with its long rake of empty hoppers from Chaddesden sidings in Derby. Note how the ball of mistletoe in the tree just beyond the occupation bridge has grown since I took this picture of 37408 + 37411 here, almost exactly 4 years ago.
	Network Rail has been sending a lot of PNA wagons to Long Marston for storage in recent weeks. The fourth rake was sent there on 6 January 2009, the train running as 6V17 from Bescot and hauled by 66177. It is here seen at Lower Moor foot crossing running right on time, having left Norton Junction as soon as the preceding HST had left the single line section at Evesham. The train was reported as leaving Bescot around 60 minutes late, but this is quite normal as 6V17 is booked to sit in Worcester Yard for nearly an hour and, as long as paths are available between Bescot and Worcester I'm sure the driver would prefer to stay in a warm office at Bescot rather than hang around at Worcester. This isn't my favourite view for this train but spots clear of shadows are few and far between in the winter and I wanted a stretch of track where the full length of the train, 43 vehicles, would be clearly in view. Use this hyperlink for a closer view of PNA 3643 as it passed by.
	A little snow fell during the early hours of Monday 5 January 2009 which coincided with the running of a 6Z47 from Wembley to Long Marston. The object of the exercise was to return the 6 KWA ferrywagons that had been taken out before Christmas to act as a backup for extra mail services, although to what use 60mph vehicles would be put on the WCML was never established. Here is 66731 arriving at Long Marston about 30 minutes late at 09.44. In a way it was a pity that the sun didn't come out of some fast-moving cloud, but the line would have been quite heavily shadowed by the adjacent bushes at this time of day. I have not before photographed here with snow lying on the ground; the nearest was a couple of years ago when 47714 + 47200 arrived in a short-lived blizzard.
	Some of the messages about this working on 9 January 2009 suggested that 47746 with some brake force vehicles was to leave Long Marston. Nothing of the sort happened and once the driver of 66731 had returned to his locomotive from the control tower OZ48 left the site in a nice patch of sun, which complemented the small amount of snow remaining on the ground. While gazing around, I noticed that what look remarkably like overhead electrification masts have been erected. Also visible is one of the rakes of PNA wagosn recently sent for storage by Network Rail.
	The once regular trains from Bescot to Long Marston have recently become quite infrequent so when 6V17 was scheduled for Wednesday 4 August 2010 I thought that a trip across to Honeybourne would be in order. The scene here is due to change soon when double track is reinstated and I was keen to get a shot or two before the work commences. The train left Worcester Shrub Hill at 12.20 but was not due to leave Evesham until 13.19 where it would cross 1W29, the 11.21 London Paddington to Great Malvery service. The latter ran on time and is here seen arriving at Honeybourne led by power car 43177 amongst a great deal of recent undergrowth, some of which, I hope will be removed when the engineering work gets underway. There was a lot of cloud about which was just what I wanted for my shot of 66011 on 6V17, but the sun found a completely clear patch just as the train of ferrywagons came into the station. This picture of Honeybourne Station shows the currently empty trackbed against the island platform which will be used by down trains when the new track has been laid. I have been told that Long Marston traffic will use the former Stratford Branch tracks on the extreme right and this will open up some new possibilities, especially when the sun unexpectedly comes out.
	Another stage of the work to double the track on much of the North Cotswold Line is currently underway with, unfortunately, much of the work being carried out overnight. However, the weekend of 3 & 4 July saw a full possession with several trains being due at various points. I knew some very rough timings and locations and thought that I would start at Evesham and then work my way south until or if something was visible. As it happened Evesham station was the centre of operations on the Saturday with two trains nose to tail in the area. The first, 6W14, was occupying the up line through the station with 66183 in charge and just poking its nose under the adjacent roadbridge by the centre pivoted starter signal. The down line had already been removed ready for replacement and various road/rail vehicles were on site to load the train with spoil. It seemed to be coffee break time when I took these photographs...
	While taking the pictures shown above another class 66 was just visible in the background so I had a wander round to Briar Close to see what was happening there. The second class 66, 66030, was standing just behind 6W14's train with a train of empty spoil wagons, presumably running as 6W15. There was nothing much happening and as cloud was rapidly building up I made for home after walking through the industrial estate to ascertain the identity of the locomotive standing by the signal box. Here is a tighter view of the scene clearly showing the newly excavated track bed.
	The sole class 66/6 not to carry Freightliner's green livery is 66623 which has been painted into Bardon Aggregate's blue colour scheme. On 22 June 2010 it was allocated to work 6M22, the 11.56 Westbury Virtual Quarry to Stud Farm empty ballast wagons, and is here seen passing Hatton North Junction two or three minutes early. I didn't notice when taking the picture that the roof is still green and wonder if this is part of Bardon's colour scheme or whether Freightliner decided to save a few pounds by not painting it as it would not be noticeable from ground level. I'm not especially happy with this photograph because 1) the sun is really too high at just after 3pm and 2) I think that it would have looked much better had the train been formed of the larger wagons sometimes seen on this service. Still, it's a new colour scheme for me at this location so perhaps I shouldn't grumble...
	A long set of JNA wagons was due to be removed from Long Marston on Monday 24 May 2010. I didn't know if the light engine move from Peterborough via Birmingham and Worcester had taken place but went for a look. The scheduled departure time from Long Marston was 14.10 but experience suggested that something earlier would be likely so I arrived at about 12.30 to find 66724 sitting in the left-hand road and to see the local shunter heading off around the inner loop, presumably to collect the wagons. In the meantime, I took this photograph of 20197 looking a bit forlorn. I have no interest in this sort of thing but thought that one or two viewers might like a look. It wasn't long before the shunter appeared in the distance with the JNAs which were soon deposited in No. 2 road so that 66724 was able to run forward into the headshunt before going onto the train to be coupled. The yellow crane visible was recently used to assist with some track repairs on the site, something that I should like to have recorded but found out too late.
	At about 12.50 there was a flurry of activity with 'phone calls being made or received, the gates into the site being reopened and 66724's headlight being switched on. This suggested that Evesham signalbox had a path available and that the expected early departure would take place. Here then is 6E53 to Maltby, where the wagons will be used for a coal flow to Immingham, passing the Blackthorn blossom as the train heads onto the branch to Honeybourne.
	I had planned to photograph 66724 with 6E53 at a location between Honeybourne and Aldington but when I arrived there was a somewhat unsightly group of white caravans in a small yard adjacent to the line so I moved a bit further west to this footbridge. A friend had told me that the preceding down FGW train was on time at Evesham station and that 6E53 wouldn't have to wait for more than a minute or two at Honeybourne before getting a clear run to Norton Junction where it would pass the next up passenger train. He was, of course, quite correct and I had been in position for no more than five minutes when the train appeared under the bridges in the background just as some fluffy clouds began to appear which gave the sky some character.
	The first train to head south after I arrived at Grimsbury bridge just north of Banbury station on Saturday 15 May 2010 was 4O14, the 06.39 Birch Coppice to Southampton freightliner, headed by 66531. This was one of the most poorly loaded 'liners that I have seen for quite a while with just four containers being conveyed in the centre of the virutally empty train. At least the long used that I used for this shot compresses the perspective and brings up the background, including the M40 and to some extent takes the eye away from the flat wagons. Also visible are the exits from the down loop and the two connections from the Banbury Reservoir sidings, used by the weekly Self Discharge Train from Mountsorrel.
	The next freightliner to appear was 4O27, the 05.29 Garston to Southampton and this was much better loaded with quite an assortment being carried. This wider shot shows the Reservoir Sidings facility to some advantage. It was very heavily used with one or two trains each day when the M40 extension to Birminhgam was being built but today sees just one working per week, arriving from Mountsorrel in Leicestershire in the early hours of Thursday and leaving in mid-morning. One of the Self Discharge trains is used for this job which avoids the need for road vehicles to move the stone into the railside hoppers.
	At the time of writing, just one DBS class 66, 66152 has received a livery reflecting the house style of its owners and so tends to be photographed, despite it being "only a shed". On Wednesday 12 May 2010 it was booked to work 4M66, the 09.32 Southampton to Birch Coppice intermodal and as I hadn't seen the locomotive since the repaint I popped over to Hatton for a shot. It didn't look as if the sun was going to appear but I went to a location where, if it did, it would be on just the right place. I don't generally worry too much if the sun is "on the nose" or not, but if such a picture can be obtained without too much effort I'll go for it. As it happened, the sun did come out just as the preceding class 165 to Birmingham Snow Hill climbed Hatton Bank and knowing that 4M66 has passed Leamington Spa, thought that I might be in with a chance. The back 2/3 of the train was well loaded but no such luck with the front. The last time that I saw 66152 was on 6 April 2008 when it was in charge of an engineering train at Stratford-upon-Avon just as a snow storm approached.
	Another regular runner on Hatton Bank is 6M22 from Westbury to Stud Farm conveying empty Network Rail ballast wagons for loading. I was walking back to my car after photographing 66152 on an intermodal but decided to hang on for a few minutes as the sun looked as if it would stay out long enough for a shot. The locomotive was 66605, a change, for me at least, from 66602 which seems to have been permanently coupled to the wagons for quite some time. I don't especially like this location as it is too anonymous for my taste, but it is one of the few local spots in which I haven't photographed this working in recent weeks.
	The line through Hatton generally sees very little activity on Bank Holidays but Monday 3 May 2010 was different in that two trains ran to Beeston in Nottinghamshire from Westbury and Hinksey respectively. Both conveyed IFA-U wagons, these being used for the transportation of ready-made switches and crossings to engineering worksites. I couldn't recall having photographed anything of the sort before so thought that a shot or two would be worth having particularly as my home town, Stratford-upon-Avon is a hell-hole of rowdy visitors on these public holidays so there was no way I going there. I was on my way to a location south of Hatton station when a signaller friend told me that both trains were going to be turned into the down loop at Hatton to allow passenger trains to pass. With this in mind I went to Hatton North Junction even though this would mean a heavily backlit shot should the sun appear. There was no danger of that when 66085 crawled around the curve from the station with 6X50 from Westbury, the sun being behind a thick bank of cloud which looked about ready to dump a heavy shower just to the south-east.
	Hinksey Yard at Oxford was the origination of the second train of IFA-U wagons to pass Hatton North Junction on 3 May 2010, this time with 66167 in charge. It too was booked to sit in Hatton Loop for a while to allow two passenger trains to pass, the first of which was a WSMR service with a newly refurbished first class coach in front of 3 Cargo-D examples all led by DVT 82304 and propelled by 67015. A Chiltern Railways class 168 passed next in the middle of a heavy shower but the strong wind meant that the clouds had blown away when 6X51 came slowly up the last few yards of Hatton Bank. This YRA wagon, not really visible in the main picture because of the track's curvature, brought up the rear of the train. Note the different barrier/match wagons used on this train and the previous one, pictured above.
	After all the excitement of photographing a < a href="http://www.petertandy.co.uk/30453_Bishopton_230410.jpg"> steam working on Friday 23 April 2010 I needed a dose of normality so went over to Hatton North Junction to take advantage of the fine and sunny weather during the afternoon. I had quite forgotten that steam locomotives need to turn before going back from whence they had come and arrived to find a smallish horde of onloookers waiting for a tender-first light engine move. Still, they weren't in my way and I knew that 66602 with 6M22 Westbury to Stud Farm was just approaching Leamington Spa. I stayed on the footbridge as 1) a shot from my favourite place in the field would have included several people one of whom somewhat bizarrely had a high-visibility jacket while on a public footpath and 2) there was a southbound freight somewhere in the St Andrews area of Birmingham which I didn't want to miss. Here then is 6M22 rounding the curve at Hatton North with its bright train of high capacity ballast wagons.
	My plan had been to photograph this train, the 6E55 empty oil tanks from Theale to Lindsey, from the field at Hatton North Junction but didn't have time to move from the footbridge after taking a shot of 60096 coming from the north with a short train of CWR from Scunthorpe to Eastleigh. This is therefore a bit of a grab shot after leaping up two sections of the steps of the bridge to gain a bit of height after 66206 appeared around the curve.
	The cloud that was hanging around during the morning of 21 April 2010 cleared away by lunchtime so I went for a couple more shots during the afternoon. This is probably the last time that I shall visit Budbrooke this year as the undergrowth is becoming too intrusive but as it's one of my favourite shots on Hatton Bank I thought that another look at 6M22 and 6E55 here would be in order. Here is 66602 with the former running a few minutes late just beyond Warwick Parkway with its train of empty hoppers on the way to Stud Farm from Westbury. The quiet skies that I enjoyed over the weekend were not more; UK airspace having been opened the previous evening.
	The only other northbound freight scheduled to appear on Hatton Bank during the mid-afternoon of Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, although it didn't run on the Monday of this week, is 6E55, the discharged oil tanks from Theale to Lindsey Oil Refinery. In contrast to 6M22, 6E55 with 66165 in charge was running a few minutes early as it went past Warwick Parkway station on 21 April 2010.
	I have been waiting for a few weeks in the hope that either a Wednesday or Friday afternoon would be clear and sunny so that I might be able to have a few pictures on Hatton Bank before the foliage becomes too obtrusive. Wednesdays and Fridays are better because there are two northbound freights scheduled within 60 minutes at a time of day when the sun is favourable. The first along on 9 April 2010, just as the sun was coming out of some thin cloud, was 6M22, the 11.56 Westbury Virtual Quarry to Stud Farm empty ballast wagons hauled, as usual by a Freightliner class 66/6, 66613 on this occasion. The line here is climbing at a gradient of around 1/110 but an optical illusion caused by the fact that the field in which I was standing slopes uphill quite steeply to the left makes it look almost level.
	My final shot on Friday 9 April 2010 was of 66004 heading up Hatton Bank with 6E55, the 13.35 Theale to Lindsey empty oil tanks, running about 10 minutes early and so a likely candidate to be looped a couple of miles north in order to allow a passenger train to pass. This train used to attract a lot of attention as until the mass storage of class 60s it was generally in the hands of a member of that class. Now, of course, it is largely ignored, even by a flock of rooks looking for bugs amongst the sheep droppings in the field, although several pigeons obviously found it more of a threat and rapidly left the scene.
	A third set of Fastline branded coal hoppers was moved from Chaddesden Yard, near Derby, on Thursday 8 April 2010. COLAS Rail's 66845, formerly DRS 66410, was used to move the stock, destined for storage, to Long Marston, their usual class 47s being occupied on a train of empty steel carriers from Washwood Heath to Boston. I was initially disappointed that one of the COLAS liveried 66s wasn't used as I am yet to photograph an example, but as these will hopefully be around for some time came to the conclusion that it was better to picture this locomotive in a transitional colour scheme which may not last for much longer. I hadn't seen any timings for 4Z47 but guessed that an arrival time of around 11.15 at Evesham wouldn't be far off the mark so after my daily visit to the swimming pool at my Health Club, went straight across there, only to find that my first choice of shot was no longer available, thanks to a very high and solid wooden fence having been erected. This meant that Briar Close, adjacent to the signal box was the next best bet and I arrived to find a couple of friends in attendance which at least meant that I hadn't missed the train. The new and not very attractive radio mast behind the box meant that a long lens shot was probably not the best idea so I took this shot incorporating the lower quadrant inner home signal.
	After arriving at Evesham, 4Z47 was to wait there for the best part of 30 minutes in order to cross a down train to Worcester. This meant that there would be no difficulty in finding another location on the other side of the town for another photograph; after all it would have been silly to waste the glorious light. Not many enthusiasts were about, my two friends being about it and they are just visible on the bridge in the background of this shot taken from a road bridge on the Evesham to Offenham road. No doubt everyone else was on the main Gloucester to Birmingham line waiting, along with many others, for a double-headed steam special to Preston. I had been tempted to have a go at this but the thought of the inevitable crowds on such a nice day put me off the idea. I should also have quite liked to have had a shot of 67003 on the Didcot to Ashchurch train but didn't really have time without missing my swim. The train as pictured here nearly caught me out as I was expecting a distant signal on the other side of the bridge to be set to green before it came, but it wasn't. Luckily, 4Z47 with 66845 was moving quite slowly, maybe because of a problem with the barrier crossing at Clayfield Lane, a short distance to the east of here.
	Long Marston can be on my way home from the Evesham area if I use the country roads via Honeybourne so I thought that I may as well drop in to get a final shot as 66845 arrived; after all it is in a new colour scheme for the branch... I didn't have too long to wait before before I heard a horn as it left Honeybourne and a few minutes later appeared in the distance. This is probably about the best lighting it is possible to achieve here as it is very unusual for anything to arrive here before the sun has moved quite a way round towards the south. I can never decided whether I prefer the shot taken here with a strong lens or something wider so I've included both. The gate into Long Marston was already open and little was time was wasted before the hoppers were running along the exchange sidings ready for storage in their new home. A train of JXA wagons was ready to leave at around 13.00, but some domestic matters precluded me from waiting for this train to leave.
	It's been quite a while since last I visited Norton Junction near Worcester, so on 16 March 2010 I went there with the intention of photographing 6V05, the 09.35 Round Oak to Margam train of empty steel carriers. Once the clocks have gone forward at the end of March, the sun is too head for this shot to work well. The train was just about on time when it passed the lower quadrant semaphores controlling the junction with the Cotswold Line at 10.39 with a dirty 66027 in charge. I understand that these signals, along with the others on the line to Oxford are not going to be replaced when the line is partially re-doubled, whenever that may happen. Local sources say that no date has yet been set for the remaining work to get underway. The signalbox is on the other side of this roadbridge and is in this view, taken a few minutes later than that of 6V05, of a First Great Western HST leaving the Cotswold Line with a delayed service from London Paddington to Hereford. The delay was caused by a cable theft, the second within days, from a site near Honeybourne.
	Relatively few freights, other than steel to and from Round Oak, run on the line from Abbotswood Junction to Worcester but one of the regulars is that conveying MOD traffic from Didcot to Ashchurch. As there is no access to the Ashchurch branch from the south, trains have to run to Worcester Yard for the locomotive to run round its stock before heading south to their destination. On 16 March 2010, 6B36, headed by a grubby and graffiti splattered 66126, was heavily delayed and passed this bridge, near Norton Barracks, at 12.20, around two hours late after its visit to Worcester.
	A train of VTG JNA box wagons was taken from Long Marston to Peak Forest on Friday 12 March 2010 for use on the Dowlow to Ashburys circuit. The locomotive, 66201, ran light engine from Peterborough as 0V17, the headcode normally used for something from Bescot, arriving some time around 09.00. The booked departure time was 13.06 but when I arrived at Long Marston fresh from the swimming pool just before 11.00, the gates were locked and there was no sign of a train. After a run down to Honeybourne, I found 6M17 sitting on the branch awaiting a path to Evesham and Worcester. The heavy cloud parted just a little and allowed a weak sun to illuminate the scene for a few seconds before the murk closed in again and it started raining. It looked to me as if the former Stratford Branch sidings at Honeybourne have seen something run over them very recently; and indeed, the undergrowth on the line that used to run to the coaling stage appears to have been cut back a bit. That piece of track also looked quite shiny and I wonder what has been on it? I guess that it may have been some on-track plant as a locomotive move would probably have been reported. My thanks to Graham Lee for the correct identification of the train's consist.
	With all the poor weather we have had recently, I haven't bothered much going out to photograph routine or daily workings as I don't want to get pictures that are less satisfactory to my eyes than some that I may have taken previously in good light. As the afternoon of Friday 5 March 2010 was clear and sunny, albeit with a few clouds floating around, I decided to spend an hour or two just north of Warwick Parkway station just to take anything that came along. The first train to appear was 4M66, the 09.32 Southampton to Birch Coppice intermodal hauled by 66206. The last intermodal I photographed here looked rather different, being headed by 60056 in slightly less favourable conditions.
	One of the most colourful trains to run on the GWR Leamington Spa to Birmingham line is 6M22, the 11.22 Westbury Virtual Quarry to Stud Farm empty box wagons. On Friday 5 March 2010 66611 was providing the power as it climbed Hatton Bank near Warwick Parkway station just a couple of sections behind 168106 which was just pulling away from its booked stop. This location is really one to use only in the winter and early Spring as the undergrowth adjacent to track becomes too intrusive when the foliage starts to sprout. I don't often use a tripod but one is handy here because a long lens is necessary and I find that it is much more comfortable not to hold a heavy set of equipment, especially when freights are infrequent. The background includes the tall West End tower of St. Mary's, Warwick and the round tower of Warwick Castle, two of the most prominent landmarks in the area. I had planned to wait for the Theale to Lindsey empty oil tanks, but a friend told me that it was running about 30 minutes late at Oxford which would have meant a wait of over an hour in the cold wind, so with this, and some high cloud appearing, I went home.
	Following my failure to obtain a picture of the Fastline operated Daw Mill to Didcot coal train in the snow a couple of weeks ago, I had another go on the sunny morning of 2 March 2010. I again went to Hatton where the sun would be where I wanted it for this shot, and once again I failed, even though 6Z37 was supposed to be operating all week. My consolation prize was another well-lit shot of 4O54, the 06.13 Leeds to Southampton freightliner, this time hauled by 66955. It was running pretty much to right time passing me at 10.33. I don't know for how longer 6Z37 will run as I've seen a report somewhere that Didcot Power Station is not currently in operation, being out of use until Autumn 2010. Maybe I'm just not destined to get this picture...
	There was a brief but heavy snowfall on 18 February 2010, and as the following day was clear and sunny by 10am I decided to go out for a few shots. The country lanes were still quite hazardous, the journey to Hatton taking about ten minutes longer than normal, and as I arrived at the bridge adjacent to the station the rumble of a freight was clearly audible. I just managed to get my camera out and grabbed this photograph of 66535 hauling 4O54, the 06.13 Leeds to Southampton freightliner service. My real aim had been to get a shot of 6Z37, the Fastline operated coal from Daw Mill colliery to Didcot Power Station but I had a call from a signaller friend just after 4O54 had passed and he told me that it was cancelled. I have been waiting for the right conditions to go out for this train so hope that it will soon appear again.
	I don't know a lot about this train; just that it is 4V58, the FO-Q 09.32 Washwood Heath to Neath Abbey Wharf empty stone hoppers and that it was running maybe 55 or 60 minutes late. This was just as well or I would not have seen it on 19 February 2010. The locomotive is a very dirty 66012 and it is passing the small engineering yard at Defford, Worcestershire. There was more snow on the ground than appears to be the case; the stubble in the field to the right of the train must have been quite long and there was a good 3" on the footpath running across the railway bridge. Running just in front of 4V58 was a Cross Country HST led by power car 43384 working the 06.32 Dundee to Plymouth. This was a bit of a grab shot as I was looking south when it came under the bridge in the background.
	Most of the trains associated with the major engineering work on the North Warwickshire Line run overnight so as to allow the possessions to be lifted before the early morning passenger services begin to run. On Sundays, however, the passenger trains begin later and on 31 January 2010 this gave the opportunity to photograph 66081 with 6P01, a shortish rake of autoballasters, as it arrived at Stratford-upon-Avon to run-round before heading back to Bescot. Here it is running into platform 1 about 10 minutes early just as the Network Rail gang in the car park were kind enough to tell me that it would. It was booked to run back via Henley-in-Arden so I didn't hang around, having a feeling that it would be away well before the booked time, 09.50.
	I have taken quite a few pictures at Henley-in-Arden station over the past few months so decided to go to another location a little further north for my shot of 66081 with 6P01 to Bescot. It was a freezing morning with the very weak sun much too low to get into the cutting but I still quite fancied the shot as it includes both the upper and lower quadrant signals that will disappear later this year when the line is resignalled. I heard the train coming for some time on the still morning but even with plenty of time to get everything set up I, for the first time since beginning to use digital equipment in 2004, didn't switch on the camera as 66081 came into view. This meant that not only was the light in the cutting virtually non-existent but I had to reset the zoom length and take a hurried grab shot, the results of which are all too plain to see! I hope that another opportunity to get this shot comes along soon so that there is a chance to get a sharp version! My thanks to David Weake for the information on 6P01.
	After a night of torrential rain, Monday 30 November turned out to be a beautifully bright and sunny day so with a couple of freights likely to make an appearance during the afternoon I went over to Hatton North Junction. The first along was 4M66, the 11.15 Southampton to Birch Coppice hauled by 66183. This was running just about to right time and with a full load made for quite an attractive picture in the late Autumnal sunlight. Shadows here begin to become a problem at about 14.45 at this time of the year and 4M66 was here about ten minutes before that before too much of the line was covered.
	The train of oil from Lindsey Oil Refinery to Didcot power Station on Monday 5 October 2009 was hauled by 60045. This train runs infrequently during the summer but its frequency increases during the Autumn and Winter and this is the second week in succession that it, and the return, 6E48, has turned up. I had left my previous location on the footbridge at the southern end of Hatton Cutting as the sky in the west was clearing quite rapidly and this proved to be a good move. I knew that 60045 had been replaced by 66099 for the northbound run of the empty tanks but I was quite content with this change of motive power as long as the sun was clear of the patches of cloud drifting around. I heard the train approach although it was out of sight and judging by the low speed at which it was obviously travelling it was clearly routed into the down goods loop. As far as the light was concerned this was a good thing as the sun came out fully only as 66099 with the empty tanks approached my position. Another year of unchecked growth from the trees here will, I think, mean the end of this photographic location, one which I have been visiting for the past 25+ years.
	Another engineering train was booked to work on the North Cotswold Line on Thursday 27 August 2009. This time, the work was not to drop ballast but to collect spoil so the wagons were of the empty, low-sided variety and hauled by 66087. Here is 6W86 from Hinksey Yard shortly after leaving Evesham and approaching the crossing near to the site of Littleton and Badsey station. On this occasion, the train was signalled by hand over the crossing meaning that the half barriers remotely operated by CCTV from Evesham signal box were not lowered. This location benefited from some radical tree clearance earlier in the year; before this took place the shot was virtually a green tunnel but now it possible to see the road bridge on the Offenham road and the redundant track panels awaiting removal. A wider shot used to be quite impossible, but with some clearance having taken place close to the bridge, quite a decent picture is now possible as is here seen as 66087 with 6W86 is about to pass underneath.
	I had really intended to go just for the one shot of 6W86 and had driven over in my Morris Minor, not the ideal vehicle for chasing around winding and somewhat bumpy country lanes, but seeing that the sky was clearing a little to the west, decided to have a try for another shot towards Honeybourne. As I arrived in the car park there the train was just approaching and it was apparent that a crew change was about to take place. I scrambled up the bank to the roadbridge and found that a shot with a 35mm lens was just about possible as 6W86 stood in the platform. When the track doubling has taken place in 2010, the currently unused island platform will be used for up trains and anything travelling to or from Long Marston will use a relaid track on the extreme right, joining the main line on the down side of the platforms rather than the spur presently to be found on the other side of the bridge. After taking this shot I wandered around to the station and took a few pictures as 66087 basked in the sun, while chatting to the driver who was awaiting instructions as to the move south where the spoil was waiting to be loaded.
	The weather forecast for Wednesday 19 August 2009 promised good sunny spells across the Midlands so I thought that at last I might be lucky and get a photograph of a Cotswold Line ballast in decent light. The train in question, 6W85, was due to enter the possession at Evesham at 13.30 and a friend told me that it left Worcester Yard at around 12.50, putting it pretty much on time. From my position just south of Evesham station I saw the lower quadrant signal in the distance drop and a few moments later watched as 66090 stopped in the platform . The sun disappeared as 6W85 left the platform, without the centre-pivoted signal by the bridge being dropped, but fortunately came out again just in time for my shot. I took another view as the train headed away, largely to get a picture of a train passing the outer home signal operating on the down side of the single line.
	Just as I was leaving the location from which I took the photograph above, 6W85 came to a halt so I thought that I might have time for another crack at it a bit further east. The nearest bridge is that at Aldington so I went straight there to find the train sitting virtually out of sight around the curve beyond the footbridge. Over 70 minutes elapsed before it started to move, by which time the sun had moved well around towards the west and 66090 was somehow blowing up a lot of dust from underneath its bogies, despite moving at less than walking pace all of which conspired to make a fairly unsatisfactory picture. Just after 6W85 passed under the bridge it came again to a halt which was my cue to head home for a cool drink, but not before filling my floppy hat with blackberries. More brownie points for me...
	Having made a complete mess of my shot of 66525 on 6Z88, the first of the two Freightliner operated coal trains from Daw Mill to Didcot Power Station on 6 August 2009, I decided to hang on at Hatton to try again on the second, 6Z98. This came a few minutes early behind 66513 and is here seen rounding the curve just to the north of the station. I do like to have a record of these short-term trial flows, the first by Freightliner along here, and with a week more to go may yet score one in the sun. We'll see.
	Whilst photographing 66513 on 6Z98, the Daw Mill to Didcot Freightliner trial, on Thursday 6 August I wondered if it would be possible to get a photograph of one these workings in good light. The following afternoon became clear and sunny and although I didn't actually know if the loaded working had run, I took the chance and went to Hatton North Junction to get a shot of the returning empties, 4Z89. A couple of passenger trains went north and then, spot on time and following a Chiltern Trains service to Birmingham Snow Hill, 66549 crawled around the curve, its train having been held as booked in Hatton Goods Loop. I'm a bit surprised how little interest wascreated by these trial runs of power station coal; the first by Freightliner on this line. Maybe it was just the poor weather for most of the two week trial...
	Another ballast train was booked on 5 August 2009 to run on the North Cotswold Line. This time it was 6W37 from Hinksey to Evesham, the starting point of the possession. It was booked to leave the work site, Aldington, in time to leave Evesham at 12.25 so it was a couple of hours before that I arrived at the occupation bridge, just in time to see the train moving very slowly towards me as it dropped ballast. After parking my car I walked up the public footpath to a footbridge arriving just in time for this telephoto lens shot of 66082 as it came under the occupation and the Evesham bypass bridges. The light was dreadful with drizzly rain but with the train moving at about walking pace I didn't need too high a shutter speed to freeze the action.
	I had plenty of time to change to a standard lens before 66082 with 6W37 came near enough to the footbridge on which I was standing for another photograph. Ballast was still being dropped as the train moved along; these autoballasters really make the process a lot quicker and easier than it used to be. The track here has been replaced as the old bullhead rail on was too worn to be slewed across in readiness for next year's doubling work. The redundant track panels can be seen to the right of the wagons. As 66082 passed under the footbridge I noticed that its roof appears to have taken a swipe and a good splash of white paint. I wonder how that happened?
	As usual with these ballast workings, 6W37 was topped-and-topped, the trailing locomotive at this point being 66051. I had had time to go back along the footpath to the occupation bridge at Aldington to get this shot as the train receded from the camera around the reverse curves towards Evesham; the rain by this time having stopped and the light having improved a touch. The shower was passing across Bredon Hill, visible in the background. There is saying around here that if you can't see Bredon Hill then it's raining and if you can see it then it's going to...The two road/rail vehicles that are ready to spread the ballast are temporarily on the trackside but would have re-railed themselves to start work as soon as 6W37 was clear.
	The ballast train running as 6W37 to Hinksey Yard was due to pass Evesham station at 12.25 but it was some 15 minutes after this time that the signal in the background was dropped and 66082 nosed into view. I suppose 15 minutes late isn't too bad for an engineering train leaving a possession; I have certainly waited a lot longer than this in the past! The semaphore signals here are due for replacement in 2011 when control is passed to Didcot Panel, so there may yet be time for a sunny shot here; I so far having missed out on the occasions that I have tried since the cutting banks were cleared.
	A short term flow of coal from Daw Mill colliery, near Nuneaton, to Didcot Power Station took place during the week which commenced 27 July 2009. Unusually, this was operated by Freightliner Heavy Haul and as far as I can remember is the first time that this company has taken coal to Didcot. I wasn't able to get out earlier in the week for a couple of the workings but on Friday 31 July I went over to the footbridge at the south end of Hatton Cutting to get a shot of 66566 with 6Z98, the 13.25 from Daw Mill, here seen as it rolled slowly down the bank towards Warwick. The light was very poor but in my opinion it's better to have a record shot in dull conditions than none at all, especially if the train doesn't run again. If it does, then there's a chance to improve with another picture.
	The morning of Thursday 24 July saw the first ballast train of the current possession on the North Cotswold Line run from Norton Junction to a worksite just east of Evesham station. The train, 6W87, started from Hinksey Yard near Oxford and was routed via Didcot, Swindon, Bristol, Charfield and Ashchurch to Worcester where it reversed before heading to its final destination. I received a call from a friend as it left Worcester somewhat early at about 08.50 and headed across to the nearest point for me, Evesham. The light was going to be pretty much head-on all the way along the line from Norton Junction but I thought that if the train was held to time outside Evesham there would be a chance for the sun to get onto the side of the formation. Just after I arrived, this road/rail vehicle was leaving the tiny yard with a flat wagon attached carrying a large drum of signalling cable. Here is another view, albeit heavily backlit, as the vehicle used the crossover onto the up main line where it enters Evesham station. The ballast train soon appeared in the distance but sat for quite some time in the distance while another road/rail machine entered the possession. After another long wait, 66083 with 66114 on the back finally ran to the signal box where a crew change took place.
	It was just after 11.30 before 6W87 finally moved slowly towards the worksite, by which time the sun had moved round enough to give some decent side lighting. Unfortunately, it was also so high in the sky by then that the light was far too overhead and harsh. The joys of photographing ballast trains in the height of the summer. Even so, I much prefer a couple of hours photographing this sort of working than spending time covering routine workings somewhere on a busy main line, especially given the one-off nature of the train concerned. As the train was in a possession controlled by radio and telephone, the lower quadrant signal was not pulled off for the train to pass, and here is an unusual-looking view as it passes the bracket signal protecting the up platform in Evesham station.
	The worksite for 6W27 was shown as being Common Road, an area just outside Evesham station with no opportunity for a decent photograph. I went instead to Aldington, mostly with the intention of visiting the nearby fruit farm to buy a couple of pounds of fresh cherries and gain some brownie points form my wife. I did make a quick diversion to the nearby bridges and just after arrival I heard a horn and then the sound of ballast being dropped. After a few minutes, 66083 poked its nose around the corner so I took this rather distant shot with Bredon Hill and the roofline of Evesham in the background. Shortly after taking this shot, a road/rail vehicle with a ballast levelling blade ran towards the train to work on the ballast that had just been dropped. I understand that the existing track is in such poor condition that it cannot simply be slewed across to make room for the second track, but will have to be replaced. The new track has already been dropped and can be seen in this view in the up direction. A few moments later, the driver of 6W87 turned off the headlights on 66083 and placed a portable tail lamp on the bracket before reversing to allow the ballast work to progress.
	The first visit to Long Marston of Advenza Freight's newly acquired 66841 took place on 29 June 2009 when it was booked to take 20901 + 20905, 56021 and 31423 along with some KXA and other flats to Derby, where the 66 was due to be detached with the class 20s taking the train forward to Stockton. There appeared to be some problem with the train, possibly obtaining a satisfactory brake, and 66841 was detached from the consist and left the site light engine towards Honeybourne. I went home at this point but on arrival I checked my BlackBerry for updates to found out that the problem had been solved and that 66841 was on its way back. Inertia took over and I decided to stay put rather than go out again.
	Fastline Freight has, on Saturday 20 September 2008, started a new coal flow form Avonmouth (Bennett's Terminal) to Ratcliffe Power Station. The first run of empty hoppers, 4G90, went to Avonmouth during the early morning, being booked to pass Banbury at 08.00. The normal route for the empties will be via Gloucester but this train was diverted due to engineering work in the Yate area. I fancied a shot of the first train but without driving too far couldn't think of anywhere worthwhile. The Hatton area would clearly be out of the question so I ended up on the bridge at Grimsbury on the northern outskirts of Banbury. I could have done with 4G90 being at least 30 minutes late but it came 10 early and, with a Voyager following close behind, was put into the up loop. All this meant a pretty unsatisfactory photograph taken at ISO 200 - much higher than I normally favour.
	The loaded return working, 6M90, of the first Fastline Freight from Ratcliffe to Avonmouth ran during the afternoon of 20 September 2008. It left Bennett's terminal some 20 minutes late, not normally a problem for photography but when a train is booked to pass Hatton at 18.38 at this time of the year a few minutes can make the difference between getting a shot or not getting a shot. Fortunately, 66301 and 6M90 picked up some time by missing out a booked wait at Oxford North Junction and good regulation meant that it was routed in front of a Chiltern Trains service from Fenny Compton. This put it back on time and it is here seen passing Hatton North Junction at a surprisingly good speed considering the 2000+ tonnes on the drawbar, a couple of minutes early in the very last dregs of light. Just like the morning shot at Banbury I was reduced to using ISO 200 - the other settings being a shutter speed of 1/500 and an aperture of F2 on a 50mm prime lens.
	I very rarely spend much time taking photographs on railway stations but on Friday 10 October 2008 I had a couple of hours at Leamington Spa. There are some very decent shots of southbound trains to be had at the north end of the down platform and my first shot was of 66093 hauling 4O04, 09.35 Washwood Heath to Eastleigh Yard intermodal. There is a short but steep gradient into the station from the Warwick direction, locally known as "the dip", and even when a heavy train is given a clear road some effort is needed to bring it into the up through line.
	The sun made what seemed to be its first appearance for several weeks on the morning of Friday 19 September 2008 so I decided to have an hour by the lineside at Hatton. The undergrowth at the south end of the cutting has made photography virtually impossible with just a small gap in the vegetation at one small spot. This gap is fine though for a carefully composed picture utilising the hedge and fence and gives a reasonable view of the train, as shown here by 66192 heading north with 4M33, the 08.10 Southampton to Burton on Trent intermodal, running just about spot on time. This working was climbing at Hatton Bank at what seemed to be the normal speed but just a few minutes later the following Arriva Cross Country Voyager was severely checked at the new signal a few yards to the north. I wonder if 4M33 had a problem towards the top of the bank or maybe there was a fault with the signalling - an event that seems all too common along here.
	The target for the afternoon on 27 September 2008 was this, 66305 with 6M80, the 11.30 Avonmouth to Ratcliffe loaded coal train operated by Fastline Freight. The first train had run the previous week in a later path but with an earlier departure booked this time, the chances of a well lit shot were much greater. The train managed to leave Avonmouth around 2 hours late but the weather was such that there seemed little prospect of anything getting in the way of a sunny shot. 66305 is here seen at Hatton North Junction having just been released from Hatton Down Goods Loops and consequently travelling very slowly with over 2000 tonnes in tow. There were also reports of a light engine move involving 37401 & 37417 running from Didcot to Bescot to peform on an engineering train on the Central Wales line. It had been said that the 37s were taken to Didcot for onward movement to Eastleigh for withdrawal, but someone somewhere seems to changed their mind. I'm no great fan of light engine photography but it seemed rude to not hang on for a few minutes given the perfect light...
	During the summer months when the sun is relatively high by 09.00 I like to go to this location just south of Leamington Spa for an hour or two. On 23 June 2009 the first train to come along was 4O14, the 05.40 Garston to Millbrook freightliner hauled by 66574. The shot is becoming more difficult here each year both through unchecked lineside bushes and a row of very tall Leylandii evergreens outside the boundary fence. By the time 4O14 appeared at about 09.05 the worst of the shadows were pretty much off the tracks with just a small amount on the locomotive's bogies. One of the attractions of the picture here used to be the clear view of Leamington Spa and the tower and spire All Saints church but even that has now all but disappeared. It's a shame because this was, in my opinion at at least, a much more interesting that the only nearby alternative a short distance further south at Whitnash, little more than a cutting surrounded by trees which could be anywhere in the country.
	The line between Abbotswood Junction and Worcester sees a few freight workings, most of which are steel trains to and from Round Oak which is situated on the remaining stub of the line from Stourbridge Junction to Bescot. On Thursday 4 June 2009, 66009 was in charge of a very long 6V07, the 13.21 empties to Margam and is here pictured near Norton Junction running at least 45 minutes early. The tall tree on the left of the tracks casts a shadow even when the sun is at its highest but with a slightly wide angle lens the effect can be mitigated to some extent.
	One of the steel trains that has picked up recently after being an infrequent runner for some time is 6M94 Corby to Margam and its return working 6V92. The latter is here seen with 66046 in charge as it runs up the gradient from Ashchurch to Tredington on 2 June 2009. This is a location that I tend not to visit too often as it is difficult to vary one's shots and thus avoid having too many looking pretty much identical, but it is on a quiet bridge with little passing traffic, unlike the road bridge in the background. It is also a much pleasanter place to stand than the footbridge a bit further north at Northend, often populated by less than desirable characters and liberally annointed with the unpleasant results of irresponsible dog owners not clearing up after their pets.
	Round Oak steel terminal in the West Midlands is another that saw a downturn in traffic from Margam when the current economic problems manifested themselves in 2008. It has recently, however, seen a real increase in traffic, with 3 daily workings being the norm. Here is 6V07, the 13.21 empties from Round Oak running south from Ashchurch towards Cheltenham behind the highest numbered DBS class 66, 66250. This wider view shows that there is a good crop of buttercups in the adjacent meadow, not such a common sight in these days of intensive agriculture.
	As I mentioned above, steel traffic to Round Oak terminal is currently quite buoyant and the third northbound train of 2 June 2009 is here seen behind 66034 as it drops down the bank towards Ashchurch from Cheltenham. This working is 6M41, the 11.55 Margam to Round Oak conveying steel in covered wagons. The change in gradient can be clearly seen in the background as the line passes over a level crossing and under the occupation bridge at Fiddington and at this point my gradient profile maps tell me that the actual gradient is 1/297. The use of a long lens has accentuated the slope and has also brought the escarpment of Cotswold Hills into clear view.
	My final shot on 2 June 2009 from a bridge just south of Ashchurch was of 66027 climbing towards Cheltenham with 6V36, the 08.17 Lackenby to Margam train of steel slabs. This has only recently started running again after a long period of inactivity and is, along with the returning empties, a welcome addition to the traffic on this line. Ashchurch station is visible under the road bridge in the background and this is served by regular buses going to the nearby town of Tewkesbury, one of my wife's and my favourite locations for a day out without having to drive too far. Also visible is the tower of St Nicholas' church which is siituated just a few yards to the east of Ashchurch station.
	The weather during the last few days of May 2009 was warm, sunny and, around Stratford-upon-Avon at least, with little cloud in the sky. Despite the favourable conditions I didn't go near a railway until the afternoon of Monday 1 June when I felt almost guilty that I wasn't taking advantage of the perfect afternoon light. There was nothing out of the ordinary around that took my fancy so I just went to Hatton North Junction with the intention of taking a few shots of any freight that turned up, The first along was 4M66, the 11.15 Southampton to Birch Coppice intermodal headed by 66153 but the front of the train was devoid of containers so I let it pass without a picture. Next was 66622 hauling the 11.56 Westbury Virtual Quarry to Stud Farm empty ballast boxes, 6U72. The locomotive was looking a bit scruffy, no doubt the result of running around with aggregate trains in the poor weather of the previous week or two. Running a few minutes in front of 66622 was Switch and Crossings Tamper DR 73906 which was making more noise than a lot of locomotive hauled trains as it rounded the curve after leaving the goods loop just south of Hatton station.
	My final shot from Hatton North Junction on 1 June 2009 was of 6E55, the 13.35 Theale to Lindsey empty oil tanks. This came around the curve from Hatton station right on time at 16.12 having been routed via the goods loop to allow an Arriva Voyager to pass. The locomotive was 66130 which was accelerating the tanks at quite an impressive rate considering that most of the train was still on the last section of the 1/110 gradient forming Hatton Bank. My tally of 66s on this service is gradually increasing now that they seem to have taken over, temporarily at least, from class 60. This trend may well be reversed when the economic downturn has relaxed its grip a little and locomotives are gradually released from store.
	Most of the freight on the GWR line through Banbury is container traffic and typical of the trains seen is 4O14, the 01.15 Ditton to Southampton Freightliner service. On 23 May 66587 was in charge and is here seen approaching Banbury on the up main line. As can be seen, there are both up and down loops here and it is not uncommon for freights to be routed along these lines to allow one of the frequent passenger trains to overtake. I picked this location because it is possible to vary one's shots with the use of different lenses and this one was taken with a 200mm to bring the background, including the bridge carrying the M40 and the connection to the main line from the stone terminal, into view. Not all container traffic along here is operated by Freightliner and a little while earlier, 66043 with 4O53 from Trafford Park to Eastleigh yard had gone south.
	Just fifteen minutes behind 4O14 another 'liner appeared, this one being 4O27, the 05.29 Garston to Southampton hauled by 66955. Part of the stone terminal is visible in this photograph, this being served on Thursdays by a DBS train from Mountsorrel in Leicestershire. The terminal was opened when the M40 extension was under construction and saw at least daily trains of aggregates from the Mendips hauled by examples of classes 37, 56 and occasionally 59. The current operation uses the highly efficient self-discharge train which leaves the terminal for the north in the mid-morning and runs via Hatton, Washwood Heath and Whitacre Junction.
	The management of Hatton Estates, who own the land on the south side of the railway line, have recently created a permissive footpath along the side of the railway line between the footbridge at the south end of Hatton cutting and the three arch road bridge on the Norton Lindsey road. This has been in common usage for years but until now the Estate management have had, on occasions, a very unpleasant attitude to those using it either for walking or railway photography. I have had a fairly acrimonious encounter with them but now that access is allowed felt happier in walking along the headland of the field and thus putting myself in full view so on Monday 11 May 2009 went there with a view to taking a few shots of whatever came along. The first freight was 6U72, the 11.56 Westbury to Stud Farm empty ballast boxes hauled by 66602. The undergrowth and hedges, planted some years ago as part of Hatton Estates strategy to attract wildlife and provide cover for pheasants, is making the shot here very difficult. I don't think that photography here, one of the "traditional" locations for decades, will be possible for much longer.
	Freight trains can be pretty thin on the ground on the GWR line between Leamington Spa and Birmingham. This train, 6E55, the 13.35 (MWFO) Theale to Lindsay emptry oil tanks, appeared exactly one hour after the previous freight as shown. Until recently this was a virtually solid class 60 turn but with so many of the class now in store has gone over to class 66 haulage, in this case 66207. I have dozens of pictures of 6E55 with a 60 at the front but very few with a 66 so I suppose it's time to redress the balance. The afternoon of 9 May 2009 was beautifully sunny which is what I needed for this type of shot although there was a very strong wind howling up the hill which made holding the camera steady a bit of a problem. There is no doubting the time of year looking at the abundance of Hawthorn, also know known as May blossom, all over the background.
	Having been away on holiday for the thick end of three weeks, it's been a while since I have done any railway photography but with the prospect of a bright afternoon on Thursday 7 May 2009 I made the slight effort to have a look around Hatton North. I was just walking over the high bridge at Shrewley when 66087 appeared in the distance with an early running 4O21, the 11.10 Burton-upon-Trent to Southampton intermodal. My rucsac with the camera in was still on may back and I was fortunate to obtain a grabbed shot just as the sun was coming out of a cloud. I can never decide whether or not I like the shot from here; I sometimes feel that the bridge is perhaps a little too high and that there isn't enough angle but it isn't a picture that appears very often so I think it is worth including.
	I was keen to get a photograph of this train; one that has started to run only recently. It is 6U72, the 11.56 Westbury Virtual Quarry to Stud Farm empty ballast boxes utilising the large new Network Rail boxes. On 7 May 2009 the train was headed by 66602 and is here seen passing Hatton North Junction. This working replaces 6M01, the now-defunct Hinksey VQ to Stud Farm, although it runs in pretty much the same path to the north of Oxford. I had really wanted to take this shot from a much wider angle in order to better show the wagons, but the turf farmers on whose land runs the public footpath have placed a huge metal-caged plastic cube of weedkiller or similar in exactly the wrong spot! C'est la vie...
	One of the better loaded freightliners on the Birmingham to Southampton line is 4O05, the 12.00 Birch Coppice to Southampton service. On 26 March 2009 66591 was provided and is here seen rounding the curve at Hatton Station Junction. The sun appeared out of some thick clouds a couple of minutes before the train appeared, for which I was grateful but was disappointed that the same was not the case when 66097 with 6V94, the 10.27 Mountsorrel to Westbury ballast train. The last few times I have been out on this line during the afternoon this train hasn't run and I should like to have scored a sunny photograph in case it either ceases to run or is diverted to another destination.
	Most of the freight on the GWR line form Birminhgam to Leamington Spa is container traffic to and from the deep water terminals at Southampton. Both Freightliner and DBS operate services along here and it one of the former company's trains, 4O05, the 12.00 Birch Coppice to Southampton, that is here seen approaching Bentley Heath on 19 March 2009. Despite the downturn in traffic often seen reflected in poorly loaded intermodals, this one is well loaded with only a few empty flats being in evidence.
	The afternoon of 17 March 2009 promised some warm sun so I decided to head over to the Cheltenham to Birmingham line for a few photographs. My first port of call was the site of Defford station and not long after my arrival along came 6V92, the Corby to Margam empty steel train headed by 66030. Until recently, this was mostly a class 60 turn but is now pretty much a solid class 66 working. No doubt this accounts for the total lack of emailed sightings about the train and its early running. This locatiion is a couple of miles of the popular spot at Croome Perry Wood but sees far fewer enthusiasts despite, to my eyes at least, the more open and interesting backdrop. I shouldn't complain...
	Fastline have been running coal trains from Portbury and Avonmouth terminals and this has given the opportunity to photograph a class 66 in something than the usual EWS livery. On 17 March 2009 66304 was in charge of 4V09, the Chaddesden to Portbury working and it is here seen crossing the Warwickshire Avon at Eckington. This is a location that I like to visit now and again, but the variety of possible shots is limited so I tend not to use the spot too often. It is, however, a pleasant place alongside the river and is blissfully free of traffic noise, apart from the occasional light aircraft from Defford airstrip and a few narrow boats and cruisers on the water.
	Another steel train to have recently gone largely to class 66 haulage from class 60 is 6V07, the afternoon Round Oak to Margam empties. This is 66166 crossing the River Avon at Eckington, near Defford on 17 March 2009. Despite the forecast of clear skies, there was quite a milky appearence to the sky with some large blobs of cumulus cloud floating around. Perhaps the weather forecasters view of "clear skies and warm sun" is different from those of us who prefer a literal interpretation of those words.
	While driving to Badgeworth on 16 March 2009 I noticed that a class 66 with a short train was in the exchange sidings just south of Ashchurch station. When stock is taken into Ashchurch MOD it sometimes happens that the return to Didcot is no more than a light engine move. Luckily, there was traffic on this occasion and here is 66019 with a lovely train of OCA and VGA wagons forming 6A32 passing Badgeworth. There is far more to railways than the locomotive at the front and I really like to see a short mixed freight as shown here; sadly, these are all too infrequent these days and MOD trips are the best bet to see them. Just disappearing under the bridge in the background is 6E41, the Westerleigh to Lindsey empty oil tank train , headed by 60068.
	One of the class 86 locomotives taken to Long Marston some time ago has been refurbished and modified for use on the Hungarian rail network. The former 86248 was taken from Long Marston to Crewe for live testing on 3 February 2009 as 0Z90 with haulage provided by 66725. The colourful ensemble is here seen leaving the site about 30 minutes early at 12.44 in a luck patch of bright sun, but sadly, not in the snow that I hoped would still be lying around in some quantity following heavy falls during the previous day. Use the following hyperlink for a closer look at the class 86 as it was taken on the branch to Honeybourne.
	I really hadn't intended to go to Lower Moor for a second shot of 66725 with 86248 on their way to Crewe but the train was running early and the location I had in mind involved invloved a walk of around 3/4 mile. The last thing I wanted to see was the train passing by before I was in place so went for the more secure option. As it happened, 0Z90 left Evesham just 4 minutes early and I would have had plenty of time for the walk, but I don't think that the extraordinarily lucky spotlight of sun would have happened a couple of miles to the east.
	There was a heavy fall of snow across Warwickshire during the early morning of 5 February 2009. I quite fancied the idea of a few shots of some freight in a snowy landscape so decided to make the short journey to Hatton North Junction; the side roads were in a dreadful state and I had to drive as if there was an egg between my right foot and the accelerator pedal of my car! I arrived without mishap and quite enjoyed the walk to the Junction as the snow was pristine and crunchy underfoot. The first freight to appear was 6M18, the 05.00 Portbury to Ratcliffe Power Station service, hauled by 66302, and running just about 60 minutes late. There was little traffic on the nearby M40 and the train was audible on the climb of Hatton Bank for at least a couple of minutes before it arrived.
	One cannot stand at Hatton North Junction for too long without seeing a Freightliner and 5 February 2009 was no exception. Here is 4M55, the 08.55 Southampton to Lawley Street service headed by 66576. This is due at Leamington Spa at 11.55 and passed me at 12.09 so was running within a minute or two of its booked time, quite impressive given the weather conditions. It seems a long time since anything other than a class 66 was seen on these container trains, but going back through my older photographs I can lay claim to have taken shots of classes 33, 37, 45, 47, 56, 57, 58, 60 and 66 on liners in this area. Most of those won't be possible in the future...
	Two of GBRf's class 66/7s were booked to take a train of ECS from Old Oak Common to Crewe during the morning of 27 June 2007. Even considering the dull weather, this had to be worth a short trip to photograph and I decided on Whitnash, just to the south of Leamington Spa, as a suitable location. The train was running slightly early and it is here seen braking for the run down to Leamington Spa station with 66726 leading and 66723 almost out of sight on the back on the formation.
	The dreadful weather of the weekend on 21 July 2007 resulted in large tracts of Gloucestershire being inundated with flood water. One of the worst consequences of this for the residents of Tewkesbury, near Ashchurch, was the failure of their water supply due to a plant treating drinking water being flooded. Tesco and EWS made rapid arrangements to help out by ferrying large quantities of bottled from Mossend to the MOD depot, via Bescot. This picture shows 66207 arriving at Ashchurch with 6Z12, the 07.30 from Bescot. The water, carried on pallets in the ferrywagons, will be offloaded by fork-lift truck and then taken by road the short distance into Tewkesbury. The train will run beyond the exchange sidings to the south of the roadbridge upon which I was standing, reverse into the sidings and then propel its train along the branch, formerly the line to Evesham and Redditch, visible on the right of the picture.
	Here is 66207 after the procedure I outlined above has taken place. The branch has 2 footpaths crossing it and a shunter walked alongside the track in front of the first wagon to ensure that no pedestrians were in danger, the man being in radio contact with the driver at all times. This train seems to have required some fairly complex manning arrangements in that a Didcot driver appears to have come here by road to relieve the Bescot man, who would not sign the branch, the latter returning to the West Midlands by road. Another crew came, presumably from Worcester, to unlock the ground frame allowing access to the the exchange sidings. All this would have to happen again, but in reverse when the train leaves Ashchurch for Bescot in the late afternoon when it runs to Gloucester to run round, there being no egress to the north for trains leaving the exchange sidings.
	The sun had shone pretty much all morning up to the point when 66207 with 6Z12 appeared in the distance and went into the down loop at Ashchurch. A Voyager, a 170 and a 158 passed in sun but clouds built up just as the train of bottled water was given the road out of the loop onto the main line. The only glimmer of sun came as it reversed around the curve on the line towards the MOD facility. Here is 6Z12 about to disappear into the undergrowth surrounding the short branch.
	The Didcot to Ashchurch MOD trains have been running recently and with one booked to run on Tuesday 31 July 2007 I decided to go and photograph it. 6B36 has to run north past Ashchurch in order to run-round at Worcester as there is no access to the exchange sidings and branch from the south. Here is 66133 approaching the road bridge adjacent to Ashchurch station spot on time at 09.30 with its short train comprising of Warflats with vehicles for repair or maintenance. The exchange sidings are clearly visible on the left, although only the centre road in currently in use.
	Whilst waiting for 6B36 to return to Ashchurch from Worcester I also photographed 66159 on a long rake of IZAs conveying bottled water from Mossend to Avonmouth. The train, 6Z12, ran from Bescot as part of an initiative between EWS and Tesco to aid the victims of the recent flooding in Gloucestershire who have had no fresh tap water for some 10 days. The water is brought back north by road and distributed as necessary. Two trains of water went into Ashchurch MOD but it was announced on 30 July that the Army's involvement in this part of the operation was to cease from the following day.
	66163 was not far behind 66159 on 6Z12 and here is 6B36 running slowly through Ashchurch station prior to entering the exchange sidings and heading to the MOD facility, along the short branch visible on the right. The water tower appearing over the light green footbridge is a survivor from steam days when Ashchurch station was the interchange point for traffic from the Evesham and Redditch branch and that which ran to Upton on Severn. There were then 4 platforms and all the associated infrastructure. The present station is a fairly new re-opening at which one train each way per hour calls throughout the day with additional services during the peak hours.
	Once 66133 and 6B36 had left the main line and was locked in, it soon propelled the light load of road vehicles onto the branch. Here it is about to curve round through the undergrowth preceded by a man on foot to protect the 2 foot crossings. Click on this hyperlink to have a closer look at a couple of the vehicles in the train's consist. There was no return traffic and 66133 returned light engine to Didcot.
	I gleaned from various locomotive lists on 18 September 2007 that a class 66 was rostered for 6E55, the Theale to Lindsey empty oil tanks. Having photographed several 60s on this working reccently I thought it would be good to get something different and as Hatton is on the way from Lea Marston, decided to go to a spot at the entrance to the cutting on Hatton Bank. Here is 66003 with a good rake of tanks, some of the newer ones being just visible in the background, pretty much spot on time at 16.09. This area has seen some rampant proliferation in undergrowth in recent times and it is becoming difficult to find a clear patch for a long train, in the summer months, at least.
	Another set of six FLHH hoppers for in-warranty rectification work were taken from Hunslet, near Leeds to Long Marston on 6 May 2008. This time the locomotive was 66723 and 4Z73 is seen about to pass over the boarded foot crossing at Lower Moor, near Pershore. Despite the clear sky behind the train, quite a lot of cloud had built up near the sun and a large piece obscured the sun only a few seconds after the train had passed me. The secondman in the cab of 66723 seems to be amused by something - my large floppy hat maybe?!
	Most of the freight traffic on the Birmingham to Reading line is of the intermodal variety with both EWS and Freightliner sharing the traffic. 66593 is here seen at Whitnash representing the latter with the company's 4O54, the 06.13 Leeds to Southampton on the stiff climb out of Leamington Spa towards Harbury tunnel. Class 66s don't seem to have too much a problem even with trains loaded to in excess of 1300 tonnes and with a less than full load, 66593 was making very light work of the job on 7 May 2008.
	Thursday 8 May 2008 was a bright and sunny day and I decided to go to the bridge on the Norton Lindsay road at Hatton to photograph the northbound WSMR train due at about 10.45. First to come though was a convoy of locomotives running from Kidderminster to Furzebrook for a gala at the Swanage Railway. I must say that I have no interest in preserved lines, especially when something like a class 50 is for some reason painted into a two-tone green colour scheme whch the class never carried, but even so, this was too colourful a trainset to ignore as it rolled down Hatton Bank. The locomotives are 66724, D444, 37906, 37275 and 20096.
	I saw a message on the morning of 20 May 2008 saying that 66709 was working a 4Z87 Hunslet to Long Marston and after a quick check, realised that I didn't have a decent shot of this locomotive taken on digital equipment. I didn't want to travel too far as my day-to-day car was having the climate control re-gassed so would have to go in my 1969 Morris Minor - not a problem as it's as least as reliable as any more modern car, but the seats aren't all that comfortable for long journeys! With that in mind I went to Evesham, just for a change, and arrived to see an a FGW Adelante, 180104, sitting in the down platform. An HST soon arrived heading east so I knew that 4Z87 wasn't going to be too far away. The sky was uniformly cloudy with just a few small breaks but my luck at this location held yet again and the sun came through as 66709 appeared on the curve behind the signal box. I think this is 66709's first visit to the Cotswold Line and to Long Marston but there was no way I was going to beat the train to the latter in Albert the Morris so headed home.
	One of the few regular freights through Hatton not formed of intermodal or freightliner stock is 6E55, the Theale to Lindsey Oil Refinery empty tanks. On 21 May 66168 was diagrammed for the train which is here seen passing Hatton North Junction. A class 60 is usually on the front of this working, in which case there are normally plenty of reports of its whereabouts. The average enthusiast appears to be so locomotive orientated that when a much rarer traction for the train, a 66, is diagrammed their almost infantile attitude that "I'm not photographing that, it's only a shed" means that those of us with an interest that goes beyond the machine at front have no idea if, or when, the train is coming.
	There were a couple of train running on the GWR route from Birmingham to Leamington Spa in which I was interested on Saturday May 24 2008. The first to appear was 4m21, the Felixstowe to Hams Hall intermodal headed by GBRf's 66723. This had been looped in Hatton Down Goods Loop to allow a Chiltern Turbo to pass and is here seen exiting the loop and passing through the main line platform. There is really nowhere along this line to photograph this train with the sun in a decent position so I settled for this shot which at least has plenty of detail to enable it to be identified rather than something taken in an anonymous piece of countryside.
	A Open Day was held at Long Marston on Saturday 7 June 2008 and for the first time in recent years, a railtour from Euston was organised to take passengers directly into the site. I didn't go to the Open Day as I don't have much interest in photographing endless lines of static stock, especially when I have photographed pretty much all of them in much more interesting circumstances when en-route to the site. I also have little interest in railtours but didn't want to miss the chance to record the first passenger train on the branch from Honeybourne since 15 October 2000, so here is a filthy 66182 topping 1Z58 as it slowly approaches the end of its journey. The light here is not favourable at this time of day, especially when the sun is shining on some parts of the scene and not others. Still, I was happy to get a record shot...
	The train from Euston to the Long Marston Open Day was tailed by 66081, seen here as 1Z58 cautiously crawls along No 1 road watched by a bevy of photographers and staff ensuring nothing amiss happens to the train on the ancient trackwork.
	Long Marston has seen some odd-looking trains in recent years but this must take the biscuit for the oddest. 666722+66724 arrived from Leeds with a single FLHH hopper on Friday 13 June 2008 but the return working, 4Z89 to Crewe was the real focus of interest. 87002 Royal Sovereign was due to be taken out prior to a loaded test run next week but I wasn't really expecting to see such a mixed train being formed up in the exchange sidings. Here is 66722 with 87002, a Cargo-D Mk3, and 3 FLHH hoppers tailed by 67724 leaving the site at about 16.00, nearly 2 hours late following a delayed arrival. Following a period of fine weather it was perhaps inevitable that this interesting move was made in appallingly bad light under leaden skies and with a fine drizzle falling.
	I didn't hang about once 4Z89 was on the move and arrived at Honeybourne with just a few seconds to set up my long lens and fix the camera onto a monopod. There was only a short delay before the crew member seen here made his way towards the ground frame to obtain permission to set the points so that his train could join the main line. The light was worse here than at Long Marston and a real contrast to the beautifully sunny conditions I enjoyed here earlier in the week.
	There was obviously no passenger train due in either direction as the road was soon set for 66722 and its ensemble to leave Honeybourne East Loop and join the Cotswold Line to head for Evesham, Worcester and Crewe. Here is 4Z89 with 87002 clearly visible through the murky weather standing in the platform at Honeybourne, the fresh paint reflecting the vegetation on the currently disused island platform. Later in the journey, 66722 was sent from Worcester Yard to rescue 60093 which had failed on 6V07, the Round Oak to Margam empty steel train. The Metronet locomotive dragged 6V07 to Worcester Yard before rejoinng its own train and heading north to Crewe.
	The new GBRf initiative, a sort of modern pick-up goods serving Long Marston runs every Tuesday and Friday and is currently conveying FLHH hoppers receiving new bogies. I have covered some of the runs and knowing that only a single hopper was forming 4Z87 from Hunslet on 10 June 2008 wasn't going to bother until I remembered that a GBRf locomotive, 66722 had been left at Long Marston over the weekend in order to make an appearance at the Open Day. With the prospect of a double-header in mind I had a trip over to find the Metronet livieried locomotive at the head of 4 hoppers in the exchange sidings, to which was added a further four a few minutes after my arrival. The train locomotive for 4Z87 was 66724 which is here pictured after a slightly early arrival waiting for the gate to be opened.
	It wasn't long before 66724 ran into No.2 road and the single hopper shunted off by the resident class 08. This allowed 4Z89 to be formed and after a long period of checking brake connections and couplings the train moved gingerly towards the exit road, where it sat for some time. So long in fact that as the sun was becoming too straight for a decent shot and with about 45 minutes until the booked departure time I decided to leave Long Marston and make the short journey to Honeybourne.
	I expected to have quite a wait on the side of the roadbridge at Honeybourne before 4Z89 came into view, but it was only about 10 minutes before I heard a horn on the branch and 66724 appeared. Somewhat unusually, the train stopped on the curve in the distance with only the leading locomotive visible but after a few minutes normality reasserted itself and it ran towards the ground frame. The countryside has lost its fresh green appearance and nearly all the Spring blossom has disappeared, with the exception of the Elderberry bushes.
	There was about 30 minutes before the booked departure time and with no sign of movement from the cab of 66724 it looked as if 4Z89 would wait for the booked time. I spent a few minutes taking a few shots from different angles as this was the first time double-headed 66s in different liveries had appeared here. With plenty of time in hand I then decided to make a move to the other side of Evesham to take full advantage of the sunshine.
	The nearest decent location without a long walk, for which I might not have had time, is Lower Moor and I arrived there to find a small gallery in situ. I hadn't really thought that the train could have gone but a bit of reassurance is always nice! It was around 15 minutes before a horn announced that 4Z89 was coming and here it is running at a good speed through the attractive countryside between Evesham and Pershore on the way back to Leeds.
	A regular afternoon working to be seen at Hatton North Junction is 4M36, the 13.10 Southampton to Birch Coppice intermodal. This was hauled by 66067 on 23 June 2008 and was, as usual, not fully loaded. I don't mind a couple of empty flats at the front of the train as long as there are plenty of containers further back in the consist to balance the composition. 4M36 had been held in Hatton Loop and the exhaust resulting from getting the train back on the move can be seen above the locomotive.
	Tuesday 17 June 2008 started off dry, warm and sunny and I quite fancied another crack at getting a decent photograph of 66709 during its second run on the Cotswold Line, while on its way to Long Marston with the 10 HXA hoppers forming 4Z87 from Leeds (Hunslet). I used the opportunity to give my 1969 Morris Minor an outing and decided that a run around the Worcestershire countryside wouold be just the job. I arrived at Lower Moor just a couple of minutes before an up HST went past at 11.54 so guessed that it would only be a matter of some 20 minutes before 66709 put in an appearance. Sure enough, after about 18 minutes I heard a two-tone horn and then the train appeared around the curve behind the houses. It was good to get a proper length train again as the very short consists that turn up on occasions on these runs aren't nearly so photogenic.
	It's been quite a while since I saw an infrastructure train during the week on the Birmingham to Gloucester line so when a friend told me that 66183 was on its way with a 6W83 Filton to Crewe Basford Hall working I was quite pleased. I always wanted a photograph of a northbound train at Defford to show the differently coloured salad crops in the field to the left. My wife assures me that the red crop is Lollo Rosso a popular and it must be said trendy, addition to the plates of the nation. The crop on the right is asparagus, that most noble vegetable of the Spring now sadly out of season for another year.
	The remaining 22 JPA cement wagons were scheduled for removal from Long Marston on Wednesday 23 July 2008. The details, timings and locomotive were identical to the move on the previous day, even to the early running of the light locomotive! The main differences on the day were that the JPAs were placed in road No.2 of the exchange sidings and that the sun shone - both better for photography. Here is 66718 in the sidings while brake tests are carried out, the train standing in sun but with a rather misty background evident.
	The brake and other checks went smoothly and 66718 with 6Z91 to Earles Sidings pulled out of the exchange sidings at Long Marston some 45 minutes early in a nice patch of sun; despite the favourable forecast there was actually quite a lot of cloud in the area. The locomotive is named "Gwyneth Dunwoody", the late Member of Parliament for Crewe and Nantwich, whose death earlier this year forced a bi-election the result of which was a loss of a formerly safe Labour seat to the Conservative candidate.
	Once 6Z91 had cleared the sidings I made my usual move down to Honeybourne Junction and arrived just as a down HST was leaving for Worcester. 66718 came into view on the East Loop a couple of minutes later, but with an up passenger due as soon as the previous one had reached Evesham, it wasn't going to move for at least 20 minutes. The uniform rake of tanks look smart behind the clean locomotive but it's a pity the very high sun at this of year is not conducive to good photography. There really is little point in taking pictures in July and August between the hours of about 10.00 and 15.00, but if the target train runs in that window, what can one do? The up HST soon came and went and as soon as it had reached Moreton-in Marsh the road was set for 6Z91 to leave the East Loop and cross over the spur and join the Cotswold Line towards Evesham, Worcester and then on to Earles Sidings via Birmingham and Derby.
	Some of the JPA cement wagons that went for storage on 19 March 2008 were removed and taken to Earles Sidings on Tuesday 22 July 2008. 66718 was the GBRf locomotive allocated to the job and it was reported as arriving from Hams Hall at Evesham at around 09.30, some 65 minutes early. I went to Long Marston to find the resident Hunslet 0-4-0 bringing the wagons into road no.1 of the exchange sidings ready for the 66 to be attached. There was clearly no path southwards onto the single track of the Cotswold Line as 66718 didn't reach its destination until 10.53. It was soon put onto the JPAs in the siding and the usual checks took place.
	Before too long, and slightly ahead of the booked departure time, 66718 drew 6Z91 cautiously out of Long Marston's exchange sidings and onto the branch to Honeybourne. It was apparent that the wagons have weathered since their arrival; hardly surprising considering the largely inclement conditions we have so far enjoyed this summer. One of the wagons had been detached from the back of the consist and I wonder if there had been a problem with the brake valve as there had been a lot of activity around the back of the train, accompanied by much hissing as brakes were blown off.
	After a fairly cloudy morning, the afternoon of Monday 21 July 2008 turned a lot clearer so I had a trip to Hatton North Junction to photograph anything that came along. First was 66603 on 6M01, the Hinksey Yard to Stud Farm empty ballast wagons. This was the first time I can recall having seen a 66/6 on this train and the mix of wagons was also unusual with the small yellow boxes in front of the much larger hoppers. Summer has clearly arrived, shown by the profusion on wild flowers in this location, including a large patch of Ox Eye daisies (Leucanthenum vulgare) covering a lot of the public footpath. There were also hoardes of ants, so much so that I had to tuck my trousers into my socks to avoid a repeat of an occasion last year when I received about 20 bites on my ankles!
	Trains conveying infrastructure materials are not especially common these days on the GWR line from Birmingham to Leamington Spa so when a friend telephoned to say that 66011 was working a 6X43 from Rotherham to Eastleigh Yard consisting of bogie bolsters loaded with continuously welded rail, I thought it worth a photograph. The time of the call was 10.10 on 18 July 2008 and the train was booked to pass Hatton at 10.30 so given a following wind and no milk tankers I felt there was just enough time. In the event, 6X43 was swallowed by the Birmingham black hole and ran some 45 minutes late as here seen passing Hatton South Junction. Just in front of it was 960014, the blue & grey "bubble" recently used to train Arriva Voyager drivers on the Chiltern Line ready for the summer diversions occasioned by the weekend engineering works on the West Coast Main Line.
	I spent a short time on Hatton station during the morning of 22 August 2008 with the intention of photographing a couple of freights from the platform to show the bright new colours being applied to the metalwork of the bridge and passenger shelters. The first train to appear was 4O54, the Leeds to Southampton freightliner which was chargong down the bank in the hands of 66576. The sun was obscured behind clouds for most of the time I was there but was in luck both for this train and for 66166 hauling 4O04, the Washwood Heath to Eastleigh intermodal which came a short time later.
	There was considerable disruption to trains along the Birmingham to Coventry corridor on Saturday 8 March 2008. Some reports suggested that a cable theft had taken place while another said that some trouble had been caused by a rail-grinder, but whatever the cause it was undeniable that problems were in evidence, exacerbated by the need to run all WCML services along the line because of engineering work on the Trent Valley. My main reason for going out was to try and get a photograph of 90021 on the empty stock of the up sleeper, 5M16, whose passengers had been detrained at Crewe and sent forward by bus. In the event, due to crewing problems this was dumped in Bescot Yard. However, various freights did run in daylight after being delayed and held at Bescot and these are always welcome on this line, which normally doesn't see much in the way of locomotive movements in the daytime. The first to come along was 66550 with a 6Y33 ballast, photographed passing near Wootton Green on the outskirts of Balsall Common.
	The next freight to appear at Wootton Green was 4M30, the 19.53 Grangemouth to Daventry intermodal running in the region of 8 hours late in the hands of 66407. The weather on 8 March 2008 wasn't particularly good, but I thought it worth the trip out to record a few of these normally unphotographable trains. It's a pity that no real variety in the shots is possible at this location which results in the pictures all looking remarkably similar!
	This freightliner train, hauled by 66570 is 4L90, the 08.43 Lawley Street to Felixstowe running only about 2 hours late, one of the more-on-time freights on 8 March 2008. The sun had only just been obscured when the train went by, but the dark sky sort of compensates for the lack of direct light. Thanks to Ron Kosys for this one's ID.
	I am confident that this train, hauled by 66406, is 4M62, the 22.22(Friday) Coatbridge to Daventry intermodal. This should have passed Rugby at 07.50 but didn't appear at Wootton Green until 12.33, thanks to the disruption around Stechford. Crewing must become something of a problem when trains are running so late, and I was told that some services had had to left at Bescot because of the drivers' allowable hours being exceeded.
	The number of trains conveying steel slab between the north-east of England and South Wales have greatly diminished in recent times, but one survivor is 6V36 which tends to run on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays, with the balancing working, 6E09, working the following day. Here is 66146 with the Lackenby to Margam train passing Lea Marston on 18 September with the loaded wagons. There were, as usual, no advance reports because a class 66 was on ther front.
	This is the view at Whitacre Junction looking towards Water Orton and Hams Hall Freight Terminal. The train is 6P20, the 08.05 Crewe Virtual Quarry to Mountsorrel headed by Freightliner's 66514, which will head towards Nuneaton at the junction rather than turn left and go towards Burton-upon-Trent and Derby. It's been a long time since the sign suggesting that the locomotive passing by is a class 25 could be considered accurate...
	This picture is in almost complete contrast to the one of 66514 shown above. This time it shows EWS' 66130 with a loaded ballast train from Mountsorrel en-route to Westbury. The train is coded 6V59 and will layover in Washwood Heath Yard for several hours before continuing on its journey to the south-west. I had to take the photograph rather earlier than I intended because a large chunk of cloud had begun to obscure the sun in the foreground and I wanted to keep the locomotive in at least partial sun.
	After spending a couple of hours at Lea Marston during the morning of 18 September 2007, I moved around the corner to Whitacre Junction once the flow of freight at the former had dried up. I had been there a few minutes when 66083 appeared from the Nuneaton Junction with 6E11, the 09.30 Rugby Up Yard to Immingham train of empty MBAs, the wagons having conveyed coal to the cement works. 6E11 was running some 80 minutes early on the booked times. This location isn't what it used to be; a proliferation of pallisade fencing and a large casting-shadow tree have conspired to make it less attractive as the years have passed.
	Adding to the green effect around Lea Marston is 66617 with its train of FLHH hoppers forming 4E42, the 09:30 Rugeley to Barrow Hill. This passed me at 10.50, making it just about 30 minutes early on the booked time. Compared to some 20 years ago, there is a distinct paucity of coal traffic over this line. The loss of regular trains to and from Didcot Power Station really cut down the amount of trains; in fact, this might just be a case where the correct use of the word "decimated", i.e.reduced by a factor of 10, is probably justifiable.
	The weather forecast for Tuesday 18 September 2007 promised a sunny morning with clear blue skies. I went over to Lea Marston for a session just to photograph anything that turned up, with no specific target in mind. The first train to turn up was 6E08, the 07.18 Wolverhampton to Doncaster train of empty covered steel vans. The motive power was 66063 and it is here seen about to the pass under the road watched by a small gallery taking advantage of the favourable light.
	Another steel train was next to turn up at Lea Marston, this one being the 6D37 Bescot to Burton-upon-Trent working with a different type of covered vans. The locomotive in charge of this train was 66030, the red livery contrasting nicely with the mostly green background.
	The final train I photographed at Hatton South Junction on 24 October 2007 was 4O54, the 06.13 Leeds to Southampton freightliner. This came around the curve in the region of 35 minutes late and nearly caught me off-guard as I was in the process of phonong a friend to find out where it was. It was been known to run early and I had wondered if it had passed before I arrived. I had to take a quick grab shot, but as so often happens it came out fine. The Autumnal colours are really beginning to show now, along with the accompanying intrusive shadows from the trees on the site of the goods yard in the triangular junction.
	From Hatton South Junction I made the 10 minute walk to North Junction. While passing the entrance to the station I noticed that a car parked on the approach road, recently adorned with double yellow lines, was being dragged onto a low loader as it blocking access for a lorry delivering materials for the weekend engineering work. That commuter would have had a shock later in the day! My main target for North Junction was 4O21, the 12.19 Washwood Heath to Southampton intermodal, but as I was halfway along the nettle festooned footpath, an EWS 66 went south with what I took to be this train running some 70 minutes early. I carried on as there were a few other shots to be had and was surprised but pleased when at 12.52 66193 appeared under the Shrewley Road bridge with another intermodal. It turned out that the train I had missed was a very late 4O53 04.30 Wakefield Europort to Southampton intermodal. There was a permanent way gang working on the points from the up main line to the Stratford branch and given the rusty state of the branch tracks, something had been wrong for a few days as there is a daily early morning movement from Birmingham to Stratford-upon-Avon over this line.
	A northbound Virgin Voyager went past me at 11.58 and then I heard a class 66 working hard as 66084 came around the curve from Hatton station with 4M33, the 08.10 Southampton to Burton on Trent intermodal. This train had obviously been looped just south of the station and was making an uncharacteristic amount of exhaust as it got the heavy trailing load on the move again.
	66194 was the next to appear with what I took to be a slightly early 4O21 Washwood Heath to Southampton intermodal. In fact though, I was later told that it was actually a very late 4O53 05.40 Wakefield Europort to Southampton which should have passed here not much after 08.00. There are several EWS container trains on this line at the moment and their 66s do make a change from the many Freightliner locomotives seen here. The Autumnal colours are really beginning to show now as are the longer shadows and quite a long lens is needed here to get beyond the worst of them.
	My final shot from Hatton North Junction on 29 September 2007 was of 66517 on 4M55, the 08.58 Southampton to Lawley Street freightliner running spot on time. This was exceptionally well loaded and came very slowly to the summit of Hatton Bank despite having had a clear run without being looped. The bright green grass in the right foreground has only recently been planted, the whole of this area being given over to the production of turf. As a regular visitor here I am amazed at the amount of work necessary to produce good quality turf with several specialist agricultural vehicles being in use.
	Engineering work between Rugby and Northampton caused some freight services to be diverted from the WCML to the line through Hatton on Saturday 3 November 2007. This train, 4O27 the 05.29 Garston to Southampton freightliner was not diverted, but with the perfect Autumn sun showing off the colours around Hatton South Junction there was no way I was not going to press the shutter release. A lot of cloud was coming from the north-west and the sun was obscured just a matter of seconds after the picture was taken, but the dark sky adds to the attraction of the scene.
	The first diverted freight that I saw at Hatton on 3 November 2007 was 4M21, the 03.05 Felixstowe to Hams Hall intermodal. This arrived in Hatton Down Goods Loop just before 10.00 and was booked to remain there until 11.50. However, as soon as a Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill train had cleared the section at 10.10, the points were switched and 66723 took its fully loaded train through the platforms and on towards Hams Hall. I'm fully aware that I was in the wrong place for a northbound train and that the light was simply dreadful, but I took the shot because the routing of this service when diverted is unpredictable, so I made the best of a bad job to get a picture of a "Barbie Shed" on my patch. The rear of the train is in the final few feet of the loop but the crossover leading to the down main line is hidden behind the station footbridge.
	This train is 4O69, the 09.19 Hams Hall to Dollands Moor intermodal, another which normally runs up the WCML. This was due to pass Hatton South Junction at 10.01 but was 67 minutes leaving Hams Hall, the lateness having extended to 90 minutes by the time it reached me on 3 November 2007. I have no idea from where the patch of sun appeared as the sky was a mass of cloud only seconds before the train headed by 66044 came around the corner from Hatton North Junction. The Autumn colours here are just about at their peak and the first windy day will see an end to them.
	It was unfortunate that arguably the most interesting of the post-Christmas class 325 drags took place in simply dreadful light. Metronet 66722 was rostered for 1F31, the Wembley to Warrington train on 3 January 2008 in place of the usual class 47. It was an absolutely freezing cold day with a strong wind so I certainly wasn't going to travel far and wanted somewhere with a least a modicum of shelter. As there was no sun I decided to have a shot from the north side of Berkswell station, just about the closest reasonable location to my home. The train was running a little under an hour late due to a problem with the units at Wembley and passed me at speed just before 10.55. The ground signal visible in front of the locomotive controls the entrance to a siding used occasionally for on-track plant during posessions. It once was the start (or end!) of the branch which ran to Kenilworth Junction. If reinstated, it would be a useful diversionary route for freight as it would completely avoid Coventry. There were proposals to re-lay it in the 1980s when a plan was launched for an opencast coal mine in the area, but sadly, nothing came of it.
	Here is 66151 going south away from Worcester after its run-round in the yard there with a short MOD train for the MOD depot at Ashchurch. These trains, from Didcot, have to go to Worcester on order to run-round as no access to the MOD sidings is available from the south. Even though the light was quite poor I have decided to include this shot in view of the train itself, a collection of water tanks, containers, a generator and a field ambulance.
	Here is a picture from Stoke Prior dated 29 March 2008 showing a freight diverted from the North & West route. Headed by a dirty 66213, 6M60, the 08.18 Tavistock Junction to Bescot train of loaded china clay hoppers was crawling along under yellow signals ready to enter the loop at Bromsgrove prior to being banked up the Lickey Incline by another class 66. Even in the few minutes since 55022 had passed by, the light had further deteriorated to the point where I wondered if a shot was worthwhile. Common sense prevailed though, so I at least I managed a "sort-of" shot but with the hope that there will be a sunny morning to improve on this photograph before the diversions end. If there isn't a better morning then at least I have a record of the diversion.
	I hadn't intended to go out for any photographs on Monday 31 March 2008, but the cancellation of a lunchtime concert in Birmingham Town Hall (although not known about until I reached the venue!) gave the opportunity to pop up to Hatton North. I originally thought that 6E48 with 60030 and 6E55 with 60012 were due to come, although it later transpired that the former was booked to run via the GWML and MM Lines, although no-one in the know bothered to post this useful piece of information. As I approached Hatton I saw a Freightliner class 66 in the Down Goods Loop and thought I might have a chance of getting to North Junction in time. It's a walk of about 12 minutes from the village of Shrewley, where I parked, to the photo-spot and as it happened I had plenty of time before 66530 appeared with 6M01, the Hinksey to Stud Farm empties. The locomotive was making a lot of smoke for a train of empty wagons, but this adds a little to the picture.
	Trains of stone have recently started running from Croft Quarry, in Leicestershire, to Brierley Hill. This seems to happen every now and again, the last contract being several years when stone from Mountsorrel was delivered for a few months. The train, 6Z42, the 1105 from Croft runs to Worcester Yard to allow the locomotive to run-round before returning north along the line from Droitwich to Stourbridge Junction where it turns left onto the line to Brierley Hill and Round Oak. 66148 is here seen crawling towards an adverse signal which will be cleared as the train approaches, a "feather" aspect being shown for the junction onto the single line to Droitwich.
	Just a few minutes behind 6Z42 was another special working, this time with a DRS class 66 on the front. This train was 6Z70, the 08.57 Heywood GF to Westerleigh RTS conveying a Stoneblower, DR 77002 which managed to come in the thickest piece of cloud in the area and just as a local farmer had lit a huge bonfire in an adjacent field. This accounts for the rather misty and dull appearance of the photograph...
	Whilst returning home with my wife from an afternoon stroll on Sunday 6 April 2008, I noticed a class 66 standing just outside Stratford-upon-Avon. Locomotives here are quite rare so I went home, picked up my camera and went back for a closer look. 66152 was standing on the rear of a train of redundant track panels. The crew had just arrived and were checking over the train prior to departure. Here is another view of 6P01 taken from a slightly different angle and as a snowstorm rapidly approached. The following saw the train, minus locomotive, standing in platform 2 of the station. I had hoped to see something coming from Bescot to pick up the wagons but nothing appeared in between the usual DMU traffic.
	One of the regular 6Z28 workings from Stapleford to West Ealing ran on Friday 4 April 2008. I have been meaning to go out and get a picture of this for a while and as the weather was reasonable at lunchtime, I took the opportunity to go over to Hatton. Unfortunately, things don't always run entirely smoothly and my shot of 66561 with the train isn't quite sharp. A Chiltern Trains' class 168 was just pulling north out of Hatton station as 6Z28 came slowly around the bend under adverse signals caused by a Stratford branch train having just gone south and I had to take the picture much earlier than I had planned. Due to a lack of concentration on my part, the focusing point was too far forward rendering the image a little "soft".
	It is sometimes good to go out with the intention of photographing some entirely routine trains as I did on 8 April 2008. I do tend to do this only if the light is spot on as I can't really see the point in obtaining a photograph of something that is is less satisfactory than a picture I have previously taken. Here is 66589 rounding the bend at Hatton some 25 minutes early in charge of 4O54, the 06.13 Leeds to Southampton freightliner. The sky was rapidly becoming cloudy by this time and without the likelihood of any further southbound activity I went home.
	This shot at Hatton station wouldn't have been possible until the recent resignalling work undertaken in the area. The train is the northbound West Ealing to Stapleford move of the High Output Ballast Cleaner which was looped in the Down Goods Loop to allow the passage of a down passenger train, and which was released through the Stratford-upon-Avon branch platform to rejoin the main line. Before the recent work, freights could not use this platform as trains had to fit between the signals in order for the track circuits to allow the setting of the road and signal aspects. In fact, this short train fitted quite nicely and probably would have previously been able to make the move, but standing orders prohibited it unless in an emergency. 66549 is here seen after being released from the loop and making its way north. Here it is again on the spur to the down main that has been very rarely used until recent weeks.
	This picture looks quite ordinary but in fact there are relatively few infrastructure trains of the GWR line from Birmingham to Didcot. This one is 6T94, the 08.54 Bescot to Didcot, running in the region of 90 minutes late, in the capable hands of a very grubby 66165 during the morning of 25 January 2008. The locomotive was working hard at this point despite running under clear signals; it was loaded to 31 full wagons with 12 empties tagged onto the back, so I guess there was a considerable weight to be pulled along. The light was rapidly deteriorating when the shot was taken but the sun just managed to poke out of a bank of cloud as 6T94 came around the bend towards me.
	I always like to obtain one or two pictures of 4M21, the 03.26 Felixstowe to Hams Hall intermodal during the winter, when it is frequently diverted via Oxford and Hatton. There aren't too many decent locations north of Leamington Spa but I do quite like this spot on Hatton Bank, even though the back of the train is lost in undergrowth, and the shot is also just about possible if the train uses the down goods loop in the foreground. I saw 66725 coming very slowly up the bank and thought for a moment that it was to go, as booked, into the loop. However, the slow speed was more a function of a very long and heavily loaded train, a strong headwind and finally, the 1/110 gradient from Warwick.
	Here is 66585 at Budbrooke on 6M01, the Hinksey to Stud Farm empty ballast train. This usually conveys 2 or 3 different wagon types and today was no exception with several varieties being visible in the consist. This location near Warwick is really only usuable during the winter and spring period as the undergrowth on the embankment tends to grow up and cover the train wheels during the summer months. Maybe Network Rail will clear it one day if falling leaves from the bushes cause problems in the Autumn...
	It was while standing on the footbridge at Hatton North Junction on 6 February 2008 that I message reminded me that there had been severe disruption around Derby after a power cable was accidentally severed by contractors. The train I had planned on photographing earlier, the Leeds to Southampton freightliner, had just reported at Landor Street in Birmingham and I reckoned should be with me in around 45 minutes time. Here is 66589 leading 4O54 through Hatton North Junction at 12.48 some 2 hours late. The shadows here are still problematical and the use of a long lens is necessary to avoid the worst of them.
	After waiting for an obviously late 4O54 at the roadbridge at Hatton Station, I decided to move down the line to North Junction. I knew that D1015 was running light engine from Tyseley to Reading and that 66027 was just in front of it with 4O53, a Wakefield to Southampton intermodal. In view of the perfect lighting I decided to go for a broadside shot of the 66 as its red livery would contrast nicely with the green background; hoping of course that there would be some containers immediately behind the locomotive!
	During the week of 10 February 2008, all trains had to be diverted away from the GWR line from Birmingham to Leamington Spa because of extensive engineering works. The majority of Freightliner's services ran from Nuneaton to Coventry, but 4O54, the morning Leeds to Southampton was booked to use the line from Stechford to Coventry, before turning right for Kenilworth and Leamington Spa. Here is 66501 with 4O54 passing Wootton Green at 10.59 on the sunny morning of 12 February. It was fortunate that the front couple of flats were loaded or the picture would have looked slightly less attractive, although the filthy state of the locomotive doesn't help. The early mist fuelled partially by pollution from the Birmingham conurbation has almost burned off although the remnants can be seen in the background.
	I went to Norton Junction, near Worcester, on 3 March 2008 with the intention of photographing 6V05, the morning Round Oak to Margam empty steel train. I had just arrived when the signal dropped and 66108 came around the curve under the M5 motorway with a short rake of flats from Didcot to Ashchurch MOD. This train has to run to Worcester so that the locomotive can run-round the stock, as Ashchurch's exchange sidings cannot be entered except from the north.
	There were several interesting and unusual movements on the Gloucester to Birmingham line during the morning of 4 March 2008. The forecast was for good sunny spells so I decided to go a bridge near Badgeworth, south of Cheltenham where the light would be spot-on for a northbound train. The first freight to appear was 6M96, the loaded steel coils from Margam to Corby in the capable hands of 66187. Here is the train on the approaches to Cheltenham under a virtually cloudless blue sky.
	I wasn't expecting to see a train of loaded HTAs at Badgeworth on 4 March 2008. This one, headed by 66199 is 6M38, the 05.00 Portbury to Radcliffe train running a good 3 hours late. A bit of cloud was by now building, and to my eyes, this makes an attractive addition to the sky as I feel that clouds, obviously in the right place, are a distinct advantage from a photographic point of view.
	After photographing a special working to Cheltenham Races on 13 March 2007 I decided to hang on at Norton Junction as the 6V05 Round Oak to Margam is generally not far away by 10.45. A pair of class 158s, 158760 + 158766, in   Trans-Pennine livery went south, then a Adelante came north from the Cotswold line and whilst this was negotiating the pointworks 66205 with 6V05 crept into view around the corner to stop at the bracket signal. As soon as the Adelante had gone beyond the outer starter the points were changed and 66205 moved off and is here seen approaching the junction and accompanying GWR signalbox.
	I had sort of hoped that 6V05, the 09.35 Round Oak to Margam empty steel service would be in the charge of a class 60 on 16 March 2007; not because I don't like 66s, but more that I had already photographed one of the class here on this train earlier in the week. It was not to be, as this shot of 66250 shows, with the train about to pass Norton Junction, near Worcester. The outer starter signal is "off" for an up train and this was actually under the road bridge as I pressed the shutter...
	My plan for the sunny morning of 21 March 2007 was, if a class 60 was booked on the 6V05 Round Oak to Margam empty steel, to go Norton Junction to photograph this working under the semaphore signals as I had seen a class 66 on the train on two occasions the previous week. The best laid plans and all that; no 60 was shown as being anywhere near Round Oak so I decided to go over to Hatton Bank and get a few workaday bits on my local patch, there not being much of any interest to me elsewhere in the Midlands. I arrived at Hatton at about 10.45 to find about 75% cloud cover and with the prospect of a short stay and no shots in decent light. The first train to appear, at 12.10, was 4E44, the 05.25 Southampton to Leeds freightliner, with 66575 in charge. I saw this coming for some time with the sun trying to exit a large black cloud. Fortunately, the train was moving sufficiently slowly up the 1/110 gradient to allow the shadows to go just in time.
	The train of scrap from Brierley Hill, on the truncated former freight line from Stourbridge Junction to Walsall, was shown as running om 16 August 2007. 6Z86, the Tuesday and Thursday only 14:34 Brierley Hill to Cardiff Tidal was in the hands of 66024 and it arrived, in slightly better light than 6V07, at 15.35. This is a heavy train and the locomotive was working hard to keep the load on the move towards Norton and Abbotswood Junctions.
	While waiting at Norton Junction earlier in the day I had noticed a plum tree laden with ripe fruit in the hedge close to the signal box so went back to collect a few. I had just left the car when I received a text message from a friend at Evesham saying that 66153 had just left the station hauling a single TDA from Long Marston. After a few minutes the signaller left his box, shouted up to me saying that it was coming and prepared himself for the token exchange. One doesn't see much of this these days so I was pleased to get a picture of the exact moment when it changed hands.
	The final train to appear during a short session at Defford on 24 August 2007 was 6V07 from Round Oak to Margam. This is another service that is watched by some enthusiasts because it often produces a class 60 but today 66162 was provided. The unit en-route to Worcester, 158813, is in just the right position for a crossing shot and to my eyes at least, enhances the scene.
	While I was at Defford during the afternoon of 24 August news of a stock move from Stewarts Lane to Tyseley came to my BlackBerry. The train was to be formed of WCRC's 47245 with 37248 DIT along with some coaching stock which required tyre-turning. News of progress was fortunately available and I decided, in view of the weather, to have a pop at the train in just about the only location where the sun would be favourable until at least 19.30, Hatton North Junction. The first non-passenger train to appear was 6M58, the 14.10 Southampton Western Docks to Bescot behind 66056. This is a long train run for the Ford Motor Company and tonight consisted of 3 types of car carriers. Unfortunately, because of the line's curvature, the more modern red wagons are out of sight behind the covered variety. This picture was taken at 19.05 which is pretty much the right time for this service.
	One of the 2 class 60s in the obsolete Loadhaul livery was in charge of the Lindsey Oil Refinery to Didcot Power Station oil train on Wednesday 29 August 2007. Before returning to Lindsey as 6E48 it was failed with a TPWS fault but was expected to run the following day with the 2nd empty oil train of the week included in the consist as a double load. It did, but with 66150 leading as here seen passing Hatton about 45 minutes late at 17.00. I assume that 66150 was the train engine for the southbound run with the loaded tanks in the early morning. This wouldn't have been my first choice of location but time was limited when I received news of the train's movement, and this is just about the closest location to my home.
	Here is 66518 with 6M01 Hinksey Yard to Stud Farm heading north alongside the M40 near Rowington as a Marylebone-bound class 168 recedes into the distance. This is one of the freights one can usually rely on seeing on 3 or afternoons during an average week. This time there is quite a mix of types and colours amongst the wagons; the train is quite formed just of the lower-sided JNA variety.
	While waiting for a by now terminally late 6E48 Didcot Power Station to Lindsey during the evening of 5 September 2007, 66240 came north on a well loaded 6M58 Southampton to Bescot conveying another load of white Ford Transits to annoy the country's motorists. The train passed at 19.02 just a couple of minutes after the sun had dropped out of a piece of that annoyingly dense cloud often seen at last knockings. I do love the light at this time of day; it's so much more attractive than the flat mid-day light during the summer. Just after 66240 had passed Hatton North Junction I learned that 60095 on 6E48 was just passing Radley, south of Oxford, so not having the O. Winston Link gear in my camera bag went home still without the photograph I should have had 3 hours earlier. Next week, maybe...
	During the early afternoon on 5 September 2007 the sky began to clear and, knowing that grey-liveried 60095 was due to haul 6E48 from Didcot Power Station to Lindsey oil refinery, I decided to have another trip to Hatton North Junction in an attempt to get a decent photograph of the working, the one which had eluded me the previous week. The empty oil tanks are due there at around 16.15 but by 17.00 nothing had appeared, so I phoned a friend who can get sometimes get hold of running updates. He told me that 6E48 was still at Didcot but an imminent departure was expected. This being so and with the light being perfect, I phoned home and obtained a late pass! At 17.17, 66002 tried to sneak by, the noise from the nearby M40 couple with frequent aircraft movements to and from Birmingham International and Coventry airports meaning that one sometimes can't hear quiet freights coming. It turned out that this intermodal was 4M36 from Southamton to Birch Coppice runnning in the region of 3 hours late. I was quite pleased about this as when the train runs to time it is heavily backlit so a "light on the nose" shot was welcome.
	6V07, the 13.21 Round Oak to Margam empty steel train is often watched by enthusiasts because it sometimes produces a member of the currently in-vogue class 60. On Tuesday 11 September however, 66068 was provided, but to me it the whole train that is of interest and not just the motive power. I was pleased that the red EWS wagons were at the front of the train as these don't seem to appear as often as the covered vans, known colloquially as "pig sheds". The location is the (too) well known Croome Perry wood near Pershore in Worcestershire.
	The Corby to Margam empty steel train, 6V92, is quite popular with enthusiasts because it regularly produces class 60 motive power. On Friday 24 August 2007, a class 66 was rostered for the job meaning that fewer than the usual number of email reports of the train's progress were sent. Here is 66115 passing the site of the station at Defford in Worcestershire with 6V92 in some lovely late summer sunshine.
	One of the freights I was expecting to see on 21 March 2007 was 4M36, the WThO 08.10 Southampton to Birch Coppice intermodal with an EWS 66 on the front. This didn't appear at all and my next shot was of 66542 with an early-running 4M55 09.28 Southampton to Crewe freightliner. This arrived some 55 minutes early at 12.32 and was turned into the down goods loop despite there being nothing to pass it for at least 20 minutes; plenty of time for it to have run to Dorridge loop or even on to Small Heath. Once again the sun co-operated for me, this time with a satisfyingly dark sky. There has been some engineering work going on at Hatton, the up line having been relaid at this point together with some new AWS units being installed on both the down main line and goods loop.
	My original plan had been to move a few miles north after photographing 4M55 but I was loath to go in case 4M36 was running and I missed it whilst on the road. This being the case, I decided to stay put and spent a pleasant couple of hours in the warm sun watching some buzzards performing their courtship displays over the adjacent fields together with a few shots of the regular Chiltern and Virgin units on scheduled passenger workings. I knew that 60019 was on the way north with an empty oil train from Theale, but in front of this would be 6M01, the 14.08 Hinksey Virtual Quarry to Stud Farm empty ballast train. This arrived pretty much at the right time with 66529 on the front, yet again in a more than lucky patch of sun with a decently cloudy sky in the background.
	An empty rake of HTAs is diagrammed to run from Washwood Heath to Portbury in the early afternoon and on 2 April, 6V16 was in the hands of 66040, the same locomotive as I photographed on the train at Defford last week. The train had clearly had a clear run past Abbotswood Junction as it was going a quite a lick when I photographed it at Croome Perry at 14.31`.
	The weather forecasts have been pretty accurate so far during the week before Easter 2007. On Wednesday 4 April, the day started grey and misty in Stratford-upon-Avon, but by lunchtime the cloud was beginning to break. A message arrived on my BlackBerry saying that Freightliner's new 66584 had just left Hinksey Yard, Oxford with 6M01 to Stud Farm. I had plenty of time to drive over to Shrewley and walk to Hatton North Junction. The sun was trying to break through as the train passed, but didn't quite manage it until about 10 minutes later....
	Earlier in the week, I had photographed 66233 on the southbound working of the Daw Mill to Didcot Power Station coal train and was thus keen to get a decent shot of the return, 6M53. I was already at Hatton North Junction during the afternoon of 4 April 2007 and as the sun was shining from a perfectly blue sky I decided it would be silly to go before it had come. Here is 66100 accelerating slowly around the curve, having been held in the down goods loop to allow the passage of a Chiltern Trains class 168 on a stopping train to Birmingham Snow Hill.
	Coal from Daw Mill colliery, near Coleshill, has again been running to Didcot Power Station. I saw, although didn't photograph, a return working one evening last week and was keen to get a shot of the loaded southbound run. Monday 2 April 2007 was the ideal day, with wall-to-wall sun promised throughout the day, so I presented myself on the roadbridge adjacent to Hatton station about 30 minutes before what I guessed to be the right time for 6V32, the 08.57 from Daw Mill. Things don't always work out perfectly and the train hadn't made an appearance by 10.30. Fearing that it might have been cancelled, I made a 'phone call to a friend in the know, to be told that it was, at 10.50, just passing Dorridge behind a Virgin Voyager. The long train of 29 HTAs passed me in lovely Spring light at 11.01.
	I like to visit certain locations perhaps once or twice each just to keep an up-to-date record of how traffic, the background and vegetation growth changes. One of these is Lea Marston, on the fast lines between Water Orton and Kingsbury Junction, and I paid a visit on Thursday 8 August 2007. No sooner had I arrived on the bridge at about 09.00 than 66505 came into view with a not very well loaded 4O54 Leeds to Southampton freightliner. I'm ambivalent about the southbound shot here; I think it is just about acceptable with a longish train but the expanse of bare ballast on the left and the somewhat anonymous and green background don't do the picture any favours.
	Here is another picture from Lea Marston taken on 8 August 2007. This time it shows 66174 in charge of 4E69, the 05.15 Southampton to Wakefield Europort enterprise service; on this occasion yet another poorly loaded container train. The background has dramatically changed since the demolition of Hams Hall Power Station, the cooling towers of which once dominated and enhanced the view. The first container is about to cross the River Tame - from "Tamworth", near where is its source, and which further downstream used to be just about the most polluted water course in the Midlands. These days. the water quality has improved although the amount of ammonia contained in the water, as a result of it being used to carry the effluent from Minworth sewage works, is still a cause for concern. However, further upstream the water quality is excellent and the river supports a variety of aquatic life.
	This train, or at least its locomotive, was the subject of some anticipation and confusion on 6 April 2007. The working is 6V32, the 08.57 Daw Mill to Didcot Power Station and TRUST was showing 60063 to be allocated to it. I heard it approach the signal at Hatton North Junction where a short wait was necessary as a southbound passenger train was in front of it, and then heard it move away a couple of minutes later. The unmistakeable sound of a 66 getting a heavy train on the move was not exactly what I wanted to hear when the much rarer 60 on a power station coal train was expected, but at least the older HAA hoppers were used; hence my inclusion of this photograph to give a comparison with the one a little way below taken earlier in the week.
	The return working of 6V32, the Daw Mill to Didcot coal train as shown above is 6M53, and it is here seen passing Warwick Parkway at 16.30 on the afternoon of 6 April 2007. This shot won't be available for more than a few days now the trees and bushes are in their season of rapid growth. As it was I needed to use a 180mm lens (270mm in 35mm terms) to find a big enough clear spot on the embankment. This embankment comes to end just a few yards to the north, and this was the site of Budbrooke signal box, which used to control the entrance to the goods loop that now starts much further north at the beginning of Hatton cutting.
	It was just before 3pm at Abbotswood Junction when a really dirty class 66 turned up at the head of 6V07, the 13.21 Round Oak to Margam empty steel service. The locomotive is particularly dirty, almost as if it has had to run through a flood - note the mud on the "cow-catcher" and the bogies. The train is leaving the Worcester line by means of the single track lead and about to join the main Birmingham to Gloucester line. It was, unusually, quite a short train; 6V07 is often the best loaded of the daily services from Round Oak and is generally twice the length of this one.
	A relatively new train was the next to come south, this being the 6Z89 08.15 Lindsey to Westerleigh loaded bogie oil tanks. This showed up at 15.27 behind 66164 and was routed along the main line, the "Old Road", rather than via the Worcester branch. This is a pleasant location and it is to be hoped that the mindless vandals in charge of installing totally unnecessary pallisade fencing across the countryside don't have this field in their sights.
	This is a fairly new addition to the freight working timetable; 6Z46, the 10.52 Halewood to Southampton loaded car train. Once again, it is the train itself and the load that are of interest rather than the motive power. 66225 was in charge on Saturday 21 April 2007 and the ensemble is here seen passing the car park at Berkswell en-route to Southampton via Coventry, Leamington Spa and Oxford. After Didcot, the train will be running via Chippenham due to engineering work on what would be be its normal route via Basingstoke.
	I started off the morning of 30 April 2007 at Norton Junction, near Worcester, with the intention of photographing 6V05, the 09.38 Round Oak to Margam empty steel carriers. However, the first train to appear was 6B36, the TX-Q 07:09 Didcot Yard to Ashchurch train of MOD supplies headed by 66111. At 10.18, the light was still a little straight with not really enough illumination on the sides of the locomotive and vehicles, but I took it the shot largely because of the clear signals under which the train was running. In the event, 6V05 was cancelled but a small bonus appeared in the form of  47839 running light engine to Worcester Yard prior to going to Long Marston where a short rake of KAA flats was due to be taken to Crewe. I don't normally bother with light engine photographs but thought that this one was worthwhile in view of the semaphore signals and the human interest in the form of the lookout protecting a gang working on the track near the bridge.
	I have had several attempts to get a good picture of 4M36, the 11.15 Southampton to Birch Coppice intermodal service but have usually been thwarted by either bad weather or a poor load on the train. On 1 June 2007 the weather was good but the front of the train was not well loaded as it passed Hatton North Junction after coming out out of the down loop where it had been recessed to allow a Virgin Voyager, a Chiltern Turbo and 67013 on an ECS to pass. At least the curvature of the track here allows some of the containers to come into view, and in fact, I quite like the effect of the empty flats followed by the loaded.
	The weather was again warm and sunny on Thursday 5 April 2007 and with a few freights running on the Leamington Spa to Birmingham line I had another trip to Hatton. The first of the trains in which I was interested was 6M31, the Banbury to Mountsorrel Laharge self-discharger. This is scheduled to pass Hatton just after 10.00, but on this day was running a little over one hour late. Still, the light gets better here as time passes and a wait in the pleasantly warm sunshine was no chore. Here is 66148 having just passed the entrance to the down goods loop on Hatton Bank at 11.21.
	The weather on Friday 27 April 2007 ran close to the forecast; a dull start with sun appearing later in the day. Once the sun had burned through the mist and cloud I went over to Bentley Heath, near Dorridge, to photograph 60068 on the 6E55 Theale to Lindsey empty oil tanks. I was also expecting to see 6M01, the empty ballast working from Hinksey Virtual Quarry to Stud Farm and sure enough 66548 rounded the curve from Dorridge station at 15.25 with a train of HQA hoppers. This is an unusual consist for this train as the usual wagons are the much smaller JNA variety. Still, with variety being the spice of life and all that, I wasn't complaining.
	Part of the West Coast Main Line was closed on Good Friday, 6 April 2007 and some of the freight was diverted via Birmingham and Oxford. The only one I bothered with was 6M76 Mossend to Wembley which I hoped might have had a class 92 DIT, as was the case with a much earlier train the same morning. Sadly, only 66133 was provided for the run south and the train is here seen passing Hatton South Jnction, just about spot on time at 09.02.
	This is a train that I have been meaning to go out and photograph for a while now; the 4M36 Southamton to Birch Coppice intermodal. Sadly, on 5 April 2007, there wasn't much of a load as it climbed Hatton Bank behind 66139. It makes a change to see an EWS locomotive in charge of containers on this line, as most of the trains are run by Freightliner.
	Brierley Hill, on the former freight line from Stourbridge Junction to Bescot, has recently seen a small number of trains conveying scrap metal. There was the first of what will hopefully become a regular flow today, 14 February 2007 when 66187 took a train of   containerised scrap to Southampton for export. This working is here seen leaving the Worcester line and about to join the main Birmingham to Cheltenham line at Abbotswood Junction, from where it will run via Gloucester and Swindon to Reading, Basingstoke and Southampton.
	Coal from Daw Mill colliery, near Coleshill, does sometimes run to Didcot Power Station. I saw, although didn't photograph, a return working one evening last week and was keen to get a shot of the loaded southbound run. Monday 2 April 2007 was the ideal day, with wall-to-wall sun promised throughout the day, so I presented myself on the roadbridge adjacent to Hatton station about 30 minutes before what I guessed to be the right time for 6V32, the 08.57 from Daw Mill. Things don't always work out perfectly and the train hadn't made an appearance by 10.30. Fearing that it might have been cancelled, I made a 'phone call to a friend in the know, to be told that it was, at 10.50, just passing Dorridge behind a Virgin Voyager. The long train of 29 HTAs passed me in lovely Spring light at 11.01.
	Earlier in the week, I had photographed 66233 on the southbound working of the Daw Mill to Didcot Power Station coal train and was thus keen to get a decent shot of the return, 6M53. I was already at Hatton North Junction during the afternoon of 4 April 2007 and as the sun was shining from a perfectly blue sky I decided it would be silly to go before it had come. Here is 66100 accelerating slowly around the curve, having been held in the down goods loop to allow the passage of a Chiltern Trains class 168 on a stopping train to Birmingham Snow Hill.
	The weather was again warm and sunny on Thursday 5 April 2007 and with a few freights running on the Leamington Spa to Birmingham line I had another trip to Hatton. The first of the trains in which I was interested ws 6M31, the Banbury to Mountsorrel Laharge self-discharger. This is scheduled to pass Hatton just after 10.00, but on this day was running a little over one hour late. Still, the light gets better here as time passes and a wait in the pleasantly warm sunshine was no chore. Here is 66148 having just passed the entrance to the down goods loop on Hatton Bank at 11.21.
	This is a train that I have been to go out and photograph for a while now; the 4M36 Southamton to Birch Coppice intermodal. Sadly, on 5 April 2007, there wasn't much of a load as it climbed Hatton Bank behind 66139. It makes a change to see an EWS locomotive in charge of containers on this line, as most of the trains are run by Freightliner.
	The weather forecasts have been pretty accurate so far during the week before Easter 2007. On Wednesday 4 April, the day started grey and misty in Stratford-upon-Avon, but by lunchtime the cloud was beginning to break. A message arrived on my BlackBerry saying that Freightliner's new 66584 had just left Hinksey Yard, Oxford with 6M01 to Stud Farm. I had plenty of time to drive over to Shrewley and walk to Hatton North Junction. The sun was trying to break through as the train passed, but didn't quite manage it until about 10 minutes later....
	An empty rake of HTAs is diagrammed to run from Washwood Heath to Portbury in the early afternoon and on 2 April, 6V16 was in the hands of 66040, the same locomotive as I photographed on the train at Defford last week. The train had clearly had a clear run past Abbotswood Junction as it was going a quite a lick when I photographed it at Croome Perry at 14.31`.
	Here is the train referred to above, albeit with HAAs rather than HTA hoppers, with 66040 quietly and efficiently slipped under the roadbridge at Defford with the 6V16 coal empties from Washwood Heath to Portbury. I decided, for this shot, to put on a slightly longer lens to cut out some of the distracting background and to bring up the tree with its blossom just bursting into flower.
	The 05.48 Margam to Corby train of steel coils, 6M96, os generally class 60-hauled, but on 6 March 2007 66205 was provided. Here is the train near Stoke Works Junction travelling very slowly as it prepares to enter Bromsgrove loop to pick up another class 66 as the banker for the grind up the Lickey Incline. There are not that many freights up the Lickey in daylight hours, but most of the loaded trains of steel and coal are banked. Just before I left, 60028 with 6E41 Westerleigh to Lindsey went north and this was also looped to await the banking engine despite being a train of empty tanks. Sadly, the light for this move was dire and I didn't bother...
	The morning of 7 September 2006 dawned bright and sunny and I decided to have a trip to Ashchurch in order to try out my new 300mm Nikkor prime lens. As this is designed for 35mm cameras, the equivalent focal length on my D200 is in the order of 450mm, slightly more powerful than the 8x binoculars I also carry. The first freight to appear was 6V35 Lackenby to Llanwern and here it is passing over the road crossing just north of Northway. The locomotive was working extremely hard with around 2000 tonnes on the drawbar, and the telephoto lens really accentuates the exhaust haze.
	This must have been one of the "workings of the year" in 2006. On 6 September 2006, the Bridgwater to Crewe nuclear flask working, 6M67, was allocated DRS locomotives 20307 + 37605, but the class 20 failed before departure. As these trains' safety case states that 2 operational locomotives must be on the train Freightliner Heavy Haul's 66620 was summoned, presumably from Bristol Barton Hill. Here is the train, just some 45 minutesd late, at Defford in Worcestershire, having just passed over the River Avon.
	Saturday 7 October started out with a clear blue sky so I drove to Hatton with the aim of photographing 4M21, the Felixstowe to Hams Hall intermodal and 4054, the Leeds to Southampton freightliner near the station. Whilst waiting for 4M21 in a one-way location, 4O54 went south and when 4M21 came I let it run too far towards me, with the result that the loco's cab was in shadow. I knew that 66165 was coming north on a 6M69 Portbury to Rugeley coal train and decided to move to Hatton North Junction for this, and a little later, 4O02, the Lawley Street to Southampton freightliner. 6M69 would clearly be well backlit at this time of day so I planned to take a wide shot to minimise the dark loco front which would result. The heavy train passed me near the summit of Hatton Bank at 11.35, having taken 2 hours for the journey from Culham, near Didcot.
	I spent an hour or so near Hatton during the afternoon of 23 November 2006 with the intention of photographing 60069 on 6E48, the 13.35 Didcot Power Station to Lindsey empty oil tanks. I placed myself in a location with not much potential for anything heading south so had to make the best of a bad job when 66055 turned up with an early running 6Z50 Mountsorrel to Westbury ballast. Still, the combination of bright sunshine, some Autumnal colours and a colourful train made for a reasonably atractive photograph and gives a good view of the wagons used on this service.
	The use of two of GBRF's new 66s on an Old Oak Common to Derby move predictably caused a great deal of interest on Saturday 13 January 2007. 66727 and 66726 running as 5Z81 topped and tailed a pair of barrier wagons before taking 3 MkIII coaches from Derby to Laira. The short ensemble is here seen passing Hatton station in extremely dull conditions at 10.31, some 30 minutes early on the schedule despite a late start from London. The train was booked to sit in Hatton Goods Loop but in the event was routed down the main line a few minutes behind a Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill class 168 unit.
	4O02, the Saturday morning Lawley Street to Southampton freightliner, can usually be relied upon to run pretty much on time, being booked to pass Hatton at 12.13. Today, 7 October, it passed Hatton North Junction at 12.14 with 66568 taking 57009 DIT to its destination. The junction visible is that for the branch to Stratford-upon-Avon via Claverdon and Bearley. There is only one train booked over the pointwork and curve to Hatton West Junction - an ECS to Stratford first thing in the morning.
	Here is 66118 hauling 4V09, the 13:36 Washwood Heath-Portbury empty HTAs came south past Defford on 2 November 2006. It is noticeable that these class 4 trains really take advantge of their higher permitted speed of 75mph. This train certainly wasn't hanging about and was running easily as fast as some of the passenger trains on the route.
	My first sighting of a GBRF Metronet class 66 took place today, 31 August 2006. 66718 was allocated to work a 5Z98 08.40 Laira to Derby Litchurch Lane train of HST stock for refurbishment. Interestingly, the locomotive was taken to Plymouth on the rear of the down Paddington sleeper rather than work down light engine. 5Z98, complete with "Vulture Squadron" headboard is here seen near Defford in Worcestershire some 20 minutes early at 12.57 in somewhat poor light. Still, it would have been difficult to have photographed this working with a clear sky on the Cheltenham line at this time of day as the sun would be pretty much straight down the lens.
	Here is 66089 hauling 4V09, the Washwood Heath to Portbury empty HTAs at Defford in Worcestershire. This was really moving and can't have been doing much less than its permitted 75mph. I had hoped to get a picture featuring the tractor and baler in the adjacent field, and this was to be the only one as not much straw was left to be collected. The tractor finished its job soon after this image was taken.
	The line through Cheltenham was closed at weekends in Septemebr 2006 and whilst most freights, if running at all, are diverted via Hereford, one or two are scheduled to run via Swindon and Oxford to Birmingham. On Saturday 23 September 2006, 6M04 the 10:00 Portbury-Washwood Heath coal train was reported as passing Kings Sutton at 14.38. This just gave me time to get to Hatton - and it was "just" - as I could hear the train hauled by 66159 coming as I parked my car in the station at 15.12. Fortunately, the train was moving quite slowly at this point thanks to the 1/110 ruling gradient of Hatton Bank. I chose this location to ensure that the background was identifiable, something I like to do for diversions.
	There is, to my eyes, something particularly unsatisfying about a poorly loaded intermodal train. I have never seen such a light load on 4M21, the 03:26 Felixstowe to Hams Hall service as there was on Saturday 9 December 2006, although it wasn't quite as bad as it looked with a few containers being conveyed on the rear of the train, out of sight beyond the footbridge. The attraction was, of course, the use of GBRF's Metronet 66718 and this was my first sighting of the sub-class on the line through Hatton.
	One of my fairly rare Sunday outings took place on 19 November in order to photograph 66416 + 66418 topping and tailing a RHTT move from Crewe to Willesden. The train, running as 6Z70, gave an unusual opportunity to record this formation along the Birmingham to Coventry line. It is here seen approaching Tile Hill, west of Coventry, at 13.14, just a couple of minutes down on the schedule.
	The line to Stratford-upon-Avon has seen major engineering work over the past 2 weekends. On Sunday 5 November, one of the work sites was at Bishopton where the up line was relaid overnight with CWR on steel sleepers. Train number 6P17 from Bescot headed by 66059 is here seen standing on the down line with a long rake of ballast wagons, which are being unloaded by a pair of rail-mounted machines, currently out of sight beyond the Bishopton Lane bridge. Any locomotive is a rare sight on this line these days, so the chance to photograph an engineering train is not one to miss.
	A relatively new train to run over the Birmingham to Didcot line is 6Z50, the 11.45 from Mountsorrel Quarry to Westbury, conveying ballast. The reason for this apparently strange move is that Southampton Docks is no longer used for unloading ballast to allow for more intermodal trains to run. I had previously taken a couple of shots of this train, but one was in dreadful light and the second was simply not sharp so when a message came through on 26 October saying that 66048 had passed Whitacre Junction at 13.05 I decided to take advantage of the sunny afternoon to redress the balance. I also planned to move south after photographing 6Z50 in order to get a shot of 60051 on a 6E48 Didcot Power Station to Lindsey working, but in the event, this came north whilst I was still waiting in a "one direction" location for 6Z50, which eventually passed Hatton South Junction at 16.02, by which time shadows were beginning to encroach on the scene.
	The morning of Saturday 4 November was sunny and crisp and armed with the knowledge that at least northbound freights were due to climb Hatton Bank within the next hour or so I went across to a favourite location just south of the cutting. The first train I was expecting was a Portbury to Rugeley train of HTAs but a photone call from Kenilworth saying that this was running via Coventry put paid to this. At 10.18 66078 appeared with what appeared to be the Banbury to Mountsorrel SDT but with loaded hoppers. This turned out instead to be 6M31 Hinksey VQ to Mountsorrel - the train had run to Banbury as normal, but a problem there resulted in it being diverted to Hinksey and then returned from whence it came. The gradient at this point is 1/100 and with a heavy load in tow, 66078 was working hard to keep the train moving.
	4M21, the 03.26 Felixstowe to Hams Hall intermodal is booked to run via Oxford and Solihull during the winter months, so giving an opportunity to photograph a GBRF 66 at Hatton. This train is scheduled to use Hatton's Down Goods Loop, but in my experience at least, rarely does so. This picture shows 66712 easing its train off the main line and into the loop at 10.35. I chose this location as it is just about the only spot where a picture of a train in the loop is possible in the winter - just in case... After taking this picture, I went to the farm shop at Hatton and when leaving there saw that 4M21 was still static just south of Hatton station. It eventually moved off northwards at 11.11 after 3 trains had passed it.
	One of the most reliable trains on a Saturday at Hatton is 4O02, the 11.14 Lawley Street to Southampton freightliner. It is normally double-headed, often by a 66 + 57 combination, in order to get a locomotive to Southampton after an unbalanced working. There was no 57 today as this picture of 66538 + 66533 about to pass Hatton station demonstrates. Still, I think a pair of 66s has a particularly powerful appearance and as this is not especially commonplace was pleased to get this shot in clear winter light. The fuel tank on the leading 66 has the words, "Pastry Express" and "Dirty Leeds" drawn in the grime - I wonder what that's all about?
	The North Warwickshire line through Henley-in Arden sees little in the way of locomotive-hauled workings, so when I heard that major track replacement was taking place on Sunday 8 October I went over to have a look. I had been told that a 7P12 from Bescot was on the way south at about 13.00 so when I arrived at Henley at about 13.20 I expected to find an empty station with the prospect of photographing a class 66 hauled ballast passing through. Instead of this, I found 66159 standing in the up platform with a huge train of recovered track panels together with a road-rail vehicle on the down line from which the crew were sawing off some excess lengths of track. There was little other than this photograph to be obtained so I decided to have a walk along a public footpath running north from the station to see if a photograph of the front of this train, 6P11, was possible.
	As it happened, the leading locomotive of 6P11 was not in a good position so I walked further along the path to the next overbridge. Here, 66186 was standing in just the right place for a photograph with 7P12, the driver being given instructions by the PIC of Operations. It was a piece of luck that the stop boards protecting the possession had been placed some 15 yards from the bridge; they all too easily have been put somewhere less convenient.
	7P12 soon obtained permission to proceed and is here seen moving away towards the station. It stopped at the outer home signal which gave me the chance to walk back to the station for another crack at it, but not before this taking this image of the brake van number 993914 at the back of the train. This is a Shark brakevan and would have been used to spread the ballast dropped from the Seacows. It may have also been included in the consist because local regulations state that any train left without a locomotive i.e. for run-round purposes, must have a brake in the consist because of the falling gradient from Henley-in Arden to Bearley. Thanks for Dave Ashworth for this information.
	I had plenty of time to reach the station before the down line was cleared and 66186 allowed to proceed into Henley-in-Arden station. The train was under manual control and no signals were pulled off as the train passed the signal box and moved towards the possession. There is quite a contrast between this shot and the last I took here on 19 August when the Blue Pullman ran this way to Stratford -upon-Avon. By now, 6P11 with 66159 on the rear and 66185 on the front has pulled clear of the station, and I expected to see this train disappear towards Birmingham. In the event, something far more unusual was to happen...
	I was more than mildly surprised to see 66159 detached from the train and to see the points switched over to allow it to enter platform 3, or "the bay" as it is locally known. This piece of line is used just once each week day when an early morning train to Birmingham starts its journey here. I have never seen a locomotive make this move before and it gave me some degree of satisfaction to record it in the only sunny spell of the afternoon.
	The driver of 66159 pulled his locomotive sufficiently clear of the footbridge to enable me to obtain this shot of it it the bay with 66186 waiting to head south with its train of seacows. It probably won't mean much to non-locals, but this sight is pretty well unprecedented and is one of those are events that make the session really notable.
	66071 is here seen is passing fields of potatoes and asparagus with a rake of loaded HTAs from Portbury. This was 6M71 11:45 SX Avonmouth No. 5 Wharf EWS - Ironbridge Power Station, which judging by the exhaust and the low speed at which it was travelling had been looped at Eckington, a mile or so to the south.
	On 28 July 2006 there were only 2 class 60s active on the Cheltenham line. One of the trains often 60-hauled is 6V36, the 08.17 Lackenby-Margam loaded steel slabs, but today was in the hands of 66246. I wasn't at all bothered by this, as I have far more pictures of these steel trains with 60s than 66s...
	Saturday 7 October started out with a clear blue sky so I drove to Hatton with the aim of photographing 4M21, the Felixstowe to Hams Hall intermodal and 4054, the Leeds to Southampton freightliner near the station. Whilst waiting for 4M21 in a one-way location, 4O54 went south and when 4M21 came I let it run too far towards me, with the result that the loco's cab was in shadow. I knew that 66165 was coming north on a 6M69 Portbury to Rugeley coal train and decided to move to Hatton North Junction for this, and a little later, 4O02, the Lawley Street to Southampton freightliner. 6M69 would clearly be well backlit at this time of day so I planned to take a wide shot to minimise the dark loco front which would result. The heavy train passed me near the summit of Hatton Bank at 11.35, having taken 2 hours for the journey from Culham, near Didcot.
	This is 4Z55, the 10:00 Southampton-Leeds; a relatively new working over the Oxford and Solihull line, hauled on this occasion by 66574. It is seen approaching Dorridge against a background of trees beginning to change to their Autumnal colours. Some freights are routed over the down loop, but I was glad that this was not the case with 4Z55 as the shot would have been head-on and shadowed.
	One of the trains I have been keen to photograph over the past few weeks has been the 6X52 TWFO 16:30 Portbury-Washwood Heath loaded cartics. The shot across the field near Abbotswood Junction is one I particularly like so on Tuesday 18 July I decided to brave the almost tropical weather and went across, more in hope than expectation. I say this because last week I tried for the train on Wednesday and had to give up at 20.40, and after planning to go again on Friday, found out it was running very early and would not have had time to get there. So... I arrived at Abbotswood at 17.40, just in time to see a class 66 heading south on the 6V36 Lackenby to Llanwern steel slabs. Not a portent for all-round late running, I hoped. At 17.55, the train pictured here appeared. It looks like 6X52 except that all the wagons appear to be empty, so I'm not 100% sure. Still, it's a photo in the right spot at the right time, so I'm not too concerned.
	Freightliner and intermodal traffic is the mainstay of photographic interest at Whitacre Junction, neat Coleshill. This is 66517 with 4L93, the 10.08 Lawley Street to Felixstowe passing the exit from the Hams Hall complex at 10.38 on 25 July 2006.
	During the Spring and Summer of 2006, Freightliner HeavyHaul hired 2 DRS class 66s to cover a motive power shortage. 66407 is seen passing Whitacre Junction at 123.18 on 25 July 2006 with 6P27, the 10.50 Stud Farm to Crewe Virtual Quarry.
	I was working in my garden on the morning of 22 June when a message appeared on my BlackBerry to the effect that 66606 had just passed Evesham station en-route to Long Marston, no doubt to collect some stock. I was waiting for a parcel containing my new Nikon D200 camera body to be delivered so was twitching with impatience. Fortunately, UPS did their bit, my parcel arrived as did some more messages about the timing and destination of the train. It turned out to be 6Z71 11.29 Long Marston to Hitchin. As it was already 11.35 I decided to head for the nearest location with easy access, which is Lower Moor on the Cotswold line. The train consisting of 66606 and 18 of the JNAs stored at Long Marston passed me at 12.08. I like this shot as it shows the 1st 66/6 to use this line, and could almost be a "proper" freight service. Incidentally, this is being uploaded to my hosting server at 13.07, just within an hour of the picture being taken.
	During the morning of Saturday 15 July, a message came through that blue 60044 was working 6V36 Lackenby to Llanwern steel slabs. This is due in the Ashchurch area at around 17.15 so I planned to go over later. At about 14.00 another message came from Whitacre Junction saying that 60044 had just passed. This meant that the train was almost certainly 6V40, booked some 2 hours earlier than 6V36. There was plenty of time to get to Northway so I made the 35 minute journey from Stratford-upom-Avon. The first freight to appear, at 15.30, was this, 6Z97 Beeston to Cardiff Tidal loaded scrap behind 66531. This was a a bit of a surprise as I thought it had returned to its booked route via the Welsh Marches line.
	A welcome addition to the sparse freight traffic on the Leamington Spa to Birmingham line is the 6Z23(Q) 13:10 Southampton W.Docks-Bescot train, conveying Ford vans. As the evening of 11 July was particularly pleasant and sunny, I made the short drive (and quite long subsequent walk!) to Hatton North Junction, where I knew the sun would be spot on at around 19.00. At around the expected time, a Virgin Vogager followed by a Chiltern Trains class 165 went north. Seven minutes later 66049 came slowly around the bend demonstrating that 6Z23 had been routed into Hatton's down goods loop to allow the passenger trains to pass. This picture is timed at 19.05. The line leading off to the right is the rarely used connection to Hatton West Junction and thence the Leamington Spa to Stratford-upon-Avon line. The only timetabled train to use the curve is an ECS to Stratford in the morning, although the steam runs to Tyseley on summer Sundays return from Stratford this way.
	The second freight I photographed at Hatton North Junction on 11 July was the 6M65 Didcot to Carlisle. A message from further south had said that this was, as usual, quite a short train so I decided on a location to make it look more balanced. This picture was taken at 19.57 as the shadows really began to lengthen.
	I was expecting the 6V07 Round Oak to Margam allocated to 60016 to appear when this train came under the bridge at Croome Perry at 15.13 on 4 July 2006. I was surprised when what appeared to be this working appeared in the hands of 66012 + 66064. In fact, it later transpired to be a 6V54 1440 Worcester-Llanwern consisting of wagons that should have gone on 6V05 last Friday. Thanks to Mike Hollick for this gen.
	Here is 66089 hauling 4V09, the Washwood Heath to Portbury empty HTAs through Defford on 28 July 2006. This train was really moving and can't have been doing much less than its permitted 75mph. I had hoped to get a picture featuring the tractor and baler in the adjacent field, and this was to be the only one as not much straw was left to be collected. The tractor finished its job soon after this image was taken.
	66071 is seen here passing fields of potatoes and asparagus at Defford with a rake of loaded HTAs from Portbury. This was 6M71 11:45 SX Avonmouth No. 5 Wharf EWS - Ironbridge Power Station, which judging by the exhaust and the low speed at which it was travelling had been looped at Eckington, a mile or so to the south.
	There were only 2 class 60s active on the Cheltenham line on 28 July 2006 and one of the trains often 60-hauled is 6V36, the 08.17 Lackenby-Margam loaded steel slabs. Today, however, it was in the hands of 66246. I wasn't at all bothered by this, as I have far more pictures of these steel trains with 60s than 66s...
	I had a choice of trains to photograph on the afternoon of Saturday 1 July. There was 37417 with a rake of scrap wagons and a dead 66 from Northampton, 60099 on the 6Z41 Theale to Lindsey tanks, or 66555 with the diverted Beeston to Cardiff scrap. Not a difficult decision; I have hundreds of pictures of 37s around Birmingham, I already have a very decent shot of 6Z41 so the rare chance to get a Freightliner class 66 on the Cheltenham line was really my only option. The timing was fortuitous as it enabled me to be out in the warm sun and avoiding the histrionics associated with the World Cup football. There was a surprsingly large amount of cloud coverage at Croome Perry and I wasn't too surprised that the sun was obscured when 6Z97 came slowly under the bridge.
	Say what you will about class 66 locomotives, but there is no denying that they were ready to run "straight out of the box". This picture shows 66096 on an Ironbridge Power Station to Margam empty MGR working on Thursday 29 April 1999. Not that unusual, but it was only unloaded on Tuesday 27th! 645
	The lines to Stratford-upon-Avon either from Leamington Spa or Birmingham do not see much in the way of locomotives, other than occasional steam specials. It was therefore with some anticipation that I awaited this train, 6P06 from Bescot to Bearley Junction in connection with major track replacement on the North Warwickshire line. 66098 is seen here passing through Claverdon station on Sunday 19 March 2006. The train was slightly delayed, no doubt because the engineers weren't quite ready for it, but that delay meant that it came in a fortuitous patch of sun at 13.04. Worthy of note is the old BR double arrow sign at the entrance to the station. There are not too many of these around so click here for a closer look . There is another of these on the A3400 at the entrance to Bearley station. The bus shelter-syle station building here is a fairly recent replacement for the older GWR style construction.
	Sunday 26 March saw more engineering work on the North Warwickshire line south of Henley-in-Arden. There were fewer trains booked than the previous week, but I knew of 2, 6P06 and 6P05 which were timed to be at Hatton North Junction at 09.15 and 10.30 respectively. There was nothing in sight as I drove past Bearley Junction and assume that I missed the first, having arrived at Claverdon station at around 09.20 but thought a wait of around an hour not too bad. A friend arrived after a while and he said that a rake of yellow ballast wagons were on the line when he had gone by Bearley. Right then, it can't be far away. By 11.30 we were ready to give up and Steve cracked first, promising to 'phone if there was a sign of life at Bearley. Eight minutes later, my 'phone rang and Steve said that he was on his way back as the train was now moving. It took an age to reach Claverdon, but here is the result - 66089 on 6P05 to Bescot, a rare sight on this normally DMU-only line.
	66098 has obviously switched stock as it is now on a different rake as it prepares to join the Leamington Spa to Birmingham main line at Hatton North Junction with 6P04 from Bearley to Bescot. It is exceptionally rare to see a diesel locomotive on this piece of track; indeed, the only train other than the steam specials on summer Sundays to use the line to the Stratford-upon-Avon branch is a morning ECS move from Tyseley. There have, in the past, been occasional moves of the Royal Scotsman train returning north, and indeed one of these is my only such shot here, but this has not happened for quite a while.
	The working timetable shows that 6B36, the 07:09 Didcot Yard to Ashchurch MOD trains runs as a "Q", Tuesday excepted. It ran on Tuesday 6 June however and is here seen approaching its destination behind 66130. This train used to use the loop on the right-hand side of the picture to await its path into the exchange sidings - a propelling move blocking the main line - but as can be seen from the rust, these tracks are currently out of use. 6B36, with a load of armoured vehicles, passed me at 10.40 and duly entered the sidings. It appeared to have some difficulty getting onto the branch, and the locomotive could be heard slipping, even from some distance away. Following the passage of a Virgin Voyager, the 66 pulled the train back out onto the main line and had another go. This time, with much noise from the locomotive, the train was finally propelled down the branch at 11.11.
	The morning on Saturday 6 May 2006 dawned bright and sunny with the news that Metronet 66722 was working the 4M21 Felixstowe to Hams Hall intermodal. Off to Hatton then, I thought; that would be nicely as a broadside shot from the footpath across the field. Unfortunately, 4M21 ran very early and down the WCML but I didn't find this out until about 10.45. After a visit to the farm shop at Hatton for provisions, I decided to go the roadbridge by the station for 4O02, the Lawley Street to Southampton freightliner, as this is often double-headed. True to form, it was, by numerically similar 66534 + 66543.
	The next 2 photographs show 66027 on a non-freight working. On 10 June 2000 the locomotive was used in top and tail mode with 66096 on railtour duties. Hertfordford's "The Sword and Pen", running as 1Z41 Finsbury Park to Stratford-upon-Avon and 1Z42 return came to my home town via the MOD facility at Fenny Compton. The train is here seen arriving at Stratford, pictured from the station footbridge.
	The same train as seen in the picture above is seen while shunting from platform 1 to platform 2 at Stratford-upon-Avon. Several young Network Rail "Suits" were in attendance for this exercise and their complete lack of experience and ineptitude was well demonstrated. As mentioned above, the train was run in TnT mode so one would have thought that a simple move such as this would have caused no problems. Wrong. First, 66027 was shutdown. Second, it was restarted and detached from the train. Third, and after a delay of some minutes during which the driver was consulted, the loco was re-attached and the shunting move carried out. There was, needless to say, considerable delay caused both to a local train from Birmingham and a Chiltern service from London.
	Class 66 is the standard motive power for EWS's intermodal traffic on non-electrified lines. When diversions are required for trains normally hauled by class 92 it is usual for the 92 to be removed but on 30 November 2002 the electric locomotive was left behind the 66 on 4M64 Wembley to Daventry. The somewhat rare sight of an electric loco on Hatton Bank is seen in this picture with 66149 hauling 92009 and its train towards Birmingham. The weather was, as one would expect for a working like this, extremely dull, hence the black & white image. The train was fortunately following a unit going to Stratford-upon-Avon so was travelling at walking pace towards an adverse signal, meaning that a fast shutter speed was not required.
	In the middle months of 2005, many class 60s were stored and their workings taken over by 66s. Previously solid 60 turns, such as the heavy steel trains from Margam to Round Oak in the Black Country were handed over to 66s, as witnessed by this shot of 6V07 Round Oak to Margam hauled by 66109 on 12 July 2005. The train is seen passing the well-known but nonetheless attractive location of Croome Perry wood near Pershore in Worcestershire.
	In my opinion, the most attractive livery currently carried by class 66 is the blue of GBRf. These variants, 66/7s, do not regularly appear on the GWR line from Birmingham to Banbury but diversions necessitated by engineering work elsewhere mean that some intermodal traffic traverses the line on occasions. This is 66717 with the 4L21 Hams Hall to Felixstowe approaching Banbury on 12 March 2005.
	Here is another view of the same working as shown above, coincidentally hauled by the same locomotive as it passes Hatton South Junction just as the sun began to appear after early morning mist on 21 January 2005.
	The autumn and winter of 2005 saw the 4M21 Felixstowe to Hams Hall diverted to run via Oxford and Hatton. There was a path shown too for the southbound 4L21 but it did not run, although even if it had, it would have before daybreak. Fortunately, 4M21 runs at a suitable time for photography and the train is seen here climbing through Hatton station behind 66714 on 24 September 2005. I had not intended to photograph this train here, but through early running was not able to get to my chosen location in time. In retrospect, I'm glad that I stayed here, because it does show a train in a clearly indentifiable spot, and I think that this is valuable with something diverted from its normal route. Hatton Bank still presents quite a formidable obstacle to heavy northbound trains with its several miles averaging 1/110 and even the normally quiet class 66 can be heard for some time before coming into sight.
	This photograph is dated 19 February 2005 and shows 66717 climbing Hatton bank with the diverted 4M21 Felixstowe to Hams Hall intermodal. I was a little later arriving than I intended because of icy lanes between where I live and the car park at Hatton, which meant that I was only halfway along the footpath to my chosen spot when the train came. Still, it's quite a decent close-up of the locomotive against a nice clear sky...This was the shot I was aiming for, taken a few minutes later of   67005 on a northbound railtour.
	In the spring of 2005 a short-term trial of MGR traffic took place from Daw Mill colliery near Coleshill to the cement works at Westbury. This train, given the headcode 7Z57, ran only for a few weeks, and I managed just 2 shots of it. This one was by far the better, being taken in reasonable light on 18 March 2005. The location is just to the south of Hatton cutting, and the locomotive is 66134. It seems a long time since regular rakes of HAAs were seen on this route, and it was so long ago that 66s had not been imported when the last regular trains to Didcot Power Station ran this way.
	The Bristol to Birmingham line has recently seen a resurgence in coal traffic from Avonmouth Bulk Handling Terminal to various power stations in the Midlands and further north. This picture shows 66246 passing Ashchurch station on 9 August 2005 with a train of loaded HTAs. Due to the coupling arrangements, only class 66 locomotives can haul these large hoppers, and should the 66 fail and need to be rescued by another class, it needs to be left in the consist for compatibility. This photograph was taken at 11.45 which accounts for the heavy backlighting in evidence.
	Taken from the same footbridge as the photograph above, this one shows 66233 heading south then minutes later with a rake of empty HAAs en-route to Avonmouth from Ironbridge Power Station for reloading. This train was running under the headcode 6Z72, whereas if it had formed of roller bearing fitted HTAs would have been a class 4, allowed to run at up to 75mph. One of the odder features of class 66 is the fitting of side mirrors to make shunting slightly easier for the driver. These are clearly visible in this picture.
	This shot of the VSOE shot was taken on 15 September 2004 part-way up Wilmcote bank. I wasn't able to get out for the inward working to Stratford-upon-Avon at lunchtime, but did get out of work in time to grab a camera and walk up the towpath of local canal to this spot adjacent to the flight of locks leading to Wilmcote. The locomotive on this occasion was 66122.
	Another of the class 66 variants is seen here at Hatton South Junction. This time it is 66407 in the stylish house colours of Direct Rail Services. Freightliner were experiencing some motive power shortages at the time and 66407 was on hire to them when I pictured it hauling 4O17, the 15.52 Lawley Street to Southampton service. 645
	Some trains understandably run under a cloak of semi-secrecy. One of these is the train conveying nuclear material from the Royal Navy's premises at Devonport, to Sellafield in Cumbria. Nevertheless, with the availability of modern technology it is not very often that news of such a working passes unnoticed. This was the case on 11 June 2003 when 66199 was rostered for 6X40. It is seen here passing Stoke Works near Bromsgrove, the train consisting of 2 special nuclear flasks and 2 escort vehicles complete with armed personnel to counter any possible terrorist threat. 645
	On Tuesday 19 July a move of redundant LPG tanks was planned from Avonmouth LPG Terminal to Stoke-on-Trent. In the event this actually ran to Didcot because of train crew difficulties so it seemed likely that a northward move would take place over the next few days. This happened on Wednesday 20 July, the tanks being added to the consist of 6M65. It was timed to leave Didcot at 18.30 and I recorded it passing Bentley Heath crossing behind 66011 at 20.07 in a fortuitous bit of weak late evening sun. Without the tanks, 6M65 would have been a very short train, consisting of just one ferrywagon, as the tank behind this and the one at rear of the train are barriers.
	Following the shot of the LPG tanks shown above, I decided to return to Bentley Heath on 21 July to get a shot of MTho 6M23 Fawley to Bromford Bridge bitumen tanks. The light was was excellent all the way from home with just a few bits of wispy cloud around. I found out that the train, hauled by 66198, had passed Wolvercote Junction around 35 minutes late but wasn't too bothered as it was likely to pass me at around 19.20-19.25 and the sun would be plenty strong enough at that time. Just as I had had that thought, I looked north and saw a large bank of very dark cloud racing towards the sun. To curtail a long story, the train crossed the crossing no more than 15 seconds before the sun was suddenly and totally obscured.
	The fourth colour variant of class 66 is shown here with 66583 hauling 4M55 Southampton to Lawley Street up Hatton Bank on 15 July 2005. This spot is getting very overgrown during the summer months and there is a strong possibility that photography here will be impossible before too many years are out. Young trees have been planted all around the area but my environmentally-friendly views preclude me from doing a hatchet job on them.
	Here's a shot of 66709 on a diverted 4M21 Felixstowe to Hams Hall intermodal on 26 October 2002, complete with "Bluebirds on Tour" headboard. No prizes are offered for guessing the location...
	I had the sunny afternoon of 2 September away from from the office and one of the trains I expected to see at Abbotswood Junction was 6V70 the 10:55 Cliff Vale-Cardiff Tidal empty china clay working. This arrived in the loop where it was held to allow a Voyager and a class 170 to pass. 66150 was finally released at 16.13 and it is seen here drawing the unusually long train back out onto the main line. Class 66 seems to photograph well with a strong lens. Maybe the compressed perspective gives it a more powerful aspect compared with a shot with a wider angle lens which accentuates the long body of the locomotive.
	Round Oak steel terminal in the Black Country takes considerable tonnages of metal from South Wales. The train pictured here is 6M41 from Margam in the hands of 66227 on the afternoon of 2 September 2005. It was photographed at 16.43 moving away from a dead stand at the signal adjacent to the road bridge visible in my shot of 47826. The stop was necessitated by a unit from the Worcester line heading south and thereby blocking the single lead from the Cotswold line. I've included this picture because of the impressive amount of smoke emanating from the locomotive whilst getting its heavy load on the move. The train will turn left at the junction just visible and run via Worcester, Kidderminster and Stourbridge Junction to its destination on the truncated line, which once ran through to Bescot and Walsall.
	My last shot of the day just south of Abbotswood Junction on 2 September 2005 was this of 66068 on the 6X52 14:11 Portbury-Washwood Heath loaded cartics taken at 17.39. I must admit to a fondness for this late afternoon shot showing, as it does, the beautiful Worcestershire scenery at its best.
	Due to engineering work on the Bicester to Oxford line in September 2003, the MOD train from Didcot to Bicester was retimed and diverted. It ran via the Hanwell Loop, Princes Risborough, Aylesbury and Claydon LN&E loop. I pictured it passing Quainton Road station top and tailed by 66060 and 66054 on 4 September. The top and tailed consist was in place in order to avoid runs-round at Claydon Loop. 645
	The short branch from Ashchurch exchange sidings to the MOD facility is the remnant of the line to Evesham and thence to Redditch. The former down line has been partially lifted and the bit that hasn't gone is mostly hidden by bramble bushes. The up line isn't really that much better as can be seen here as 66233 propels its train across one of the 2 foot crossings. It is not an easy branch for photography and in my opinion, this shot from the station footbridge is the about the best.
	Here is an earlier shot at Ashchurch, with a lot more undergrowth than in the picture above, showing 66158 propelling down the branch on 12 June 2000 with 6B30 from Didcot. The footpath mentioned in the caption above was in use today by the runners just visible. They had quite a wait for a clear road as the lengthy train backed very slowly along the branch. 645
	6M31 Banbury to Mountsorrel has been running quite regularly on Saturdays in November and December 2005 and here it is at Hatton South Junction on 19 November behind 66134. I wouldn't normally have put a going-away shot like this online, but it does give a decent view of the Lafarge wagons used on this service.
	One of my favourite areas for railway photography is that around Calvert in Buckinghamshire. This picture shows 66546 on the "Avon Binliner" from Bath & Bristol under the unloading crane at Calvert on 25 June 2004. The box wagons on the adjacent road being unloaded by mechanical grab contained contaminated soil from Baglan Bay in South Wales and formed a short-term flow at this time. 645
	This train is yet another that has ceased to run since this photograph was taken on 14 March 2003. It is the 6E99 Baglan Bay to Humber empty pressure tanks pictured at Whitacre Junction, near Coleshill. 645