A spare day to get back home meant a trip to Warrington & Preston for two charters, as well as a timely arrival into Glasgow Central alongside a third charter train.

Riviera Class 47s working a charter to the Highlands, EWS class 37 returning from the MOD facility at Glen Douglas, plus Freightliner 86s on their booked working to Crewe Basford Hall all in one day - unfortunately all in dullius maximus.

Good day for charters in Central Scotland as a pair of class 47s made their way north and DRS 20/37 headed to the West Highlands

An unusual visitor these days to Grangemouth - a class 60 brings the evening trip working to Mossend out of Fouldubs yard, Grangemouth

A glorious, but cold autumn day and the chance of a couple of nice locations with Stirling Castle in background of one and Wallace Monument forming the backdrop of another

Late running oil train with a rariety at the front (a class 60), plus the newly started DRS train from Inverness on behalf of Russells plus the Shanks liveried freightliner loco on coal made for an interesting 30mins at Carmuirs...

Weekend engineering at Auchterarder meant a nosey around the area to see if there was anything worth taking a picture of...

After a visit to Warrington it was off to Winwick Jnct for some late evening photting

Some spare time after work and a sunny evening meant a visit to Warrington for the class 60s on the Liverpool Docks - Fiddlers Ferry trains

A couple of Saturday specials booked through Springburn made the trip worthwhile, even if the sun didn't shine at the right moment!

Quick trip to Perth to catch the DBS hauled Railhead Treatment Train (RHTT), via a stop at Blackford for the Aberdeen bound DRS intermodal

A temporary respite from work commitments and a nice day as well, meant a few shots in the local area around Larbert.

A sunny Saturday afternoon for a change and a couple of unusual locos round my neck of the woods. Shanks liveried 66522 on coal for Longannet and a class 60 returning from Grangemouth with more loaded oil tanks

I had the priviledge of a quick visit into Royal Mail's PRDC near Wembley, where I happened to chance upon the stored Porterbrook owned class 66s previously operated by DRS and more recently by the now defunct Advenza freight. Only had small digital, so not the best pics ever.

Annual shutdown of ECML for a few weekends and the promise of sun, at least 10 engineers trains in the possession and a class 60 amongst them was too much to resist a very early Sunday morning start. Saw a lot, but not a lot in any reasonable photo location. For the record the class 60 was 60022 which was hidden in a cutting.

Plenty of variety in Edinburgh with the Royal Train, Northern Belle and Royal Scotsman, plus the Fife loco haul all making an appearance during the early part of the day. Pity the sun didn't shine when it mattered...

Some local gen that 37025 would drop onto the last trip of the afternoon on the SRPS railway at Bo'Ness coincided with a spare hour or two with my daughter, so off we went in search of "diesel" from Thomas the Tank Engine

Sunny couple of days in prospect and a couple of workings plus locations I wanted to get in the sun and the odd special steam train and Royal class 67 duty as well.

Whilst visiting Lincolnshire for the Scunthorpe Blockade trains, I took a visit to the Gainsborough - Doncaster line to record a couple of the diverted trains (binliners)

Two quick visits to the station in order to get the semaphores and signalbox at east end of station in the evening sun with a train also in view. Failed fairly dismally both times, bar one coal train in hazy sun!

Plan for the day was to photograph the weekly GBRf operated unit drag between Shields Road Glasgow and Springburn works, but word of 37419 operating 6S51 engineers train to Mossend (which then failed en-route)meant a couple of diversions before and after the main event..

A day in the Midlands with one aim - to pursue the two Colas workings to/from Dollands Moor (Burton steel & Hams Hall intermodal) with a good deal of success on the latter thanks to obtaining some local knowledge on an excellent location, near Ansty, just north of Brinklow loop.

A day in the Midlands with one simple aim - to pursue the two Colas workings to/from Dollands Moor (Burton on Trent & Hams Hall) and get in the sun if possible. Turned into a good day, with added spectacle of green class 31190 hauling BR blue 47270 between preservation railways

Following the failure of one of the Colas 47 (dragging brakes), the normal overnight train from Dollands Moor to Burton on Trent was retimed to depart at 13:15 with rather colourful 56312 to accompany the other colas 47. Unfortunately, torrential downpours all day stopped any chance of nice pleasant pics, but an unusual event such of this should still be recorded...

Newly painted into DBS colours - 37670 leads 37401 on 1Z24 Edinburgh - Oban Northern Belle, it's 1st revenue earning duty since it's repaint into the new owners' colours.

A visit after work in order to catch some engineers trains returning from S&C blockade at Wigan North Western failed to turn up anything special, despite being armed with all the gen anyone could possibly need!

A couple of opportunities to photograph the class 67 hauled Fife Circle commuter service during July and August

On way back from photographing in Lincolnshire I got wind of two class 60's working through Yorkshire, so a couple of diversions to catch them on 1st July 2009. A month later and it was a similar style dash to catch 60040 in the last of the evening light at Moat Hill LC, Ings road, Doncaster

With the Scunthorpe - Doncaster blockade in place until September, it was time to spend two trips attempting to take sunny shots of trains on the three diversionary routes. Here are some of the shots from Lincoln line south west of Barnetby.

The (now) rarely used Dunfermline - Longannet line had a surprise visitor in the form of an engineers train returning south from a possession near the Forth Bridge one Sunday morning

Not much time to spare in order to catch the "Queen of Scots" stock returning from a wedding in Fort William, and 87002 operating the "Electric Scot" railtour from Glasgow

Having gone up to Inverness earlier in the week, the DRS37s returned with their test train, but a swap over of one of the 37s led to a very smart looking 37611 leading the way south on a circuitous route to Craigentinny (involving 2 visits to Larbert)

A rare visit from a class 60 in Scotland and today allocated for the Dalston - Grangemouth tanks and return loaded tanks to Mossend

With the Scunthorpe - Doncaster blockade in place until September, it was time to spend two days taking shots on the three diversionary routes. Although the weather was very hot, the sun didn't always play ball and in not knowing the area, much time was spent looking for locations. However, I generally found the best area was around Wrawby Jnct, where foot crossings and paths running around a small pond (between Brigg and Lincoln line) were the best spots assuming the sun was in the right spot.

Pair of DRS37s once again replacing ex class 150 (950001) on 2Q08 and seen here on its way to Inverness for a few days on the Far North lines

With the Scunthorpe - Doncaster blockade in place until September, it was time to spend two days taking shots on the three diversionary routes. Not knowing the area, much time was spent looking at locations where sun was in right spot. This was particularly true of this line, where I would wait for 2hrs in perfect sunshine, then moments before the train, a cloud would cover the shot! Just need to go back again...

With the Scunthorpe - Doncaster blockade in place until September, it was time to spend two trips attempting to get sunny shots on the three diversionary routes. Not knowing the area, much time was spent looking at locations where sun was in right spot. These are some from the Brigg line from the visits in early July and mid August.

Carmuirs East Jnct was replaced over the early May bank holiday and I cycled down to the junction near my local patch to see what was going on.

Preserved Western D1015 made for an unusual sight on 1Z52 Bristol - Inverness charter, seen at Plean Castle and then later at Murthly south of Dunkeld and leaving Inver tunnel north of Dunkeld

A spare day to get back home meant a trip to Warrington & Preston for three charters. Here is some of the other variety that day.