Just a short update today, I noted that the Nothern Belle was out and about today running from Cardiff to London via the GWML. The outboard working was due through the Thames Valley mid morning but I had to work so was unable to get out for a shot, however looking over the timings I noticed it was booked a two minute stop at Didcot in the evening for a crew change giving the chance of a night phot.
I arrived in plenty of time and set up my gear as a down HST pulled in on platform 1 shortly before the booked crew change time. I hoped the charter would be following it down and it was indeed as 67001 glided in at the helm of 1Z26 Kensington Olympia – Cardiff with 67005 dead on the rear for its crew change
After a number of weeks of engineering works over the weekends on the relief lines twixt Didcot and Reading the relief lines were finally open for the first weekend in quite a while meaning freight could again run via the Thames Valley instead of being diverted via the WCML. To celebrate this occasion the sun decided to come out and play! 
I went out for the first liner at Oxford as I hadn’t been out here for a while, the location is pretty good now as a large number of trees and bushes have been cleared opening the location up nicely. The first liner of the day is 4O14 Ditton – Southampton and bang on time 66577 rolled into view with a nice load on board!
I then decided to move on to Moreton cutting in the hope of grabbing a shot of the 6O26 Hinskey – Eastleigh engineers but it seemed to be cancelled, instead I got 66588 on a Fresh Air Express with zero containers onboard! It passed me at 11:33 which I presumed was a late running 4O27 Garston – Southampton. However on getting home I saw a TOPS report and 66577 was apparently on 4O27 and 66588 was 4O14 which is very strange indeed? Input error perhaps?
I had some holiday to use up before the the new holiday period started so I booked the week off, the weather was pretty poor but perked up on Friday with decent spells of sunshine so I had a look to see what was running and saw a couple of early afternoon liners were due down so I decided to head over to Moreton cutting, the recent heavy snow and rain over the past week had turned the track up to the bridge into quagmire which was interesting!
The first working I was expecting was one of the liners but was rather suprised to see a 60 heading the other way, a quick dash to the otherside of the bridge and I grabbed a shot of 60096 working the late running 6B35 Hayes – Moreton-on-Lugg. A nice nice suprise and bonus now that the Class 60 fleet is being run down with only a handful of examples still running!
Just a couple of minutes after the tug had passed a bright light appeared on up relief which was the liner I was expecting and was hammering along at a decent lick. 66956 was at the helm of the 4O54 Leeds – Southampton and my first photo of one of the low emmison class 66/9 sub class still looking fairly clean after just being in the country a couple of months.
