321405 heads into Walsall with a service from Birmingham International

56312, still on hire to Colas, moves some maintenance machinery from Westerleigh and is seen near journeys end by Walsall cement terminal

87034 is on the rear with sister locos 87003 and 87006 being hauled by 66723 on 0Z90 Long Marston-Crewe. This is the first time more than one full Bulgarian livery 87 has appeared in this move. The low winter sun does a cracking job in picking out all of the bodyside details of the 87s

57315 leads 57314 in Arriva colours at Gaer Jcn, Newport with the inaugral weekday service from Holyhead to Cardiff Central

A closer shot of 57315

Alternative crop to the previous shot

A silver Arriva 158 emerges from the newer tunnel at Gaer Jcn

FGW HST grumbles past as it accelerates towards Cardiff

FGW 150121 still wears Silverlink colours and is seen about to enter the tunnel

The silver Arriva 158 returns from Cardiff

An HST rounds the curve from Alexandra Docks Jcn towards Newport

Another 57, this time 57006 as it clags up at Gaer Jcn

The sun finally comes around and out on to a new Arriva liveried 175

And the same for an old FGW liveried but Arriva operated 175

An HST catches the sun as it heads into Newport

A 3-car FGW 158/9 seen leaving Newport

The last Central Trains liveried 3-car 170 no 170639 heads towards Cardiff. On it's return this was to be my unit back to Birmingham

43009 stands at Newport in the sun at the head of its service

67028 at Newport at the head of FGWs Taunton-Cardiff loco hauled service. Today it was running late due to 67017 failing, a quick run through the triangle at Bristol put 028 on the front and hey presto

Here we see the train as it has terminated at Cardiff Central. A Class 142 departs on a Valley line service behind

Another view of the 67 and the Cargo-D mk2s, which whilst appearing everywhere have lost none of their charm

A lower angle of 67028 just before the train was cleared to shunt

The disgraced 67017 at the rear complete with emergency tail-lamp heading out of Cardiff with the shunt. I don't know whether the return trip ran due to the problems

66303 is seen at Stoke Prior working 4Z18 to Portbury to collect coal on a recently started flow for Fastline