DR 98959 leads a pair of struggling MLV evhicles up the Lickey incline

When it got closer it became apparent that only the rear engine was running. And this failed just after crossing Vigo Bridge, DOH!!

And there's true irony in that grafitti - it says 'Only half way to go, are you gonna make it?' - the answer being 'NO'

170633 working a Hereford to Birmingham service was the first thing through after the MLVs had sat down for 35 minutes

This was the shot. I believe it's a newer working, the Mondays only 6M57 Margam-Kingsbury loaded tanks. Yes, nearly 30 LOADED, 66213 is helped to crawl up with 66059 giving some shove at the rear

A bit later in the day, and with the cloud making it just about off full sun, 37682+37194 work 6M56 Berkeley-Crewe flasks, running early as usual too

66725 nears journeys end as it passes Hams Hall freightliner terminal with a Doncaster Decoy-Daw Mill empty coal run for GBRf

66092 worked an aggregate train bound for Mountsorrel and about ten feet in fron tof the loco for the entire run from Water Orton, the sun ws disappearing behind a cloud!

1P13 Wrexham-London is lead through Bradnocks Marsh (note the trad shot is totally vegged out) by 67014 in a pleasant enough patch of weather

A CrossCountry Super Voyager (with the 'SUper' isolated of course) runs through Coaley with a northbound service

And so does another one, still in good weather, but you can see the front in the background creeping up. Curiously all 4 northbound Voyagers seen at Coaley had the 1st class leading

Ah, this is the stuff - 60009 thumoing away at the head of everyones (near the Midlands) favourite Class 60 working, 6E41

The tug was followed not too distantly by the NMT, which was signal checked by a service just departed Cam & Dursley in front of it

With it's missing digit 66540, or '6540' as it shows, thrashes up the gentler gradient to Patchway having just exited Patchway new tunnel around the corner

As the dull of that weather fron seen earlier at Coaley arrived, an HST to Paddington is seen leaving Patchway new tunnel showing just how far the two lines are seperated to give a gentler climb than the gradient of descending trains

Another HST from cardiff-Paddington, seen this time from a footbridge near Pilning at Over

Having taken a massive gamble to take the 67s here rather than the Pathcway tunnel shot, I'm pleased to say it appears to have paid off.

67029 at the rear of FGWs loco hauled Taunton service completing the immense livery froth which occurred for the first week of running without Class 57s

158955 approaches the eastern portal of the Severn tunnel with a service from Portsmouth Harbour

As does an HST, the shot having been cleared recently by some track relaying and also realignment of signal positions too. Who says progress is a bad thing?

67016 and 67017 were the decidedly non frothy pairing on the Paignto-Cardiff loco hauled set, but it's always lovely to see those Cargo D carriages

After a long ride up the M5, the sun decided to make it look like it may play around Stoke Works. As it was a Friday this means the 18:12 New St-Plymouth (ex Dundee) was on the cards. 43285 does the honours just as clouds start to flirt with the edge of the sunlight

66430 just about made it in the sun working 6Z70 loaded scrap to Cardiff Tidal

I deliberately changed to the telephoto for the two shots of 6Z70 to vary it from the HST