Day one was bright and sunny. The railways at the time were on the verge of huge change, so I was after photographing the locomotives and stock that were up for imminent replacement.
One of my objectives were Class 25s. They'd been numerous, but by 1983 were waning fast.
I was delighted when the Class 47 train engine on my first train of the day from Banbury to Birmingham New Street failed between Leamington and Coventry.
After a bit of a delay 25.193 was summoned to the rescue. Not only did I get pictures of a Class 25, I got to travel behind one. Rare at the best of times.
From Birmingham I headed across to Leicester, then on to Loughborough and then Nottingham before returning to Birmingham New Street and Banbury.
Leaning out of the diesel multiple unit leaving Derby I got some shots of locomotives at the stabling point, and also the one only 920.001, property of the Research Department.
It was a good day's haul of pictures. They're nowhere near the pictorial or technical standards I aspire to today, but as a series of record shots of railways in the Midlands in 1983 I'm very happy with them.
To see the pictures, go to my UK Railway Scene - 1983 Album.
