Part 3 (June - July)

With the Preston-bound platform of Lostock Hall station just visible in the background, 195107 approaches Lostock Hall Junction with Northern's 1B22 0921 Blackpool North - York (01/06/2021)

195102 descends towards Lostock Hall station having just climbed over the WCML from Farington Curve Junction with 1B24 1022 Blackpool North - York (01/06/2021)

507003 awaits departure from Ormskirk with Merseyrail's 2G39 1208 to Liverpool Central (01/06/2021)

507033 departs Walton on 2O19 Liverpool Central - Ormskirk. With their intended replacements in the process of being delivered, the 40+ year-old EMUs are now on borrowed time and whilst I'm not about to jump on any 'farewell' bandwagon as such, it would have been rude not to make use of a worthwhile photographic opportunity (01/06/2021)

The real reason I'd alighted at Walton was to record Colas Rail Freight's 56096, which in this view has just passed the junction with the Kirkby line on its way to Aintree with 0D05 0915 from Crewe Basford Hall. This unusual driver training run had kicked off by covering Merseyrail's Northern line from Bootle Junction to Southport, then back down to Sandhills to access the Ormskirk line (01/06/2021)

The rear end view of 56096 as it passes through the platform at Walton. A passing cloud had unfortunately deprived me of the slightly more colourful image that I'd been hoping for but out of the five shots I managed to grab of this incredibly rare working it's still probably the pick of the bunch (01/06/2021)

Some twenty minutes later 56096 is seen passing Kirkdale TMD on its way back from Aintree with 0D05. With a reduced Merseyrail service currently in operation I'd already had to walk the short distance between Walton and Rice Lane to pick up a Kirkby line train to get here but having misjudged the distance from Kirkdale station I'd literally arrived with seconds to spare after a running the last couple of hundred yards down the road (01/06/2021)

Having been in position at Bank Hall to record the last leg of the road-learning trip from Sandhills up to Hall Road I'd made the fatal mistake of assuming it would wait time and momentarily wandered off in search of a non-existent shot as the 'Grid' rumbled through the station beneath me. A delay to the next Southport service then meant I was struggling to even intercept it on the way back before it disappeared off the network at Bootle Junction. Fortunately however with my departing EMUs having just rounded the bend I was able to capture this view of 56096 passing through the now-disused section of the platforms at Bootle Oriel Road (01/06/2021)

The rear end view of 56096 as it passes through Bootle Oriel Road with 0D05 0915 Crewe Basford Hall - Crewe Basford Hall. Just visible in the distance is the signal controlling Bootle Junction with the feather indicating the road set towards Olive Mount (01/06/2021)

Freightliner's 66550 cruises through the low level platfroms at Tamworth with 4O35 0931 Crewe Basford Hall - Southampton Maritime (03/06/2021)

Later that afternoon 66561 rounds the curve on the approach to Avoncliff with the similarly lightly loaded 4O57 1329 Wentloog - Southampton Maritime (03/06/2021)

Viewed from the station footbridge at Freshford, 66547 heads for the capital via the Berks and Hants route with 6A83 1417 Avonmouth - West Drayton (03/06/2021)

Having made the effort to get all the way out here, not only did I not get the weather I was hoping for, but one of the most solid '60' turns in the country also let me down! 66083 sweeps through the curves at Freshford with the 6B33 1335 Theale - Robeston Murco petroleum empties (03/06/2021)

For a long while I've been intrigued by the Mendip stone traffic as it's something I've never previously pointed my camera towards. My last port of call for today therefore was Berkley Marsh on the outskirts of Frome, where Freightliner's 66616 is pictured at the head of 6V18 1120 Allington - Whatley Quarry (03/06/2021)

Bringing a much needed splash of colour on what was a disappointingly gloomy evening, 59205 approaches the same spot shortly afterwards with 6C76 1439 Acton - Whatley (03/06/2021)

Next up were 66542 + 66623 with the late running 7C77 1241 Acton - Merehead (03/06/2021)

Completing a quartet of empty trains in just over an hour, 66568 + 59001 crawl towards Berkley Lane with 6C64 1525 Acton - Merehead (03/06/2021)

With the sun finally making an appearance I'd relocated to the Pot Lane bridge which was visible in the background of my earlier photos. 800302 slows for Clink Road Junction as it nears the end of its journey with 1J93 1808 Paddington - Frome (03/06/2021)

I suddenly found myself blessed with some quite spectacular lighting and was keen to point the camera at anything that moved as I knew it was unlikley to last for long. 802111 heads west at Pot Lane with 1C93 1837 Paddington - Plymouth (03/06/2021)

Just as the train I'd been pinning my hopes on was departing Westbury the sun got tangled up in a stray cloud and I was fearing the worst. Sometimes you earn your bit of good fortune though and this one's pretty much worth the trip on its own: with the famous White Horse looking on from the hillside in the background, 59002 'Alan J Day' approaches Pot Lane with 7C66 1907 Wootton Bassett - Merehead Quarry (03/06/2021)

There was still time for an unexpected bonus shot before I headed back into Frome for my train: 66623 + 59103 catch the last of the evening sunlight at Berkley Marsh with the heavily delayed 7A16 1705 Merehead Quarry - Hanwell Bridge Loop (03/06/2021)

I was back for more the next morning, and after a longer walk than anticipated thanks to a couple of wrong turns found myself at Fairwood Junction just in time to see 59103 'Village of Mells' crawling off the Westbury avoiding line with the 7C29 0641 Acton - Merehead empties. For once I was grateful that the forecast sunshine hadn't yet broken through fully as I'd have been shooting straight towards it from here (04/06/2021)

Against a welcome backdrop of blue skies, 59104 'Village of Great Elm' eases 7A17 1024 Merhead - Acton across the pointwork at Fairwood Junction and heads into Westbury (04/06/2021)

Following closely behind was the train that should actually have been the first of the pair to arrive: Freightliner's 66510 performs a similar manoeuvre with 6M20 1038 Whatley Quarry - Kentish Town Churchyard Sidings (04/06/2021)