Monday; Redhill remains a complicated junction, the 4Z91 comes off the Tonbridge line past the site of Redhill shed, whilst the line to Reigate and Reading crosses the Brighton mainline in the foreground. These flat junctions were a constant source of annoyance to the LB&SCR, along with the fact they were controlled by the South Eastern Railway, so in 1899 they opened the Quarry Line to by-pass the Redhill bottleneck altogether, a function it continues to perform today.

No reefer on Monday's train, simply Norfolk Line and Murfitt curtain-sided swap-bodies.

Tuesday; 7Y36 approaching Horley...

...I was very lucky to get this as the Horsham to London Bridge stopping train was within a few seconds of ruining the shot.

The Brighton main line is one of the busiest in the country, the four track section north of Horley seeing 18 trains each way every hour. Here the 13:32 Victoria to Bognor and Southampton is being overtaken by the 13:36 Victoria to Brighton fast.

An FCC Bedford to Brighton train slowing for the Gatwick stop.

The Brighton line abounds with gradients. Horley is in a dip between the ascent towards Quarry Tunnel in one direction and Balcombe Tunnel Junction in the other. This was the racing ground of the LB&SCR, where B4 4-4-0 no. 70 Holyrood reputedly reached over 80 mph on its 48 minute dash from Victoria to Brighton in July 1903. Here a GatEx set is slowing for the approach to Gatwick Airport, whilst a Bognor/Southampton to Victoria semi-fast is climbing towards Salfords.

Wednesday; like the Brighton Line the former GER Lea Valley line through North London sees an enormous volume of trains, 9 in each direction every hour. And yet it is littered with level crossings and footpath crossings. A pair of 317s approaching Cheshunt whilst a pedestrian crosses the line.

The early WAGN livery was one of my favourites of the post-privatisation era, it even gave the non-descript 317/6 units some character.

Alas no livery change will ever redeem the 317/5s, the most woebegone of the BR-era EMUs engineered from the Mk 3 carriage. The redundant Cheshunt Junction signal box still bears its Network Southeast sign.

NXEA's 18:08 from Liverpool Street via Seven Sisters and the Southbury Loop arrives in the bay platform at Cheshunt whilst Advenza 66844 approaches on the 6E94 from Sheerness to Shipley.

And here it is, accelerating after a signal check behind a Liverpool Street to Hertford East train.

Thursday; a meeting in London offered the chance of another shot at the 7Y36 at Clapham Junction. But it didn't run. So by way of compensation is 159001 on the 13:20 to Yeovil Junction with a representative sample of other SWT and Southern units normally seen at Clapham.

An evening visit to Highbury & Islington. The usual crowds cramming onto a Stratford bound 313s. the new class 378s can't come too soon.

GBRf's 4L22 from Hams Hall to Felixstowe drifts through Highbury, hot on the heels of that 313.

4L22 barely warrants a glance from the hordes waiting for the next Overground train absorbed(?) by their copies of London Lite and The London Paper