Before travelling to Loughborough from Cheltenham via Attenborough and Nottingham aboard 170 637 and then 158 857 on Monday 2 March 2020 , I was first able to observe 220 034 forming the 1540 Cross Country service to Manchester, 166 214 on the 1547 Great Western service to Great Malvern, the 1552 Cross Country service to Penzance in the hands of 221 123 and the 1558 departure of GWR liveried 800 006 to Paddington.

Cross Country 170 103 was noted at Birmingham New Street, and at Derby 158 770 and 43465 (East Midlands Railway). Track machine 73904 at Long Eaton and at Nottingham 43054, 158s 785, 813, 846, 847 and 222 102.

Wednesday 4 March 2020 at Loughborough Station of the Great Central Railway yielded the sight of steam locomotives 46521 (2-6-0), 48305 (2-8-0) and 92214 (2-10-0) as well as diesel electrics D123, 1705 “Sparrowhawk” (blue) D5185, D6535 (blue) D8098, 37 714 “Cardiff Canton” (Railfreight Metals) 50 017 “Royal Oak” (Network South East).

D8098 was the only locomotive running, arriving from the south with a “windcutter” train of 16 ton mineral wagons and a bauxite liveried BR brake van. This was so that its sounds could be recorded for a train simulation computer game.

Returning home on Thursday 5 March 2020 I noted 43052/43049, 43055/ 43046, 43059/43073 and also 222s 004, 007, 021 and 022 at Loughborough Station next to the former Brush locomotive works before 222 102 took me to Nottingham.

My Cross Country train from Nottingham to Cheltenham was 170 106. I also noted 170 639 and at Derby 222s 101 and 107. 66 522 was seen just north of Birmingham.