I must say that the HDR image of the paired-up 222s looks a lot better than the standard one. Goodness knows how your iPhone does it, but fair dos to it. Far superior to the camera on a BlackBerry 8520 Curve that's for sure...
As for advice on cameras, I'm definitely not the person to ask on that. As others have said, it depends what level of photography you're at, what you want to achieve and all of that sort of thing. If your iPhone can do the job you want, then why bother paying out shed loads of cash for some fancy thing that's too complicated and impossible to master? Professional photographers, yes I can understand their wanting a DSLR, but for us normal photographers who desire to capture the current railway scene, then usually we're not going to need such a device.
Comments on the photos in general, starting with the HST shot. Nowt wrong with it as it is, however that opinion changes depending on what you're trying to convey with the shot. As it is, it's a clean three-quarter profile shot of the power car. If that's all you need from the shot, then good stuff. Perhaps, however, you'd like to convey a sense of busyness at Nottingham at this time. In which case, this shot doesn't work. A shot of the HST in general at Nottingham perhaps? If so, I'd have gone for platform 3 and gone as far west down that platform as you can, as that would much more clearly show the whole train and, should it have been of mixed liveries, given the photo something extra. I hope you see what I'm getting at and that's it's merely constructive criticism.
As for the 222 shot, that one I'd have liked more if it had been shot from further on up the platform and showed more of the 158 as well, a staggered effect if you will. The paired 222s, the HDR shot is the better of the two for showing off the vibrant colours more, what I'd have changed is the angle. Lower down and facing the couplers at a 90 degree angle (that is, 90 degrees from the side of the 222), offering both a view of the coupled-up 222s and also that of anything else that would have otherwise been blocked out of view. Looks like nothing else would have been viewable, certainly if there was I can't see it. Hope you see what I mean by that.
I'd show you exactly what I mean with my own photos, alas I'm busy uploading to Photobucket at the moment thus cannot access my albums. Should I remember to do so next time I'm online, which may not be for a few days, I'll show you then.
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Finally got around to having a look for what I meant with regards to the HST shot, hopefully I've got this right
43046, Nottingham, 18th July 2009 by
43002, on Flickr
Also this one
A closer view of 43046, 18th July 2009 by
43002, on Flickr
the photos are very nice. I like the Class 222, I think it's a popular one as well. I may have missed this, but where were they taken?