Paddington in the mid-1980s was mainly HST with most of the loco-hauled trains being peak-hour ones that went out to Old Oak Common for the day. Once they had arrived, the next loco in line was dropped o the rear and took the stock out to the sidings: just about any loco could be used as, although it took quite a time to get through the washing apron, it wasn’t far. There were loco diagrams, but as most of them merely said that the loco would go to Old Oak after being released, a certain amount of flexibility was possible. However, when the coaches were to go straight out on a train, there had to be a certain amount of coordination to ensure that the proper diagrammed loco went on the front.
There was an hourly loco-hauled Oxford service (some went to Birmingham and north) outside the peak; those trains merely got a locomotive dropping on the back of the stock and taking it out. The released locomotive would then usually work the next service. In the peak, the same would happen; locomotive would bring in the ECS from Old Oak, another locomotive would drop on and haul the train, released locomotive would work the next peak service. Towards the end of the peak stock would be worked to Old Oak etc.
Paddington workings in the 1980s are quite easy to come by; you can obtain quite a bit of information about four years (1981, 1982, 1985 and 1989) via Timetable World and the BR Coaching Stock group on groups.io. The latter has working books for 1981, 1985 and 1989 for Paddington (thus covering early-, mid- and late-decade) while the former has the Reading working books for 1982 (as well as 1981). Furthermore there are marshalling books for 1984 and circuit workings for some other 80s years for the WR available on the aforementioned groups.io group.
In the mid-80s, starting from 1982 it was indeed mostly HST, including most Oxford off-peak workings. However there were one or two classic loco-hauled workings out to Oxford in the off-peak period, and in 1984 and 1985 there were two 50-hauled Penzances at 0940 and 1340.
The Oxford HSTs were mostly fill-in turns in between longer-distance IC services, which were presumably used to give faster midday journey times to Oxford at a time of day when many HSTs would otherwise be unused. Close to, and during, the peak, Oxford was fully classic loco-hauled.
In 1981 the Oxfords mostly went to either Worcester or Birmingham and were still standard loco-hauled. These were largely self-contained on each route, there being little interworking between Worcesters and Birminghams.
By 1989 Sectorisation had come into play and consequently the majority of Oxfords were now classic loco-hauled NSE services off peak, except one HST over the Cotswolds line and another for Stratford. Other lines were mostly HST but (surprisingly) there were a couple of standard loco-hauled Bristol services in the evening peak. By this time, a two-hourly Newbury fast had also been introduced - which didn't exist earlier in the 80s.
This thread gives more info:
This topic has come up in various other threads but with the availability of the Reading station working books from 1982 on Timetable World, plus the existence of many Paddington working books on the BR Coaching Stock groups.io group, it means it's now possible to get a detailed view of services...
www.railforums.co.uk
To give a selection of 1989 workings (as 1989 had more classic hauled services; sorry, no loco diagrams, just coaching stock) on the Oxford and Newbury routes:
0915 Manchester off 0842 Wolverhampton (InterCity sector, presumably)
1015 Oxford formed off ECS from OOC, previously worked peak up service
(1036 Stratford HST off 1000 arrival from Penzance)
1047 Newbury formed off ECS from OOC, previously worked peak up service
(1115 HST to Worcester off 0944 arrival from Hereford)
1215 Oxford formed off 1200 arrival from Oxford
1240 Newbury formed off ECS from OOC, previously worked up service earlier in the day
1315 Oxford again formed ECS OOC
1415 Oxford formed off 1304 arrival from Oxford
1440 Newbury formed off 1310 arrival from Newbury
1515 Oxford formed off 1359 arrival from Oxford
1615 Oxford formed off 1515 arrival from Newbury
Despite regular hauled services that year, still quite a few incoming ECSs from OOC during the morning, and corresponding outgoing OOC ECS workings (e.g. 11+16 off 1056 Newbury arrival and 11+22 off 1100 Oxford arrival).
Some other unexpected classic hauled services in 1989 on mostly HST routes included the 1219 arrival from Swansea, out to OOC and back, forming the 1538 Plymouth and the 1817 and 1823 Bristol services (FX but otherwise neither appeared to be dated; wonder why there were two within 6 minutes?) off morning up Bristol services.