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Written by Tom Cripps - 26 Jan 2016
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Location notes
Widney Manor is a small, two platform station in Warwickshire, close to the border with Birmingham. The nearest large place to it is Solihull. The location is on the Chiltern Mainline, from Birmingham Snow Hill to London Marylebone.
Railway type and traffic
This railway is a mainline, and a quite heavily used one, too! On the average weekday, one can expect to see:
  • Arriva CrossCountry with classes 220 and 221 (Newcastle to Reading and Southampton Central).
  • London Midland with class 172s (Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcester Foregate Street, Kidderminster and Stourbridge Junction to Leamington Spa, Stratford-Upon Avon and Dorridge).
  • Chiltern Railways with Class 68s with Mk3 stock and a DVT, 165s, 168s and 172s (Kidderminster, Stourbridge Junction, Birmingham Snow Hill and Birmingham Moor Street to Leamington Spa and London Marylebone).

    There is also freight flows through the station. On the average weekday, expect to see a mixture of Freightliner and DB Schenker. From 0600 to 2000, there is approximately 28 workings. Not all of these are scheduled to run, however so be careful.
  • Link to Real Time Trains
    RTT Link Widney Manor Station Car Park
    This link should be close to the location, but may not be the actual location so please check the page. This link will take you to what is happening 'around now'. Dates and times can be changed at the top of the page.
    Environment
    Looking North, towards Birmingham, you will be near a locked gate. There is a chest-height chain link fence there which you can quite easily place your lens over, through or on. You will be behind a bush too.
    Looking South, toward Dorridge, you will be near another locked gate. There is another fence but a bit higher. You will be reasonably near a golf course, which has been fenced off and is at the bottom of the embankment of which the car park station sit upon. Both areas are very safe, and there is little to no crime in the general area of which the location(s) are based.
    Road directions
    From the M42, Junction 5:
    Heads south onto the A4141 and take the first right, almost immediately after the roundabout, on to Lady Byron Lane. After just over a mile at the crossroads turn right and then at the roundabout take the third exit signed towards Wideny Manor. Shortly after passing under the M42 you will see a sign for the station on a left turn. Follow the signs and you will reach the station and the car park location.

    Click here to set up your location for directions to this location

    Widney Manor Station Car Park map co-ordinates
    Parking
    The location is a car park - decide for yourself!
    Public transport
    You may get the train here. Most if not all the workings that stop here are London Midland, with a service roughly every half an hour on Mondays to Saturdays, with a reduced service of 1 train stopping per hour on Sundays.
    There is no bus service to this location.

    Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
    Amenities
    The closest place to purchase food and what-not is either Dorridge or Solihull, both very short distances away by train.
    Accommodation
    Due to the nearly totally residential occupation of the area that the locations are situated in, again the nearest place for accommodation is either Solihull or Dorridge.
    Sun Compass
    Sun Compass using Suncalc by brought to you by Vladimir Agafonkin:
    It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
    Widney Manor Station Car Park

    Googly map
    Streetmap links
    Widney Manor Station Car Park general view map
    Widney Manor Station Car Park close up map

    Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
    Widney Manor Station Car Park



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    Photographic notes
    Because of the North end being flanked tall trees and a bank either side of the line, the best time of day for photography is between 10:00 in the morning and 16:00 in the afternoon. The best idea for shooting is just when the train reaches the signal further up the line but closest to you.
    Looking South, there is less restriction on times due to significant lack of trees on one side of the line. The best angle here is low, as it evokes a powerful background to the image.
    There is no disruption to videographers. The only small thing worthy of note is the M42 which is around 1/4 of a mile away but doesn't cause much sound pollution.


    General views - All photographs © Tom Cripps unless otherwise stated
    Fig 1 - Looking south

    
Fig 1 - Looking south


    Fig 2 - Looking north

    
Fig 2 - Looking north


    Fig 3 - Looking south

    
Fig 3 - Looking south


    Location Video



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