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Location notes
This location is off the northern Didcot bypass, A4130, and provides southbound views of the Great Western between London and Birmingham.
Railway type and traffic
Mainly units such as Voyagers, and Diesel - Networkers, Turbostars and sometimes a few steam trains on special occasions.
Various freight trains, predominantly 66 hauled, including numerous Freightliner trains to/from Southampton.
Various freight trains, predominantly 66 hauled, including numerous Freightliner trains to/from Southampton.
Environment
The location is on a rather exposed bank onto the A4130, which can get slippery in wet weather. Should the elements close in it is a 5 to 10 minute walk to get cover depending on where you have parked your car.
Road directions
From the A34:
Take the exit marked Didcot (Milton Park/A4130), and head east on the A4130. Turn left at the first roundabout and then straight over the next two roundabouts. At the next roundabout, you can take the third exit and park on one of the roads in the industrial park (using one of the appropriately named Churchward, Gooch, Hawksworth or Collett roads), or you can drive straight across this roundabout, passing over the location, and take the third exit at the next roundabout and park in the housing estate.
Once you parked you car in either the housing or industrial estate, walk back to the A4130 and head to the bridge to the north east side of the bridge. The shot is slightly down the side of the embankment. Although there is palisade fencing at the top of the bridge, it does not continue far, and does not encroach into the shot.
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Didcot, North Junction map co-ordinates
Take the exit marked Didcot (Milton Park/A4130), and head east on the A4130. Turn left at the first roundabout and then straight over the next two roundabouts. At the next roundabout, you can take the third exit and park on one of the roads in the industrial park (using one of the appropriately named Churchward, Gooch, Hawksworth or Collett roads), or you can drive straight across this roundabout, passing over the location, and take the third exit at the next roundabout and park in the housing estate.
Once you parked you car in either the housing or industrial estate, walk back to the A4130 and head to the bridge to the north east side of the bridge. The shot is slightly down the side of the embankment. Although there is palisade fencing at the top of the bridge, it does not continue far, and does not encroach into the shot.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Didcot, North Junction map co-ordinates
Parking
Public transport
First Greater Western Link and First Great Western and Thames Trains all operate services to Didcot.
Stagecoach Oxford buses from Oxford, Abingdon and Wantage daily and Thames Travel from Wallingford during the week.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Stagecoach Oxford buses from Oxford, Abingdon and Wantage daily and Thames Travel from Wallingford during the week.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Amenities
Didcot centre is around a 20 minute walk from this location, and contains a good range of shops. On Didcot Parkway station there is a "Lemon Tree" on one of the platforms and a Spar by the main entrance. The station has toilet facilities.
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.
Didcot, North Junction
Streetmap links
Didcot, North Junction general view map
Didcot, North Junction close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Didcot, North Junction
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Didcot, North Junction
Googly map
Didcot, North Junction general view map
Didcot, North Junction close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Didcot, North Junction
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Photographic notes
The line is pretty well north south at this location, but only the south bound shot here is of any note. This shot is ideal from around 10am to around 12am and there are a number of viewpoints at varying heights here. There is a north bound shot off a footbridge some way to the south of this location. All of the shots here are a long telephoto shot, from between 200mm and 400mm. The road noise is quite loud and intrusive so probably not a location for videographers.
General views - All photographs © Richard Tearle unless otherwise stated
Fig 1 - Looking south
A 400mm shot on a sunny June morning.
Fig 2 - Looking south
A 200mm shot on a sunny June morning.
Note the overhead wires that can intrude into the shot; it is possible to get further down the bank which would exclude these from the shot.
Disclaimer
All information contained within this is site is © Trainspots. The images used on this site remain the property of the original photographer, as credited at the top of the page, and are used with their kind permission.
The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.
This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavour to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.
Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.
Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass on either railway or private land. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.
The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window. Trainspots has been running now for over 10 years and there are imitation sites and guides to railfotspots. But we are a free site and we continue on the path we started out on over a decade ago to provide a useful guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.
The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.
This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavour to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.
Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.
Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass on either railway or private land. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.
The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window. Trainspots has been running now for over 10 years and there are imitation sites and guides to railfotspots. But we are a free site and we continue on the path we started out on over a decade ago to provide a useful guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.
