2014.04.05 Great Wester Main Line Lower Basildon - Goring - Cholsey

I had opportunity to have most of the day all for myself, so I grabbed the camera and went for a quest for good spots at the far east of Oxfordshire. Probably those places are well known, as there is very limited number of bridges along the line, however to know the location is only part of success: convenient parking space, time to get from a car to the place as well as options of framing can give (or take) extra points. That is also part of a plan to combine these findings into decent guide (which I kind of started long time ago with Denchworth and Kennington Junction ). Thus disclaimer: these photos are only to provide reference for location and possibilities - you need better weather, time and subject to make the most. However poor they may be though, this is the last season when these places look in that way, as the electrification works has seriously started and soon on that stretch of the line a new element - catenary - will appear, with all the consequences.

Lower Basildon - technically outside Oxfordshire borders, however trying to find
a decent place to capture bridge on Thames at Goring this meadow was too tempting.

 

165105+165103 1D27 London Paddington - Oxford see from bridge on the road leading to The Leatherne Bottel

South Stoke Ferry Road

South Stoke South Bank - unusual sight of Class 150

Reading Road at Cholsey - view on both sides from the road bridge.

Thames at Cholsey

Cholsey Cutting. It takes 10 minutes walk to get here but is well worth it.
There is a fence added to the bricked barriers , but it was modified by some spotters by adding extra openings.

2013.08.29 Exploring tunnels

The way back from recent job was not far from two railway tunnels: Wickwar Tunnel on the main Bristol to Birmingham line and Chipping Sodbury Tunnel on the South Wales Main Line.

The former I was more intrigued about, as expected to see some rolling stock I'm not used to - unfortunately class 158 I heard only once stopped the car, so managed to take quick shots only:

158955 1V94 Brighton - Great Malvern

 

Approaching Wickwar Tunnel 158955 1V94 Brighton - Great Malvern

 With my typicall luck all the goods trains in the timetable for that time weren't activated, and all that was left were good old Voyagers serving XC.

Wickwar Tunnel 1M45 Bristol Temple Meads - Manchester Piccadilly
There is a light at the end of the tunnel...

... belonging to 1V52 Glasgow Central - Plymouth

Wickwar Tunnel 1V52 Glasgow Central - Plymouth

1V53 Manchester Piccadilly - Bristol Temple Meads

And as I put long lens to get some different view, the next train appeared to be double set, and didn't fully fit the frame:

Wickwar Tunnel 1S49 Plymouth - Dundee

Wickwar Tunnel 1S49 Plymouth - Dundee

Chipping Sodbury Tunnel broyght 'classic' HSTs:

Chipping Sodbury Tunnel 1B37 London Paddington - Cardiff Central

Chipping Sodbury 1B37 London Paddington - Cardiff Central

Chipping Sodbury 1L65 Cardiff Central - London Paddington

Chipping Sodbury Tunnel 1L65 Cardiff Central - London Paddington

A 'dessert' for the end of the spotting:

Chipping Sodbury Tunnel 66167 Tilbury I.R.F.T (Ews) - Trostre Works

2013.05.27 Radley

Spring Bank Holiday Monday gave opportunity to try out something new: filming.
Many things has yet to be polished, but definitely that seems to be the way to go with (goods) trains .
Unfortunatelly one of the ones I was hoping to capture was cancelled, and the other appeared in very bank holiday version - which actually makes it a nice exception :)
So here it is - 66198 working Didcot T.C. - Mossend Euroterminal 

 Apart from motion (images), there still will be some stills

You've been framed

Because of location Radley seem to naturally be the most exploited trainspotting place for me - unfortunately it doesn't offer too many opportunities, so they need to be created - this time (23.05) I used the road bridge for framing.

And this yellow HST was the reason to be there -16.12 Derby R.T.C.(Network Rail) to Old Oak Common H.S.T.D. working (I presume) a test run:
Derby R.T.C.(Network Rail)  1612
Bromford Bridge                    1713
Solihull                                   1742
Leamington Spa                     1812
Kings Sutton                          1833
Oxford                                    1851
Reading                                  1931
Slough                                    1950
London Paddington         2035    2044
Northolt Junction                   2051
High Wycombe                      2123
Princes Risborough         2134    2147
Banbury North S.B.         2226    2237
High Wycombe                      2349
Northolt Park Jn                     0001
London Marylebone         0018    0026
Northolt Park Jn                    0038
Kensal Green C.Serv.Plt.  0119    0129
Old Oak Common H.S.T.D.  0139

Great Western Main Line

Beautiful Saturday afternoon spent exploring locations along Great Western Main Line between Groove and Uffington - very nice spots indeed, expect more photos from over there in the future.
Ubiquitous - as of now - class 43 HST may seem boring, but soon (if electrification goes as planned) will be memory only - as were the clouds from Didcot power station cooling towers, now leaving the sky intact.

For a change - duo of Class 66