DIDCOT

Text, pictures and map by Steve &Hedley Phillips

Didcot Parkway station is situated within a triangle of lines and the associated map shows the layout of the area. The green symbols marked A to I represent good photographic locations, many of which are in easy walking distance of the station.

Didcot Parkway sees a wide variety of traffic throughout the day, both freight and passenger. All passenger services through Didcot are covered by a constant flow of Great Western HST's, Thames Turbo units and Virgin cross-country HST's, Class 47's and Class 158 units. There is an enormous variety of freight traffic that passes through Didcot, but like anywhere, its intensity varies. There is usually a steady flow throughout the day, but in my experience, not enough to keep you occupied for more than a few hours. It would be a good idea to perhaps incorporate a visit to Didcot in with another trip elsewhere in the area. Refer to Mark Rawlinsons 'Freightmaster' publication for a good guide to the variety of freight traffic passing through Didcot.

The West Curve is used by freight traffic only (except when passenger diversions are in place) and particular services to look out for are the Swindon to Longbridge 'Rover Cube' trains and the Calvert to Bath/Bristol 'Avon Binliner'. The latter sometimes traversing the West Curve as early as 11:30am, although the booked time is about 12:50pm. The bypass is used by all non-stop passenger and freight services, including considerable Freightliner traffic. The marshalling of Enterprise, Departmental and MOD trains by the resident Class 08 shunter takes place in Didcot Yard and ballast trains appear at irregular times, sometimes on services to/from the 'virtual quarry' at Hinksey, near Oxford.

<<60070 passes on a loaded MGR bound for the power station

The MGR arrivals from Avonmouth to Didcot Power Station provide interesting viewing and operate throughout the day with a peak from about 11:00am to 15:00. The loaded trains arrive and stop at Didcot West End. The locomotive is then uncoupled and brought forward into the station area before running around its train and taking the loaded hoppers into the power station for unloading. Unloading normally takes about 1.5 hours and excellent views of the exit road can be had in the early afternoon when the sun is directly on the train as it leaves the Power Station. The empty train then returns to the West End, where the same running around procedure takes place before the train returns to Avonmouth. During the late afternoon the Rail Express Services from Willesden Railnet to South Wales and the West Country begin passing through. There is also a small refuelling point and there are often a couple of locomotives stabled adjacent to the station at any one time during the week. This increases to as many as ten locomotives on weekends. In conclusion, I can recommend Didcot as being a good place to visit and there are sure to be a few unexpected surprises that turn up whenever you choose to make your visit. There's even steam trains too, since the Great Western Railway Centre is right next door to the station!

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE

08 - 37 - 57 - 58 - 60 - 66 - 67 - 165 - 166 - 158 - HST