66564 South Moreton 16 August 2010

On 16 August 2010 I made a brief visit to one of my favourite spots for lineside photography in the Didcot area during the 1980s and 1990s - the farm occupation bridge between the two road bridges at South Moreton. 66564 is pictured passing by with the 4M68 14:55 Southampton to Birch Coppice freightliner. This bridge always used to be very photographer friendly with a very low parapet that doubled as a seat! Network Rail replaced this and the bridge near the village (just visible in the background) over Christmas and New Year 2009/10 for gauge enhancement purposes. I had been told that tat the replacement was definitely photographer unfriendly, and so it proves to be with a ladder required even to see over it. I know in the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter, but why do these new bridges have to be so ugly? They stand out like a huge silver blots on the landscape.