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Written by Jason Cross - 03 Jan 2004
last update by Mark Bearton - 09 Mar 2009
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Location notes
A large metal replacment for an old station footbridge.
Railway type and traffic
Busy four track mainline. Passenger traffic is intense and is formed of EMT Units and Midland Mainline HST's and Turbostars.
A handful of freights pass this way.
Link to Real Time Trains
RTT Link Barrow upon Soar
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
This is a new footbridge between housing and a riverside area of the town. There is no access, directly, from the free car park to the bridge.
Road directions
Take the A6 north from Leicester and turn off this road at the north end of Barrow on Soar (same turning as Quorn). Follow the signs for Barrow and as you enter the village, you will encounter a narrow bridge (with traffic lights) and then the road climbs up to a roundabout. The first exit off this roundabout goes over the railway line, you will pass a free car park which has a shot of the line through the mesh gates at the end. Continue up the High Street and take the second left onto 'Cotes Road', then take the next left onto 'The Rookeries'. Park here and follow the foot path at the end of the road left to the bridge.

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Barrow upon Soar map co-ordinates
Parking
Parking consideratley in the residential road - The Rookeries.
Public transport
There is an hourly train service between Loughborough and Leicester which serves the station at Barrow on Soar, in addition Kinchbus service 2 operates every 30 minutes between the two towns and serves Barrow.
East Midlands Travel line
National Rail

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Amenities
Several shops close to the car park on the opposite side of the railway bridge.
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.
Barrow upon Soar

Googly map
Streetmap links
Barrow upon Soar general view map
Barrow upon Soar close up map

Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Barrow upon Soar



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Railway Gen Group
Midlands Gen
Photographic notes
Still Photography Notes:
First of all, there is a shot available for southbound trains from the car park and the adjacent railway overbridge. There is no northbound shot here as the railway goes into a deep cutting on the south side of the bridge.
The footbridge (which used to serve the original Barrow on Soar station) offers a shot in both directions. Southbound trains can be photographed with sun on the nose between about 11am and 1.30pm in the summer. This window of opportunity is a lot narrower in the winter as some high trees on the west side of the track soon cast shadows - in fact you need the sun virtually down the track to get sun in the cutting for southbound trains, so winter photography of southbound trains is not recommended. The southbound shot is far better if the train is on the slow line as the fast line shot is a little head on and gets shadowed up very quickly even in high summer. The northbound shot is ideal for trains on the slow line. Trains on the fast have to be photographed head on as there is a grey Portacabin that prevents the photographer from going wide. In the summer, northbound trains have sun on the nose from about 2.30pm. This location suffers badly from shadows during the winter months.

Video Photography Notes:
Good for video from the footbridge as there is no road noise to compete with. But the bridge will vibrate when fast, but not necessarily heavy, workings pass underneath.
Suzie - My Barrow on Soar collection


General views - All photographs © Jason Cross unless otherwise stated
Fig 1 - Looking north west


Fig 1 - Looking north west

From the car park.

Fig 2 - Looking north west


Fig 2 - Looking north west

From the footbridge.

Fig 3 - Looking south east


Fig 3 - Looking south east

From the footbridge.

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