All nighters on stations.

[Freightmaster]

As for Freightmasters comment, I am sure on all the videos i've seen there is more than 17 a night go through Preston. Counting from 2120 till 0800, your going to see well over 20 and thats just tonight. I am not sure if the videos i've seen are of one night or not.

It depends what you define as 'overnight' - to make comparisons between
locations easier, I always use the legal definition, which is 23.00 to 07.00

If you start using random start times like 21.20, you are obviously going
to get a slightly higher figure, but you then can't make a fair comparison
as some people will arrive later than that (people often start overnights
by arriving on one of the last passenger trains).

So to use last night (August 1st-2nd) as an example, there were a total of
15 freight/mail movements passing Preston between 23.00 and 07.00
and even if we use your start time of 21.20 that figure only increases to 22.


However, your statistics for Acton Bridge were spot on, as it saw double
the number of freight/mail services in those same time periods compared
with Preston!



MARK

 

[DarloRich]

Thanks for all the advice lads, & yes its for spotting & filming so queensvile curve wouldn't be very good as poor lighting i'm guessing?

& Darlo i'm nocturnal & a lonely child, i have no problem being on my tod for days on end & have done in the past haha

My plan was to catch a train to said destination, film trains then back in the morning, if only it was that easy locally

It isn't for me to tell you what to do - if you are happy, safe and secure and have a plan then crack on.

 

[6Gman]

Wow - brings back memories of my spotter days. My favourites were Crewe, Doncaster, York and Preston.

Crewe had a 24 hour refreshment room for many years.

 

[6Gman]

Holyhead, though I was sleeping in a Mark 3

As did Holyhead!

 

[6Gman]

"Sort of" overnighted at York twice in the 70s.

Caught the 0011 Crewe - York Mail so got there at 03.something; then caught an 06.something to Newcastle. Plenty of activity, but it was a long time ago.

(And most of the freight by-passed the station. )

 

[hawk1911]

Thanks for all the advice lads, & yes its for spotting & filming so queensvile curve wouldn't be very good as poor lighting i'm guessing?

& Darlo i'm nocturnal & a lonely child, i have no problem being on my tod for days on end & have done in the past haha

My plan was to catch a train to said destination, film trains then back in the morning, if only it was that easy locally

I was talking to a friend, last night, who works at Stafford station and he confirmed that the station would be locked up between approximately midnight and 05:00. The recommended viewing point is from the north car park, which is a ground level car park along the north end of platform 1.

There is also a multi-storey car park at the south end of platform 1, although I have no idea what the views are like from that.

 

[E_Reeves]

Does Nuneaton close at night? Nuneaton is great for freight as you have the Birmingham and Leicester line, Coventry branch and the WCML.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Does Nuneaton close at night? Nuneaton is great for freight as you have the Birmingham and Leicester line, Coventry branch and the WCML.

Wasn't there a furore there a couple of years ago when the 2300 Euston-Manchester called, only to find it all locked up for the evening? It could have changed in the intervening years mind.

 

[E_Reeves]

Wasn't there a furore there a couple of years ago when the 2300 Euston-Manchester called, only to find it all locked up for the evening? It could have changed in the intervening years mind.

Is that still a service or has the timetable changed now?

 

[6Gman]

Seriously, I'm not sure hanging around on an otherwise deserted station in the wee small hours is a bright idea.

What is the driver of a 66 storming through supposed to think when he sees a shadowy human figure on the platform?

(I recall a control log some years ago when the driver of a night-time freight reported seeing a body on the platform at Church Stretton. Stopped at the next signal box, police were called and ...

found a chap and his ladyfriend enjoying each other's company.

Funny in a way, but a waste of resources and a worry for those affected.)

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Is that still a service or has the timetable changed now?

Now changed, didn't last very long when no resolution was forthcoming IIRC.

 

[richieb1971]

If I was with somebody I'd rather be on a unmanned station than one that is manned. I spent 2 hours at Sandy a few years ago. The scariest thing was the silence and the sound of howling wind in your ears. Mind, I did this in mid June when the light came up about 4am.

 

[fowler9]

I've overnighted at Crewe, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Airport, Birmingham New Street and Holyhead. Just don't do it accidentally like I normally did. Really grim.

 

[nineteenninety]

Hello. Yesterday (28/06-29/06) i went to Acton Bridge to do an overnighter, it was my first time doing this and i was impressed by the variety of freight that passed through. Also seeing four sleeper trains passing through was something i hadn't seen before. This is a good place to spot but on my visit i didn't realise the station lights turned off at 1am, so i was in pitch black for a couple hours. Luckily it is summer so it was already getting light at 2:30am. Then the lights came back on at around 4am when it was nearly daylight. This is a good station despite the lights turning off . I do recommend this station as there are plenty of movements and i will definitely be going again soon!

 

[gazthomas]

Hello. Yesterday (28/06-29/06) i went to Acton Bridge to do an overnighter, it was my first time doing this and i was impressed by the variety of freight that passed through. Also seeing four sleeper trains passing through was something i hadn't seen before. This is a good place to spot but on my visit i didn't realise the station lights turned off at 1am, so i was in pitch black for a couple hours. Luckily it is summer so it was already getting light at 2:30am. Then the lights came back on at around 4am when it was nearly daylight. This is a good station despite the lights turning off . I do recommend this station as there are plenty of movements and i will definitely be going again soon!

You are either a real enthusiast, crazy or both!

 

[richieb1971]

Its quite normal for people to be on Acton Bridge station during the night. Preston is another that gets a lot of overnighters. I might do it one day, would have done it already but I'm from Bedford and I don't want to travel that far and stay up all night and then come back home again.

 

[6Gman]

If you are going to do this please:

a) keep safe and take a torch;
b) don't do anything that could create an "incident".

 

[E_Reeves]

And take something warm

 

[richieb1971]

I'd rather they ran the freight during the day time. At Acton Bridge there is a considerable amount of freight during the day time on most days. You can get the few quiet ones though.

 

[Steddenm]

Stations I've overnighted at - purely by accident:

Carlisle - to catch sleeper to London that was cancelled.
Garelochead - again a sleeper. Cancelled due to SR strike
Holyhead - catch a ferry that was cancelled
York - TPE to MIA that got cancelled again
Leeds - missed last train to London
Rosslare Europort - nothing to do at all except watch two units keep swapping between the siding and platform for no reason whatsoever

 

[Berneylegs]

Barnetby is great at night, non-stop freight, best travelling by car or if by train book one of the cheap hotels next door for around £20 per night in case you think enough is enough as only place open 24 hours is BP Garage around a 15/20 minute walk away

 

[Berneylegs]

Stations I’ve overnighted at:

Barnetby
Newport (Gwent)
Crewe
Holyhead
London St Pancras
Manchester Piccadilly
Manchester Airport
Gatwick Airport
Heathrow Airport
Aberdeen
Newcastle
Skegness
Cardiff Central

Some shockers there by the way!

 

[gnolife]

I've done
Lostock Gralam
Heyford
Filton Abbey Wood
Swansea
Holyhead (if 2 hours really counts for much)
Nottingham
Petts Wood
London St Pancras
Leeds
Eastrington (following a very pleasant late night walk from Saltmarshe)
Newcastle Central

 

[Harbornite]

I'd rather they ran the freight during the day time. At Acton Bridge there is a considerable amount of freight during the day time on most days. You can get the few quiet ones though.

Shouldn't freight timetabling be about trying to find paths whenever they are available rather than appeasing anoraks?

 

[deltic]

Some odd comments in this thread - all night on a station in the middle of summer is definitely worth doing at least once in your life

 

[LAX54]

Some odd comments in this thread - all night on a station in the middle of summer is definitely worth doing at least once in your life

deleted wrong post sorry

 

[LAX54]

Shouldn't freight timetabling be about trying to find paths whenever they are available rather than appeasing anoraks?

Think it was said by someone who does not have much of an idea how Railways are run or how WTTs are done

 

[Condor7]

Think it was said by someone who does not have much of an idea how Railways are run or how WTTs are done

Richieb1971 is an established member and I would hazard a guess is fully aware why Freight runs at night, but as an enthusiast simply wishes it runs by day. It is something I think a lot of us wish for, I know I do, but fully understand why it doesn’t.

 

[richieb1971]

Thanks swill. There are individuals here who are predators.

 

[furnessvale]

The WCML is good for freight day and night. I have tried on several occasions to do an overnighter from the comfort of my canal narrowboat overlooking the line at various locations.

The spirit is willing but the body is now weak at my age, and I invariably retire in the small hours, falling asleep to the non stop rumble of passing freights that I miss! grrr!

Thanks are due to all those hardy souls who film at locations such as Stafford and Preston, putting the results on Youtube.