Best place to trainspot in Somerset

[Onward]

Hi All

My kids are asking to go trainspotting. We're near Bridgwater in Somerset. Does anyone know the best place in Somerset to go spotting? Would be good to see a few freights etc. I'm happy to go a bit further a field if there's somewhere really prolific to spot in the South West? Is there a line which has a good throughput during the day in Somerset? Many thanks in advance.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

One location that immediately springs to mind is Cogload Junction near Taunton (where the routes from Bridgwater/Castle Cary split/join), It's not easily accessible by car directly but in nice weather can be a nice walk/cycle from Creech St. Michael or if you and your kids are up for it a walk all the way from Bridgwater or Taunton along the canal is doable. As for traffic it's a while since I moved away from there but you'll get regular HSTs, CrossCountry voyagers, and the local services. Not sure of the freight at the moment though I think there's some log traffic to and from Devon, and occasional infrastructure services to Fairwater Yard just West of Taunton.

 

[Temple Meads]

Westbury (Wiltshire) is probably the best place for freight in the area, although it is a bit of a pain to get to from Bridgwater (driving to Taunton to pick up a train there might be better).

Bristol Temple Meads is great if a 'big station' atmosphere is what you're after, with lots of movements.

 

[Onward]

Thanks both.

61653 HTAFC, could you talk me through getting to Cogload Jct by car, i.e, can I park somewhere on the A361 near it and walk to it for a view?

Temple Meads, does the freight at Westbury pass through the station or will we need to find a viewing point near the yard?

Thanks again

 

[Hartington]

A few movements at Westbury start at the west/south end and disappear into the distance but most pass through the station.

Bristol TM has a few freight movements to and from Portbury and, of course, regular and frequent passenger services.

Beyond Bristol there is a station at Pilning at the entrance to the Severen Tunnel. It sees two trains actually stop there per week, both on Saturdays. That means it is quiet (very quiet!) but it's also a bit isolated. It sees 2 HSTs per hour each way and 2 Taunton/Cardiff per hour each way plus some freight.

Then you have Bristol Parkway. There's a small depot which may/may not have some locomotives. The trouble I find is access and the cost of access of driving. So I tend to go a little on the London side to a place called Ram Hill. This should be a map https://goo.gl/maps/dy8kl you can walk down Broad Lane but it may be 3/4 mile to a spot where you can see the trains or you can follow the footpath to the footbridge over the railway.

Two websites might be of interest.

www.uksteam.info has a sectionon steam tours. Care is needed because he lists everything that is planned and they don't all run. A couple of days before the run he posts the planned times (but sometimes the times appear very late).

www.realtimetrains.co.uk needs a little getting used to. It lists every train on the network (with the exception of the Royal Train and one or two exceptional specials like that). The problem with the freight side is that the traffic can be a bit unpredictable so a train may be listed but not run. It's not easy to explain but use the advanced search and then click on FRGT or the headcode and it will show you the actual time the train passed a point which is very useful if you're waiting for something. It has its' quirks. I live near Castle Cary and there have been a few occasions when a train has departed Westbury and then disappeared. It has always been because it was planned to run down the main but was sent into Frome and the system loses it until it reappears on the main where it was supposed to run.

 

[Hyphen]

www.realtimetrains.co.uk needs a little getting used to. It lists every train on the network (with the exception of the Royal Train and one or two exceptional specials like that). The problem with the freight side is that the traffic can be a bit unpredictable so a train may be listed but not run.

Just to note that on the advanced search, you're able to directly type in junction names (if you went to Cogload Jn, for example) and query trains going past that location - rather than having to input a nearby station and guess how long it'll be.

 

[Onward]

Thanks Hartington and Hyphen. Useful info.

 

[Hartington]

Quite which station or junction to type into the search box can be pot luck. I happened to be up in the Midlands last year and wanted to get a picture of the Underground S-Stock top and tailed by 2 Class 20s at each end. I went to Syston, typed in the station name and there was no sign of the delivery. I had to look at Leicester to find it. Like I said the system has quirks. It's more to do with the underlying railway systems than realtimetrains itself but just take care.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Thanks both.

61653 HTAFC, could you talk me through getting to Cogload Jct by car, i.e, can I park somewhere on the A361 near it and walk to it for a view?

Thanks again

It's getting on for a decade since I moved back up north, butif you can find a decent and safe parking spot along the A361 near the bridge over the canal, that's likely to be your best bet. I only ever approached from the Taunton direction though.

 

[Parham Wood]

A good spot at Westbury can be the footpath to I think Dilton Marsh. Go past the station building and the car park then follow the path across the back of the sidings. The path bends 90 degrees to follow the sidings and eventually it goes over the Westbury avoiding line. Thus you get the all the station traffic plus all the avoiding line stuff. You may miss the odd movement out of the up yard or units that turn around in the station. However for a small boy the station is probably better. Sadly I also think of the long gone steam shed whose headshunt used to go up the aforementioned bridge.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

[pedant]Westbury is in Wiltshire [/pedant]

 

[Onward]

Thanks all. We went to Cogload Jct and they loved it. None of the freights ran but there was a train at least every 10 mins or so at lunchtime so not a lot of hanging around. Westbury sounds good, I remember it as a kid when I lived in London. I think that will be our next jaunt! Pity there won't be Class 47s and 56s anymore tho