Clapham Junction

[IanPooleTrains]

Now, some say that I am as mad a a hatter and....I am....really!

Me is heading down to London on Saturday to get Clan Line having the honour of kicking off the New Year as the first railtour of the year

After that though, god help me, I am going to try Clapham junction for a couple of hours of spotting

Will I have any problems? apart from about one hundred and twenty of them in one hour?

 

[MCR247]

Like what?

 

[Fincra5]

I've seen spotters there, presuming thats what you are going to do. So from what I can see it shouldn't be a problem, staff are usually busy with dispatching a train every couple of mins

 

[gareth taylor]

Ive been there a couple of times and not had any problems at all.

 

[Lampshade]

I can't imagine there would be any problems, Waterloo is fine.

 

[IanPooleTrains]

But I am mad for going there because the busiest station I have gone to is Manchester Piccadilly and I could barely keep up with everything going in and out

And Clapham is worse than that but I want to do it!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Well.... having done Clapham Junction many times, including in the peak, I can safely say that if you only note the unit numbers you'll be easily OK.

But if you're one of those people who notes the carriage numbers ( formation ) of each unit as well.... no chance!

 

[IanPooleTrains]

Well.... having done Clapham Junction many times, including in the peak, I can safely say that if you only note the unit numbers you'll be easily OK.

But if you're one of those people who notes the carriage numbers ( formation ) of each unit as well.... no chance!

Oh no, I ain't like some people (coughs - Arriva2010) and go through all of the carriage numbers. I get unit number and off it goes!

Which is the best platform for me though because I want to make sure I get as much as possible? And is it really 110-120 trains and hour?

 

[Striker]

What about a dictaphone?

It's amazing. When I was a train spotter in the mid 80's when I was 10, the idea that people would ask beforehand if they could "expect any problems" would be so alien. 'elf and safety gone mad. All this talk of going to the station managers office first and being given luminous vests to wear. What utter clap trap it is.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Best platform - I'd say the London end of the up fast Victoria / down slow SWT. Off the top of my head I think that's number 11 / 12. Same end of 9 /10 would also be good.

Don't use the country end because the station is a V layout and you can only see everything from the London end.

 

[Lampshade]

Are there any units of a particular class you want to see or are you not fussed?

EDIT: 1500th post

 

[NSE]

If you're there for a few hours then for the sheer quantity of trains you won't be bored, if you want a variety of classes then tbh you'll see them all pretty quick. Quite good to check out both sides as Southern and 159s only run through the east side, and then the Reading/Windsor side allows views to the depot and the 378/458's. I suggest the top of 11/12 for Southern/SWT Mainline+455 and then platforms 5/6 for the LO and SWT Suburbans/Junipers. If you can be on 6 for the hour before rush hour then you can watch the trains leave the depot. Hope this helps

 

[IanPooleTrains]

Are there any units of a particular class you want to see or are you not fussed?

EDIT: 1500th post

No, I roughly know what I am going to be seeing there

SWT will be the 158, 159, 450, 444 and 458's
Southern will be the 455, 456, 377, 460 and 442
SouthEastern will be the 375 and 465
LO will be the 378s
AND, if they will still be on, the FGW Diversions as well

 

[AndyJB]

Oh for the days when it was 50's and 73's dashing through there.

 

[class377man]

Unless I'm very much mistaken, the FGW HST diversions have finished.

You'll do well to see any Southeastern units as well, their territory is primarily London Bridge.

 

[BlythPower]

Been platform ending several times there without any bother. The staff seem used to enthusiasts on the platforms. There's normally a few around at any given time - even a plane spotter once as well. I've never seen anything SouthEastern there, mind - let us know if you see any of them.

 

[Matt Taylor]

My quick calculations work out at 80 x SW, 62 x SN and 4 x LO workings per hour off peak. The east end of platforms 11/12 is possibly the best spot and you'll need binoculars to get the SWT Windsor side workings.

The is also approximately 40 aircraft movements overhead per hour.

http://matthew-taylor.fotopic.net/p68338228.html

Given the recent weather the aircraft may well be out of view due to cloud.

 

[MCR247]

Surely, if you wanted to see a variety of units, it would be best to do this if you were spending 3 hours there say:

1 hour spotting on Windsor side (or less because there is less workings?)
1 hour on SWML
1 hour on BML

 

[IanPooleTrains]

Well I am gonna have about three hours there anyway because I wanna leave after Clan Line and get back to Victoria before Clan Line gets home

 

[12CSVT]

I'd say the London end of platform 9 is the best place if you want to note everything.

 

[MCR247]

Also, what will do with x2/3 trains? If you were at the London end, and a 2x 455 departed from another platform you'd only get the rear number!

 

[Intermodal]

Also in London this Saturday - is it worth heading down from Waterloo just to have a look or is it really nothing special if you've been to a fairly busy station before?

 

[Striker]

Also in London this Saturday - is it worth heading down from Waterloo just to have a look or is it really nothing special if you've been to a fairly busy station before?

There are busy stations, and there is Clapham Junction.

 

[Lampshade]

Also, what will do with x2/3 trains? If you were at the London end, and a 2x 455 departed from another platform you'd only get the rear number!

The thing with 455s is that if you miss them going one way, you'll most likely catch them going the other a short while later. It's the same with the 450/5s, they do the Hounslow/Windsor services so the turnaround time is pretty quick, also the 458s always operate in pairs, so in an hour you'll see eight of them, so given enough time you can see all of them in a few hours.

 

[IanPooleTrains]

There are busy stations, and there is Clapham Junction.

Oh no

There are your busy station like Birmingham New Street

There are your ridiculously busy stations like Manchester Piccadilly, Leeds and Glasgow Central

Then there is Clapham Junction, in a league of it's own

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The east end of platforms 11/12 is possibly the best spot and you'll need binoculars to get the SWT Windsor side workings.

Really? I can read the numbers, including the 378s using platform 2 from platform 11 / 12 with no problems ( apart from other trains getting in the way of course! ) and my eyesight isn't perfect.

 

[NSE]

Oh you wont see any SouthEastern units. Its really surprising, Europe's buisiest station in terms of rail traffic only has three operators, due to its sheer amount of trains, freight isn't too common either.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

You'll do well to see any Southeastern units as well, their territory is primarily London Bridge.

Very true, though they do pass through from time to time while being delivered and returned to and from various works...

Never in passenger service though.

 

[pendolino]

Very occasionally there's a WCRC diesel stabled on the non-electrified road between plats 2 & 3. Like this one:



There was a 47 or 57 or something there just before Christmas too, I didn't bother noting the number though.

 

[IanPooleTrains]

Well, just got back in and enjoyed every second of it!

Got Clain Line at Victoria AND Clapham and had a great day spotting as well. I'll pop the videos up as well so you can see them as soon as they are ready