Freight spotting locations

[Jord]

I live in Aberdeenshire but i often go to Birmingham nearly every school holidays (now i've left ) and stay with relatives and i am going down for 10 days in july and can anyone tell me good stations for watching lots of freight on weekdays???

 

[87015]

I live in Aberdeenshire but i often go to Birmingham nearly every school holidays (now i've left ) and stay with relatives and i am going down for 10 days in july and can anyone tell me good stations for watching lots of freight on weekdays???

I'd recommend Bescot but it is shut all summer....!! Walsall/Longbridge (or Kings Norton) probably get the most volume wise, further afield Stafford/Nuneaton/Tamworth/Water Orton get plenty. Barnt Green or Bromsgrove get the same traffic as Kings Norton or Longbridge but in a greener setting! Shoving any of these into fotopic search should give you a good idea.

The only 'solid' freight of any quality is the Fastline 56 which passes Walsall 1430-1500ish then International 1530-1550ish.

 

[Jord]

i will go further afield than that because i've done all around there before and i've done doncaster but i was told warrington can be good? and does anyone know what time approx 66 411 passes i still haven't spotted that!

 

[Donny Dave]

Mod Notice

I've split these posts from the discussion about LHCS service to Minehead, as they are not applicable to that.

Anyway....

Doncaster and Barnetby are good for freight in the North East. (Barnetby any time from midnight Monday morning to luch time Saturday, Doncaster is best Wednesday afternoons/evenings from about 4pm.)

 

[devon_metro]

i will go further afield than that because i've done all around there before and i've done doncaster but i was told warrington can be good? and does anyone know what time approx 66 411 passes i still haven't spotted that!

66411 can be alloxed to anything so until it is known what train it is working it is impossible to tell what time it will pass anywhere!

 

[Mintona]

However, 4S43 will pass Warrington around 0800 I'd imagine, and that's what 66411 is supposed to work.

 

[Jordy]

Uh oh, someone attempting to steal my name?! hock:

 

[Jord]

I'm having a day out in london on july 7th and was wondering are there any good freight spotting locations in that area?

 

[RJ]

66411 does tend to solidly work 4S43 and whatever the return is unless there is something wrong with it.

 

[Jord]

I'm having a day out in london on july 7th and was wondering are there any good freight spotting locations in that area?

 

[thefab444]

No need to repeat yourself, people can still read and answer the first question...

Because I'm feeling generous I'll answer your question. Volume wise, they're all pretty poor on a Saturday, sadly. You could try Acton Mainline, Stratford or Watford Junction, I suppose.

 

[Ascot]

Water Orton probs mate.

 

[Jord]

I may be having a night out ( all night ) at Carlisle in august and does anyone know what night would be best for freight action? and what sort of freight comes through eg class of loco

 

[Donny Dave]

M-Th nights are best for freigh (as far as I know anyway) at Carlisle. Expect to see whatever DRS throw out, plus 60/66/86/90/92 on freights.

 

[Jord]

M-Th nights are best for freigh (as far as I know anyway) at Carlisle. Expect to see whatever DRS throw out, plus 60/66/86/90/92 on freights.

Do DRS 20s and 37s run through the night do you know?

 

[Donny Dave]

Has been known to. I've only done 1 overnighter at Carlisle, and when I was there, a pair of DRS 37s were on the sandite, and were stabled in the up through for about 90 mins before heading south again.

 

[Jord]

Has been known to. I've only done 1 overnighter at Carlisle, and when I was there, a pair of DRS 37s were on the sandite, and were stabled in the up through for about 90 mins before heading south again.

so Carlisle would be the best place for an overnighter then you reckon? and when does the sandite season start anyway?

 

[Jordy]

If you were going to do an overnighter, Carlisle would be the place to go!

 

[Jord]

Which place has more freight action? rugby or bletchley???

 

[Jordy]

I'd take a guess at Rugby, a local would be able to give more accurate info though

 

[Mintona]

Carlisle all night, got me 3rd one coming up on 24th July (when the line to Kilmarnock is shut - lack of freight will be fun but we all already got our tickets :roll. I'd reccomend them to anyone, a lot of fun, and really anything can happen

 

[87015]

Which place has more freight action? rugby or bletchley???

Very similar. Most stuff of interest (IMO), Fastline 56 or FL 86s passes both.
Rugby will get DRS 66s out of Daventry which you won't get at Bletchley.
Bletchley gets any Forders-Willesden workings, plus the additional interest of Forders-North stuff traversing the flyover, passenger wise the branch 150 and any 317/319 to/from Wolverton Works. If a Saturday the stone (EWS60) departs 1020ish booked via Bedford but sometimes via WCML (WCML weekdays).

Both are average for phots, Rugby very popular with spotters Bletchley maybe one or two others unless there is something 'big' about.

Its currently a poor period for the WCML - there are very few extra or special workings due to a lack of paths through the Rugby remodelling fiasco.

 

[Spaceflower]

teeside?

 

[me123]

If you like 66s, Linlithgow on the Edinburgh to Glasgow Mainline (via Falkirk) is flooded with them, but you have to put up with a thousand odd 158s and 170s.

There's also 2 HSTs daily from Inverness. It's not a fantastic location, but it's alright.

 

[Spaceflower]

oh its like that is it

no 37's or 56's no more? dont really know what else there ever was. 58's???

there two small DRS diesels (thirty somethings) which run from hartlepool to sellafield via sunderland with nuclear flasks. i know this because it broke down here one day and the station was evacuated. just how dangerous is this stuffhock:

 

[RJ]

There are around 25 37s regularly working freight and test trains, and a pair of 56s which run from Doncaster and Birch Coppice to Kent every weekday.