Grandstand views (for watching the trains go by)

[eastwestdivide]

Where do people like to go for an extended bout of just watching the trains go by?
Preferably away from a station, out in the country, and not by a busy road. Somewhere you can get a grandstand view, not necessarily for great photos, but just to watch trains in the landscape while sipping your favourite drink from a flask. Inclusion of water, boats and bridges is a bonus, but they do seem to feature in a few of my favourites:

From the UK:
anywhere on the Mam Tor-Lose Hill ridge above Edale
Whernside or Pen-y-ghent for Ribblehead
Colton Junction
the top of Rochester Castle
up on the hillside above Marsden tunnel end
Dawlish/Teignmouth sea wall
on the estuary around Arnside/Grange-over-Sands

and a bit further afield:
the churchyard at Wassen, Switzerland
the Loreley rock or anywhere above the Rhine gorge south of Koblenz

Over to the collective wisdom of the forum...

 

[Tim R-T-C]

I literally had a grandstand seat last year in Germany. Watching the DTM (German Touring Cars) at the Norisring street track the grandstand had a great view of passing trains with a pretty good freight flow (although too distant and too many trees for usable photos sadly).

 

[Donny Dave]

Godnow Bridge near Crowle is a good place. Below is a link with a few (?!?) images of what to expect there.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=...6.0....0...1ac.1.43.img..0.13.488.O8UkYpXBwIo

 

[user15681]

On a day off I quite like to go to Seasalter beach, near Whitstable. Sitting up on the sea wall you can see the beach, the river estuary and out to sea, whilst inland you can see services crossing the Seasalter levels between Faversham and Whitstable. Particularly good to see the 395s amongst the landscape of an evening.

 

[ac6000cw]

Barnetby in Lincolnshire (you can always walk eastwards up the the hill for a quieter, more grandstand view of proceedings on the three-track mainline).

Just north of Ely station there is a public footpath with at least one bench seat on a mound looking down onto the main line and the river - and the Fenland 'big sky' country beyond. Plenty of passenger and freight action - almost every train through Ely has to pass that spot (only exceptions are the very few that use the Ely North Junction avoiding 'loop' e.g. the Middleton Towers sand trains to/from the March direction.)

As to 'further afield', almost anywhere in the Alps (and similar mountain areas), but probably the best place I've ever been that fits the 'railway grandstand' description is Horseshoe Curve, just west of Altoona, PA, USA - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseshoe_Curve_(Pennsylvania) - triple-track, 50+ long, heavy freight trains per day, all diesel hauled and quite a few needing rear end helpers (usually two locos, but occasionally four....) - just magic with the sound of hard working diesels echoing off the mountain sides

Tony

 

[43074]

the top of Rochester Castle
up on the hillside above Marsden tunnel end
Dawlish/Teignmouth sea wall

Have to agree with those, Marsden is a particular favourite of mine, and you have added interest in the form of the standedge tunnels etc. on the Liverpool & Leeds Canal which I found quite interesting when I visited last year. As for Dawlish, standing on Red Rock and above the first Dawlish tunnel (from the Exeter direction) are my favourite places, the former having the ''Red Rock Cafe'' nearby which is quite convenient, and the latter offering great views into Dawlish and of course over the railway itself.

In addition:

• Berkhamsted Castle - on the West Coast Main Line; Pleasant just for watching the trains go by and the surroundings are not too busy either (although the same cannot be said for the railway).
• Harlech Castle - good views to the Cambrian Coast Line, although the variety of traction is rather limited, and you have to be there at the right times, it is still pleasant with great views over the Irish Sea and to the Snowdonia range to the North.
• A few places on the fringes of the Eastern Lake District, near Oxenholme such as Docker (not my photo), which comes complete with great views into the Lakeland fells too.

 

[telstarbox]

From certain points within the Emirates Stadium you get a grandstand view of the East Coast Main Line

 

[overtonchris]

My favourite "view point" is my local haunt, Worting Junction / Battledown Flyover / Worting footpath over bridge....not exactly original as there have been a Zillion photos taken there over many years. Nice countryside - can be very peaceful.

Also I remember Old Sherbourne Castle (Dorset?) - cracking grandstand view (at least was 30 years ago!) over the Waterloo - Exeter Line.

And how about Corfe Castle for a real grandstand view over the Swanage Railway?

 

[IanD]

Have to agree with those, Marsden is a particular favourite of mine, and you have added interest in the form of the standedge tunnels etc. on the Liverpool & Leeds Canal which I found quite interesting when I visited last year.

That'll be the Huddersfield Narrow Canal.

The Leeds Liverpool canal in the Bingley area (particularly towards Skipton) is quite good. Also just above the canal west of Apperley Bridge close to Thackley tunnel in Bradford.

The Grand Union canal and Ouse Valley walks just north of Wolverton, good views of the trains on the viaduct.

Have to agree with Berkhamsted Castle too, on the motte.

 

[43074]

That'll be the Huddersfield Narrow Canal.

The Leeds Liverpool canal in the Bingley area (particularly towards Skipton) is quite good. Also just above the canal west of Apperley Bridge close to Thackley tunnel in Bradford.

Sorry, my mistake; I'm not too familiar with the Canal network in the North (or anywhere for that matter).

 

[Cletus]

Walking along the Worcester & Birmingham Canal towpath between Five Ways and Bournville in Birmingham is a good place.

 

[BlythPower]

Hunt Cliff to the south of Saltburn-by-the-Sea for a view of the Boulby potash trains and the North Sea.

 

[GatwickDepress]

The end of Platform 2/3 or 15/16 at London Euston, since the only people who go up there are security bods and cleaners, who are always lovely. It's telling that Euston is the nicest the furthest away you are from it. :P

 

[306024]

anywhere on the Mam Tor-Lose Hill ridge above Edale
Whernside or Pen-y-ghent for Ribblehead

Two of my favourites too, well worth the physical effort.

Loads in Switzerland, but I like particularly enjoy relaxing at the Chateau du Chillon on Lake Geneva just outside Montreaux on the Geneva - Brig main line.

 

[user15681]

The end of Platform 2/3 or 15/16 at London Euston, since the only people who go up there are security bods and cleaners, who are always lovely. It's telling that Euston is the nicest the furthest away you are from it. :P

Aye, I'll second that even if it's not quite out in the landscape or a 'grandstand' view. I was in coach A of a Pendo on Friday in P15 that was platform sharing with a Voyager. Was lovely sitting at the end of P15 watching all the happenings, felt like I was in the middle of nowhere.

 

[Lee_Again]

Edinburgh.

Between the two tunnels west of the station and almost directly under the castle is a small valley (with some benches) which is part of Princess's Gardens.

It is very quiet yet in the middle of a fantastic city. And there will all sorts of trains running past every minute or two all day. And the south side is better which means you'll be the right side for the sun.

 

[Techniquest]

I don't bother going somewhere just to watch trains passing by, if I'm waiting for a train somewhere with a long connection then obviously I'll happily do so but no trips just to watch trains passing by. Days off are too precious for that, I'd prefer to get out there on limited time off and get travelling!

 

[PHILIPE]

Perhaps we're not all as fortunate as DanTrainMan185 who regularly posts on this Forum. He lives close to Cardiff Central station and can see trains passing by his window in comfort.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Each to their own I suppose.
Thanks for all the input people.

 

[andyb2706]

You've already mentioned the place I would suggest. The ridge between Lose Hill and Mam Tor in the Peak District. Get the train out to Edale and walk up to the ridge on a nice summers day with a packed lunch and spend some time taking in the lovely countryside and watching the trains go by in the valley, before heading back down to Edale and getting there about ten minutes after the train has left so have to spend about 90 minutes at the pub waiting for the 2 hourly mid week service to turn up, for some reason that happens every time . Although I was up that neck of the woods yesterday and by no means was it a "nice summers day", the phrase drowned rat comes to mind.

 

[168lover]

there is a hill about 3 miles away from High Wycombe near west wycombe that gives this view