RTT/Headcodes Tracking Advice

[Keet]

My 3 year old loves watching train videos and we recently watched Eddystone in person. He loved it.

I first heard of Eddystone when someone mentioned on socials that it was coming through Long Eaton. I found 1Z12 on rtt it was listed for places like Alfreton and Trowell a number of days ahead of the date and eventually nearer the time it was listed as Long Eaton too.

I know there's an event on soon in Nottingham (Ruddington/Loughborough) with the Flying Scotsman. While we're not going I was wondering if we might be able to catch it's movement before the event. I'm aware it was most recently in York museum but is now behind the scenes but I heard it may come down the erewash valley line at some point when it goes to Ruddington.

Any advice on tracking these train movements, what route it might take and when?

I've been looking for 0Z/5Z/6Z codes. I wondered if any of these were to do with it:

28/04/26 (14:38) recently moved
0Z37 Leeds Balm Road Loco to Barrow Hill LIP

06/05/26 (10:20)
0Z37 Barrow Hill LIP to Loughborough Brush

09/05/26
Heaton Lodge East Junction to Toton North Yard
- 00:52 6Z27
- 04:53 6Z28
- 10:56 6Z29

There's a similar pattern of 6Z codes the following Friday (15/05/26)

Heaton Lodge East Junction to Toton North Yard:
- 18:23 6Z41
- 21:05 6Z42
- 02:15 6743

Any advice appreciated but if it's generally a lost cause or I'm barking up the wrong tree please let me know.

Thanks

 

[Trainguy34]

If I remember correctly 6Z__ codes are used by freight services (60mph limit?), so it won't be that. If it is running with coaches then it will be 5Z__, 0Z__ without.

I will warn you that due to it's popularity, they (Network Rail) do try to suppress the schedule from the open data feeds until the morning of or the night before the journey, so it's worth checking up on the day. If you're lucky, you might be able to find it more easily on RTT while searching for York NRM, or it's terminus (Ruddington GCR). These places may however have multiple codes associated with them, so intermediate points on the route may be ideal.

 

[JonathanH]

06/05/26 (10:20)
0Z37 Barrow Hill LIP to Loughborough Brush

This is class 37 37607 hauling locomotives 20066 and 26007 for the Swanage Diesel Gala.

 

[Keet]

If I remember correctly 6Z__ codes are used by freight services (60mph limit?), so it won't be that. If it is running with coaches then it will be 5Z__, 0Z__ without.

I will warn you that due to it's popularity, they (Network Rail) do try to suppress the schedule from the open data feeds until the morning of or the night before the journey, so it's worth checking up on the day. If you're lucky, you might be able to find it more easily on RTT while searching for York NRM, or it's terminus (Ruddington GCR). These places may however have multiple codes associated with them, so intermediate points on the route may be ideal.

Thanks for the info, I'll keep an eye out to see if we can catch something.

This is class 37 37607 hauling locomotives 20066 and 26007 for the Swanage Diesel Gala.

Awesome thank you.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 May 2026 ==


I came across this:

5Z63
15-05-26 - 13:26
North Road to York NRM

A reddit thread suggests Tornado used this headcode a few months back and after a bit of googling sounds like Tornado is based at North Road.

Tornado is due to join Flying Scotsman at Nottingham/Ruddington for an event on the 16th, so could this be Tornado joining up with Flying Scotsman then they move them together?