train spotting

[Dolgoch]

hi , anyone living near birmingham new street station? i`m in walsall and wondering if any members go spotting at new street station . years ago you had to get there early to get a good patch to sit in the brutes and dump your bag in . not many spotters around now . would be good to meet up with some spotters for a morning or day`s spotting . what do others think?

 

[Minilad]

Ahhhh sitting in the brutes at New Street. Now that does bring back some happy memories

 

[BlythPower]

Ahhhh sitting in the brutes at New Street. Now that does bring back some happy memories

The good old days. You have to stand now. Wonder if they'd let you bring along your own BRUTE to sit in nowadays..?

 

[martinsh]

I prefer sitting in the pub these days !

 

[BlythPower]

On a serious note - I can manage it occasionally - whilst there's always one or two folk at New St, the lack of locos means you're far more likely to find enthusiasts gathered on the Trent Valley route. Nuneaton, Tamworth and Stafford being popular spots. Water Orton's still worth a visit too.

 

[Minilad]

On a serious note - I can manage it occasionally - whilst there's always one or two folk at New St, the lack of locos means you're far more likely to find enthusiasts gathered on the Trent Valley route. Nuneaton, Tamworth and Stafford being popular spots. Water Orton's still worth a visit too.

On a nice day there can easily be 40 or 50 spotters at Stafford. Water Orton can see 15-20 and there always seems to be a few hardy souls at Nuneaton and Tamworth.
I do sometimes wonder what they expect to see at somewhere like Stafford that hasn't been through there 100 times before

 

[Badger]

Water Orton seems to only even be there for spotters. The platform is always packed with people, all of them sitting down with cameras. Don't think I've seen anyone catch a train there over three years of weekly travel.

 

[martinsh]

I do sometimes wonder what they expect to see at somewhere like Stafford that hasn't been through there 100 times before

A brand new Class 70 last week ...

PS I'm not one of the 50 spotters !

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Things were far more interesting in the 1950 and 1960 period, not just for spotters, but for organised depot visits and specially run "specials" by the larger railway societies such as RCTS and the Brake Van Society.

Giving my age away again..:roll:....but those indeed "were the days" when surprises were many.

 

[Crossover]

On a nice day there can easily be 40 or 50 spotters at Stafford. Water Orton can see 15-20 and there always seems to be a few hardy souls at Nuneaton and Tamworth.
I do sometimes wonder what they expect to see at somewhere like Stafford that hasn't been through there 100 times before

Yeah, Stafford is really a haven it would seem. Then again, it is on quite a major junction really so theres a lot of traffic around.

When I did the announcing there, the guy who we were with said they get a fair number of enthusiasts, but I guess the fact they are fairly welcoming of it gives them a good name hence why people probably go back so much.

I have kind of had a day stood around the platform there, which was fine for then and it was mainly to meet up with some people from both here and elsewhere but I much prefer travelling to a whole day stood on a platform (may take the odd pictures here and there on my travels)
That said, spending so long at the uni there as well, I have used that station probably more times than any other so I'll use that as my excuse for knowing what I do :P

 

[Dolgoch]

hi any spotters going to new street station or stafford next friday? if so let me know and we could meet up and have an hour or so spottting .

 

[Madge Wildfire]

Sitting on a BRUTE? No, they were too low. The old wooden parcels trolleys were much better, and one was usually 'positioned' towards the end of a platform in the 60s and early 70s.