What Is There To Spot!

[RichmondCommu]

G'day,

I'm curious to know whether there are any members that currently spot that were doing so 30 years a go? And if so what is the motivation given the changes that the network has seen since the early 80's? I'm certainly not knocking the hobby but nowdays there doesn't seem to be any point thats all. I would love to be proved wrong!

Before heading to Uni in 1985 i was a keen spotter in the late 70's / early 80's and as my father worked for BR i had easy access to free and reduced price travel. Back then there so many different classes at work and days out at Crewe, Birmingham, Bristol, York and of course London were well rewarded. With so many loco's about there was certainly no need to spot rolling stock!

I would appreciate reading your thoughts and experiences. I've been to Bristol today with work. How Temple Meads has changed! No Bristol Bath Road, no class 33's, Peaks, 50's etc.

Cheers,

Richmond Commuter

 

[theblackwatch]

I cannot see that there is really any less or more point to it than 30 years ago! Whilst a lot of people don't actively spot as such, there are plenty who still have lists of what they've not seen, and I do think the introduction of the Class 66s in the late 1990s brought a lot of people's spotting records out. Going on railtours at the time, it was quite surprising how many people would dig out the list of 66s they still needed for sight when we passed one. Although I don't go out 'spotting', I do have a list of locos I still haven't seen - this thread has reminded me that I need to get it up to date. It only contains 'new' stuff, as in some Class 66s and 70s. Need to work out what preserved/industrial ex BR locos I've still not seen at some point too.

 

[Schnellzug]

Well, compared to, say 10 years ago, there are a lot of operators with more or less completely new fleets- not to mention new liveries and so on, and there's always something new to see (e.g. class 172s, 378s, 70s and so on).

 

[RichmondCommu]

I cannot see that there is really any less or more point to it than 30 years ago! Whilst a lot of people don't actively spot as such, there are plenty who still have lists of what they've not seen, and I do think the introduction of the Class 66s in the late 1990s brought a lot of people's spotting records out. Going on railtours at the time, it was quite surprising how many people would dig out the list of 66s they still needed for sight when we passed one. Although I don't go out 'spotting', I do have a list of locos I still haven't seen - this thread has reminded me that I need to get it up to date. It only contains 'new' stuff, as in some Class 66s and 70s. Need to work out what preserved/industrial ex BR locos I've still not seen at some point too.

I never really had lists I just jotted down everything that I saw in the hope that I might come across some "cops" when I got home that night! My point was in the early 80's a trip to Chesterfield would be rewarded with 20's, 56's, and 58's working freights and maybe the odd Peak too. Nowadays all I would see would be 66's. As I said the railway is now in much better condition but with little variety in terms of locos.

 

[Ploughman]

Not really bothered about units of any description but do keep an eye on any locos but don't spot them.
However I do tend to "Spot" tampers, snowploughs and the like.
My record so far was 124 items in one location about 4 years back.

 

[theblackwatch]

I never really had lists I just jotted down everything that I saw in the hope that I might come across some "cops" when I got home that night! My point was in the early 80's a trip to Chesterfield would be rewarded with 20's, 56's, and 58's working freights and maybe the odd Peak too. Nowadays all I would see would be 66's. As I said the railway is now in much condition but with little variety in terms of locos.

Strange you should mention Chesterfield - I went there earlier this year for a couple of hours, and saw Classes 33, 37, 47, 55, 56, 57, 60 and 66 pass through! Even if you went for 'cops', for most people, 20s, 56s and 58s wouldn't be of much interest to a spotter, I'd be rather worried if anyone still needed any of them now.

There is actually still a variety out there, and you can see things you never imagined back in the 1970s/1980s. Class 73 at Whitby anyone? Five Deltics coupled together travelling over the ECML? Class 20s on my doorstep every day?

 

[DiscoStu]

I started spotting at Paddington on a family day out when I was about ten, and then later moved onto bashing.

I started to get bored by the lack of anything interesting in this country by 1997 and decided to sack the whole hobby off. I no longer even consider myself a proper enthusiast.

I just find trains in most countries boring and soul-less nowadays. There's no way you'll catch me starting spotting again ..... but hey, each to their own

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I started in May 1979, so I certainly fit the 30 years + part of the equation!

Main change, of course, has been the gradual and rentless replacement of locomotive hauled trains with units, plus as well as that the traditional units have themselves all gone and have been replaced by modern units!

 

[Temple Meads]

I've only been spotting since 2001, and I gave up in 2007, just started again last month, but in hat time I've done pretty much all there is to see in my area (Devon) though I've now got the ex LM Class 150's to spot.
But I'll only take numbers if I'm on a trip to somewhere interesting, or if something interesting just turns up.
However it's still as exciting as it's ever been.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Strange you should mention Chesterfield - I went there earlier this year for a couple of hours, and saw Classes 33, 37, 47, 55, 56, 57, 60 and 66 pass through! Even if you went for 'cops', for most people, 20s, 56s and 58s wouldn't be of much interest to a spotter, I'd be rather worried if anyone still needed any of them now.

At any time in the last 30 years (in fact forty years!) I would have been delighted to see a Deltic pass through Chesterfield! However I think it would be fair to say that Classes 33's, 37's, 47's and 57's passing through Chesterfield is not an every day occurrence. My point was that in the early 80's freight trains passing through Chesterfield had an equal chance of being hauled by Classes 20's, 56's and 58's. Nowadays 66's will be in charge of virtually everything with the exception of the odd Class 60.

There is actually still a variety out there, and you can see things you never imagined back in the 1970s/1980s. Class 73 at Whitby anyone? Five Deltics coupled together travelling over the ECML? Class 20s on my doorstep every day?

Agreed, a Class 73 at Whitby would not have happened when I was a spotter and the same could be said of Class 20's bringing new Underground stock down from the East Midlands to London. However, when I was spotting there were still 200 Class 20's plying their trade and if your house backed on to the mainline in S York’s / E Midlands their appearance was common place!

 

[ACE1888]

Used to love spotting back in the 1980's but gave it all up finally around 1994/5, wasn't for me anymore, times had changed, much more into photography of all things British railways these days or walking disused lines, Diesel gala's are still great for 'feeling' young(er) again though! Apart from the obvious, where's the variety to 'spot' anyway these days???

 

[RichmondCommu]

Main change, of course, has been the gradual and rentless replacement of locomotive hauled trains with units, plus as well as that the traditional units have themselves all gone and have been replaced by modern units!

This is my point Peter. When i was a spotter, Waterloo, Paddington, Euston, St Pancras and Kings Cross could all be relied on for spotting loco's. Nowadays you would be very lucky to see a loco at any of them apart the 'Cross!

 

[Temple Meads]

This is my point Peter. When i was a spotter, Waterloo, Paddington, Euston, St Pancras and Kings Cross could all be relied on for spotting loco's. Nowadays you would be very lucky to see a loco at any of them apart the 'Cross!

Unless you count the Class 43 HST power cars as loco's in which case, you'd be pressed to find anything else at Paddington

 

[Spaceflower]

I started spotting at Paddington on a family day out when I was about ten, and then later moved onto bashing.

I started to get bored by the lack of anything interesting in this country by 1997 and decided to sack the whole hobby off. I no longer even consider myself a proper enthusiast.

I just find trains in most countries boring and soul-less nowadays. There's no way you'll catch me starting spotting again ..... but hey, each to their own

This.

 

[4SRKT]

I spotted for a few years in the early-mid 80s but quickly moved on to bashing and line gricing. Bashing not easy now, but I've managed a creditably high proportion of loco hauled miles this year (see below) and that includes only one railtour. It is possible but you have to have a high tolerance for 67s!

Line gricing of course never lets you down, as the lines are still there to be done even if the trains are dull beyond description.