Visit to Preston station

[47593]

Hi,

First post, so please be gentle!

Used to travel the network as a lad many moons ago collecting numbers and bashing… sort of moved on to aircraft spotting in about 1992,, but as Covid seems to have killed off international travel I’m toying with restarting my railway interest.

I will have Saturday afternoon free in and around Blackburn as my family are at a football match I have no interest in.

I was thinking of Preston…. I will have a car, and a dog. Would I be able to sit at the station for a few hours if I bought a return ticket to somewhere near by?? (Thinking Blackburn).

Or is there somewhere better?

Just want to see some trains go by… nothing special. Maybe a photo / video or two.

Cheers
G

 

[Bletchleyite]

Preston is not barriered so you will be able to sit there even without a ticket. They occasionally do manual checks, but this is mostly only P1/2.

 

[NorthWestRover]

I've seen ticket checks done at the bottom of the slope between 3 and 4 quite often.

 

[47593]

OK, so I will go with the idea of a return ticket to Blackburn (its six quid or something so not a drama).....

Do you think I should check in with station staff somewhere to alert them to my presence? Or just 'go for it'

Will only be there 3 or so hours.... thinking a little videoing (don't have a tripod so no issue there)

G

 

[Kite159]

It might be worth checking in with the station reception, only to let them know in case they think something is wrong when they see you at the platform ends.

 

[Hardcastle]

Try a Preston to Lostock Hall ticket if you must & save cash.

 

[Bertie the bus]

Don't buy any ticket unless there is a block and only then if they won't let you on the platform. The likelihood is they will if you tell them you just want to spot or photograph trains. There is also no need to check in. Preston always has been, and still is, a very relaxed station when it comes to enthusiasts but don't step over the yellow lines - you'll get shouted at.

 

[47593]

Cool, all noted.... won't go over the yellow lines!

Next question.... does everybody still use Platform 5 books?? Or is there a more modern method? (I know the world of plane spotting went digital about 20 years back)

 

[30907]

You could always park up near Mill Hill (e.g. St Aidan's Avenue) and catch the train in, but it is only hourly. Blackburn station car park is cheap but less easy to reach from Ewood...

 

[47593]

You could always park up near Mill Hill (e.g. St Aidan's Avenue) and catch the train in, but it is only hourly. Blackburn station car park is cheap but less easy to reach from Ewood...

Hi, Its an idea... they walked it for the Swansea game when they came up from Euston via Preston... but I will probably just drive over to Preston, might make them train it over to me after the game (we drive South after they are done).

I am really looking forward to my couple of hours as a platformender again... its 30 plus years since I last did it. One thing for sure cameras have moved on a bit!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Cool, all noted.... won't go over the yellow lines!

Next question.... does everybody still use Platform 5 books?? Or is there a more modern method? (I know the world of plane spotting went digital about 20 years back)

I use Platform 5 books, and obviously enough people do still use them or they wouldn't print them.

Incidentally, I have the airline equivalent of the Combined Volume as well, so paper still exists on that side of things... ( It's about four times the size of the Combined as well... )

 

[47593]

I use Platform 5 books, and obviously enough people do still use them or they wouldn't print them.

Incidentally, I have the airline equivalent of the Combined Volume as well, so paper still exists on that side of things... ( It's about four times the size of the Combined as well... )

was only asking… so Platform 5 is still the way to go then, cool. Railways always did change quite slowly.

For aviation those books, I found, struggled so hard to be up to date as to be useless. I always remember spending about 6 weeks each year moving from one TAHS copy to the next,, looking for all the missing stuff!