Tips for submitting TOPS requests
There is no set formula for how to make your requests, although if you are looking for unit/loco numbers for a particular service, you will need all (or as many as possible) of:
headcode + origin/point en route + booked departure/passing time + date.
Passenger workings
If you can supply the headcode, please do. Using the headcode will allow TRUST users to look up service details much quicker. When multiple services on the same route share the same headcode at different times of the day, additional details are required to differentiate between them. The easiest way is by booked origin departure times.
Historical TRUST data are held for 14 days (13 days back, therefore on 24th, the furthest back available is the 11th, for example - and I believe data for the furthest day back start disappearing from about 2000 onwards), so please make sure you submit your requests in good time. As people answering queries are all volunteers and most have other commitments during the day, last-minute queries cannot always be answered.
Please note that TRUST records loco-hauled rakes (including HSTs) by set number only. These are then cross-referenced to the latest formation of each set, so if a particular set had been reformed since the journey in question and the time it was looked up, only the latest formation relating to that particular set number can be obtained. It is therefore recommended that you record at least one of the locos while travelling (if HST) so that you can doublecheck with answers supplied to see whether anything had changed since your journey.
For allocation requests of particular units/locos, please beware that allocations do not normally take place until early morning of the day in question (or even lunchtime for some afternoon workings). The best time to submit your requests would be the night before. That said, please bear in mind that for some helpers, this can be a quite long process even for just one unit, so please try and avoid requesting a huge number of allocations in one go. Smaller requests will tend to have shorter response times.
For reference, the following loco-hauled allocations are listed in TRUST (which most of us use), subject to last-minute changes:
- HSTs (all);
- Anglia 90s;
- East Coast 90s and 91s;
- Northern Cumbrian Coast 37s;
- ScotRail Fife circle 68s;
- Night Riviera 57s;
- Caledonian Sleeper (only when running as per arrangement for freight workings, see below);
The following are not listed in TRUST:
- Anglia 37s and 68s;
- Arriva Wales 67s;
- Chiltern 68s;
The following unit allocations are not listed in TRUST:
- London Overground workings;
- TfL Rail/Crossrail workings;
- Heathrow Express/Connect services;
Freight workings
As with passenger workings, if you can supply the headcode of the service, it will make things much easier for others to look it up for you. If you do not know the actual headcode of the service,
please do not use the jumbled up train descriptor supplied by various open data sites as they are completely useless. A headcode must consist of a numeric digit (class number), followed by a letter, and then two more numeric digits, eg. 4K81. If your "headcode" is not in that format, eg. 246P, don't quote it. We cannot look trains up by this jumbled up nonsence.
If you do not know the headcode of the service, the easiest way around it is to supply a link to the actual working on OpenTrainTimes or RealTimeTrains. Alternatively you can state the passing time of the service at any point along the route (preferrably passenger stations). It should be possible for us to look it up.
Please note that freight consists are only listed in TRUST when the working has been activated, usually a short time before departure, and disappear after journey's end. After that point it would not be possible to look them up on TRUST. It is therefore highly recommended that you get your requests in before the journey takes place where possible, as that will give you a better chance of getting more prompt replies. Once they go off TRUST, you will have to rely on one of the few guys with specialised access to freight workings. You may also wish to consider subscribing to
Freightmaster if you are heavily interested in freight workings.
Occasionally some requests may be missed. Should you not receive a response within 3-4 days, please feel free to "bump" your request. This is a special derogation for this thread as we do not generally allow it elsewhere on the forum. Please try not to bump sooner than that, unless the request is at risk of going off TRUST.
Finally, please remember that TRUST is not infallable. It is known to contain errors occasionally, especially during times of disruption. If you spot any potential errors, please feel free to challenge the response. It may be possible under certain circumstances to dig further, although this cannot be guaranteed.
Enjoy!
