All nighters on stations.

[Azzawba92]

Hi all, once again i'm in need of some wisdom.

I'm looking into stopping overnight at stafford but I heard you get kicked off after a certain time, is this true & if so any other recommendations?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Gathursty]

Someone, definitely not me, has slept* at the following stations without any issues over recent years:

Lochluichart
Garve
Gairlochhead
Gretna Green
Bruton
Menheniot
Knockholt
Seer Green & Jordans
Leuchars
Altnabreac
Tulloch
Lochwinnoch

Is this to connect from the last train of the day to the first, to do some spotting or simply to sleep there?

*adjacent car parks

 

[Azzawba92]

Last train & spotting is the plan

 

[TheGrew]

They might kick you out at Stafford but there is a bridge to the south side of the station which would give you go views to spot. The 24hr (last time I checked!) Tesco is just beyond the station if you get hungry too.

 

[philthetube]

What is the position if your itinerary involves an overnight stay, say 5 hours at a station?

 

[Ed92uk]

I live in Stafford they 100% lock the station up after last train, security have had to let me out multiple times when there has been delays. I don't know if any special arrangements are possible. The Tesco is 24 hours less than 5 minutes walk away however just in response to the comment about the bridge... you might find people reporting as suspicious / at risk if you stay on the train bridge all night. It is quite a busy road.

 

[Statto]

Better bet could be heading last train to Birmingham International, as even if you're kicked off the station you might be able to stay in the Airport terminals, plus last passenger trains around 01.20 although there is an all night bus to Birmingham City Centre

 

[richieb1971]

Most people just use Acton Bridge as an all nighter station with approx 40 freight a night. Literally hundreds of videos on youtube for all nighters there.

Preston stays open all night and has about 40 freight a night go through. I believe it stays open because of the sleeper trains.

These 2 stations are viable alternatives.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Wow - brings back memories of my spotter days. My favourites were Crewe, Doncaster, York and Preston.

 

[gazthomas]

Holyhead, though I was sleeping in a Mark 3

 

[4141]

The thread title has different connotations for me...some time in the early 80's I was booked to do a DJ spot at the Northern Soul all-nighter in Stafford. Made my way from Cheltenham, did my spot, and left around 4.30am, lugging a heavy box of 350+ 7" singles back to the station to catch the overnight sleeper back home, ETA 07.50. Perfect. Train approaches, and passes through without stopping! I'd done my research but not enough, it was the first day of the new timetable and from that day omitted a Stafford stop! Had to lug the box all the way back to the club and eventually scrounged a lift to New Street, arriving home around mid day...

 

[bramling]

Is there not a hotel nearby? Surely that would be more comfortable

Surely there wouldn't be a lot of point in staying in a hotel if the objective is to view, spot, photograph or film trains? One presumes the attraction is the amount of freight trains passing through perhaps combined with a lack of passengers. I've never done it, but it doesn't sound like such a bad way of achieving a specific objective.

 

[Statto]

Does Manchester Piccadilly close, i know there's a break from the last passenger train arrival is 01.46, next passenger train arrival is 03.28 although not much Freight traffic though although there is some Freight.

 

[JStrainspotter]

Most stations close at night. You should hear the stories on staff closing the station BEFORE the last train arriving and passengers having to jump ticket gates and smash locked doors.

 

[DarloRich]

my post seems to have vanished.

I would go home to bed. Assuming you are on your own and fairly young it is worth noting stations at that time are dark, cold, lonely places and there isnt that much to see. You will be out on the platform with no real shelter and no way of keeping warm if the weather turns nasty. Is it worth it?

What are you going to do if the staff or security turf you out in the middle of the night? How will you get home?

 

[mackeral1234]

Wow - brings back memories of my spotter days. My favourites were Crewe, Doncaster, York and Preston.

I travelled to Reading in the late 80s and early 90s. Great evenings

 

[Bishopstone]

With many unstaffed stations covered by CCTV, if the control room operator spots individuals hanging-around after the last passenger service has departed, might they conceivably take some action? I'm thinking of a manual announcement over the PA system 'encouraging' folk to leave station premises, or a call to a local BTP car asking them to check the situation on a non-emergency basis, resource permitting.

(I realise Stafford is a staffed station. This is more of a general ponder.)

 

[Merseysider]

Overnighting at a station sounds fine in principle, but once you're actually there it's horrid.

Overnighted purely out of necessity at Coventry, Northampton (both a long time ago, and took some discussion), Mannheim, St Pancras, Manchester Piccadilly, maybe some others, and at least a dozen airports.

Don't.

It's very boring, near impossible to sleep (and when you do it's not for long), and more likely than not you'll be exposed to the elements.

A truly horrible way to spend a night.

 

[AlexNL]

A couple of days before Christmas I spent some time at Noorderkempen, Belgium in the middle of the night, because I heard that there would be a couple of Eurostar e320 test runs that night. So I decided to go to the station, bringing a camera and a tripod.

I spent more than an hour waiting for the bloody train to show up, I was bored out of my mind and frankly, I didn't feel very comfortable either. Some weird things were going on at the car park* and the weather was quite chilly. Luckily I had brought a thermos full of coffee** to keep me warm... all in all I can't say it was an exciting experience.

* Such as cars arriving, someone stepping into a different car, then both leaving.
** Sorry, no tea!

 

[Freightmaster]

Preston stays open all night and has about 40 freight a night go through.

Maybe about 40 years ago!!

One of my subscribers recently did an overnight on Preston and
saw 17 freight services in eight hours, and that was a particularly
busy night when several 'Q' (as required) trains all ran.



MARK

 

[bramling]

With many unstaffed stations covered by CCTV, if the control room operator spots individuals hanging-around after the last passenger service has departed, might they conceivably take some action? I'm thinking of a manual announcement over the PA system 'encouraging' folk to leave station premises, or a call to a local BTP car asking them to check the situation on a non-emergency basis, resource permitting.

(I realise Stafford is a staffed station. This is more of a general ponder.)

I suspect only if seen to be up to no good. Certainly if it's obvious people are there to do photographing or whatever then it's highly unlikely anyone would care.

 

[MrCub]

I wish you well. There are probably some good locations on the WCML for spotting which aren't on a station. However I tend to agree with others that I think the whole experience sounds lonely, possibly not amazingly safe, and boring. Better off driving somewhere; you can always retreat to the car with the radio and a flask if it gets too much, or simply drive home.

 

[Bungle965]

A couple of days before Christmas I spent some time at Noorderkempen, Belgium in the middle of the night, because I heard that there would be a couple of Eurostar e320 test runs that night. So I decided to go to the station, bringing a camera and a tripod.

I spent more than an hour waiting for the bloody train to show up, I was bored out of my mind and frankly, I didn't feel very comfortable either. Some weird things were going on at the car park* and the weather was quite chilly. Luckily I had brought a thermos full of coffee** to keep me warm... all in all I can't say it was an exciting experience.

* Such as cars arriving, someone stepping into a different car, then both leaving.
** Sorry, no tea!

Did you get any good photos in the end?
Sam

 

[Azzawba92]

Thanks for all the advice lads, & yes its for spotting & filming so queensvile curve wouldn't be very good as poor lighting i'm guessing?

& Darlo i'm nocturnal & a lonely child, i have no problem being on my tod for days on end & have done in the past haha

My plan was to catch a train to said destination, film trains then back in the morning, if only it was that easy locally

 

[Statto]

I've done it, more as i was getting early morning connection which meant an overnight wait ay Chester which was about 4 & a half hours one Saturday night-Sunday morning for the then overnight Holyhead-Euston train, & it was quite boring with no trains passing though, although wasn't too cold as it was during the long hot Summer of 95.

 

[Helvellyn]

Not sure I would do it these days, unlike the late 1980s where I did overnights including Carlisle - a dozen Sleepers, TPOs, other Parcel trains and plenty of freight (Freightliners and Steel traffic in the main).

 

[HOOVER29]

Until they put the sliding doors in at Tamworth I & a few others used to overnight at Tamworth. Used to be stupidly busy at night especially the low level. Now they tell you to leave around 11pm. You can spot from the car park but the low level lights go out at 1am,well at least they used to.
Done many overnighters at Stafford but that stopped when the car park barriers went in.i think around 03:59 it becomes another day so you end up paying twice in a night.
Now I'm fast approaching half a century (next yr) I'll leave the overnight nonsense to the youngsters amongst us & go home for my cocoa.

 

[richieb1971]

Most of you are talking like you don't understand the appeal or the technology that is available these days. Stafford was chosen because its very busy overnight, its unlikely to be boring at all. Secondly, you don't wait without knowing whats coming, you can easily see whats coming using RTT.

As for Freightmasters comment, I am sure on all the videos i've seen there is more than 17 a night go through Preston. Counting from 2120 till 0800, your going to see well over 20 and thats just tonight. I am not sure if the videos i've seen are of one night or not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2_A1hc-c3U

38 different trains alone in this video and thats just the first one that youtube shows if you type "Preston overnighter". Some are sleeper trains and mail trains, but thats what the buzz is about too.

 

[rmt4ever]

my post seems to have vanished.

I would go home to bed. Assuming you are on your own and fairly young it is worth noting stations at that time are dark, cold, lonely places and there isnt that much to see. You will be out on the platform with no real shelter and no way of keeping warm if the weather turns nasty. Is it worth it?

What are you going to do if the staff or security turf you out in the middle of the night? How will you get home?

So did mine that suggest a hotel might be more comfortable and also for the reasons you mention...

 

[185143]

Someone, definitely not me, has slept* at the following stations without any issues over recent years:

Lochluichart
Garve
Gairlochhead
Gretna Green
Bruton
Menheniot
Knockholt
Seer Green & Jordans
Leuchars
Altnabreac
Tulloch
Lochwinnoch

Is this to connect from the last train of the day to the first, to do some spotting or simply to sleep there?

*adjacent car parks

Add Garsdale to your list. That wasn't a fun, or expected, experience! As someone from the right side of the Pennines, I'm ashamed to admit how much of a relief arriving into Leeds
Station the next morning actually was!