Back on the platform

[Skymonster]

This is a place that I saw listed as a spotting hotspot earlier but the article was a few years old. Is it worth a visit for freight?

It gets quite a bit of freight as its on the line from Immingham port, but no where near as much as passed though years ago when coal was much bigger business. Passenger service is limited to hourly TPE 185s en route from / to Cleethorpes, and less frequent EMT units from/to Grimsby and Newark. Honestly it's bit remote so I wouldn't really commend it to you unless you are desperately after some freight locos you won't see on the WCML, such as DBC 60s and Colas 70s.

 

[Kite159]

This is a place that I saw listed as a spotting hotspot earlier but the article was a few years old. Is it worth a visit for freight?

It gets a bit from Immingham docks

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Random picture

 

[Skymonster]

Hahaha... There's the first for Mr. Train's book!

 

[The_Train]

Hahahaha milk floats have never been so popular. I suspect I could be a trend setter here

Thanks for the info regarding Barnetby. DBC 60s and Colas 70s are needed but I suppose it would depend on how many of these I'm likely to see, whether there are better places to see these and the cost of getting to Barnetby compared to the potential benefit

 

[Skymonster]

DBC 60s and Colas 70s are needed but I suppose it would depend on how many of these I'm likely to see

There are only 20 DBC 60s in working order and typically four or five might go through the area at some point during each day. They tend to run from Immingham or Lindsey to Scunthorpe - or via the Midlands (e.g. Tamworth high level) to the like Kingsbury (oil) and Wolverhampton or South Wales (steel). Colas typically have 70s up that way at present (fewer in number than the DBC 60s though) for oil (Preston, and Rectory Junction / Colwick near Nottingham) but once the RHTTs are done some of these services might well revert back to pairs of 56s which were more usual earlier in the year. The rest of the freight traffic is prodominantly hauled by DBC, Freightliner and GBRf Sheds; DRS doesn't do much regular work in the area. The Sheds are easier for you to pick up nearer home so I don't think it would be really worth your while - or time and money - until you get a lot nearer narrowing down your sight requirements to a few niches.

 

[433N]

I would add that spending a day on Barnetby station, which has little in the way of facilities, in winter can be a bit hardcore as the wind does tend to whip up over the Lincolnshire Wolds.

 

[Skymonster]

I would add that spending a day on Barnetby station, which has little in the way of facilities, in winter can be a bit hardcore as the wind does tend to whip up over the Lincolnshire Wolds.

Very true - although there's a pub just over the road!

 

[Far north 37]

Hahahaha milk floats have never been so popular. I suspect I could be a trend setter here

Thanks for the info regarding Barnetby. DBC 60s and Colas 70s are needed but I suppose it would depend on how many of these I'm likely to see, whether there are better places to see these and the cost of getting to Barnetby compared to the potential benefit

More dbc 60s due out and about meant to be taking over mendip stone workings from the class 59/2s very soon.

 

[DavidGrain]

Talking of a slippery slope from train numbers to tram numbers. This runs on a railway line between Meadowhall and Rotherham

And this does not get that far

So is there really any difference?

 

[DavidGrain]

For milk floats here is a starter fleet list
http://www.wythall.org.uk/elec.asp
Sorry the Wythall Transport Museum has now closed for the winter

 

[47403]

Mr Train, regarding Barnetby, It wasn't that hot when I went but there was a bit trundled through, probably worth checking RTT. There's a cracking BnB there too. It's name escapes me but it's a good un.

 

[The_Train]

For milk floats here is a starter fleet list
http://www.wythall.org.uk/elec.asp
Sorry the Wythall Transport Museum has now closed for the winter

Milk floats are clearly more popular than I first thought

 

[Skymonster]

Milk floats are clearly more popular than I first thought

You need to register that domain name while its still available then Mr. Train - www.milkfloatforums.co.uk
You could be on to a winner

 

[gtis]

Milk floats are clearly more popular than I first thought

As seen at Southport last month
Neil

 

[03_179]

It's not wholly important to me but I've only recently started to do trip mileage, not miles behind locos, you can read about the lads putting stuff in the 10mile club, I admire there tenacity, it's too much paperwork for me but I find it quite fascinating,

I have a lovely little (ha ha) spreadsheet that calc all the miles behind each traction

 

[03_179]

For those that want to record their haulages I use a spreadsheet as stated above here is how it looks/works:
https://partimespotter.wordpress.com

 

[_toommm_]

For those that want to record their haulages I use a spreadsheet as stated above here is how it looks/works:
https://partimespotter.wordpress.com

Is there a link to the sheet?

 

[03_179]

No I have an old "empty" copy on my laptop at home. I'll try upload it over the weekend see if it works.

 

[55013]

Excellent.
It's always good to read moves from my local area.

 

[47403]

A milk float related story.
A few years back.i was at a footy doo with a late friend of mine, afterwards we retired from the back room of the pub to the bar, to have one for the road, where upon he bumped into his old work mate from the Co-op dairies, we ended up having one for the road, the path etc.
They both worked on the same Milk Round together over in Newcastle. His mate drove the float and I was reliably told by Both, the mere sight of the hem of a nighty, they could stop the float on a sixpence. They were having the times of their lives, my old mate said, it was amazing what an extra bottle of milk a day can get you, especially when you called for the money on a Friday. The phrase was, the usual love or are you paying this week. I asked, how long did you do that job for, Jim told me, roughly 2-2 and half years,its a wonder you never got caught or sacked, if not why did you rap it in? In unison, they said, Cost!! a small bloody fortune too, cos someone had to pay for the milk.
So next time you see the milk float graveyard. Think of the stories them old flosts could share.

 

[The_Train]

Haha, sounds like an episode of On The Milkfloat, or Carry On Milking....actually maybe not the latter

 

[palmersears]

Train, just to let you know 350246 is back out and about, was on Birmingham/Liverpool yesterday so will probably be doing the same today.

 

[The_Train]

It's been a busy couple of weeks since my last outing but not busy enough to stop me from a few visits to the local along with a couple of unplanned visits further a field. Here are my latest tales......

A quick check on RTT the morning after my Yorkshire trip showed a loco move from Crewe to Leicester L.I.P so, with the weather being particularly wet, I decided to time a drive into town to meet this move through Stafford and was rewarded with dud 47812 and winner ROG 47815 as they headed home. Another move caught my eye the next day, Saturday 3rd November, so I decided to head down to the station and make use of the 20 minute free parking to check this one out. Not long after my arrival I was left feeling slightly disappointed as dud 90029 appeared hauling a charter from London Euston to Blackpool North
90029 passes Stafford by The_Train

But my disappointment was soon alleviated as I caught something gleaming at the rear and it turned out to be winner winner 67005
67005 passing Stafford by The_Train

Sunday 4th November brought an unexpected result whilst I went to meet my parents at Stafford station as FLR 66605 was sat in the goods line with an engineers train. I started an NVQ course on Monday 5th November but it was just a lot of paperwork filling for the opening day so we were done just after lunch. On my walk home I checked RTT and was timing it well to catch a little bit of an influx of freight moves so I headed onto platforms 3 and 4 to check these out. The first was a dud 66 before a pair of 86s passed by working towards Felixstowe and even though duds 86610 was leading, 86612 was supporting to take me to just 6 FLR 86s required. A couple more dud sheds rolled by before 66119, working Dowlow to Theale Hope, doubled my winners to make it a worthwhile 50 minutes on the platform.

I'm not sure what prompted me to pay a visit to the local the following day but another early finish from my course meant I had time to nip across for the early evening rush and it proved to be a good move. It started off with a couple of duds but I hit a hot streak after these with 66545 getting things started as it worked containers towards Garston. 8 minutes later I was chalking off another winner thanks to another 66/6 - I was complaining about struggling to find these less than a month ago and since then 5 of them have found me - as 66602 went by working Willesden to Tunstead. I had to put up with watching Pendos, Voyagers and Desiros for half hour before the next freight action but it was worth the wait as the Southampton to Halewood empty cars offered up another winner with 66078 doing the honours this time around
DBC Class 66 66078 at Stafford by The_Train

Another run to offer up regular winners for me has been the evening Toton to Crewe engineers train and today was no exception as 66754 went into the book before 66519 completed a solid hour at the local.

More top notch information from this forum lead me back to the local less than 24 hours later to see 92023 making its way from Crewe towards the capital having been up north for repairs
Caledonian Sleeper Class 92 92023 passes Stafford by The_Train

Dud 66118 passed through as well with 67018 surprisingly in support before part 2 of why I was here yet again came through just after 1700 as 70010 became my final FLR 70 to be chalked off (thank you @palmersears for the info). Just the Colas stock to find now! Nothing else of note on this outing except for yet another visit from 37800, this time hauling 319442 to Brush for its conversion to a 769
ROG Europhoenix 37800 at Stafford by The_Train
319442 in unfamiliar territory at Stafford by The_Train

We had now reached Thursday 8th November and it was fast becoming apparent that my 2 week course could easily be completed in a week if the tutors could be arsed to complete a full day. They had no plan for this today, in fact we were finished by lunch so I was left with nothing to do. I headed home for some food and to apply for a few jobs I'd seen advertised and then hatched a plan to head to either Tamworth or Nuneaton. A quick check on RTT showed Nuneaton offering more freight action so I was off to Stafford to make the short hop southwards. Little did I know how wasteful this would be.....I should have figured what this outing would offer when dud for everything 350122 rolled up to provide my haulage deeper into the West Midlands
LNWR Class 350 350122 at Nuneaton by The_Train

I made a decent start as I literally stepped off the 350 to see Colas 70815 working Westbury to Bescot and I was also able to chalk off DR73936 which was sat in the sidings. But it all started to go pear shaped as everything I got to see was a dud until I was able to get 153356 into the book as it worked the local shuttle to Coventry. Here it is later in the day
WMT 153356 awaits departure from Nuneaton by The_Train

Just half an hour later I was ticking off my 4th and final winner of this outing and I still had over 4 hours of my planned time to go. 66170 would do the honours in being this final winner today as it crept down from the flyover working towards Northampton
DBC Class 66 66170 passes Nuneaton by The_Train

I saw plenty of trains after this but each and everyone was a dud with plenty of Voyagers like these either flying through or stopping on their route
VTWC Super Voyagers 221116 and 221118 at Nuneaton by The_Train, on Flickr

And plenty of shed action like this FLR 66 that arrived shortly before my departure....
FLR Class 66/5 66591 at Nuneaton by The_Train

I did finish the day with haulage for the first time on 221114 and 221104 but not much else that is good to say about this outing so I will leave it there I think. There are a few additional pics from Nuneaton here and I have a few other small updates to make to bring me bang up to date but I'm lacking the energy today so it will be a to be continued finish as normal

 

[03_179]

Seems like the Duds keep on hitting ...

Drives you mad sometimes ... but it's the odd one or two 'cops' that keeps you going

 

[47403]

Nice to see you got a few more into the book of sights but unfortunately the duds come with the territory. Maybe a ride to Scotland and a roundabout ticket ( http://railrover.org/pages/strathclyde-roundabout.html) may just be what the doctor ordered, to cure a case of the haves and have nots.

 

[The_Train]

Seems like the Duds keep on hitting ...

Drives you mad sometimes ... but it's the odd one or two 'cops' that keeps you going

Duds will not defeat me haha. I'm actually sat in the freezing cold awaiting the cars as it should be a winner 92 and I've just had a nice surprise go by which makes the cold worthwhile

 

[The_Train]

Nice to see you got a few more into the book of sights but unfortunately the duds come with the territory. Maybe a ride to Scotland and a roundabout ticket ( http://railrover.org/pages/strathclyde-roundabout.html) may just be what the doctor ordered, to cure a case of the haves and have nots.

You might be on to something here 47403. Just done a quick check on trainsplit and can get to Glasgow for less than £40 and then the Ranger you linked me to is only £7.

I'd plotted the Cheshire Day Ranger as my final 'big' outing of the year (mainly for Merseyrail stuff) but might change my plans now

 

[palmersears]

Do not go to Scotland. I went last November and I've only just thawed out.

Edit: I'll probably have passed you at Stafford, train, I'm on the 1547 out of Liverpool bound for Euston.

 

[The_Train]

Do not go to Scotland. I went last November and I've only just thawed out.

Haha that was an immediate concern when it was suggested. Does it actually get any warmer in the summer months up there though?

 

[47403]

Oh dear, don't they have coats, jumpers, thinsulate hats and gloves, even scarves in the North West and Staffordshire.
You'll be fine. Palmersears, sure youve suffered colder nights at Edgeley Park on a wet miserable Tuesday night.