Slow freight trains

[the-man]

Where is a good place to see freight going reasonably slow so I can get wagon numbers ? .....thanks

 

[Peter0124]

• Coatbridge Central
• Manchester Piccadilly/Oxford Road/Deansgate
• Woodgrange Park

Of course depending on yellow / red signals. These stations tend to have more of those signals for freights.

 

[Trainguy34]

The Viaduct in Camden Market (Primrose Hill Link) works, but 1 every couple of hours though

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Where is a good place to see freight going reasonably slow so I can get wagon numbers ? .....thanks

Could you film the freights going by, and then review the footage when you get home, in order to get the loco and wagon numbers?

Manchester Piccadilly/Oxford Road/Deansgate

Of course depending on yellow / red signals. These stations tend to have more of those signals for freights.

Not the worst shout, but would the OP need tickets to access these stations? Noted that the OP is apparently from Swindon.

 

[islandmonkey]

Eastleigh seems to be used for crew changes. No gates and always full of spotters.

Millbrook station might be a good shout along with Redbridge.

 

[Callmo]

Ely, 20mph through the station (sometimes 10mph on heavy axle weight trains)

 

[Chingy]

Reading is a pretty busy station for freight and line speed isn’t all that high through the station. Same for Acton Main Line.

All relatively easy to get to from Swindon.

 

[the-man]

Could you film the freights going by, and then review the footage when you get home, in order to get the loco and wagon numbers?


Not the worst shout, but would the OP need tickets to access these stations? Noted that the OP is apparently from Swindon.

I am going on a 7 day rover

Thanks for the replies

 

[HOOVER29]

• Coatbridge Central
• Manchester Piccadilly/Oxford Road/Deansgate
• Woodgrange Park

Of course depending on yellow / red signals. These stations tend to have more of those signals for freights.

Peterborough
Water Orton

Not Tamworth though
A tad fast there

 

[BrummieBobby]

Bescot Stadium; several trains a day pass through the station at low speed when entering or exiting Bescot Yard.

 

[john prytherch]

Northampton, south end of station.

 

[ac6000cw]

Usually moderately slow at Westerfield and Trimley on the Felixstowe branch (and at Westerfield, Felixstowe trains always use the south track so you get a good view of the side of the train from the opposite platform).

 

[randyrippley]

anywhere with a good view at Westbury?

 

[Western Sunset]

Westbury - Sometimes they pass through quite quickly; especially down trains. Up trains, especially if they're having a crew change, give more of an opportunity.

Eastleigh is another good shout, as many of the freights (especially Freightliners) stop for a crew change. Car trains and the "gypsum" tend to pass through without stopping.

 

[cin88]

Castleton if the Drax trains aren't cancelled. The down freights tend to be slower due to the gradients and there's always the chance that an up freight will be held due to the restriction on the motorway bridge so will be going from a standing start or slow crawl.

Any of the 4 city centre stations in Manchester.

Preston although you may have to do some platform hopping.

Crewe gets a few that are held in the station for regulating purposes and crew changeovers, and anything bound for the various depots there will be slowing down. Again though, you may have to platform hop.

 

[magpiespy]

Navigation Road has quite a lot of slow moving and varied freight. There is stone traffic and biomass for Drax at least.

 

[the-man]

Thank you everyone for the replies..

 

[robert thomas]

Cardiff Central.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

Castleton if the Drax trains aren't cancelled. The down freights tend to be slower due to the gradients and there's always the chance that an up freight will be held due to the restriction on the motorway bridge so will be going from a standing start or slow crawl.

Any of the 4 city centre stations in Manchester.

Preston although you may have to do some platform hopping.

Crewe gets a few that are held in the station for regulating purposes and crew changeovers, and anything bound for the various depots there will be slowing down. Again though, you may have to platform hop.

Also, the Horselanding at Crewe is a spotters favourite. Always people snapping numbers on the Salop

 

[Deepgreen]

Stratford (London).

 

[jocratt]

Reading is a pretty busy station for freight and line speed isn’t all that high through the station. Same for Acton Main Line.

All relatively easy to get to from Swindon.

Not to mention, the station is also routinely used as a point for crew changes, particularly by Freightliner.

 

[Annetts key]

Bristol Temple Meads (due to line speed of 20MPH), but not a huge number of freight trains. You will need to use OpenTrainTimes or Traksy so you can walk to an appropriate platform before the train arrives.

Bristol Parkway for trains where there is a change-over of driver, or where a freight gets looped. Or when they are shunting in the down side sidings.

For the trains going to/from Tytherington, Yate station upside (north bound) platform (although all these go through Bristol Parkway). They also go slowly over all three level crossings on this line.

If you have a suitable camera and lens, you may be able to get a good enough view from the over bridges at Old Sodbury to see trains getting looped at Chipping Sodbury. But the nearest station is Yate. These all go via Bristol Parkway anyway.

For the trains at Avonmouth, St. Andrews Road station (when they are shunting). Keep in mind the passenger train service for this station is rather limited. But you can walk from Avonmouth station.

 

[lakeland844]

Carlisle is good ! Slow speed and crew changes - good variety of operators too !

 

[Western Sunset]

The midday Tytherington train reverses at Parkway, so chance to get numbers. My wagon number collecting days are now over; Toton Up Yard on a Sunday in the 80s produced lots of HAAs...

 

[lakeland844]

Get onto 'You Tube' and search Les Gilpin Railways - the guy spends 5 days a week on the platforms at Carlisle filming and you will see the variety of stuff - freights that come through during daylight hours ! Wetherspoons is a few yards away !!!!

 

[SteelWeelApeal]

Reading is a pretty busy station for freight and line speed isn’t all that high through the station. Same for Acton Main Line.

All relatively easy to get to from Swindon.

Reading West would probably be better, as you get the container trains from Southampton, as well as stone from the west.

 

[Crawley Ben]

Would Peterborough be any good to the OP at all? I see a lot of freight passing the Railcams there, but not sure how decent a view they would likely get from the platforms?

Ben

 

[AndyPJG]

Warrington Bank Quay?