Unfriendly rail stations to spot trains

[Urban Gateline]

yes i gave a Vauxhall a miss,it was crawling with staff. Waterloo also had private security guards but only round the ticket barriers. Never had any problem down the platforms. Do seem to get some strange looks at just about every manned station these days. The modern youngish rail employee is clearly not an enthusiast not like the rail employees of old who all seemed to have a passing interest and understood why i wanted to take train photos!

If it helps, the security staff at Clapham are agency staff, and they are not there 24h a day, so if you wish to take pictures without being hassled, between 1am and 3pm is the best

 

[Matt Taylor]

Was once told at Clapham that photography was for staff only. At that point I pulled out my staff pass and left the manager somewhat flummoxed!

In the London area in recent years I only had an issue at Carpender's Park when the station staff were adamant that photography was illegal. I couldn't be bothered to argue to I just got on the next 378 to Headstone lane, and ended up with better pictures as a result.

 

[Temple Meads]

Was once told at Clapham that photography was for staff only..

In which case I must work for SWT and not realise it

 

[HST Power]

I went to the ticket office at Letchworth yesterday, intending to buy a ticket to Hitchin and go to take some shots. Just to be sure, I asked the guy behind the counter if I was allowed to photograph at Hitchin. He said no, and was adamant that photography is not allowed at any FCC station. When I explained to him that I had photographed at Letchworth, Arlesey and London before without any problems, he proceeded to tell me that those staff were all wrong, and that they shouldn't have let me.

Nonetheless, I decided to take a gamble. So I got on the next train to Hitchin and went to customer information to sign on. And what did the guy say to me? He said sure you can photograph, just keep your flash turned off and don't step over the yellow line!

Something has gone wrong. FCC need to get their facts straight. They've already annoyed me once this month following an incident onboard a train to Cambridge.

 

[bAzTNM]

Not 100% sure I heard it, but when I was at Bridgeton Railway Station in Glasgow on Saturday, a spotter was setting up his tripod and this guy came running down and told him to "put it away. No photography here!". Probably heard wrong, but once the guy said it, he did seem to pack his stuff away.

 

[jon0844]

FCC better sack the person who printed, then distributed, the posters saying enthusiasts are welcome.

Mind you, I got a man telling me it was illegal to take photos at Finsbury Park - which had a poster up on the same platform!

 

[Aictos]

I went to the ticket office at Letchworth yesterday, intending to buy a ticket to Hitchin and go to take some shots. Just to be sure, I asked the guy behind the counter if I was allowed to photograph at Hitchin. He said no, and was adamant that photography is not allowed at any FCC station. When I explained to him that I had photographed at Letchworth, Arlesey and London before without any problems, he proceeded to tell me that those staff were all wrong, and that they shouldn't have let me.

Nonetheless, I decided to take a gamble. So I got on the next train to Hitchin and went to customer information to sign on. And what did the guy say to me? He said sure you can photograph, just keep your flash turned off and don't step over the yellow line!

Something has gone wrong. FCC need to get their facts straight. They've already annoyed me once this month following an incident onboard a train to Cambridge.

Disappointing this is still happening, FCC to their credit have briefed staff correctly stating that taking photos at their stations is permitted as long as you basically do what the staff member at Hitchin.

I know this as I actually raised this at director level in 2009/2010 and a briefing was published for staff to read.

 

[jon0844]

I guess they can't force staff on the ground to read all the bulletins, and some staff probably think they know best.

I've met a few over the years.

Sent from my Commodore 64 using Tapatalk

 

[Aictos]

I guess they can't force staff on the ground to read all the bulletins, and some staff probably think they know best.

I've met a few over the years.

Sent from my Commodore 64 using Tapatalk

Indeed, sadly in any TOC there's going to be a few bad apples who think they know it all when they're quite clearly in the wrong.

 

[jon0844]

I bet you've had to work with them at times too

It's fine for me, as I meet the bad ones and then go away and forget about it (or post on here!) but some people may not be quite so fortunate.

 

[Aictos]

I bet you've had to work with them at times too

It's fine for me, as I meet the bad ones and then go away and forget about it (or post on here!) but some people may not be quite so fortunate.

Indeed, I remember one time the police were nearly called by a staff member - blind to the fact that the only reason the photographers were there was simply due to the diversions of East Coast etc...being diverted via Hertford.

Whatever happen to common sense?

 

[onein37]

Common sense doesent exist with a large number of station staff....... or police for that matter....... Going back a couple of years i was questioned by Hampshire police on the bridge over looking Southampton Maritime Freighliner depot (you know the bridge). What was i doing,where was i going,where had i been,where did i live......Officers,i'm on a public road bridge,the correct side of the dock gate taking train photos......to no avail,i was given a ticket to say i had been spoken to. Guess i was just unlucky to be the only spotter there at the time.

Going back to an earlier post about Civil nuclear police, my son got questioned by them while taking landscape photos close to the nuclear power station in Snowdonia.........

And breathe..........

Anyway, can anyone tell me the current situation regards photos on Reading, Didcot and Oxford stations,thanks

 

[Temple Meads]

Anyway, can anyone tell me the current situation regards photos on Reading, Didcot and Oxford stations,thanks

I don't know about Oxford and Reading, but I've taken countless pictures and videos at Didcot Parkway in the past year, with no issues whatsoever.

But I use a small camera and don't generally "platform end" at Didcot.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

to no avail,i was given a ticket to say i had been spoken to

Police officers are now obliged to fill out a form, and give a copy to anyone who they stop, or search.

 

[Nym]

Police officers are now obliged to fill out a form, and give a copy to anyone who they stop, or search.

And this comes in very handy when you come to make a complaint about the officer who has stopped and challenged you, make sure they make it abundantly clear as to where and why they stopped you on this form.

 

[anthony263]

I have had no trouble at Reading or Oxford in fact staff just walked past me not really bothered.

That said I would understand if say they stopped to check if I was using the camera on my mobile phone to photograph trains (like I had to do at Cardiff central last night because of my stupid camera deciding it wanted to develop a fault)

If you can let a member of staff what you are planning on doing as you pass them then do so as it saves both you and them worrying and wasting time checking you are not a terrorist etc.

 

[jon0844]

Ah, but couldn't a terrorist also say 'Hi mate, just taking some pics of trains' ?

Thus showing how silly it is for some staff to use anti-terror as an excuse to harass enthusiasts, given any half-decent terrorist isn't going to be make themselves obvious.. and most enthusiasts aren't exactly hiding themselves. However, they could be bluffing I suppose - yet you'd still not know simply by getting someone to sign in (they don't check ID for example, and even that could be faked...).

 

[moonrakerz]

Going back to an earlier post about Civil nuclear police, my son got questioned by them while taking landscape photos close to the nuclear power station in Snowdonia.........

What a farce !

CND don't seem to have any bother filming nuclear weapon convoys - with MoD Police, Civil Police and Royal Marines in attendance ............
.............ah, perhaps they got permission before hand :roll::roll:

 

[NSEFAN]

When grabbing a shot of the East Coast/East Midlands Trains HST at Kings Cross last weekend, a Network Rail employee came up to me and told me that I'm not supposed to take pictures on the station.

When I asked him "Since when?", he said "Since always".

 

[anthony263]

When grabbing a shot of the East Coast/East Midlands Trains HST at Kings Cross last weekend, a Network Rail employee came up to me and told me that I'm not supposed to take pictures on the station.

When I asked him "Since when?", he said "Since always".

Someone needs to learn the rules I think maybe a letter to his boses might help.

 

[NSEFAN]

Someone needs to learn the rules I think maybe a letter to his boses might help.

It wasn't much of a problem, to be honest; I was on my way to Marylebone either way. I forgot to mention the enthusiast guidelines at the time. Doh!

Mind you, he had nothing to else to say once I pointed out that photography wasn't a problem at the 700 or so other stations I've been to!

 

[Simon Poole]

Went to film a FCC Class 313 at Moorgate back in January, just wanted one Video and well... this video explains what happened

[youtube]SQT21EJZKec[/youtube]

 

[scotsman]

Went to film a FCC Class 313 at Moorgate back in January, just wanted one Video and well... this video explains what happened

[youtube]SQT21EJZKec[/youtube]

He's right....

 

[Peter Mugridge]

For the benefit of those of us who are cloth eared, please could someone transcribe the speech?

 

[RPM]

I find this sort of thing very depressing. OK, technically the "guidelines" require you to ask for permission and that is OK if you are planning to make a day of it but what if you just want to grab a quick shot whilst changing trains? What exactly is the problem?
In my experience the issue is often newbie staff. As a career railwayman I don't bat an eyelid at enthusiasts because I am very used to them (and I'm sort of one myself!). I'd only intervene if I saw something dangerous going on. Sadly we are increasingly plagued by quasi-railway staff; either agency people or employees of contracted security firms and these people are often the cause of enthusiast/photography paranoia owing to their lack of awareness, training and experience.

 

[Mr Spock]

For the benefit of those of us who are cloth eared, please could someone transcribe the speech?

Basically he told him that he had to ask permission before taking any pictures then added that you can't take any pictures or video here. A little later he said will you come with us please, again will you come with us please, then stop it please.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Thank you.

 

[bAzTNM]

Basically he told him that he had to ask permission before taking any pictures then added that you can't take any pictures or video here. A little later he said will you come with us please, again will you come with us please

Where do you think he was going to take the guy?

 

[crewmeal]

How come you can take pictures of the Royal Train in Cardiff WITH FULL PERMISSION of the police and other bodies, when you can't even take a shot of a steam engine passing through Langley Green (West Midlands)? All you get there is some jobsworth flapping his arms shouting......
Are there rules for photography at each station in the UK?

 

[jon0844]

Because the real security people, probably armed, don't feel the need to showoff the power they DO have.

It's the people that crave power, but don't actually have it, that usually cause the most hassle.