Hi, I wonder if any members could offer any advice...?
I used to do my spotting in the late 70s and early 80s.
They were magic times of numerous classes, difference in regions, freight and interesting routes.
Me and my mate wanted to try a re create the excitement of those times and spend a day just watching and waiting for what comes by.
I have had Barnetby station suggested as the best on offer these days.
Could anybody tell me the best days of the week,and locations in that area?
Can you access the platform? never been over that side of the country before
Many thanks
Rog
Altrincham
Barnetby is the best on offer these days for freight. Although it does vary week by week depending how much coal and iron ore Scunthorpe Steelworks requires, and how much coal the various power stations require. This week there has been loads of cancellations.
This can make the difference between getting an average of 4-5 freights an hour (quite poor for Barnetby but good for anywhere else!) to getting an average of 8 freights per hour (Barnetby at it's best).
Get a busy day timed well with good weather and its great. You can use Real Time Trains to see how busy it has been on the previous day which gives you a good idea how busy its going to be on the day.
Freight is where all the interest is nowadays so you want somewhere busy or you'll just run out of patience rapidly!!! Barnetby has the quantity and you get plenty of warning when the next freight is approaching as you can see into the distance both ways and they approach quite slow. It's not like Acton Bridge or Tamworth where you end up missing stuff that comes tearing through without warning.
Plus Barnetby has the semaphores that add much atmosphere and gives you plenty of advanced warning when something is coming. The station environment is one of the most pleasant I can think of to spend a Summer afternoon or evening. Very few passengers, no annoying announcements, no station staff to question you, plenty of other train spotters there. Only downside is sometimes the chavs can turn up for an hour in the early evening, and like anywhere, if the weather is awful then it can make the day miserable.
I plan to make at least one trip there sometime this Summer.
Only downside is you won't get numerous classes of locos as its well within DB Schenker territory. Numerous 60's & 66's and the odd Track Machine and thats usually it. Class 20s, 37s, 56s, 67s or 70s rarely visit, which is sad as it used to be the main place to go for 56's.
Freight is varied you will get Coal, Petroleum Tanks, Iron Ore and Steel as the main traffic types. But you'll also get the odd Binliner, Intermodal and Infrastructure train.
If you are in the area you will have no reason to leave the station unless your really that bothered about getting more varied photography. The station is very good for photos and is the busiest place in the area. If you go somewhere else nearby (e.g. Brigg, or Knabbs Bridge) you will only see less freight than if you'd stayed at Barnetby. Plus, most of the best Barnetby area photos I've ever seen have actually been taken from the station.
