Tips for planning a trip using a camcorder

[alecras234]

Hi im Ash from north wales. I want to go to Holyhead station to photograph trains and their numbers. How would i do this and also how would i know what time certain trains come in?

 

[Harbornite]

Hi im Ash from north wales. I want to go to Holyhead station to photograph trains and their numbers. How would i do this

use a camera

"how would i know what time certain trains come in?"

Realtimetrains.

 

[trash80]

Well go to the station, be sensible (don't get in people's way, blocking the guard's line of sight et cetera). Don't forget to NOT use a flash.

Real Time Trains can tell you what is coming, though personally i like to have a bit of a surprise.

 

[Bromley boy]

Consider approaching station staff and informing them of your intentions.

People standing around on platforms can cause concern (for obvious reasons), so it’s as well to make the reasons for your presence known.

 

[Condor7]

Hi Ash, welcome to the hobby, I hope it gives you as much pleasure as it has me.

When photographing on platforms the advice already given to inform railway staff is always a good idea, you will find they are all used to this.

Again go to Real Time Trains for information but it can take a little getting used to particularly understanding which trains are actually running and which are just paths that have been booked for possible future use, but if you get chatting to any other enthusiasts at the station I am sure they will be glad to help.

I am not sure how much of a beginner you are, but a note book and pen are useful and if trainspotting as well as photographing, a spotters book to record the locos you see, Platform 5 is a popular choice, but there are many others just as good.

Regularly reading this forum will also give you a lot of tips and you will soon get the hang of it, and like now you can always ask.

 

[Journeyman]

Yes, I'd say the Platform 5 books are a good reference guide to the different types of train out there, but they do assume a certain level of background knowledge and don't explain certain things very well.

How familiar are you with the different types of train there are? Do you know the difference between a locomotive hauled train and a multiple unit, for example? Happy to explain these terms if you're not.

 

[_toommm_]

If you want to go for a more subtle look and have an android phone, there's a great app called 'Trainspotter'. It is updated fairly regularly and has all the numbers of stock currently in service, plus stock that is stored. It'll also tell you the depot it is allocated to, plus any previous numbers it may have had.

I use it quite a lot as my eyesight isn't very good, and it won't allow you to put in a number which doesn't exist which is quite nice.


As others have said, exercise caution, be courteous to staff by staying in a safe area, and if asked what you're doing, just be honest. They only want to make sure you're not considering doing anything drastic at all.

Most importantly, have fun!

 

[alecras234]

Hi my name is Ash and i live in north wales. I'm disabled and use a wheelchair and i want to go somewhere to watch and take photos of trains. How do i know what class train is coming in so i know before going to a station? How do you take photos of trains/locos? do you know the class before it arrives into the station? I live near Bangor.

 

[AM9]

Hi my name is Ash and i live in north wales. I'm disabled and use a wheelchair and i want to go somewhere to watch and take photos of trains. How do i know what class train is coming in so i know before going to a station? How do you take photos of trains/locos? do you know the class before it arrives into the station? I live near Bangor.

There are some here who can tell you the most likely class of train running each of the services, especially the North Wales line which has a number of distinct services operated by the different Train Operating Companies there. I'm sure there will be a response from at least one of the RailUK forums members here soon.
The furthest I've been on that line is Chester in January this year. I know that the VT trains to/from Euston are class 220/221, - because that is what I travelled there on. I think that I saw a class 67 pulling some MKIII coaches, so maybe they are the ATW services from Manchester. I also saw a few class 158 DMUs which I imagine were the ATW trains from Birmingham or Cardiff.
There were some class 175 trains at Chester but I don't know if they went any further west.

 

[185143]

The Virgin services in North Wales are all Class 221 Voyagers.

The 05:33 HHD-CDF, 09:50 MAN-HHD, 13:07 HHD-MAN and 17:16 CDF-HHD are all Class 67+mk3 coaches.

Most Birmingham services are 158s, most other Cardiff/Manchester services I believe are 175s. Hope this helps.

 

[DerekC]

If you don't know about it already you might find Realtime Trains (www.realtimetrains.co.uk) very helpful - if you switch to detailed view it will tell you the train running number and operator of every train passing your chosen location (assuming it's at a station) - and if you click on the service it will tell you what general type and sometimes the class of rolling stock it is going to be. It will also tell you exactly when to expect the train, which can be very useful.

For example, right now the next train through Bangor is 1W30 Cardiff Central to Holyhead, planned for a Class 158 DMU, due Bangor 17:53 and currently running 1 minute late. (Of course sometimes a train turns up with different rolling stock from that planned, but that adds to the interest, I think).

 

[Peter C]

If you don't know about it already you might find Realtime Trains (www.realtimetrains.co.uk) very helpful - if you switch to detailed view it will tell you the train running number and operator of every train passing your chosen location (assuming it's at a station) - and if you click on the service it will tell you what general type and sometimes the class of rolling stock it is going to be. It will also tell you exactly when to expect the train, which can be very useful.

For example, right now the next train through Bangor is 1W30 Cardiff Central to Holyhead, planned for a Class 158 DMU, due Bangor 17:53 and currently running 1 minute late. (Of course sometimes a train turns up with different rolling stock from that planned, but that adds to the interest, I think).

The key bit here is yes; RTT is not perfect and the rolling stock is not always as planned. For example, and I know this is no longer the case, but if you went to, say, Didcot Parkway on the Great Western Mainline waiting for a Class 43 HST and looked on RTT, it would say a HST125, but there is a chance that the train won't be a Class 43 but a Class 800! Very annoying if you are looking for the last few 43s!

-Peter

 

[Peter C]

When I take photos of trains, I just use my phone. I have a Samsung Galaxy A6, but I have used other phones before. Judging by the fact that the title of this thread is "camcorder", I would assume that you are using a camcorder. Personally, I much prefer taking videos of trains, rather than photos, but that is purely because I like being able to compile them into a YouTube video every so often!
On the subject of classes of train, if you head out to your local station and see the trains going through you will build up an understanding of which units work which services. For example, on the Cotswold Line, my local line, the faster services are now all Class 800/802s, and the slower ones are all 165s. I also "spot" trains, which means that I have a list of which units work which services written down. I find this extremely useful.

-Peter

 

[alecras234]

im more confused now, WHAT? I have seen trains going through Bangor station, they are, Arriva 175, 158, then there's Virgin 221. The three numbers indicate what? For example 175 is that the class? Would that be the same for all DMU'S having three numbers telling you what the class is? Confused.com

 

[Dren Ahmeti]

The numbers, so 158, 221 etc, show the the “Class” designation of a train - a bit like a model number.
Let me use an example: A train that could go by you at Bangor could be 220019; 220 is the Class, and 019 is the unit number!

 

[LOL The Irony]

im more confused now, WHAT? I have seen trains going through Bangor station, they are, Arriva 175, 158, then there's Virgin 221. The three numbers indicate what? For example 175 is that the class? Would that be the same for all DMU'S having three numbers telling you what the class is? Confused.com

Yes. First 2 or 3 numbers are the class. 2 numbers means it's a locomotive, 3 a multiple unit. Then there's 3 numbers after them, the first of those is the sub-class and the other 2 are the number within the sub-class. mk/mark 3 are the 3rd generation of BR coaching stock.

 

[Peter C]

im more confused now, WHAT? I have seen trains going through Bangor station, they are, Arriva 175, 158, then there's Virgin 221. The three numbers indicate what? For example 175 is that the class? Would that be the same for all DMU'S having three numbers telling you what the class is? Confused.com

OK. So:
You have the CLASS number. This is either 2 or 3 digits. All DMUs and EMUs have 3 digit class numbers.
Then, you have the UNIT number. This is always 3 digits, no matter what the engine or unit. This number is specific to one engine or unit.
So, imagine you have 175001. The 175 tells you that it is a Class 175 and the 001 tells you that it is the first one of the Class 175s to be numbered (or built, I'm not sure if the units are numbered in the order they are built).
Hopefully this helps.

P.S: This numbering system is called TOPS - Total Operations Processing System. I think that it was introduced in the 1970s, and there's at least one case where two different classes of locomotive have been given the same class number. This means that they have to be distinguished between using various descriptions which really isn't worth getting into! However, any numbering system pre-TOPS is only going to be found on railtour locomotives or heritage railways.

-Peter

 

[PHILIPE]

There are some here who can tell you the most likely class of train running each of the services, especially the North Wales line which has a number of distinct services operated by the different Train Operating Companies there. I'm sure there will be a response from at least one of the RailUK forums members here soon.
The furthest I've been on that line is Chester in January this year. I know that the VT trains to/from Euston are class 220/221, - because that is what I travelled there on. I think that I saw a class 67 pulling some MKIII coaches, so maybe they are the ATW services from Manchester. I also saw a few class 158 DMUs which I imagine were the ATW trains from Birmingham or Cardiff.
There were some class 175 trains at Chester but I don't know if they went any further west.

ATW don't exist any more, mate. The 67 hauled ones have been listed in a later post. The 158s are as you say, mostly on the Birminghams and are also seen on Holyhead to Cardiffs although these are mostly 175s. There are trains further in and out of Llandudno if you were to venture there which mostly run to and from Manchester Piccadilly or the Airport and which are mostly 175s with a minority of 158s. 150s frequently run along the Coast even if they are not booked, standing in for a 175 or 150.

 

[PHILIPE]

The key bit here is yes; RTT is not perfect and the rolling stock is not always as planned. For example, and I know this is no longer the case, but if you went to, say, Didcot Parkway on the Great Western Mainline waiting for a Class 43 HST and looked on RTT, it would say a HST125, but there is a chance that the train won't be a Class 43 but a Class 800! Very annoying if you are looking for the last few 43s!

-Peter

What you see on RTT is not what type of traction is booked but what the Timing Load is. Briefly, any unit can be booked to work as long as they can maintain the timings.

 

[AM9]

ATW don't exist any more, mate. The 67 hauled ones have been listed in a later post. The 158s are as you say, mostly on the Birminghams and are also seen on Holyhead to Cardiffs although these are mostly 175s. There are trains further in and out of Llandudno if you were to venture there which mostly run to and from Manchester Piccadilly or the Airport and which are mostly 175s with a minority of 158s. 150s frequently run along the Coast even if they are not booked, standing in for a 175 or 150.

I did say that somebody would be around with the info. Whilst at Chester in January, I saw some 171s in Arriva teal livery and one in a red and white livery in dual language. The MKIII coaches in tow with the 67 were also Arriva teal livery. However, as you say, the TOC has changed recently.

 

[Peter C]

What you see on RTT is not what type of traction is booked but what the Timing Load is. Briefly, any unit can be booked to work as long as they can maintain the timings.

Oh yes; should have mentioned that.

-Peter