Visit to Whiteball summit

[Julius]

Hi, does anyone know if Whiteball summit is considered to be ok to spot at in terms of positions of safety? As in are you going to get noted by the drivers?

 

[Domh245]

So long as you aren't trespassing onto the railway, I would think it would be fine. The best position of safety is not on the tracks as Elecman says below, outside of the boundary fence

 

[Elecman]

Slight correction the best position of safety is outside of the railway boundary fence

 

[theironroad]

Hi, does anyone know if Whiteball summit is considered to be ok to spot at in terms of positions of safety? As in are you going to get noted by the drivers?

Needs someone with local knowledge as I'm not even sure where it is.

However, as long as you are outside of the railway boundary fence then you should be ok and behind the fence line at foot crossings.

If you are anywhere within the railway boundary you are very likely to get reported by drivers to the controlling signallers who will then have to caution trains.

 

[Domh245]

Slight correction the best position of safety is outside of the railway boundary fence

Very true, I was struggling with how to word without making it sound as if standing on the platform was unsafe (relatively)

 

[DarloRich]

Hi, does anyone know if Whiteball summit is considered to be ok to spot at in terms of positions of safety? As in are you going to get noted by the drivers?

as long as you are outside of the fence it will be fine.

 

[John Webb]

The summit is just on the Exeter side of the Whiteball Tunnel. On the Taunton side of the tunnel there is a public bridleway which allows a close view of the railway line as seen in this photo:
On the climb to White Ball

© Copyright roger geach and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Click on the photo to go to the original photo on the Geograph site - you will find a map as well showing where the photo was taken from!

On the Exeter side of the tunnel there is no public access close to the summit - there is a public road bridge about half-a-mile from the tunnel and summit from which photography should be possible.

 

[Warwick]

It's a funny old business this getting near the line. I could stand on the platform at Didcot or Stevenage six feet from the platform edge which would be about eight feet from the nearest rail where trains zip by at a little more than two miles per minute without a problem. Yet, should I stand against the railway side of a boundary fence twenty feet from the rail as a 75 mph steam train is due there's all hell let loose.

Not that I would, I'm not a train spotter.

 

[cambsy]

I live about 30 mins drive to Whiteball Summit, It’s not the easiest place to find, down country lanes, and cant remember exactly how I got there, when I go watching trains in that area, a good place, though not at the summit is by the Beambridge pub, on the A38 between M5 Jct 27 and Wellington.