Hello Readers,
Railway 200 is here! All year as a nation we are celebrating 200 years of British passenger rail travel! Penistone Line Partnership is kicking off the celebrations with a couple of competitions, including a photography contest. You can find all the details [here]. Stay tuned for more information on our second contest soon!
We live in an era where technology has made trainspotting easier than ever. One of the best tools for this hobby is Realtime Trains, a website and mobile app that provides full timetables for rail services across the UK. It even shows specific unit allocations—provided the Train Operating Company (TOC) shares this data. Fortunately, most TOCs do, meaning you can track the exact unit number you’re searching for in real time. Another great feature is the ability to check scheduled freight services at your chosen station. Before tools like this, we had to rely on guesswork when waiting for freight trains. Now, you can see which services are running and which have been cancelled, making it much easier to plan your spotting trips.
Speaking of Realtime Trains, it helped several spotters catch a surprise Freightliner movement at Sheffield station. I wasn’t out spotting that day—I was just arriving in Sheffield after a trip to Barnsley—but I was greeted by two Freightliner Class 66 locomotives sitting between platforms 1 and 3.
The train was unusually short, consisting of two locomotives (66420 & 66617), one hopper, and two box wagons. Once the line was clear, it continued its journey north.
A few days later, I visited Chesterfield station with my friends from PLP, hoping to catch some freight action. While there, I was thrilled to spot a Class 222 “Meridian” Diesel Multiple Unit running the Sheffield–London St. Pancras service. The unit was 222016, the final one I needed to complete my Class 222 collection! That’s another BR class ticked off my list—no more hunting for 222s!
For new and experienced trainspotters alike, here’s a useful tip: There’s no shame in revisiting the same station multiple times—especially if you’re tracking specific units. The more you visit, the more you’ll eventually see!
During our visit, we witnessed an unusual event. A St. Pancras to Sheffield service was delayed by an hour and had to terminate at Chesterfield instead. This meant it used Platform 3, which is rarely used for passenger services. On top of that, the Nottingham–Liverpool EMR service also had to use Platform 3 due to congestion on Platform 1. It’s always interesting when unexpected operational changes happen!
Of course, the main highlight of our visit was the freight movements. While we only saw Class 66s (not surprising, as they are the most common locomotives in the UK), some of the numbers were new to me—so the day was still a success. We also met a father and son who had just started trainspotting. I enjoyed chatting with them about how I record my sightings, whether through my camera or notebook, and I shared my book for tracking loco numbers. I wish them all the best on their trainspotting journey!
Overall, February has been full of great experiences that keep my passion for this hobby alive. In March, I’ll be embarking on an exciting trip to Cambridge! I can’t wait to share my adventures with you.
Keep moving forward, spotters!
Matthew 😊