Posted: 25 February 2014, 17:37:43

Just a general note about sightings as there have been a few things added recently that won't get added because of the way the system works:

No plant sightings please! there is an excellent website for that sort of thing :)

Cranes and snowploughs are generally for ontrackplant.com but there is some crossover with manual cranes that were given internal user numbers, and the ploughs in the DS 70xxx series.

Please submit individual vehicle sightings rather than unit numbers - ie "999600,999601" rather than "950001". This goes for the old sandite units too in the 9300xx series. Unfortunately the system won't pick them up if the set numbers are put in.

Please leave off any ADB or RDB prefixes.

Lastly - locos used with test trains are not included on the site - such as Colas class 37s. The only locos listed are dedicated Network Rail HST power cars plus former departmental locos. This isn't primarily a loco website but here there is some scope for crossover. Have a look at the excellent Trainlogger instead.

thanks

Posted: 31 August 2016, 15:20:26

Seen at Eastleigh 30th August 2016 was a test train heading for Guildford. 9481+1256+999550+6261.The train came out of Eastleigh Arlington and departed at 14:40. 999550 has recently been repainted and carries the same markings as 950001 "Track Assessment Unit".

Posted: 7 February 2026, 17:16:45

Wish I'd read this before inputting a few old sightings with prefixes...

I have a few sightings where the only visible numbers are probably not in formal BR listings, i.e. weedkiller tank wagons with only company serials (22), vehicles numbered informally (RS6), or one-time private owner tank wagons that never seem to have been renumbered. How do we get on with those?

Also: I have some photographs of departmental vehicles where there is no number visible. Shall I just upload them anyway and let the moderator decide?

Posted: 8 February 2026, 07:52:36

Thanks for adding sightings and starting to upload photos.

Generally wagons in wider "departmental" roles such as Dogfish ballast wagons etc are outside of scope.

I think photos from this era are still potentially of interest and someone out there may be able to fill a gap on an identity, so yes please do upload even if you don't know the number. Just add as much detail as you know.

Posted: 15 March 2026, 10:41:45

Thanks for extending the Location field on sightings - I noticed that you'd replaced my abbreviation for the GWSR so that I could specify the 'where' on the railway I saw non-moving stock and have now added the extra back (hopefully correctly). I'd also struggled to enter the full "Blodwell Quarry Sidings" for 45036's location on the Cambrian Heritage Railways - the Sidings bit has now been added. Dare I ask how long the text can now be? and do you have some guidelines as to what you'd like the format/frequency to be? e.g. I don't include the 1Q30 for the 4-weekly NMT visit to the North Wales Coast, and only enter a sighting if the composition has changed since last time; and for other things I would normally not include anything twice in any calendar year (so I didn't add sightings for Litchurch Lane on both of the days I visited).