Calling all train spotters/photographers...
 

I'm in need of a little help, I'm trying to find out if there are any freight trains that pass along a certain line, and at what times, so I can go out and try some different vantage points before the Flying Scotsman goes along it next. I know that the route isn't open to passenger services, except as a diversion, or for scheduled steam services, but hoping there's some freight that goes that way.

I've found 1 website that lists train times, but I'm finding it a little hard to understand.

On the off chance that someone knows, the route I'm looking at is going north from Corby, over the Welland valley viaduct, and on up to what I think is Manton junction. Several spots along that route I'd like to try.

Thanks

There is an app called traksy have a look on there
If you put in a location and look on the map section , it shows you which trains are in that location but if you scroll along it gives you place names and junctions which might help you .
If you can watch the app for a few days you should be able to build a picture of what runs along there
Also if you see a train in that section , click on it and 99% of the time it will tell you starting and finishing points , all times and places it passes through.
Most frieght trains run mon to fri and are time tabled just like passenger trains
Stan

Just tried it , you can put corby into the 'places' bit , then click on map and it will show you live trains and you can scroll to the area required
Or if you put + before manton junction it will give you a list of trains passing that point today , then click on a train to see the times on that journey

Stan

Traksy is excellent.

https://traksy.uk/live

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/

This one shows all trains due to run on the network. Operators book the slots; they have to be initialised before they can be used, so be aware that they may disappear closer to the time/date! The train times are also displayed as it moves, so you can check if it is early/late.

Stewart

As Stewart says realtiwme trains is good .
There are freights over the Corby line.
Not sure how often the Corby coils run these days but there are other services
I'm a train driver and last week I was over their with the network rail saloon and we followed an empty stone train from Kettering all the way to Toton that was about 11am but the freight was an hour late

Thanks all, I’ll try the app and that website, hopefully find something running on an evening so I can ride out to a few places after work.

I’d hoped they’d run freight over the viaduct as it must cost a fair bit to maintain, so figured it wouldn’t be kept just for the odd steam charter.

Theres plenty of freight through Kettering, often see it pass over a bridge over the A45 on my way to/from work. But about half a mile from the bridge there’s a junction, mainline carries on over to Leicester I think, and there’s a branch off to the right that goes to Corby and on to the viaduct and eventually Mantin junction.

On a side note, using a website I think someone on here linked to, I’ve looked at old maps overlaid with google maps, and it’s amazing how many railways there used to be around here. Many section of the A14 have been built on the old rail route, and a lot of bridges are still around.