I was getting that impression too!! Ipswich is somewhere I really must try & get to do some train watching in, lots of intermodal trains from Felixstowe!
<font color="336633">Any idea where the main yard in Ipswich is? Oh and if you do go to Ipswich, be careful........ they speak funny down there </font>
Now there's no reaon to mock my country bumpkin accent Matt.. and Alan...my opinion of Anglia railways is somewhere between mopping up my collapsed ceiling and watching paint dry!
By the way, Martyn, those pictures really show the gradient starting at the station entrance well. I never got to that end of the climb, but did see it at the bottom in St. David's.
Thanks guys for your kind words on the pics! I've had a quick word with Gareth Bayer (he of Wagons on the Web fame) who lives out that way, this is his response.... > There are two locations at Ipswich which are both worth visiting. Obviously > the station, which is opposite the stabling point. All Freightliners which > are routed via London can be seen from the station. The other spot is East > Suffolk Jct, which is about a mile and a half north of the station. It can > be reached by walking out of the station, turning left and crossing under > the railway bridge and then walking through the park until you reach the > next overbridge. This bridge is just north of Ipswich yard and is useful > for catching the trains which arrive at the yard from the north and west and > from Felixstowe, which don't pass through the station. If I recall, Freightliner actually had train times from Felixstowe published on their website, anything for Southampton, London or South Wales will take the southerly route, presumably everything else takes the northerly one. Freightliner seems to be the big "player" in the area (along with Anglia on the passenger side) but you should be able to see freight power from GBRailfreight and Direct Rail Services (nuclear flask trains), presumably EWS gets a look in somehow as well? HTH
That sounds about right Martin, When I come infrom the north it's on the left. There's also a line that used to be used for freight movement in the docks area that is only recognisable by the hump in the road. Its also on the north of the station and there is still track near the docks which have been useless since I have been here (14 years) and years before that.The odd thing is that there are still warning lights in place and the sign for heavy goods vehicles to stop at the crossing
