How does an organised train spotting tour work?
The tour operator will arrange to visit the best places and see the best operations. These arrangements can be as simple as getting permission to photograph the normal operation, altering the timings of normal operations so the light will be at its best or renting the entire train and paying for it to run on a certain line, a so-called “photo special”. With a photo special the group travels (on the train) to a pretty or characteristic location. The group then gets off the train and the photographers walk along the tracks or into the hills. Once everyone has reached a good position, the train is reversed until it is out of sight. Then the train comes along the track again, passing the photographers (who then take pictures and shoot video), making plenty of steam and smoke until it disappears out of sight (we call this a run past). It will then reverse back to where it first stopped and allow the group back on board. If the train is stationary during the operation it’s called a photo sto
