As a challenging 2022 draws to a close, we look back on a year that has seen Railcam continue to grow with numerous camera additions and upgrades, website and back office upgrades, and continued improvements of our data and diagrams, putting them right up there with the best the industry has to offer.
2022 has been a tough year for everyone, with spiralling prices across the board. At Railcam, we’ve seen the cost of new camera hardware and our monthly server bill rise (twice). At a time when everyone has seen their bills rise, we have managed to avoid a subscription increase since January. We will continue to do what we can to keep costs down in 2023.
New cameras came thick and fast throughout 2022, including our largest ever single installation project at the East Lancashire Railway, where 9 cameras have been installed!
Our mainline installations at Epping (in partnership with Epping Signal Cabin), Redruth (in partnership with Kernow Model Rail Centre), Garsdale and St Albans (in partnership with St Albans South Signal Box) have become firm favourites amongst our viewers.
Redruth (Scorrier) & Garsdale
Epping & St Albans
Over on the heritage side, it’s been another bumper year with major projects at Keighley & Worth Valley Railway and East Lancashire Railway, along with a second camera installed at Seaton Tramway.
Keighley & Worth Valley Railway – Damems Loop & Oakworth
East Lancashire Railway – Ramsbottom & Bury Bolton Street
It’s not all about new locations though, we have to continually maintain and upgrade existing locations, and 2022 has seen an extensive program of upgrades, including Apperley Bridge, Bushbury Junction, Cramlington, Crewe, Grateley, Horton-in-Ribblesdale, Newbury and Teignmouth.
Our data and diagrams team have also been extremely busy maintaining and updating signalling diagrams to keep them bang up-to-date and up there as one of the leading sources of live rail data in the UK.
Away from the main Railcam website, our social media presence has continued to grow, and become a thriving community of enthusiasts and industry people all getting involved. Subscriber numbers have continued to grow with YouTube now boasting in excess of 70k, with Facebook racking up 41k followers and Twitter approaching 18k. Our Facebook ‘Railcam Gallery’ page has also continued to grow, giving members the chance to screenshot and share their interesting Railcam ‘spots’ from our cameras.
As we look forward to 2023, we are undertaking our first event sponsorship, as we are lead sponsors for Rail Riders Railway Show at Crewe Heritage Centre on June 10/11. The Railcam team will be in attendance and we hope to have a stall set up showing off our cameras and diagrams, along with merchandise available to purchase. Come along and have a chat with us, it will be great to meet you all.
We would like to thank everyone who has made 2022 such a great success, from our installation team, back office, data & diagrams, social media, moderators and the many many contributors behind the scenes. Without their dedication we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.
We must also thank our fabulous camera hosts, without whom we would have nowhere to put our cameras! Each and every one of you form a small part of the Railcam machine.
Finally, our subscribers. Without our subscribers we wouldn’t be able to fund Railcam. Every subscription, wether it be a 1 month, 12 month or one of the numerous additional donations made, every penny helps us do what we do, for you.
We would like to wish everyone a very happy new year, and all the very best for 2023. Stay tuned as we have HUGE plans for the coming 12 months.
A camera on great central would be very attractive. I volunteer there.thanks
To set up a camera (or cameras) we require a willing host, a good internet connection and a view that is good and clear, plus GDPR compliant. We are always open to new sites but we need a willing host first.
Kudos to the diagram team they really are superb and very very useful. Is there any plans for a camera on GWML to replace the lost Slough ones at any point?
If all active members added another £1 to their membership (be it quarterly, half or full yearly) how much extra could that raise in support of you
I’d be lost without my railcam fix every day…. and the cameraderie that exists between long term people and newbies
Any chance of getting Beddgelert on the Welsh Highland Railway?
To set up a camera we require a willing host, a good internet connection and a view that is good and clear, plus GDPR compliant. We are always open to new sites but we need a willing host first.
will there be a camera south of crewe station
To set up a camera we require a willing host, a good internet connection and a view that is good and clear, plus GDPR compliant. We are always open to new sites but we need a willing host first.
Thanks to all the railcam team, also will you ever install a camera at Carlisle station, there are lots of steam tours to Carlisle and it seems a shame not to have one there. Thanks
I agree, particularly south facing to cover arrivals and departures from and to Shap and S&C.
It’s a location we would love to add to the site, but to set up a camera we require a willing host, a good internet connection and a view that is good and clear, plus GDPR compliant. We are always open to new sites but we need a willing host first.
don’t get me wrong railcam is a wonderful resource,but why so few cameras in the Midlands?
Bushbury, Sheffield, Chesterfield, Derby are our main cameras covering the Midlands. To set up a camera we require a willing host, a good internet connection and a view that is good and clear, plus GDPR compliant. We are always open to new sites but we need a willing host first.
It would be nice for a camera, to be installed at, Eastleigh.
It’s a location we would love to have but to set up a camera we require a willing host, a good internet connection and a view that is good and clear, plus GDPR compliant. We are always open to new sites but we need a willing host first.
why is there only 1 camera at CREWE facing the heritage centre and NOT the railway or the station??
We have 5 cameras at Crewe Heritage Centre, which are available via our website at http://www.railcam.uk. Hope that helps.
Is there scope to provide coverage of the Manchester Lines as they sweep away to the north of Crewe station? Apart from coverage of special events at the Heritage Centre, Cam 3 seems a bit wasted, so could that be turned to face these lines, in a similar way as Cam 1 faces the Chester lines, as incoming and outgoing trains to and from Manchester are quickly lost from view?
Camera 3 at Crewe was installed as part of our partnership to assist with security at the site and also to offer a free teaser of whats on offer from our subscriber cameras at the site.Camera 5 does spin around to cover the Manchester lines but relies on one of our operating team to be available.
It would be interesting to see………….
My second question is…when is Platform 10 coming back into use at Crewe? I understood that the points were supposed to have been repaired over the Christmas/New Year period but that has clearly not yet happened.
That’s one I can’t help you with i’m afraid Ian.
Thanks
can you put some camera up at stourbridge junction
What’s happened to the St Bees camera? Are there any plans to reinstall it?
Unfortunately St Bees won’t be returning, but we are currently exploring different locations to replace the loss of St Bees.
It appears that one of the cameras at Ryde Pier has disappeared today February 16th after a maintenance
visit to the Royal Esplanade Hotel.
I have been a subscriber with Railcam for many years, which I like watching trains,when I do have the time, so why is there less cameras in Scotland, there is only four ( Beattock , Sanquhar , Uphall and Thankerton) the others are across the border, a bit disappointed that there should be more.
Hi Forbes, unfortunately despite numerous appeals for locations in Scotland, we have not been able to secure the amount of locations we would like. A number have fallen through over the years, but we are in advanced discussion with one major partner that we are very hopeful will progress to an install in the near future.
good morning,
as usual every moring it is time to have a look around in the rail world.
First of all, it’s these cams I’ve come to love during that time I’m looking at them. Then each day one of the others is following.
I was really sorry not to have St. Bees in the morning view anymore. Will that cam come back?
Greetings from Saarbrücken, Germany
Siggi
Hi Siggi, unfortunately the camera at St Bees will not be returning, but we are in the advanced stages of rehoming the camera from St Bees to a new location…. watch this space!
Arnside viaduct would be a good location on the CC line. And while we are talking viaducts, how about the Barmouth Bridge?
Yeah, Arnside Pier Cam (on the Misc. list for some reason) shows the viaduct as it pans, but a fixed cam would be better.
Would love to see a camera somewhere on the Great Eastern Mainline in the future. Love everything about the site – keep up the good work guys!
Hi
Cameras covering the West Coast Mainline at Bletchley would be brilliant. Especially as they would also cover the new East West Rail line and station between Oxford and Cambridge.
Best regards