Railcam’s Review of 2022

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.

Kings Cross/Moorgate Live Signalling Diagram

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.

Last Orders for Christmas from the Railcam Shop

Due to planned postal strikes in the lead up to Christmas we are closing the order book for pre-Christmas deliveries on at 10am on Monday 12th December.

Any orders placed after that date will held until the 3rd January 2023.

One exception to this will be Railcam Gift Vouchers, which are available in 6 Months for £18 (Click here) and 12 Months for for £30 (Click here) which are sent out via email.

Visit the Railcam Shop NOW at https://www.railcam.shop

Railcam at the East Lancashire Railway final launch day

Six down, three more to come today.

We head back to Bury Bolton Street to finish off our East Lancashire Railway camera launch week with cameras at both ends of the station, and they are now LIVE.

Bury Bolton Street South cameras 1 & 2 are exclusive to Railcam subscribers, whilst camera 5 (North) is free to view on both Railcam and ELR websites.

Bury Bolton Street South
©Railcam UK Ltd & East Lancashire Railway
Bury Bolton Street South
©Railcam UK Ltd & East Lancashire Railway
Bury Bolton Street North
©Railcam UK Ltd & East Lancashire Railway

#ELR #RailcamLive

Railcam at the East Lancashire Railway camera launch, Day 3

Our East Lancashire Railway camera launch week continues with two more cameras now LIVE.

Ramsbottom South is now joined by Ramsbottom North!

Camera 3 with be available free via the Railcam and ELR websites, whilst camera 4 is exclusive to Railcam subscribers.

Ramsbottom North
©Railcam UK Ltd & East Lancashire Railway
Ramsbottom North
©Railcam UK Ltd & East Lancashire Railway

Where will we be tomorrow? Join us at 10am to find out…

#ELR #RailcamLive

Railcam at the East Lancashire Railway camera launch, Day 2

We hope you enjoyed yesterday’s East Lancashire Railway camera launch, so how do you fancy a bit more?

Today we welcome our first cameras at Ramsbottom, with two cameras at the south end of the station.

Camera 1 is exclusive to Railcam subscribers, whilst camera 2 will be available free via the Railcam and ELR websites.

Ramsbottom South
©Railcam UK Ltd & East Lancashire Railway
Ramsbottom South
©Railcam UK Ltd & East Lancashire Railway

Same time tomorrow for more? See you there.

#ELR #RailcamLive

Railcam at the East Lancashire Railway camera launch, Day 1

Are you ready for a first look at our East Lancashire Railway install?

Today we bring you two cameras covering the platforms at Bury Bolton Street, and they are now LIVE.

Both cameras are free to view via the Railcam and ELR websites.

Bury Bolton Street Platforms
©Railcam UK Ltd & East Lancashire Railway
Bury Bolton Street Platforms
©Railcam UK Ltd & East Lancashire Railway

Join us again tomorrow for more….

#ELR #RailcamLive

Railcam comes to the East Lancashire Railway in huge partnership

We are delighted to announce our partnership with one of our most requested heritage railways, and the biggest installation Railcam have ever undertaken, the East Lancashire Railway.

We will be announcing a series of cameras over the coming days, with the first two coming tomorrow, so stay tuned!

#ELR #RailcamLive

Railcam expand MML coverage with St Albans partnership…

Railcam are delighted to announce the latest installation in what is proving to be a busy few weeks for the install team, Railcam St Albans, in partnership with St Albans South Signal Box Preservation Trust.

As the name suggests, the signal box is situated to the south end of St Albans station, and Railcam will be installing two cameras, both of which will be for Railcam subscribers via the Railcam website.

St Albans Camera 1, North facing. East Midlands Railway 222003 working 1C41 on 12th October 2022. ©Railcam UK Ltd

Much like our Bedford cameras further north, we will capture regular passenger workings from Thameslink and Midland Mainline express services operated by East Midlands Railway, where we will be one of the first to see their upcoming Aurora fleet when they enter service in 2023. A mixture of freight working featuring Freightliner, DB Cargo and GB Railfreight will also pass by.

St Albans Camera 2, South facing. DB Cargo 66084 & 66100 working 3J01 on 12th October 2022. ©Railcam UK Ltd

First opened in in 1892 by the Midland Railway, the Grade 2 listed St Albans South Signal Box was abandoned by British Rail in 1979 and fell into disrepair, until a group of local residents formed the St Albans South Signal Box Preservation Trust to bring the signal box back to its former glory.

How it works, the Lever Frame – St Albans Signal Box

After years of hard work, the Derby built Midland Railway Type 2A signal box was opened to the public in 2009, and offers a unique opportunity for visitors to see how trains were signalled during the steam days.

The award winning signal box features a rare 44 lever 1906 Midland Railway ‘tumbler’ interlocking frame, retrofitted with signalling instruments to illustrate how it would have looked in its heyday.

The Museum at St Albans Signal Box

During the regular open days signalling demonstrations are run on the operating floor at request, whilst the ground floor features videos and a slideshow of the restoration work, plus a whole host of signalling items on display, including single line ‘tablet token’ machines and other railway related exhibits. In the garden visitors can operate working signals and a point; on display are old signs, lit oil lamps, a telegraph ‘pole route’ and a garden railway.

Welcome to St Albans Signal Box – Garden Tour

Entrance to open days is free, but donations are very much welcome.

Find out more about St Albans South Signal Box by clicking here.

As always we would like to thank our kind hosts at the St Albans South Signal Box Preservation Group, and our hard working installation team of ‘Double A’ Andrew Jebb and Andrew Cooper.

Railcam announce partnership with Kernow Model Rail Centre for exclusive lineside cameras

Railcam are delighted to announce a partnership with Kernow Model Rail Centre, which will see two brand new cameras housed at their distribution warehouse near Redruth, overlooking the Cornish Mainline.

This project has been well over a year in the making, and we are delighted with the outcome, and huge thanks goes to the teams at both Railcam and Kernow Model Rail Centre for getting this over the line. Railcam’s Andy Jebb, supporter by KMRC’s Mick House, put together a wonderful installation, with enthusiastic backing throughout from KMRC boss Chris Trerise.

Camera 1 is north facing, and will be available to Railcam Supporters only, after a short ‘free-view’ period .

©Railcam UK Ltd

Camera 2 is south facing and will be free to view for all Railcam members.

©Railcam UK Ltd

About our hosts,

Kernow Model Rail Centre are one of the leading suppliers to the model railway community in the UK, operating since 2002. It all started when KMRC Camborne opened its doors in September of that year. As business grew, the team branched out with their second shop, KMRC Guildford, in May 2019!

At the end of 2020 KMRC expanded again with the opening of a new warehouse near Camborne to handle the growing mail order side of the business. The warehouse is solely for the mail order operation and increased stock holding and is not open to the public, but is home to our live cameras.

For the lates news visit the KMRC news page, and for daily announcements  visit the Facebook page or follow on Twitter.

For all your model railway needs, visit the Kernow Model Rail Centre website here.

©Railcam UK Ltd