Train fans: how can I identify this train I saw?

[feelingflushed]

on Monday 5th October I was on Solihull station (pretty sure platform 2, waiting for the train to Worcester) at about 15.55 when a non stop train went through at what seemed like very high speed, the noise and wind and force of it was incredible and I immediately transformed into Francis Bourgeois. It was so exhilarating!

I’ve been trying to find out what type of train it was in the hope of seeing one again. It wasn’t a passenger train, it had windowless compartments with slats and I think it was an orangey/rust colour. It was long and seemed to take ages to pass through. It was going from left to right as you stand on the station so in the direction of Worcester (I think). I’ve tried to find what train it is and I think I’ve established it was probably an ‘intermodal freight train’ for which there aren’t published time tables but I thought I’d try here. I’d love to know what speed it was going, Google tells me it was probably 75mph at most because freight trains are limited from going faster, but it being so heavy, loud, and long can make it feel much faster to someone on the platform.

Anyway does anyone else like trains?

Trains Trans 😁 can't help but I've had the odd moment of becoming Francis too!

Use Real Time Trains. Put the date, rough time and the name of the station in and use ‘Detailed’ mode. It will come up with a list of headcodes (4 character codes that go number, letter, number, number). Freight trains usually start with 5 or 6. Click on it and it will tell you the origin and destination.

I was really cross the other week because The Flying Scotsman passed through our local station and I didn’t hear about it until the next day. I would definitely have gone to watch it if I’d known!

Thank you so much @WaneyEdge! I had tried realtime trains but hadn’t selected detailed mode. I have found it. It was going from Banbury Reservoir Tarmac to the quarry in Hindlow. It was empty and had a maximum top speed of 60mph. Fascinating, I think I have found a new obsession 😆

Happy to help!

My DP has recommended to take a look at Don Coffey and Ben Elias on Youtube - he's a bit of a train nut. These two and others have videos made from the driver's cab which can run for hours.
Don't blame me if you loose a morning 😀

We have a train line down an embankment at bottom of our garden and in the summer months they run steam trains. We get the steam drifting up into our garden. It’s like being in the Railway Children!