Buying drones for trainspotting & your results vids pics etc.

[How about a Dictator Loco Class?]

Where I work we have a few times seen drones used by enthusiasts to get footage and great pictures of the North Yorkshire Moors railway. Many drones now have 4K (or even higher) HD stabilised cameras so the quality looks very impressive.

There are some real idiots out there who give drone enthusiasts a bad name. But using drones to watch trains seems to be getting popular, so I was wondering if any of you have any good videos and pictures to post?

Please share them if you do. Either here or via links. Thank you.

 

TMC do sell premium drones sometimes and I recall one of us once followed a steam engine along our private fields. It was up near the drifting smoke which made a great effect, but not actually over the train or too close (as that isn't advisable or probably legal) But the footage is probably long lost now.

Rob

Edited November 15, 2017 by How about a Dictator Loco Class?

[jonhall]

 

 

however also read this

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-41609451

 

Jon

Edited November 14, 2017 by jonhall

[How about a Dictator Loco Class?]

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-41609451

 

Jon

 

That just the kind of thing I was meaning. Thank you!

I wonder what the current laws are on flying drones near railways? Does anyone know?

The times I've had a fly of dones I keep 50m away from people or property and 150m away in built up and urban areas.

[How about a Dictator Loco Class?]

Just seen this via an rmweb page.

 

Edited November 13, 2017 by How about a Dictator Loco Class?

[royaloak]

I am thinking of getting a firearms licence so I can take pot shots at drones, in some Countries its all the rage.

[brianusa]

The more drones are sold, the more problems they will encounter.  Not necessarily from the enthusiast but from those that that are below a certain age and lacking common sense.  These will make it difficult, licencing or not, for others with a genuine need for business purposes or those who use them responsibly.  Already there have been the usual horror stories of close encounters with passenger planes or crashes in neighbours gardens and as the numbers increase, it can only get worse.

 

Brian.

[How about a Dictator Loco Class?]

The more drones are sold, the more problems they will encounter.  Not necessarily from the enthusiast but from those that that are below a certain age and lacking common sense.  These will make it difficult, licencing or not, for others with a genuine need for business purposes or those who use them responsibly.  Already there have been the usual horror stories of close encounters with passenger planes or crashes in neighbours gardens and as the numbers increase, it can only get worse.

 

Brian.

Yes definitely!

The best drones know when they are in areas not permitted and can't fly in those areas. Also they have hight and distance limits that won't allow them to fly a meter too far. This technology should be pushed more or become a requirement to try keep more idiots at bay.

[HLT 0109]

I know nothing about flying drones or using them for photography but, it seems to me that, in using them to film a railway, one would miss the all-important sound that we strive to perfect with our model railway layouts.  Any sound recorded must surely be that created by the drone?  For that reason (among others) I presume that the film of Dampfspektakel 2014 was not actually made using a drone - some great train sounds.

 

Harold.

[How about a Dictator Loco Class?]

I am thinking of getting a firearms licence so I can take pot shots at drones, in some Countries its all the rage.

That's funny!

As long as you don't have to go against that crazy Russian drone on YouTube that's basically a deadly hi tech flying machine gun.

[royaloak]

That's funny!

As long as you don't have to go against that crazy Russian drone on YouTube that's basically a deadly hi tech flying machine gun.

I think I might lose in that battle!

 

Its good to see nobody has taken my post seriously.

[How about a Dictator Loco Class?]

I know nothing about flying drones or using them for photography but, it seems to me that, in using them to film a railway, one would miss the all-important sound that we strive to perfect with our model railway layouts.  Any sound recorded must surely be that created by the drone?  For that reason (among others) I presume that the film of Dampfspektakel 2014 was not actually made using a drone - some great train sounds.

 

Harold.

To my knowledge that's correct. I have a tiny cheap drone with a microphone and all you can hear is an angry wasp and nothing else. Not pleasant. Usually they have audio done from a ground source and then add it after. With the drone a little bit up and away they are much quieter then so won't affect the audio really.

[mezzoman253]

https://shop.droneflight.co.uk/pages/summary-of-uk-legal-requirements

So I don't see where you can fly a drone, as a non-licensed person, using these rules, as you will come into contact with people, livestock, cars, trains, planes, etc, etc, wherever you fly it.

Unless you live in a wilderness.

Rob

Edited November 13, 2017 by mezzoman253

[Nelson Jackson]

Some may want to read the wee article in steam railway which stated someone got prosecuted for using a drone too close to a railway line.

[bimble]

reminded me of a video I saw earlier this week on another forum of drone action around a train in the US...

 

[jonhall]

Some may want to read the wee article in steam railway which stated someone got prosecuted for using a drone too close to a railway line.

 

Or the BBC link I provided in the first reply.

 

Jon

[jonhall]

 

[Bernard Lamb]

I am thinking of getting a firearms licence so I can take pot shots at drones, in some Countries its all the rage.

I find it interesting that four people find this comment to be funny.

Round my way there are people who live in isolated houses and criminals have  used drones to carry out surveys on potential targets.

I have a friend who lives on a farm at least half a mile from a public road and he has had several flying visits. He has lost diesel fuel and had a tractor damaged while these low life scum were attempting to steal it. The only way they could have acquired the exact details of the farm layout was by an up to date drone survey.

Others have had break ins were the entry point and time of the raid has been selected by drone survey.

My friend has informed various bodies that he intends to shoot down the next drone that flies over his farm.

He has spoken to the CAA and asked about the legal situation and off the record they say it has not happened yet but they would be very interested in a test case.

I have nothing against the use of drones in the hands of qualified licensed people but in the wrong hands they can be used in harmful ways.

Certainly flying near roads and railway lines are areas where more control is required.

Bernard

[beast66606]

Not mine but one of the locals.

 

 

The sidings in the foreground are on private land and not subject to the usual NR restrictions.

[Nearholmer]

Rather OT, but interesting. https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/looking-after-the-railway/fleet-machines-vehicles/air-operations/

 

I attended a talk by the Head of this team recently, and she outlined a few of the issues that if people start using drones in an uncontrolled way near railways.

[chriswright03]

For every story telling one side there will be another telling the other.  Like the one I read two days ago (can't find it now) about the women who used a drone to loo for her caravan on a travellers site because the Police wouldn't go on there.  She did find it.

 

Drones will have their uses and if used correctly why should we be stopped from the benefit of that?  There are always some who are irresponsible and cannot stick within guidelines/laws/riules.  Let's be honest some people shouldn't be allowed a keyboard!

[Brit70053]

From anther point of view, I've recently had otherwise decent video footage of preserved steam ruined by the noise of a drone in use overhead, though the operator was out of sight and I could not bring the interference to my enjoyment to their attention.

 

Regards,

 

John

[Steamport Southport]

Reminds me of the complaints about helicopters following steam specials in the 1980s.

 

 

It also carried on into recent times. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8249009/Helicopter-pilot-hit-with-fine-after-train-buzzed.html

 

 

 

 

 

Jason

[How about a Dictator Loco Class?]

For every story telling one side there will be another telling the other. Like the one I read two days ago (can't find it now) about the women who used a drone to loo for her caravan on a travellers site because the Police wouldn't go on there. She did find it.

 

Drones will have their uses and if used correctly why should we be stopped from the benefit of that? There are always some who are irresponsible and cannot stick within guidelines/laws/riules. Let's be honest some people shouldn't be allowed a keyboard!

That is the best thing that has been said on this so far. It's balanced. If there are UK police helicopter pilots who have been caught perving with the helicopter's video cameras then I'd say there will even be some drone pilots with licenses who are irresponsible. And there will be many responsible pilots with no licence.

I'm not interested alcohol but I'd imagine there are more than just two people in the universe who manage to drink without being drunkards, wife beaters, alcoholics and drink drivers.

I bet there might just be a motorist out there somewhere on earth who doesn't daily scream at 80mph past playing kids in a housing estate while using a mobile phone.

Is it possible to use a breadknife without killing somebody?

But it's probably correct to assume that it can only ever be dangerous to video a train.

After all the only way you could video the Flying Scotsman would be by a series of high speed very low level diving passes, while the train is pulling up to the bustling platforms inside York station.

 

Sorry for being ott.

The place where I was thinking of videoing a steam train is in a national park far from buildings, people and civilisation. And from a distance of between an eighth to a quarter or a mile away from 100 feet up. Then follow alongside from two fields away for 1 minute. That's many many times farther away than regulations limit. And yet a 4K camera with good zoom will catch spectacular footage of the full train, smoke and landscape.

 

I really dislike the few that go and irritate people with their drones and use them illegally. Giving a bad reputation.

 

 

(So I'd video Just a bit along from here from this distance at the closest;)

Edited November 15, 2017 by How about a Dictator Loco Class?

[rab]

That is the best thing that has been said on this so far. It's balanced. If there are UK police helicopter pilots who have been caught perving with the helicopter's video cameras then I'd say there will even be some drone pilots with licenses who are irresponsible. And there will be many responsible pilots with no licence.

I'm not interested alcohol but I'd imagine there are more than just two people in the universe who manage to drink without being drunkards, wife beaters, alcoholics and drink drivers.

I bet there might just be a motorist out there somewhere on earth who doesn't daily scream at 80mph past playing kids in a housing estate while using a mobile phone.

Is it possible to use a breadknife without killing somebody?

But it's probably correct to assume that it can only ever be dangerous to video a train.

After all the only way you could video the Flying Scotsman would be by a series of high speed very low level diving passes, while the train is pulling up to the bustling platforms inside York station.

Sorry for being ott.

The place where I was thinking of videoing a steam train is in a national park far from buildings, people and civilisation. And from a distance of between an eighth to a quarter or a mile away from 100 feet up. Then follow alongside from two fields away for 1 minute. That's many many times farther away than regulations limit. And yet a 4K camera with good zoom will catch spectacular footage of the full train, smoke and landscape.

I really dislike the few that go and irritate people with their drones and use them illegally. Giving a bad reputation.

(So I'd video Just a bit along from here from this distance at the closest;)

According to a recent local tv news report,

our national park authority (Dartmoor) is

considering banning drones within the park

due to a few irresponsible idiots flying

too close to cars and livestock, again

the few spoiling the enjoyment of

the sensible majority.

[duncan]

For every story telling one side there will be another telling the other.  Like the one I read two days ago (can't find it now) about the women who used a drone to loo for her caravan on a travellers site because the Police wouldn't go on there.  She did find it.

 

Drones will have their uses and if used correctly why should we be stopped from the benefit of that?  There are always some who are irresponsible and cannot stick within guidelines/laws/riules.  Let's be honest some people shouldn't be allowed a keyboard!

 

Surprised the tinks didn’t shoot it down with an unlicensed firearm