If you want to visit Preston to view freight, the best times are from about 4pm until 4am. There is very little during the day, the only decent thing to view then being the MWFO oil train from the docks which leaves early afternoon and is "guaranteed" a 60 in view of the steep incline.
Freight comes from a number of opertors including EWS, Freightliner (Intermodal, Heavy haul and Infrastructure all appear although Intermodal 66s are rare and 57s non existent!), DRS and GBRf 87s.
There are quite often stock moves from England to Scotland and vv and these produce a wide variety of locos, most recently being Cotswold Rail 47s. Recently, there appears to have been a massive upsurge on coal traffic and sometimes there can be up to 6 or 7 workings in the early evening
On the passenger front it is now all unit but there is plenty of variety in both classes and livery. Highlights are ex Central 158s and also, more recently the WYPTE 158/9s working almost anywhere including Liverpool, Manchester and Barrow! Recently, there has been a new 16:51 M-F Birmingham - Preston service operated by Central Trains. This is booked a class 350 and is scheduled to arrive at 18:38 on Platform 1, returning empty almost immediately. Unit classes include 142/150/153/156/158/175/220/221/325/350/390. Class 144s make the very odd appearance as well on York services.
There are a fair number of charters of all varieties and steam appears quite regularly.
All in all, it can be good but it does have its bad spells

For freight it's VERY poor in both the daytime and evening. There is a very occasional freight amoungst the elephantine volume of Northern Rail & Virgin Units. The north WCML is very 'dead' for freight & loco activity, not helped by the rapidly shrinking EWS freight company losing the royal mail traffic amoungst most other freight flows.

Northern have now taken over the ex-FNW franchise, but the stock remains the same (150, 156, 158, 175, 142). Virgin services are almost exclusively Pendolinos and Voyagers. Loco interest takes the form of a modest range of freight, along with the odd "Thunderbird" loco. The various Virgin 47s and 57s are regular visitors, particularly at the moment for the Summer WCML weekend engineering work which results in most Sat/Sun Pendo trains being either bustituted or dragged by a 57 (to from the south only). 87s are now a thing of the past this far north, at least on Virgin trains.

Last summer, Saturdays saw MkII sets hauled by 67s from Preston to Paignton and back. This year, it's anyone's guess. Various suggestions have been mooted - more 67s, top'n'tailed 47s or HSTs. We'll have to wait and see. Last year we also had the Manchester-Blackpool "club trains" top'n'tailed by Fragonset 31s. These are now a thing of the past with no prospect of Northern following FNW's lead. The prospect of Grand Central HSTs to Newcastle has also faded away after GC failed to get the paths they needed.

Freights are hauled by Freightliner, DRS and EWS, with 66s, 92s most common. 90s and 86s can be seen on occasion as can the DRS 20s and 37s on the Sellafield nuclear flasks (recently, a 20 and a 37 have handled this train). 60s are relatively rare, but it is rumoured that the Bitumen trains will soon re-start (via the dock branch which decends at the south-west of the station). Unfortunately, this traffic will probably happen at night because it has to cross a busy road on the level (Strand Road).

Since Christmas this year, the GBRf-run 325 "Royal Mail" units have been seen daily on this stretch of the WCML. Other parcel services are also beginning to appear.

Visibility is best at the end of platform 3/4, where the straight main line provides ample warning of approaching trains. The north is a different matter where the combination of a sharp curve and road-bridge block the view. The station approach also effectively divides the north end of the station into two areas which are not visible from oneanother.

Locos are stabled either in the bay hidden at the north end of platform 3 or over on the REs platforms at the west of the station. Freights are usually routed through the east and west extremes of the station, but are occasionally sent through the pasenger platforms.

2005 has been a bad year for specials, mainly due to the weekend blockades, but in previous years, Preston has seen a good share of specials, both steam-hauled and diesel. Preston is often the starting point for steam-hauled sections of railtours over the S&C to Carlisle or via the WCML to Carlisle/Scotland or to Blackpool. Watering facilities are available via a hydrant on platform 7.

Recent years have seen specials featuring classes 55, 50, 40, 37 and 33.

Options for food are not great. The old buffet on platforms 3/4 is now closed, replaced by a new one near the station entrances. A QuickSnack is available on pl 1/2.

Access between platforms is unrestricted via two footbridges at the north and a subway at roughly the half-way point.

Off the station, a collection of burger/pizza places are within a very short walk (although I can't vouch for their quality/safety!), as is the original Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet (the first in the UK!), just one minute from the station. There is also a McDonalds and cafes in the Fishergate Shopping Centre just across the road.

All in all, it's not a bad station, but like elsewhere, the loco-count and level of variety continues to decline. Station staff seem to tollerate spotters ad photographers. I have yet to be stopped or questioned.

Preston is a semi-large station with six fully operational platforms. Platform 7 houses the car park ticket machines. Freight occasionally travels through here, and passenger trains stop there in emergencies. There are also two R.E.S (Rail express systems) platforms. I have known a pendolino to be parked up in one of them, but they are normally used to house DMU's. These platforms, like plat. 7 are used for passenger trains in emergencies. At Preston, trains go to places like London, Glasgow, Manchester, York, Colne, Liverpool and Brighton. There are many more routes though. Virgin have been running Summer Saturday services from Preston to Paignton, using class 67 locos and 11 ex virgin MK2 coaches. However, when I saw it, there was a problem and a voyager replaced it. As for eating, Preston isn't really wonderful. There are about two cafes, that's all. I suggest you bring your own sandwiches or take a short walk into town. There is a newsagents as well. Recently, there has been a central trains class 158 running between liverpool and morecambe. It is quite a rare sight, as there is no set timetable that it runs. The liverpool-morecambe run is normally a stars 158. At preston, you can see mainly FNW trains, including classes 142, 150, 153, 156, 158 and 175. There are also Pendolinos, Voyagers, and the occasional loco hauled MK3 set. Overall I think preston is well worth a trip, but I wouldn't spend a whole day there.