Pleasure Seekers, Merry Makers and Scenic Circular Rail Rides.

extendedpaul · 7 May 2018

The current thread on Seaside Specials got me thinking about the regular days out I enjoyed in the 1970s and 1980s on excursions under the above banners. I travelled from Kent to destinations as far as Durham, Abergavenny and Scarborough and back on Saturdays, at very reasonable prices. Often a coach tour or visit to a place of interest was included

I made my first trips on the Settle and Carlisle and Heart Of Wales line, spent my first, and so far only, night stranded overnight on a railway station, and developed my love of leisure rail and bus travel through these journeys. The circular trips were my personal favourites as they used regular timetabled services and offered some flexibilty on when and where to go at a fixed price.

Did a similar programme run from other parts of the country ? And could similar trips operate today, at budget prices as distinct from the current heritage/ enthusiast excursion trains ?

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306024 · 7 May 2018

Merry Makers were excellent. Went on a mystery trip from Euston with a mate when we were 14. Our parents came to meet us back at Euston and were astonished to find we had been to Carlisle.

Sadly mystery trips would be impossible these days. There was the famous story of the couple on holiday up north that booked on a mystery trip, which promptly took them back home to Margate.

Other excursions from East London were a bargain. Cardiff, Blackpool illuminations (back overnight with a no heat 47 ☹️ ) York etc, all in a set of MkIs provided by Thornton Field Carriage Sidings (where West Ham’s stadium is now). Happy days

Mag_seven · 7 May 2018

I remember ScotRail (the BR Business Sector version) used to run day trips in the 1980's to various places such as Blackpool, Chester, Llandudno etc using rakes of mark one coaches. Most would operate from the central belt but I do recall departures from places such as Dundee and Aberdeen. From memory I think these may have been pay on the day rather than book in advance. I recall travelling from Glasgow Central to York and back on one of these excursions on a Sunday in the mid 80's - the Sealink liveried rake of mark one's was used and I had a compartment to myslef the whole way there and the whole way back.

PeterC · 7 May 2018

My ex and I used to do quite a lot of those excursions. I reacall trips to Carlisle, Durham, Ely and Newport. Sadly we never had one on the Heart of Wales or the length of the Settle and Carlisle. We did get a trip to Alston just before the line closed though.

AJP62 · 8 May 2018

In the second half of the 70s I used the Merrymaker Mystery Tours from Carlisle. Rake of BSK/SK/CKs off down the West Coast calling at Penrith/Oxenholme/Lancaster and sometimes Preston. I remember Nottingham, Cardiff/Barry Island (down North and West from Crewe), Bristol/Weston-super-mare, Oxford, Brighton (from Mitre Bridge) and Southend on Sea.

Usually a couple of trips to York down the S&C each year too.

Steamysandy · 8 May 2018

The Edinburgh Area management organised a few last steam runs in the 1965/6 period.Easter 1967saw the famous 18 coach Grand Scottish Tour and several were run over the next few years.The last one I can think of was to Kyle of Lochalsh in September 1974.
A series of Mystery Tours was also run and I can recall going to Scarborough,Shrewsbury,Morecambe,Southport and Blackpool on these.They weren't to mysterious because we could work out the destinations from the details given.

Ash Bridge · 8 May 2018

I recently came across these leaflets whilst looking through some of my old BR LM Timetables. Just look at those fares! If I'm remembering correctly the underlined Seaview trip dated Saturday 7th October 1972 actually went to Hastings, pair of 33s taking over from class 85 or 86 at Mitre Bridge Junction, thence via Ashford and Rye to Hastings.

Rob F · 12 May 2018

Did a couple of mystery trips from Nottingham in about 73 or 74. I know one went to Barmouth and the other to Bournemouth. I can’t be more specific about the dates as I was only 5 or 6 at the time!

If anybody can pin point the dates I would be really interested to know.

Rob

mrcheek · 13 May 2018

Merrymakers were how I got into train travel in the first place as a child.

From Weston-super-Mare I went to Aberystwyth, Llandudno, Margate, Brighton, Great Yarmouth, Southport, Bridlington, York, and Scarborough. I think Margate and Brighton were billed as mystery tours..

Starting at around 7 in the morning, getting home at about 10-11 o'clock. This was in the late 70s and early 80s. haulage was usually a 47, with either Mark 1 or Mark 2 stock

crosscity · 13 May 2018

I went on some fantastic Merrymaker trips in the early/mid 70's from West Yorkshire, including Mystery trips to Llandudno, Ayr and Skegness plus other trips to Edinburgh, Bath, Slough (for Windsor), Worcester and Exeter and Cardiff. I remember the typed A4 sheets detailing the local ones, but sadly I never kept them. Anyone still got a West Yorkshire sample (Leeds/Bradford/Halifax/Huddersfield/Wakefield)? Most of the trips from Halifax came back up the hill from Greetland Jct to Dryclough Jct with a Class 40 or 37 as banker, which was not something you saw very often. It just shows how long these rakes of Mark I's were. And who can forget the rake containing the Gresley buffet which made an appearance occasionally.

crosscity · 13 May 2018

In the mid-seventies I lived in Devon and there the number of excursions under the Merrymaker banner was reduced, most excursions then catered for the enthusiast with a number of Western-hauled excursions. In 1976 there were some special Saturday day-trip fares on scheduled services. I went from Bristol to Paddington, Exeter to Birmingham and Exeter to Crewe for £3 return.
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In 1978 I remember a similar cheap fare from Euston to Carlisle and back via the Cumbrian Coast to Lancaster. In fact it was so cheap we had dinner in the restaurant car on the way back. Unfortunately my mate lost his ticket and was asked to pay for a single from Lancaster to Euston. No worries, though, as I had bought his and my ticket by post, the demand was let drop later by BR.

Busaholic · 13 May 2018

The two I remember were from Euston to Hereford, no chance to visit the Cathedral or anywhere else, change train and platform, then on to Lichfield, which did give time to see the Cathedral, back to Euston. The other was from St Pancras to Leeds via Sheffield but, again, a change of trains at Sheffield on the way back, meaning the only view of Sheffield I've had is from a platform! Sounds like the London-based London Midland trips weren't quite as exciting and thought-out as were others. 1974/5 would have been the period.

John Luxton · 18 May 2018

On Merseyside in the late 70s London Midland offered "Round Robin" Saturday tickets which were excellent value for money.

They were promoted in a red covered leaflet with robin on the front.

As I recall the itineraries were as follows:

Liverpool - Crewe - Shrewsbury - Swansea - Cardiff - Swansea - Crewe - Liverpool this was via Central Wales line and the Swansea to Cardiff on one of the then new HSTs.
Liverpool - Crewe - Derby - St Pancras (walk to) Euston - Liverpool (This was quite a good trip as the return from Euston train carried a full restaurant car which served afternoon tea)
Liverpool - Carlisle - Newcastle - Liverpool
Liverpool - Carlisle - (Settle & Carlisle) - Leeds - Liverpool

I think there was also Liverpool - Lancaster - Barrow - Carlisle - Liverpool available but I never did this for some reason.

Fares even by the standards of the day were cheap! I am sure they were £4 standard or £5 first class except for the Central Wales one which was a longer at £5 and £6. I was a VI former then and the first class fares were very affordable to a schoolboy with generous parents!

My favourites were the Central Wales and the London trips. I asked my grandmother if she would like to do the London trip as she hadn't been there for years. She enjoyed it at lot and also accompanied me on several of those.

I do wonder how many people used these tickets I never recall seeing anyone else on the itinerary which of course you would expect. I think they ran for a couple of years probably October to May - don't seem to recall doing the trips in the summer.

John

crosscity · 18 May 2018

John Luxton said:
On Merseyside in the late 70s London Midland offered "Round Robin" Saturday tickets which were excellent value for money.

crosscity said:
In 1978 I remember a similar cheap fare from Euston to Carlisle and back via the Cumbrian Coast to Lancaster. In fact it was so cheap we had dinner in the restaurant car on the way back. Unfortunately my mate lost his ticket and was asked to pay for a single from Lancaster to Euston. No worries, though, as I had bought his and my ticket by post, the demand was let drop later by BR.

Come to think of it my trip to Carlisle from Euston with my mate was one of these 'Round Robin' tickets. When I made the post I'd assumed it was a 2nd Class ticket, as you could still travel First if you used the restaurant car. I now recall we went First class, and the ticket inspection was after the meal when we had moved back out of the restaurant car. It would have been a real sting for my friend if BR had insisted on him paying a First Class single from Lancaster to Euston, then, as now, a considerable sum.

DidcotDickie · 18 May 2018

306024 said:
Merry Makers were excellent. Went on a mystery trip from Euston with a mate when we were 14. Our parents came to meet us back at Euston and were astonished to find we had been to Carlisle.

Sadly mystery trips would be impossible these days. There was the famous story of the couple on holiday up north that booked on a mystery trip, which promptly took them back home to Margate.

Other excursions from East London were a bargain. Cardiff, Blackpool illuminations (back overnight with a no heat 47 ☹️ ) York etc, all in a set of MkIs provided by Thornton Field Carriage Sidings (where West Ham’s stadium is now). Happy days

They certainly were. Did Teignmouth, Barry Island (spent half the day looking round Woodham's scrapyard) and Southport from Romford or Upminster on Merrymakers in the early 70s. I recall the arrival of a Stratford 47 caused much excitement amongst the spotters at Crewe

306024 · 19 May 2018

Rightly so, Stratford 47s were superb machines.

xotGD · 19 May 2018

Newcastle to Inverness Merrymaker: Mass disappointment at the provision of a Thornaby no-heat 47. However our complaints about the lack of heat did the trick, and at Waverley on the way back it was replaced with a 40.

Graham H · 10 Jun 2018

Very popular from the Oxford area in the 70's/80's presumably using the stock from the weekday loco hauled commuter services. Paignton was the regular destination but I also bagged trips to Tenby, Skegness, Great Yarmouth and a memorable one to Glasgow which left at stupid o'clock and returned in the wee small hours of the next day. To reduce overall travel that one went from Ealing to Oxford and up via Birmingham but returned via the WCML so Ealing became the first drop and Oxford the last thus reducing the total days travel. Blackpool was also visited for the illuminations and arrival back was about 2 hours late due to engineering work and I recall reversing and running up the down line somewhere around the Leamington/Banbury area. Needless to say in those pre mobile days my parents had a very long wait at the station as nobody was around to offer advice as to where the heck we were. I think we got back at 3am. There was also an unusual Newbury to Margate trip which involved a very lengthy rake of DMU's, not sure why Mk1 stock wasn't available but we certainly had a bum numbing, ear drum shattering day out with the units working flat out along the north Kent coast. Has anyone ever come across a picture of this one as WR units must have been like rocking horse sh*t in Kent apart from the odd Redhill to Tonbridge service when the old tadpoles finally gave up the ghost.
I have a photo of a '33' on a Portsmouth to Blackpool trip organised by the Southern Region from the early '80's and I am sure there was a Portsmouth to Kyle of Lochalsh trip advertised too the same year but two nights in a Mk1 wasn't my idea of fun.

ian1944 · 13 Jun 2018

I went on a couple of Round Robins sometime in the 70s from Manchester. Out via Crewe and Shrewsbury to Porthmadog, then Blaenau Ffestiniog on the FR, then home via Llandudno Junction and Chester. Another was to Swansea via Newport, also clockwise but I forget the precise route, return via Llanelli and Llandrindod Wells. I don't recall the cost, but it was at such a level that it didn't really count. Also economically priced was a Holidaymaker Express (or some such title), Manchester to Penzance overnight then back the next - I presume that these were meant for people staying a week or so, but there were no restrictions on travelling Friday/Saturday nights of the same weekend.

Springs Branch · 15 Jun 2018

John Luxton said:
On Merseyside in the late 70s London Midland offered "Round Robin" Saturday tickets which were excellent value for money.
They were promoted in a red covered leaflet with robin on the front.
--- [snipped] ---
I do wonder how many people used these tickets I never recall seeing anyone else on the itinerary which of course you would expect. I think they ran for a couple of years probably October to May - don't seem to recall doing the trips in the summer.

John

I remember back in the day picking up one of those red "robin" leaflets at Wigan North Western advertising the Wigan - Carlisle - Settle - Leeds - Wigan Round Robin ticket. I can't remember the fare exactly, but it was so cheap I couldn't resist, and the next suitable nice day I was off for a grand day out over the Settle-Carlisle.

Two things that struck me at the time were how quiet the trains were (I had choice of multiple unoccupied 4-seat bays on the Mk2d on the Wigan to Carlisle leg, then a Mk1 compo to myself over the S&C) and that no-one else seemed to be tempted to do the same as me that day (didn't notice anyone off the Glasgow train changing for the S&C at Carlisle).

The information centre at Wigan only seemed to stock the S&C version of the leaflet and I wish I'd known there were so many other cheap options on offer from the north-west back then. Of course in pre-Internet days, if you didn't see a leaflet / poster at the station or didn't know what questions to ask at the ticket office, it was easy to miss out.

neilmc · 16 Jun 2018

I recall that from Leeds there were two types - the "holiday preview" trips run early in the year, the idea being that you'd take a cheap day out to some resort you'd not normally think of going with a view to drumming up new business for the resort, and the mystery tours where you genuinely didn't know where you were going. We got to Clacton on a holiday preview, somewhere I'd certainly have never thought of going at the time, and where I definitely wouldn't go now at any price. But you could spot a few interesting locos, and on that one there were a few March-based locos to be seen, March being an extremely awkward depot to reach by rail from Leeds. The mystery tours were fun, although one of them turned up at Birmingham at midday Sunday, which made the families who'd assumed a seaside destination and brought buckets and spades and blow-up airbeds a tad annoyed.

Why · 25 Jun 2018

Remember with fondness Brighton to Oban in the same MK1 Carriage with think 3 loco changes each way!!
Dept Friday early evening .... Oban approx 10am Sat, Boat trip (included) round Iona with Cal Mac Ferry and if recall train returned commencing around 9-10pm returning to Brighton mid day Sunday ........ All for £17 .... was about 1979.

pitdiver · 25 Jun 2018

The Brighton to Oban "Excursion " must be one of the longest ever operated unless someone knows different.

Taunton · 25 Jun 2018

306024 said:
There was the famous story of the couple on holiday up north that booked on a mystery trip, which promptly took them back home to Margate.

This sort of thing happened more than once, another was a WR Mystery from Paignton that took a holiday couple back home to Swansea, where they said they nipped home and had a cup of tea. Such events were pushed on to the national press by the railway PR team.

Paignton/Torquay found that Thursdays were good for these, people arrived at the weekend and were running out of things to do towards the end of the following week, before the stock was needed for weekend duties.

eastwestdivide · 27 Jun 2018

Graham H said:
...WR units must have been like rocking horse sh*t in Kent...

Yes, apart from the Tonbridge-Redhill-Reading services, WR DMUs weren't exactly common. Excursions/Merrymakers from the WR to Margate/Ramsgate etc were usually Mk1s with 47s, often the WR named ones, City of Truro, North Star etc.
However, I did photograph* a single WR 117 on a football excursion to Gillingham around 1983-ish, and a single-car WR departmental route-learner at Hoo Junction in 1984.
*posted over here at RMWeb in a thread on footexes

PeterC · 28 Jun 2018

Not quite the same tickets but I remember booking a cheap pre-Christmas trip to Calais once. The hovercraft was cancelled due to bad weather but we had a nice day out in Dover with the full fare refunded as a bonus.

Bookd · 28 Jun 2018

PeterC said:
Not quite the same tickets but I remember booking a cheap pre-Christmas trip to Calais once. The hovercraft was cancelled due to bad weather but we had a nice day out in Dover with the full fare refunded as a bonus.

No disrespect to the good citizens of the town but I find it hard to envisage a nice day out in Dover on a stormy day in December!

PeterC · 28 Jun 2018

Bookd said:
No disrespect to the good citizens of the town but I find it hard to envisage a nice day out in Dover on a stormy day in December!

We found some good shops and a nice restaurant. Remember the reference to "hovercraft", it wasn't this century.

gazthomas · 28 Jun 2018

neilmc said:
March being an extremely awkward depot to reach by rail from Leeds

One change at Peterborough, about 2 and a bit hours away even then!

frodshamfella · 18 Jul 2018

I remember as a lad, going from Bexleyheath to Margate, changing at Dartford onto a summer only direct service. It was probably just in the school holidays.

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