Rail "mystery tours"?

Howardh · 24 Apr 2019

Has there ever been such a thing? Where the leisure pax buy a ticket for the day, board and have no idea where they are going until they get there?

I know that happens all the time for coach trips - but in the back of my head I'm sure there were such trips on rail advertised in the 70's (maybe when stock wasn't so much at a premium?). Clearly the drivers and signalmen would know

(hopefully...)..

I suppose one logistical problem would be what do you do with the train after it's arrived at it's destination for, what, 2 - 3 hrs until return; tucked away on a rarely-used platform, sidings, or moved completely out of the way miles away??

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Mag_seven · 24 Apr 2019

Howardh said:
but in the back of my head I'm sure there were such trips on rail advertised in the 70's (maybe when stock wasn't so much at a premium?). Clearly the drivers and signalmen would know (hopefully...)..

Yes BR used to run such things back in the 70s/80s.

sluf · 24 Apr 2019

yes - used to go from Preston in the mid 70's, from memory I seem to remember going to Clacton, Stratford on Avon, Birmingham and somewhere on Clyde, thing it was Largs.

My uncle worked on the ticket gate and we had to try and avoid him as he would shout to us the destination!!!!

eastwestdivide · 24 Apr 2019

As for the perceived logistical problems, a lot of the destinations were seaside resorts which had stabling sidings and were accustomed to dealing with excursion traffic, whether mystery (mystex) or advertised (adex).

Howardh · 24 Apr 2019

Mag_seven said:
Yes BR used to run such things back in the 70s/80s.

sluf said:
yes - used to go from Preston in the mid 70's, from memory I seem to remember going to Clacton, Stratford on Avon, Birmingham and somewhere on Clyde, thing it was Largs.

My uncle worked on the ticket gate and we had to try and avoid him as he would shout to us the destination!!!!

Wow, I'm glad my memory wasn't playing tricks. Of course in those days seaside resorts would have extra sidings as EWD points out, especially places like Blackpool where there would have been unused platforms available. Preston - Clacton's quite a mystery tour!!

pdeaves · 24 Apr 2019

I remember reading of a couple on holiday that took a mystex, that took the to their home town!

Masboroughlad · 24 Apr 2019

BR Merrymaker trains provided Mystery Trips. I went on them with my Dad. I can remember Portsmouth and going on one, where not that long setting off, the guard announced 'Is Clacton alright for you mother?!'

On the platforms, before boarding, rumours would be flying around of where we heading!

Guess there would be zero chance running a railway mystex these days?!

Howardh · 24 Apr 2019

Masboroughlad said:
BR Merrymaker trains provided Mystery Trips. I went on them with my Dad. I can remember Portsmouth and going on one, where not that long setting off, the guard announced 'Is Clacton alright for you mother?!'

On the platforms, before boarding, rumours would be flying around of where we heading!

Guess there would be zero chance running a railway mystex these days?!

With reduced platform space and lack of stock I would imagine so. However Sunday's may be an option if there's spare stock and the train has somewhere to "park". Could even find a new use for the discontinued pacers - turn up at 9am on a Sunday for a 14-hr trip.....

Cowley · 24 Apr 2019

We went on one when I was about two years old (we went on quite few other ones too), at the time we lived near Oxford, so we caught the train to London to pick up the mystery tour at Marylebone.
The train apparently did a great long journey around the Home Counties and then deposited us back at Oxford. :lol:

So we just caught the bus home after some lunch...

Ash Bridge · 24 Apr 2019

Here's a sample of what BR used to operate from the Manchester area during the early seventies, travelled on a good few of these back in the day....

Howardh · 24 Apr 2019

Cowley said:
We went on one when I was about two years old (we went on quite few other ones too), at the time we lived near Oxford, so we caught the train to London to pick up the mystery tour at Marylebone.
The train apparently did a great long journey around the Home Counties and then deposited us back at Oxford.
So we just caught the bus home after some lunch...

lol!!!

STEVIEBOY1 · 24 Apr 2019

Hastings Diesels did one a few Christmases ago, we knew it was going to Rochester, but after that they planned to keep a circular type tour a mystery, however there was a technical issue which meant they had to get to Tonbridge to sort it out and so lost the slot for the tour, (I think it would have included the Hastings/Ashford Line.) Hopefully they could try again in the future. (Mind you some other steam and Diesel charter trains have had the odd unexpected surprise at the last minute or during the tour.)

ajs · 24 Apr 2019

Have a recollection of a story of a mystery tour by train being arranged and planner got Southport, seaside destination and Stockport mixed up. The error was eventually realised, l think in the days before the excursion but rather than change the destination, the train was sent to Stockport, as it was a mystery trip.

Ash Bridge · 24 Apr 2019

ajs said:
Have a recollection of a story of a mystery tour by train being arranged and planner got Southport, seaside destination and Stockport mixed up. The error was eventually realised, l think in the days before the excursion but rather than change the destination, the train was sent to Stockport, as it was a mystery trip.

Blimey I'll bet they were inundated with claims for their money back if that really did happen! Having said that you'd struggle to see the sea at either destination though

underbank · 24 Apr 2019

Yep, went on quite a few from Morecambe/Lancaster in the 70s. Usually destination was a seaside resort, but with a city stop en-route so you had two options. I remember one that went to Scarborough with the option of getting off at York, another to Skegness with the city stop at Lincoln and one to Weston Super Mare with a stop at Bath. Very popular, usually had to book as soon as they were announced to get a seat. One particularly awful one was to the village of Gourock in Scotland where the city stop was Glasgow - we went to Gourrock but it was a cold rainy day and pretty miserable.

Bertie the bus · 24 Apr 2019

sluf said:
yes - used to go from Preston in the mid 70's, from memory I seem to remember going to Clacton, Stratford on Avon, Birmingham and somewhere on Clyde, thing it was Largs.

The biggest mystery there is why would anybody want to go on a day trip to Birmingham?

Howardh · 24 Apr 2019

Bertie the bus said:
The biggest mystery there is why would anybody want to go on a day trip to Birmingham?

Edgbaston.
Wonder at what point pax knew their destination? Reading the one above about Stockport rather than Southport, if they weren't told Southport they'd be none the wiser, and Stockport is great for a day trip. There's...., well there's ....., or.......OK then; it's a grand place for a hat fetish. And there's always beer to fall back on.
Mind you, given the time, Stockport's central to Manchester (shops); peaks (walks), Manchester Airport (plane spotting) and so on, so given four hours and a timetable it's probably not that bad a mystery destination.

Strat-tastic · 24 Apr 2019

Bertie the bus said:
The biggest mystery there is why would anybody want to go on a day trip to Birmingham?

Oh yawn

mm333 · 24 Apr 2019

pdeaves said:
I remember reading of a couple on holiday that took a mystex, that took the to their home town!

I remember reading this in a book in the 80s. It took them to Margate, they went home for a cuppa and then headed back to wherever their holiday was!

Update: just found the story through a Google Books search:

"As part of their holiday Mr and Mrs William Farmer of Margate decided to go on a British Rail Mystery Tour, boarding the adventure train at Newport, their chosen resort, and fully expecting a trip through the mountains of Wales, the couple chatted happily away for two hours and, when the train stopped, they got out.

"The first thing they noticed was a large sign reading Margate. "We nearly fell off the platform," said Mr Farmer. "However, while the rest of the party looked round the town we popped home, had a cup of tea and answered a few letters."

pdeaves · 24 Apr 2019

mm333 said:
I remember reading this in a book in the 80s. It took them to Margate, they went home for a cuppa and then headed back to wherever their holiday was!

That's the one!

AndrewE · 24 Apr 2019

underbank said:
Yep, went on quite a few from Morecambe/Lancaster in the 70s. Usually destination was a seaside resort, but with a city stop en-route so you had two options. I remember one that went to Scarborough with the option of getting off at York, another to Skegness with the city stop at Lincoln and one to Weston Super Mare with a stop at Bath. Very popular, usually had to book as soon as they were announced to get a seat. One particularly awful one was to the village of Gourock in Scotland where the city stop was Glasgow - we went to Gourock but it was a cold rainy day and pretty miserable.

I never went on one, but was aware of them from my time on Temple Meads station in 1974 and then during a few years diagramming (called programming then) at Crewe. The destinations were definitely kept secret - to the extent that the only thing we (or the loco diagrammers) were told was the mileage to destination - and that was only so that diesel locos didn't run out of fuel before getting home!

There was a big hoo-hah once when the weekly STN (Special Traffic Notice) went out with a train column headed "Mystex to Scarborough!" (or something similar.) I wish I had kept the single-sided proof copies we worked off back then, I just have one or two now where the blank sides were used as drawing books by my kids on long train journeys.

306024 · 24 Apr 2019

pdeaves said:
I remember reading of a couple on holiday that took a mystex, that took the to their home town!

The Margate two, but doubtless there were others. Mystery excursions from Euston used to usually go Northampton - Market Harborough, just to throw you off the scent, but invariably end up in Carlisle. That’s a long way for two 14 year olds whose parents were astonished where we had got to.

steevp · 24 Apr 2019

I used to work at Portsmouth & Southsea in the late 70's and remember quite a few of these - sometimes when the trains arrived, we had to shout out "you're here" (or something similar) as the low level platforms could be drab and uninspiring and people didn't realise that they had actually got to that mystery destination of their dreams. Sometimes the trains were slightly longer than the platform and people would just jump down without any thought of the danger.

I remember one came in from March, Manea and Whittlesey - the special workings notice was very badly photocopied and my colleague on the announcing system had to come and ask some people where they were going so he could announce the return working.

I also remember some travellers who missed a Mystex from Portsmouth (I think I heard it was going to Chester for the races) and were a little bemused when they asked when the next train was were told that there wasn't another train to wherever the missed excursion was going to...

Ianno87 · 24 Apr 2019

RealTimeTeains et al would rather spoil the mystery element these days!

Cowley · 24 Apr 2019

Ianno87 said:
RealTimeTeains et al would rather spoil the mystery element these days!

And Internet forums!

LowLevel · 24 Apr 2019

The Northern Belle certainly do (or did until recently!) run mystery luncheon tours. They were one of the few train operators to pay TOC staff to manage their passengers and any assistance they needed and we were always asked not to tell them where the train was headed for. I used to deal with them on a pretty regular basis.

theblackwatch · 24 Apr 2019

steevp said:
I used to work at Portsmouth & Southsea in the late 70's and remember quite a few of these - sometimes when the trains arrived, we had to shout out "you're here" (or something similar) as the low level platforms could be drab and uninspiring and people didn't realise that they had actually got to that mystery destination of their dreams. Sometimes the trains were slightly longer than the platform and people would just jump down without any thought of the danger.

Your mention of this reminds me of a story a now-departed friend of mine told me many years ago. He did one of these mystery excursions and when they boarded, they were told that it was going to two destinations a few minutes apart. As it headed south, those on board assumed it was Torquay and Paignton - but it turned out to be Portsmouth & Southsea and Portsmouth Harbour!

Mag_seven · 24 Apr 2019

I don't know is this story is true or not but I was told it from a very reliable source. A mystery excursion was operating from Scotland to a popular destination in England (I can't remember where but it would have been somewhere like Blackpool or Chester). Someone got wind of the destination and proceeded to walk through the train telling everyone. News of this got back to control who arranged for the train to get re-routed to Nuneaton!

AndrewE · 24 Apr 2019

Mag_seven said:
I don't know is this story is true or not but I was told it from a very reliable source. A mystery excursion was operating from Scotland to a popular destination in England (I can't remember where but it would have been somewhere like Blackpool or Chester). Someone got wind of the destination and proceeded to walk through the train telling everyone. News of this got back to control who arranged for the train to get re-routed to Nuneaton!

That sounds familiar., although I suspect it might well be an urban myth..
Anyway, what a good idea, & full marks to the staff on the day! I can't imagine what a train full of people would do for a day in Nuneaton, though: Maybe they dropped off at historic Lichfield too...

Bevan Price · 24 Apr 2019

I went on a Mystex from the Liverpool area that went to Hereford - a fine city, but 6 hours in winter was a bit too long. So, got a day return from Hereford to Worcester - with a Hymek one way, but a dmu back from Worcester,

Rail "mystery tours"?

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