Did BR ever run service trains with the specific intention of appealing to enthusiasts?

[xotGD]

Did BR ever run service trains with the specific intention of appealing to enthusiasts?

Locos may have been fixed on certain workings by a crank in control, but the service itself was aimed at normals, rather than bashers.

 

[37424]

Did BR ever run service trains with the specific intention of appealing to enthusiasts?

Locos may have been fixed on certain workings by a crank in control, but the service itself was aimed at normals, rather than bashers.

I seem to recall such d200 working the s&c on a regular basis, regional railways advertising fancy motive power over number of weekends on scheduled s&c services, a north west day and network south east day also offering more interesting motive power, then Virgin running d9000 on selected services and heritage liveries for virgin 47's etc. But of course your right that Railways aren't there for enthusiasts, even heritage railways to a degree because they wont survive without normal punters.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Did BR ever run service trains with the specific intention of appealing to enthusiasts?

Locos may have been fixed on certain workings by a crank in control, but the service itself was aimed at normals, rather than bashers.

The "pilot locomotives" scheme on several Saturdays on the Settle - Carlisle line 30 years ago springs to mind.

 

[gingerheid]

I remember hearing a rumour that a joker in the SE allocated all the random traction he could on Valentines Day

 

[xotGD]

The "pilot locomotives" scheme on several Saturdays on the Settle - Carlisle line 30 years ago springs to mind.

I don’t remember that. Can you recall what worked?

 

[xotGD]

I seem to recall such d200 working the s&c on a regular basis, regional railways advertising fancy motive power over number of weekends on scheduled s&c services, a north west day and network south east day also offering more interesting motive power, then Virgin running d9000 on selected services and heritage liveries for virgin 47's etc. But of course your right that Railways aren't there for enthusiasts, even heritage railways to a degree because they wont survive without normal punters.

Certainly such workings attracted enthusiasts and got a few extra passengers on board, but then so did the regular motive power on plenty of services. If the incremental cost of interesting motive power is lower than the extra ticket revenue, then it is good business to do it.

West Coast have done the same on the Scarborough Spa Express at times, but the service is still primarily there to attract folk wanting a ride behind a steam loco and a day at the seaside.

 

[hexagon789]

Did BR ever run service trains with the specific intention of appealing to enthusiasts?

Locos may have been fixed on certain workings by a crank in control, but the service itself was aimed at normals, rather than bashers.

What about 20s to Skegness? Those were advertised trains albeit Summer Saturdays only iirc, unless the 20s were for operational reasons but seems unusual to me if that was the case

 

[xotGD]

What about 20s to Skegness? Those were advertised trains albeit Summer Saturdays only iirc, unless the 20s were for operational reasons but seems unusual to me if that was the case

I would say that using 20s was just a case of making use of freight locos that were spare at the weekend. Same thing with 47/3s on the Birmingham - Yarmouth, 37s on the Yarmouth - Newcastle, etc. Also the use of 58s on Birmingham - Nuneaton drags on Sundays.

 

[Richard Scott]

I don’t remember that. Can you recall what worked?

I remember 56030, 25912, 26007, a 58 and 20s. I may be able to find more specific info as did go on a few. I'll see what I can find

 

[Richard Scott]

I remember 56030, 25912, 26007, a 58 and 20s. I may be able to find more specific info as did go on a few. I'll see what I can find

Ok found out 56030 topped 47475 on 11/11/89, 20093+20061 topped 47444 on 25/11/89, 26007 topped 47443 and 25912 topped 47422 on 24/2/90 and 58036 topped 47456 on 3/3/90. There may have been others I didn't do.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Lots of examples of certain power controllers allocating special locomotives to service trains , supposedly the last green class 40 on the North Wales Coast line - the last 304 electrics on the newly wired Brum Cross City. No doubt many others.

 

[KevinTurvey]

I recall Sat 25th April 92 when RRNW had an "enthusiast gala day" with 20's out and about also 60095 plus the usual 31's 37's and possibly a 26 as well.

 

[Richard Scott]

I recall Sat 25th April 92 when RRNW had an "enthusiast gala day" with 20's out and about also 60095 plus the usual 31's 37's and possibly a 26 as well.

Do remember that too, 26001+26040, unfortunately someone left handbrake on 26001 so was failed (at Bolton, I think) and removed.

 

[Cowley]

I recall Sat 25th April 92 when RRNW had an "enthusiast gala day" with 20's out and about also 60095 plus the usual 31's 37's and possibly a 26 as well.

Was something similar done out of St Pancreas back then as well?

 

[xotGD]

Some great examples of special motive power on trains that would have been running anyway.

But I still don't think there were any services aimed primarily at enthusiasts. A 'timetabled railtour' as it were.

Even things like Merrymakers were aimed mainly at normals. Maybe one or two coaches of cranks on a 10 coach train.

 

[47296lastduff]

I can think of two specials organised by BR which I were aimed at enthusiasts.
On Sat 18/08/91 the Greenford Grinders ran Paddington-Greenford-Padd with a class 59 and 60.
On Sat 11/04/92 the Gainsborough Bridge 213 special from Sheffield to Cleethorpes and back had double-headed freight type 5s.

 

[John Hunt]

The only train I can recall (but it wasn't a service train, it was a special) run by BR, advertised nationally for ANYONE to purchase tickets, but pretty obviously aimed at enthusiasts was the 'Fifteen Guinea Special'.

Fifteen Guinea Special - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Back to the subject of Merrymakers -
Yes they were aimed at Joe Public and his missus, but I'm sure schedulers/depots managed to 'slip in' the occasional loco on the day as a treat for the enthusiasts. One I particularly recall was Leicester - Wakefield - Carnforth - Carlisle (short stay - couple of hours) - Newcastle - Doncaster - Sheffield- Leicester. Locos used - 47/3 to Carlisle, 45/0 back to Leicester. Ticket price for the whole journey I seem to recall was about £7.50.

 

[ac6000cw]

Re. Merrymakers - in the mid 1970s, I remember travelling on a Birmingham - Clacton Merrymaker behind a pair of 31's (which weren't very common in the Birmingham area at the time), WCML to Willesden/Camden then round the NLL to Stratford, then GEML. Another trip (can't remember where to) was behind a pair of 25's, the most common substitute if a 'Type 4' wasn't available - the noise from those in an urban brick-lined cutting was something else . A few years later I had a Merrymaker trip from Manchester to Edinburgh over the WCML (via Preston and Carlisle) behind a class 40 all the way out and back.

 

[AY1975]

Was something similar done out of St Pancreas back then as well?

Yes, on 21st May 1989 BR ran an InterCity Day on the Midland Main Line with (IIRC) Class 20 and Class 33-hauled specials between St Pancras and Leicester.

 

[AY1975]

The "pilot locomotives" scheme on several Saturdays on the Settle - Carlisle line 30 years ago springs to mind.

And the Cardiff-Rhymney loco-hauled commuter trains that ran from about 1995 to 2005, and the Class 31-hauled "Club Trains" to Blackpool and Southport in the early '90s.

 

[30907]

I can think of two specials organised by BR which I were aimed at enthusiasts.
On Sat 18/08/91 the Greenford Grinders ran Paddington-Greenford-Padd with a class 59 and 60.
On Sat 11/04/92 the Gainsborough Bridge 213 special from Sheffield to Cleethorpes and back had double-headed freight type 5s.

Going back further, BR certainly organised enthusiast specials. I can remember around 1970
- WR London Division branches (9-car suburban dmmu IIRC)
- Kemp Town farewell shuttles (Hastings unit)
- 2-BIL farewell including Broad St (was it SR though?).
However I can't think of regular services that qualify.

 

[Dai Corner]

And the Cardiff-Rhymney loco-hauled commuter trains that ran from about 1995 to 2005, and the Class 31-hauled "Club Trains" to Blackpool and Southport in the early '90s.

I'd say the all-day Cl 37-hauled Rhymney Valley services on Saturdays were probably aimed at enthusiasts. They can't have been short of DMUs then.

 

[Shrewbly]

Re. Merrymakers - in the mid 1970s, I remember travelling on a Birmingham - Clacton Merrymaker behind a pair of 31's (which weren't very common in the Birmingham area at the time), WCML to Willesden/Camden then round the NLL to Stratford, then GEML.

I'm fairly sure I was on that one! It was one Merrymaker that definitely stood out for me.

 

[delt1c]

Some great examples of special motive power on trains that would have been running anyway.

But I still don't think there were any services aimed primarily at enthusiasts. A 'timetabled railtour' as it were.

Even things like Merrymakers were aimed mainly at normals. Maybe one or two coaches of cranks on a 10 coach train.

How about the specials arranged I believe by BR in the Deltic’s twilight years. Believe there was similar for Westerns.

 

[30907]

Ok found out 56030 topped 47475 on 11/11/89, 20093+20061 topped 47444 on 25/11/89, 26007 topped 47443 and 25912 topped 47422 on 24/2/90 and 58036 topped 47456 on 3/3/90. There may have been others I didn't do.

There were further workings in 1990 (?1991) when I had just moved to Cononley, ISTR between Christmas and New Year (which made it easier to borrow freight locos?) While they were normal services, they were (some if not all) made up to 10 coaches rather than the booked 4-5, so I reckon they fit with the OP's definition.
(I wasn't around for the 89/90 "season")

 

[superjohn]

Yes, on 21st May 1989 BR ran an InterCity Day on the Midland Main Line with (IIRC) Class 20 and Class 33-hauled specials between St Pancras and Leicester.

Hertfordshire Railtours were behind that day. More details on Six Bells Junction.

Six Bells Junction

 

[pdeaves]

The various Network Days seemed to be aimed at the public (to the seaside) and enthusiasts (other stuff). I travelled Oxford-Bletchley on one on a class 58-hauled train that was obviously clearly aimed at the enthusiast market.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Conway Valley Line (when not washed out) had a the green Met Cam class 101 scheduled and the line was marketed as such "Daisy" etc. I think Scotrail had that weird old DMU to Oban in High Summer , known as the "Mexican Jumping Bean" - all classic tourist lines.

Out of operational desperation , yours truly put 31+ LHCS +31 on the Bedford branch which of course caused a minor stampede of enthusiasts. Any traffic welcome on that line in 1998.

 

[Neptune]

Ok found out 56030 topped 47475 on 11/11/89, 20093+20061 topped 47444 on 25/11/89, 26007 topped 47443 and 25912 topped 47422 on 24/2/90 and 58036 topped 47456 on 3/3/90. There may have been others I didn't do.

November 1989 also saw 56104 on 4/11/89 & 20061+093 on 25/11/89. Can’t remember which 56 worked 18/11/89.

The Feb/March 1990 ones included 20905+906 and 37104 on separate trains on 10/3/90 & 56075 on 17/3/90.

All had the booked 47/4 inside for heating (and assisting Tamworth Castle up Ais Gill).

Of course on the weekend 2 sets ran you could work moves out to include the 3rd S&C loco hauled set which was solid 47/4.

 

[CW2]

If we are including "Merrymaker" type services, I would nominate the "Joint Line Venturer" which was organised by BR Kings Cross Division. It attracted a full trainload of enthusiasts because of the mixture of decent traction and rare track, some of which was scheduled for early closure:
Saturday 04/07/81
40013 (which had been specially cleaned by Finsbury Park depot) 08:20 Kings Cross - March
Route Kings Cross - Peterborough - Syston E-N curve - Nottingham - Bottesford West Jn - Newark Northgate (since closed) - Lincoln St Marks (since closed) - Pelham Street Jn.
08242 haul-back loco Pelham St Jn - Lincoln Central - Pyewipe Jn.
40013 Pyewipe Jn. - Sleaford Avoider - March (since closed). Loco change at March.
37086 March - Norwich Avoider - Lowestoft - Ipswich - Cambridge - Liverpool Street.
A fine day out.