Music and ale trains

[bennorthyork]

I remember a few years ago, travelling on music and ale trains on both the Penistone Line and the Esk Valley Line. Have they stopped?

 

[bennorthyork]

I’m surprised no replies to this. Does anyone else remember these trains?

 

[Trainrave]

I’m not 100% sure how useful this will be, but I do recall an episode of “Great British Railway Journeys” featuring a brass band playing on a service travelling on the penistone line, possibly on a pacer.

 

[mm333]

Scrolling back through the past events on the Penistone Line Partnership website, there was a male voice choir train and a brass band train on the run-up to last Christmas.

If Twitter is to be believed, there’s not been a music AND ale train on the Penistone line since 2019.

 

[D6130]

We used to run very successful music and ale trains on the evening service from Skipton to Ribblehead and return - including crossing Ribblehead viaduct twice to facilitate reversal at Blea Moor - three or four times a year until the mid-2010s, with the trains strengthened from two to four cars and a folk band in one unit and a jazz band in the other. I believe that there was a similar set-up on the Hope Valley line between Sheffield and Manchester for a number of years....and possibly the Buxton line too?

 

[Springs Branch]

. . . I believe that there was a similar set-up on the Hope Valley line between Sheffield and Manchester for a number of years....and possibly the Buxton line too?

By chance, I was sorting through some old timetable booklets and came across this one from the Serco manifestation of Northern Rail in 2007.

The timetable is for Manchester-Buxton, but has publicity for Folk Trains running on the Hope Valley & Glossop lines, plus to Whaley Bridge*.

Also details of Station-to-Station Guided Walks using various lines in the vicinity of the Peak District.



* Unless I'm missing something, the pamphlet neglects to tell potential punters which trains to/from Whaley Bridge have the folk music.

 

[Future]

I recall Whitby used to have a late-night beer/music train around the mid to late 00s

 

[BeccaOnATrain]

I remember going to some of these on the Glossop (?) line around 15 years ago. They were very popular and well known around here at the time - but other than a few conversations with my mum "what ever happened to those folk trains?" I've not heard them mentioned at all lately.

According to Glossop Labour Club website they have a Folk Train on "July 27th". However it's not dated by year so I wasn't sure if the website is out of date or not and referring to a date from pre-covid? However the other event on their page for a band playing the club July 22nd is for this year according to some 3rd party gig listing sites. Their twitter hasn't been updated in a year either.

Special events

www.glossoplabourclub.org.uk

I can't see any recent events or news articles referring to Folk trains from the Friends of Glossop Station website or Twitter account.

 

[Llanigraham]

Sure there used to be something similar on the Heart of Wales line that went from Shrewsbury to Knighton and back on a Friday evening

 

[bearhugger]

The Esk Valley line music train no longer operates.

 

[306024]

Some still running on Greater Anglia, thanks to the excellent community rail partnerships:

https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/abo...special-event-trains-running-in-essex-in-2023

……….. as well as the music trains, with Music On The Gainsborough Line on 17 June, a Cockney Singalong on 22 July and a Sea Shanty Train on 14 October.

Years ago Burnham festival on the Southminster branch was a big event. A 321 would have some seats removed, to make room for some sort of transformer that enabled the musicians to use the electricity supply on the train for their instruments. Great fun!

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Tamar Valley Line (Plymouth to Gunnislake) had a music train last month.

Music Train

Passengers travelling on the line in the evening on the 6.38pm train from Plymouth can enjoy a performance from the Bere Ferrers Railway Band. The band will also play for the first half of the return journey (leaving Gunnislake at 7.33pm) before alighting at Bere Ferrers.
The first outing this month saw a performance from the Kit Hillbillies.

 

[Ashley Hill]

The Barnstaple line had some Jazz trains some years ago,they were very popular.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Still operating on the Mid Cheshire Line it seems, there is one on the 9th August from Chester to Plumley next one after that is scheduled for a date in October.

 

[Carlisle]

The Barnstaple line had some Jazz trains some years ago,they were very popular.

As did the Carlisle -Newcastle line a few years back .

 

[mikeg]

Definitely been on one coming back from Whitby in the early 2010s. There was a jazz band and one ale served which if my memory is right was called Captain Cooks Resolution

 

[sheff1]

I’m surprised no replies to this. Does anyone else remember these trains?

You might be interested in this old thread.

Music trains - normal service or special service

Music trains were originally introduced for lines such as the Penistone line to attract people to use their local train services. However, now they operate in the evening on lines which already get a healthy number of passengers and I've just noticed some complaints and pictures were posted...

www.railforums.co.uk

As far as I am aware these appalling things were not re-introduced round here after Covid restrictions were removed .

 

[142 007]

Could be wrong, wasnt the Stalybridge - Huddersfield ale trail withdrawn due to safety concerns

 

[Bartsimho]

Probably going as they are potentially fun and as we know we can't have an event which drives people onto the railways especially if it involves alcohol

 

[sprinterguy]

Could be wrong, wasnt the Stalybridge - Huddersfield ale trail withdrawn due to safety concerns

The website remains live and it's still being actively discussed around the internet, so I don't believe so. There have been warnings and attempts to manage its negative impacts for over a decade, but it's quite different to the Music and Ale events as it's not restricted to specific trains or dates and people are free to define their own itineraries.

 

[Sealink]

CIE used to have radio trains in Ireland. I think they played records

Had a great evening on the Watercress Line on a rail ale train a few years ago.

EDIT: they still do them!

Watercress Line Tickets

buy.myonlinebooking.co.uk

 

[D6130]

Had a great evening on the Watercress Line on a rail ale train a few years ago.

EDIT: they still do them!

I believe that quite a few heritage railways operate real ale trains....but I'm not certain that they also feature live music.

 

[LowLevel]

EMT used to run ale and music trains with the Skegness line community rail partnership and Batemans brewery. They've not run for a while now.

 

[Trackman]

Could be wrong, wasnt the Stalybridge - Huddersfield ale trail withdrawn due to safety concerns

Thought this was an ale trail (pub crawl) rather than boozing on the train.

 

[D6130]

Thought this was an ale trail (pub crawl) rather than boozing on the train.

Correct....and therefore OT for this thread.

 

[Steveswan10]

How about this from somewhere in Eastern Europe

 

[BrummieBobby]

Music and ale trains? Pah! You can experience this on any late night weekend train in an urban area; I can recommend the last Cross City trains of the night on a Friday or Saturday if intoxicated / high passengers listening to speed garage played through an iPhone speaker is your bag!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I believe that quite a few heritage railways operate real ale trains....but I'm not certain that they also feature live music.

There is (or was) the "Indietracks" Festival held at the Midland Railway Butterley.
The bands themselves played in the station, but there was a brake-van disco.

 

[WY Bus Spotter]

I was at Huddersfield station yesterday around midday when it suddenly got very busy with drunks as a train from Manchester arrived. At first I just assumed it was the local neanderthals and knuckle draggers going to get their fix of men kicking a ball around, but there was no football on according to Google. So I can only assume it was an ale trail?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I was at Huddersfield station yesterday around midday when it suddenly got very busy with drunks as a train from Manchester arrived. At first I just assumed it was the local neanderthals and knuckle draggers going to get their fix of men kicking a ball around, but there was no football on according to Google. So I can only assume it was an ale trail?

If they were "local neanderthals" why would they be arriving on a train from Manchester?