Summer Saturday Services, 1950s

[Bevan Price]

I thought that some of you might be interested in what summer saturday services operated before the growth of road traffic & overseas holidays. To avoid posts of excessive length, I have split the lists into sections. The lists show summer saturday departures from coastal holiday resorts, but not the corresponding services to the coast. Local branch services are mostly excluded from the lists.

Eastern Region, Summer 1955

Departures from East Coast Resorts, omitting most local services & regular daily services.
Part 1. Essex & Suffolk Coasts.

Southend On Sea (Central)
09:25 Kentish Town
17:15 Kentish Town **
17:50 Upper Holloway **
18:55 Cricklewood **

** - Also ran SX in summer (school holiday period)
These were in addition to a handful of daily through services to Kentish Town or London St. Pancras.

Southend On Sea (Victoria)
Nil

Clacton On Sea
10:50 Leicester (London Road) via Sudbury, Cambridge, St. Ives, Kettering.
11:10 Birmingham (New St.) via Bury St. Edmunds, Peterborough
16:27 Derby (Friargate) via Bury St. Edmunds, March, Bingham.
19:12 Bury St. Edmunds

Harwich (Town)
08:50 London (Liverpool St.)
Also at 10:05, 12:15, 13:35, 14:45.
12:49 Doncaster via Peterborough.

Harwich Parkeston Quay
(Daily) 07:43, 13:30, 19:35 London Liverpool St
08:00 Liverpool Central via March, Lincoln, Sheffield Vic. & Manchester Cen.

Felixstowe (Beach).
10:31, 13:52 London (Liverpool St.)
11:07 Birmingham New St (combines with 11:10 from Clacton)

Lowestoft (Central)
08:25 Leicester & Derby (Midland) via Peterborough
09:19 York via March, Spalding
11:50 Bradford (Exchange) **
12:13 Rugby (Midland) via Peterborough East, Market Harborough.
** Portion attached to 12:02 ex-Yarmouth service
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Part 2 - Norfolk Coast Reesorts.

Gorleston On Sea
08:00 Leicester / Derby (Midland) (08:25 from Lowestoft)
08:44 York
10:50 London (Liverpool St.)
13:43 London (Liverpool St.)

Yarmouth (Vauxhall)
06:35 Birmingham (New St.) Via Peterborough East, Market Harborough, Rugby.
08;55 Bradford (Exchange) (non-stop, March - Doncaster)
09:06 Sheffield (Victoria) Via March, Lincoln.
09:50 Bradford (Exchange) via Spalding
10:00 York via March, Lincoln
10:10 Newcastle && via March, Lincoln.
&& - Conveys portion from Gorleston On Sea
10:40 Derby (Friargate) via Spalding, Nottingham Victoria.
11:10 Manchester (Central) via Sleaford, Sheffield Victoria.
11:33 Sheffield (Victoria) via March, Lincoln
12:02 Leeds (Central) via March, Spalding.
12:40 Northampton (Castle) via Peterborough East, Wellingborough London Rd.
13:33 Cambridge
13:47 Manchester (Victoria) via March, Spalding (non-stop) & ??
14:37 Walsall via Peterborough, Rugby.
15:34 Peterborough

Yarmouth (South Town)
Had daily services via Beccles to London Liverpool St.

Yarmouth (Beach) (M&GNR route)
08:46 Leicester (London Road)
09:00 Birmingham (New St.)
09:30 Derby (Midland)
09:50 Leicester (London Road)
11:30 Mansfield (Town)
15:00 Leicester (London Road)

Caister On Sea
10:41 London (Liverpool St.) via Wroxham

Mundesley On Sea
13:30 London (Liverpool St.)

Cromer (Beach) (M&GNR route)
08:40 Birmingham (New St.)
09:28 Birmingham (New St.)

Sheringham & Cromer had daily services to London via Norwich

Hunstanton
09:20 Birmingham (New St.) via Bourne
Also had daily services to Cambridge & London (Liverpool St.)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Part 3. Lincolnshire Coast Resorts.

Skegness.
08:00 Lincoln (Central)
09:05 London (Kings Cross)
09:22 London (Kings Cross)
09:53 Manchester (Central) (No intermediate stops shown)
11:12 York (first stop Doncaster)
11:36 Leeds (Central) via Bardney, Lincoln.
11:45 Peterborough
12:00 Sheffield (Victoria) via Bardney, Lincoln.
12:25 London (Kings Cross)
12:40 Derby (Friargate) via Sleaford
12:58 Grantham
13:25 Nottingham (Victoria)
13:35 Hucknall (Central) via Bardney, Lincoln, Mansfield Cen..
13:42 Leicester (Belgrave Road) via Boston, Melton Mowbray
13:50 Bradford (Exchange) via Bardney, Lincoln.
14:12 Kirkby In Ashfield (Central) via Lincoln, Mansfield (Cen.)
14:20 Kings Norton via Derby Friargate
14:42 New Holland Pier Via Louth
14:50 Sheffield (Victoria)
15:05 Pinxton (South) Via Sleaford, Daybrook, Basford North
15:20 Clay Cross Via Boston, then ?? Sleaford
16:10 Hitchin
18:20 London (Kings Cross)
18:55 Nottingham (Victoria)
19:22 Gainsborough (Lea Road)

Mablethorpe
09:34 (09:09 Louth) - London (Kings Cross)
11:58 Basford (North) via Bardney, Lincoln, Mansfield Cen.
12:12 Nottingham (Victoria)
13:35 Nottingham (Victoria)
13:50 Leicester (Belgrave Road) via Boston, Melton Mowbray
14:05 Derby Friargate
15:10 Manchester (Central) via Bardney, Lincoln.
18:30 Nottingham Victoria

Cleethorpes
07:30 Blackpool (North) via Barnsley (Exchange)
08:27 Sheffield Victoria via Retford
08:54 Bradford (Exchange)
09:05 Leeds (Central)
09:43 Sheffield Victoria via Retford
10:02 Rotherham (Central) via Doncaster
10:11 Doncaster
10:25 Sheffield Victoria via Retford
11:29 Sheffield Victoria via Retford
13:38 Bradford (Exchange)
13:46 Leeds (Cen.) & Bradford
14:10 Sheffield Victoria via Retford
14:45 Barnsley (Court House) via Doncaster
15:00 Penistone
18:40 Sheffield Victoria via Retford
(The Leeds / Bradford services avoided Doncaster.)

New Holland Pier
09:50 Skegness
(Ferry connection from Hull)

 

[Taunton]

You should have seen Taunton by midday Saturday.

I didn't know it until the early 1960s but things hadn't fallen off a lot by then. One of the spectacular moments I recall was having FOUR nonstops running through the station simultaneously, two each way. They were taking it rather gently, probably about 40 mph, but what a memory. The station announcer used to boom out "Attention stand clear at platform x an express train is about to pass" and this time he did the announcement all in one hit with "... stand clear at platforms 1 5 6 and 7, express trains are ..."

 

[Bevan Price]

To continue, my earliest summer timetable for North Eastern Region is for 1958, but there were probably only small changes from 1955:

North Eastern Region, Summer 1958.

Bridlington
10:55 Hull
11:56 Sheffield (Victoria)
12:45 Leeds (City)
13:25 Rotherham (Central)
13:33 Sheffield (Victoria)
14:00 Leeds (City)
14:20 Bradford (Exchange)
14:50 Hull
16:50 Hull

Filey Holiday Camp.
07:53 Glasgow Queen St. (Low Level)
08:55 Newcastle
09:20 Kings Norton
09:30 York
10:00 Leeds (City)
11:05 Manchester (Victoria)
11:15 London (Kings Cross)

Filey
10:35 Leeds (City)
10:55 Derby (Midland)

Scarborough (Londesborough Road)
(Via Filey & Bridlington)

10:00 Manchester (London Road)
11:20 Liverpool (Exchange)
11:50 Leicester (Central)
12:25 Sowerby Bridge
14:25 Basford (North)

Scarborough (Londesborough Road)
09:40 Leicester (Central)

Scarborough (Central)
(Via Gilling)
08:20 Glasgow Queen St. (Low Level) (from Filey Hol. Camp)
08:40 Glasgow Queen St. (Low Level)
09:08 Newcastle
10:25 Glasgow (Queen St.)
10:50 Newcastle via Stockton
13:00 Glasgow Queen St. (Low Level)

(Via York)
09:29 Manchester (Exchange)
09:55 Leeds
10:05 Leeds
10:43 London (Kings Cross)
11:05 Bradford (Forster Square)
11:35 Derby (Midland)
11:45 Manchester (Victoria)
12:15 Kings Norton
12:38 York
13:10 Manchester (Victoria)
14:00 Sheffield (Victoria)
14:10 London (Kings Cross)
14:30 Sheffield (Midland)
15:20 York
16:00 Leeds (City)
16:18 Bradford (Forster Square)
17:30 Swindon
17:55 Leeds (City)
18:30 Doncaster
19:30 Normanton
20:00, 21:15 York

Whitby
09:33 London (Kings Cross)
14:10 Leeds (City)

Saltburn
08:40 London (Kings Cross)
09:07 Glasgow Queen St. (Low Level)
09:40 Blackpool (Central) & Southport
(via Harrogate, Ilkley & Colne;; portion from West Hartlepool)
09:50 London (Kings Cross)

South Shields (via Sunderland).
07:32 Blackpool (North) via Durham, Stainmore & Tebay
09:20 London (Kings Cross)
09:30 Manchester (Exchange)

Sunderland
07:40 Bristol (Temple Meads)
08:53 Yarmouth (Vauxhall)
09:04 London (Kings Cross)

Whitley Bay
09:55 Glasgow Queen Street (Low Level) (first stop Edinburgh)

Newcastle (omitting destinations on ECML)
07:30 Paignton
08:00 Cardiff
08:15 Heads Of Ayr via Carlisle
08:23 Lowestoft & Yarmouth Vauxhall
08:55 Liverpool Lime St via Harrogate, Leeds
09:04 Blackpool (Central) via Stainmore, Tebay
09:55 Liverpool Lime St. via Sunderland, York
10:08 Swansea
10:18 Carlisle (additional to normal weekday service)
10:45 Scarborough (via Gilling)
11:15 Llandudno via Leeds
12:20 Stranraer Harbour via Carlisle
15:50 Birmingham New St
16:15 Liverpool Lime St. via Sunderland, Harrogate, Leeds
17:10 Liverpool Exchange via York, Wakefield Kirkgate, Rochdale

 

[30907]

Can do you the Southern when I'm back home if no one beats me to it.

 

[Bevan Price]

Can do you the Southern when I'm back home if no one beats me to it.

I have a Southern list for 1959. If I post it today, the "double post prevention thing" will probably combine it with North Eastern, so I will wait until tomorrow or Sunday. I also have lists for London Midland & Western Regions, but nothing for Scotland at present.

 

[Calthrop]

Bevan Price -- the below, refers to your initial post re ER 1955 -- I'm having catch-up difficulties !

The workings Skegness -- Leicester Belgrave Road; and Mablethorpe – ditto; particularly caught my eye.

The same, features one of my favourite eccentric “between companies” rural rail scenes (in part because of its being in the “geographical patch” of my youth – though first-hand I saw very little of said scene, and nothing in action on it): the GNR and LNWR’s not-altogether-obvious partnership in the East Midlands – one of those things which has one thinking, “only in Britain !”. Essentially, the two companies’ joint route from near Market Harborough, northward to bifurcate to junctions with the GN Grantham – Nottingham line; plus associated “twiddly bits” which were GN only. All running through basically thinly-populated, mostly pleasantly hilly, “rural nowhere” – surprisingly, nearly all double-track. Included an all-GN prolongation northward to join the GN main line at Newark; and an all-GN branch due westward from Marefield triangular junction “in the middle of nowhere” with the essential north-south route, to the Leicester Belgrave Road terminus.

In regular-passenger days, this system was served by various workings between various places, over “mixing-and-matching” GN-then-LNER, LNW-then-LMS, and Joint, trackage. Most of this came to an end passenger-wise in late 1953 (freight carried on for roughly a further decade). A big exception was one IMO particularly mad service once run by the GNR: Peterborough North – via Peterborough “south-west loop line” onto LNWR Peterborough – Rugby route; along same to Drayton Junction a little way east of Market Harborough, over 2 / 3 miles-long “curve / branch” to Hallaton Junction; joining there, north-to-south Joint line; leaving same via Marefield Junction east-to-west curve, and thence to Leicester Belgrave Road. A tortuous route between Peterborough and Leicester (not that the more conventional Midland Railway line between same is any beeline, either): served in its latter years, I understand, on a meagre all-stations schedule – the Great Northern’s last regular use of Stirling 8-ft. single-driver 4-2-2’s – until withdrawal for good in 1916, as a World War 1 economy measure.

Again per my understanding, after late ’53 there continued for a few years, a very vestigial (one train each way per day) passenger service for commuters into Leicester from “the sticks” east thereof, on part of the Marefield Jun. – Leicester Belgrave Road line. Also: ongoing summer-holiday seaside-visiting traffic, running between Leicester Belgrave Road and the Lincolnshire seaside resorts. (LBR – Marefield Junctions – Melton Mowbray North – onto Nottingham – Grantham line at Bottesford Junctions.) Re this, mentioned in your post, approximately-lunchtime departures from Skegness and Mablethorpe, for LBR. This – 1955 – would seem to imply week-or-two-week-long sojourns at the coast?

I’ve read an account, in some nostalgic railway magazine some time in not-hugely-distant years (I wish that I had the text to cite here) about the very last years of Lincolnshire-resorts seaside traffic from / to Leicester Belgrave Road. If I have things rightly, this continued until at latest, 1963. In the account, a touch of nostalgie de la boue: embarking at a rickety ghost station; two trains running almost concurrently thence, one for Skegness and one for Mablethorpe, both headed by dirty Black Fives, to work over run-down, freight-only lines, to scorned-by-the-posh-élite seaside resorts. (I'd have loved to experience this -- but even '63 would have been a bit too early for it to have been practicable for me.) I picked up from context in this article, re very end of this era, mostly a “day trips” scene – thus envisaged departure from “Skeggy and Mabe” back to Leicester, evening rather than lunchtime: but “who knows?; and / or, 1955 versus 7 / 8 years later”...

 

[Springs Branch]

Interesting stuff - I'm looking forward to the North West list.

At another layer of fascination, of course, are the routes some of these trains would have taken in the pre-Beeching era.

 

[daodao]

Interesting stuff - I'm looking forward to the North West list.

At another layer of fascination, of course, are the routes some of these trains would have taken in the pre-Beeching era.

Some of these trains survived post Beeching. I recall catching a Yarmouth-Manchester Piccadilly train (routed via the now closed joint GN/GE line and Lincoln Central) at March on a Saturday in August 1974. I was travelling from Cambridge and had to change at March as this train used the avoiding loop at Ely. It was hauled by a Class 31 and was 90 minutes late by the time it arrived at Piccadilly. There were no refreshment facilities, unlike the North Country Continental which I used on other occasions I made this journey, and it was very full with families returning from holiday.

 

[341o2]

for the Southern, it would be interesting to see fuller details of the ACE, which although a daily service ran in several sections at the height of the season. Withdrawn in 1964, there was a summer only service between Paddington and Bude for 1965 monly

 

[30907]

for the Southern, it would be interesting to see fuller details of the ACE, which although a daily service ran in several sections at the height of the season. Withdrawn in 1964, there was a summer only service between Paddington and Bude for 1965 monly

Bevan will do this properly but ex Waterloo from memory it was
1015 North Devon (ie Ilfracombe and Torrington, dividing at Barnstaple Jn)
1035 North Cornwall (ie Padstow and Bude, dividing at Halwill)
1100 North Devon
1115 Plymouth and North Cornwall (all stations from Okehampton)
Plus a 1045 Seaton and Lyme Regis and 1145 Sidmouth and Exmouth, but of course they didn't carry the ACE name.

 

[Bevan Price]

Southern Region, Summer 1959
** = Through portion

Padstow
08:30 London (Waterloo) **
11:00 London (Waterloo) **
13:00 London (Waterloo) **
15:13, 18:00 Okehampton

Wadebridge
08:10 London (Waterloo) **

Bude.
09:00 London (Waterloo) **
09:30 London (Waterloo) **
11:45 London (Waterloo) **
14:00 Okehampton **
15:13 Okehampton
17:32, 19:02 Halwill

Torrington
07:05 Exeter (Central)
08:10 London (Waterloo) **
09:10 London (Waterloo) **
10:48 London (Waterloo) **
11:50 Taunton
12:45 London (Waterloo) **
13:38 London (Waterloo) **
14:07 London (Waterloo) **
14:47, 16:38, 17:48, 19:38, 20:24 Barnstaple Jn

Ilfracombe
06:50 Kings Nympton
08:10 London (Waterloo) **
08:25 Manchester (Exchange)
08:50 London (Waterloo) **
09:25 Cardiff
10:30 London (Waterloo)
10:55 Wolverhampton (Low Level)
11:30 London (Waterloo) **
12:00 London (Waterloo)
12:25 London (Paddington)
13:45 London (Waterloo) **
14:10 London (Waterloo) **
14:55 London (Waterloo)
16:48 Exeter (Central)
17:10 Taunton
17:50 Barnstaple Jn
18:30 Taunton
19:42 Exeter (Central)
20:00 Taunton
20:30 Barnstaple Jn

Mortehoe
10:00 London (Waterloo) **

Plymouth (via Tavistock)
06:15 London (Waterloo)
07:26 Exeter (Central)
07:49 Tavistock (North)
08:25 London (Waterloo)
10:02 Portsmouth & Southsea
11:10 Brighton
11:46 London (Waterloo) **
12:18, 13:18 Tavistock (North)
14:33 London (Waterloo) **
14:45 Exeter (Central)
16:02 London (Waterloo) **
16:14, 17:27, 18:27, 22:40 Tavistock (North)
16:52 London (Waterloo) via Eastleigh
19:21 Exeter (Central)
21:26 Okehampton

Exmouth
09:25 London (Waterloo) **
13:45 London (Waterloo) **

Littleham
09:38 London (Waterloo) **

Sidmouth
09:25 London (Waterloo) **
14:22 London (Waterloo) **

Seaton
09:00 London (Waterloo) **
10:20 London (Waterloo) **
14:35 London (Waterloo) **

Lyme Regis
09:00 London (Waterloo) **
15:05 London (Waterloo) **

Weymouth (via Bournemouth)
To London Waterloo:
07:34 **, 09:20, 10:10, 11:00 **, 11:25, 12:20, 13:20,
15:50, 17:35, 18:30, 22:13

Dorchester (South)
13:50 London (Waterloo)

Swanage
To London (Waterloo)
07:38 **, 09:15, 11:34 **, 13:23,

Poole
10:25 Bradford (Exchange)
15:12 Swansea (High St.)

Bournemouth (West) (via Southampton)
To London (Waterloo)
07:20, 08:12, 08:20 **, 08:35, 10:15, 10:40, 11:00, 12:10, 13:05,
14:20, 15:05, 16:15, 16:30, 17:05 **, 18:16, 19:28
09:35 Birkenhead (Woodside)
11:16 Newcastle
13:50 Brighton
18:35 Reading (General)

Bourneouth (West)
via S&DJR line.
07:12 Templecombe
08:00 Sheffirld (Midland)
08:16 Liverpool (Lime St.)
08:40 Bradford (Forster Square)
08:48 Templecombe
09:25 Liverpool & Manchester (London Rd.)
09:45 Manchester (London Road)
09:55 Leeds (City)
10:05 Derby (Midland)
10:35 Manchester (Victoria)
11:12 Sheffield (Midland)
11:40 Cleethorpes via Nottingham (Midland)
13:08 Bristol (Temple Meads)
14:45 Bristol (Temple Meads)
15:40 Bristol (Temple Meads)
17:30, 18:50 Templecombe
19:25 Bristol (Temple Meads)
22;00 Templecombe

Bournemouth (Central)
To London (Waterloo)
09:20, 10:00, 13:45, 15:10,
08:05 Newcastle
08:30 Cardiff via Wimborne & Salisbury
11:00 Sheffield (Victoria)
11:50 Birmingham (Snow Hill)

Pokesdown
08:47 Birkenhead (Woodside)

New Milton
08:48 Cardiff via Bournemouth (Cen.) & Salisbury

Hinton Admiral
10:50 London (Waterloo)

Lymington Pier
To London (Waterloo)
09:00. 10:30, 11:43, 13:28, 15:30,

Portsmouth Harbour.
09:00 Cardiff (General)
09:11 Wolverhampton (Low Level)
11:37 Cardiff (General)
13:11 Birmingham (Moor St.)
13:28 Birmingham (Snow Hill)
15:02 Wolverhampton (Low Level)
15:40 Wolverhampton (Low Level)
15:57 Cardiff (General)
16:57 Sheffield (Victoria)

Portsmouth & Southsea
07:30 Reading (General)
08:30 Bristol (Temple Meads)
09:03 Plymouth
09:33 Cardiff (General)
10:34 Cardiff (General)
12:15 Ilfracombe
14:45 Bristol (Temple Meads)
15:07 Reading (General)
17:45 Cardiff (General)

Brighton
(London services not listed)
09:40 Bournemouth (West)
10:00 Cardiff
11:00 Cardiff
11:30 Plymouth

Eastbourne (via Brighton)
09:11 Wolverhampton (Low Level)**
10:40 Sheffield (Victoria) **
12:40 Birmingham (Snow Hill) **
12:55 Manchester (London Road) **

St. Leonards (Warrior Square) (via Brighton)
10:45 Walsall
10:51 Leicester (London Road)

Hastings (via Brighton)
08:48 Wolverhampton (Low Level) **
10:14 Sheffield (Victoria) **
12:14 Birmingham (Snow Hill) **
12:30 Manchester (London Road) **

Margate
08:50 Birmingham (Snow Hill)
09:15 Birkenhead (Woodside) ** via Canterbury
10:35 Reading (South) via Canterbury.

Ramsgate
08:55 Birkenhead (Woodside) via Dover **

N.B. I have not included additional services to London termini from Portsmouth or from the Kent & Sussex coastal resorts. All departures, including local services, are shown for Plymouth & Ilfracombe.

 

[SouthDevonian]

1. The Caister - Liverpool St service was unofficially known as the Holiday Camps Express and was recently discussed on the BRITISH RAILWAYS FOUNDATION website. The administrator of that site is a retired BR Controller whose responsibilities included the ER, LMR & SR and he provided the following interesting facts:-
That was the 10.50 (Summer Sats) Liverpool Street to Caister on sea which ran via Cambridge, Ely and Wensum curve to Antingham Road Junction, North Walsham where the train reversed and was taken forward by an M&GN engine. There was a sharp bank there and because of it, the GE B1 4-6-0 which had brought the train in from London, banked it for a short distance. The return service was the 10.38 Caister to Liverpool Street. The routing via Ely was simply to keep it clear of the Southend and Clacton traffic. The formation was Engine: BSK, TSO, CK, BCK, 5 TSO and the stock (all LNER) remained at Yarmouth Beach from 15.38 to 10.40 the following Saturday.

2. Regarding the 1965 Paddington – Bude & Ilfracombe train. This was unusual in that it left the WR main line at Castle Cary and went via Yeovil Pen Mill, Yeovil Junction & Axminister to Exeter Central where it divided into separate portions for the two destinations. There was no corresponding up train and the routing was not repeated in subsequent years.

 

[Taunton]

Ilfracombe (1959)
......
08:25 Manchester (Exchange)
09:25 Cardiff
10:55 Wolverhampton (Low Level)
12:25 London (Paddington)
17:10 Taunton
18:30 Taunton
20:00 Taunton

These were via the GWR Dulverton line to Taunton, and were normally worked by WR 43xx locos which worked down to Ilfracombe (those later trains to Taunton are return workings of afternoon arrivals from the north. Because most trains needed assistance out of Ilfracombe it was also normal for the Western locos for the later ones to double-head the earlier ones up the 1 in 36 to Mortehoe. Although the Southern banker might be used, each side seemed to keep to their own assisting engines wherever possible. I never heard of a 43xx assisting a Southern train. There must have been running powers to Ilfracombe going back to GWR days. The exception was if one of the handful of 43xx outstationed at Barnstaple had a failure, then an N class 2-6-0 would turn up at Taunton. The stock spent the week on sidings at Taunton, there were a series of extra-early down trains from there on Saturday mornings, like at 5am and 6am, having connected with overnight services from the north.

Cardiff is an interesting destination. Ilfracombe and Cardiff are just possibly in sight of one another on a clear day (you can certainly see Barry Island, along with the Brecon Beacons, from the higher roads in the town), yet that train must have taken 4 or 5 hours to get there. There was a paddle steamer service straight across between the various points, which was actually a quicker alternative and used to bring a number of holidaymakers with suitcases along with the day excursionists.

 

[30907]

There's a lot of detail on the Mortehoe bankers etc in the relevant XPress and Irwell Press volumes

 

[Bevan Price]

London Midland Region, Summer 1955.

Part 1. Blackpool & Fleetwood.
In the absence of relevant WTTs, I am uncertain of full routes for some of these trains. Some of the trains routed via Cheadle Heath probably went via Wigan, joining the Wigan Central branch at Hindley South, and then via Glazebrook & Northenden to Cheadle Heath.

Blackpool North
(Destinations beyond Preston.)
06:05 Liverpool (Exchange)
08:15 Manchester (Victoria)
08:30 Liverpool (Exchange)
09:15 Cardiff via Shrewsbury, Hereford
09:35 Nottingham (Midland) via Cheadle Heath, Hope Valley, Chesterfield.
10:25 Leicester (London Road) via Cheadle Heath, Matlock, Burton, Coalville.
10:40 Manchester (Victoria)
10;55 Crewe
11:05 South Shields & Darlington via Tebay, Stainmore.
11:15 Stoke On Trent
11:20 Hucknall (Central) via Woodhead, Sheffield Victoria.
11:30 Birmingham (New St.)
11:45 Coventry
12:00 London (Euston)
12:15 Birmingham (New St.)
13:50 Manchester (Victoria)
14:05 Glasgow (Central)
14:20 Sheffield (Midland) (via Copy Pit ?? & Cudworth.)
14:30 Manchester (Victoria)
14:45 Leicester (London Road) via Matlock, Derby
15:30 Cleethorpes via Barnsley (Court House)
15:45 Walsall via Wolverhampton (High Level)
16:25 Rochdale via Bury (Knowsley St.)
17:10 Manchester (Victoria)
18:05 Stoke On Trent
20:00 Manchester (Victoria)

Blackpool (Central)
05:38 Manchester (Victoria)
06:25 Skipton
07:02 Manchester (Victoria)
07:28 Manchester (Victoria)
07:48 Accrington
08:00 London (Euston) via Lytham
08:03 London (Euston) (direct line)
08:20 Rochdale via Manchester
08:30 Todmorden via Blackburn
08:50 Glasgow (Central)
09:00 Liverpool (Exchange)
09:15 Manchester (Victoria)
09:35 Colne
09:45 London (Euston)
10:00 Bletchley
10:10 Manchester (Victoria)
10:30 Manchester (Victoria)
10:35 Aberdeen & Edinburgh (Princes St.)
10:45 Todmorden
11:05 Bradford (Exchange)
11:20 Newcastle On Tyne
11:45 Manchester Vic. via Atherton (Central)
12:10 Liverpool (Exchange)
12:25 London (Euston)
12:40 Manchester (Victoria)
12:55 Leeds (City)
13;00 Tyldesley via Wigan N.Western
13:05 West Hartlepool via Stainmore
13:20 Bradford & Leeds (Central)
13:30 Wakefield (Kirkgate) via Halifax, Cleckheaton Central.
13:35 Barnsley (Exchange) via Mirfield, Darton.
13:40 Liverpool (Exchange)
13:50 Sheffield (Midland) via Chinley
14:00 Manchester (Victoria)
14:25 Hull via Wakefield Kirkgate, Goole
14:30 York via Wakefield Kirkgate
15:15 Manchester (Victoria)
15:45 Colne
16:00 Manchester (Exchange) via Wigan N.W.
16:05 Lincoln (Central) via South Elmsall, Doncaster.
17:05 London (Euston)
17:55 Colne
18:30 Manchester (Victoria) via Atherton (Central)
18:45 Nelson
19:00 Manchester (Victoria)
19:05 Rochdale via Bury
19:35 Manchester (Victoria)

Fleetwood
(Showing only services to beyond Preston - other services gave connections at Poulton or Kirkham)
$$ - Combined with Blackpool portion at Poulton Le Fylde
08:10 Liverpool (Exchange) $$
09:50 Manchester (Victoria)
10:20 Manchester (Victoria)
13:15 Manchester (Victoria)
15:05 Manchester (Victoria)
16:55 Manchester (Victoria) $$
19:35 Manchester (Victoria) (waits for I.O.M. boat)
19;45 Manchester (Victoria) $$
20:30 Manchester (Victoria) $$

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

It would be interesting to get an inside view as to when the decline in demand for such services really started. By 1955 BR's finances were already poor thanks to the general decline in traffic but perhaps the true holidaymaker traffic survived a little longer. It's clear that BR was slow to withdraw the through trains even when the demand had largely dried up. By the time I started traveling independently around the network in the late 1970s it was very often the case that many of the remaining bucket and spade trains were carrying as many enthusiasts as holidaymakers thanks to the surviving practice of using nominally freight only locos to pull them as well as the unusual routes they worked over.

 

[daodao]

Ilfracombe (1959)
......
08:25 Manchester (Exchange)
09:25 Cardiff
10:55 Wolverhampton (Low Level)
12:25 London (Paddington)
17:10 Taunton
18:30 Taunton
20:00 Taunton

These were via the GWR Dulverton line to Taunton, and were normally worked by WR 43xx locos which worked down to Ilfracombe (those later trains to Taunton are return workings of afternoon arrivals from the north. Because most trains needed assistance out of Ilfracombe it was also normal for the Western locos for the later ones to double-head the earlier ones up the 1 in 36 to Mortehoe. Although the Southern banker might be used, each side seemed to keep to their own assisting engines wherever possible. I never heard of a 43xx assisting a Southern train. There must have been running powers to Ilfracombe going back to GWR days. The exception was if one of the handful of 43xx outstationed at Barnstaple had a failure, then an N class 2-6-0 would turn up at Taunton. The stock spent the week on sidings at Taunton, there were a series of extra-early down trains from there on Saturday mornings, like at 5am and 6am, having connected with overnight services from the north.

Cardiff is an interesting destination. Ilfracombe and Cardiff are just possibly in sight of one another on a clear day (you can certainly see Barry Island, along with the Brecon Beacons, from the higher roads in the town), yet that train must have taken 4 or 5 hours to get there. There was a paddle steamer service straight across between the various points, which was actually a quicker alternative and used to bring a number of holidaymakers with suitcases along with the day excursionists.

I have visited Ilfracombe about 8 times, but only ever by boat. It is only 2.75-3.0 hours from Penarth (4 miles from Cardiff) and 1.75-2.0 hours from Porthcawl. By the time I lived in Cardiff, Cardiff Pier and Barry Island Pier were no longer in use for the remaining pleasure steamers. Even in the 1990s, there were occasional passengers with luggage making 1 way trips.

 

[SouthDevonian]

A great many of the 1950s holiday trains continued into the early 1960s (exceptions included the Fife Coast Express to / from Glasgow and the M&GN trains which were re-routed to the GE). For those interested in which routes were used in 1963 and every year since, refer to the Passenger Services Over Unusual Lines (PSUL) website. For each timetable period (some are half years, others are whole years), there is a list of passenger trains over each unusual line. For example, in 1963, Midland trains between Sheffield Mid / Nottingham Mid / Leicester Ldn Rd and Blackpool used the Standish Jn - De Trafford Jn - Amberswood East Jn - Hindley South [- Glazebrook - Northenden -] Cheadle Jn - Cheadle Heath North Jn [- Chinley] route whilst GC trains between Sheffield Victoria and Blackpool went via Standish Jn - De Trafford Jn - Hindley North No.2 [- Manchester Vic -] Philips Park No.1 - Ashburys West Jn [- Woodhead].
By comparing these lists year by year, the decline in holiday services can be plotted. It will be noted that services to some areas lasted far longer than others.

 

[30907]

It would be interesting to get an inside view as to when the decline in demand for such services really started. By 1955 BR's finances were already poor thanks to the general decline in traffic but perhaps the true holidaymaker traffic survived a little longer. It's clear that BR was slow to withdraw the through trains even when the demand had largely dried up. By the time I started traveling independently around the network in the late 1970s it was very often the case that many of the remaining bucket and spade trains were carrying as many enthusiasts as holidaymakers thanks to the surviving practice of using nominally freight only locos to pull them as well as the unusual routes they worked over.

My guess, from an SR perspective, is that 1957-59 was the peak in terms of mileage operated, but I've no evidence about loadings. A little tinkering at the edges took place (running a peak relief one week less if it hadn't loaded well...), and in the next couple of years a couple of Waterloo trains went altogether, but I would put 1963 as when more serious cuts began, before Beeching began to make an impact. And there was still some development - the Cleethorpes-Bournemouth diverting to Exmouth in 1960, the Okehampton car-carrier ditto.

 

[Bevan Price]

My guess, from an SR perspective, is that 1957-59 was the peak in terms of mileage operated, but I've no evidence about loadings. A little tinkering at the edges took place (running a peak relief one week less if it hadn't loaded well...), and in the next couple of years a couple of Waterloo trains went altogether, but I would put 1963 as when more serious cuts began, before Beeching began to make an impact. And there was still some development - the Cleethorpes-Bournemouth diverting to Exmouth in 1960, the Okehampton car-carrier ditto.

I largely agree - perhaps overall, 1955 to 1959 would be the peak years. Before WW1, only the rich or fairly wealthy could afford to take holidays. Reading a book about the Cromer line recently, it said that weekend breaks for affluent London business people were some of the best custom for rail. The most affluent might leave their families in Cromer for the entire week (or more), returning from London to Cromer each weekend ,

After WW1, increasing numbers of people were able to afford holidays, but this largely excluded poorly paid manual workers and the millions of unemployes. It was only after WW2 that large numbers of "lower - paid" workers were able to afford a week (or two) holiday "at the seaside".

However, the increase in car ownership - and more particularly the start of cheap package holidays overseas - led to the big decline in holidays within UK. By 1965, there had been a big drop in summer saturday services by rail, and there was a steady decline through the 1970s & 1980s until their almost total diappearance by the 1990s.

If I ever get time, I will compile a "summer saturday" list for 1965, and maybe a year in the 1980s. .

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

Before WW1, only the rich or fairly wealthy could afford to take holidays. Reading a book about the Cromer line recently, it said that weekend breaks for affluent London business people were some of the best custom for rail. The most affluent might leave their families in Cromer for the entire week (or more), returning from London to Cromer each weekend

After WW1, increasing numbers of people were able to afford holidays, but this largely excluded poorly paid manual workers and the millions of unemployed. It was only after WW2 that large numbers of "lower - paid" workers were able to afford a week (or two) holiday "at the seaside".

I'm not sure this is altogether fair comment. The tradition of Wakes Weeks was well established in the industrial towns of the Midlands and North during the Industrial Revolution and with it came the concept of holiday savings clubs thus allowing the lower paid an opportunity to have a genuine holiday away from home. Perhaps less clear cut is how much such holidaymakers relied on rail travel once road transport became viable.

 

[Springs Branch]

I largely agree - perhaps overall, 1955 to 1959 would be the peak years. Before WW1, only the rich or fairly wealthy could afford to take holidays...... After WW1, increasing numbers of people were able to afford holidays, but this largely excluded poorly paid manual workers and the millions of unemployes. It was only after WW2 that large numbers of "lower - paid" workers were able to afford a week (or two) holiday "at the seaside".

I'm not sure this is altogether fair comment. The tradition of Wakes Weeks was well established in the industrial towns of the Midlands and North during the Industrial Revolution and with it came the concept of holiday savings clubs thus allowing the lower paid an opportunity to have a genuine holiday away from home. Perhaps less clear cut is how much such holidaymakers relied on rail travel once road transport became viable.

I think both Bevan Price and Shaw S Hunter are correct in aspects of what they say about holidays from industrial towns & cities, but a subtle change in Summer Saturday rail operations may have occurred between the period between WW1 & WW2 and the 1950s.

I remember one of my first exposures to social stratification (or “market segmentation” in modern-speak) was on our family holidays in Blackpool in the 1960s.
At that time accommodation in Blackpool seemed to be split into three categories:-

1) Many medium sized hotels (plus one or two larger hotels like the Imperial) which were located on the seafront and generally catered to the “well-off”.
By this I don’t mean the aristocracy or landed gentry, rather respectable bank managers and solicitors, successful small businessmen and doctors and their wives. Most of these hotels were located along the more sedate North Shore and South Shore sections of the promenade away from the hurly-burly of the "Golden Mile".

2) A street or two behind the promenade were rows of smaller family-run hotels and larger “decent” guest houses.
These seemed to cater for the lower middle class, skilled artisans and hard-working tradesmen (say a foreman at Horwich loco works, or the thrifty bank clerk or diesel mechanic who had saved up all year for his family’s holiday). At the time, this was my family’s station in life.

3) Further back from the seafront, concentrated around Blackpool’s three railway stations and the Coliseum Coach Station were streets and streets of small, terraced B&Bs (presided over by the battle-axe landladies of a Les Dawson comedy routine). These were the preserve of less prosperous holidaymakers and the rougher-element, who might turn up without a reservation and go knocking door-to-door to find a room for their stay.

Blackpool was the biggest and brashest resort, but I imagine there were similar patterns at all the mass-market coastal resorts in the middle of last century.

My point in describing this is that none of the huge stock of holiday accommodation looked as if it had been constructed for the post-WW2 prosperity boom. The buildings all looked to have been built pre- or post WW1, and used for this purpose for many years, so there must have been a huge market for seaside boarding houses well before the 1950s.

Regarding train travel, I suspect one difference was that in the first half of the 20th Century, most people from an industrial town would have taken holidays only during its specific Wakes Week, and there would have been a mass exodus and multiple special trains laid on from stations in and around that town just for those weekends. Next weekend the rolling-stock would have been used for specials to/from a different town. The trains would have been advertised locally on posters and handbills, but not printed into public or working timetable books, and we probably have an incomplete record of them today.

Conversely, between the Wars there was not such a huge peak in demand for travel from a given town on non-Wakes Week Saturdays, and while regular Summer SO trains certainly ran, there were fewer of them. These trains may have been used by the more prosperous citizens who had a choice of where and when they took holidays and could afford the regular (non-excursion) ticket prices. Operationally, there was probably also a need to limit the number of scheduled trains to allow enough capacity for the various specials and other excursions arriving and departing from the big resorts.

After WW2 and into the 1950s and 60s, the Wakes Weeks concept did continue, especially for heavy industry and mass-employers, but became less pronounced and more people were able to spread their holidays over the summer.

Possibly also by the 1950s, some people acquired a taste for different styles of seaside destination - so rather than the whole of Bolton decamping to Blackpool, or everyone in Bradford going to Morecambe, more working people from these towns might opt for different destinations like Pwllheli, or somewhere really exotic like Great Yarmouth or Torquay - requiring more longer-distance holiday trains than pre-WW2, but fewer short-distance runs to the nearest resort.

So by the 1950s and into the 1960s fewer one-off Wakes Week specials were required and there were relatively more Summer SO trains scheduled to run each weekend from June to August/September. These trains appeared in printed public timetables and are the ones we can read about and talk about on these forums today.

 

[Taunton]

(1958) Whitley Bay
09:55 Glasgow Queen Street (Low Level) (first stop Edinburgh)

This was still running in what must have been summer 1974. I remember seeing the departure up on the board in Glasgow Queen St when I arrived there, so walked round to see what was going to be some exotic stock. It was nothing more than a 3-car Met-Cam dmu, with low density 3+2 seats. A few minutes before departure it looked pretty empty. I think by then the excitements of a week in Whitley Bay for Glaswegians (or possibly a week in Dunoon for Geordies) had probably dulled a bit.

Must have been quite a slam along the ECML at 70mph sustained.

 

[Bevan Price]

London Midland Region, Summer 1955.
Part 2 - North Wales.


Holyhead
01:20 Birmingham (New St.)
01:35 London (Eustom)
01:50 Manchester (Exchange)
07:10 Manchester (Exchange)
07:30 London (Euston)
08:10 Liverpool (Lime St.)
10:00 Manchester (Victoria) via Stockport (Edgeley)
12:40 Manchester (Exchange)
16:00 London (Euston)
16:10 Birmingham (New St.)
16:20 Manchester (Exchange)
19:35 Birmingham (New St.)
23:00 London (Euston)
23:15 Manchester & Liverpool
23:30 Birmingham (New St.)
Plus locals to Bangor / Llandudno Jn

Afonwen
06:37 Manchester (Exchange) **
08:10 Liverpool (Lime St.)
10:45 Liverpool (Lime St.)
11:12 Manchester (Exchange)

Caernarvon
06:50 Llandudno
10:15 Manchester (Exchange)
14:00 Liverpool (Lime St.)

Portmadoc
09:55 London (Euston)
(plus 10:00 from Pwllheli)

Llanfairfechan
10:37 Stoke On Trent

Llandudno
06:30 Crewe
07:08 Birkenhead (Woodside)
07:40 Manchester (Exchange)
07:50 Liverpool (Lime St.)
08:05 Bradford (Exchange)
08:45 Leicester (London Road) via Nuneaton
09:05 London (Euston)
09:15 Newcastle on Tyne via Leeds (no booked stops between Prestatyn & Leeds).,
09:25 Leamington Spa (Avenue) via Crewe, Coventry.
09:45 Manchester (Exchange)
10:00 London (Euston)
10:15 Derby (Midland) via Stoke
10:30 Manchester (Exchange)
11:00 Liverpool (Lime St.)
11:30 Sheffield (Midland) via Lymm, Cheadle Heath & Hope Valley
12:05 Manchester (Exchange)
12:20 London (Euston)
12:30 Leeds (City) via Stockport (Edgeley)
12:55 Leicester (Central) via Stoke, Derby Friargate.
(portion for Burton Upon Trent, detached at Tutbury).
13:05 London (Euston)
13:20 Derby (Midland) via Stoke
13:40 Derby (Midland) via Stoke
14:25 Birmingham (New St.)
14:50 Birmingham (New St.)
15:25 Leeds (City) via Stockport (Edgeley)
15:38 Manchester (Exchange)
16:40 Chester
17:10 Stoke On Trent
17:30 Manchester (Exchange)
19:00 Birkenhead (Woodside)
19:20 Chester
19:45 Manchester (Exchange)
(Locals to Llandudno Jn / Blaenau not shown)

Colwyn Bay
10:30 Liverpool (Lime St.)
11:00 Manchester (Exchange)
11:40 Sheffield (Midland) via Lymm, Cheadle Heath & Hope Valley

Abergele
10:20 Manchester (Exchange)
12:30 Manchester (Victoria) via Stockport (Edgeley)

Rhyl
09:20 Birmingham (New St.)
10:10 Manchester (Exchange)
11:05 Stoke On Trent
11:40 Liverpool (Lime St.)
14:30 Manchester (Exchange)
(Locals to Chester not listed.)

Prestatyn
10:30 Manchester (Exchange)

Note - trains from North Wales shown as via Stockport probably ran via Arpley Jn., Lymm & Skelton Jn. Also note - there were no through trains from North Wales via Wrexham.

As Springs Branch comments, there may also have been "Wakes Weeks" specials that did not appear in the public timetable. On other occasions, there might also be "control reliefs" to ease any overcrowding problems - these utilised any available spare stock, or stock that might otherwise depart as e.c.s. - at that time, some workings were "unbalanced", rather tham "out & home" workings of loco + stock.

 

[SouthDevonian]

The recent July edition of Backtrack magazine contained an article on Bolton holiday trains with the focus on Friday evening 29th June and Saturday 30th June 1962. It mentions that the town’s holiday fortnight started at the end of June and, although fewer firms stuck rigidly to this as the years went by, it lasted well into the 1970s. Destinations for outbound holiday trains over these two days in 1962 included: Newquay (starting from Lostock Junction); Heysham (Kearsley start); Paignton (Westhoughton start); Yarmouth (Bolton start); Bournemouth West (Bolton start); Portsmouth (Bolton start); Eastbourne (Westhoughton start); Euston (Westhoughton start); St Pancras (Bolton start); Penychain (Bolton start); Caernarvon (Bolton start) and Skegness (Bolton start) as well as the obvious Blackpool and North Wales resorts.
Some had circuitous starts to maximise passenger collection, eg. from Bolton to North Wales the routes were one of: Bury Knowsley St – Castleton curve – Manchester Exchange; Westhoughton – Wigan Wallgate avoider line – Rainford Jnc – St Helens Shaw St – St Helens Jn – Earlestown curve; Bradley Fold W Jn – Radcliffe Sth Jn – electric line – Manchester Exchange.
Most of these trains had a different starting point each summer weekend depending on which towns were taking their holidays, eg. Burnley and Bacup are two others.

Summer extra holiday trains were still operating in 1977 as I have a BR leaflet listing those that ran from Friday evenings / Saturdays 15 July to 30 July from Burnley; Accrington; Blackburn; Preston; Leyland & Chorley. Destinations were: Newquay; Paignton; Bournemouth / Weymouth; Llandudno; Bridlington / Filey Camp; Morecambe; Blackpool (4 trains); Liverpool L.St for Isle of Man boat. Not all these resorts had corresponding return trains and arrangements for returning on service trains were shown in the leaflet.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
There probably wasn’t much difference between the routes used in summer 1955 and summer 1963. For 1963, PSUL shows the following non-regular passenger routes were used by North Wales holiday trains:
> Birkenhead-Llandudno: Chester No.5 - No.6 (Chester cutting)
> Llandudno-Liverpool: Frodsham Jn – Halton Jn
> North Wales-Manchester Exchange (many): Warrington (Bank Quay, High Level No.1 or South) - Walton Old Jn - Acton Grange Jn
> North Wales-Manchester Vic : Stockport Edgeley Jn No.2 - Northenden Jn - Skelton Jn - Acton Grange Jn
> North Wales-Leeds/Newcastle trains: Stalybridge No.1 - Dukinfield & Ashton - Denton Jn - [Heaton Norris Jn] - Stockport Edgeley Jn No.2 - Northenden Jn - Skelton Jn - Acton Grange Jn
> North Wales-Sheffield trains: New Mills South Jn - Cheadle Heath North Jn - Cheadle Jn - Skelton Jn - Warrington Arpley Jn - Walton Old Jn - Acton Grange Jn
> Birmingham-Llandudno: Basford Hall Jn - Salop Goods Jn - Crewe North Jn

 

[Bevan Price]

London Midland Region, Summer 1955.
Part 3 - Other resorts, etc.

Southport (Chapel Street)
(Omitting services to/via Manchester)

09:10 Glasgow (Central)

Morecambe (Euston Road)

06:55 Accrington
09:20 Glasgow (Central)
09:25 Birmingham (New St.)
09:35 Manchester (Exchange)
10;44 London (Euston) ££
11:45 Workington via Barrow
12:00 Manchester (Exchange)
14:00 Stockport (Edgeley)
17:20 Preston
19:50 Manchester (Victoria)

££ - Through portion.

Heysham

05:55 Leeds (City)
(via Morecambe Promenade)
06:10 Manchester (Victoria)
07:00 London (Euston)

Morecambe (Promenade)

06:35 Leeds (City)
07:40 Leeds & Bradford (Forster Square)
09:23 Leeds & Bradford (Forster Square)
09:33 Leeds
10:30 Leeds & Bradford (Forster Square)
10:46 Leeds
11:30 Sheffield (Midland)
12:25 Leeds
13:50 Nottingham (Midland)
14:16 Leeds
14:25 Beadford (Forster Square)
14:46 Leeds
16:20 Leeds & Bradford (Forster Square)
18:58 Leeds
19:47 Leeds & Bradford (Forster Square)
21:16, 22:50 Skipton

Carnforth

07:50 Leeds ££
10:30 ( Barrow 09:10) Leeds
12:15 Leeds ££
12:45 (Windermere 11:05) Leeds
14:43 Leeds ££
16:50 Leeds
19:00 Leeds ££

Windermere

08:10 Manchester (Exchange)
09:20 London (Euston)
10:05 Crewe
10:50 London (Euston)
11:05 Leeds (City) via Skipton
11:25 Manchester (Exchange)
15:15 Liverpool (Exchange)
20:30 London (Euston)

Keswick (via Penrith)

09:05 Crewe
09:15 Manchester (Victoria)

Workington (via Keswick & Penrith)

08:35 London (Euston)
(Also, to Penrith or Carlisle:
07:05, 09:50, 11:00, 12:34, 13:27, 15:05, 17:23, 18:40)

Workington (via Barrow)

06:15 Manchester (Victoria)
06:35 London (Euston)
10:00 Manchester (Victoria)
10:50 London (Euston)
11:15 Manchester (Victoria)
13:00 Manchester (Victoria)
15:12 Liverpool (Exchange)
17:08 Barrow
18:27 London (Euston)
20:30 Barrow

Barrow in Furness

06:30 Preston
06:58 Manchester (Victoria)
07:20, 16:30 Lancaster
08:25, 22;00 Carnforth
08:48 Birmingham (New St.)
09:10 Leeds (City)
10:10 Manchester (Victoria)
10:26, 19:18 Morecambe (Euston Road)
12:40 Lakeside
13:30 Crewe
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Summer Saturday Rail Services.

Western Region, Summer 1953.

Penzance

07:30 Wolverhampton (Low Level)
08:00 Truro
08:20 London (Paddington)
10:00 London (Paddington)
10:05 Liverpool (Lime St.)
10:20 Cardiff
10:45 Sheffield (Midland)
11:10 Wolverhampton (Low Level)
11:50 London (Paddington)
12:00 Manchester & Liverpool
13:20 London (Paddington)
13:55, 16:20 Newton Abbot
15:35, 18:10, 19:00 Truro
16:45 Manchester (London Road)
19:20 Manchester (Victoria)
20:15, 20:45 & 21:30 London (Paddington)
22:00 St. Austell

St. Ives

09:20 London (Paddington)

Falmouth

08:35 London (Paddington)
(Plus numerous connections to Truro)

Perranporth

08:15 London (Paddington)

Truro

07:20 Newton Abbot
09:35 Plymouth (North Rd.)

St. Austell

07:40 Birmingham (Snow Hill)

Newquay

07:50 Manchester (London Road)
08:10 Newcastle
10:00 London (Paddington)
11:00 York
11:15 Wolverhampton (Low Level)
12:30 London (Paddington)
13:50 London (Paddington)
18:00 Plymouth (North Road)
(Plus, to Par, 08:55, 11:50, 12:50, 17:05, 20:00, 21:05, 22:15)


Kingswear.

08:55 Bradford (Forster Square)
10:20 Liverpool & Manchester
11:25 London (Paddington)
12:15 Birmingham (Snow Hill)
13:40 London (Paddington)
15:20 Cardiff
16:35 London (Paddington)
(Plus, to Newton Abbot, 17:35, 18:25, 19:20, 20:10, 20:45, 21:40, 22:40)

Churston

09:45 London (Paddington)


Goodrington Sands

18:30 Newton Abbot

Paignton

09:40 Swansea (High St.)
10:10 Cardiff
10:30 Wolverhampton (Low Level)
10:55 Nottingham (Midland)
12:05 Birmingham (Snow Hill)
12:30 Manchester (London Rd.)
13:30 London (Paddington)
14:40 London (Paddington)
14:50 Wolverhampton (Low Level)
15:05 Birmingham (Snow Hill)
16:15 London (Paddington)
17:15 Nottingham (Midland)
(Plus 19:15, 20:15, 00:05 to Newton Abbot)

Torquay

10:00 Wolverhampton (Low Level)
10:30, 11:30, 13:55 London (Paddington)

Ilfracombe (via Taunton & GWR route)

08:25 Manchester (Exchange)
09:25 Cardiff
10:55 Birmingham (Snow Hill)
(Other services ran via SR route / Exeter Central)

Minehead

09:05, 10:40, 14:30 London (Paddington)
12:20 Birmingham (Snow Hill)

Weymouth (via Westbury)

To London (Paddington): 06:30, 09:00, 11:12, 16:10
09:25 Birmingham (Snow Hill)
10:00 Birmingham (Snow Hill)
10:20 Wolverhampton (Low Level)

Local & semi-fast services:
07:17 Chippenham
08:15 Bristol (Temple Meads)
08:40 Maiden Newton
09:35 Yeovil (Pen Mill)
10:37 Yeovil (Pen Mill)
11:12 Westbury
12:40 Bristol (Temple Meads)
12:50 Yeovil (Pen Mill)
13:35 Bristol (Temple Meads)
14:05 Dorchester (West)
14:30 Westbury
15:32 Maiden Newton
17:50, 22:00 Maiden Newton
18:10, 19:30 Westbury
20:35 Yeovil Junction

Weymouth Quay

15:40 London (Paddington)
16:05 Cardiff (Weymouth dep. 16:18)

Fishguard Harbour

03:55 London (Paddington)
08:05 London (Paddington) **

Milford Haven

11:10 London (Paddington)
12:00 London (Paddington)


Neyland

08:20 London (Paddington) **
14:25 London (Paddington) **

Pembroke Dock

07:45 London (Paddington)
09:10 Birmingham (Snow Hill)
10:25 London (Paddington)
12:05 London (Paddington)
13:00 London (Paddington)
13:40 London (Paddington) **

Aberystwyth

09:30 London (Paddington) **
11:00 Manchester (London Road) **
12:30 Birmingham (Snow Hill)
12:50 Crewe
14:20 Birmingham (Snow Hill)

Pwllheli

07:15 London (Paddington) via Ruabon
09:40 London (Paddington) via Machynlleth
10:00 London (Euston) via Bangor
11:05 Birmingham (Snow Hill) via Ruabon

Barmouth

09:20 Birmingham (Snow Hill) via Ruabon
10:20 Ruabon / Birkenhead (Woodside)
10:45 Manchester (London Road) via Machynlleth **

Barmouth Junction (now called Morfa Mawddach)

08:45 London (Paddington) via Machynlleth **

** - Through portion.

 

[Springs Branch]

Something that comes to mind looking at the extensive lists posted by Bevan Price is the volume of rolling stock needed to run these trains. In the 1950s none of the services listed would have been 2-car DMUs – they would all have been 8, 10 or 12-coach loco-hauled formations, so a huge number of carriages in total.

Some of the trains would have been carriages which were normally used for weekday rush-hours, but a lot would have been used only on summer Saturdays (plus maybe for the occasional weekday evening excursions in mid-summer and perhaps football special in winter). And in addition to these timetabled summer trains, there would have been still more excursions, Wakes Week specials etc.

The question is – where were all the carriages stored when not in use?

I recall seeing a photo or two of country or suburban stations in the steam era with old carriages in sidings in the background. Is it fair to say a lot of this rolling stock spent most of the year parked up around the rail system in odd sidings or yards wherever space happened to be available? Or did carriage sidings in large towns and cities have room to store most of the rarely-used stock?

 

[Requeststop]

There is really such a wealth of information in this thread which makes very fascinating reading. As I was brought up in Lelant, I can remember in the early sixties watching at St Erth on Summer Saturdays. I have no records of services then but certainly the must have been a lot more services that there are these days - sadly. One thing I do recall was the 12 coach services going up to London, Bristol and the North and hearing the station announcer call the stops and station changes on the journey to places I wanted desperately to visit. All part of the start of my love affair with railways.

 

[Taunton]

The question is – where were all the carriages stored when not in use?

Most of the holiday trains in the 1950s-60s were formed of older former company stock, even after the bulk of main line services had moved over to BR standards. As noted above, the WR trains into Ilfracombe were worked back, in service, all the way to Taunton, where there were several sidings used for stabling west of the station, which had probably ben laid down during the early 1930s widening. Summer Saturdays were the only days they were free of stock.

There also seemed to be a lot of stabling provision around London, to the extent that empty stock was taken down to The West on Fridays, and back on Mondays. The notable working was a whiole train of restaurant cars which were provisioned on Friday morning at Old Oak and then taken down to Penzance to be marshalled into a whole series of trains on Saturday morning. I believe the crews went with them and bunked down on the cushions overnight. As it was a tradition back to GWR days that the catering crews were ex-Royal Navy who had retired from The Services, they were probably quite used to such impromptu arrangements.

 

[30907]

The question is – where were all the carriages stored when not in use?

I recall seeing a photo or two of country or suburban stations in the steam era with old carriages in sidings in the background. Is it fair to say a lot of this rolling stock spent most of the year parked up around the rail system in odd sidings or yards wherever space happened to be available? Or did carriage sidings in large towns and cities have room to store most of the rarely-used stock?

All sorts of locations were used to supplement the main sets of carriage sidings. On the SE, steam stock was berthed at Maze Hill, Blackheath, Herne Hill, Bellingham, and Bromley South for example.

In some cases stock was utilised more intensively than on weekdays. Waterloo routinely turned hauled stock round in the platforms, rather than working to and from Clapham Yard.