Merrymaker Memories

[david.hill64]

I had some great trips from Gloucester. These included Aberystwyth with class 40 haulage from Wolverhampton: I can still remember the turbocharger whistle as power was shut off on cresting Talerddig summit. Also our class 47 failing at Dover Marine and having to wait for a pair of 33's to be sent from Ashford. The driver thrashed them on the way back to Kensington Olympia where a Western was waiting to get us home. Happy Days!

[br2975]

21st. October 1972 and I did 1Z64 a Cardiff-Blackpool North 'Merrymaker' with (D)1741 both ways.

.

The following also ran the same day

 

(D)1938   (1Z62)  Treherbert – Crewe – Blackpool North
(D)1752   (1Z65)  Llanelli  - Crewe – Blackpool North
(D)1666   (1Z67)  Cardiff – Crewe – Blackpool North

.

Brian R

[JeffP]

One of my abiding memories is changing drivers at Saltley.

The train always seemed parked up under the bridge by St Andrews, and we could see a sign saying "Landore Street Carpets" in neon. It was always dark by this time.

Once we got a Western coming off New Street to Saltley as we waited.

[Rivercider]

Along with some of my trainspotting schoolmates I travelled on a number of these trains in the 1970s.

I still have some of my notebooks, but they lack detailed notes.

 

One trip in the summer of 1976 saw us travel from Weston to Clacton-on-Sea, 47144 was our loco.

In those days we also took bus numbers, so after arrival at Clacton went back to Colchester and then up to Ipswich where we went round the bus garage.

We then returned to Colchester and went round the garage there as well, on the way to it we crossed a busy roundabout without using the pedestrian subway

and were temporarily marooned on a traffic island surrounded by fast moving traffic, a police transit van passed us and we were tannoyed to 'USE THE SUBWAY'!

 

All of this took up a lot of time, and we had not allowed time to get back to Clacton as we would have met the returning excursion half way to Colchester.

We went into the supervisors office at Colchester and explained our predicament, and he arranged for the train to stop to pick us up,

with hindsight it may have been booked for traincrew purposes anyway but it got us out of a hole.

 

I copped 106 numbers that day.

 

cheers 

[Rivercider]

A list of Merrymakers was posted out by BR to members of the free travel club in Manchester listing all the trips and dates. All from memory very cheap and good value for the money.

 

Barry 02 August 1981 (44901,48173 73xxx)

 

 

 

BTW does anyone know the number of the Standard 5 in the first photo

A trawl of Flickr suggests 76084 was next to 44901 and 48173

 

cheers

[luckymucklebackit]

Merrymakers were never run from Glasgow as far as I know, however there were a lot of Mystery Excursions and I went on a few between 1973 and 1976.  It could be quite easy to work out the destination based on whether the train left from Queen St or Central and the journey time was usually given, we tried to work out the more exotic ones and found ourselves in places like York and Chester (twice).  The worst one was an end of season trip which went to Morcambe, unusually it was a Carlisle based Mk2 set with class 40 haulage rather than the usual Mk1s, the weather was awful and it was dark by the time the train left for the homeward journey, I seem to remember we ended up at the cinema in Morcambe, watching some seedy "adult" movie to pass the time, there is not much else to do in Morcambe in the rain and cold

 

jim

[number6]

Travelled on a few from Sussex to the north in the 70s. To York the train originating from Eastbourne - our Crompton expired on the north London near Brent and we were sat waiting for an hour or so - when we got to York the Railway museum was closed during the move - big sulk. Also up to Carnforth from the Sussex Coast this time Crompton to Wembley then cl81 north. Vividly remember overtaking a footex on the slow where seat cushions were flying out the windows and many fascinating rude words was being shouted. We did Carnforth shed - the black fives and 4472 in steam - then a coach convoy over to Lakeside and a trip on the railway and/or steamer. Then another huge convoy of coaches over to Penrith where we very late meeting the train. It apparently had been shuttling from up to down line to let other traffic past. Route home was very convoluted: after reversing at Wembley rather than taking the West London we went via Brentford, Clapham Junction, Herne Hill, Streatham Common then down the Brighton line. All in a day... just.

 

A few years later many excursions originating from the south started in London and there were coach connections across London from Victoria. I guess because of less loco hauled stock available? I was my understanding it was the Oxted line sets being put to use over the weekend. My Dad got us on the wrong bus outside Victoria so when they announced welcome to the Merrymaker to the Norfolk Broads we legged it up the front, got dropped off on the Euston Road somewhere and ran to Marylebone for our correct train to Alyesbury and the Grand Union canal... that was a reserved unit and the trip home from Tring was also a reserved extra 310 unit into Euston - coach across London then service train back south. Have to say I preferred the Mk1 compartment stock all the way...

[flapland]

I remember a trip which I think was Merrymaker on the 2nd Jan 1982 from Manchester Victoria to Manchester Victoria . The route was all straightforward and could have been service trains with just a special ticket. We went via Bolton, Preston and up the West Coast Mainline and although i can't remember the traction we certainly had a failure on the way to Glasgow Central. We  crossed town to Queen Street and on to Edinburgh. Edinburgh was another quick change and we just managed to see 55022 Royal Scots Grey leave heading the return Deltic Farewell. We hoped we might see it but wasn't sure.  We had further issues going back down the East Coast with I think another failure near Darlington but I can't be sure and ended with a very late arrival at Victoria as most of platform 11 was full Newspaper trains.  I suspect others may have more info but afriad my spotting books went many many years ago.

[locoholic]

Some great stories!

 

 

This is 47521 on a Merrymaker Mystery trip calling at a soggy Rayleigh, on 11th April 1981. I think one of the station staff was making the most of a Class 47 calling at his station.

 

 

The most memorable Merrymaker I went on was on 24th October 1981, from Rayleigh to Blackpool for the illuminations. I think the loco was 47115, and the outward route was via the North London line, the ECML to Hare Park Junction, then to Wakefield Kirkgate where, to my delight, we swapped the 47 for 40083. We proceeded via Standedge, Manchester Vic and Bolton to Blackpool where we arrived at 14.55 in the teeth of a gale and torrential rain. The return departed at 23.46 and all went sedately until Euxton Junction, where we stopped for around 30 minutes, before gently reversing all the way back to Preston. I think the train in front had failed, but I'm not sure. We set out from Preston again, this time taking the line through Blackburn. Then came the climb to Copy Pit. I don't think that line was used very much at that time, so rail-head conditions were not ideal, and in the heavy rain the Class 40 kept slipping every time the driver applied power. Somehow we kept moving in the inky blackness, finally rolling over the summit at walking pace. We swapped back to 47115 at Wakefield, but by then the engineers were in possession of our outward route, so we trundled back via Knottingley and Lincoln Central, regaining the ECML at Peterborough. We finally arrived at Shenfield at 7.06am, where I believe we had to use a bus to get back to Rayleigh, due to more engineering works. I was exhausted, but very pleased with the traction and route.

 

 

Here is the hero of that dark and stormy night on the Copy Pit line, ten hours earlier at Blackpool North. The negative has self-destructed, and the quality wasn't great to start with, but the photo still brings it all back.

 

 

[balders]

December 8th (istr) 1984' Coventry - Newcastle.

 

Via Stockport, Denton, OA&GB junction, Huddersfield, York. Non-boilered 45044 from Stockport to York was obviously the best choice with ice forming on the inside of the windows....."Merrymaker...hohoho!"

 

The route was definitely a highlight for the time!

[roger440]

How do you guys remember the dates or even the year?

 

I only recall one. Was 83/84/85, not sure which from Ealing Broadway to York on the weekend of the model railway exhibition. I remember it was 47622 Institution of mechanical Engineers, Vauguely seem to remember it was £4? 

[corneliuslundie]

Only one excursion I really remember. We joined it at Hatfield going south (I think it started further north) and went round towards Stratford, around one of the loops there and on to the North London Line. Off this line on to the Great Western and the normal route to Stratford upon Avon. I remember that we passed a steam special going to or from the latter station but no time to see much of it. On the way back the route was similar but we were supposed to take the spur from the NLL to the GN line. However, we were running late and one of the two signal boxes had shut for the night. So off we went to Stratford (East London) again so we could go round in circles and back to Hatfield. No memory at all of the loco or stock.

[DerekEm8]

I remember a trip which I think was Merrymaker on the 2nd Jan 1982 from Manchester Victoria to Manchester Victoria . The route was all straightforward and could have been service trains with just a special ticket. We went via Bolton, Preston and up the West Coast Mainline and although i can't remember the traction we certainly had a failure on the way to Glasgow Central. We  crossed town to Queen Street and on to Edinburgh. Edinburgh was another quick change and we just managed to see 55022 Royal Scots Grey leave heading the return Deltic Farewell. We hoped we might see it but wasn't sure.  We had further issues going back down the East Coast with I think another failure near Darlington but I can't be sure and ended with a very late arrival at Victoria as most of platform 11 was full Newspaper trains.  I suspect others may have more info but afriad my spotting books went many many years ago.

I think that trip was one of the regular 'Round Robin's' run from Manchester another one which we did in April 1981 was Manchester-Birmingham-Bristol-Paddington-(Euston) - Manchester (IIRC all for a £5)

[flapland]

Thanks Derek, thats helpful as it gives something to research on.

[Butler Henderson]

Many great trips from Nottingham in the early 80s. One to Poole which naturally then meant buying a ticket to Weymouth and a walk along the tramway to find a 33 and rake of coaches at the harbour station. The guard had no objection to travelling on it as far as Bournemouth in the basis of the return ticket from Poole and the Merrymaker ticket. IIRC it was then back to Poole, again with no further purchase of ticket necessary.

 

A troubled trip was one to Plymouth which saw the rostered 47/4 start to emit flames at Syston and replaced by a 45/0 at Leicester which in turn was replaced outside Saltley by another 47/4. For the return the wait for the train was spent amused at the station announcements for the ultimate destination of "Alf rees ton", it turned up sensibly with a reliable 45/1 on it. No access was possible due to engineering work to Nottingham so it was onto a bus at Loughborough, of course a number of travellers were unaware of the reason and the rumour went round they had to get the bus because "The shunter had gone home"!

 

Slightly off topic but a Carlisle day return (those were the days) seemed to a virtually wide ranging network rover with stories of people going via Nuneaton or Newcastle and late one evening after a group of us had walked across Newark from Northgate to Castle on the way back to Nottingham it was amusing to hear the guard suggest to one "Change at Crewe"!

Edited December 13, 2014 by Butler Henderson

[Xerces Fobe2]

I remember one Merrymaker where we left Slough and and Reading there was an issue with the Class 47 heading out train within 10 minutes the our loco was replaced with the Class 47 which was the Reading station pilot and we were off on our way. When similar issues occur today with failures, the whole service grinds to a halt on many occasions - ah progress

[Enterprisingwestern]

I remember a Doncaster to Folkestone Central trip with1110 as haulage throughout. The resident Folkestone spotters having apoplexy at seeing such a rare locomotive, dismissed by us of course as being common as muck round our way!

 

Mike.

[eastwestdivide]

I remember a Doncaster to Folkestone Central trip with1110 as haulage throughout. The resident Folkestone spotters having apoplexy at seeing such a rare locomotive, dismissed by us of course as being common as muck round our way!

 

Mike.

I was a Kentish spotter, and summer weekends were always good for an occasional 47. I don't remember having a fit of apoplexy, but that's not my style really. 

By the time they got to Kent, incoming excursions/Merrymakers were usually a Hither Green 33 if they'd come from the LM (switching from an electric at Willesden or a Peak at Brent), but those from the WR and ER usually kept their 47s throughout. Pretty sure that some SR crews were trained on 47s, as we had one a day on Dover ferry traffic for a good few years.

The WR always seemed to turn out City of Truro or North Star... "oh no, not again" when we spotted the nameplate in the distance.

[DY444]

I vividly remember one in the 70s from Derby to Hove which turned out to be an epic journey.

 

Eth 47 plus the usual rake of Mk1s.  I went on it thinking it'd be a blast up the MML to Brent and then a crompton round the WLL and down the Brighton line.  Wrong!  47 all the way via Tamworth, Solihull, Reading W curve, Eastleigh, Cosham and Barnham.  Took an eternity especially on the SR.  The way back via the same route was even worse.  Progress was quite slow and it was obvious that the 47 was in trouble.  It finally expired at Banbury about 2am in the morning.  Another 47 was eventually found and we got back to Derby about 6am.  I didn't go on any more after that!

[The Stationmaster]

I think I only ever did two Mystexes - the first was on an Inter-City dmu Reading to Minehead (I knew where it was going and went on it in order to do the Minehead branch ).  The second was on one from Cardiff in the early 1970s when they were a regular mid-week attraction and a lot of the passengers were regulars, many of them being groups of ladies 'of a certain age' - which could be quite hair raising if, like me on that trip, you were on there as the courier as they used to run bets with each other about where we were going and they were forever trying to get the answer.  It was a relief to get to Margate and hide from them for a few hours

[Branksome71B]

Ah, such memories with Merrymakers. The Birmingham area had a profusion destinations during the 70s/80s usually with Class 47 and Mk 1 compartment and open stock with no catering as most receiving points had no trouble manning the traction. Distance was generally a deciding factor. Paignton was about as far west, Stirling north, Weymouth south and Norwich east to give a reasonable length of time at the destination. Many of these started from either Shrewsbury (Stoke Division) or Wellington (Salop).

 

The memorable one was departing at around 23:00 from Wellington and picking up (IIRC) at Wolverhampton, Birmingham N.St and Leamington with the destination of CALAIS or BOULOGNE!! Option was based on availability of seating on Hovercraft to Boulogne or ship to Calais. No idea when we arrived back but late at night.

Don't know if it was ever repeated but the train was well over two thirds full. Cost was around a tenner.

Wonder if it was the original Booze Cruise.

[The Stationmaster]

Definitely not the original cruise although maybe so for booze - the GWR was offering day excursions from London, Slough and Reading to Killarney in the years after the opening of Fishguard Harbour, the term 'day' being slightly flexible.

[Pacific231G]

Ah, such memories with Merrymakers. The Birmingham area had a profusion destinations during the 70s/80s usually with Class 47 and Mk 1 compartment and open stock with no catering as most receiving points had no trouble manning the traction. Distance was generally a deciding factor. Paignton was about as far west, Stirling north, Weymouth south and Norwich east to give a reasonable length of time at the destination. Many of these started from either Shrewsbury (Stoke Division) or Wellington (Salop).

 

The memorable one was departing at around 23:00 from Wellington and picking up (IIRC) at Wolverhampton, Birmingham N.St and Leamington with the destination of CALAIS or BOULOGNE!! Option was based on availability of seating on Hovercraft to Boulogne or ship to Calais. No idea when we arrived back but late at night.

Don't know if it was ever repeated but the train was well over two thirds full. Cost was around a tenner.

Wonder if it was the original Booze Cruise.

Do you recall whether it was Boulogne or Calais where you ended up?

 

 I can only remember going on one excursion some time in the mid to late 1970s. It ran from Ealing Broadway to Great Yarmouth and I assume it was a Merry Maker but I don't think they ran too many of them from there. I think the train had started at Reading and, unless it stopped at Acton ML, we were the last pick up. I don't actually remember much about it except that the train was made up from fairly down at heel Mk 1s, catering was just a trolley and it wasn't particularly well patronised. I spent most of the time in Gt. Yarmouth looking for traces of the old harbour tramways but not in a very systematic way.

Edited December 13, 2014 by Pacific231G

[Southernman46]

My first.................November 73 - all the way from Gillingham to Cardiff behind 33053 via the Wessex mainline, Westbury (full of Westerns'), Bristol, etc....................quick trip to Swansea from Cardiff also on the day..................more 37's than you could shake a BIG stick at...................and "Falcon" parked at STJ

[Branksome71B]

Do you recall whether it was Boulogne or Calais where you ended up?

 

 

I went to Calais, then caught a local from Calais Ville to Boulogne to meet up with others I knew . Returned from Calais. Boulogne passengers had the longer stay due to crossing times. In those days, I was working for B.R. so my F.I.P. card came in useful for discounted Continental fares.