Mystery Tours

[RyanOPlasty]

I remember in my summer holidays of the early 1970s that BR ran mystery tours from Newcastle Central ( and presumably other stations)
On one occasion, for our two quid, we ended up in Cleethorpes, which was a bit of a dump.

I suspect there are many reasons why this would not work today, but could they be overcome?

 

[D6130]

I remember in my summer holidays of the early 1970s that BR ran mystery tours from Newcastle Central ( and presumably other stations)
On one occasion, for our two quid, we ended up in Cleethorpes, which was a bit of a dump.

I suspect there are many reasons why this would not work today, but could they be overcome?

Mystery tours were very popular in the 'sixties and 'seventies and I travelled on a couple from Glasgow Central in the Spring and Summer of 1973. The first ended-up at Morecambe and the second at Southport. I also witnessed and photographed the arrival at Balloch Pier of a mystex from Aberdeen, hauled by two class 26s. The destinations were usually seaside resorts or historic cities. Unfortunately such trains would be very difficult - if not impossible - to organise nowadays....firstly because there just isn't the spare rolling stock and locos hanging around as there were in those days and secondly, because of the passenger operating set-up with different TOCs operating different routes, with the attendant rolling stock and route-learning issues. It may be possible for a company such as West Coast or Riviera Trains to run a mystex every now and then, but the costs of running special trains have skyrocketed since privatisation and I suspect that passengers who are being asked for £100 or more per head for a day out would probably want to know where they were going before parting with their cash.

 

[SargeNpton]

Not enough spare stock around to run these or other excursion trains on a regular basis. Doubt that there is a sufficient pool of train crew either as some weekend working of scheduled trains is already done on a voluntary overtime basis.

 

[158801]

It would be spoilt by real time trains

Board the train, look at the departure board on RTT and see where the mystery destination is

 

[Neptune]

Not enough spare stock around to run these or other excursion trains on a regular basis. Doubt that there is a sufficient pool of train crew either as some weekend working of scheduled trains is already done on a voluntary overtime basis.

Railtour companies?

It would be spoilt by real time trains

Board the train, look at the departure board on RTT and see where the mystery destination is

My first thought.

 

[Trackman]

It may be possible for a company such as West Coast or Riviera Trains to run a mystex every now and then, but the costs of running special trains have skyrocketed since privatisation and I suspect that passengers who are being asked for £100 or more per head for a day out would probably want to know where they were going before parting with their cash.

I know someone who went on one with West Coast about 3 years ago.
I looked up the destination on RTT and bet them £20 they couldn't guess where they were going.
My money was safe, it was Lichfield TV of all places. More of a mystery dining experience rather than a day out at Lichfield TV!

 

[D365]

Board the train, look at the departure board on RTT and see where the mystery destination is

Nobody’s forcing you to look at either. Just pick a train by colour

 

[SargeNpton]

I remember one mystery excursion from somewhere on the southern part of the WCML in the early 1980s ending up at Grange-over-Sands on the August Bank Holiday. Trouble is that just about all the shops, cafes and pubs were closed so there was nothing for the passengers to do once they got there.

 

[John Hunt]

Going back to the glorious days of the Merrymaker (1970s), I can recall a Sunday Merrymaker Leicester to Ramsgate followed two weeks later by a mystery tour (Leicester to Ramsgate) albeit by a slightly different route. Return leg of the mystery was complicated by a delay of 30 odd minutes waiting for signalling (?) staff to navigate us through Acton Wells.

 

[Sm5]

Wasnt their a mystex that broke down once ?

I seem to recall reading its planned destination was something Liverpool but it failed in Runcorn and they declared it the mystery destination?

i recall reading it in an ancient rail enthusiast, apparently there were complaints in a paper and the town ended up trying to defend itself as a worthy destination in its own right, whilst BR admitted what had happened.

 

[OhNoAPacer]

When the Edinburgh to Manchester/Liverpool used to split at Preston quite a few people used to accidentally have an unexpected mystery tour

 

[D6130]

When the Edinburgh to Manchester/Liverpool used to split at Preston quite a few people used to accidentally have an unexpected mystery tour

Likewise when the Northbound service used to split at Carstairs for Glasgow and Edinburgh!

 

[Gloster]

When the Edinburgh to Manchester/Liverpool used to split at Preston quite a few people used to accidentally have an unexpected mystery tour

If they went to Liverpool it was probably a Magical Mystery Tour.

 

[randyrippley]

I remember one mystery excursion from somewhere on the southern part of the WCML in the early 1980s ending up at Grange-over-Sands on the August Bank Holiday. Trouble is that just about all the shops, cafes and pubs were closed so there was nothing for the passengers to do once they got there.

There is only one pub in the town..............Quaker traditions lasted long

 

[P Binnersley]

It would be spoilt by real time trains

Board the train, look at the departure board on RTT and see where the mystery destination is

Didn't need real time trains. You just looked at the tours leaflet and saw which destination had the same timings.

 

[OhNoAPacer]

Not on the railway but back in the 1960s my local coach operator used to run an occasional mystery tour, they may as well have advertised a tour to Grasmere as that is where it always went.

 

[D6130]

Mystery tours were very popular in the 'sixties and 'seventies and I travelled on a couple from Glasgow Central in the Spring and Summer of 1973. The first ended-up at Morecambe and the second at Southport

Unfortunately the mystery destination of the second trip was well and truly blown asunder when we arrived at Carlisle on the outward journey for a crew change and the station announcer said "Please stand clear of the train on platform 4....this is the mystery excursion to Southport!".

 

[peteb]

It must have been terrifying by today's standards to be taken away to who knows where with no idea of what you would find when you got there. But then that was the age before mobiles and the internet so people were used to going AWOL for quite long periods of time! I recall several stories on this forum of folks going on holiday only to take a mystery tour straight back home again!

I'm sure that if the fare was low enough people would take a risk. It'd be good for example to board a vintage train at Tyseley for a circular tour but with no information about the precise route. Several summer evening possibilities with a fish and chip supper........eg Leicester circular, Burton circular, Sutton Park circular etc

 

[Paul Jones 88]

Wasn't there a couple who got on a mystery train whilst on holiday in the west country, the train ended up in Ramsgate, exactly where the couple lived.

 

[Gloster]

I can’t see how a mystery tour could be terrifying: you were just getting a train to somewhere new to spend a few hours in, with part of the enjoyment being the anticipation of where it would be. As most people would have a basic grasp of British geography, there would be a certain amount of excitement as you went along. “Could we be going to P or Q?...No, that station was U. Perhaps we’re going to X or Y.” I think that BR later altered advertising to include a vague description (seaside, historic city, etc.) to avoid the, possibly apocryphal, occurances of families trailing around Canterbury or York with buckets and spades, etc.

I heard of someone from Goole who went to the west coast on holiday, took a mystery excursion and ended up back at Goole. He went home, had a cup of tea and a nap, and then caught the return train. The only doubt I have is: why on earth would Goole be a destination or even a calling point for a mystery excursion?

 

[6Gman]

I can’t see how a mystery tour could be terrifying: you were just getting a train to somewhere new to spend a few hours in, with part of the enjoyment being the anticipation of where it would be. As most people would have a basic grasp of British geography, there would be a certain amount of excitement as you went along. “Could we be going to P or Q?...No, that station was U. Perhaps we’re going to X or Y.” I think that BR later altered advertising to include a vague description (seaside, historic city, etc.) to avoid the, possibly apocryphal, occurances of families trailing around Canterbury or York with buckets and spades, etc.

I heard of someone from Goole who went to the west coast on holiday, took a mystery excursion and ended up back at Goole. He went home, had a cup of tea and a nap, and then caught the return train. The only doubt I have is: why on earth would Goole be a destination or even a calling point for a mystery excursion?

Goole as a destination seems like urban myth territory to me.

 

[peteb]

I can’t see how a mystery tour could be terrifying: you were just getting a train to somewhere new to spend a few hours in, with part of the enjoyment being the anticipation of where it would be. As most people would have a basic grasp of British geography, there would be a certain amount of excitement as you went along. “Could we be going to P or Q?...No, that station was U. Perhaps we’re going to X or Y.” I think that BR later altered advertising to include a vague description (seaside, historic city, etc.) to avoid the, possibly apocryphal, occurances of families trailing around Canterbury or York with buckets and spades, etc.

I heard of someone from Goole who went to the west coast on holiday, took a mystery excursion and ended up back at Goole. He went home, had a cup of tea and a nap, and then caught the return train. The only doubt I have is: why on earth would Goole be a destination or even a calling point for a mystery excursion?

I was being facetious! Although the woeful geography knowledge demonstrated by recent university challenge teams does make me wonder if people are too reliant on Google maps or satnav to understand where they are!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Wasn't there a couple who got on a mystery train whilst on holiday in the west country, the train ended up in Ramsgate, exactly where the couple lived.

I'm pretty sure it was Margate in their case; it's in a book I have somewhere, but being something that happened in the pre-internet era I've not yet managed to trace it online.

The one lesson is... if you go away on holiday, don't go on a mystery rail excursion. Only go on them from or near the place you live.

 

[Western 52]

I remember joining a mystex at Cardiff, and sitting with some people who had joined at Swansea. When we speculated about the destination they informed us that the train had been advertised as a trip to Paignton from Swansea!

 

[Lemmy282]

Went Cambridge on a Merrymaker from Sheffield. Following weekend went on a Mystery from Sheffield, ended up in Cambridge!