Extra Traffic for your Railway. Food for Thought

[glencairn]

A little information for anyone modelling late 1930s British layouts. (I know some on here are.) Britain was preparing for war as early as 1935 (against an enemy from the East). Royal Ordnance Factories (R.O.F.) were reopened or rebuilt to make machines. (Tanks, armoured vehicles etc.) If such a R.O.F. is in the area you are building, military goods, hardware and supplies were required.

Modellers building layouts near shipbuilding areas with a 1930s theme are not left out. March 30th 1936 Britain announced the construction of 38 warships, the largest construction programme for 15 years. Once again extra traffic of supplies etc. are required. Thing were not 'always on a Summer's Day'.

Glencairn

[glencairn]

I do not know if this happened 'down South, but back in the 1950s/60s 'up North', members of Working Men's Clubs would pay to be a member. A percentage of that subscription went towards a day trip for the members' children. The 'Annual Trip' would be to a seaside resort.

A day trip to Bridlington, Cleethorpes or Southport were favourites.

The main thing about these trips were, the journeys would start at a Goods Yard and return there in the evening. Trips from Leeds would start at Marsh Lane Goods yard. Trips from Dewsbury would start from Market Place Yard. Both Goods Yards were originally Railway Stations when built and had lengthy platforms.

The trains themselves were made up of what stock was available on the day. Although in British Railways livery one could have a LMS built engine seen deep in LNER territory, or a LNER built engine on the Lancashire coast.

Glencairn

[Walkingthedog]

Working mens clubs?

When my dad worked for London Transport we used to have a day trip to Littlehampton in about 5 green RT double deckers in convoy. They'd all pull in to the Iron Bridge pub car park at Guildford for a toilet break. Must have been quite a sight.

[glencairn]

Some more 'extra traffic' for your railway.

Football Specials. You do not have to be a football supporter, but 'football trains' ran up and down the country; not necessarily on the main line, but a secondary route. Those of you who remember the 'Home Nations Internationals' there would be England playing Scotland, Wales versus Northern Ireland etc. etc.. Fans travelling between Countries. Then the are the Rugby matches. Those of you who have a terminus station layout; the local team there has 'great expectations'. -- East Witterington United versus a Tottenham Hotspur or Manchester United in the Third Round of the FA Cup.

Shows etc. Here in the North ( and I am sure in the Midlands and South) we have Shows. Bellingham Show (in Northumberland) is a big one. Bellingham itself is no more than a village, but an important one in its own right. (I used to live very close to it ) Before the Border Counties Line closed trains throughout the North would converge on Bellingham. Trains came from Carlisle, Newcastle and from around Northumberland.

'The Hoppings' in Newcastle. Another Annual event where extra trains throughout the region were run to coincide with the Fair.

The Saturday Excursion. The railway line to Bellingham was really a 'backwater' Before the line close, to encourage more passengers, trains were run on a circular route that would last the day. Starting from Newcastle the train would head west on the Newcastle to Carlisle line. Just west of Hexham the train would cross the River Tyne and head up the Border Counties Line. Left at Reedsmouth Junction to Bellingham the train would stop and passengers would descend on the village for a couple or so hours. Boarding the train afterwards the happy throng would see the train return to Reedsmouth Junction. There the train would travel the 'Wannie Line' to Morpeth. From Morpeth down the East Coast Main Line the train would arrive back at Newcastle.

Just a few ideas to run the 'Odd Special' or two (or three or-----) All to make your layout a little more interesting to operate. I am sure you can think of many more. Share them.

Happy Modelling.

Glencairn

[cheshire lines]

As a boy in the mid 1960s I can remember travelling from Northwich a few stops up the line to Knutsford for the annual May Day celebrations. Although the normal passenger trains on the line were all operated by DMUs, the special train was steam hauled, which is why I remember it. Northwich still had plenty of steam locos around at the time, but normally only for freight work.

Although I don't have any personal knowledge of them, another source of additional traffic could be pigeon specials. I do remember seeing quite a few pigeon lofts in various back gardens and allotments, so that could be an interesting scenic item as well as a source of additional traffic.

[glencairn]

Then there is (was) donkey racing ---- sorry I backed so many. Horse Racing. The major horse racing meets were another significant traffic generator in the steam era. The horses had to be moved ahead of race day, and subsequently returned. Special trains for racegoers could include Pullman cars, and complete Pullman trains operated to the most prestigious events.

Glencairn

[Forfarian]

There must have been hundreds of “specials” during the Wakes weeks in the north of England also down from Glasgow mostly terminating at the three Blackpool stations!
There used to be a Miners special that started at Desford and picked up all through the midlands to Blackpool.
We used too get huge steel plates delivered by rail to the engineering company I worked for standing at an angle on well wagons Off loaded by an ancient steam crane.

[IanS]

Don't forget Durham Big Meeting! Miners from a lot of areas probably travelled north in July (for our beautiful scenery and excellent weather!)

[Postman Prat]

The Newcastle Brown had nothing to do with it ? ( Personally, I preferred Exhibition)

[glencairn]

In the 1960s (I do not know if this happens now) rather than run a one coach train, British Railways would pay the Post Office to have the one coach 'tagged on' to a short parcels train. As it has been said "It happened to me."
I traveled on one such service from Manchester to Crewe.

Glencairn