Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

Every Sunday between April 30 th and September the 24 th , there would be half-day excursions to Blackpool, departing at 12:53, arriving at 13:57, returning at 20:30 and back for 21:24, with fares at £1:10p and 55p. May On Monday the 1 st , there was a repeat of the excursion to Barrow and Ravenglass, or one to York. This departed Rishton at 09:05, Accrington 09:13, arriving at 10:57 returning at 18:10 and back for 19:55 and 20:02 respectively, and the fares were £2:50p and £1:60p. Between May 8 th and the 27 th , ‘Twosome Tickets’ were available, where two passengers could travel for the price of one on any train Monday to Friday after 09:30, to Blackburn, Burnley, Bolton, Preston or Manchester. So popular was the ‘Mini Cruise to Denmark’ in 1977, that it would be repeated again on Friday the 5 th to Sunday the 7 th , and again on Friday, June 2 nd to the 4 th . The fare had gone up by £2:00 to £30:00 with no reductions for children. On Saturday the 20 th , there was a choice of yet another Mystery excursion from Accrington and Rishton, or a ‘Rail Rambler’ to Cheltenham for the Cotswolds. This left Accrington at 06:38 (06:42 Rishton), arriving Cheltenham at 11:20, returning at 19:17 and back for 22:17 and 22:25 respectively. Various walks had been arranged at the destination and the fares were £3:90p and £2:35p. It was the Chelsea Flower Show in London and over the 24 th and 25 th , there was a special fare to London of £8:00 and £4:00p departing Accrington on either the 08:31 or the 09:15, and returning from Euston on the 18:05 or the 19:00, with a change in Preston in both directions. Every Thursday, from May 25 th to October 12 th , there was a rail/road tour of the Cotswolds. This entailed trains to and from Birmingham New Street, and a coach tour which would include Moreton-in the-Marsh and Stratford-upon-Avon. Spring Bank ‘Seaside Specials’ ran on Saturday the 28 th and Monday the 30 th , to Blackpool and on Sunday the 29 th , to Southport. The fares were all at £1:82p and 91p and the Southport timings were departing Accrington at 10:48, arriving in the resort at 12:25, returning at 19:05 and back for 20:23. The fares were £4:75p and £3:20p for a child. Largs for the Isle of Arran was the destination on Monday the 29 th . For a fare of £7:40p and £4:10p this included a sail on Caledonian McBrayne’s vessel to Brodick and return. June The month opened with a ‘Rail Rambler’ on Saturday the 3 rd , to Blaenau Ffestiniog departing town at 07:12 (Rishton 07:18), and calling at Llandudno Junction 09:43 (18:52), Tal-y-Cafn 09:57 (18:38), Llanrwst 10:08 (18:27), Betws-y-Coed 10:23 (18:18), Pont-y-Pant 10:34 (18:08), Dolwyddelen 10:38 (18:05), Roman Bridge 10:42 (18:01) and Blaenau at 10:45 returning at 17:50. The fares were £2:00 and £1:15p and organised rambles had been arranged from several of these stations. There was a special for Windermere on Sunday the 11 th , departing at 09:45 and calling at Oxenholme at 11:11, and arriving in Windermere at 12:24. It returned at 17:55 (Oxenholme 18:25), and was back at 19:47. The fares were £1:70p and £1:00. An advertisement was placed for a Mini-Trip to Scandinavia, which was in essence 2 nights on board ship and one full day in Sweden out of the four days. Bookings would have to be in multiples of two passengers for twin rooms and the fare was £38:00 per person. The itinerary was by train to and from Newcastle and then in a four berth cabin on the DFDS ‘Winston Churchill’ to Gothenburg, with one full day in Sweden in a hotel for bed and breakfast. A limited number of two berth cabins were available at a supplement of £6:00 per person. This excursion would depart on August 16 th , and again on September 20 th . Every Wednesday from the 21 st , until September the 20 th , there would be a rail/road tour to Snowdonia at fares of £4:50p and £3:15p for a child. Participants would depart Accrington on the 07:44 with changes in both Preston and Crewe for an arrival at Llandudno Junction at 11:43. Coaches would then depart at 12:00 for a tour calling at Caernarfon, Betws-y-Coed and taking in the Swallow Falls en route, before returning at 17:45 for the 18:25 train. Arrival back in Accrington was at 22:42 after changes in Crewe and Preston again. The rail/road tours to the Cotswolds would also operate every Thursday to October the 12 th , with fares at £4:75p and £3:20p. Trips to Blackpool would operate every Sunday until September the 24 th , departing at 12:53, arriving North at 13:57 returning at 20:30 back for 21:24, for a fare of £1:10p and half for accompanied children. Every Tuesday from the 27 th , to August the 29 th , rail-fans could travel on the ‘Cumbrian Coast Express’ between Carnforth and Ravenglass, behind the Flying Scotsman in one direction and A4 Pacific Sir Nigel Gresley in the other. The fare throughout from Accrington was £4:00 return.

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