Sunday morning ramblers special


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Watching the box a short while ago, they were running an episode of "Railway Walks" in which a "Julia Bradbury takes a series of walks following the old tracks of Britain's lost rail empire". This episode was along part of a disused track on the old Manchester/Nottingham LMS route, and the name Darley Dale cropped up.

Darley Dale brought back memories of the Ramblers Specials that used to run from the Midland Station on Arkwright Street up to the Derbyshire dales most Sunday mornings in the late fifties. With the money earned from me paper round I used to take off, aged 13-14, on me own, and wander for the day where ever the train dropped us. Mam and Dad had no idea where I was. I never had any rations of anykind, not even a bottle of water. Non of this anorak/rucksack stuff with walking boots, just me in my everyday street clothes. Loved it though.

Could you imagine that happening today?

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There's quite a thread on here somewhere re "The Ramblers Specials" We always used to go on Bank Holidays up to either Hathersage , Grindleford, Bamford Hope or Edale and climb Kinder Scout or Mam Tor. There were never enough carriages !
Funnily enough I was only talking to SWMBO about them yesterday, as the Easter Egg she's bought me is the same as one I had way back in around 1972 ! (Not seen one the same since) It turns out it was a 'Thorntons' one.

I'll have a look for the link in a bit.

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Yes, I remember the Sunday ramblers' trains well. One ran all the year round - to Buxton. Another ran in Summer only to Edale. I think the Edale one left Midland at 9.35 (it was 9.56 from Sawley Junction). After leaving Derby it dropped off at Grindleford, Hathersage, Bamford and Hope getting to Edale around 11.30. The Buxton one started at 9.45 (10.08 at Sawley Junction) picking up at Derby then stopping at just about all stations from Ambergate to Buxton, getting there just after 12.00. They were longish trains in the 50s - 9 or 10 coaches I should say - but as Beefsteak says, often jammed to the rafters. There were a number of local hiking clubs - the one in Long Eaton had an ad. in the LE Advertiser each week, telling members which train to catch, and where to buy a ticket to. So in addition to freelance walkers - families, groups of mates etc, you also had organised parties of between 20 and 50 getting on at each station.

At bank holiday weekends there would be extra individual excursions - some setting off to Derbyshire up the Erewash valley - (old) Long Eaton, Stapleford & Sandiacre, Trowell, Ilkeston, Langley Mill, Codnor Park - then round the bend to Butterley and Ambergate etc. I also remember going on one - about 1955 I guess - that took us through Ashbourne, Thorpe Cloud and up what is now the Tissington Trail, finishing at "Higher Buxton". From the memory, the excursion fare for that sort of distance was about 8/6d.

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