RL Special Trains, a throwback to the 70's and 80's

[Wendall]

I have booked on to a Special Train called 'The Wire Flyer' for the Wire's visit to Wembley, it leaves at 9am and gets to Wembley at 12.15 so means I get a lie in.

My main worry is the quality of the train!!?

Having not been on a RL Special since the 80's when these trains were complete wrecks with fans urinating and drinking on them I am not holding my breath for anything special!

Anyone been on a RL Special Train?

[Old Frightful]

It won't be of any use to you advice wise, but the last "special" train I was on was for the 1991 Premiership final at Old Trafford. It was marketed as a "Rugby league special" but ended up being the normal transpennine service from Hull to Manchester.

It was absolutely packed and the best bit came as we pulled into Leeds station. A lady got on who clearly thought she was too good to be amongst all us rabble and couldn't get a seat. She complained loudly about how full the train was and the fact that it wasn't normally like that. My mate informed her that it was a Rugby League Special train and she was probably lucky to get on at all.

She was, to say the very least, unimpressed with this and when my pal added that all the tickets from Hull were subsidised and we all got on for a fiver, she nearly blew a gasket.

The subsidised ticket story wasn't true but it was worth telling her for sheer entertainment value.

[Wendall]

It won't be of any use to you advice wise, but the last "special" train I was on was for the 1991 Premiership final at Old Trafford. It was marketed as a "Rugby league special" but ended up being the normal transpennine service from Hull to Manchester.

It was absolutely packed and the best bit came as we pulled into Leeds station. A lady got on who clearly thought she was too good to be amongst all us rabble and couldn't get a seat. She complained loudly about how full the train was and the fact that it wasn't normally like that. My mate informed her that it was a Rugby League Special train and she was probably lucky to get on at all.

She was, to say the very least, unimpressed with this and when my pal added that all the tickets from Hull were subsidised and we all got on for a fiver, she nearly blew a gasket.

The subsidised ticket story wasn't true but it was worth telling her for sheer entertainment value.

Didn't know the specials were still going strong in the 90's! (APART FROM WEMBLEY!!!)

I have a better story.

Back in the early 80's Wire were in a Lancashire Cup final at Swinton and I was a kid on a Special Train and on the way back because of all the shouting, urinating and throwing stuff out of the train the driver decided to divert the train to Wigan and throw all the Wire fans off! The Police were waiting at Wigan station and hurded us all off and we ended up walking back home along the M6 hard shoulder all the way back to Wazza!!

Them was the days!

[Bulliac]

Didn't know the specials were still going strong in the 90's! (APART FROM WEMBLEY!!!)

I have a better story.

Back in the early 80's Wire were in a Lancashire Cup final at Swinton and I was a kid on a Special Train and on the way back because of all the shouting, urinating and throwing stuff out of the train the driver decided to divert the train to Wigan and throw all the Wire fans off! The Police were waiting at Wigan station and hurded us all off and we ended up walking back home along the M6 hard shoulder all the way back to Wazza!!

Them was the days!

No neither did I! To be honest I feel it was more a 1950's or 60's thing, the 'specials' were a much more regular event back then, particularly for soccer. I'd guess in the 70's and 80's, if it was done, it would have been just for occasional big games. Idiots wrecking the trains caused the soccer specials to cease, and I guess they decided the rugby ones didn't make enough money, especially with many more fans going in their own cars as time went on.

[Red Willow]

I went to the Northern Rail Cup Final V Doncaster on the special.

It was great fun, although a few dunk were there mostly it was good humoured.

i can't make any comment on the behaviour of your fellow Wire fans though!

[Tommy The C5t]

For the Challenge Cup Final in 2003 we got the RFL special down from Leeds which was spilt about 80/20 in Leeds favour (cue plenty of good natured banter).

All I'll say is coming back after the game, the train was drunken fun which was further enhanced when someone in the toilet pushed the emergency stop button thinking it was to flush the toilet, menaing we were a bit late arriving back into Leeds.

[Tommy The C5t]

Wendall if it helps you to mentally prepare for you journey a week on Saturday here is what you'll be going on.

Deltic power

Only the finest coaches for the Warrington supporters

[Wendall]

Wendall if it helps you to mentally prepare for you journey a week on Saturday here is what you'll be going on.

Deltic power

Only the finest coaches for the Warrington supporters

I think those trains wouldnt last five minutes with a crowd of rowdy Wazzatonians on board!!!

Well it was nice knowing you all....

[GoldDog]

Northern Rail were supposed to be putting one on from Batley to Blackpool for the Northern Rail Cup Final this year, which would have been filled by Dog' supporters.

Unfortunately, they we're unable to do this due to 'essential maintainence' on the line 'just outside Blackpool'.

Imagine my amazment when I managed to get on a train on the very morning of the game at Dewsbury (which is a mile and a half from Batley's station), change at Picadilly, and be in Blackpool just 2 hours later, in time for the pubs opening.

Farce!

Edited August 19, 2010 by GoldDog

[JohnM]

Back in the early 80's Wire were in a Lancashire Cup final at Swinton

Oh the life of a glamour club!

[Red Willow]

Northern Rail were supposed to be putting one on from Batley to Blackpool for the Northern Rail Cup Final this year, which would have been filled by Dog' supporters.

Unfortunately, they we're unable to do this due to 'essential maintainence' on the line 'just outside Blackpool'.

Imagine my amazment when I managed to get on a train on the very morning of the game at Dewsbury (which is a mile and a half from Batley's station), change at Picadilly, and be in Blackpool just 2 hours later, in time for the pubs opening.

Farce!

You might find that Northern Rail went a different route rather than Piccadilly Train route.

we went down what appeared to be sidings!

why they couldn't use the main route however is another question

[thirteenthman]

The last time I went on a train with a load of Warrington fans was coming back from a match at Wigan a couple of years ago. There was the usual couple of verses of 'Wire in first class' (which we weren't) and some unwanted banter thrown at some Wigan fans desperately trying not to be noticed. Unfortunately the Virgin train we were on was one of those that tilts, and some of the lads thought it a good idea to see if they could make the train tilt all by themselves. Not so much tilting, as rocking.

[gingerjon]

On an another commute I used to make I went past Bounds Green depot quite a lot and they very often had football special trains being put back together on Monday mornings (this was only a few years ago by the way).

Cattle trucks basically. But fine if you just want something that's going to get you to the ground and not get in the way of you drinking yourself dull before kick off.

I'd go out of the window rather than risk the toilet though.

[Saint Billinge]

As a Saints fan in the Sixties, we travelled on train specials to Wigan, Leigh, Salford, Swinton, Warrington and Barrow.

[amm]

As a Saints fan in the Sixties, we travelled on train specials to Wigan, Leigh, Salford, Swinton, Warrington and Barrow.

there's a novelty

back in't day eh

[Old Frightful]

there's a novelty

back in't day eh

I assume Leigh's where they picked up their connecting train wasn't it?

[amm]

I assume Leigh's where they picked up their connecting train wasn't it?

bog off..there's a special VAN for you

[Old Frightful]

bog off..there's a special VAN for you

A bite!

[Saint Billinge]

there's a novelty

back in't day eh

The train for Salford stopped in Eccles which meant a fair walk to the ground.

Taking the 'special' for the Wigan/Hull Challenge Cup final, the police confiscated loads of booze. Arriving back in Wigan, it was hilarious seeing fans grab what they could from wagon loads of booze piled high.

Edited August 19, 2010 by Saint Billinge

[goldcard]

Didn't know the specials were still going strong in the 90's! (APART FROM WEMBLEY!!!)

I have a better story.

Back in the early 80's Wire were in a Lancashire Cup final at Swinton and I was a kid on a Special Train and on the way back because of all the shouting, urinating and throwing stuff out of the train the driver decided to divert the train to Wigan and throw all the Wire fans off! The Police were waiting at Wigan station and hurded us all off and we ended up walking back home along the M6 hard shoulder all the way back to Wazza!!

Them was the days!

Premiership final, 1976.

Amazed you walked along the M6.

We bought tickets to Runcorn, and got off at Warrington.

[stimpo-and-kat]

They have sometimes had specials that stopped in Birmingham and Leeds back from Cardiff that I've been on. I think these were from Virgin and weren't very well advertised as they were very quiet.

They used the old Virgin trains so they were fine even if some of the chairs had lost the springs

kat

[Bulliac]

For the Challenge Cup Final in 2003 we got the RFL special down from Leeds which was spilt about 80/20 in Leeds favour (cue plenty of good natured banter).

All I'll say is coming back after the game, the train was drunken fun which was further enhanced when someone in the toilet pushed the emergency stop button thinking it was to flush the toilet, menaing we were a bit late arriving back into Leeds.

Train starting in Leeds 80% full of people from Leeds Shock!

Read all about it?

[goldcard]

Wendall if it helps you to mentally prepare for you journey a week on Saturday here is what you'll be going on.

Deltic power

That's a class 37, not a Deltic.

Class 55 Deltics were withdrawn in the 80's.

If the Wire Flyer is going to the Stadium station again, then diesel power will be needed, most likely a class 67, either topped/tailed, or a dvt at one end.

This is last year's, can't be hot-linked.

http://geoff-plumb.fotopic.net/p60611359.html

I need to get out more....

[Riversiderontour]

That's a class 37, not a Deltic.

Class 55 Deltics were withdrawn in the 80's.

If the Wire Flyer is going to the Stadium station again, then diesel power will be needed, most likely a class 67, either topped/tailed, or a dvt at one end.

This is last year's, can't be hot-linked.

http://geoff-plumb.fotopic.net/p60611359.html

I need to get out more....

No... really you dont

just stay indoors with the nice sounds

[Wendall]

That's a class 37, not a Deltic.

Class 55 Deltics were withdrawn in the 80's.

If the Wire Flyer is going to the Stadium station again, then diesel power will be needed, most likely a class 67, either topped/tailed, or a dvt at one end.

This is last year's, can't be hot-linked.

http://geoff-plumb.fotopic.net/p60611359.html

I need to get out more....

Cheers for posting the link!

I feel like I am going to Auchwitz on one of them!