Merrymakers were a brilliant idea.
I can vividly remember them from the mid 80s - Summer Sundays all priced at £6.50.
Haulage from Leicester was usually Class 47, sometimes a Class 45, with a rake of Mk 1 coaches.
Four trips spring to mind -
1) Leicester to Carlisle via Derby, Wakefield Westgate and Carnforth, across to Newcastle and back to Leicester via ECML, Doncaster, Sheffield; steam heat 45 all the way.
2) Leicester to Portsmouth & Southsea the long way (via B'Ham & Oxford)
3) Leicester to Ramsgate with a delay on the return leg because a signalman had not been advised that the working was coming through his seldom-used section and had to show up just to let us through; steam heat 45 all the way again.
4) Two weeks later, a mystery trip which involved some intricate route through South London passing by Stewarts Lane depot. Final destination was....... Ramsgate!
