Rail Riders, originally called Great Rail Club was a club for young rail enthusiasts run by British Rail between 1981 and 1991. Membership entitled children aged 5-15 to discounted rail travel, receipt of a regular quarterly magazine called Rail Riders Express and free entry to the Rail Riders World model railway exhibit at York railway station. Members also had a passport where they could collect stamps visiting various attractions around the country
The organisation used the slogans 'the happiest club in the land' and 'travel, action, fun!' There was a locomotive named Rail Riders for members to look out for and photograph.
Sadly the club finshed in 1991, but recently a new Rail Riders club has been established, this time aimed at adults who would have been children in the 1980s. They too have a locomotive named after their club, and here it is parked beside York railway station. The insets show the club badge (which is the same as the original 1980s badge) and nameplate.
This certainly brought back memories of days out with Louise when she was a child!
Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
I tkink that the popularity of the original childrens club is reflected in the need for several hundred adults who may well have been members of the original club to form an adult version of the clun now.
Ian
September 4th, 2021
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wonderful to have a new club and a train named after them, or is it the other way around
Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
I tkink that the popularity of the original childrens club is reflected in the need for several hundred adults who may well have been members of the original club to form an adult version of the clun now.
Ian