November 2026 – The Hikers’ Mystery Express

November’s Object of the Month is a photograph of an unusual train service put on by the GWR, named the Hikers’ Mystery Express. This photo dates from 1932 and shows the very first departure of the Hikers’ Express. A poster, with the name of the service, The Hikers’ Mystery Express No. 1, can be seen on the side of the tender.

The service was particularly aimed at hikers, a pastime that had grown in popularity. The GWR already advertised destinations for hiking holidays, so this special excursion train was another element in its campaign to appeal to this market.

The first excursion left Paddington on Good Friday, March 25, 1932. The 12 coach train was hauled by Star Class locomotive no. 4002 Evening Star. However, the excursion was so popular that about 1,500 people turned up at Paddington to catch the train, so another train had to be quickly made available and an additional service laid on.

The Mystery element of the Hikers’ Express was what made the excursion so popular. The passengers had no idea where the train was going, until it departed. Once the journey was underway, passengers were given a copy of the GWR book Rambles in the Chiltern Country and the destination was revealed as Pangbourne in Berkshire. The train reached Pangbourne at 11.20am and was scheduled to depart at 6.50pm, giving passengers 7 ½ hours to take a long walk through beautiful Chilterns countryside.

Another Hikers’ Mystery Express service was planned for Easter Sunday, and a third excursion followed a few weeks later. The GWR magazine included features about these mystery excursions, and the company was obviously so delighted by their popularity that the mystery train services continued.