29. Chiltern Bubble Car finalé-19.05.17

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2017 > 29. Chiltern Bubble Car finalé-19.05.17

An early morning start on a miserable May morning and drive to Aylesbury to enjoy the final day of Chiltern's 'Bubble Car' DMU operations. This drew the crowds out and provided a fitting end to the last operational first-generation DMU workings on the Network!

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Images 1-25 of 25 displayed.

165014, CH 07.25 Aylesbury Vale Parkway-London-Marylebone (1C12, RT) & 165034, CH 06.33 London Marylebone-Aylesbury Vale Parkway (2V07, 1E), Aylesbury station
A busy scene at Aylesbury station as passengers queue to board 165014 working the 07.25 Aylesbury Vale Parkway to Marylebone. To its right is 165034 forming the 06.33 from Marylebone back to Vale Parkway station. I suspect that the latter service will be virtually empty when compared with the up working. Notice that Aylesbury station is undergoing extensive refurbishment, much of it was fenced off making it extra crowded as customers were attempting to get around.
Keywords: 165014 1C12 165034 2V07 Aylesbury station

165028 & 165030, ECS, Aylesbury station
A five-car ECS formation draws into Aylesbury station formed of 165028 and 165030. This is a scene that has changed dramatically over the years that I have been visiting Aylesbury. Behind the hoarding to the left is a huge car park, that used to be covered with an extensive complex of carriage sidings all controlled by mechanical signalling.
Keywords: 165028 165030 ECS Aylesbury station

165030 & 165028, CH 07.41 Aylesbury-London Marylebone (2C15, 1L), Aylesbury station
Having come in as an ECS working, 165030 and 165028 wait to leave Aylesbury station with the 07.41 to London Marylebone. Aylesbury was on the Great Central line from Nottingham to London and was a busy station. After the GC shut it became a bit of an outpost and was even considered for closure. It has gone through a considerable renaissance and it's likely that this will continue when (if?) the East-West rail link opens allowing direct trains to operate from Aylesbury (and further south) to Milton Keynes and beyond.
Keywords: 165030 165028 2C15 Aylesbury station

121034, CH 07.20 Princess Risborough-Aylesbury (2A06, RT), Aylesbury station
Chiltern operated 121034 enters Aylesbury station with the 07.20 from Princess Risborough. This Pressed Steel 1960 built single car DMU was in operation on the network for 57 years, this particular day being its very last!
Keywords: 122034 2A06 Aylesbury station

121034, CH 07.47 Aylesbury-Princes Risborough (2P16, 1L), Princes Risborough station
Having arrived at Princes Risborough, 121034 sits in the bay platform with its slam doors wide open waiting to return to Aylesbury. I had travelled on this train from Aylesbury along with a coach load of enthusiasts and some bemused 'normals' who did not quite 'get' the significance occasion! This was the last day of operation of first generation DMUs on the network as Chiltern were to withdraw the veteran class 121 at the end of the day.
Keywords: 121034 2P16 Princes Risborough station

165013, CH 07.01 London Marylebone-Banbury (2U10, 2L), Princes Risborough station
165013 pauses at Princes Risborough station with the 07.01 Marylebone to Banbury stopper service. For late May it ws a very dull and wet day that put a bit of a dampener on the occasion, namely Chiltern's final use of their class 121 'Bubble car' DMU.
Keywords: 165013 2U10 Princes Risborough station

168215, CH 07.40 London Marylebone-Oxford (1T10, 3L), Princes Risborough station
168215 passes the ex. GWR Pinces Risborough signal box working the 07.40 Marylebone to Oxford. This signal box is grade II listed and has been in various states of repair for a number of years since its closure by BR in 1991. There is now a concerted effort to refurbish it by volunteers of the adjacent Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway as it will form part of their extension plans into Princes Risborough station.
Keywords: 68215 1T10 Princes Risborough station

121034, CH 08.23 Princes Risborough-Aylesbury (2A12, RT) & 168216, CH 07.44 Oxford-London Marylebone (1Y16, RT), Princes Risborough station
Old and new wait at Princes Risbroough station. To the right is Chiltern's 168216 working the 07.44 Oxford to London Marylebone. To the left is a 57 year old DMU, 121034, waiting to make the short journey to Aylesbury as the 08.23 from Princes Risborough. The photographers were out in-force, despite the miserable weather, as this was the last day that these vintage class 121 DMUs were in operation marking the end of an era.
Keywords: 121034 2A12 168216 1Y16 Princes Risborough station

121034, CH 08.23 Princes Risborough-Aylesbury (2A12, RT), Princes Risborough station
121034 has the 'right away' at Princes Risborough and departs with the 08.23 to Aylesbury. This seven mile journey has two intermediate stations, Monks Risborough and Little Kimble and takes about 20 minutes. For many years, Chiltern persisted in using their small fleet of heritage DMUs on this route augmented by turbostars. However, due to issues with spares, maintenance and licensing, the curtain finally came down in May 2017 marking the closure of another historical chapter in Britain's railways.
Keywords: 121034 2A12 Princes Risborough station

68011, CH 06.38 Stourbridge Junction-London Marylebone (1H17, RT), Princes Risborough station
Unwatched by travellers, 68011 brings up the rear of Chiltern's 'MainLine' 06.38 Stourbridge Junction to London Marylebone service as it speeds through Princes Risborough station. Despite its new and particularly ugly footbridge the station retains many of its GWR designed features.
Keywords: 68011 1H17 Princes Risborough station

165021, CH 08.01 Oxford-London Marylebone (1Y19, 2L), Princes Risborough station
165021 leaves Princes Risborough with the 08.01 Oxford to Marylebone working. Since the re-opening of the line to Oxford via the Bicester south west chord this section of the line to London has seen a dramatic increase in traffic that is no bad thing!
Keywords: 165021 1Y19 Princes Risborough station

168112, CH 08.11 London Marylebone-Oxford (1T13, 1E), Princes Risborough station
168112 arrives at Princes Risborough station with the 08.11 Marylebone to Oxford. Whilst it was not actually raining at this point, the clouds above were pretty threatening. The light was also very flat and grey making decent photographs somewhat of a challenge!
Keywords: 168112 1T13 Princes Risborough station

168106, CH 08.14 London Marylebone-Birmingham Snow Hill (1G14, 1L), Princes Risborough station
In Chiltern's new and smart livery, 168106 runs non-stop through Princes Risborough station working the 08.14 Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill. This 112 mile journey is pretty rapid now when compared to the older units that used to run on this line. The slow speeds and poor patronage actually presented BR with a case to partially close it in the 1980s. Thankfully, Network SouthEast and then Chiltern reversed the rot and the line is now busy and well connected with an even brighter future ahead with the proposed re-opening of the Varsity Line.
Keywords: 168106 1G14 Princes Risborough station

Frontage, Princes Risborough station
Complete with bunting adornments, the frontage of Princes Risborough station looks smart and well maintained. It's a typical GWR styled station that originally opened in 1862 at slightly different spot further up the line by The Wycombe Railway. It's a shame that the giant carbuncle of a bridge, seen rising above the building in the background, has spoilt the station somewhat.
Keywords: Frontage, Princes Risborough station

82301, CH 07.05 Kidderminster-London Marylebone (1H22, 2L), Princes-Risborough station
DVT 82301 leads the Chiltern 'MainLine' 1H22 07.05 Kidderminster to Marylebone as it passes at speed through Princes Risborough. These 'premium' train services have proved popular and just go to show how much better loco. hauled services are compared to a unit on a long journey such as this. It also proves the enduring design of the Mk.III stock that, despite its refurbishment, is still some forty years old.
Keywords: 82301 1H22 Princes-Risborough station

68014, CH 07.05 Kidderminster-London Marylebone (1H22, 2L), Princes Risborough station
68014 powers the rear of the 07.05 Kidderminster to London Marylebone through Princes Risborough station. These 100mph 3 300Hp class 68s are not really stretched on these workings, the noise from them is more of a single-tone drone with little variation in their pitch. If I'm honest, these modern engines sound a bit boring when compared to older technology such as a class 50 or a 55!
Keywords: 68014 1H22 Princes Risborough station

121034, CH 09.16 Princes Risborough-Aylesbury (2A15, RT), braking for Little Kimble
A sight to be seen only on heritage lines from this day onwards! The driver applies the vacuum brake on 121034 as he slows the 09.16 Princes Risborough to Aylesbury service for its stop at Little Kimble. Not only has the sight disappeared but the sound! This type of brake makes a very distinctive noise as its applied for those sitting behind the driver to hear.
Keywords: 121034 2A15 Little Kimble

Interior, 121034, CH 09.16 Princes Risborough-Aylesbury (2A15, RT), approaching Aylesbury
Looking from the front of 121034 through the cabin towards the guard's compartment at the end. Chiltern did a smashing job refurbishing the interior of this fifty year old DMU retaining its springy soft seats with a lovely blue moquette. This is so much better than the sanitised and anonymous interiors of new stock with their crazy hard seating.
Keywords: Interior 121034 2A15 Aylesbury

121034, CH 09.16 Princes-Risborough-Aylesbury, Aylesbury station
Having arrived at Aylesbury, the guard of the 09.16 from Princes Risborough checks the train before it goes off to the carriage sidings for the penultimate time.
Keywords: 121034, CH 09.16 Princes-Risborough-Aylesbury, Aylesbury station

168109, CH 09.48 Aylesbury-London Marylebone (2C27, 2L), Aylesbury station
With one its middle numbers missing I had to identify this unit from its carriage number. 168109 waits at Aylesbury to work the 09.48 to London Marylebone. Note the work being undertaken to replace the perfectly serviceable footbridge because it did not meet disability requirements.
Keywords: 168109 2C27 Aylesbury station

121034, ECS, Aylesbury station
Having completed its morning duties, 'bubble car' 121034 makes its way out of Aylesbury station as an ECS working the short distance to the depot.
Keywords: 121034 ECS Aylesbury station

121034, ECS, Aylesbury station
121034 only has about six hours left in service as it heads off to Aylesbury depot to be serviced. It would then work two evening return workings to and from Princes Risborough and that would then be that; the end of a piece of railway history as the last first generation DMU leaves service.
Keywords: 121034 ECS Aylesbury station

121020, class 168, 165015, stabled & 121034, going on-shed, Aylesbury MPD
As 121034 goes on-shed at Aylesbury Depot, there's plenty of other stock in view including the 121's brother, 121020.
Keywords: 121020 16501 121034 on-shed Aylesbury MPD

01509 & 121020, stabled, Aylesbury MPD
Resident shunter at Aylesbury MOD 01509 'Lesley' sits in front of 'bubble car' 121020. This first generation single car DMU was destined to never work again on the network and was disposed of into the preservation world.
Keywords: 01509 121020 Aylesbury MPD

168327, 168005, 121020 & 01509, stabled, Aylesbury MPD
A typically busy scene at Aylesbury MPD taken from the footbridge that spans the line and affords views down into it. From left to right, 168327, 168005, 121020 and 01509 'Lesley' are all on display along with some wheel sets and other parts.
Keywords: 168327 168005 121020 01509 Aylesbury MPD

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