8. The Chiltern Champion 1-09.02.14

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2014 > 8. The Chiltern Champion 1-09.02.14
A Class 52 Western out on the mainline was worth a bit of effort! I went out to see it first thing on the Chiltern route near Banbury and then later on whilst my wife and son were spending all our hard-earned money at Bicester Village!
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Images 1-10 of 10 displayed.

168106, CR 09.38 Stratford-on-Avon-London Marylebone (2N37), KIng's Sutton SP486377 Chiltern's 168106 approaches King's Sutton with the 09.30 Stratford-on-Avon to Marylebone in some welcome winter sunshine. A few miles south of this location the line splits at Aynho Junction where the Chiltern unit will head off to the left and take the route to London via Bicester and High Wycombe. The milepost reading eight four refers to the distance to Paddington via the GWR route through Oxford and Didcot. Keywords: 168106 CR 09.38 Stratford-on-Avon-London Marylebone 2N37 King's Sutton SP486377mTurbo Chiltern Railways
D1015, outward leg of The Chiltern Champion 1, 09.48 Solihull-Marylebone (1Z51), King's Sutton SP486377 D1015 'Western Champion' looking and sounding fantastic as it passes just north of King's Sutton with the first leg of The Chiltern Champion charter. Running as 1Z51 the charter left Solihull at a very sensible 09.48 heading for Metroland as Sir John Betjeman coined it. I could hear the Western for some distance as it left Banbury before it roared past me at this location with 47773 tagged on at the rear. Keywords: D1015 The Chiltern Champion 1 09.48 Solihull-Marylebone 1Z51 King's Sutton SP486377 Western Champion Vintage Trains
D1015 & 47773, outward leg of the Chiltern Champion II (1Z52), 12.40 London Marylebone-Oxford, Quainton SP731195 Having already visited London Marleybone travelling up via the Banbury, Bicester and High Wycombe route The Chiltern Champion II charter is now seen heading north again having traversed the Princes Risborough, Aylesbury and Quainton Road route. It is now well off the beaten track on the freight-only section leading to Calvert and Claydon L.N.E. Junction. D1015 'Western Champion' leads 47773 around the curve marking the start of the original Great Central route proper just to the north of Quainton Road station and heritage centre. This location was where the GC/GWR Joint line continued on a short spur to its northern limit of operations at Verney Junction. Keywords: D1015 47773 The Chiltern Champion II 1Z52 12.40 London Marylebone-Oxford Quainton SP731195 Western Champion Vintage Trains
D1015 & 47773, outward leg of The Chiltern Champion 1 (1Z52), 12.40 Marylebone-Oxford, Quainton SP731195 At some time in the future (perhaps?) this lonely outpost of a single track deep in the Buckinghamshire countryside will be running cheap by jowl with a two hundred and twenty-five miles per hour double track in the form of HS2. Its proposed route will be just out of shot to the left parallel to the track seen that is the former Great Central route just north of Quainton Road. D1015 'Western Champion' leads 47773 on the return leg of The Chiltern Champion railtour from Marylebone to Oxford via a reversal at Claydon Junction a short distance from this location. When this reversal took place the Western was detached from the front and ran round to the rear to take the train onwards with the 47 at the rear. Keywords: D1015 47773 Chiltern Champion 1 1Z52 12.40 Marylebone-Oxford Quainton SP731195 Western Champion
Trackbed looking NE prior to upgrading, Wendlebury SP561182 The scene here at Wendlebury is set to change massively over the coming few years as the line between, initially at least, Bicester and Oxford is upgraded to a double track one hundred miles per hour route as the initial phase of the east to west rail link. For the moment, it remains a single track with sixty miles per hour working and numerous farm and foot crossings. The large bridge that dominates this view carries the M40 motorway over the line. Incidentally, the twenty-two and a quarter mile post is the distance from the line's junction with the WCML at Bletchley. Keywords: Trackbed looking NE prior to upgrading Wendlebury SP561182
Trackbed looking SW prior to upgrading, Wendlebury SP561182 Looking in the opposite direction to the previous photograph taken at an occupation crossing near to the village of Wendelbury south-west of Bicester. In this view looking towards Oxford, the track is welded and looks to be in reasonable condition. It has seen a recent rise in use by trains serving Bicester Town station adjacent to the Bicester Village shopping complex. However, all this will be wiped away soon as the route is to be transformed into a double track with one hundred miles per hour operation and future-proofed for electrification but not actually to be treated at this time; poor forward-thinking I wonder? Eventually, at some time in the distant future, the line will be extended to Bletchley (for Milton Keynes), Bedford and even to Cambridge reinstating the entire length of the Varcity Line; but probably not in my lifetime! Keywords: Trackbed looking SW prior to upgrading, Wendlebury SP561182
165015, CR 14.18 Bicester Town-Oxford (2T15), Wendlebury SP561182 165015 works the SuO 14.18 Bicester Town to Oxford service past Wendlebury having just passed under the M40 motorway. In just under a week's time, the line will be closed to passengers and it will be torn up and completely rebuilt to modern double-track standards. If all goes to plan, trains will be running again in two years time directly between Oxford and Marylebone with a brand new station built at Bicester replacing the tiny Town station. I will endeavour to revisit this spot and recreate this view once the new line is open but I suspect it will be spoilt by palisade fencing! Keywords: 165015 14.18 Bicester Town-Oxford 2T15 Wendlebury SP561182
D1015, return leg of The Chiltern Champion 1, 12.40 London Marylebone-Oxford (1Z55), Wendlebury SP561182 It looks a little crowded in the cab of D1015 'Western Champion' as it gets The Chiltern Champion railtour away from Bicester as it heads for Oxford. Running as 1Z55 it left Marylebone at lunchtime following the GC GWR Joint route to Quainton Road to then reverse at Claydon Junction. This will be the last charter to traverse this railway backwater as it is to be closed in five days time and then will be comprehensively reconstructed as the first phase of the fabled east-west rail link. It is due to open again in the summer of 2016....we'll see! Keywords: D1015 The Chiltern Champion 1 12.40 London Marylebone-Oxford 1Z55 Wendlebury SP561182 Western Champion
D1015, return leg of The Chiltern Champion 1, 12.40 London Marylebone-Oxford (1Z55), Wendlebury SP561182 I am not a particular fan of desaturated digital images but in this case, I have made an exception. The original colour image was badly handled by the control systems within the camera and it was actually going to be easier to turn it to black and white than excessively manipulate it within Photoshop. I actually like the lighting in this form and it tells a tale in that this line will be closing in just five days time never to be seen like this again. Notice the tree clearance to the right in anticipation of this work. D1015 'Western Champion' gets the return leg of The Chiltern Champion away from Bicester at Wendlebury. Keywords: D1015 The Chiltern Champion 1, 12.40 London Marylebone-Oxford 1Z55 Wendlebury SP561182
47773, return leg of The Chiltern Champion 1, 12.40 London Marylebone-Oxford (1Z55), Wendlebury SP561182 The end of the line! As 47773 is towed at the rear of the 12.40 Marylebone to Oxford Chiltern Champion charter the exhaust from D1015 'Western Champion' can be seen in the afternoon sun. In five days time, this route will close and be completely rebuilt as the first phase of the East-West rail link eventually uniting Oxford with Cambridge again. Keywords: 47773 The Chiltern Champion 1 12.40 London Marylebone-Oxford 1Z55 Wendlebury SP561182

Images 1-10 of 10 displayed.