| On Saturday 5th September, a new railtour company, Joint-Line railtours, ran a trip from Barrow Hill to London Marylebone and back, the Merry-le-bone, with an add-on return trip to the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre at Quainton Road north of Aylesbury, handy for those down-south. The tour was operated by WCRC with 33207 'Jim Dent' and 37516 in top-and-tail mode and with reasonable fares, especially for the add-on, was popular for the 50-mile loco-hauled run over this DMU-dominated network.
The run-through to Quainton road provided an easy way to get a taster of this heritage site, recently improved with the re-erection of Oxford's Rewley Road station building that, I'm told, has vastly improved the visitor experience. The tour's participants did have a rather rapid experience, with slightly late northbound running shortening the time there to only forty minutes but it was sufficient to see most of the rolling stock present and get a 'feel' of the place. The museum's collection is varied, mostly with a Metropolitan / London feel but with the addition of the Sentinel / Cammell, Birmingham-built articulated 3-car steam railcar that had been exported to Egypt, saw 11 years service and 23 years withdrawn, and was re-imported in 1985, as well as a 3-foot gauge South African Garrett steam loco built in Glasgow. A return visit could be on the cards, with rail shuttles regularly operated by Chiltern's sole passenger 'heritage' DMU, 55020, on Bank Holidays from Aylesbury to the centre, the line through Quainton Road is usually only used by containerised waste trains to Calvert land-fill site. The tour actually carried on to Claydon Junction for reversal, although why isn't clear, and passengers were permitted on this leg after some confusion, but having bought my entry ticket to the centre I stuck with that option. As well as views of the tour at London and Quainton Road, we also see the depot at Aylesbury with its collection of heritage DMUs, mostly used on Sandite / de-icing workings but also including 55020, stabled outside and the withdrawn units stored by Aylesbury platforms.. Captions to be uploaded soon, I need to sleep at this point (been a long day...) |
33207, London Marylebone 640x426 09D1704.JPG 2009-09-05 17:00:55 |
975042, Aylesbury station 640x426 09D1702.JPG 2009-09-05 15:54:18 |
975042, Aylesbury station 640x426 09D1701.JPG 2009-09-05 15:54:14 |
977866 & 977723, Aylesbury station 640x426 09D1700.JPG 2009-09-05 15:54:10 |
977866 & 977723, Aylesbury station 640x426 09D1699.JPG 2009-09-05 15:54:07 |
977866, Aylesbury station 640x426 09D1698.JPG 2009-09-05 15:54:00 |
51415 & 55020, Aylesbury depot 640x426 09D1697.JPG 2009-09-05 15:53:26 |
Spares car 51415, Aylesbury depot 640x426 09D1696.JPG 2009-09-05 15:53:21 |
55020 & 977873, Aylesbury depot 640x426 09D1695.JPG 2009-09-05 15:53:17 |
55020 & 977873, Aylesbury depot 640x426 09D1694.JPG 2009-09-05 15:53:14 |
Aylesbury depot 640x426 09D1693.JPG 2009-09-05 15:52:55 |
33207, Quainton Road 640x426 09D1692.JPG 2009-09-05 15:28:55 |
33207, Quainton Road 640x426 09D1691.JPG 2009-09-05 15:28:51 |
Quainton Road's down-side preservation area 640x426 09D1690.JPG 2009-09-05 15:27:01 |
Interior of Oxford's Rewley Road station building 640x426 09D1689.JPG 2009-09-05 15:20:48 |
Ex-ENR Steam railcar 5208 640x426 09D1688.JPG 2009-09-05 15:18:52 |
'Arthur' Ruston & Hornsby Class 165DE 425477 640x427 09D1687.JPG 2009-09-05 15:16:32 |
D2298 640x426 09D1686.JPG 2009-09-05 15:15:37 |
Cowans Sheldon hand crane ADM27 640x426 09D1685.JPG 2009-09-05 15:15:09 |
LT Flat brake van FB 578 640x426 09D1684.JPG 2009-09-05 15:14:18 |
Class 115 DMU & LT CP car 54233 640x426 09D1683.JPG 2009-09-05 15:11:53 |
Inter-vehicle detail of ex-ENR Steam railcar 5208 640x426 09D1682.JPG 2009-09-05 15:10:14 |
Cab and power unit area of ex-ENR Steam railcar 5208 640x426 09D1681.JPG 2009-09-05 15:09:56 |
Powered bogie and cab of ex-ENR Steam railcar 5208 640x426 09D1680.JPG 2009-09-05 15:09:35 |
LT CO car 53028, Class 115 DMU & ex-ENR Steam railcar 5208 640x426 09D1679.JPG 2009-09-05 15:08:58 |
Number- and works-plate of Ex-South African Railways North British 25NC Class 3405 of 1951 640x426 09D1678.JPG 2009-09-05 15:08:29 |
Ex-South African Railways North British 25NC Class 3405 of 1951 640x426 09D1677.JPG 2009-09-05 15:08:05 |
TPO vehicles 80394 & 80423 & body of New York subway car 1144 640x426 09D1676.JPG 2009-09-05 15:07:05 |
Overview of Quainton Road station 640x426 09D1675.JPG 2009-09-05 15:05:53 |
Inside the museum 640x426 09D1674.JPG 2009-09-05 14:58:21 |
Loaded container in museum 640x426 09D1673.JPG 2009-09-05 14:56:40 |
LT '38 stock cab, outside the museum hall 640x426 09D1672.JPG 2009-09-05 14:53:35 |
'Walrus', ex-Guinness shunter, down-side area 640x426 09D1671.JPG 2009-09-05 14:52:52 |
ARMY 9040, down-side siding 640x426 09D1670.JPG 2009-09-05 14:51:53 |
BucksRC locos 640x426 09D1669.JPG 2009-09-05 14:51:03 |
Bucks Railway Centre 640x426 09D1668.JPG 2009-09-05 14:50:36 |
Bucks Railway Centre 640x426 09D1667.JPG 2009-09-05 14:50:17 |
33207, Quainton Road 640x426 09D1666.JPG 2009-09-05 14:48:59 |
37516, Quainton Road 640x426 09D1665.JPG 2009-09-05 14:48:28 |
37516, Quainton Road 640x426 09D1664.JPG 2009-09-05 14:47:32 |
37516, Quainton Road 640x426 09D1663.JPG 2009-09-05 14:46:33 |
33207 & 165018, London Marylebone 640x426 09D1662.JPG 2009-09-05 13:11:14 |
33207, London Marylebone 640x426 09D1661.JPG 2009-09-05 13:10:18 |
33207 & 165018, London Marylebone 640x426 09D1660.JPG 2009-09-05 13:09:40 |
37516, London Marylebone 640x426 09D1659.JPG 2009-09-05 13:03:48 |
37516, London Marylebone 640x426 09D1658.JPG 2009-09-05 13:03:10 |
37516, London Marylebone 640x426 09D1657.JPG 2009-09-05 13:02:46 |
33207, London Marylebone 640x426 09D1655.JPG 2009-09-05 13:01:13 |
