Chiltern Bubble Car

[dcmbarton]

Is there a pattern to which services the bubble car actually runs?

 

[Dampflok]

Generally, the first run each day of the bubble is around 06:43, ECS from Aylesbury to Princes Risborough, working back as the 07:10 from Risborough, first passenger run. It then runs the morning shuttles (there are through trains from Aylesbury via Risborough to Marylebone as well), the last run of the day usually being the 10:11 from Risborough, 10:29 into Aylesbury. After this the service reverts to being operated by a two car 165 unit.

Looks like the bubble 121 034 will be moving from Aylesbury this afternoon, around 15:00, to run to Didcot GWS via Oxford, arrive around 17:00 for the weekend's activities there, returning to Aylesbury on Monday 30th May.

Cheers, Geoff

 

[route:oxford]

Looks like the bubble 121 034 will be moving from Aylesbury this afternoon, around 15:00, to run to Didcot GWS via Oxford, arrive around 17:00 for the weekend's activities there, returning to Aylesbury on Monday 30th May.

Cheers, Geoff

Did it go via Bicester North, or did they manage to slip it through Bicester Town?

 

[saltley 1394]

Did it go via Bicester North, or did they manage to slip it through Bicester Town?

The bubble car went via Bicester Town, and will be going back the same way on Monday afternoon 1650 5Z04 Didcot to Aylesbury

 

[Dampflok]

Sorry, I should have specified it was going via Bicester Town! It left Aylesbury around 20 minutes late apparently, but had made up some of the deficit by the time I saw it at Culham at 16:40, about half an hour after 172 104 had passed, also en route to Didcot. Some shots now on my site - click on the one below to take you to my site, where you will find the others, if you would like to have a look:



Cheers, Geoff

 

[route:oxford]

The bubble car went via Bicester Town, and will be going back the same way on Monday afternoon 1650 5Z04 Didcot to Aylesbury

Thanks for that.

Did anyone manage to take a pic, also anyone know the last time an ECS move of passenger stock or even a passenger service used the metals between Bicester Town and Aylesbury Vale Parkway?

 

[Yew]

Its a shame that this unit puts most other trains of its kind/capabilities to shame. Have you seen any other small dmu that looks as good on the inside and oujtside

 

[OxtedL]

Without wishing to seem a fool, I had thought that there was some crew issue with sending things from Aylesbury to Bicester Town? Or am I losing it?

 

[justinsteam]

Excellent pictures

 

[route:oxford]

Without wishing to seem a fool, I had thought that there was some crew issue with sending things from Aylesbury to Bicester Town? Or am I losing it?

I'm thinking logically, rather than with formal knowledge...

But given that the track between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Bicester Town is predominantly low-speed, and there is likely only going to be one train in operation at the time...

Wouldn't an experienced driver be able to learn the route at 25-30mph as the journey progressed?

 

[RPM]

The issue is that only two or three Chiltern drivers sign the route via Claydon. It would be simple enough to get more drivers competent on the route but at the moment there is no requirement to do so.

 

[Dampflok]

Chiltern ran crew training runs over the course of several weeks fairly recently between Aylesbury, Calvert, Claydon LNE Junction, Bicester Town, Oxford and Didcot. These were mostly run using the blue/grey bubblecar 960 014, but 121 034 also ran them for the last couple of days before Chiltern took over the service from Oxford to Bicester Town from the start of the new timetable on 22nd May 2011. How many drivers were involved in these training runs I do not know.

There are pictures of quite a few of these runs on my site in the "May 2011" collection, this link will take you directly to that collection:

http://plumbloco.smugmug.com/Trains/May-2011/16902788_CKr2bQ

A few examples:


Passing the old station at Waddesdon Manor


On the level-Crossing over the Bicester Eastern Perimeter road (Charbridge Lane)


Passing the old station at Launton

There are also shots in the same collection of the recent tour with the Hastings "Thumper" tour "The Metrolander", which ran from Hastings to Quainton Road on 14th May, then ran a couple of shuttles from Quainton Road to Calvert and Claydon LNE Junction and return, example photo:


Thumper at Sheephouse Wood near Calvert

Photos all taken from public vantage points.

Images are "clickable" to take you to larger pictures on my site with full captions.

Cheers, Geoff

 

[JoeGJ1984]

Does anyone have the diagrams for the bubble car workings? Is the other Chiltern bubblecar still in use? There are photos of 121034 on the Oxford to Bicester Town branch; is that a hint for there being a bubblecar operating there?

I wonder now that Chiltern operate the Oxford to Bicester Town branch, that they could use the spare bubblecar on that branch.

 

[route:oxford]

Thanks to Dampflok for the excellent pics.

So now we know for sure that passenger stock is capable of traversing the Aylesbury-Claydon-Bicester route.

Is there any chance whatsoever that Chiltern could run a few daily diagrams between Aylesbury, AVP, Bicester and Oxford?

There is a direct bus service running between the two - but it takes forever - especially in peak.

Joint Sponsorship between Buckinghamshire Council & Oxfordshire County Council could take 100s of cars off the roads into Oxford (or Aylesbury) every morning.

Finally... There were a few articles in the Oxfordshire papers regarding the risks of operating passenger services on the old Bletchley route.

With these extra services running over the line using passenger stock, does anyone know how many horses at equestrian centres near the line have killed their riders so far? Or how many people have died due to a delayed response of emergency service vehicles held up by the level crossings in Bicester?

 

[OxtedL]

There were a few articles in the Oxfordshire papers regarding the risks of operating passenger services on the old Bletchley route.

With these extra services running over the line using passenger stock, does anyone know how many horses at equestrian centres near the line have killed their riders so far? Or how many people have died due to a delayed response of emergency service vehicles held up by the level crossings in Bicester?

It's a local rag, sir, what do you expect :roll:...

 

[Cherry_Picker]

Passing the old station at Launton

I don't suppose the driver of that stopped the train and attempted to flog you a few DVDs, did he?

 

[Dampflok]

I don't suppose the driver of that stopped the train and attempted to flog you a few DVDs, did he?

The train did stop just after it had passed the level-crossing at which I was standing, but no, no-one tried to sell me any DVDs :cry:

Cheers, Geoff

 

[RPM]

Ha ha! Can't imagine what you mean....

 

[ACE1888]

The most 'photogenic' unit on the network would anyone disagree??? I certainly say so!

 

[AlterEgo]

I've had the privilege of travelling on the Bubble Car last year. I think Chiltern could make a little bit of cash by running one-off weekend excursions to Marylebone, and charging a premium for this. It's a great cosy little train.

(Are they certified to run over LUL metals though? If not they'd have to go the slower route via High Wycombe)

 

[Cherry_Picker]

No tripcock = no Met line.

 

[AlterEgo]

No tripcock = no Met line.

Good point and blindingly obvious too. D'oh!

 

[colchesterken]

How about a weekend shuttle.Pri Risb to quainton for the steam centre..they do Ayles- Quainton on bank holidays.why not every weekend

 

[NIMBUS]

I've had the privilege of travelling on the Bubble Car last year. I think Chiltern could make a little bit of cash by running one-off weekend excursions to Marylebone, and charging a premium for this. It's a great cosy little train.

(Are they certified to run over LUL metals though? If not they'd have to go the slower route via High Wycombe)

The 121s are only permitted to operate carrying passengers between platform 1 at Risborough, Aylesbury and Quainton Road.

 

[justinsteam]

How about a weekend shuttle.Pri Risb to quainton for the steam centre..they do Ayles- Quainton on bank holidays.why not every weekend

Sounds like a good idea

 

[12CSVT]

It's a pity there isn't a permanent connection with the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway otherwise it would have been an ideal visitor for their gala day on Sunday

 

[justinsteam]

It's a pity there isn't a permanent connection with the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway otherwise it would have been an ideal visitor for their gala day on Sunday

Unfortunately, it seems that each time they have raised enough money, Railtrack increase the connection price.

 

[swt_passenger]

Good point and blindingly obvious too. D'oh!

So just why is that 'set in stone' on the Met, yet SWT run about a dozen trains over the course of the day on the District without tripcocks?

Is it because the relevant part of the District has NR signalling (and is fitted with TPWS perhaps)?

 

[87015]

So just why is that 'set in stone' on the Met, yet SWT run about a dozen trains over the course of the day on the District without tripcocks?

Is it because the relevant part of the District has NR signalling (and is fitted with TPWS perhaps)?

Met line can be done sans-tripcock with a LUL traction inspector (or similar) grade onboard, as per the 'Joint Line Railtours' outing and steam on the met of years gone by. Had a nice green bubble car to Chesham before, a repeat might be nice...

 

[NIMBUS]

Met line can be done sans-tripcock with a LUL traction inspector (or similar) grade onboard, as per the 'Joint Line Railtours' outing and steam on the met of years gone by. Had a nice green bubble car to Chesham before, a repeat might be nice...

In 1990 and 1991, due to the reduced number of serviceable 115s, there was a daily diagram up from Aylesbury in the morning, formed of a 47 and four Mark Is (not tripcock fitted). It was my train of choice, going to work (can't imagine why, even if it was a Duff).

Don't forget, also, "The Pinner Pieman" railtour (Hertfordshire) which took a six-car Hampshire thumper unit onto the Met, three cars stabling at Watford whilst the other three worked the Chesham branch all day, finishing by running through, Chesham to Watford, to join the other unit for a non-stop run from Watford Met to Aylesbury before reversing and heading back via the Joint line to Waterloo.