Chiltern Railways bubblecar

[JoeGJ1984]

I was half-thinking of going to see the Chiltern Railways bubblecar on the Princes Risborough-Aylesbury Branch. I know it normally runs only on weekday peak hours, but does anyone know how reliably I could catch the bubblecar? Are there any specific services where it is scheduled to run?

On looking at youtube videos of the two bubblecars currently in use, on one of them, the driver leaves the blinds open, thus giving a near-driver'seye view of the track ahead to anyone sitting towards the front, but in another video, the blind is closed. Is there any operational reason for having to have the blind down? Do you think I will have any joy if I manage to find the driver to ask him to leave the blind up?

Edit: For the benefit of those who find this topic through Google searches, Current diagrams (regularly updated) can be found on another topic.

 

[merlodlliw]

I was half-thinking of going to see the Chiltern Railways bubblecar on the Princes Risborough-Aylesbury Branch. I know it normally runs only on weekday peak hours, but does anyone know how reliably I could catch the bubblecar? Are there any specific services where it is scheduled to run?

On looking at youtube videos of the two bubblecars currently in use, on one of them, the driver leaves the blinds open, thus giving a near-driver'seye view of the track ahead to anyone sitting towards the front, but in another video, the blind is closed. Is there any operational reason for having to have the blind down? Do you think I will have any joy if I manage to find the driver to ask him to leave the blind up?

Its sister Company ATW run one between Cardiff Queen St & Bute Rd, 4 mins run, daily service every qtr hour or so.The blinds on these DMUs were usually closed at night to stop reflection, or at the whim of certain drivers in the day. If the driver looks OK ask him.

 

[Gareth Marston]

Its sister Company ATW run one between Cardiff Queen St & Bute Rd, 4 mins run, daily service every qtr hour or so.The blinds on these DMUs were usually closed at night to stop reflection, or at the whim of certain drivers in the day. If the driver looks OK ask him.

Lat few trips to Cdf I haven't seen it running though.

 

[JoeGJ1984]

Lat few trips to Cdf I haven't seen it running though.

I knew about that one but I thought the bubblecar pretty much ran all the trains from Cardiff Queen Street - Cardiff Bay.

 

[4SRKT]

Lat few trips to Cdf I haven't seen it running though.

This is a worry. I might take a trip to Cardiff before the end of May if the 57 is due to be replaced by a skip in the new timetable. Obviously the bubble makes the atrraction greater.

 

[RPM]

First of all you will have to be there in the morning because the bubble car is no longer used in the evening peak.

Unfortunately I haven't got the diagrams to hand but I'll try and remember to make a note of them when I'm in tonight and post them here when I get back.

It does usually run its booked turns and it has been a more reliable performer than the AWT bubble car, but there is always a chance that it will be pulled at the last minute if it develops a fault. You'll just have to take a chance really, and I wish you better luck than I had when I went to Cardiff to get a ride on the ATW one!

You can ask about raising the blinds, but I wouldn't hold your breath. Most drivers do not like having people looking over their shoulders. The blinds are sometimes raised when it is used on the Quainton Road shuttles but it is down to the whim of the driver.

 

[JoeGJ1984]

A couple of people say it can be hit and miss getting the Cardiff bubblecar. How come? I thought it was scheduled to do all runs on the Cardiff Bay shuttle, and hence you were pretty much guaranteed to catch it by going on that route.

Anybody know of when might be most likely to catch the Cardiff bubblecar?

 

[MCR247]

It is, but like all trains it does develop faults There isn't a most likely day

 

[RPM]

As promised, the current Chiltern bubble car workings are as follows:

Mon-Fri only.

5P80
AYS dep: 0649 (ECS)
PRR arr: 0703

2A06
PRR dep: 0710
AYS arr: 0725

2P81
AYS dep: 0802
PRR arr: 0818

2A10
PRR dep: 0823
AYS arr: 0838

2P82
AYS dep: 0844
PRR arr: 0900

2A14
PRR dep: 0918
AYS arr: 0934

2P83
AYS dep: 0944
PRR arr: 1000

2A18
PRR dep: 1011
AYS arr: 1027

All (except the ECS working) call at Monks Risborough and Little Kimble

Hope this helps.

 

[ess]

i'm fascinated to know what you're talking about??

 

[JoeGJ1984]

The bubblecar is a classic first-generation DMU (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_121 for more information). There are two in use in regular service; one on Chiltern Railways on a branch line from Princes Risborough to Aylesbury (to free up a train during the morning peak; the times are given above) and another is used by Arriva Trains Wales in Cardiff on the shuttle from Cardiff Queen Street to Cardiff Bay (usually all the services). You can see a few videos of them on youtube if you search (search from class 121).

 

[RPI]

I believe Chiltern are currently refurbishing a second Bubble for use on this line, it was bought originaly for use on the Stourbridge line for if they had won the W mids franchise.

 

[RPM]

That is correct, it is 121034. It is being refurbished at Tyseley rather than at LH Plant where 121020 was done. It should have been delivered in October but we are still waiting for it. I don't know what the hold up is.

The word is that it will be painted in BR green.

 

[JoeGJ1984]

Just thinking again (pure speculation), but I heard about the Lymington Slammers and that the branch was made into a 'heritage' branch (though still on the mainline and running in regular service) with the old EMUs between 2005 and 2010. I wonder (particularly if they are getting a second bubblecar) what's to stop them just using the bubblecars for all the services on the Princes Risborough-Aylesbury branch (therefore bringing a bit of heritage to the mainline - better than having them stuck in a siding except for a few runs in the morning)? (With the exception of the peak hour through trains to Marylebone, which I envisage still being run by class 165s). You've got them, so you might as well use them. I think it's a lightly used line anyway and the journey time is only about 15 minutes, so the lack of toilets isn't particularly uncomfortable for this time. (All right, if there is a fault, then use the class 165s if you have to).

Just wondering about the feasibility of this.

 

[Clip]

I was half-thinking of going to see the Chiltern Railways bubblecar on the Princes Risborough-Aylesbury Branch. I know it normally runs only on weekday peak hours, but does anyone know how reliably I could catch the bubblecar? Are there any specific services where it is scheduled to run?

On looking at youtube videos of the two bubblecars currently in use, on one of them, the driver leaves the blinds open, thus giving a near-driver'seye view of the track ahead to anyone sitting towards the front, but in another video, the blind is closed. Is there any operational reason for having to have the blind down? Do you think I will have any joy if I manage to find the driver to ask him to leave the blind up?

IIRC the bubblecar left in use with CR doesnt have a blind its a solid wood partition now so you cant see.

 

[KiddyKid]

Im afraid your wrong, the bubble car retains its glass partition/blinds at the saloon end, the van end always did have a solid partition.

 

[Clip]

Im afraid your wrong, the bubble car retains its glass partition/blinds at the saloon end, the van end always did have a solid partition.

Ahh right - Ive only travelled in one direction on it and not really noticed much as head down in the paper

 

[kentuckytony]

Just FYI for those interested in cab rides, 225 Studios has CHN04 which has as part of it a cab ride and some external shots using the class 121 from Aylesbury to Princes Risborough.

 

[RPM]

Ahh right - Ive only travelled in one direction on it and not really noticed much as head down in the paper

In fact 121020 has glazed partitions at both ends - a relic from it's time as a sandite/route learning unit. When built it had a solid partition at the guard's end.

 

[NLC1072]

is that still the correct diagram, and which ticket do I buy from London to ride it? as presumably any permitted will not cover that route as it is not a direct train or within the specified shortest distance from Marylebone?