Midsomer Murders' use of preserved railways

[railfan99]

This week I watched a repeat of Midsomer Murders' episode 'Death in a Chocolate Box' (produced in 2007).

It featured a 'Bubble Car' or similar railcar on a single track preserved railway with an historic station. From memory there was a road overbridge or short tunnel at one end of the station.

Twice, the railcar passing over a level crossing with gates was shown. The gates were different to those I'd ever seen on preserved (or Network Rail) lines.

Which preserved railway was it?

As an aside, this isn't the only time 'MM' has featured scenes of railways. Occasionally, characters like Cully have alighted from a train.

 

[JLH4AC]

The Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway was the railway filming location for "Death in a Chocolate Box" and several other Midsomer Murders episodes. The reason the barriers look so different is because the barriers were installed by the production company just for the filming.

 

[railfan99]

Thank you! That's one preserved railway I've yet to experience.

 

[John Webb]

Thank you! That's one preserved railway I've yet to experience.

See https://www.chinnorrailway.co.uk/ for their details. They are one of our smaller lines, but still interesting. Several years ago they reopened their line back into Princes Risborough station with a reinstated platform for connection to trains on the main line.
They've been working for some years to preserve the very large Princes Risborough North box. One third of the box is used to control their part of the station, the other two-thirds has the levers that once worked the station and is being restored for public demonstrations.

 

[railfan99]

Thank you: it's on my list but a limited number of operating days makes inclusion challenging.

Have been to well run North Norfolk Railway, the 'biggie' in North Yorkshire Moors Railway, 1903-railcar equipped Bolton and Embsay Railway on a day teeming with rain, the overrated Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, 'the first one' in Bluebell Railway, the well connected to National Rail Mid Hants Railway, the excellent and very professional Kent and East Sussex Railway, wonderful West Somerset Railway, the pleasing South Devon Railway, the threatened but now with a Corwen extension Llangollen Railway, the surprisingly good Churnet Valley Railway and rather pedestrian Dartmouth Steam Railway. All in either September 2022 or 2023 with exception of NYMR (a decade ago) and DSR (1993, probably operating then under a different name).

I've also travelled on Isle of Man Steam Railway 30 years ago but opinions differ I gather as to whether it should be included.

Did Ffestiniog, Talyllyn and Vale of Rheidol 30 years ago.

As you can observe, picking off longer lines has been the modus operandi. Some such as Weardale Railway at Bishop Auckland are made harder as some operating days cover only part of the preserved line. The aim is to do the whole line, a bit like your contributor who wants to use a train from every UK passenger platform over a five year period.

My choice is not to visit UK during summer as attractions can be crowded and hotel tariffs naturally increase, sometimes massively.

I favour September/October visits but latter month understandably has fewer operating days.

 

[yorksrob]

Thank you: it's on my list but a limited number of operating days makes inclusion challenging.

Have been to well run North Norfolk Railway, the 'biggie' in North Yorkshire Moors Railway, 1903-railcar equipped Bolton and Embsay Railway on a day teeming with rain, the overrated Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, 'the first one' in Bluebell Railway, the well connected to National Rail Mid Hants Railway, the excellent and very professional Kent and East Sussex Railway, wonderful West Somerset Railway, the pleasing South Devon Railway, the threatened but now with a Corwen extension Llangollen Railway, the surprisingly good Churnet Valley Railway and rather pedestrian Dartmouth Steam Railway. All in either September 2022 or 2023 with exception of NYMR (a decade ago) and DSR (1993, probably operating then under a different name).

I've also travelled on Isle of Man Steam Railway 30 years ago but opinions differ I gather as to whether it should be included.

Did Ffestiniog, Talyllyn and Vale of Rheidol 30 years ago.

As you can observe, picking off longer lines has been the modus operandi. Some such as Weardale Railway at Bishop Auckland are made harder as some operating days cover only part of the preserved line. The aim is to do the whole line, a bit like your contributor who wants to use a train from every UK passenger platform over a five year period.

My choice is not to visit UK during summer as attractions can be crowded and hotel tariffs naturally increase, sometimes massively.

I favour September/October visits but latter month understandably has fewer operating days.

The weather's usually pretty alright in September as well.

 

[DanNCL]

As you can observe, picking off longer lines has been the modus operandi. Some such as Weardale Railway at Bishop Auckland are made harder as some operating days cover only part of the preserved line. The aim is to do the whole line, a bit like your contributor who wants to use a train from every UK passenger platform over a five year period.

Weardale has improved considerably on that front. More than half the days now run the full route, and the timetable has been changed so that trains connect with Northern. And although it’s not advertised, it is standard for the Weardale train to wait for late running Northern connections.

I did enquire about why there are days where they only run between Wolsingham and Stanhope. The answer I got was that it was aimed on those days for local residents and those staying in the many caravan parks there. Which I guess can be understandable as Weardale being an almost entirely DMU operation doesn’t have the same appeal to enthusiasts as many other lines.

Weardale has found a niche running a large Christmas operation and by hiring out for filming. In the same genre as the show mentioned in this thread, Weardale has been used for filming railway scenes for Vera.

 

[DelW]

The Chinnor line has had a problem in that, in order to reach its platform at Princes Risborough, it's had to run over a short length of Network Rail track (part of the old Thame branch). This was a consequence of decisions on which tracks were lifted made by BR when the layout was simplified after the branches were closed.

The C&PR is currently collecting track panels in order to use them to lay a line parallel to the NR one, which will link its Princes Risborough platform directly to the rest of its line. When completed, this will enable them to run trains there without NR involvement, potentially allowing an increase in the number of trains they can run which connect with Chiltern services.

 

[Gwr12345]

Weardale has found a niche running a large Christmas operation and by hiring out for filming. In the same genre as the show mentioned in this thread, Weardale has been used for filming railway scenes for Vera.

I think that's the nearby Wensleydale, although the Christmas operation is planned to be quite large this year.

 

[John Webb]

......I favour September/October visits but latter month understandably has fewer operating days.

Late May/early June (avoiding any half-term week) can be good for weather, fewer crowds and regular running on most of the UK's preserved railways. Also longer hours of daylight than in September/October for general sight-seeing.

 

[DanNCL]

I think that's the nearby Wensleydale, although the Christmas operation is planned to be quite large this year.

Both Weardale and Wensleydale are putting on equally big Christmas operations this year. At Weardale it’s effectively back to the size it was when they had the Polar Express franchise, though with Wensleydale now having the licensing rights Weardale have had to choose a new name.

 

[Dave S 56F]

The Chinnor line has had a problem in that, in order to reach its platform at Princes Risborough, it's had to run over a short length of Network Rail track (part of the old Thame branch). This was a consequence of decisions on which tracks were lifted made by BR when the layout was simplified after the branches were closed.

The C&PR is currently collecting track panels in order to use them to lay a line parallel to the NR one, which will link its Princes Risborough platform directly to the rest of its line. When completed, this will enable them to run trains there without NR involvement, potentially allowing an increase in the number of trains they can run which connect with Chiltern services.

Is there still a plan as well for the chinnor and princess risborough railway to extend to Aston Rowant Station site long term aim to make the line 6 miles a extra 2 miles if achieved?

 

[DelW]

Is there still a plan as well for the chinnor and princess risborough railway to extend to Aston Rowant Station site long term aim to make the line 6 miles a extra 2 miles if achieved?

I can't help on that I'm afraid, my information was from a magazine news item about recovering the track panels. I'm not even sure which magazine that was in.

 

[russellb]

I can't help on that I'm afraid, my information was from a magazine news item about recovering the track panels. I'm not even sure which magazine that was in.

As far as as I know there’s still a long term possibility in that direction, but I think the focus at the moment is more on the independent line project.

 

[brad465]

Aylesbury Quainton Road was used for filming at least once: in the episode "Down among the dead men", it was the scene of a blackmail exchange one night, with the victim leaving money in a bag on the bridge above the railway, which the blackmailer later pulled down to the railway level and set off on a motorcycle (soon to be caught as the police camped up to catch up them).

While not a heritage railway, Bekonscot was also used in "Small Mercies" and was the scene of the first murder of that episode.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

As an aside, this isn't the only time 'MM' has featured scenes of railways. Occasionally, characters like Cully have alighted from a train.

Generally (as in 'I can't remember them using anywhere else but someone else may know better') using Twyford station.

 

[prod_pep]

Generally (as in 'I can't remember them using anywhere else but someone else may know better') using Twyford station.

Beaconsfield station was the one normally used in the earlier series, which also appeared in a cricket-themed episode of Morse.

 

[BlueLeanie]

Is there still a plan as well for the chinnor and princess risborough railway to extend to Aston Rowant Station site long term aim to make the line 6 miles a extra 2 miles if achieved?

On that point.

Was the M40 tunnel, that appears to be on the route between Chinnor and Watlington, ever used by the railway?

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[russellb]

No, that is the Upper Icknield Way motorway crossing, not where the railway was:

Side by side georeferenced maps viewer - Map images - National Library of Scotland

 

[yorksrob]

Beaconsfield station was the one normally used in the earlier series, which also appeared in a cricket-themed episode of Morse.

Along with Dover Western Docks (and some Jaffa cake and NSE liveried CEP's and VEP's).

Probably the best telly ever recorded.