Bubblecars, bins and boxes.

It has been 18 1/2 years since I last stood here at Princes Risborough, the semaphores are gone but a first generation DMU stands in the bay platform. 55020 has just screeched to a halt having worked 2P84 1038 from Aylesbury. 10/4/2006

After a short recess the bubblecar heads back to Aylesbury. 55020 pauses at the wooden platform of Monks Risborough with 2A83, 1105 from Princes Risborough to Aylesbury.

After a short pause at the wooded platformed halt, the unit moves off without picking up or dropping off any passengers.

During the day the shuttle runs at an hourly departure from each end. 55020 returns off Aylesbury at 1138, 2P85, and comes into view on the approach to Little Kimble.

The small station at Little Kimble is more traditional than that of Monks Risborough. These are the two intermediate stations between Princes Risborough and Aylesbury.

The mid blue liveried bubblecar approaches Marsh Lane level crossing with 2A84 1205 Princes Risborough to Aylesbury. The class 121 unit was running as the normal class 165 unit was undergoing maintenance. I picked a good day to visit!!

The going away shot from the level crossing. Aylesbury is just a few miles away.

An unusual exhibit for a Railway Centre but this Chieftain Tank arrived at the centre on the 29th September 2003 from the Bovington Tank Museum. Located in the Down Yard for several years, it was originally intended to be mounted on the War Well. However, as a relatively modern tank it was never intended to be transported by rail, and was too wide for the loading gauge. In October 2015 it returned to the Bovington Tank Museum. (Info from the BRC website). It is a Chieftain Mark II built in 1970 by the Royal Ordnance Factory, Leeds, fitted with Stillbrew armour around the turret front. Its service included CVD Ludgershall, Queens Royal Irish Hussars and 2nd Royal Tank Regiment (source: Bovington Museum Vehicle Record). Marked ‘LOAN OUT’ in Bovington museum record on 28 December 2005.

This locomotive, of Peckett class OY-1, was one of only six, being part of a batch of four built to the order of Courtaulds in 1948. When new, No. 2087, then named Dafydd, was sent to Courtaulds' Aber Works, Flint, North Wales. It was subsequently transferred to Wolverhampton, where it lost the name. Finally, No. 2087, went to Courtaulds' Red Scar, Preston, plant. Here it was rebuilt with parts from scrapped sister engine No. 2086, and worked until replacement by diesel in 1968. During its time at Preston, No. 2087 received the name Miranda. After withdrawal the loco was purchased by the Lytham Creek Motive Power Museum. In March 1980 it was transferred to the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway for possible use there, although in fact the loco was never steamed. A QRS member purchased No. 2087 in 1983, and in December of that year it was moved to Quainton. (Info from the BRC website) It left the railway in January 2018.

A move to Quainton Road and Freightliner 66581 rumbles through the Buckingham Steam Centre preservation site with 6M22 0917 Cricklewood to Calvert loaded binliner. On the right is a Chieftain tank. The station was opened by the Great Central Railway on 30/11/1896 to replace a smaller one a short distance away. It closed completely on 4/7/1966 with passenger traffic ceasing on 4/3/1963. Freight continues to pass by and the occasional passenger train will call for the Buckingham Railway Centre which has grown up around the station since 1969.

This is the view from the other side of the road bridge at the station. 66581 powers on to Calvert. There was a junction here with a line branching off to the right just beyond the bridge and ran to Calvert Junction, see later.

A quick drive to Calvert and the overbridge above the remains to Calvert station. Looking south sees 66581 slowly brings its train of compacted household rubbish into the transfer station sidings.

The driver slowly brings his train in passed a line of empty containers that will be worked away by another loco later on. Note the change in gradient on the former GCR mainline, in the south looking direction the line is level then rises at 1 in 330 then very noticeable falls at 1 in 176.

The train slowly runs through the unloading gantry without stopping. The loco will run round and slowly draw the train back to allow the containers to be unloaded, emptied and replaced on the flats.

The remains of Claydon station on the line from Oxford to Bletchley. The line was closed as a through route on 1 January 1968 and mothballed in 1993.

This is the view in the opposite direction looking towards Claydon Junction. In 2020 work is in progress to reopen this route.

Moving to another location and this is at Verney Junction looking towards Bletchley.

The overgrown platforms of Verney Junction, named after the local landowner at the time of the building of the railway. The lines of the former London and North Western, Metropolitan and Great Central Railways formed a junction here.

Another drive back along the former Great Central route to Marylebone to Ditchburns Crossing near Grendon Underwood junction. The next Calvert arrival was a surprise, DRS 66407 has been hired to Freightliner and is working 6M80 1316 Dagenham to Calvert loaded binliner.

Back at Calvert and a public footpath runs right next to the unloading gantry, so viewing and photography of the unloading process is unhindered. 66407 stands under the gantry prior to the unloading starting.

The swift unloading process has started and the driver slowly moves the train forward as the crane driver lifts the containers off the wagons and drops them on one of a fleet of five trucks to take them to the landfill site for unloading and back to the gantry for swapping. An entire train will be unloaded in a very short time.

Back on the overbridge and 66407 slowly creeps forward. 66581 and its train can be seen in the far distance on the same road as the yellow containers. The remains of Calvert station's island platform is to the left. 10/4/06

The following day and Freightliner 66570 passes through the disused up platform of Trimley station on the Felixstowe branch, with a light engine move from Felixstowe North Yard to Ipswich stabling point. 11/4/06

A loaded working powered by 66541 crosses the level crossing at Trimley with 4L83 0225 MX Leeds to Felixstowe South Yard Freightliner. The Felixstowe branch is single track.

Passenger traffic is light on the branch and is well catered for by the smaller sprinter units. Bubblecar 153322 forms 2R08 0926 Ipswich to Felixstowe.

The single car unit has reappeared at Trimley after a brief four minute dwell time at Felixstowe. The 0956 departure to Ipswich is run under the 2R09 headcode. There is a bit of business to be done here.

66533 takes the line to the north yard working 4L95 0009 MX Ditton to Felixstowe North Yard. Note the removed footbridge steps preventing access to the disused platform.

The next passenger train is a "one" branded class 156 sprinter. 156418 makes its station stop with 2R10 1026 from Ipswich to Felixstowe.

Having dropped off its train and with no other working to bring out, 66541 returns north for Ipswich Yard and the Freightliner stabling point, running as 0L83.

After a short dwell time at the Felixstowe terminus a few miles away, 156418 returns north to Ipswich as 2R11, 1056 off.

Whilst Freightliner has about 80% of the traffic from Felixstowe Docks, GBRf and EWS (DBS) also work trains. GBRf 66705 comes off the North Yard line with 4M23 1059 Felixstowe to Hams Hall Intermodal.

Looking south from the Trimley overbridge to the point where the lines to the two yards split. 66714 waits for the road on the line to Felixstowe station and the south yard with 4E33 1104 Felixstowe South Yard to Doncaster Intermodal.

GBRf liveried, with First Group branding 66714 powers purposely through Trimley station with its loaded train for the south Yorkshire town of Doncaster.

156418 returns with another class 2 local down working, 2R12 1126 Ipswich to Felixstowe. The Mohican coming into the shot got a row from the guard for walking up the ramp rather than use the proper route!

66533 reappears with a well loaded train of imported boxes from the North Yard to Manchester Trafford Park, 4M87 1141 off. It was held while 156418 made its station stop and was just visible in the that shot.

A going away shot of 66533 showing the junction of the two yard routes and the single track beyond.

Moving away from Trimley further up the branch towards the main line and this is near Levington. On the single line branch 66576 has just two flats in tow with a trip working from Ipswich Yard to Felixstowe North Yard, 4R02 1229 off.

The only class 57of the day appears and 57010 kicks up a fuss with a well loaded 4R98 0513 MX Tilbury to Felixstowe North service.

Sprinter 156418 approaches working 2R16 1326 Ipswich to Felixstowe. There has been much talk of relaying the branch with double track to increase the amount of traffic to the docks. As of 2019 it still has not happened. A good day.