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The future for Chiltern's Class 121 "bubble car" units?

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OneTrackMind

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The bridge is currently closed, there is a temporary one further down the London end of the platforms which you can't see much from.

Sorry, that's my poor description, I was referring to the public one that NSEFAN has just mentioned above.
 
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NickBucks

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There is a road access to Morrisons supermarket adjacent to Aylesbury depot from which it may be possible to see the bubblecar depending upon what other units Chiltern have on the depot. Alternatively there is a pedestrian bridge over the railway which is not railway property and you may be able to see it from there.
 

matt

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I had a trip down yesterday to film 121034 in action before they finish in a months time, then back today for a ride

[youtube]rP2qmkmdTXI[/youtube]
 

Dhassell

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Does anyone know if normally the evening trains are busy? Planning a trip for next week.
 

Clip

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I had a trip down yesterday to film 121034 in action before they finish in a months time, then back today for a ride

[youtube]rP2qmkmdTXI[/youtube]

I must remember to get over there for one last trip before these go - nice little video.

What has amused me over the years is those who complain so much about lack of correct information about the whats going on on the railways yet they never complain about the blinds on these being wrong. How odd.
 

plcd1

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I had a trip down yesterday to film 121034 in action before they finish in a months time, then back today for a ride

Great video and thanks for the reminder via this thread that I must go and have a ride before they disappear. :D
 

Ash Bridge

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Some really lovely footage you've captured there Matt, It really makes me sad that this really is the final chapter for them.
 

Lrd

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Does anyone know if normally the evening trains are busy? Planning a trip for next week.
I used it last week and there were about 10 of us on there. But most were enthusiasts and I can see it getting busier in the last month.
 

matt

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Full this evening with the majority being enthusiasts
 

ChilternTurbo

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Full this evening with the majority being enthusiasts

Quite a few commuters (myself included) on the 18:06 to AYS who were unable to travel directly to Aylesbury due to signalling issues and went via Princes Risborough. It was nice of the crew to have the blinds up in the cab which afforded a great view.
 

Dhassell

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Full this evening with the majority being enthusiasts

Blimey, It was rammed. Wasn't too bad on the 1700 of to Aylesbury, busy busy back on the 17:26 to PRR. Was a very nice trip, very friendly and cooperative driver and guard as well (People who were onboard will know what I mean by that)! :p Destination blinds were changed each time the train switched ends which was nice!
 

bb21

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Quite a few commuters (myself included) on the 18:06 to AYS who were unable to travel directly to Aylesbury due to signalling issues and went via Princes Risborough. It was nice of the crew to have the blinds up in the cab which afforded a great view.

It was nice for them to wait for the late running 68 too for anyone needing the connection.
 

ChilternTurbo

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It was nice for them to wait for the late running 68 too for anyone needing the connection.
Indeed and something I've appreciated on a regular basis as the 17:21 invariably picks up delays given the lengthy dwell times caused by that rake of Mk3 slam door stock...
 

OneTrackMind

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Official confirmation...

https://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/news/retirement-bubble-cars

The affectionately named ‘Bubble Cars’, that run on the Chiltern Railways line between Princes Risborough and Aylesbury, are due to make their last journey on the Chiltern Railways route on Friday 19 May.

First brought into service in Britain in 1960, the two heritage class 121 trains were purchased by Chiltern Railways in 2003 and have serviced the 18-minute journey from Princes Risborough to Monks Risborough, Little Kimble and Aylesbury ever since. As single carriage trains, they are recognisable for their small size and open environment allowing customers to see ahead through the front windows of the train.

Famed for being the last remaining trains in service that use vacuum brakes, the time has come where the ongoing maintenance of these classic trains is increasing and the decision has been to take them out of service. Both trains will be on sale following their retirement and the number of services running daily across the route will remain unchanged.

Matthew Prosser, Engineering Director at Chiltern Railways says:
“We will be sad to see these trains go has they are a part of railway history and some customers even make special journeys to travel on them. However, the changes are necessary due to the age of the vehicles and we will ultimately be providing a more comfortable service for our customers.”

A small farewell will be held on the last day of the service for the Bubble Cars. Details will be announced in due course.
 

JoeGJ1984

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I don't know why they can't do a 'farewell' on the following Saturday, 20th May. I know the bubble cars need a guard who otherwise wouldn't be needed, but for a one-off they could arrange it - perhaps hae the bubble car run all day (as the current peak hours only operation makes it difficult to get cheap tickets to get to the area for anyone further afield). I think they did such a thing in 2010 for their 50th anniversary or something?
 

150219

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I don't know why they can't do a 'farewell' on the following Saturday, 20th May. I know the bubble cars need a guard who otherwise wouldn't be needed, but for a one-off they could arrange it - perhaps hae the bubble car run all day (as the current peak hours only operation makes it difficult to get cheap tickets to get to the area for anyone further afield). I think they did such a thing in 2010 for their 50th anniversary or something?

The farewell tour was on Sunday 9th April. As we run into the forthcoming month, Wembley Stadium has special events almost every weekend.
 

Rhydgaled

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Evening peaks are usually quieter than morning peaks. I'd be surprised if you didn't get a seat on the last trip of the day. When I went recently on a Wednesday (IIRC) we did get a seat, even arriving at the last minute.
Thanks for the reply. On your advice I decided to try the evening, aiming for the 18:06 PRR to AYS with a fallback plan of waiting around for a later trip if that was too busy. Having boarded with plenty of time to spare, I got a seat on the 18:06 last night just fine although by the time it pulled out it most seats had been taken by fellow enthusiasts. I also did the 0849 AYS to PRR (this morning) and there were only a few of us on board. All in all a very successful trip. With very few 'normals' on board, I wonder ig the number of carriages is likely to equal the number of passengers on occassion when the 121s have gone.

I'm a Chiltern season ticket holder and regularly travel on these. I'll miss the well sprung seats and the puzzled looks on people faces at Princes Risborough when confronted with a 50+ year old train displaying the Pwllheli etc. on the blind. My commute will certainly be a duller one when they're gone but appreciate not all the lines regulars feel the same...
So, there's Pwllheli on the blinds as well. I wonder what the full range of destinations available on the blinds are; this morning it was showing Machynlleth at one end and Llandudno at the other? I assume it was a unit last used in north Wales which does not have AYS and PRR available on the blinds.
 

Muzer

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Thanks for the reply. On your advice I decided to try the evening, aiming for the 18:06 PRR to AYS with a fallback plan of waiting around for a later trip if that was too busy. Having boarded with plenty of time to spare, I got a seat on the 18:06 last night just fine although by the time it pulled out it most seats had been taken by fellow enthusiasts. I also did the 0849 AYS to PRR (this morning) and there were only a few of us on board. All in all a very successful trip. With very few 'normals' on board, I wonder ig the number of carriages is likely to equal the number of passengers on occassion when the 121s have gone.

So, there's Pwllheli on the blinds as well. I wonder what the full range of destinations available on the blinds are; this morning it was showing Machynlleth at one end and Llandudno at the other? I assume it was a unit last used in north Wales which does not have AYS and PRR available on the blinds.
Someone with more knowledge may correct me if I'm wrong, but 121034 was previously owned by the Birmingham Railway Museum, who presumably fitted the destination blind, as it does have destinations relevant to that place on it. Presumably for authenticity, they fitted a blind that, besides those stations, also has all sorts of destinations that the units would really have worked to on it — many in Wales, many on the Great Western, and plenty of other peculiar ones. It certainly wouldn't have been a blind fitted when it was in "real" passenger service, as it has such a variety of destinations as to be ridiculous for that!
 
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hotelmode

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Someone with more knowledge may correct me if I'm wrong, but 121034 was previously owned by the Birmingham Railway Museum, who presumably fitted the destination blind, as it does have destinations relevant to that place on it. Presumably for authenticity, they fitted a blind that, besides those stations, also has all sorts of destinations that the units would really have worked to on it — many in Wales, many on the Great Western, and plenty of other peculiar ones. It certainly wouldn't have been a blind fitted when it was in "real" passenger service, as it has such a variety of destinations as to be ridiculous for that!

Sounds like a blind I have from the late 80s I bought at collectors corner.

I assumed it was a standard Tyseley DMU blind. It basically has all the Birmingham suburban destinations plus places further afield that were probably irregularly visited but not unheard of when Tyseley was the major regional DMU depot and stock wasn't allocated to small geographic franchises. It definitely has destinations as far afield as Bristol, Cardiff, Reading, Norwich, Holyhead, Skegness and others in addition to those mentioned above. There are articles on the web mentioning Tyseley DMU diagrams that took them to both Skegness and Aberystwyth. It's definitely authentic as I bought it direct from BR.

I'll find it tomorrow and look.
 
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MatthewRead

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It's a shame they won't have a proper last day on the 20th May not all of us can afford the peak time fair I hope they release that!
 

theblackwatch

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The unit should be running during the daytime on May 19th. In any case, those who can't afford the peak fare have 2 weeks to save up their pocket money. :P
 

ChilternTurbo

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Sounds like a blind I have from the late 80s I bought at collectors corner.

I assumed it was a standard Tyseley DMU blind. It basically has all the Birmingham suburban destinations plus places further afield that were probably irregularly visited but not unheard of when Tyseley was the major regional DMU depot and stock wasn't allocated to small geographic franchises. It definitely has destinations as far afield as Bristol, Cardiff, Reading, Norwich, Holyhead, Skegness and others in addition to those mentioned above. There are articles on the web mentioning Tyseley DMU diagrams that took them to both Skegness and Aberystwyth. It's definitely authentic as I bought it direct from BR.

I'll find it tomorrow and look.

I've seen the unit displaying West Midlands destinations such as Shirley and Four Oaks so imagine that it's one of those Tyseley blinds.
Slightly off topic but I spent my pocket money on one of those exact blinds from Collectors Corner too. Having sold it last year on ebay for over £100 made me wish I'd purchased more!
 

150219

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I've seen the unit displaying West Midlands destinations such as Shirley and Four Oaks so imagine that it's one of those Tyseley blinds.
Slightly off topic but I spent my pocket money on one of those exact blinds from Collectors Corner too. Having sold it last year on ebay for over £100 made me wish I'd purchased more!

The blinds fitted to 121034 are not BR originals, they were fitted when the unit was based at the museum.
 
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