Chiltern 121s...

[hougtimo]

Hi all,

I have recently moved to Aylesbury and my house overlooks Chiltern's maintenance depot at Aylesbury station. There are three class 121s that seem to be resident here. From what I can gather from the internet, there are two operational units that are regularly used in service, and one (ex ATW) class 121 that is supposedly used for spares.

Thing is... The ex ATW unit is the only one that ever seems to move! Unfortunately I leave for work at 5am, and get home for about 6pm, so I don't actually see any of the movements of the units. The two 'operational' units always seem to be parked next to the maintenance depot behind some sort of diesel shunter, while the ex ATW unit seems to live in a siding next to the station along with another heritage DMU (which also seems to move often!). The ex ATW unit seems to be parked in a different spot in that siding each time I walk past.

Does anyone know definitively what units are working, and when they work services?? Again the internet says they're used at peak times, but Chiltern's twitter guy said they only run lunchtime services?

 

[westcoaster]

The 121's only run the Princes risborough shuttles in the peak to free up other DMU's.they also sometimes run the iirc Quaintonian up to the bucks railway centre.

 

[DarloRich]

There will be one less as 55032 ( the ATW one) left today for a journey to a new home on the Wensleydale Railway.

it went as part of 5T00 to Tysley for onward road transport

EDIT: The Three car green unit is a railhead treatment train used in winter/autumn while i think there are 2 bubble car, one green and one blue that work the shuttle services

 

[MK Tom]

There's a third bubble, the blue and grey route learning unit.

 

[DarloRich]

There's a third bubble, the blue and grey route learning unit.

of course - i missed that one!

 

[168lover]

The rhtt is going to be sold.

 

[didcot]

55034,55032 & 960301 leaving Banbury for Tyseley yesterday. I was informed by the Chiltern staff on board that 55034 was going for overhaul and that 55032 & 960301 had been sold

 

[sprinterguy]

55034,55032 & 960301 leaving Banbury for Tyseley yesterday. I was informed by the Chiltern staff on board that 55034 was going for overhaul and that 55032 & 960301 had been sold

Ah, that's useful to know: I wondered what these three were all doing sat at Tyseley this morning.

 

[theblackwatch]

55032 was reported in Rail Express earlier this month as heading for the Wensleydale Railway.

 

[DarloRich]

55032 was reported in Rail Express earlier this month as heading for the Wensleydale Railway.

see post #3

 

[MK Tom]

But nobody knows to whom the 117 has been sold!

 

[route:oxford]

But nobody knows to whom the 117 has been sold!

That's not true.

There will be between 2-4 parties to the transaction.

Buyer, Seller, Broker, Lender.

At least 2 of these parties will know who purchased it.

 

[alexl92]

How did the 121 end up moving to Wensleydale? Was it offered up for sale?

 

[fgwrich]

How did the 121 end up moving to Wensleydale? Was it offered up for sale?

By road from Tysley and Yes. It was offered out to tender by Chiltern recently and obviously has been bought for use by the Wensleydale in mind.

I wonder if it's been bought to go into Northallerton if it's mainline equipment is still largely fitted?

 

[headshot119]

By road from Tysley and Yes. It was offered out to tender by Chiltern recently and obviously has been bought for use by the Wensleydale in mind.

I wonder if it's been bought to go into Northallerton if it's mainline equipment is still largely fitted?

All of its mainline equipment is fitted! All over forums and the Internet I see people claiming it was bought by Chiltern to be stripped for spares, but no one can give a source for the rumour.

We had it at Llangollen as a gala visitor shortly after chiltern bought it from ATW, and Chiltern had fitted a new fluid fly wheel, so I very much doubt it was ever to be stripped or why would they have fitted new parts.

For reference it is fitted with:

CDL
TPWS
AWS
OTMR
NRN (Possibly now swapped for GSMR)
CCTV (saloon and forward facing)
Public Address equipment.

 

[wra_relay]

Photos of the Bubble Car running on the Wensleydale Railway immediatedly after arrival yesterday can be found on the Railway's Facebook page

 

[hougtimo]

So now there are two blue bubble cars at Aylesbury. Are these both runners?

The 3 car dmu seems to have disappeared.

 

[route:oxford]

This will clear out some space for the "D" trains arriving.

 

[73001]

So now there are two blue bubble cars at Aylesbury. Are these both runners?

The 3 car dmu seems to have disappeared.

See post #7

 

[alexl92]

Photos of the Bubble Car running on the Wensleydale Railway immediatedly after arrival yesterday can be found on the Railway's Facebook page

Has it been bought by the railway for a particular service, or by an individual for the railway to use as they need?

 

[wra_relay]

It has been bought by the Railway for general revenue earning services as required

 

[MK Tom]

Back to the remaining Chiltern bubbles, 121020 was running the Quainton shuttles today in 121034's absence. Here's a photo I got of it - https://www.flickr.com/photos/mk_tom/16749418133/

By the way, is the third Chiltern bubble, the blue/grey route learning one, potentially serviceable for passenger use?

 

[RPM]

By the way, is the third Chiltern bubble, the blue/grey route learning one, potentially serviceable for passenger use?

No, not at all. It was converted for Sandite/route learning use in NSE days. The Sandite equipment is now defunct but the unit remains fairly chopped about and a long way from passenger-carrying configuration. Quite apart from the lack of seats, it would need to be fitted with electromagnetic door locking if passengers were to be allowed on board.

 

[swt_passenger]

I suppose its possible they won't need the 121s at all, once the TPE 170s have all arrived?

 

[RPM]

I doubt the TPE 170s will make any difference. They're needed to cover the additional Oxford services. The ultimate deadline for class 121 withdrawal is 1st January 2020 when the accessibility derogations end. The other factor is East-West Rail services on the Milton Keynes - High Wycombe axis. It remains to be seen how many paths over the branch these will use up. If the current peak paths are taken up then the 121s will become surplus to requirements before 2020.

 

[swt_passenger]

I doubt the TPE 170s will make any difference. They're needed to cover the additional Oxford services.

Not according to Chiltern in the Evergreen 3 TWA inquiry, they said then that the Oxford services did not need any additional rolling stock. However the separate CP5 HLOS project to provide 9 car services to/from Banbury does require extra stock.

However I was really thinking more of when all 9 x 170s are with Chiltern, not just the initial 4 units.

 

[hougtimo]

No sign of the blue 121 around Aylesbury station for the last few days. Last weekend it was running the Quaintonian.

They don't half hammer the 165s out of Aylesbury station on an evening too!

 

[SprinterMan]

Does the Chiltern 121 still operate the same diagram as it did before the timetable change, or is it now runs as required?

Adam

 

[RPM]

Does the Chiltern 121 still operate the same diagram as it did before the timetable change, or is it now runs as required?

Adam

Diagram is unaltered since the last timetable.

 

[SprinterMan]

Diagram is unaltered since the last timetable.

Thanks very much, I have put it down as "runs as required" as it seems to be often replaced by a 165 these days.

Adam