Map of route taken by Paddington - High Wycombe ('parliamentary') train?

[03_179]

Years ago I did the Parliamentary train from South Ruislip to Paddington then back to High Wycombe,

Can anyone provide the exact route it took. I remember going past Old Oak Common Depot and the semaphore signals on part of it.

Does anyone have a copy of the map of this route too that they could kindly post here (or email to me).


Yesterday's trip from West Ealing to West Ruislip and I wasn't 100% sure which bit of the line was completely new to me.


Thanks in advance,

 

[pdeaves]

West Ealing to West Ruislip is a portion of Paddington to High Wycombe. So, unless you count individual tracks (West Ealing bay platform), nothing was 'new'.

Ignore this (see below)

 

[03_179]

Thanks.
I don't remember the train passing through West Ealing but I must have been wrong.

Thanks helps clarify. I'll amend my notes.

 

[pdeaves]

Thanks.
I don't remember the train passing through West Ealing but I must have been wrong.

Thanks helps clarify. I'll amend my notes.

I'm an eejit and informed you incorrectly. Padd-HW would have turned right just after Old Oak Common, then rejoined 'yesterday's' route at Greenford, i.e. it was the third side of the large triangle.

Sorry to add, not clear, confusion.

 

[03_179]

I'm an eejit and informed you incorrectly. Padd-HW would have turned right just after Old Oak Common, then rejoined 'yesterday's' route at Greenford, i.e. it was the third side of the large triangle.

Sorry to add, not clear, confusion.

OK I won't amend my notes LOL

Don't worry about it. I appreciate your help.

 

[stuu]

In the past it went on the GW-GC route alongside the Central Line, past North Acton and Hanger Lane, via the junction at OOC. HS2 works have closed that section hence going via Greenford.

 

[JGurney]

Thanks.
I don't remember the train passing through West Ealing but I must have been wrong.

It used to run directly from Paddington to High Wycombe, not go the long way round via Ealing. The track ran alongside the Central Line tracks between North Acton and Green.

I used to occasionally use the service when I had to go from work near Paddington to meetings in High Wycombe. I think it was daily at that time (late 1990s) leaving Paddington at approx 10:30 if I remember rightly.

 

[03_179]

Thanks chaps.
My Quail map doesn't have the route on it (or if it does I cannot see it).

Thanks to all .

 

[pdeaves]

Thanks chaps.
My Quail map doesn't have the route on it (or if it does I cannot see it).

Thanks to all .

Which edition? Sixth has it. Diagram 2 has a single black line 'Wycombe Single', that leads you to diagram 3A (top RH corner), then almost straight away to diagram 2B (the black line next to the Central line). It's route ANL.

 

[03_179]

My copy is at home.
I only bought it in October.

 

[jfollows]

Which edition? Sixth has it. Diagram 2 has a single black line 'Wycombe Single', that leads you to diagram 3A (top RH corner), then almost straight away to diagram 2B (the black line next to the Central line). It's route ANL.

Attached:

 

[03_179]

Thanks.
I'll get the book back out at home and triple check.

 

[APT618S]

It used to run directly from Paddington to High Wycombe, not go the long way round via Ealing. The track ran alongside the Central Line tracks between North Acton and Green.

I presume the route is that seen in this Blue Pullman video:

On a poignant note I believe the driver seen is Ernest Morris who was sadly killed along with another driver who were in the Western which crashed at Dorridge in 1963.

 

[rogercov]

Yes, the direct route from Old Oak Common to Greenford (as in the Blue Pullman video) was in use for passenger services, well into the 80s.

In 1980 there was one regular commuter service between Birmingham and Paddington via High Wycombe, up in the morning and down in the evening. I caught the evening service (1742 departure from Paddington) a few times and it definitely went on this route, avoiding Ealing Broadway.
Later, I see from the 1988 timetable that it only ran between Paddington and Banbury.

I'm not sure when this regular service was withdrawn, but I presume from the earlier posts that they later introduced a "parliamentary" service to keep the line open.

 

[03_179]

Interesting.

What will happen to the branch now there are o more passenger services?
A Bus isn't best. I guess there are a few freights along it at the moment.

I wonder if the plan for its passenger withdrawal is that they intend to use it more frequently for the HS rail traffic along the line ?

 

[The exile]

Interesting.

What will happen to the branch now there are o more passenger services?
A Bus isn't best. I guess there are a few freights along it at the moment.

I wonder if the plan for its passenger withdrawal is that they intend to use it more frequently for the HS rail traffic along the line ?

The direct cut-off has been severed for HS2 works

 

[03_179]

Sorry I should have said the Line through Castle Bar Park

 

[The exile]

Sorry I should have said the Line through Castle Bar Park

Which retains its regular service between West Ealing and Greenford.

 

[12LDA28C]

Yes, the direct route from Old Oak Common to Greenford (as in the Blue Pullman video) was in use for passenger services, well into the 80s.

In 1980 there was one regular commuter service between Birmingham and Paddington via High Wycombe, up in the morning and down in the evening. I caught the evening service (1742 departure from Paddington) a few times and it definitely went on this route, avoiding Ealing Broadway.
Later, I see from the 1988 timetable that it only ran between Paddington and Banbury.

I'm not sure when this regular service was withdrawn, but I presume from the earlier posts that they later introduced a "parliamentary" service to keep the line open.

There was a Paddington - Banbury via High Wycombe train in the timetable as late as 1992 I believe. Used to leave Padd around 1737ish. This finished when the Class 47-hauled LHCS services were replaced on the T&C lines by Class 165/166 'turbos'.

Yesterday's trip from West Ealing to West Ruislip and I wasn't 100% sure which bit of the line was completely new to me.

I heard there were quite a few passengers in attendance yesterday, is that correct? Much more than the usual one or two, or frequently none at all.

Sorry I should have said the Line through Castle Bar Park

As well as still being in use for the West Ealing - Greenford 'shuttle' service, the line sees quite a lot of freight and has occasionally been used for diverted passenger trains from other TOCs, as well as the odd charter train or two.

The Greenford triangle can still be used to turn FGW IETs if necessary (or indeed any other units), and there are reversing marker boards in place at Greenford for this purpose.

 

[Ianigsy]

Thanks chaps.
My Quail map doesn't have the route on it (or if it does I cannot see it).

Thanks to all .

As I found myself when looking for something the other day, in the latest edition the Chiltern routes have been moved from the WR volume to the LM.

 

[03_179]

I heard there were quite a few passengers in attendance yesterday, is that correct? Much more than the usual one or two, or frequently none at all.

There was indeed both carriages hardly a lot of seats left.

 

[swt_passenger]

As I found myself when looking for something the other day, in the latest edition the Chiltern routes have been moved from the WR volume to the LM.

If it helps anyone, excepting the currently closed junction at Old Oak Common, the majority of the route is shown alongside the Central Line in the current Quail vol 5 for the Southern and TfL.

 

[Gloster]

Mid-1980s there was one Up and one Down passenger service to Banbury from Paddington. The morning Up went down as the newspapers from Paddington around 03.00. The evening train came back ecs to Old Oak.

 

[MichaelAMW]

Mid-1980s there was one Up and one Down passenger service to Banbury from Paddington. The morning Up went down as the newspapers from Paddington around 03.00. The evening train came back ecs to Old Oak.

Mid 80s, say 1985, it was Wolverhampton both ways; later on it was Banbury down and Leamington Spa up. I'm pretty sure the stock was then stored overnight at Banbury - not sure if the engine stayed with the coaches. The newspaper train was nothing to do with it and, in any case, it was to and from Aylesbury.

 

[Gloster]

Mid 80s, say 1985, it was Wolverhampton both ways; later on it was Banbury down and Leamington Spa up. I'm pretty sure the stock was then stored overnight at Banbury - not sure if the engine stayed with the coaches. The newspaper train was nothing to do with it and, in any case, it was to and from Aylesbury.

I was thinking of 1986/1987. The Aylesbury news was a separate train, with just news vans.

 

[JN114]

Interesting.

What will happen to the branch now there are o more passenger services?
A Bus isn't best. I guess there are a few freights along it at the moment.

I wonder if the plan for its passenger withdrawal is that they intend to use it more frequently for the HS rail traffic along the line ?

Nothing will change on the usage of the line, save the withdrawal of the one train per week Chiltern operate and it’s corresponding ECS move to West Ealing. All the existing freight traffic throughout; and GWR services through Castle Bar Park will remain.

I believe this is just a simplification exercise for Chiltern - there’s no plans for drastic changes to what remains of the route at any point in the foreseeable now that the “main line” via Park Royal has been severed between Park Royal and Old Oak.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Without wanting to take the thread off topic,this is a question related to the route. On a parcel of land adjacent to Friars Junction are two derelict buildings shown below. At one time they were rail connected and some of old track was recently uncovered during some vegetation clearance at the site. Does anyone know what they were?
Scottish Library and Google maps photos.

 

[Gloster]

Without wanting to take the thread off topic,this is a question related to the route. On a parcel of land adjacent to Friars Junction are two derelict buildings shown below. At one time they were rail connected and some of old track was recently uncovered during some vegetation clearance at the site. Does anyone know what they were?
Scottish Library and Google maps photos.

The 1989 Quail shows a siding in roughly this position connected to the Up and Down Goods at Substation Ground Frame. The Signalling Record Society’s low-resolution diagram of the old Friars Junction also appears to read To Substation.

 

[Ashley Hill]

The 1989 Quail shows a siding in roughly this position connected to the Up and Down Goods at Substation Ground Frame. The Signalling Record Society’s low-resolution diagram of the old Friars Junction also appears to read To Substation.

Thanks,I never thought to look at the SRS site. Was it a BR or LT substation?

 

[Gloster]

Thanks,I never thought to look at the SRS site. Was it a BR or LT substation?

I do not know, but because the GWR was tied in with the Central Line (as is) extension to West Ruislip, I presume it is/was for the Underground line.