Class 121/122 'Bubble' Car routes

[Ben04uk]

I am trying to build up a comprehensive list of all the routes/branch lines that the Class 121/122 DMU 'Bubble' Cars operated on back in the day. As an example, I think a 'Bubble' Car run on the Ealing Broadway to Greenford line.

Can anyone help with anymore routes please?

 

[Oracle]

From my own experience:

West Drayton - Staines West?
West Drayton - Uxbridge Vine Street?
Paddington - Hayes & Harlington
Paddington - Slough
Paddington - Reading
Slough - Windsor & Eton
Cholsey - Wallingford?
Henley & Marlow branch?


One was also used on the "Brentford Branch Specials" by the GWRPG from Southall

 

[devon_metro]

Paignton > Exmouth
Exeter > Barnstaple
Exeter > Plymouth
Gunnislake
Looe
St Ives
Newquay

 

[87015]

My personal 'bubble' haulages are:
Stourbridge branch, Worcester-Barnt Green, Reading-Padd, Padd-Hayes, Padd-Slough, Padd-Greenford, Leamington-Stratford, Bletchley-Bedford, Bletchley-Euston/Euston-Rugby, Chalfont-Chesham , Marks Tey-Sudbury.
To which I can add as confirmed :Watford-St Albans, Perth-Dundee (presume also Arbroath), Banbury-Oxford, Windsor-Slough

Not forgetting todays Risboro and Cardiff Bay branches!

 

[theblackwatch]

Not forgetting Stockport-Stalybridge which was operated by 55005 & 55006 in the 1980s. Also in the 80s, bubbles were used on the short lived Kettering-Corby service.

 

[Bonemaster]

There are also further lines mentioned on www.railcar.co.uk

Including 121s on Valley Branch Lines, and the Severn Beach Line

122s on Birmingham - Dudley, West Drayton Branch, and the Ayr area

However it may not be as simple given this statement on there

"Their original nickname was "coffin nails", as most of the routes on which they were used became victims of the "Beeching Axe" with closure usually soon after introduction. Lines such as Barry to Bridgend, Penarth to Barry, Snow Hill to Wolverhampton (LL), Worcester to Bromyard, Bewdley to Hartlebury and Didcot to Newbury. As these lines closed the cars were concentrated in the Bristol, Cornwall and Plymouth areas. Workings included local services over the ex-SR lines to Gunnislake, Axminster and Barnstaple."

I certainly ahve very limited knowledge of lines closed in the Beeching era

 

[Oracle]

I have a thumb, hi-res available, of a railcar at Stourbridge Town, mid-1960s I would say.

 

[Derek Riley]

I remember Class 122s in my local area on Leamington to Stratford Upon Avon services in the 1980s, often paired in summer months. Class 121s appeared in later days most usually 55032-034.

Bubbles were so part of the scene around this part of Warwickshire and never the same since!

55003/004/006/009/012 were the most regular if I recall but it's a few years ago now! Others like 55000 and 55005 also came down if I remember correctly.

Derek