Is Aylesbury to Princes Risborough still diagrammed for a Class 121 'bubble car'?

[Alistair G.]

Hi everyone,

I have for the last few months been driving from Leicester down to Aylesbury on the odd day each week, trying to catch a bubble car for chilterns Aylesbury to princes risborough run, however, every time I arrive it's a damn turbo 165 unit!. Does anyone know if chiltern still use the bubble car?

Never had a ride on one so was quite hoping to experience it before they all get wiped out!

 

[Welshman]

If it's not specifically the Chiltern Bubble car you want to try out, then IIRC the Battlefield Line has a Cl.122 single unit.

Not quite the same as running on the main-line, I know, but at least it will give you an idea of the ambience, and Shakerstone is nearer to you than Aylesbury!

Just don't go today, as it's on loan to the Llangollen Railway this weekend[along with the ATW Bubble] for their dmu weekend!

 

[Alistair G.]

Thanks Welshman. Have done the shackerstone line before, but it's a bit limited!. Wich is why I'd like to try and do a ride on "real" railways!.

I did notice in a magazine that the Llangollen railway had the bubble car today and did think about going, but it's a long way to get a ride on a bubble car!. Has the llangollen railway extended recently?, last time I went there (about 4years ago) they were talking about wanting to extend further along the line?

 

[Welshman]

Yes, they're pushing forward from Carrog to Corwen as finances permit. I think they're about half-way at present, and hope to be finished next year.

 

[RPM]

The bubble cars are certainly still running. Since there has been a second bubble car it is rare for a 165 to be substituted. What time of day have you been turning up? They only run in the weekday peaks.

Current bubble car departures from Aylesbury are at 0744, 0847 and 1730. Departures from Princes Risborough are at 0718, 0812, 1000 & 1800.

Hope that helps.

 

[4SRKT]

I'm off on Wednesday as part of my 2013 quest to get at least one journey on each TOC and at least one journey on each type of traction. I'm on the 17:30 ex-Aylesbury, so if it isn't the bubble there will be an impressive display of swearing.

 

[Bedpan]

Had a ride on it last year and it was excellent. Chiltern really are missing a trick by not advertising it more and running it at weekends. Maybe they could do a joint ticket with the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway with perhaps a vintage bus from Princes Risborough to Chinnor to make a full afternoon out in the Chilterns. Or is it the case that it there are no extra paths available from Aylesbury to Princes Risborough on Sunday afternoons, and no possibility of operating the branch as a stand alone service?

 

[Alistair G.]

Thanks for the replies chaps, and in particular RPM, I'm planning to go tomorrow but as the Llangollen railway is displaying them today I doubt it will be ready for duty tomorrow, but as its my last rest day in a while.... I will just have to keep my fingers crossed!!

 

[12CSVT]

Thanks Welshman. Have done the shackerstone line before, but it's a bit limited!. Wich is why I'd like to try and do a ride on "real" railways!.

I did notice in a magazine that the Llangollen railway had the bubble car today and did think about going, but it's a long way to get a ride on a bubble car!. Has the llangollen railway extended recently?, last time I went there (about 4years ago) they were talking about wanting to extend further along the line?

Had both 'bubbles' the whole length of the line yesterday (BTW Bonwm, the current end of the line, is about 1 mile west of Carrog). 55005 looked great coupled to the blue & grey 108. A point of interest is that the Llangollen Railway (just over 8 miles including the Bonwm extension) is actually longer than Aylesbury to Princes Risborough (7 miles).

 

[causton]

The bubble cars are certainly still running. Since there has been a second bubble car it is rare for a 165 to be substituted. What time of day have you been turning up? They only run in the weekday peaks.

Current bubble car departures from Aylesbury are at 0744, 0847 and 1730. Departures from Princes Risborough are at 0718, 0812, 1000 & 1800.

Hope that helps.

Thank you very much! I should be travelling on the first two of the day sometime in the first week of July so if you could get Chiltern to get someone to stand by them in the depot and ensure nothing goes wrong with them, that would be brilliant cheers

 

[RPM]

Thanks for the replies chaps, and in particular RPM, I'm planning to go tomorrow but as the Llangollen railway is displaying them today I doubt it will be ready for duty tomorrow, but as its my last rest day in a while.... I will just have to keep my fingers crossed!!

How did it go? Any luck?

 

[Alistair G.]

Well sadly, managed to get stuck in traffic on the m1 and then again when coming into aylesbury through bierton/wing. So the diagramed trains supplied towards the top of the thread I missed!. They did have one in the depot when I arrived, along with one in the stabling line next to platform 1. The only bonus to being late was seeing 56091 on what was presumably some sort of waste train as it was headin off in the Calvert direction. I will get my ride on the bubble car one day!!.

 

[craig87034]

The Deltic with doors 55020 is running this morning

 

[Buttsy]

You can often find one running over the bank holiday weekend (Monday in the main) when trains are being run from Aylesbury to Quainton Road for the Buckingham Railway Centre. While most of teh route is slow speed, they do get a bit of a thrash from Aylesbury Vale Parkway (approx) to Aylesbury.

 

[Winchcombe]

If you're interested in a decent length of bubble run then the GWR run them over the full 13 mile length of line on some timetables, see www.gwsr.com for details. Generally the bubble does the off peak turns with the 117 the more heavily loaded runs - the loco roster online should tell you which is diagrammed. The owning group http://www.gwsr-dmu.org.uk/ have loads of information on the unit (and their 117) as well. It's only 25mph running but regular and a great view through the cotswolds. The rail car convention in October should provide enough bubble running for anyone!