European Railroad Discussion > Chiltern - Semaphores and Real Locomotives

After a few months in London I'm starting to figure out the rail landscape, and also to notice some real differences from the last time I spent any time here, which was 1980.  Biggest change, besides the fact that all mainline rail services are privately operated now instead of a monolithic British Rail, is that almost all passenger trains in and out of London are operated by EMUs and DMUs today.  Only a few traditional locomotive-hauled trains are left, and most of those would fall in the catehgory of the HST 125  sets operated by the Great Western, and the IC 225 sets operated by Virgin on the East Coast mainline.   I live very close to the Chiltern Railway mainline out of Marylebone Station though, and Chiltern has recently begun operation of what they call "Silver Service", which is locomotive-hauled trains to Kidderminster and other destinations, with new Class 68 locomotives.  So I have made a point to try and get out and photograph those trains, wuith the added bonus that those trains go through Banbury, whhich still has a few semaphores left.   All photos taken in Sept and Oct 2015.

1.  Chiltern EB DMU at High Wycombe (looking west)
2.  Chiltern EB DMU at High Wycombe (looking east)
3.   Chiltern EB DMU at High Wycombe (looking west)
 

---

---

---

4.  Chiltern Silver Service eastbound at High Wycombe.  Train is in push mode with control trailer car leading.
5.  Chiltern Silver Service eastbound at High Wycombe, with Class 68 loco pushing.  
6.  Chiltern DMU eastbound at Princes Risborough.
 

---

---

---

7.  Cross-Country Railway DMU at Banbury southbound passing semaphore signal.
8.  Chiltern DMU at Banbury westbound passing sempahore.  Note active signal box in background.
9.  Chiltern Class 68 in push mode at Banbury.
 

---

---

---

10.  Cross Country SB DMU at Banbury passing active signal box on west end of station.
11.  Semaphore at Banbury.
12.  WB Freightliner intermodal train with Class 70 on the point at Banbury.
 

---

---

---

13.  Northbound Cross Country DMU approaching Banbury.
14.  Westbound Chiltern Silver Service with Class 68 leading passing Banbury signal box and semaphores.
15.  Westbound Chiltern Silver Service with Class 68 leading passing Banbury semaphore.
 

---

---

---

16.  Eastbound Chiltern DMU at South Ruislip.
17.  Westbound Chiltern Silver Service with Class 68 leading at South Ruislip.
18.  Westbound Chiltern Silver Service with Class 68 leading at South Ruislip.
 

---

---

---

19.  Westbound Chiltern Silver Service with Class 68 leading at South Ruislip.  Little did I know that there was a once-a-day schedule from South Ruislip to Paddington that would leave South Ruislip at the exact moment that the westbound train was due! 
20.   GBRf Class 66 locomotive at Neasden on an aggregate train.  Train was pushing back to reverse and pull north on an intersecting line. 
21.  Chiltern Class 68 on WB Silver Service at Neasden.
 

---

---

---

22.  Chiltern WB DMU at Neasden.
23.  Chiltern WB Class 68 leading a Silver Service train at Neasden - meeting an EB DMU.
24.  WB Jubilee line train at Neasden. 
 

---

---

---

25.  A friend noted that the photos I posted seemed bizarrely devoid of humans, so I wanted to post a photo of actual passengers waiting for a train!   Here are some actual passengers about to board a WB Chiltern DMU at Princes Risborough. 

---

Thansk for the photos. I'll be riding Chiltern services from London to Warwick Parkway in two weeks on my way to a 7 day narrow gauge steam photo bash in Wales.

Nice set, Chiltern always turn their trains out well. The Silver Service isn't that new, it's been around for about 3 years, initially with slam door Mk 3s and DBS 67s, basically the equipment going begging when Wrexham and Shropshire quit in 2011, including the DVTs at the London end.

Here is a series from the UK that I enjoyed.

Always enjoy photos from England!  Made a number of business trips there 1978-1997.  Only rode (first class) Victoria Station - Gatwick Airport. Never had time on my own to railfan but always on the lookout to see whatever I could.  Would pick up a railroad magazine if the opportunity arose.  My favorite locomotives are Class 37 and Class 66.
ALLEN

Regarding photo 4:

A.  It appears the Driving Van Trailer [ or whatever it's called ] has a diesel generator set [ or compressor ? ];  is that correct and, if so, why is one fitted ?
B.  Was this vehicle built specifically for this service, or is it [ are they ] a conversion from a ECML or WCML car ?

With best regards,
SZ

The DVTs are ex-Virgin West Coast, I believe the generator set provides power to the passenger cars when the locomotive is shut down



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/19/15 23:09 by 86235.

Mention of Banbury reminds me of the early 1980s, when my younger daughter spent a "semester overseas" at Banbury College.  After getting settled into her quarters, she went off to explore the town.  As one might expect from someone who had spent weekends at the local railway museum, and got a cab (footplate) ride in a 12-ton woodburning steamer with the added attraction of chucking wood into the firebox, one of the first things she checked out was the Banbury railway station.  As if on cue, one of the local trains pulled in and as she told me later, she had to restrain herself from saying, "This is cute, but where do you keep your full-size trains?"  It was a combination of high-platform stations, tight British loading gauges, and experience with Santa Fe Hi-Level cars in California that brought this thought to mind.