European Railroad Discussion > Chiltern Railways Mainline trains

Mainline is the branding Chiltern apply to the class 168 Adtranz / Bombardier DMUs and the Mk 3 loco hauled sets with their Vossloh / Caterpillar class 68s. Yesterday was a lovely bright winter day, just three days before Christmas. I rode one of the loco hauled trains from London Marylebone to Bicester, then caught a local from Bicester to the next stop, Kings Sutton, and finally from there to Banbury, and then back to London after dark.

1: Approaching Bicester South Junction (where the new line to Oxford diverges) 68013 on the 10:10 London Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street (arrive 11:56). It makes five intermediate stops in the 115 mile journey

2: in the opposite direction a pair of Chiltern's 100 mph class 168 DMUs on an equally speedy train, the 09:55 Moor Street to Marylebone (arr 11:40). These MUs are very attractive internally, wi fi, power sockets, big picture windows and comfy seats. In one respect they are rather better than the Mk 3 stock, the seats and windows line up.

3: Another pair of 168s on the 11:10 from Oxford climbing the new chord line from Gavray Junction (on the OOS east / west line to Cambridge) to Bicester South. Chiltern run a half hourly service between Marylebone and Oxford. Next week between Christmas and New Year with Paddington closed for engineering work Chiltern will be running an augmented service over their new line.

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4: The 11:10 Marylebone to Moor Street is also a loco hauled set, 68014 is at its head as it speeds over Bicester South Junction.
5: Taken from the water meadows at Kings Sutton, 68013 speeding south on the 12:55 Moor Street to Marylebone. Earlier in the day I rode in the leading car from Marylebone to Bicester, listening to the 68 opening out as we pulled away from Haddenham and Thame Parkway (the only intermediate stop) and as we sped through Brill Tunnel was very enjoyable, although the ride in that leading car isn't quite as smooth as in the rest of the train
6: The 13:10 Marylebone to Moor Street, this was the train I travelled in earlier in the day, on the second of its two round trips between London and Birmingham. Mid afternoon there was plenty of high cloud swirling around, which occasionally reduced the sun to a milky glow



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/22/16 23:29 by 86235.

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Two more
7: 68014 pushing the 13:55 Moor Street to Marylebone through Kings Sutton. It's a very attractive village, somewhat spoilt by the constant drone of traffic from the M40 London to Birmingham motorway.
8: And finally from Banbury 68012 (yet again) on the 15:55 Moor Street to Marylebone. It will then form the 18:15 to Kidderminster, where the set will tie up, having started the day at Oxford. Just over 650 miles in a day in revenue service.

I also saw a fair few freight trains https://nick86235.smugmug.com/Trains/2016/December-2016-the-onset-of/i-R7P58sm

Happy Christmas!



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/23/16 00:01 by 86235.

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Really great set Nick! 

I am pleased to see that Network Rail went with more traditional signals (except LED lenses) instead of those flat square ones that reminded me of infinite mirrors from the 70's. 

Jim

tq-07fan Wrote:
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> Really great set Nick! 
>
> I am pleased to see that Network Rail went with
> more traditional signals (except LED lenses)
> instead of those flat square ones that reminded me
> of infinite mirrors from the 70's. 
>
> Jim

Thanks Jim, on the signal question there's a mixture of LED designs; from the minimalist flat square ones (as at Barnetby) to this four aspect type. At Three Bridges, where I work, the old four aspect heads have simply been replaced when the lamps are due for maintenance by two aspect LED heads a la earlier searchlight installations, one aspect providing red, yellow and green, the other yellow for the double yellow indication. I'm waiting for an LED semaphore :-)

Happy Christmas

I may be the only one, but I prefer the searchlight LED headlights, especially the Dorman Lightweight ones (such a great system design)

86235 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> tq-07fan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Really great set Nick! 
> >
> > I am pleased to see that Network Rail went with
> > more traditional signals (except LED lenses)
> > instead of those flat square ones that reminded
> me
> > of infinite mirrors from the 70's. 
> >
> > Jim
>
> Thanks Jim, on the signal question there's a
> mixture of LED designs; from the minimalist flat
> square ones (as at Barnetby) to this four aspect
> type. At Three Bridges, where I work, the old four
> aspect heads have simply been replaced when the
> lamps are due for maintenance by two aspect LED
> heads a la earlier searchlight installations, one
> aspect providing red, yellow and green, the other
> yellow for the double yellow indication. I'm
> waiting for an LED semaphore :-)
>
> Happy Christmas

zorz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I may be the only one, but I prefer the
> searchlight LED headlights, especially the Dorman
> Lightweight ones (such a great system design)
>

Is this the type you mean, in which case I agree.

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That is indeed. VMS also makes a lightweight design. Both the new Dorman and VMS designs have self-cleaning lenses that are heated and don't get ice or water buildup. No need for a hood.

These new designs are really well set up to be serviced easily and are highly modular. A single maintainer can have a mast rotate down for servicing and the set it back up vertically. The internals are also highly simpllified and really reliable. In general the US has a lot to learn from signaling systems in the UK IMHO (except for the CP in Minnesota with the single-head+multi-aspect designs)

86235 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> zorz Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I may be the only one, but I prefer the
> > searchlight LED headlights, especially the
> Dorman
> > Lightweight ones (such a great system design)
> >
>
> Is this the type you mean, in which case I agree.

Wonderful set of photos, indeed, Nick! Atmosferic.
Thank you!