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Info on the Oxford to Princes Risborough line, Please


Tallpaul69
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For an upcoming 00 gauge model, I am looking for information on the Oxford to Princes Risborough line, in particular Thame, in the period 1958-63.

I have the R A Cooke section 27 plans, the Middleton Press book and the Richard Lingard Book, plus all the GWJs. I am also aware of, and awaiting the arrival of the C.R. Potts book.So what I am after is the more obscure magazine articles  and personal memories?

 

Any help will be much appreciated

 

Many thanks

Paul

Edited by Tallpaul69
Corrected mis-speling and including a missed fact!
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Morris Cowley, Horsepath Halt, Wheatley, Tiddington, Thame, Towersley Halt, Chinnor Bledlow and Princes Risborough used to go the Oxford announcer for the train before us schoolboys returning to Didcot after a hard days grind in the late 50's, early 60's

some of the links are broken but this site may be useful

https://www.wheatleyarchive.org.uk/archive_search.php?view=429

regards and good luck with the project.

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A few photos on this thread

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/149758-wheatley-station-on-the-oxford-to-princes-risborough-line/&tab=comments#comment-3757703

.

I am slowly working on a Thame-ish layout (called Wylde), link in sig.

 

One thing I'm curious about is that, at some time before closure, the Wheatley signs were repainted with a blue background, and I'd love to know when and why.

 

 

Dave

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4 hours ago, unravelled said:

A few photos on this thread

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/149758-wheatley-station-on-the-oxford-to-princes-risborough-line/&tab=comments#comment-3757703

.

I am slowly working on a Thame-ish layout (called Wylde), link in sig.

 

One thing I'm curious about is that, at some time before closure, the Wheatley signs were repainted with a blue background, and I'd love to know when and why.

 

 

Dave

Presumably somebody decided they ought to match the old white lettering on a blue background enamelled running-in board colours some of which might have survived quite late as they have made it into preservation collections.  The HMRS book mentions them but has no details on dates etc.

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3 hours ago, rob D2 said:

Go cycle it.

its called the Phoenix trail between PR and Thame now 

True,

But with no cycle, or even a car to get there, That is not an option!

 

If the Virus was not getting worse I might bus to Aylesbury , then bus to Thame - maybe next summer if the gods are good to us.

 

Not an urgent thing to do as the post 2000 pics I have seen of the industrial units on the site are not very inspiring!! -Just details of the bridges would be useful

 

Cheers

Paul 

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The furthest I go back is 1977 I'm afraid, but three pics of 33s resting while the tankers are off-loaded.

The 33/2 shot is taken from under the Tetsworth Road bridge with the Chinnor Road bridge in the distance.

 

332xx.JPG.42d65f9492daa226de72c36bdce80f54.JPG

 

33063.JPG.78b8a641eebccc02d5d344bac78687c5.JPG

 

33063a.JPG.e79a313d3797119056f88e126c4ab738.JPG

 

The industrial estate has sprawled, and Angus Fire which was the unit almost alongside the old station has since been converted to flats, plus there are more houses beyond, as well as on the fuel depot site.

 

Trying to remember if 33063 was the one I got to drive one morning before school, after the driver offered an engine room tour and run up and down between the bridges. My mate and I were a little late for the register that morning!!!

 

Regards,

Dave

 

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5 hours ago, Tallpaul69 said:

True,

But with no cycle, or even a car to get there, That is not an option!

 

If the Virus was not getting worse I might bus to Aylesbury , then bus to Thame - maybe next summer if the gods are good to us.

 

Not an urgent thing to do as the post 2000 pics I have seen of the industrial units on the site are not very inspiring!! -Just details of the bridges would be useful

 

Cheers

Paul 

 

TBH if the buses up that way are as empty as they are between Reading and Wallingford I don't think you'll have too much to worry about - last Saturday coming back from Wallingford there were two passengers (including me) on an 80 seat double decker - one upstairs and one downstairs!

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According to the Broad Gauge Society,

"'Thame' station was opened in 1862, which was in dimension and design an exact copy of Wycombe - although the train shed walls were built of timber, rather than flint and brick at Wycombe."

 

They have a page on their website dedicated to the original High Wycombe train shed:

http://www.broadgauge.org.uk/heritage/train_sheds_detail.html?shed=wycombe

This includes drawings of the structure.

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On 23/09/2020 at 22:14, Davexoc said:

The furthest I go back is 1977 I'm afraid, but three pics of 33s resting while the tankers are off-loaded.

The 33/2 shot is taken from under the Tetsworth Road bridge with the Chinnor Road bridge in the distance.

 

332xx.JPG.42d65f9492daa226de72c36bdce80f54.JPG

 

33063.JPG.78b8a641eebccc02d5d344bac78687c5.JPG

 

33063a.JPG.e79a313d3797119056f88e126c4ab738.JPG

 

The industrial estate has sprawled, and Angus Fire which was the unit almost alongside the old station has since been converted to flats, plus there are more houses beyond, as well as on the fuel depot site.

 

Trying to remember if 33063 was the one I got to drive one morning before school, after the driver offered an engine room tour and run up and down between the bridges. My mate and I were a little late for the register that morning!!!

 

Regards,

Dave

 

Nice memories,

I always thought the bucks/ oxon freight lines would make a nice BR blue branchline layout 

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Delightful though the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway is, I wonder why they did not go for Thame rather than Chinnor, Thame being a much bigger place with far better public transport links (albeit less important now they have a station on national rail) and more space for locosheds, stabling etc ? (And maybe even the possibility of extending one day towards Tiddington and Wheatley, or at least the M40 !)

 

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^^^^
probably because BR ceased services on the chinnor line in 1989 and Thame on 91. A case of strike whilst the iron is hot ?
 

And maybe also the chinnor branch has more tourist potential as there is a little more to see as the line hugs the hills, rather than the flat  expanse to Thame 

Edited by rob D2
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6 hours ago, caradoc said:

Delightful though the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway is, I wonder why they did not go for Thame rather than Chinnor, Thame being a much bigger place with far better public transport links (albeit less important now they have a station on national rail) and more space for locosheds, stabling etc ? (And maybe even the possibility of extending one day towards Tiddington and Wheatley, or at least the M40 !)

 

 

There are probably quite a few reasons, a few that I can think of are; Chinnor closed before Thame so was available sooner.

Thame would have needed a fully compliant level crossing to be maintained on the bypass/relief road.

Chinnor has the 1:68 climb up Wainhill bank to make the locos work hard, whereas Thame is fairly flat.

Chinnor probably had a better network of sidings left by Rugby Cement, as BP most likely owned the oil terminal land and sold it off for development, leaving just the station area.

Chinnor and Risborough are both just off the Icknield Way/Ridgeway footpaths, so it could appeal to ramblers wanting a one-way ticket.

And Thame station is quite a walk into town compared to the short walk into the villlage at Chinnor.

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Good points rob D2 and Davexoc, obviously Chinnor closing before Thame would have been a major factor, but still, I can't help thinking that Thame station would have given the railway more operating potential, interest and flexibility than the tiny platform at Chinnor ! 

 

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29 minutes ago, caradoc said:

Good points rob D2 and Davexoc, obviously Chinnor closing before Thame would have been a major factor, but still, I can't help thinking that Thame station would have given the railway more operating potential, interest and flexibility than the tiny platform at Chinnor ! 

 

I tend to agree although Chinnor has the cost advantage of being 2 miles shorter so therefore cheaper to acquire and lower running costs.  And would the land now occupied by the industrial estate at Thame have been available to those who purchased the railway?

 

The problem with Chinnor is that it isn't really a destination in itself for the leisure market which Thame, with an attractive town centre, would have been (even if it s a bit of a walk from the station.  For the shorter lines in this sort of market they really have to offer something more than a very brief train ride in order to attract the leisure market people and that is inevitably the main source of income.

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