Let's hear it for the Bubble cars!

[rob D2]

I had a cab ride early 80s from twyford to Henley - but that could have been a 117.

 

Fond memories of the smelly shaky vibrating things on my home branch at marlow which we often went to Maidenhead on to see the big trains !

 

I bet you can't wait for the Bachmann one dibber

[Andy Kirkham]

Here's one I forgot

 

OCT 74B 05 Bedwyn, September 1974 by Andy Kirkham, on Flickr

[Southernman46]

Remarkably both the wooden downside shelter and the upside "bus shelter" are still there today !

[dibber25]

Remarkably both the wooden downside shelter and the upside "bus shelter" are still there today !

 

But sadly the lovely little Berks & Hants brick station building is long gone. 

[The Stationmaster]

But sadly the lovely little Berks & Hants brick station building is long gone. 

 

As is the signalbox of course.

[Nearholmer]

All first generation DMMUs and DHMUs were known as "bogs" or "f*rt-carts" by enthusiasts, and I think some staff, on BR(S), and were, rightly, considered to be the lowest possible form of railway motive power, but I've come to quite like all the single car ones, even the later 153, largely by association with interesting bits of railway.

 

Almost by definition, any bit of railway that only merits a one-car train is interesting, because it is either very short indeed, the car zipping to and fro like a horizontal lift, or largely deserted. Every one of the lines mentioned in this thread is interesting, and controversially, I will say that that is despite, rather than because, of the presence of a DMMU.

 

And, yes, I hugely enjoyed a morning on the Aylesbury to Princes Risborough branch recently.

 

Kevin

[Mark Saunders]

The single car ones have always had a bit of fascination for many and have always been popular with modellers judging by the number of cut'n'shut Lima ones that have been done!

 

Or was it the same number series as Deltics that did it?

 

Mark Saunders

[The Stationmaster]

The single car ones have always had a bit of fascination for many and have always been popular with modellers judging by the number of cut'n'shut Lima ones that have been done!

 

Or was it the same number series as Deltics that did it?

 

Mark Saunders

 

The Deltics copied the SPC number series - maybe that accounted for their popularity?    

[dibber25]

As is the signalbox of course.

I've got a nice photo of that.....somewhere. (CJL)

[dibber25]

All first generation DMMUs and DHMUs were known as "bogs" or "f*rt-carts" by enthusiasts, and I think some staff, on BR(S), and were, rightly, considered to be the lowest possible form of railway motive power, but I've come to quite like all the single car ones, even the later 153, largely by association with interesting bits of railway.

 

Almost by definition, any bit of railway that only merits a one-car train is interesting, because it is either very short indeed, the car zipping to and fro like a horizontal lift, or largely deserted. Every one of the lines mentioned in this thread is interesting, and controversially, I will say that that is despite, rather than because, of the presence of a DMMU.

 

And, yes, I hugely enjoyed a morning on the Aylesbury to Princes Risborough branch recently.

 

Kevin

The problem with so-called 'enthusiasts' is that they gave stupid names to anything they didn't like, even way back in steam days. Diesel locos were 'stink boxes' and even many classes of steam loco were derided - especially if they were individual examples that were frequently seen. REAL enthusiasts love pretty much anything on rails from a Wickham trolley upwards. The bubble cars are special because they've been to places most of us never got the chance to go to on a service train. In the case of the Chiltern examples, W55034 was, I believe, a Reading-based example that would have worked the Abingdon branch and the Didcot, Newbury & Southampton, while W55020 did Uxbridge Vine Street, Staines West - and, I believe, Severn Beach. It also wore chocolate and cream for GWR 150 and worked, among others, the Windsor branch and the Reading-Bedwyn locals. These cars are steeped in history - they had no loos, so bog-carts was a nonsense. (CJL)

[JDW]

Some very nice pictures of the last 2 Chiltern units (without Chiltern branding) on their last day in service can be found on Martin Loader's webpage, such as: http://www.hondawanderer.com/55020_55034_Princes_Risborough_2017.htm

[Russ (mines a pint)]

You want to hear it for Bubble Cars?  Singularly boring like a Class 153. 

 

the only way us Northeners could ride on them was when a couple of them were used on Stalybridge to Stockport shuttles in the late 80's - def better than a p*c*r but what isn't ? have a couple of pics somewhere but easier to post this link

https://christrerise.smugmug.com/DMUs/Class-122-Bubble-Car/i-XdqX7VD

 

- more interesting is the branches they were used previously, some survive some don't, I'm pretty sure the Looe lines of the day wouldn't have survived without these?

Edited September 18, 2018 by Russ (mines a pint)