Unusual workings to High Wycombe 1960-62

[Tallpaul69]

Hi fellow enthusiasts,

I am seeking to add realistic variety to my GW&GC layout featuring the lines around High Wycombe in 1960-62 by  replicating unusual special workings or diversions.

Personal observations are the best, but details of relevant photos or magazine entries would also be welcome.

 

Many thanks

Paul

 

[Porkscratching]

As a kid I lived in HW for a few years, from circa '65 so not far from your period. One of our main joys was exploring the railway and larking about thereon! 

There was a completely open foot crossing leading from a track between fields, we'd simply enter there and walk along the ballast. A little way up the track, heading towards HW station was some sidings where a selection of very ratty wagons could be found. These we would climb about on, the favourite were 20t brake vans, we'd spend an hour or so lounging about in the seats looking out of the duckets, playing "guards" etc, obviously the stove was "lit" with scraps of paper etc. I remember there seemed to be quite a few Sealion type wagons usually stashed there too in a rather rusty state, again fun to climb about on. 

There was of course the popular sport of putting pennies on the track and retrieving them after they'd been squashed by a passing train, some of these had been flattened multiple times and we're quite sought after "swaps" at school. 

The main passenger through traffic then was DMUs, which my main memory of was the horrible racket the engines made. Steam was still just about present, I quite often recall seeing very shabby rusty tank locos going through that section, always seemingly light engine, which stuck in my mind. 

Not much specific diagramming or whatever to help you there, but your question brought back some great memories of the fun we had "on the railway" round there.. ( and surprisingly no one got hit by a train 😁) 

[TheSignalEngineer]

In March, April and May each year there were a series of matches at Wembley including a Womens Hockey international usually late March, then through April into May there was the FA Amateur Cup, Schoolboys International, FA Cup final and Rugby League Cup Final generating specials from around the country, several of which would disgorge their passengers at Wembley Hill as it was called in those days. There were usually some coming via High Wycombe. Trains Illustrated for the time usually had some reports of foreign engines turning up on these in the Motive Power Miscellany column.

Edited November 11, 2023 by TheSignalEngineer

[anroar53]

Slightly out of the time period but on 2nd May 1963 Jubilee 45562 'Alberta' worked a Leeds to Windsor & Eton Central Excursion through to Windsor via High Wycombe and the line to Maidenhead. I'm looking at a picture of it passing Bourne End (between High Wycombe and Maidenhead), which is in the book 'Railways through the Thames Valley by C.R.L Coles. I'm pretty certain there was also a picture of it approaching Windsor across the arches which featured in an issue of the Railway Magazine of the period. A brief mention of it on the Six Bells Junction website.

[The Stationmaster]

Midland engines were a regular sight on the Wycombe branch on Summer excursions to Windsor.  They usuallty ran that way but some came round via Didcot.  Most seem to have been  4-6-0s - usually Black 5, or 'Jubilee's off the LM or B1s off the ER.  Oddest sight I ever saw - albeit on one running via the GWML - was a 4F with 10 on bashing its way along the Down Main through Twyford

 

You will fnd this excellent website of interest but look particularly at the link covering teh Marlow and Wycombe branches.

 

http://mdrs.org.uk/localrailways.htm