East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line

[KingEdwardII]

5 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

and even going via London by train

That is what I and my friends did in the late '70s when we were at college in Cambridge and had friends in Oxford we visited for a weekend. The bus took too long and the timing was dire. The train via London let us leave at a convenient time on the Friday and get back pretty late on Sunday, maximising our time in Oxford.

 

A direct train from Oxford to Cambridge would be a real plus, avoiding the hassle of getting between the London termini on the tube. Although I suppose that Crossrail is going to change things a bit given that you will be able to get to Liverpool Street from the Thames Valley and change for Cambridge there. It's a shame that the Liverpool Street to Cambridge trains are not as fast as the Cambridge trains from Kings Cross.

 

Changing at Farringdon will be another possibility, using the Thameslink Cambridge services to avoid the need for another change of train. I suppose there will also be the question of the connection from the Oxford train to an Elizabeth line train.

 

We shall have to wait to see the look of the timetables once Crossrail actually opens (!!!).

 

Yours,  Mike.

[Pannier Tank]

When the Oxford Branch closed to Passenger Traffic the Oxford Bus Company ran an Oxford to Bletchley Service. I remember them being Red Single Deck Buses as opposed to the local United Counties Green buses.  This service took the route of the closed Stations and I don't think it lasted that long. 

Edited February 16, 2022 by Pannier Tank

[lmsforever]

In the sixties empty dmu,s  ran  from   Aylesbury to Bletchley depot and in the early morning a newspaper train came through and onwards to Bletchley. Also a regular was a parcels service from Northampton to Paddington frieght at Aylesbury was coal and  trains of combine harvesters to Bletchly and beyond. I used to cycle around Winslow and would often see a diesel hauled frieght pass a very down run Verney Jctn the only civilisation at Verney were five houses and a pub .The line from Quainton to Verney was used for storing stock to be scrapped but at Bletchley there was traffic from the the brickworks onto london etc.i am sure that the line from Oxford to Bletchley could have stayed open if freight had been developed .from Verney  a line went to Banbury bng a trip up that way in a couple of weeksut closed and I think this was justified.I will be having a trip towards Verney so will see whats happenning ,also  the cafe at Quainton Rd is open fom 9.30 to 1.30 and is doing brilliant food had a munch there this week can reccomend them.

[lmsforever]

Apologise for cock up at end of my post computer has a mind of its own !!

[Andy Kirkham]

Here's a Percival's coach with the Half Past Ten logo https://thetransportlibrary.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=68929

[Bernard Lamb]

1 hour ago, lmsforever said:

In the sixties empty dmu,s  ran  from   Aylesbury to Bletchley depot and in the early morning a newspaper train came through and onwards to Bletchley. Also a regular was a parcels service from Northampton to Paddington frieght at Aylesbury was coal and  trains of combine harvesters to Bletchly and beyond. I used to cycle around Winslow and would often see a diesel hauled frieght pass a very down run Verney Jctn the only civilisation at Verney were five houses and a pub .The line from Quainton to Verney was used for storing stock to be scrapped but at Bletchley there was traffic from the the brickworks onto london etc.i am sure that the line from Oxford to Bletchley could have stayed open if freight had been developed .from Verney  a line went to Banbury bng a trip up that way in a couple of weeksut closed and I think this was justified.I will be having a trip towards Verney so will see whats happenning ,also  the cafe at Quainton Rd is open fom 9.30 to 1.30 and is doing brilliant food had a munch there this week can reccomend them.

As a member of my cycling club tells me. Though I have not had a chance to check yet.

Bernard

 

 

[Nearholmer]

I can vouch for it as a cyclist’s fueling stop too, although the George and Dragon up on the green is actually better. Worth trying to time your visit for when a train is running by to or from Calvert, which adds a bit of interest.

 

 

Edited February 16, 2022 by Nearholmer

[Pannier Tank]

1 hour ago, lmsforever said:

In the sixties empty dmu,s  ran  from   Aylesbury to Bletchley depot

 

The Class 115 DMU's went to Bletchley for Maintenance arriving / departing early evening. This continued until the introduction of the Class 165/0 DMU's and the opening of a new Depot at Aylesbury.

[FraserClarke]

On 15/02/2022 at 13:40, highpeakman said:

I seem to remember that the reason the telescopes originally needed to spaced out well along the line was that they obtained more detailed "pictures" with muliple antennas spaced apart (Long Base line). I understand, but am open to correction, that this has long been superceded by using antennas now spaced apart internationally (Very Long Baseline?).

 

Yes, the telescope is an interferometer, which combines the data from multiple telescopes; the resolution you get being equivalent to the separation of the telescopes (further apart == higher resolution).  The counter being that the field of view / sensitivity you get is inversely propotional to the separation (further apart == smaller field of view / lower sensitivity).  So really you want both telescopes close together, and far apart.  The advantage of building the telescope on the long straight formation was that the telescopes could be moved, changing the separation to adapt the combination of resolution and sensitivity for different observations.    VLBI over many countries does the same thing, but gives very high resolution on very small / bright targets.  Same idea, different implementation.  But like comparing HS2 with local services

 

I've no idea if the telescope was a driver in closing the line; seems unlikely to me unless someone else was looking for a reason...

 

[Northmoor]

1 hour ago, Nearholmer said:

I can vouch for it as a cyclist’s fueling stop too, although the George and Dragon up on the green is actually better. Worth trying to time your visit for when a train is running by to or from Calvert, which adds a bit of interest.

 

 

You'll have a long wait; hasn't the line been severed at Quainton UFN, with the line from Aylesbury now effectively a long siding?

[Nearholmer]

I live and learn!

 

Plenty of time for an uninterrupted fry-up then.

[VarsityJim]

Does anyone know if the landfill trains to Calvert will still run once HS2 opens?

[simon b]

2 hours ago, VarsityJim said:

Does anyone know if the landfill trains to Calvert will still run once HS2 opens?

I believe so, although they are moving the unloading point. 

[lmsforever]

2 hours ago, VarsityJim said:

Does anyone know if the landfill trains to Calvert will still run once HS2 opens?

yes I think they will to new unloading point and the track from Quainton will be relaid quite a long wait though at least three or four years.Noticed on Tuesday lots of track panels in the yard at Quainton so with luck they will gain thier use.

[lmsforever]

3 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

I live and learn!

 

Plenty of time for an uninterrupted fry-up then.

Sausage and bacon bap better hope it succeeds a lady from the village is running the venture ,good luck

[lmsforever]

5 hours ago, Bernard Lamb said:

As a member of my cycling club tells me. Though I have not had a chance to check yet.

Bernard

 

 

Hemel Hempstead my old club in the seventies I organised the Hemel Grand Prix one year good club

[1E BoY]

Taken last week showing the station from the Brunel Centre roundabout and the former Telephone Rentals building now being converted into luxury accommodation named Caspian View. Ideal for those keen on spotting trains out of the window from the far end!

[1E BoY]

Taken yesterday (Tuesday 15th) from the top of the steps leading to platform 6 (formerly platform 8)

[rodent279]

8 hours ago, 1E BoY said:

Taken last week showing the station from the Brunel Centre roundabout and the former Telephone Rentals building now being converted into luxury accommodation named Caspian View. Ideal for those keen on spotting trains out of the window from the far end!

My desk used to be situated on the second floor, right above the Tesco van & green portakabin, where the gap in the windows is.

Edited February 17, 2022 by rodent279

[08221]

9 hours ago, 1E BoY said:

Taken yesterday (Tuesday 15th) from the top of the steps leading to platform 6 (formerly platform 8)

Its going to be a long footbridge to connect up with the existing station!

[Pannier Tank]

12 hours ago, 1E BoY said:

Taken last week showing the station from the Brunel Centre roundabout and the former Telephone Rentals building now being converted into luxury accommodation named Caspian View. Ideal for those keen on spotting trains out of the window from the far end!

 

I noticed  today that the Police Station appears to be vacated; no vehicles to be seen in the front or rear car parks. 

[Nearholmer]

All stolen, possibly.

 

Actually, I think they've all moved to that multicoloured "blue light hub" near the A5, north of the stadium.

 

 

[caradoc]

22 hours ago, Pannier Tank said:

When the Oxford Branch closed to Passenger Traffic the Oxford Bus Company ran an Oxford to Bletchley Service. I remember them being Red Single Deck Buses as opposed to the local United Counties Green buses. 

 

I used the Oxford/Bletchley bus in the early to mid 1970s, again for spotting purposes. It ran via Buckingham, which arguably made it more useful than the train had been, and therefore was close to part of today's X5 route. 

 

[2750Papyrus]

Tomorrow's trains between Bletchley and Bedford cancelled in advance of the approaching storm.

[Davexoc]

8 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

All stolen, possibly.

 

Actually, I think they've all moved to that multicoloured "blue light hub" near the A5, north of the stadium.

 

 

 

The one that was late opening because someone overlooked the access road in the plan....

The fire station at Great Holm is also vacant because they joined them there.

 

Back on topic, there is something happening down at Little Horwood Road in Winslow next week, as it is going to be closed. Don't know what, as it seems to be fairly advanced and most plant has moved on. There is a crane on the embankment dropping in lumps of concrete, so if that is leaving site, they might be extracting it, unless they are going to remove the traffic lights and resurface the rally course that currently runs under the bridge....