Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway
| Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Pannier Tank at Chinnor Station 5700 class Pannier tank 9682 waits while passengers board at Chinnor Station on the preserved Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway | |
| Locale | Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, England |
| Terminus | Chinnor and Thame Junction |
| Connections | Chiltern Main Line at Princes Risborough |
| Commercial operations | |
| Name | Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway Company |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Preserved operations | |
| Operated by | Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway |
| Stations | 1 |
| Length | 3.5 miles (5.6 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 15 August 1872 |
| Closed | 1 July 1957 (passenger) 20 Dec 1989 (goods) |
| Preservation history | |
| August 1989 | C&PRR formed to save and preserve the 4 miles of track |
| 26 July 1994 | Transport and Works Order active |
| 20 August 1994 | First public service |
| 1996 | C&PRR extends to Thame Junction (the line's current length) |
| 20 August 2004 | The C&PRR sees 10 years of operating services along the line |
| August 2009 | The C&PRR marks 20 years since formation and 15 years of operation |
| Headquarters | Chinnor |
| Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway is a preserved heritage railway with its headquarters and only station at Chinnor in South Oxfordshire, England. It runs along the foot of the Chilterns escarpment.
History [edit]
The line was part of the former Great Western Railway branch line between Watlington and Princes Risborough. British Railways closed the line to passenger traffic in 1957. The section between Chinnor and Princes Risborough then carried a freight-only cement service until 1989.[1]
Preservation [edit]
The Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway Association was formed around August 1989. It began to operate passenger trains between Chinnor and the site of the former Wainhill Halt (about 1 km NE of Chinnor) in August 1994. In 1995 the route was extended by about 3 km to Horsenden Lane, and then to Thame Junction in 1996.[2] The 4 km route has been unchanged since then.
Present day and future route of the C&PRR [edit]
The railway operates on standard gauge between Chinnor and Thame Junction, near Princes Risborough. As of 2013, there is no platform at Thame Junction, so each trip from Chinnor is a return journey of about 8 km.
An extension of about a mile (1.5 km) to Princes Risborough mainline railway station is proposed and the railway is in discussion with Network Rail, with a view to running into Princes Risborough station.[speculation?] This would allow passengers to connect from Chiltern Railways services on the Chiltern Main Line. Once the extension takes place, the line would then be 4 miles (6 km) in length.
The railway may one day extend its route SW from Chinnor towards Aston Rowant[speculation?] near the A40 (expanding to a total of 6 miles (8 km) in length).
On-screen appearances [edit]
Chinnor station has been used for the filming of various TV series including Miss Marple and Midsomer Murders.[3]
Motive power [edit]
Steam locomotives [edit]
- GWR 0-6-0PT 5700 Class No. 9682. This locomotive remained operational until the end of the 2009 season, when its boiler certificate expired.
- GWR 0-6-0PT No. 1369 built in 1934 (replacement 9682 for the 2010 season).
- Manning Wardle 0-4-0ST 'Brill'. Currently at the Middleton Railway for restoration to working order.
Diesel locomotives [edit]
- BR 0-6-0 Class 08 No. 13018 'Haversham'. Operational.
- BR Bo-Bo Class 17 No. D8568. Operational.
- BR A1A-A1A Class 31 No. D5581. Operational.
- BR Co-Co Class 37 No. 37116. br blue. built in 1963. Operational.
- BR Co-Co Class 37 No. 37219 'Shirley Ann Smith'. Operational.
- Ruston & Hornsby 0-6-0DH 459515 'IRIS'. Operational.
Diesel multiple units [edit]
- BR Class 121 'bubble car' No. W55023. Operational and mainly used on summer Saturdays.
References [edit]
- ^ Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway: History
- ^ Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway: History
- ^ Street, Joan. "Midsomer Murders Locations - Chinnor, Buckinghamshire". Archived from the original on 2009-08-04. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
External links [edit]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
