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, England
Terminus	Chinnor and Thame Junction
Connections	Chiltern Main Line at P. Risboro'
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)
Preservation history
26 July 1994	Transport and Works Order active
20 August 1994	First public service

Chinnor station is the headquarters of the preserved Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway

The run round loop and sidings of the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway

The Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway is a heritage railway with its main station at Chinnor on the border between Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, England.

History

The heritage line forms 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]

The Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway Association was formed in 1990 and began operating passenger trains between Chinnor and the site of Wainhill Halt in 1994. The C&PRR extended its service to Horsenden Lane in 1995 and Thame Junction in 1996.^[2]

Route

It operates on standard gauge for a distance of 3.5 miles (5.6 km) between Chinnor and Thame Junction on the outskirts of Princes Risborough. There is currently no platform at the Princes Risborough end of the line so each trip from Chinnor is a return and thus 7 miles (11 km) long.

Present day

An extension into Princes Risborough mainline railway station is proposed and the railway is in discussions with Network Rail, with a view to running into Princes Risborough station. This will allow passengers to connect from Chiltern Railways services on the Chiltern Main Line.

Also there's hope that the C&PRR hope to extend their heritage line services towards Aston Rowant within the near future.

On-Screen Appearances

Chinnor station has been used for the filming of various TV series including Miss Marple and Midsomer Murders.^[3]

Motive power

Steam locomotives

• 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 (replacement 9682 for the 2010 season).
• Manning Wardle 0-4-0ST 'Brill'. Currently at the Middleton Railway for restoration to working order.

Diesel locomotives

• 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. Operational.
• BR Co-Co Class 37 No. 37219 'Shirley Ann Smith'. Operational.
• Ruston & Hornsby 0-6-0DH 459515 'IRIS'. Operational.

Diesel multiple units

• BR Class 121 'bubble car' No. W55023. Operational and mainly used on summer Saturdays.

References

1. ^ Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway: History
2. ^ Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway: History
3. ^ Street, Joan. "Midsomer Murders Locations - Chinnor, Buckinghamshire". Archived from the original on 2009-08-04. http://web.archive.org/web/20090804170909/http://geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Satellite/9476/chinnorloc.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-14. 

External links

• The Railway website

Coordinates: 51°41′53″N 0°54′23″W / 51.6980°N 0.9063°W / 51.6980; -0.9063