"Tom Anderson" wrote

While we're vaguely on the subject, has there ever been a plan to connect
Bicester Town station to the Chiltern main line? It'd make for a much more
convenient diversionary route than Banbury.

There is a plan, the Chiltern Evergreen project, which will end up with
trains from Marylebone to Oxford via Bicester Town. But fGW needed the
diversion now.

Alternative might-have-beens would have been to run Paddington to Oxford via
Princes Risborough and Thame (lifted between Thame and Cowley), or via
Princes Risborough, Aylesbury and Verney Junction (lifted between Quainton
Road, Verney Junction and Claydon), or via Ashendon, Grendon Underwood,
Calvery, and Claydon LNE Junction (reverse) (lifted between Ashendon and
Grendon Underwood, and very slow from there to Bicester)

Peter

"Peter Masson" wrote:
Alternative might-have-beens would have been to run Paddington to Oxford via
Princes Risborough and Thame (lifted between Thame and Cowley),


Tracks were lifted several years ago west from Thame Junction, just
outside Princes Risborough station, and the trackbed converted into a
Sustrans cycleway and footpath between Thame and Princes Risborough.

On Wed, 29 Dec 2010 22:16:10 -0000, Peter Masson
wrote:

Alternative might-have-beens would have been to run Paddington to Oxford
via Princes Risborough and Thame (lifted between Thame and Cowley), or
via Princes Risborough, Aylesbury and Verney Junction (lifted between
Quainton Road, Verney Junction and Claydon), or via Ashendon, Grendon
Underwood, Calvery, and Claydon LNE Junction (reverse) (lifted between
Ashendon and Grendon Underwood, and very slow from there to Bicester)

If we're going down that road, they could have diverted
Cheltenham/Worcester trains via the M&SWJR (Andover to Andoversford) up
until 1961.

Colin McKenzie

--
No-one has ever proved that cycle helmets make cycling any safer at the
population level, and anyway cycling is about as safe per mile as walking.
Make an informed choice - visit www.cyclehelmets.org.

On Wed, 29 Dec 2010 16:21:33 -0000, "Paul Scott"
wrote:



wrote in message
...
On Wed, 29 Dec 2010 02:38:00 -0800 (PST)

Strictly speaking Barnes bridge is going north west , but I can't
figure out what sort of convoluted route would take it through the leafy
lines around Barnes to go north of the river presumably at some point to
head
south of the river again. Gauging issues perhaps with the Mk3's?

HSTs (rather than Mk3 coaches) are only cleared into platforms 17, 18 and
19. As this is a subset of the platforms allowing Mk3 coaches, the
suspicion is that it's the power cars themselves that are the critical issue
for gauging.

Isn't it the trouble with part of the linkage on some Mk3 bogies being
liable to argue with the conductor rails at some locations ? Various
articles found via Google suggest that most but not all Western HSTs
have short swing links so if there is the odd chance (or the
certainty?) of the wrong one turning up then somebody could be
shutting the stable door before the horse bolts (or goes off bang) ?

Once you've decided those platforms are to be used, an approach via the
Windsor lines is apparently less disruptive to other mainline services, and
there has also been limited track capacity via Surbiton these last couple of
days due to engineering work. Lastly, the HSTs are not yet cleared on the
SW main line east of Byfleet Junction.

Paul S

On Wed, 29 Dec 2010 16:21:33 -0000
"Paul Scott" wrote:
days due to engineering work. Lastly, the HSTs are not yet cleared on the
SW main line east of Byfleet Junction.

Given they're 35 years old now its probably a fair bet they never will be!

B2003

"Charles Ellson" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 29 Dec 2010 16:21:33 -0000, "Paul Scott"
wrote:

HSTs (rather than Mk3 coaches) are only cleared into platforms 17, 18 and
19. As this is a subset of the platforms allowing Mk3 coaches, the
suspicion is that it's the power cars themselves that are the critical
issue
for gauging.

Isn't it the trouble with part of the linkage on some Mk3 bogies being
liable to argue with the conductor rails at some locations ? Various
articles found via Google suggest that most but not all Western HSTs
have short swing links so if there is the odd chance (or the
certainty?) of the wrong one turning up then somebody could be
shutting the stable door before the horse bolts (or goes off bang) ?

Diagramming the correct trains fitted with SSL bogies has to be taken as
read, surely?

I've discussed this in another forum and it has been stated there that the
main gauging problem within Waterloo is the crew access steps on the outside
of the power car bogies. There are also issues with some stations between
Staines and Reading, (not relevant to the current situation) where there is
a 5 mph speed limit for HSTs due to the same factors.

Paul

On Wed, 29 Dec 2010, Paul Scott wrote:

"Tom Anderson" wrote in message
th.li...

While we're vaguely on the subject, has there ever been a plan to connect
Bicester Town station to the Chiltern main line? It'd make for a much more
convenient diversionary route than Banbury.

Er... yes, it's the main part of Chiltern's Evergreen 3 project, they are
currently upgrading the route from Marylebone to Aynho Junction, but the main
part, connecting to Oxford, is yet to start.

It is going through TWA Order procedures; right now it is at the public
inquiry stage. There's a pretty detailed web site for the project he

http://www.chiltern-evergreen3.co.uk...oject-overview

Lovely, thank you. I hope that comes off - it'll be nice to have another,
hopefully less crowded, option for getting to Oxford.

tom

--
Axaxaxas Mlo

On Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:46:06 +0000, Tom Anderson
wrote:
Lovely, thank you. I hope that comes off - it'll be nice to have
another,
hopefully less crowded, option for getting to Oxford.

Less crowded? Have you *seen* the Chiltern Line in the peaks?

Neil

--
Neil Williams, Milton Keynes, UK

"Paul Scott" wrote in message
...
HSTs (rather than Mk3 coaches) are only cleared into platforms 17, 18 and
19. As this is a subset of the platforms allowing Mk3 coaches, the
suspicion is that it's the power cars themselves that are the critical
issue for gauging.

Once you've decided those platforms are to be used, an approach via the
Windsor lines is apparently less disruptive to other mainline services,
and there has also been limited track capacity via Surbiton these last
couple of days due to engineering work. Lastly, the HSTs are not yet
cleared on the SW main line east of Byfleet Junction.

Paul S

If this diversion is likely to be used again over the next few years, it
would be worth getting route clearence for HSTs along the main line through
Surbiton. Taking an hour to get to Woking instead of 25 minutes is not
funny. Even the stopper via Surbiton that departed 17 minutes later beat us
to Woking.

John

"John C" wrote in message
...


"Paul Scott" wrote in message
...
HSTs (rather than Mk3 coaches) are only cleared into platforms 17, 18 and
19. As this is a subset of the platforms allowing Mk3 coaches, the
suspicion is that it's the power cars themselves that are the critical
issue for gauging.

Once you've decided those platforms are to be used, an approach via the
Windsor lines is apparently less disruptive to other mainline services,
and there has also been limited track capacity via Surbiton these last
couple of days due to engineering work. Lastly, the HSTs are not yet
cleared on the SW main line east of Byfleet Junction.

Paul S

If this diversion is likely to be used again over the next few years, it
would be worth getting route clearence for HSTs along the main line
through Surbiton. Taking an hour to get to Woking instead of 25 minutes is
not funny. Even the stopper via Surbiton that departed 17 minutes later
beat us to Woking.

John

Two thoughts about that

1) The railway has recently begun to learn that people don't want to be
turfed off a train on to a bus or even off one train onto another. What
they haven't learned is that journey time remains relevant.
2) I don't understand the detail but apparently the HSTs need to use high
numbered platforms at Waterloo. The route being used gets them there
without having to cross the station throat (or at least somewhere between
Clapham Junction and Waterloo).