Oxford - Bletchley - Bedford - Cambridge (History and stuff - Not modern Construction)

[ashkeba]

IMX ER DMUs never worked the line, except for one Sunday turn from Cambridge departing about 09.00 I think. But the branch closed on Sundays from about 1963, and that was the end of ER DMUs.

What's an IMXER DMU? I found nothing searching for it.

 

[daodao]

One notable feature of the Oxford-Cambridge line was the lack of any through passenger services from other lines joining it, at either end (Oxford/Cambridge) or the main junction at Bletchley, apart from services to/from Banbury/Buckingham via Verney Junction. This may have hindered its survival. When East-West Rail is finally reopened, it is desirable for new services to extend further to improve connectivity, e.g,:

• to Ipswich/Norwich, at the Cambridge end
• to Kettering/Corby/Peterborough at Bedford Midland (via a linking line between the ex-MR lines near Manton Junction)
• to Milton Keynes/Northampton at Bletchley
• to Aylesbury/High Wycombe at Calvert
• to Didcot at Oxford (replacing the Didcot-Oxford shuttles)

However, the only through links proposed are to Milton Keynes (at Bletchley) and (at a later date) to Aylesbury (at Calvert).

What's an IMXER DMU? I found nothing searching for it.

I think it means "In My eXperience an Eastern Region Diesel Multiple Unit." While the latter 2 abbreviations are acceptable for use on a specialised Rail Forum, the first one was new to me as well.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Good point about WR steam locos and clearance. I think a few got to Bletchley but no further. A few WR diesels did work across the line including D7060 on a Weymouth-Cambridge footex.

Yes, I'm aware of WR diesel workings (though I didn't see any). ISTR reports of Cl 52s getting to at least Bletchley.

The Sunday service ended in June 1964 and in the final years was two round trips to Bletchley from the Cambridge end. It was occasionally loco hauled particularly around Christmas and start/end of the University terms.

On the last day 0728 Cambridge-Bletchley and 2049 Bletchley-Cambridge were worked by E51296+E56454, and 2 of the Wickham sets are known to have worked the line.

I suppose that would avoided an LM loco stranded at Cambridge on the Saturday night.
Wickham sets? Were these the yellow diamond (or red triangle?) units E7xxxx numbered? If so, yes, I saw some of these on the Sunday services. I didn't realise the Sunday service kept going until 1964.

Perhaps the 0728 Cambridge-Bletchley and 2049 Bletchley-Cambridge only went DMU from the end of the summer 1967 timetable. But March 1967 would be more logical, as the ER would have had more DMUs available as a result of other line closures such as Cambridge-Colchester and St Ives-March.

As I wrote, I specifically saw the train in July 67 (or maybe June). It was Cl 24 hauled. However, your point about the end of the summer timetable would, as we moved away from the area at the end of August-beginning September, so I never saw the train in its last three months of operation.

I think it means "In My eXperience an Eastern Region Diesel Multiple Unit." While the latter 2 abbreviations are acceptable for use on a specialised Rail Forum, the first one was new to me as well.

Yes. Thks.

 

[Falcon1200]

Yes, I'm aware of WR diesel workings (though I didn't see any). ISTR reports of Cl 52s getting to at least Bletchley.

I believe Westerns worked stone trains to Wolverton, later on pairs or WR 37s certainly did. And a WR Class 31 worked the Wolverton/Old Oak Common weekly (I think) ECS move.

 

[Magdalia]

The Bletchley-Oxford section had a wider variety of diesel traction, only partly because it remained open for freight after passenger trains ended.

D1008 worked this section on 15 April 1963 on a Swindon to Peterborough footex.

In 1964 various overnight WCML passenger and parcels trains were diverted to run to/from Marylebone during electrification works, bringing EE type 4s to the Bletchley-Claydon section.

In 1965 a three summer Saturday trains each way, diverted off the Great Central, used this section. Traction was mostly Brush Type 4s and Brush Type 2s, but there are some known BR Type 2 workings and 1 with a Peak. I have about half the workings identified and any new information with loco, date and train would be appreciated!

I once saw a Warship (Class 42) at Bletchley whilst passing on a WCML service, circa 1965.

But I didn't know of any Warships, further details on that would be good. was it on a passenger train?

And a WR Class 31 worked the Wolverton/Old Oak Common weekly (I think) ECS move.

The class 31s on the Wolverton stock move started in 1970, but I don't know what worked before then. I'm guessing that the working only started after Swindon Works ceased to maintain LHCS, but when was that?

I believe Westerns worked stone trains to Wolverton, later on pairs or WR 37s certainly did.

Westerns also occasionally worked a Westbury to Leagrave stone train, running round at Bedford Midland Road. The return working was via Acton.

 

[Magdalia]

I also have the 1965 WTT. The parcels trains were 3M01 1133 Cambridge to Bletchley arrive 1346 and 3E09 1500 Bletchley to Cambridge. So, if the loco off the 0728 Cambridge to Bletchley returned on 3E09, presumably the loco off 3M01 worked the 2049 Bletchley to Cambridge?

I based that comment on the LMR section A WTT for 1965, which includes Bicester-Bletchley-Bedford. I've now also seen the ER section G WTT for 1965, which includes Cambridge-Bedford. I now discover that I overlooked some parcels trains, including one that was in disguise, because it ran as an advertised passenger train for the part of its journey that's in the LMR WTT.

That started from Cambridge at 1847 as 3M02 parcels but ran as a passenger train 2A80 2029 Bedford to Bletchley, arriving 2057. A bit later there was also a 3V06 2235 Bletchley-Oxford parcels, which I hadn't thought relevant to the Cambridge workings. Together these were balanced out by 3E27 0640 Oxford-Cambridge parcels which was at Bletchley 0747 to 0825, and arrived Cambridge at 1018. Somehow I completely missed that in the LMR section A WTT for 1965.

So the loco diagrams could have been more complicated, especially if there were also freight trains involved.

Here's a pic of Brush Type 2 D5663 working 3E27 at Sandy, but recoded to class 4:

Class 31 Brush Type 2 | D5663 1960s Sandy LNWR

Thanks to John Richard Morton who identifies this as Sandy LNW station with the ECML away to the left, the photographer was standing near to the barrow crossing by the goods shed and the train is obscuring the view of the signal box

www.rail-online.co.uk

And here's a pic of Brush Type 2 D5580 working 3E09, also at Sandy:

D5580 Sandy

A special shot from Chris Burton of Brush Type 2 D5580 descending from the Bedford line into Sandy station with 3E09 15.00 Bletchley - Cambridge vans on June 19th 1965. It was fresh from a general overhaul at Doncaster from whence it had emerged on 28/4/65, later it was re-engined in December...

www.flickr.com