Buckinghamshire Railway Centre







Operational railway museum



































Buckinghamshire Railway Centre

The 2 halves of Buckinghamshire Railway Centre - geograph.org.uk - 934865.jpg
View along the main line towards Quainton Road, showing the two sides of the centre, taken from the footbridge. Main buildings, from left-right: Ministry of Food Buffer-Depot; Brill Tramway platform; Quainton Road; the former building of Oxford Rewley Road

Established 1969
Coordinates
51°51′54″N 0°55′44″W / 51.865°N 0.929°W / 51.865; -0.929Coordinates: 51°51′54″N 0°55′44″W / 51.865°N 0.929°W / 51.865; -0.929
Type Operational railway museum
Key holdings
Metropolitan Railway E Class No.1
GWR 4073 Class No.5080 Defiant
GWR 6959 Class No.6989 Wightwick Hall
South African Class 25NC 4-8-4 No.3405
Owner Quainton Railway Society (Some land leased from Network Rail)
Public transit access
Quainton Road or Aylesbury
Website BucksRailCentre.org

Buckinghamshire Railway Centre is a railway museum operated by the Quainton Railway Society Ltd. at Quainton Road railway station, about 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England. The site is divided into two halves which are joined by two foot-bridges, one of which provides wheelchair access. Each side has a demonstration line with various workshop buildings as well as museum buildings.




Contents






  • 1 History


    • 1.1 Restoration


    • 1.2 Mainline services




  • 2 Present


    • 2.1 Rewley Road


    • 2.2 Media




  • 3 Future developments


  • 4 Collection


    • 4.1 Locomotives


    • 4.2 Diesel multiple units


    • 4.3 Electric multiple units


    • 4.4 Carriages and vans




  • 5 References


  • 6 External links





History



Curving concrete station platform. There is a small wooden hut on the platform.

The curved Brill platform at Quainton Road. The short stretch of rail from this platform is the only surviving part of the Brill Tramway.


In 1962, the London Railway Preservation Society was formed. It bought a series of former London Underground vehicles and collectables, and holds the largest collection of London and North Western Railway memorabilia.[1] These were held at various sites around London, mainly two government depots at Luton and Bishop's Stortford,[2] making both access, restoration and preservation difficult.[1]


While other closed stations on the former MR lines north of Aylesbury were generally demolished or sold,[3] in 1969 the Quainton Railway Society was formed to operate a working museum at the station.[4] On 24 April 1971 the society absorbed the London Railway Preservation Society, taking custody of its collection of historic railway equipment.[5]



Restoration


The station was maintained in working order, used as a bookshop and ticket office.[6] The extensive sidings were still intact, and although disconnected from the mainline in 1967,[7] were used for locomotive restoration work.[4] The Society eventually restored the main station building to its 1900 appearance, renaming the site the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre.[8] A smaller building on the former Brill platform, once a shelter for passengers waiting for Brill and down trains, was used first as a store then as a shop for a number of years before its current use to house an exhibit on the history of the Brill Tramway. A former London Transport building from Wembley Park was dismantled and re-erected at Quainton Road to serve as a maintenance shed.[9]



Mainline services




Chiltern Railways Class 121 'Bubble Car' diesel unit at Buckinghamshire Railway Centre on a shuttle service from Aylesbury on 3 May 2010


Although the BRC's trains are run on the former station sidings, the station still has a working Network Rail line passing through it. This connects Aylesbury with the Bletchley to Oxford cross-country route at Claydon (LNE) Junction. Regular landfill freight trains traverse the line from waste transfer depots in Greater London to the former brick pits at Calvert.[10]


From 1984 until 1990, the station briefly came back into passenger use, when special Christmas shopping services between Aylesbury and Bletchley were operated by British Rail Network SouthEast on Saturdays only, and stopped at Quainton Road.[11] From August Bank Holiday 1971 until the 1987 season, and again from August Bank Holiday 2001 the station has had special passenger trains from Aylesbury in connection with events at the Centre - these shuttles now run regularly each Spring and August Bank Holiday weekend.



Present


With an extensively redeveloped site on both sides of the working mainline, BRC houses around 170 items of locomotives and rolling stock, in buildings dating from 1874 to the 1960s. The adjacent World War II warehouses of the Ministry of Food Buffer Depot in the former downside yard have been taken over to display many items awaiting restoration, whilst the Society have added a members' reference library.



Rewley Road



Large white wooden building with a large glass canopy

The former Oxford Rewley Road station building following its reconstruction at Quainton Road


Rewley Road, the Oxford terminus of Harry Verney's Buckinghamshire Railway and of the Oxford to Cambridge Line, closed to passengers on 1 October 1951 with trains diverted to the former GWR Oxford General, the current Oxford station. In co-operation with the Science Museum, Rewley Road was dismantled in 1999. The main station building and part of the platform canopy were then moved to BRC and re-erected in 2002 at the north-west corner of the site, now providing improved visitor facilities and the main offices of the QRS.[12]



Media


As one of the best-preserved period railway stations in England, Quainton Road is regularly used as a filming location for period drama, and programmes such as The Jewel in the Crown, the Doctor Who serial Black Orchid and Midsomer Murders have been filmed there.[7]



Future developments


As of 2010[update] the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre is negotiating for a reconnection of the link between its sidings and the main line to allow their locomotives to run to Aylesbury when the line is not in use by freight trains, and to rebuild part of the Brill Tramway between Quainton Road and Waddesdon Road.[13][14]


High Speed 2's planned route passes immediately to the west of the site, not impacting the centre directly, although it will preclude any restoration of the Brill Tramway.[15]




Collection


The collection includes locomotives, carriages, and assorted rolling stock, plus a large amount of memorabilia and documents.[16]



Locomotives














































































































































































































































































































Sortable table
Class
Number ( and name)
Chassis
Status
Notes
Image

Metropolitan Railway
E Class
No.1 (London Transport L44)
0-4-4T
Operational
Built 1898. Operational and a regular on passenger trains. On loan to the Epping Ongar Railway. Boiler ticket expires in 2022.

Bridgnorth - Metropolitan 1 and train.jpg

LSWR
0298 Class
314
(British Railways 30585)
2-4-0WT
Static Display
Built 1874. Boiler ticket expired in 2016.

LSWR 0298 Class Beattie Well Tank 2.jpg

Peckett and Sons
No.1159
Annie
0-4-0ST
Under Overhaul
Built 1908. Arrived in April 2018 from the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway. Part way through a major overhaul.


Peckett and Sons
No.2105
Rokeby
0-4-0ST
Static Display
Built 1951. Mainly used on goods/vintage trains.

Peckett 0-4-0ST No. 2105 Rokeby (25231112540).jpg

North British Locomotive Company

Coventry
No.1
0-6-0T
Static Display
Built 1939. Previously acted as Thomas the Tank Engine on "Thomas" days. On Static display after her Boiler certificate expired.

North British 0-6-0T No. 24564 Coventry No. 1 (25135401369).jpg

Hudswell Clarke
No.1742
Millom
0-4-0ST
Operational
Built 1946. Used on goods and vintage trains. Boiler ticket expires in 2027.


GWR 9400 Class
9466
0-6-0PT
Operational
Built 1952, mainline certified. Boiler ticket expires in 2026.

9466 Didcot.jpg

Aveling and Porter
No.3587
Sydenham
0-4-0WT
Under Overhaul
Built 1895

SYDENHAM CHATHAM HISTORIC DOCKYARD (10647674953).jpg

GWR 6959 Class

6989
Wightwick Hall
4-6-0
Under Restoration.
Built 1948. To be in service for the 2019 May Bank Holiday Gala. Restoration is basically complete as of November 2018.

Wightwick Hall - geograph.org.uk - 389872.jpg

GWR 7200 Class
7200
2-8-2T
Under Restoration
Built in 1934


Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST
No.3890
NCB 66
0-6-0ST
Operational
Last Hunslet Austerity built. in 1964. Boiler ticket expires in 2024

Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST No. 3890 (NCB66) (25499562766).jpg

Peckett and Sons
No.1900
0-4-0ST
Under Overhaul
Built 1936. Britain's smallest standard-gauge steam locomotive.


Andrew Barclay
No.699
Swanscombe
0-4-0ST
Operational
Built 1891. Boiler ticket expires in 2023. The oldest surviving Barclay. Repainted in July 2013 into pseudo-Metropolitan Railway livery as Brill No. 1.

Andrew Barclay 699 Swanscombe 0-4-0 ST (24906755653).jpg

Bagnall
No.2469
Scott
0-4-0ST
Operational
Built 1932. Boiler ticket expires in 2024. mainly used on goods trains

Bagnall 0-4-0ST No. 2469 (25503200385).jpg

Andrew Barclay
No.1477
0-4-0F
Static Display
Built 1916. Fireless


Andrew Barclay
No.2243
0-4-0F
Static Display
Built 1948. Fireless


Aveling and Porter
No.807
Brill
0-4-0T
Static Display
Built 1872. Brill Tramway No.1

Brill Tramway.JPG

GWR 5700 Class
7715
(London Transport L99)
0-6-0PT
Static Display
Built 1930. Bought by London Transport in 1963, their L.99 until 1969. Out of service from December 2011 with a cracked boiler foundation ring

London Transport L99 & City of Truro at Sheringham.jpg

Hawthorn Leslie
No.3717
Swanscombe No.3
0-4-0ST
Static Display
Built 1928


Hawthorn Leslie
No.3718
Swanscombe No.4
0-4-0ST
Operational
Built 1928. Arrived in 2018 near the end of a major overhaul. She entered service in August 2018. Boiler ticket expires 2028


Hudswell Clarke
No.1334
Sir Thomas
0-6-0T
Static Display
Built 1918


Hunslet
No.3782
Arthur
0-6-0ST
Under Overhaul
Built 1953


LNWR

3020
Cornwall
2-2-2
Static Display
Built 1847. On display inside the Rewley Road visitor centre. On loan from the National Railway Museum

Cornwall (4938264807).jpg

South African Class 25NC
3405
4-8-4
Static Display
Built 1953. 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge

South African Railways 25NC Class No 3405 B.jpg

Sentinel Waggon Works
No.6515
Isebrook
4wd
Under Overhaul
Built 1945

Sentinel 040 No 6515 Isebrook.jpg

Sentinel Waggon Works
No.9366 Cynthia
4wd
Operational
Built 1945. Returned to steam in late 2017 after a major overhaul. Boiler ticket expires in 2027

Sentinel 0-4-0 No. 9366 (25498971676).jpg

Yorkshire Engine Company
No.2498
Chislet
0-6-0ST
Static Display
Built 1951


British Rail Class 04
D2298
0-6-0DM
Under Restoration
Built 1960 under restoration after suffering an engine failure at The East Lancashire railway.

D2298 at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre 3.jpg

John Fowler
No.20067
Osram
0-4-0DM
Static Display


Fowler Shunter - geograph.org.uk - 389916.jpg

F.C. Hibberd "Planet"
No.3765
0-4-0DM
Operational



F.C. Hibberd
No.2102
0-4-0DM
Static Display


Hibberd 040DM 2102.jpg

F.C. Hibberd
No.3271
Walrus
0-4-0DM
Static Display


Hibberd 0-4-0DM No. 3271 Walrus (25404501191).jpg

Hunslet
K4428
Redland
0-4-0DM
Static Display



Hunslet
No.2067
0-4-0DM
Operational



Ruston & Hornsby
No.425477
0-4-0DM
Operational



Ruston & Hornsby
No.463153
Hilsea
0-4-0DM
Under Overhaul
Ex-British Gas

Ruston & Hornsby No 463153 Hilsea.jpg


Diesel multiple units


  • BR Class 115 unit 51886+59761+51889 "Aylesbury College Silver Jubilee 1987"[citation needed]


Electric multiple units




1930 Stock Car No. 803 at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre




  • Post Office Railway (London) 1930 Stock No. 803 [17]


  • London Underground CO/CP Stock unit 53028+013063+54233 [3][4][5]

  • New York Subway Car No. 1144, an R6, converted into a cafeteria for the museum.[18]



Carriages and vans



  • BR Mk 1 TPO sorting van no. 80394

  • London Transport brake vans nos. B557 and FB578



References





  1. ^ ab Simpson 1985, p. 110.


  2. ^ Oppitz 2000, p. 70.


  3. ^ Simpson 2005, p. 35.


  4. ^ ab Mitchell & Smith 2006, §16.


  5. ^ Oppitz 2000, pp. 70–71.


  6. ^ Jones 1974, p. 58.


  7. ^ ab Perfitt, Geoff (1994-04-07). "Those silver days of steam at Quainton". Bucks Herald. Aylesbury. p. 12..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}


  8. ^ Mitchell & Smith 2006, §18.


  9. ^ Oppitz 2000, p. 71.


  10. ^ Oppitz 2000, p. 66.


  11. ^ Quick (2009): "Railway Passenger Stations in Great Britain" and Chiltern Lines News


  12. ^ QRS publication "Quainton News", Annual Report of the Quainton Railway Society (various years)


  13. ^ Oppitz 2000, p. 72.


  14. ^ Jones 2010, p. 45.


  15. ^ London-West Midlands Environmental Statement Volume 5 Technical Appendices CFA12 Waddesdon and Quainton Impact assessment tables (CH-003-012) Cultural heritage (PDF). e Department for Transport (DfT). November 2013. p. 5. Retrieved 2 December 2017.


  16. ^ Quainton Railway Society. "Quainton Virtual Stockbook Home". Retrieved 2008-06-08.


  17. ^ [1]


  18. ^ [2]




External links







  • Buckinghamshire Railway Centre website.

  • Buckinghamshire Railway Centre Stockbook










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