IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Summerleys Road, PRINCES RISBOROUGH, HP27 9EQ

View northward, towards Bicester, Banbury, Birmingham and Chester/Birkenhead on the ex-GW main line, which is also shared (GW&GC Joint) by the ex-GC Marylebone - Leicester - Sheffield main line between Northolt and Ashendon Junctions. Just beyond the station, the GW lines to Oxford via Thame and the branch to Watlington turn off left and that to Aylesbury Joint to the right. The 08.55 Birkenhead Woodside to Paddington is headed by Collett 4-6-0 No. 6022 'King Edward III' (built 6/30, withdrawn 9/62). The auto-train on the left is working from High Wycombe to Banbury down the main line, with its engine (Collett 54XX 0-6-0T No. 5420) pushing from the rear.

The former Great Western & Great Central main line heads straight on here, but the track nearest the fence is the branch line to Aylesbury that curves round to the right at the end of the yard, while the former lines to Oxford and Watlington curve around to the left behind the speed restriction signs. The building on the left is the massive Princes Risborough signal box, now disused and boarded up.

The Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway is being extended to run into Princes Risborough Station for the first time in many years. Extensive track re-laying is being done and this smart restored wagon is back in service as a materials store.

A standard Great Western Railway design, in use until the area was resignalled as part of the redoubling of the line between this point and Aynho Junction, near Banbury.

Re laying rail track to the far platform at Princes Risborough Station prior to the forthcoming re- introduction of train services from here to Chinnor. The signal box in the background is also being restored.

Seen from the entrance to the former Great Western Signal Box, members of the above heritage railway work in a heatwave to relay track so that trains from Chinnor can once again enter the railway station here. (Photo taken during one of their very rare public open days.)

Princes Risborough was for much of its existence a secondary stopping point on the Great Western Railway's route between London and Birmingham. There were also branches to Watlington, Oxford and Aylesbury. After electrification of the LM route between the two cities in the 1960s this line was downgraded - leaving it with a distinctly lacklustre local service between Marylebone and Banbury. The down (away from London) platform was taken out of use. This all changed from the 1990s onwards and the modern Chiltern Railways service between Marylebone and Birmingham is both fast and frequent - although not all trains stop at Princes Risborough. In this view a 1702 departure for Aylesbury is indicated from the bay platform; for most of the day the branch nowadays enjoys a through service from Marylebone.

View northward from the end of the Up platform, towards Bicester, Banbury and Birmingham on the ex-GW&GC Joint main lines from London (Paddington/Marylebone), also to Aylesbury (to right). To the left ex-GWR lines used to run to Watlington until 7/57 (passengers, 1/61 goods), to Thame and Oxford (closed in stages to 4/91). The main line was formerly GW&GC Joint from Northolt Junction via High Wycombe and on northward to Ashendon Junction, whence the GCR 'London Extension' ran on to Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield. Currently, passenger services run largely from Marylebone and on to Birmingham. The North Signalbox remains, but is boarded up. (Note the large mirror for train drivers).

If this looks a bit old fashioned, it's because it's not on the National Rail part of the station. This is the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway using some of their own equipment to restore the platform on the far side of the station prior to running a train service to Chinnor, which is a new venture for them.