1466 at Chinnor Station, 7 May 1995

The Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway forms part of the former Great Western Railway branch line from Princes Risborough to Watlington opened in 1872. Passenger services were withdrawn in 1957 (with the line west of Chinnor), with freight traffic to Chinnor Cement works continuing until 1989. The 3 mile line was reopened by the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway Association in August 1994. GWR 0-4-2 Auto Tank 1466, loaned by the Great Western Society, is seen arriving at Chinnor on 7 May 1995.

Photo by Mike Walker

No. 70 'Phoenix' arrives at Chinnor with new station building under construction, 12 September 1999

No. 70 "Phoenix" is seen arriving at Chinnor on 12 September 1999 with a replica of the original station building under construction.

Photo by Tim Edmonds

69523 at Horsenden Crossing 26 May 1997

Visiting ex Great Northern Railway N2 0-6-2T No. 69523 approaches Horsenden Crossing with the C&PRR's rake of ex BR Mark 2 coaches painted in a representation of BR Western Region Chocolate & Cream.

Photo by Tim Edmonds

1300 at Bedlow, April 1998

The only tender engine to have operated on the line in preservation is Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway 0-6-0 No. 1300 which visited in 1998 and is seen approaching Bedlow.

Photo by Gordon Rippington

Errol Lonsdale at Chinnor, 13 April 2003

The steam locomotive on the line in 2003 was the former Longmoor Miltary Railway Austerity 0-6-0ST "Errol Lonsdale" (carrying the fictional BR number 68011). She is seen at Chinnor station on 13 April 2003 carrying a wreath in respect of Major General Lonsdale’s recent death.

Photo by Tim Edmonds

9682 (as 4650) with visiting autocoach W225W near Bledlow Cricket Club, 1 July 2007

The Great Western Railway Preservation Group's Pannier Tank 9682 was active on the C&PRR for a number of years before the expiry of her boiler certificate in 2009. In 2007 she masqueraded as 4650 and was paired with visiting Auto Trailer W225W to recreate the latter days of the BR passenger service on the branch

Photo by Murray Tremellen

9600 passing Bledlow Cricket Ground with "Chiltern Centurion" charter, 3 July 2010

The only train to work onto the line from Network Rail in preservation was the "Chiltern Chiltern Centrion" charter on 3 July 2010 hauled by pannier tank No. 9600, usually based at Tyseley Locomotive Works. A link with the main line was speically laid for this charter. However the C&PRRA hopes that it won't be long before agreement is reached to run trains into Princes Risborough station.

Photo by Tim Edmonds

7808 "Cookham Manor" and 6998 "Burton Agnes Hall" double heading, August 1975

Didcot Railway Centre is based in a former GWR steam depot and is the home of the Great Western Society. This body was formed by a group of schoolboys in 1961, who set out to preserve a GWR 14xx 0-4-2 tank and Auto Trailer. After being based at Taplow for a few years, the society took up residence at Didcot in 1967. 7808 "Cookham Manor" and 6998 "Burton Agnes Hall" double head on the centre's main demonstration line in August 1975. Both of these locomotives were active at the centre and on the main line for many years during the 1970s and 1980s, but are now on static display.

Photo by Gordon Rippington

7808 "Cookham Manor" at the Night Steam Photography event October 1982.

For many years an annual night photography event has been held at Didcot. Here 7808's fire is thrown out at the 1982 event.

Photo by Gordon Rippington

Visiting locomotive 4-4-0 Dukedog No. 9217 "Earl of Berkeley" from the Bluebell Railway is the centre of attention on Didcot's turntable on 4 May 1986.

Photo by Tim Edmonds

6024 "King Edward I" on the demonstration line, 1 January 1991

4-6-0 No.6024"King Edward I" heads a train on the centre's main demonstration line on 1 January 1991. This locomotive has been regularly based at Didcot in between railtour duties and preserved railway visits since the early 1990s. Sister engine No. 6023 "King Edward II" is undergoing restoration at the centre and is due to return to steam in the near future.

Photo by Tim Edmonds

5095 "Nunney Castle" at the Night Steam Photography event October 1995.

Another locomotive which is occasionally based at the centre between main line duties is 5029 "Nunney Castle" which is seen alongside Didcot's coaling stage during the 1995 Night Steam Photography event.

Photo by Gordon Rippington

Pannier Tank on Didcot Turntable October 1997.

An unidentified Pannier Tank is silhouetted on Didcot Turntable during the 1997 Night Steam Photography event.

Photo by Gordon Rippington

4472"Flying Scotsman" being serviced at Didcot, 16 October 2005

Although predominately Great Western orientated, Didcot regularly plays host to locomotive representatives of other railway companies. Former LNER A3 Pacific No. 4472 "Flying Scotsman" visited the centre on 16 October 2005 after working a railtour from Dorridge. She is seen alongside 0-6-0ST No. 1363.

Photo by Murray Tremellen

Firefly in Motion, 29 August 2009

As well as a vast collection of standard gauge GWR locomotives and rolling stock preserved by the GWS. The Fire Fly Trust has constructed a replica of one of Daniel Gooch's 2-2-2 Broad Gauge "Fire Fly" locomotives which operates on a short length of Brunel's original 7ft & ¼inch gauge track. This is a view of her open footplate taken on 29 August 2009.

Photo by Tim Edmonds

"Tornado" on Didcot's Main Demonstration Line, 29 August 2009

Another Eastern express passenger locomotive in the form of the recently constructed Peppercorn Pacific No. 60163 "Tornado" visited Didcot in August 2009 and is seen on the main demonstration line.

Photo by Tim Edmonds

Metropolitan No. 1 & Peckett 1900 "The Flying Bufferbeam," 26 May 1986

Quainton Road Station is situated 5 miles north of Aylesbury and was formerly a junction of the Great Central Railway from the Midlands, the Metropolitan Railway from Verney Junction and the Brill Tramway. Following closure to passengers in 1963 and the demise of the GC main line in 1966, the London Railway Preservation Society took up residence in 1969 and developed the site into the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre. Metropolitan E class 0-4-4T No. 1, built in 1898 at Neasden Works, regularly worked through the station on services from Baker Street to Verney Junction and is seen here operating on the BRC's Down yard alongside Peckett 1936 vintage 0-4-0T No. 1900 - the smallest standard gauge locomotive in Britain, known as "The Flying Bufferbeam."

Photo by Tim Edmonds

Metropolitan No. 1 alongside ex LT Water Tower

A study of Met No. 1 alongside the ex London Transport water tower (based at Watford until 1971). As well as being a stalwart of the BRC's fleet since returning to steam in the 1980s, Met No. 1 has visited several preserved lines and returned to LT metals for several of the Steam on the Met events in the 1990s.

Photo by Tim Edmonds

Beattie Well Tank 0314 in Quainton Road Platform 3, 13 April 1979

Another historic locomotive preserved at Quainton is the London & South Western Railway Beattie Well Tank No. 0314, built by Beyer Peacock in 1874. Used for suburban traffic out of Waterloo initially, the locomotive was transferred to the Wenford China Clay branch in Cornwall where it remained until withdrawal in 1963. Primarily stored at the LPRS’ base at Bishops Stortford, it arrived at Quainton in 1969 and was in traffic from 1972 to 1979. The loco reappeared in 2006 after overhaul as BR No. 30585.

Photo by Tim Edmonds

7715 giving rides with open wagons, June 1975

Early days of operations with passengers riding in open wagons hauled by ex GWR Pannier Tank 7715. Built by Kerr Stuart and Co. in 1930. 7715 spent her carrer in Cornwall before becoming one of 13 panniers purchased by London Transport for departmental duties and renumbered L.99. She arrived at Quainton in 1970 and since been seen in liveries of all three of her former owners and has featured at the Steam on the Met events. The locomotive is currently on loan to the Spa Valley Railway.

Photo by Gordon Ripperton

King Edward I & Ivatt Tank Undergoing Restoration in Up Yard

Following purchase by the 6024 Preservation Society in 1973, "King Edward I" was moved from Woodham Bros yard in Barry, South Wales, to Quainton for restoration to main line condition, completed in 1989. Here is view of the boiler in a dismantled state in the Up Yard. In the background is the cab and bunker of one of the LMS Ivatt Tanks based at the Centre before transfer to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway in 2009. Other main line locomotives formerly based at Quainton include Southern Railway West Country Pacific 34016 "Bodmin" and BR Standard Class 4 2-6-0 76017 (both now based at the Mid Hants Railway).

Photo by Tim Edmonds

Rocket Working in Down Yard, 17 July 2006

The National Railway Museum's replica of Stephenson's "Rocket" as visited many heritage railways over the years. She visited Quainton in the summer of 2006 and is seen hauling a replica Liverpool & Manchester Railway Third Class coach during the Victorian Weekend.

Photo by Murray Tremellen

Beattie Tank 35087 in Up Yard, 17 July 2006

The other Beattie Well Tank to survive into preservation, No. 35087 (normally based on the Bodmin & Wenford Railway in Cornwall), visited its sister at Quainton in 2006, and again in 2007. She is seen in the Up Yard passing a Class 115 DMU.

Photo by Murray Tremellen

3041 "The Queen," Windsor & Eton

As part of the Royalty & Empire Exhibition at Windsor a replica of the Great Western Railway 2-2-2 3041 "The Queen" was built by Steamtown Carnforth in 1983, paired with a genuine tender. When the exhibition closed the locomotive was retained for display at Windsor & Eton Central station, although the tender was scrapped.

Photo by Tim Edmonds

Polish Tank 4015, Chosley & Walingford

A smaller preservation scheme is the Chosley & Walingford Railway, based a few miles east of Didcot. Although the main motive power is a 08 diesel shunter, steam locomotives do occasionally visit. Here a Polish version of the USA austerity tanks (usually based on the Avon Valley Railway) is seen on a visit during 1998.

Photo by Gordon Ripperton