68 Commuter
In
2016, Chiltern Railways’ 17.21 Marylebone to Banbury evening
commuter service comprised a Class 68 and Mark 3 stock with ‘drop
down’ windows, from which you could hear the loco’s Caterpillar
engine hard at work on a tightly-timed schedule. This WIRED FOR
SOUND cab ride DVD features 68012 on one such trip. With 3,750
horsepower on tap, the locomotive not only delivers an impressive
audio performance, but also demonstrates how quick off the mark
Class 68 are. Over the last 20 years, the Chiltern Line via High
Wycombe to Aynho Junction has undergone a major transformation. Gone
are the days when it was a run-down secondary route - today it is a
fast 100mph railway, offering a journey time of just 78 minutes from
Marylebone to Banbury. And that includes five station stops!
Immediately after leaving Marylebone, the line plunges into St.
John’s Wood tunnel followed by Hampstead tunnel. As the Class 68
gathers speed, it emerges into daylight at Finchley Road to run
alongside the London Underground as far as Neasden, where the
journey continues past Wembley Stadium and Northolt Park to join the
former Western Region route from Paddington at South Ruislip. With
68012 on full power, the line begins a 21-mile climb over the
Chiltern hills to the summit at Saunderton. There are full-on
standing starts from station stops at Beaconsfield and High Wycombe
before the line descends sharply to another station stop at Princes
Risborough. With the route now level, there’s some fast running up
to 100mph, broken only by further stops at Haddenham & Thame Parkway
and Bicester North. There’s a lively run to Aynho Junction where the
Chiltern Line joins the Cherwell Valley route from Didcot. Five
miles later, Banbury is mid-way through a major transformation, and
Banbury South signal box and its GWR semaphore signals are in their
last days of operation. Finally the Class 68 arrives at its platform
1 destination.
BONUS FEATURE: having been on board Chiltern Railways' newest piece of
kit, their oldest train is the subject of this fifteen minute bonus cab
ride. Providing something of a timewarp, British Railways 1961-built
green bubble car 121034 is featured on an evening journey from Princes
Risborough to Aylesbury
