THE TRANSITION of Chiltern Railways’ loco-hauled operation from Mk. 3 stock to the CAF-built Mk. 5a stock was all but complete by mid-March, with the last service formed of the old order running with 68011 and AL04 on March 18 as 1H12, the 07.46 Princes Risborough-Marylebone. Pip Dunn reports…
Mk. 3 operation to Birmingham ceased on the weekend of February 21/22, with 68015 Kev Helmer and set AL01 forming 1J59, the 19.32 Marylebone-Stourbridge Junction on the Saturday, returning the next morning as 1H35, the 10.42 departure from Stourbridge Junction to London. Thereafter, the Mk. 3s were restricted to the three-days-a-week peak-hour diagram to Princes Risborough until the final booked outing.
February 22 also saw Chiltern run a farewell tour in conjunction with the Branch Line Society, this employing 68013 Peter Wreford-Bush and set AL04 over the TOC’s route.
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The train raised more than £20,000 for the Railway Children charity. It started at Banbury, headed to Stourbridge Junction, then to Marylebone, and back to Banbury, taking in a variety of loops and crossovers along the way.
With set AL03 already off-lease and transferred to Nemesis Rail’s Burton depot for storage, it was joined by AL02 on February 23, with 68014 arriving from Stourbridge Junction with 10273, 12604/605/613/616/625 and 82301.
Next to make the journey to the Midlands was 68015 and AL01 (10272, 12602/606/609/610/621, 82304), which departed Wembley depot for the final time on March 6 and left AL04 as the last Mk. 3 rake in traffic.
Another Class 68 has been sent to Eastleigh for re-livery for Chiltern Railways when 68024 was moved by 37884 Cepheus as 0O86, the 09.50 Leicester LIP-Eastleigh TRSMD, on March 2. The next day, 37884 then moved 68021 as 0M59, the 07.26 Eastleigh TRSMD-Loughborough UKRL.
Of the Mk. 5a replacements, early March saw both CH03 and CH04 released from preparatory work, including a re-livery, at Eastleigh. The latter, formed of 11504, 12712-714 and 12804, appeared for the first time in its new colours on March 2 but paired with plain blue 68027.
However, on the return leg of a test run to Banbury, the train failed near Basingstoke and had to be recovered to Eastleigh by 37884, although successful runs were duly completed over the following two days, the second of which was extended to Leamington. In contrast, the first test runs of CH03 (11503, 12707-709, 12803) on March 11 and 12 went as planned, the now re-liveried 68024 providing traction.
The last set leased to TransPennine Express was finally released from the hand back process at Longsight on February 16, the troublesome and little-used TP01 (11501, 12701-703, 12801) being hauled away to Long Marston by 68023 as a speed-restricted 8Q94 04.09 departure.
This is expected to be the last Mk. 5 set to enter traffic with Chiltern, given how far behind it is in the transfer process. Meanwhile, CH06 (11506, 12716-718, 12806) was retrieved from Long Marston by 68026 on March 6 and taken to Eastleigh for further attention, it having already been re-liveried on a previous visit.
On March 16, another Class 68 made its way south when plain blue 68025 ran light engine from Leicester LIP to Eastleigh TRSMD.
