The 2L31 12.07 Oxford to Didcot Parkway heads south, overtaking the 6C58 11.55 Oxford Banbury Road Sidings to Whatley Quarry as the 6M50 07.50 Westbury to Bescot heads north having just left Hinksey yard.
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The loco shunts the yard as the 2L36 13.01 Didcot Parkway to Oxford local passes on the down main line.
The substantial fence was erected to reduce noise, the residents having complained when the yard having all but closed became a virtual quarry for ballast.
The wagons are YVA, for cable laying.
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2D21 11.32 Leamington Spa to Stratford-upon-Avon, 1H33 10.55 Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone and 1R21 10.10 London Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street.
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A Marylebone service gets the 'feather' for the London line via Bicester, the other 'feather' is for the loop on the Oxford line and straight on is for Oxford.
The 'now' shot could not be taken from the same place that 47452 was photographed in 1980 as the trees have matured and blocked that angle.
Aynho's interesting mixture of upper and lwer quadrant signals have been replaced. The line via Bicester was singled in the late 1960's when the majority of expresses to Paddington were routed via Oxford, adding to the journey time and mileage but offering the useful call at Reading where many passengers changed trains for other routes.
Millions of pounds were spent recently to re-double the line, what a waste! Gerry Fiennes would call that a management Hogsnorton of grand proportions.
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A Marylebone - Birmingham service heads north at Aynho, autumn 2008.
Yes, this photo really was taken at the same place as that of 47539 in 1982. Gone are the semaphores, and the foliage is of course denser.
Many more passenger trains pass this way compared to back then, the XC Voyagers run each way hourly, and there is a Marylebone service about every 30 minutes each way whereas only a few trains each day used the shorter line via Bicester to London back in the 1970's and 80's.
Bicester was the last place in Britain to operate a slip coach from an express train, on 9th September 1960.
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