The Watlington Pages

These pages are dedicated to the Watlington branch, a well-known and much-loved line of which many fine models have been built. This includes Graeme Tyrer's 4mm layout, which you can see in the GWR layouts section. Many thanks to Graeme for also providing the photos on the following pages, to Jon Cumming for the history below, and to Lasse Tegenborg for info on the 4mm card kits.

Brief history of the line

A 7mm scratchbuilt model of the station building at Watlington, built by Peter Smith of Kirtley Models. You can see more of Peter's work in the GWR Showcase section.

The branch line to Watlington, which was less than 9 miles long, started at Princes Risborough. It was opened on 15th August 1872 by the Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway Company. It soon ran into financial difficulties, and the directors found that they were running the line at their own expense. After lengthy negotiations the Great Western Railway finally acquired the branch for a fraction of the construction costs on 1st July 1883.

The line was lightly constructed following the contours of the land with a ruling gradient of 1 in 60. It was a single line, worked by train staff and one engine in steam, or two coupled together, and had a speed restriction of 30mph. Under GWR ownership there was little improvement, although there were additional rail halts opened between 1906 and 1925.

Passenger services were curtailed on 1st July 1957, the line remaining open for goods traffic until 2nd January 1961. The section between Princes Risborough and Chinnor remained open until 1989, serving the local cement works. Fortunately part of the line survives in preservation: Since 1990, the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway Association has maintained and (since 1994) operated the section from Chinnor to the junction with the Thame branch near Princes Risborough. You can read more about the history of the line at the CPRA website.

Traffic

The 2021 class were well-known on the Watlington branch. This 7mm model was built by Cor de Jong from an ABS kit. You can see more of Cor's modelling here.

As on many other rural branches traffic was relatively modest, but not entirely without interest for the modeller. As an example, 1925 saw 6 passenger trips each daily, and two goods workings.

The main goods traffic on the line was farm produce of various kinds - especially milk - while Lime and cement also featured prominently in goods traffic. Livestock traffic was, compared to many other rural branches, more limited.

Loco allocation was quintessentially Great Western: The mainstay of services was made of a single 0-6-0 allocated to Watlington shed- usually of the 2021 class, with especially 57xx/8750 panniers taking over in later years. Passenger stock followed similar well-known lines, although the early 1920s saw an interesting combination of a 60ft trailer and a 6-wheeled van 3rd in passenger services. In the 1950's, autotrains on the Watlington branch were run with 8750s not fitted for push-pull working, thus requriring a loco run-round at the terminus.

Modelling

A 4mm card kit for the diminiutive Signal Box at Watlington, from the Prototype Models range.

If you´re looking for an easily recognizable setting for your branchline layout, the Watlington branch offers good potential: The characteristic station buildings on the line (at eg Watlington and Chinnor, see photo above) are rather nice subjects for modelling, and should in themselves be enought to pinpoint your layout's location.

You wouldn't be the first to model this branch, for sure, but if that doesn't matter to you then surely Watlington is about as close as we can get to the popular image of the balmy Great Western branch.

It is perhaps for this reason that Watlington is so well-catered for by card kit manufacturers. As can be seen below, all of the main buildings at Watlington station are available as 4mm card kits - something rather unique in the world of British railway modelling. Note that the range from Prototype Models is being gradually expanded into 7mm, and so may feature the Watlington buidlings in due course also.

The use of Pannier Tanks and standard rolling stock such as autocoaches in the line's later years makes the Watlington branch a particularly attractive choice for the RTR modeller. This is one prototype location that offers good scope for out-of-the-box operation, especially if you go for the latter years - and there's a wealth of choice for the kit-builder, too. Note that the RTR stock listed here may not represent exactly the diagrams used on the real Watlington branch - but for most RTR modellers it will probably be close enough.

(*) Alphagraphix and Prototype kits are marketed through Freestone Model Accessories, 28 Newland Mill, Witney, Oxon, OX28 3HH, UK - Tel 01993775979

(**) Roger Smith kits are available from Mainly Trains

More info

Selected references
"Country Branch Line: An Intimate Portrait of the Watlington Branch, Vols 1 & 2" Paul Karau and Chris Turner, Wild Swan 1998	The Mother of All Line Histories. Several hundred pages on the branch, with vol. 1 focussed on the history from 1872-1961, and vol 2 dealing with the individual stations.
"The Watlington Branch" J.S.Holden, OPC 1974	120 pages including photos, drawings & maps. Haven't seen this one I'm afraid.
"Branch Lines to Princes Risborough - from Alyesbury, Oxford and Watlington" Vic Mitchell and Keith Smith, Middleton Press 2003	A mainly photographic account of the 3 branches around Princes Risborough, including the line to Watlington.
"Great Western Branch Line Termini (Vol. 1, or combined edition) Paul Karau, OPC 1977	Extensive coverage of five former GWR branch termini, including Watlington (the others are Fairford, Lambourn, Tetbury and Wallingford). Photographs, timetables and 4mm building plans.
Website of the Chinnor & Princes Risbororough Railway [link]	This site has a good history and excellent shots of the line in the 1950s. It also tells the story of this enterprising preservation railway.