Big Engines, Little Line! Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway - 'Steam Gala' 2026

The Chiltern Hills are a chalk escarpment in the south of England, stretching across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. At the foot of the landscape lies the market town of Princes Risborough; gateway to the Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The main railways through the town were the Great Western and Great Central routes to Aylesbury and beyond. However, a small branchline also ran west to Watlington along the Icknield Way via Chinnor, a large parish on the county border. As a tiny backwater spur, it became the first casualty of closure in 1957. Apart from occasional freight trains to the cement works near Chinnor, the line lay destined for dereliction. On the contrary, when the cement works ceased operations in 1989, talk of restoring the line as a heritage railway took off. British Rail handed over maintenance duties to the newly-formed Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway Association the next year, although much of the infrastructure had long since been demolished. The society commenced operation between Chinnor and Wainhill Crossing in 1994, later reaching the hamlet of Horsenden and the former Thame Junction, where a new run-round loop was constructed. Whilst the mainline connection at Princes Risborough was still in situ, it wasn’t until 2016 that trains returned to the town, with a recreated platform adjacent to Network Rail’s station officially reopening in 2018. Today, passengers at Princes Risborough can step off a modern electric unit and straight onto a steam-hauled service for a leisurely journey through the Chiltern Hills. While not often considered a major player in the heritage railway sector, the line has commanded attention in recent years through their ambitious ‘Steam Galas’. Held over the final weekend in October, the event often plays host to several visitors, particularly on the larger scale. Topping the bill was GWR ‘Saint’ 2999 ‘Lady Of Legend’ from Didcot Railway Centre. Whilst very much an express engine, she would still look very much at home on the ex-western branch. Joining her was the mighty BR 9F 92134 from the NYMR, hot on the heels of her appearance at the Bluebell Railway’s ‘Giants Of Steam’ gala. The third guest would be the equally butch USATC S160 6046, currently on loan to Chinnor for the season. Finally, Sentinel 47109 ‘Joyce’, the railway’s only home-based steam locomotive, offered brake van rides around station limits at Princes Risborough. I visited on the Friday and Saturday of the gala. Each day would see nine return services depart from Princes Risborough, with engines swapping over at either end of the line. Unfortunately, ‘Lady Of Legend’ only managed one round trip on Friday morning before failing with a faulty clack valve, leaving the 9F and S160 in charge. Thankfully, a swift repair allowed the ‘Saint’ to return to the roster on Saturday afternoon. Huge gratitude to the fitters for such a quick turnaround. The weather was utterly glorious, with blue skies across the counties all weekend. Despite being just four miles long, the railway was bustling with activity. Even an array of tractions could be found roaming around the car park at Chinnor. Several services were full, although trains ran up to twenty minutes late at times. The full lineup consisted of: Visiting: GWR Churchward 29XX ‘Saint’ 4-6-0 2999 ‘Lady Of Legend’ (from Didcot Railway Centre) BR Standard 9F 2-10-0 92134 (from the Self Family and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway) USATC S160 2-8-0 6046 (from the Churnet Valley Railway. On loan for the 2026 season) Home Fleet: Sentinel 0-4-0VBGT 47109 ‘Joyce’ (on brake van rides at Princes Risborough) I hope you all enjoy the video. The Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway is a brilliant little line with lots to offer. Many thanks to all staff and volunteers for their efforts, particularly the team who worked to get 2999 back in traffic so quickly. My picks of the video are the S160 powering up Chinnor Bank, and the 9F and ‘Saint; catching the sun at Keens Lane and Bledlow, respectively. If you enjoyed this montage, check us out on social media at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... and   / secondvalvesteam   for more content. As always, feel free to leave a like or comment and don’t forget to subscribe! Thanks for watching!