History

The railway first came to Quainton in 1868 in the form of the Aylesbury & Buckingham Railway. In 1870 construction of the Wotton Tramway began, to link the nearby Wotton estate to the railway. Carrying agricultural produce and construction materials it was horse drawn initially but with expansion to Brill the line was re-laid for locomotives and became known as the Brill Tramway. The expanding Great Central Railway arrived in 1899 and built the present brick station in a joint venture with the Metropolitan Railway, successors to the A&BR who also took over the Brill Tramway the same year. The London Transport Passenger Board was formed in 1933, taking over the Metropolitan and closed the Brill Tramway in 1935. Stopping passenger services ceased in 1963 with full closure in 1966 leaving just a single line between Aylesbury and Calvert Junction on the Oxford – Bletchley line.

The London Railway Preservation Society, formed in 1962, arrived in 1969 to set up its permanent home. Since those early days both yards have been redeveloped to house around 170 items of locomotives and rolling stock and an adjacent Second World War Ministry of Food Buffer Depot has been taken over to display many items awaiting their turn in the restoration queue. Alongside there are some of our larger “small objects” as well as display cases, a member’s reference library and store rooms maintained to the exacting standards of an Accredited Museum. With building dates from 1874 to the 1960’s most major developments in railway history can be viewed.

Photo above was taken in 1905