| Marlow branch line | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 A First Great Western Class 165 DMU running between Bourne End and Marlow in 2006. This service is known locally as "The Marlow Donkey". | |||
| Overview | |||
| Status | Operational | ||
| Owner | Network Rail | ||
| Locale | Buckinghamshire, Berkshire South East England | ||
| Termini |
| ||
| Stations | 5 | ||
| Service | |||
| Type | Heavy rail | ||
| System | National Rail | ||
| Operator(s) | Great Western Railway | ||
| Rolling stock | Class 165 "Turbo" Class 166 "Turbo Express" | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | 1854 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Track length | 7 miles 10 chains (11.5 km) | ||
| Number of tracks | Single track | ||
| Character | Branch line | ||
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | ||
| Old gauge | 7 ft (2,134 mm) | ||
| Operating speed | 50 mph (80 km/h) | ||
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The Marlow branch line is a single track railway line in England, between Maidenhead station in Berkshire and Bourne End and Marlow stations in Buckinghamshire. It is 7 miles 10 chains (11.5 km) in length.[1] Passenger services are operated by Great Western Railway using Class 165 and Class 166 diesel trains. The line connects to the Great Western Main Line at Maidenhead; it uses a section of the former Wycombe Railway line to High Wycombe together with the former Great Marlow Railway.
The train that runs on the branch line is known as The Marlow Donkey although the exact derivation of the term is unclear. Karau and Turner say "the trains of pack horses, mules and donkeys carrying goods to the riverside prompted the local people to christen the train on the Great Marlow Railway, the 'Marlow Donkey', a name which survives to this day". However, Anthony Wethered, great-grandson of the first chairman of the company, suggests that it is the name of the line.[2] A third tradition identifies a particular locomotive. A pub in Marlow is named after it.[3][4]
- ^ 51°34′17″N 0°45′59″W / 51.5713°N 0.7663°W
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
karauwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "The Great Marlow Railway". Retrieved 10 June 2010.
- ^ "The Story of the Marlow Donkey". (from Summer 2003 Newsletter). The Marlow Society. 22 April 2003. Archived from the original on 22 June 2007. Retrieved 22 August 2009.