The LNER Encyclopedia

The wonderful series of 1950s WTTs reproduced by Brian Hornsey show the service between Finsbury Park and Alexandra Palace as worked by "Rail Motor". I hadn't noticed this before.

I would be intrigued to know what locomotives (34B?) were used for this, and how many coaches in the formation.

I found this interesting thread: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=14378&p=145843&hili ... ce#p145843 but it doesn't quite answer this.

Best regards,

John

Hi John.
Thanks for the kind words.
I actually have the Kings Cross suburban engine workings as well. The Ally Pally services are shown to be worked by an N7 loco and the services are marked as 'Push and Pull'.

G'Day Gents

Also worked by C12's and Ex GC 0-6-2T's or 2-4-2T's

manna

Thank you both.

Perhaps because I'm not so much a loco person it never occurred to me that the N2s would be push-pull fitted.

It is an intriguing thought that the service was run "economically" with push-pull working but uneconomically otherwise - maintaining double line all the way for one push-pull trundling up and down every now and again is a bit excessive. The sole reason, I guess, for retaining double track and numerous signal boxes must have been for the local trip workings.

Not surprisingly the passenger service soon died, trips to Muswell Hill continued for a while.

I used to ride my tricycle along the trackbed after lifting.

Best regards,

John

Correction - apologies for mentioning N2s, not being much of a loco person I let myself get confused. I had to look up the N7 class to see what they were! And having checked, that explains the 34B allocation of the type.

Hi seem to remember in my time near the end of workings, passenger trains were N2 worked and runround with 34A locos(noted), freight worked EX:Ashburton Grove Yard with 34B locos(noted) some without condensing,along with the High Barnet Branch, nearly all coal maybe 4/5 wagons on each.