The LNER Encyclopedia

The London Railway Atlas shows several goods depots on ex-LNER LPTB lines (eg Epping) that lasted well into the 1960s.

Does anyone know how these were organised and what hauled them, especially in steam days? They would have to have been pretty smartly timed so as not to interfere with the electric trains.

G'day gents

As you have said there were quite a few goods yards on LTPB, I have seen pictures of J17's at Hainault, on the Central line, working a goods train, I dare saw that J15's and J69, probably worked over those lines to.
The GN also had workings over the Northern line to Edgware and Barnet, after some discussion on this site, we now know there was steam working to Finchley's United Dairies+ coal, coal and building supplies, inward, white goods, outward,at Edgware. At Barnet I know there was coal and general goods, Loco's usually N2's and later class 15's, in earlier days J3' and K2 & 3's.

manna

I dont suppose pick ups interfered much with the Underground at the more rural locations such as Ongar.

I don't know if the Barnet one ran on a weekday (I have always assumed not) but it certainly ran on a Sunday afternoon as I used to watch out for it from my grandparent's house in Totteridge. My grandfather named it "The John Special".

John

I do believe there were no diesel used at Epping Goods Yard only steam, I was born in Epping in 1955 five minute's walk to the yard, and remember the turntable very well, the yard closed soon after they stop steam trains around 1957, they did use steam on the line after electrifying the main line, but only for a short time.
My father and grandfather were driver's up till the end of steam.

thesignalman wrote:I don't know if the Barnet one ran on a weekday (I have always assumed not) but it certainly ran on a Sunday afternoon as I used to watch out for it from my grandparent's house in Totteridge. My grandfather named it "The John Special".

John

Hi John
I worked on the High Barnet goods on a weekday on my first day at the Cross with an N2 with driver Maurice Holman in charge.

I too, worked to High Barnet on a weekday, in 1959, also as it happens with Maurice Holman, also with a driver called Jack Simpson, and the name Ernie Groom rings a bell.

JeffB wrote:I too, worked to High Barnet on a weekday, in 1959, also as it happens with Maurice Holman, also with a driver called Jack Simpson, and the name Ernie Groom rings a bell.

Hi Jeff I don't recall a driver called Jack Simpson or Ernie Groom I only did the High Barnet goods once

This is what Dave Cockle a member of this forum told me about Maurice Holman.

"Sad to say that Maurice met his end when his empty six car Rolls Royce DMU from Gordon Hill to Finsbury Park Carriage Sidings was in collision with the rear of an empty car carrying train. The location was between Harringay Up Goods and Finsbury Park No 6 signal boxes on Up Goods Line No 2."

The accident report can be read on the "Railway Archives" web site.
Dave Cockle.

G'Day Gents

My driver 'tooted' to Maurice about 1 minute before he collided with the car carrier, we were about 100 yards south of Harringay West station when we passed him, by the time we got to Hertford North, we were told by the station staff there had been a accident at Finsbury Park. I have posted a picture before of the unit Maurice was driving, when he was killed.

manna

manna wrote:G'Day Gents

My driver 'tooted' to Maurice about 1 minute before he collided with the car carrier, we were about 100 yards south of Harringay West station when we passed him, by the time we got to Hertford North, we were told by the station staff there had been a accident at Finsbury Park. I have posted a picture before of the unit Maurice was driving, when he was killed.

manna

I only fired to Maurice twice in my first week at the Cross, the High Barnet Goods and The Ashburton Grove Pullman. I found him a nice chap and still remember him after all these years, if I remember correctly Maurice was a smallish man.
RIP Maurice.

I am fairly sure that when this accident took place in 1971 i was train spotting at WELWYN NORTH station that day when all of a sudden i remember the signalman came to the open doorway of the box and called over to the railman who worked at the station that he'd just heard (over the s/n telegraph instrument) that there had been a collision at FINSBURY PARK No.6 with a car train!!.

Maurice was only a little man, and always seemed to be walking ten to the dozen. When I fired to him he was living in a company house between Okleigh Park and Barnet. I was living at Enfield at the time and we used to travel home together. I would catch a bus from Barnet.