King's Cross suburban services in the early 1920s

[josh_will]

Dear all,

I'm researching Abbot(t)s Ripton as a subject for a model.

Regarding suburban services from King's Cross, would I be right in assuming that none travelled as far north as this station? I'm thinking here about the N1 and N2 services with GNR (then LNER) suburban stock. Where might these suburban services have typically terminated? I ask because I'd need to know if such traffic would or would not form part of the layout's timetable.

Regards

[Seagull]

I don't have any time tables for the 1920's as I am more interested in the late 1930s. However with suburban traffic I doubt there was any substantial difference between the two periods at least as far as destinations went.

The 1937 Summer WTT for suburban traffic has nearly all the main line services turning around at either Hatfield or Hitchin, with a few only making it as far as Potters Bar. So short answer there was probably no suburban traffic using N1 or N2s as far as Abbots Ripton in the early 1920s.
There would have been some middle distance workings but these most likely used the 4-4-0s or Atlantics and non-corridor or semi-corridor stock as opposed to Quad-arts or the older 4-wheeled suburban stock.

You may find the following links useful;
https://www.gnrsociety.com/home-page/sh ... 919-ptt02/
https://www.lnersociety.org.uk/publications/

Alan

[josh_will]

That's just the answer I was hoping for, thanks Alan.


Regards,

Josh

[Mickey]

I'm researching Abbot(t)s Ripton as a subject for a model.

The earlier GNR Abbotts Ripton box that was there at the time of the famous 1876 'crash' was similar in design to both Huntingdon North no.2 and Biggleswade South with the same type of window design as both of those two boxes but the later box that replaced it possibly around 1900 and stood there during the later GNR, LNER and B.R. years was mainly a wooden structure painted in all over 'off white' with a gable style slate roof and lasted until around closure in 1977 and was a 'nice little box' and I suspect a nice little job to work especially during the summer months set along an 'isolated' section of the GN main line with green fields for miles around. From memory I think the box was located in a bit of a 'cutting' and a dark grey painted iron lattice footbridge crossed over all 4 running lines very near to the box with the box it's self being located between the Up fast line and the Up goods line and working with Connington South to the north and after Stukeley box closed to the south during the earlier 1960s then working with Huntingdon North No.2 to the south although that box use to to be 'switched out' quite often by 1970 so it would usually be working with Huntingdon North No.1 south of Huntingdon station.

[john coffin]

Once Welwyn Garden City was opened in the mid 1920's, it was certainly served by trains from the suburban
platforms at Kings Cross, But I need to check photos to see whether they were pulled by tank locos.

Paul

[Hatfield Shed]

Once Welwyn Garden City was opened in the mid 1920's, it was certainly served by trains from the suburban
platforms at Kings Cross, But I need to check photos to see whether they were pulled by tank locos...

You should see a very mixed picture if the photographs are representative. The tank locos will largely be from classes N1, N2 and N7, and the possibility of a C12; there will also be (mostly GN classes of) tender locos, 4-4-0 and 0-6-0. That's because the two branches of the Hertford, Luton and Dunstable had through services from KX, mainly West to Luton, but some of the down services divided at WGC to serve both Hertford and Luton. (These through branch trains gradually reduced in number, but through services KX- Luton survived until early in WWII.)

[Seagull]

WGC and the Luton branch? I think you have both gone a little off the rails...

I'm researching Abbot(t)s Ripton as a subject for a model.

The closest town north is Peterborough so certainly there were direct services from KX but that's too far for tank locos normally.
Plus even the GNR considered it 'cruel and inhuman treatment' to use their suburban stock over those sort of distances!

Alan

[rockinjohn]

Hi from memory 50's& early 60's steam days ex.KX any artics&/N1/N2/N7 didnt go much past Welwyn Gdn City,if it was up to Hitchin or Baldock an L1(tank)or B1 would be it, now any "locals"further past Hitchin could be an L1(tank) or even a J6 there & back.jj

[Hatfield Shed]

WGC and the Luton branch? I think you have both gone a little off the rails...

Yet one of the questions posed was:

...Regarding suburban services from King's Cross... Where might these suburban services have typically terminated?

[rockinjohn]

Hi all "Hatfield"mentioned in a past post that thru trains ran on the Dunstable Nth/Luton Branch to the "X" a shadow of pre-war services, from these points,however into the diesel era their was a 5.45AM "Workmans" Train leaving Dunstable North with its return @6.07PM ex."X" I assume, Birmingham Sulzer's noted along with the Craven DMU's in the last gasp of this branch's passenger services.jj

[josh_will]

Thanks to everyone who responded.

I can be safe in the knowledge then that the only services that called at this sleepy little village were the slower trains running from KX and terminating at Peterborough or Yorkshire, probably being worked by a C1 in 1923, or possibly one of Gresley's moguls (I have seen photos of these on passenger services in Nock's Great Northern Railway).

Regards