Ally Pally rail motors

[thesignalman]

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

[WTTReprinter]

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'.

[manna]

G'Day Gents

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

manna

[thesignalman]

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.

[rockinjohn]

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.

[Mickey]

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.

rockingjohn posted something so I saw this topic thread.

We use to live on the Holly Park estate between 1960 & 1966 which was over the back and not that far away from the double-track section of line between the old disused Stroud Green & Crouch End stations and on several occasions back then probably between about 1964-1966 I remember myself along with a couple of other kids off the estate would occasionally access the line on a rising gradient on the Down direction of the line about midway between the old disused Stroud Green station and the old disused Crouch End station with both stations still standing along with the station platforms and station buildings and waiting rooms that were in a disused state with both disused stations still having there station roofs and awnings in tact in 1965-66 that dated back to when both stations were built back in 1881. Anyway I don't recall ever venturing beyond Crouch End station heading westward because from a vague memory the double track line soon after passing through the station curved away towards Highgate and it felt a bit scary to go any further towards Highgate!. Ha ha..

I don't ever recall seeing any trains travelling along the route back then when us kids were wandering along the line but I do recall a rumour from back then that a 'ghost train' supposedly use to run along the line during the early hours of the morning which may well have been LT northern line tube stock being transferred between Drayton Park & Highgate Woods sidings and vice versa I presume?.

[manna]

G'Day Gents

I don't think any N2's were ever 'Push-Pull' fitted.

manna

[thesignalman]

I don't think any N2's were ever 'Push-Pull' fitted.

I already said that I mentioned N2s in error for N7s.

John