Hertford East-Ware crossing in the 1960s & 70s

[BHornsey]

BHornsey, i take it that you use to work Ware s/box?.

From 1977 to 1987 I worked every box in the Broxbourne area, except Stansted (couldn't prise the regular man out!!!) and I loved it, but the Hertford branch boxes were my first. I started as the branch rest-day relief, then worked up through the grades until I was a class 3 general purpose relief covering the entire area.

i always liked working s/boxes myself with the lever frame in the 'back of the box' rather than facing the running lines like most boxes seem layed out to be inside, i always thought that was a better way to work a lever frame with one's back to the running lines outside.

I never gave it much thought really. You just worked them as they were but I suppose the rear facers did give a better view.

I presume the bunch of spare levers in the middle of Ware's lever frame use to be for the connection to the sidings at the south end of Ware station that gave access to the good depot?. All in all that was a nice box along with Hertford East box as well to work i would have thought. Micky

Yes, that's right. A diagram of the layout can be found here: http://www.signalbox.org/diagrams.php?id=434
Ware was OK. A lot of the glass was frosted at the back to obscure the view in from the footbridge. Mainly, it was a nice steady job and it's a shame to see it gone.

Hertford was one of my favorites. When the central carriage washer plant was opened at Chingford, the carriage sidings at Hertford were taken out of use which took some of the fun out of the job. It used to be interesting shunting units about between the sidings, carriage washer plant and platforms ready for each peak service.

Brian

[Mickey]

Good one there Brian, i can remember Hertford East and Ware s/boxes and stations from a slightly earlier period of time between the ages of 10 to 13 1967 to 1970 (in fact i can 'very vaguely' remember Ware s/box in 1964 when i was 7 years old). Ware s/box more so though from about 1967-70 because my brother and his wife lived in the town from 1964 onwards until 2007/08 when they both passed away although i still have a couple of relatives that still live there. Hertford East from around about 1969/70 when the box was still painted in G.E.R. colours of cream & lined out in green. I never saw those two boxes in the latter years although i have seen several pictures of Hertford East box that a fella took just after closure and quite frankly the box had a 'typical Network Rail refurbishment job' done on the place which turned out to be an ABOMINATION UNTO LORD and posted them on his own website (NOT our friend John Hinson). I did visit Ware in 2007 & 08 and Ware s/box although was long closed (early 2000s) the structure was still standing and the windows were all boarded up but i gather through this page that the old box has now been demolished. Still i'll say it again all in all an interesting bit of railway through Ware to Hertford East and beyond if you take into account the connection around to Hertford North as well. Micky G.N.R/L.N.E.R.

[Mr Bunt]

I did visit Ware in 2007 & 08 and Ware s/box although was long closed (early 2000s) the structure was still standing and the windows were all boarded up but i gather through this page that the old box has now been demolished.

Sadly yes. The box was "nicked" by Network Rail contractors one weekend in January 2009. It closed after the WARM (West Anglia Route Modernisation) re-signalling in 2003. This is what the former site looks like now; the box used to be in the patch of weeds in the shadow of the footbridge on the left.

I actually took this photo to record the Arriva bus driver on the 395 in the foreground ignoring the box junction markings on the crossing by stopping to let an articulated lorry turn out of station road If I'd wanted a record shot of the old site of the box I'd have done it earlier in the day when the bridge's shadow was a lot shorter.

[Mickey]

Typical Network Rail and before them Rail Track and probably before them even British Rail 'solution' of 'no thought of the consequences of there stupid actions' of just demolishing the old s/box and sweeping it away after it was part of the 'town scenery' since 1960. That picture of the now empty crossing (minus the s/box) looks 'god awaful' and just confirms my contempt for 'modern railways' and those in charge of them for turning railways in this country into a bland, dull, uninteresting and sterile environment in the last 40 odd years. Why couldn't Ware s/box have been retained and down graded to a 'crossing keeper's position'?. Ok people will say it would cost Network Rail money to employ 'three' full time crossing keeper's. So what!. Three crossing keeper's positions would have been created giving employment to presumedly three 'local people' also the town would have kept the s/box as a land mark and also having the old s/box staffed by three crossing keeper's it would have more importantly retained Ware crossing under 'local control' 24/7 so 'everybody's happy'. Micky

[Mr Bunt]

Typical Network Rail and before them Rail Track and probably before them even British Rail 'solution' of 'no thought of the consequences of there stupid actions' of just demolishing the old s/box and sweeping it away after it was part of the 'town scenery' since 1960.

Another view of a boxless Ware. The footbridge was erected before the box though, so apart from the 317 and wires you could imagine this was a 1959 photo - even the lifting barrier crossing was there then.

[AndyRush]

Typical Network Rail and before them Rail Track and probably before them even British Rail 'solution' of 'no thought of the consequences of there stupid actions' of just demolishing the old s/box and sweeping it away after it was part of the 'town scenery' since 1960. That picture of the now empty crossing (minus the s/box) looks 'god awaful' and just confirms my contempt for 'modern railways' and those in charge of them for turning railways in this country into a bland, dull, uninteresting and sterile environment in the last 40 odd years. Why couldn't Ware s/box have been retained and down graded to a 'crossing keeper's position'?. Ok people will say it would cost Network Rail money to employ 'three' full time crossing keeper's. So what!. Three crossing keeper's positions would have been created giving employment to presumedly three 'local people' also the town would have kept the s/box as a land mark and also having the old s/box staffed by three crossing keeper's it would have more importantly retained Ware crossing under 'local control' 24/7 so 'everybody's happy'. Micky

Except the bean counters and, ultimately, the taxpayers..... But both groups are always moaning anyway - plenty to say, but no responsibility !

Andy

[Mickey]

Yes i liked Ware s/box considering it was a 'modern structure' built in 1960. Very much a product of it's time when the railways of this country were entering a 'brave new decade' of railway modernisation. Micky

[Mr Bunt]

Yes i liked Ware s/box considering it was a 'modern structure' built in 1960. Very much a product of it's time when the railways of this country were entering a 'brave new decade' of railway modernisation. Micky

Micky, you'll probably recognise this. It was taken "looking through" what would have been the base of the box at the sign which now tells the signallers at Liverpool Street what they're looking at on their CCTV screens.

The days of Ware signalmen giving ambulances priority when they'd just begun lowering the barriers then heard their two-tone horns as they approached from Hertford, stopped the process and raised them again (saw it more than once) are gone forever.

[Mickey]

I am still under the opinion that Ware s/box should have remained but reduced to 'Crossing Keepers' status and manned 24/7. There has been a number or incidents recently where member's of the public have been accidently trapped inside the barriers at CCTV level crossings. Micky

[Mr Bunt]

I am still under the opinion that Ware s/box should have remained but reduced to 'Crossing Keepers' status and manned 24/7. There has been a number or incidents recently where member's of the public have been accidently trapped inside the barriers at CCTV level crossings. Micky

Here's another "boxless" shot for you Micky. It's taken from Viaduct Road bridge looking towards Hertford. Notice how the track snakes through the station, even though when you're on the platform it looks straight.

[Mickey]

An interesting view, it's noticeable that in many railway line side pictures nowadays throughout the UK the amount of wild foliage and vegetation that has grown up along the route of many railways where once there would have been cleared and open ground.

[BHornsey]

An interesting view, it's noticeable that in many railway line side pictures nowadays throughout the UK the amount of wild foliage and vegetation that has grown up along the route of many railways where once there would have been cleared and open ground.

It's something that has become very noticable in recent years. Look at before & after shots around the country and the older shots will have very little vegetation.

When steam was in daily use, foliage was kept under control by the PWay to prevent lineside fires (even if they didn't, foliage was inevitably burnt off). In the late 80's we first started hearing of all the problems about leaves on the line and it's a real problem which hadn't occurred before. After steam ended, everyone thought they could relax on vegetation control. After 25+ years of growth we then started seeing the adhesion problems start. The railway has now got back on track with vegetation control and the adhesion problems are improving.

Just goes to show, steam had lots of benefits!

Brian

[rockinjohn]

Hi all remember my parents taking me to a field by car to watch "the" trains as requested age 11/13yrs(just not there!) the branch still steam hauled @ that time,longed for the "main"@ Hatfield or Welwyn instead the N7 shuttled to &fro after long pauses in between, think it was a quite clean 69633,but those stations oh, set in such perfect picture post card settings, sadly without much passenger traffic, the Holloway UP"ramp"more satisfying for me!