Northern Heights

[JeffB]

Hi Manna, we only used N2s and Paxmans on the branch trains.
24s were Hornsey locos, 25s had,nt been built then, and we very rarely got on them. Hornsey used them on some of their cross London freights. I think I could count the number of times on two hands on how often I went on a 24.
Class 26 Sulzers were used on the local passenger trains and empty stock movements, not on the branch trains, and they were transferred to Scotland.
Class 31s were a bit too heavy and had a bogie wheelbase slightly too large for some of the curves, being a 6 wheeled bogie as against 4 wheels.
08s were,nt used because they only travelled at 15mph, and would,nt have been fast enough between the tube trains between Highgate and Mill Hill.
All of the above engines went up the branch at Finsbury Park for 2 to 300 yards, and then reversed down into Finsbury Park station up side and then went into Finsbury Park carriage sidings. I never heard of any going any further than that reverse point.

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Thanks for that JeffB I've often wondered, what diesels had ever worked up the line, and seeing that K2's and 3's worked through to Edgware.

I know there was a fairly large factory in Edgware that made fridges and washing machines, a lot of there production went out by rail. (are those items still made in the UK now)

manna

[StevieG]

High Barnet used to be my nearest UndergrounD station.
Though hardly a conclusive answer, the odd times when on a southbound Northern line 1938 stock train (the one-off 10306 car seemed to be seen quite often) on Sat. or Sun. mornings, which passed a down goods during train the few years from around 1960, I only remember seeing N2s, and subsequently 'Paxman's as replacements.

[Mickey]

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[JeffB]

Hi Manna, all the time I was at KX I never heard of K2s or K3s (Jazzers) working through to Edgware. My personal opinion is that they would have been to large, especially the boiler on a Jazzer. There were tunnels at iether end of Highgate station and I dont think they would have squeezed through them.
I think the biggest tender engine that MAY have worked up there was possibly a J6 0-6-0. I think the weight of the tender engines would have been to high for some of the bridges and I for one would have felt a bit dodgey going up the incline and round the sharp corner at Finsbury Park on a Jazzer.
I have looked at photographs from the 1930s to when the lines shut and up to the Paxmans all I can find are N2s

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Here's a picture of a K2 at Edgware around about 1936, so at least they made it! I've only heard reports the K3's made it to Edgware? but J3's were regular at one time, I have some pics of older GN types that worked the Northern Heights, I'll try and dig them out.
manna

[JeffB]

Hi Manna, thats an interesting picture. Thats the first time I,ve seen or heard of a tender engine up the branch. Quite surprised in fact. I would,nt be surprised if J3s went up there regularly as the are only 0-6-0 wheel base engines. If you find any more pictures it would be interesting to see them.

[Hermit 109]

Hi Manna, I can remember working on a Paxman to Edgeware in the early 60's when I was a secondman at the 'Cross, the Paxmans were used occasionally on the shunt turns at the station. Regarding the Northern Heights, I know the GNR built steam railcars for the Edgeware branch & I seem to recall some of the senior drivers at King's Cross, who would have started in GN days, talking about the steam railcars. Does anyone know when they were withdrawn.

[hq1hitchin]

Regarding the Northern Heights, I know the GNR built steam railcars for the Edgeware branch & I seem to recall some of the senior drivers at King's Cross, who would have started in GN days, talking about the steam railcars. Does anyone know when they were withdrawn.

and now you're one of the senior hands yourself, Hermit, welcome to the club According to 'From Stirling to Gresley - 1882 to 1922' by FAS Brown, around 1906 the GNR introduced six steam railcars, two by Kitson, two by Avonside and two built at Doncaster. By February of that year, one of the GN cars was working between Finchley and Edgware. They were all scrapped in 1925-26, although their coaches were articulated in pairs and worked until 1959-60 on the Horncastle branch as well as between Stamford and Essendine.

[Mickey]

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[sandwhich]

The only memory I have of working up the northern heights to Edgware was in the autumn of 1964 with an engineers train, by then the freight had finished and we worked this train to just beyond Mill Hill station with a Paxman diesel loco and then run around and then propelled it to just outside Edgware GNR station where track lifting was in progress, these workings carried on for a few more weeks until all track was lifted beyond Mill Hill station. It is certainly one of those "what if" questions, because construction was well under way between Drayton Park and Highgate and beyond for a new underground link, because as is known work was stopped in 1939 and never resumed because it was felt that the electrification from Liverpool Street to Shenfield and the transfer of the Epping line services to the underground was a better financial option. I guess this discussion will go on for many years to come.

[Mickey]

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[manna]

G'Day Gents

These Ghost's of yours would have been bright red, and would have been on there way to Drayton Park, until 1970 of course.

manna

[Mickey]

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[manna]

G'Day Gents

I, wasn't 'in' to diesels, but they did attract me a little, with so much steam about they had a novelty value, when you'd seen the same N2 for years (the class as a whole) a Brush 2 or a DMU, was a change, although I'd rather wait for the next train to Hornsey or KX, as it might be a steamer with a QuadArt.

I often wonder, now if the Northern Heights had remained with BR, how the Cravens units would have coped with gradients to Ally Pally etc or would KX have had different, more powerful units allocated to them, IE. power twins.

manna