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Post by ducatisti on Jul 4, 2011 13:37:23 GMT
Returning my hire van today (the van-hire place is in the old goods yard), I eaves-dropped on an older chap talking to the boss. Older bloke recalled that he used to come up when it was a working coal yard in the 1950s. He said they turned the current off around midnight and ran coal trucks up then.
Does this ring any bells?
He also wondered where they came from - what was the most likely routeing? I would assume a trip working from one of the big ECML coal concentration yards and out via the Highgate line?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2011 14:51:14 GMT
First, current would be turned off to the running lines at High Barnet after the last train had stabled - at a guess around 01.00, give or take.
I am not saying that there weren't freight trains at night to High Barnet, but in WTT No.11 of 2/3/59, there was only one freight train to High Barnet, and that was during the midday period, Mondays to Saturdays.
On MF the train was scheduled to leave Highbury Vale 08.40, Clarence Yard 09.18, then direct to Woodside Park yard (09.46 to 10.49), Totteridge (10.56 - 11.52), High Barnet arrive 12.00.
The train left High Barnet at 14.34, direct to Highbury Vale, arrive 15.14.
Saturday times were similar, but not identical to MF.
There were other freight trains that served the Northern Line yards - i.e. East Finchley, Finchley Central, Mill Hill East, Mill Hill Gas Sidings, Mill The Hale and Edgware, but no others to High Barnet at that time.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2011 23:54:49 GMT
Indeed, in the 1950s and early 60s, British Railways still had a substantial presence on these ex-LNER lines.
At my local station, Finchley Central, the goods yard was east of the station and north of the line, where the car park is now. (Bear in mind that the line runs east-west.) All the local coal merchants had a presence there.
The station also handled a substantial amount of parcels and other goods traffic. The goods shed was on Nether Street west of Ballards Lane, just before the Barnet line branched off, and it was always busy with BR road vehicles collecting and delivering. Google Maps shows the building is still there, now being used as a hand car wash.
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