European Railroad Discussion > The Northern Line in the open

London Underground's Northern Line reaches the surface in North London at East Finchley, where it joins the right of way of a former steam railway to the outer termini of High Barnet and Mill Hill East. Under the New Works programme of 1935 the Underground was going to take over the operation of the LNER's Northern Heights lines, a small network of essential urban railways which linked the LNER mainline at Finsbury Park with Alexandra Palace, High Barnet and Edgware. New underground construction would connect these lines to the Northern Line at East Finchley and to the Great Northern and City (GN&C) at Finsbury Park. At the onset of war in 1939 the scheme, which was partly completed, was put on hold never to be revived once the war was over thanks to new planning laws, which sought to restrict urbanisation of the countryside and a general lack of cash.

What was delivered was the extension of the existing Northern Line from its then terminus at Highgate (what is now Archway) to a junction with the LNER line at East Finchley via a new station (on both Northern and LNER lines) at Highgate and on to High Barnet and Mill Hill East on the line to Edgware.

What was left was the line from Finsbury Park to East Finchley via Highgate, the Alexandra Palace branch from Highgate, the line onward from Mill Hill East to Edgware and the connection at Finsbury Park to the Great Northern & City tube (although the incline was in an advanced state of construction). After the war the Edgware line was abandoned beyond Mill Hill East whilst the LNER (and later BR) ran a skeleton steam hauled service from King's Cross or Moorgate to Alexandra Palace. The latter service ceased in 1954 and the Ally Pally branch closed in its entirety. It was lifted in 1960. I can still recall as a five year old watching from the lineside as an N2 0-6-2T with flat wagons carrying rails slowly passed Highgate Wood, the track having been removed as far as Cranley Gardens station.

The connection between East Finchley and Finsbury Park survived until the 1970s, BR continued to provide freight service to stations along the High Barnet branch and to Mill Hill East and Edgware, principally domestic coal, until that disappeared in the 1960 when the freight yards closed and were converted, by and large, into station car parks. After that the line was used infrequently to transfer tube stock, using a battery locomotive, between Wellington Sidings underground depot (which still exists today) midway between East Finchley and Highgate, and the GN&C line. That ceased in the early 1970s, when the GN&C was turned over to BR as part of the Great Northern electrification. The track was lifted and today is the Woodland Walk, an urban trail.

These pictures were taken yesterday on a ride I took from East Finchley to Woodside Park, which is the second stop on the High Barnet branch beyond Finchley Central. This railway is very personal to me as it was the first railway I ever saw and rode, having been born in Barnet and growing up in a house on a road which ran parallel with the Mill Hill East branch just north of Finchley Central.

East Finchley station was rebuilt in typical London Transport art deco style under the auspices of the architectural firm Adams, Holden and Pearson. The train is bound for either Morden via Bank or Kennington via Charing Cross. The centre roads would have served the Finsbury Park line if the New Works Programme had been completed. Today you see trains on them morning and evening as empty sets are ferried too and from Wellington Sidings at Highgate.

This is the approach to Finchley Central with a High Barnet train in view. The right of way was widened as part of the New Works programme and these concrete retaining walls built, to permit the construction of a turnback siding. On the left is the old freight yard, which is now the station car park. The turn out the train is approaching is that for the Mill Hill East branch which uses one of the three platform faces at Finchley Central. Today Mill Hill East is served by a shuttle service which runs every 15 minutes too and from Finchley Central, with through trains restricted to the rush hours, Monday to Friday. The fixed signals which the train is passing are now OOU, Automatic Train Operation (ATO) having been implemented in 2013.

The mainline origins are very evident in this picture, the arch of the bridge carrying Finchley High Road across the railway is much higher than necessary for the tube-sized 1995 Stock. The train is departing for High Barnet, the Edgware line, which was built first, continuing (as far as Mill Hill East) into the distance across Dollis Brook Viaduct. Note the sheeted signals, awaiting removal. 

 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/15 14:21 by 86235.

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One of London Underground's most endearing habits when taking over old steam railways has been to retain, and maintain, the station buildings they inherited, this is very apparent on the High Barnet branch, only East Finchley was actually rebuilt, all the remainder are good examples of Great Northern Railway wayside stations. This is Woodside Park, two stops beyond Finchley Central and two stops from the end of the line at High Barnet. The train is inbound, either Morden or Kennington.

Woodside Park also retained freight facilities until the early 1960s, the sidings, which served a local coal merchant, are now the site of a small block of apartments. Consequently the GNR signal box was retained, acting as a ground frame, to unlock and lock access to the sidings, normally either early in the morning or late at night when a slow moving freight train, latterly hauled by English Electric class 20s fitted with London Underground train stop equipment, would not cause problems with the passenger service. Today London Underground see fit to retain the signal box, using it for storage. 

Back at East Finchley and one of the most famous features of the station, the art deco sculpture, in beech and ash, of an archer, by Eric Aumonier. It is supposed to be a stylised hunter, from the days when Finchley was on the edge of the royal hunting grounds of Enfield Chase. It's also a powerful symbol of speed, firing passengers by tube train into the heart of the city!

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Interesting post and great pictures as usual!

Here are a few pictures I shot myself on June 21st of this year.

1. High Barnet station from platform 2.
2. Southbound at Totteridge & Whetstone from the cab.
3. Arriving (southbound) at East Finchley.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/15 15:25 by newtonville150.

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newtonville150 Wrote:
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> 3. Arriving (southbound) at Finchley Central.

Very jealous of you riding up front. That's actually East Finchley, the centre tracks are those to the Wellington carriage sidings, which would have taken you to Moorgate via Finsbury Park if the 1935 scheme had been completed.

Presumably the train was running on automatic?

86235 Wrote:
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> newtonville150 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > 3. Arriving (southbound) at Finchley Central.
>
> Very jealous of you riding up front. That's
> actually East Finchley, the centre tracks are
> those to the Wellington carriage sidings, which
> would have taken you to Moorgate via Finsbury Park
> if the 1935 scheme had been completed.
>
> Presumably the train was running on automatic?

I corrected the Finchley Central reference.

I was in England to attend my mother's funeral and I found out that my cousin drives Northern Line trains. When I admitted
to being an enthusiast he immediately offered the cab ride. Considering the last time I saw him was 35 years ago, I think
I was pretty lucky.  The cab ride turned out to be High Barnet - Waterloo - Kennington - Waterloo - High Barnet - Bank - Kennington - Morden!

Most of the time we were in automatic. I noticed we switched to auto at West Finchley, but I've no idea whether that's normal practice. My cousin
dropped to manual at a couple of places for my benefit (South Kentish Town and the Kennington loop.)

 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/15 21:47 by newtonville150.

newtonville150 Wrote:
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> I was in England to attend my mother's funeral

Sorry to hear about that, my condolences

> The cab ride turned out to
> be High Barnet - Bank - Kennington - Waterloo -
> High Barnet - Bank - Kennington - Morden!
>
> Most of the time we were in automatic. I noticed
> we switched to auto at West Finchley, but I've no
> idea whether that's normal practice. My cousin
> dropped to manual at a couple of places for my
> benefit (South Kentish Town and the Kennington
> loop.)

Sounds a fascinating experience.

Great stuff! It's a wonderful line and a must for any visitor to London.
I recall East Finchley around 1960 when freight trains would run through to serve the local goods depots - occasiionally by GNR tanks, but more usually by hood bo-bo units in the D8200 series. Also when I first started work at London Transport in 1970 I was once taken on the regular weekly transfer of tube stock betwen East Finchley and Drayton Park - hauled by a battery loco. I wish I had brought a camera!
I am abroad at the moment otherwise I would get out and take some pics of the other Northern line surface stretch from Golders Green to Edgware, As you know this is wonderfully differemt, having been built in the 1920s to the tube loading gauge from the outset.

spflow Wrote:
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> but more usually by hood bo-bo units in the D8200 series.

A small sub group of class 20s were allocated to Finsbury Park and fitted with LT trip cocks to operate over the Northern Heights lines. Didn't realise that class 15s were used too, presumably they were trip cock fitted.

> Also when I first started work at London Transport
> in 1970 I was once taken on the regular weekly
> transfer of tube stock betwen East Finchley and
> Drayton Park - hauled by a battery loco. I wish I
> had brought a camera!

As an 11 year old I remember spending a whole morning during my last summer holiday in London waiting just south of Highgate South Tunnel for the tube stock transfer, needless to say it didn't show. I have seen pictures of it, in the latter years although both tracks were still in existence the transfer only used one of the tracks as the bridge over the railway at the top of Crouch End Hill, at the site of Crouch End station, had been weakened and an extra support had been built obstructing one of the tracks.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/15 23:47 by 86235.

Always appreciate seeing pictures from England.  Made a number of business trips 1978 - 1997.  Opportunities to see trains were limited.  Only train riding was between Gatwick and Victoria Station.  Thanks for posting.
ALLEN

While reading this thread I've been trying to remember which line I rode out to an RAF museum. I do think it was on the north side of London and recall the line was above ground at the station where I got off/on the trains. The museum was a several block walk from the station.

DaleR

First off, nice report and shots - thanks for sharing! Second, I have to ask a stupid question as I'm not at all familiar with how that operation works. So, what's with the extra two rails? I would understand a third rail for power supply, which is normal on many operations around the world. But in this case, do they actually have two additional rails for power supply? Just wondering, look's like it makes for some very interesting track-work.

The London Underground has always used a four rail system with a separate rail, between the running rails for the return current.

dbrcnw Wrote:
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> While reading this thread I've been trying to
> remember which line I rode out to an RAF museum. I
> do think it was on the north side of London and
> recall the line was above ground at the station
> where I got off/on the trains. The museum was a
> several block walk from the station.
>
> DaleR

If you rode the Underground it would have been the Northern Line Edgware branch to either Hendon Central or Colindale. The RAF Museum is on the site of the Hendon Aerodrome which was home, in the 1930s, to the Hendon Airshow.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/15 14:11 by 86235.

86235 Wrote:
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> dbrcnw Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > While reading this thread I've been trying to
> > remember which line I rode out to an RAF museum.
> I
> > do think it was on the north side of London and
> > recall the line was above ground at the station
> > where I got off/on the trains. The museum was a
> > several block walk from the station.
> >
> > DaleR
>
> If you rode the Underground it would have been the
> Northern Line Edgware branch to either Hendon
> Central or Colindale. The RAF Museum is on the
> site of the Hendon Aerodrome which was home, in
> the 1930s, to the Hendon Airshow.

Thank you for the reply. It was probably to Hendon Central but as I noted, this was several years ago. I do remember the lines were in the open but below the general street level, walking up stairs to the street.

Thanks.

DaleR

Bunny218 Wrote:
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 So, what's with the extra two rails? I
> would understand a third rail for power supply,
> which is normal on many operations around the
> world. But in this case, do they actually have
> two additional rails for power supply? Just
> wondering, look's like it makes for some very
> interesting track-work.

It's a good question!

The first electric railways in London were in tube tunnels, operating on around a nominal 600volts DC, (now a little bit higher). The fourth (centre) rail was added to give a separate return to avoid stray currents occuring in surrounding structures, and causing electrolytic damage. There is also the benefit of allowing the centre return to be held at about -200V, and the outer live rail to be at +450V, thereby reducing electrocution hazards a bit.

Of course most of the sytem built subsequently was not underground, but teh standard had been set and continues to this day. The large electrified main line surface network in Southern England is all operated on 750V third rail, but the two sytems are compatible in terms of conductor rail positions etc. There are a few short sections of line over which trains from both systems operate, and here the fourth rail is maintained but simply bonded to earth.

The point work is certainly interesting, I'l see if I can find some pics.
 

spflow Wrote:
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> Bunny218 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> The large electrified main
> line surface network in Southern England is all
> operated on 750V third rail, but the two sytems
> are compatible in terms of conductor rail
> positions etc. There are a few short sections of
> line over which trains from both systems operate,
> and here the fourth rail is maintained but simply
> bonded to earth.

During the 1980s London Underground's 1923 built Metro Vick electric locomotive Sarah Siddons operated a number of rail tours on the Southern third rail network, including one to and from Portsmouth Harbour.
 

Like that statue in Pic #6.  That Archer is right on target...

Thank you so much for posting these. In 2008 I spent a semester teaching at the University of London. We lived in East Finchley, and I took the tube in daily to work. Wonderful photos of wonderful memories.