Alexandra Palace branch locos and rolling stock

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Andy, Barnet
NER Y7 0-4-0T
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Alexandra Palace branch locos and rolling stock

Post by Andy, Barnet »

I'm sure I have a memory of traveling form Finsbury Park to Highgate High Level in a push and pull train in around 1958.
I seem to remember the coaches were gas lit, but think the locomotive must have been an N2 as the ex CC 2-4-2's are recorded as being withdrawn by this time. can anyone confirm if a few gas lit coaches were still in use at this time or whether perhaps my memory has grown with time.
Thanks, Andy
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52D
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Re: Alexandra Palace branch locos and rolling stock

Post by 52D »

Might have been a G5 Andy, they were used but i cant remember the dates. Manna of this parish should be able to confirm.
Hi interested in the area served by 52D. also researching colliery wagonways from same area.
Mickey

Re: Alexandra Palace branch locos and rolling stock

Post by Mickey »

Gresley N2 0-6-2Ts appeared to be the most common locos that worked the Ally Pally branch from the 1920s-1950s.

Mickey
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manna
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Re: Alexandra Palace branch locos and rolling stock

Post by manna »

G'day Gents

I think you will find that the Branch closed in 1954, so you may be older than you think !!!, but C12's 4-4-2T were used on the push pull service -67356 & 67374. N1's and N2's were common on passenger trains as well, one or more ex GC 2-4-2T's were also used, 5783 being one of them, also the last to be withdrawn, not altogether sure what coaches were used on the 'Push-Pull' coaches but 'Quad-Art' sets were used on the 'Ally Pally' service's

manna
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sandwhich
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Re: Alexandra Palace branch locos and rolling stock

Post by sandwhich »

The Alley Pally branch as it was known whilst closed to passengers in 1954 carried freight until 1956, the branch was part of the pre 1939 plans for the branch to be electrified and turned over to London Underground, but that was soon abandoned after world war 2, I have read that the regular passenger service became a peak hour service in 1942 and was never re- instated. I have come across a photo of an N7 tank entering the station, how this came to be used I don't know because the small number on the GN were allocated to Hatfield.
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Re: Alexandra Palace branch locos and rolling stock

Post by 65447 »

Post-war and up until about 1950, when the last of the class was withdrawn, motive power was normally provided by two ex-GC Pollitt class F2 2-4-2 tank engines. 10 of this class were built and all ended up fitted for auto-train (push-pull) working. The two that were sent to KX shed for the Ally Pally workings came via Norfolk, where they had been sent to operate auto-trains that replaced Sentinel railcars.

The auto-train sets comprised two, again sent from the GE section and each formed from a Gresley 6 compartment brake third and ex-GE 8 compartment third - one of these and the F2 can be seen in the middle photograph above - with a third set formed from ex-NE area stock, although the composition of sets did change somewhat over time. It's possible that these may have had gas lighting as the distances run, being short, may not have recharged batteries from the dynamo.
Andy, Barnet
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Re: Alexandra Palace branch locos and rolling stock

Post by Andy, Barnet »

Thanks all, I obviously got confused about the types of 'F class locos' on push and pull services. I'm reassured as could only logistically have travelled on the line on a Saturday morning after September 1953 when a secondary school friend and I travelled home from Kings Cross to Highgate via Finsbury Park and were hauled\pushed by a 2-4-2T. His Father was one of the Kings Cross traffic inspectors ( Bill Pearce) who had taken us on his rounds on the Saturday morning and, having got out of an outer suburban, crossed through a Quad-art compartment of a train in the adjacent platform to that used by the AP push and pull. Happy days !
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