Based loosely on the former LMR Croxley Green Depot the layout attempts to capture some of the key elements of the area just south west of Watford in the 1960 – 1980 period.
The owner of this layout has an interest in the DC North London Lines as well as links with another layout in the past based on the same network; therefore this project seemed a natural progression.
The Layout consists of 3 key elements -
Croxley Wiggenhall Road Depot
Croxley Wiggenhall Road Depot – is the road LMR Croxley Green Depot was located on and is a very much cut down version of the Croxley Green Shed, however the stock is principally as the per the BR shed Class 501’s EMU’s, 1938 Tube stock a former LMS 3-car EMU and some other EMU’s with links to area. The depot is accessed by trains reversing in from the headshunt on the truncated former fictitious Rickmansworth London Road branch in a similar way to the BR Croxley Green Depot and the Rickmansworth Church Street/Croxley Mills branch headshunt.
Croxley West Station
Croxley West Station – is a based on elements of Croxley Green , Watford West and Rickmansworth Church Street stations and is served by an infrequent service provided EMU’s, Unlike former the LMR Croxley Green service we do not run replacement taxis. There is also a single freight siding/ run round loop at Croxley West which sees a variety of traffic.
Swansea Road Power Station & Oil Terminal
The Power Station Oil Terminal serves the adjacent Swansea Road Power Station. Oil tanker trip workings to this depot are remarkably frequent!
Have you any info about the track layout at the former
Kew Bridge terminus of the DC North London lines.?
Oh, one other thing, is the real Wiggenhall Depot site still in the ownership of the railways?
Thanks
J S Baker
The Kew Bridge station was located on the now freight only line between Hounslow and South Acton and as far as I am aware was never served by DC services. The track layout was a simple double track layout with a platform on each side. DC services were routed through Kew Gardens station and onto the terminus at Richmond.
The ownership of the land of the former Croxley Green Depot I think is still with Network Rail. I was at a meeting regarding the Croxley Link a few weeks ago and I raised the issue of the re-use of the site. The response I got was that the costs would be prohibitive which suggests that the land had been safeguarded along with the trackbed of the Croxley Green Branch.
The depot was always known as Croxley Green – despite being nearer Oxhey. As my layout is based on the line but is not a copy of I used modeller’s licence and hence the Wiggenhall Road name which is the road the depot was located on.
Thank you for your interest in my new website
X F
dc n/l trains did run to kew bridge pre ww2. there was a 4 rail reversing siding off the junc: with SR alongside the SR up line.
Hi Mike,
I was unaware that this was the case however I have a network of contacts who have an interest in the NLL and I will see if they have any details of the track layout.
Regards,
XF
My colleagues on the District Dave Forum came back with the following information with regards to NLL services at Kew Bridge station-
There was no electrical connection between 4rail/3rail at Kew Bridge-siding used for reversal, trains reversed in one of the NLL-served platforms. The siding is still there, and is used by “Up” goods trains off the NLL to await their slot on the “Up” Hounslow.
There is a JC Gilham track diagram in the August 1956 Railway Magazine (article The Railways of Kew & Gunnersbury), showing New Kew Junction as a conventional double Junction; with a trailing crossover at the E/S end of KB NSWJ platforms, and a (“no longer electrified” for most of its length) up loop to Chiswick Junction (the current up connection): presumably this was used to reverse the LMS electric service.
Key dates
From 1/10/16 services ran Broad Street – Kew Bridge in the peaks, Acton to Kew Bridge at other times.
From 1/1/17 (WW1 economies) Acton – Kew Bridge withdrawn Sunday mornings – never reinstated.
From 5/5/19 Kew Bridge shuttles replaced by Broad Street – Kew Bridge service daily (except Sunday mornings).
Kew Bridge shuttle service reinstated off-peaks and Sunday afternoons from May 1922.
September 1939 – most through trains withdrawn between Broad Street and Kew Bridge.
Early-1940 – Kew Bridge service weekday peaks only. Sunday afternoon Kew Bridge service ran until summer 1940.
12/9/40 – Kew Bridge service withdrawn.
XF
Hi,
I am sending this from Dublin. I have become aware of your layout as a result of an e mail replying to the bogus request for funds allegedly sent by Dave Carson. I am intrigued by your superb efforts having lived from 1955 to 1969 within a little over a mile from Croxley Green Depot, and commuting from Bushey (and Oxhey) station during the same period. I well remember the depot and the rolling stock. I spent my early childhood a stone’s throw from Rickmansworth Church Street. Indeed just last March, when on a visit to family, I stayed in the Premier Inn close to Croxley Green Station (or should I say the truncated station). I must congratulate you on what you have achieved. You have given me food for thought – though I model in N Gauge. A class 501 emu can be produced using Graham Farish Mk 1 suburban coaches with Electra Graphics overlays and a suitable power unit. As for the LMS emu and tube stock – a little more ingenuity is required!! Thank you for helping me recall cherished days of long ago and sowing the seeds for a future project!!!!
Thank you John for your kind comments about the layout. We are about to embark on an extension which will pay homage to the Croxley Triangle and will include the Wiggenhall Rod bridge, a siding to a Benskins brewery building an additional pylon much bigger than the current one near the depot and more. As with the current layout these items will not be exact copies or in the correct location however they will have will all be in keeping with the real line.
The fleet of trains has increased with more items of Underground and BR stock many of which are what if’s such as Q Stock on a tour from Richmond to Croxley LMR via the NLL which would have been possible but alas never occurred
I will be updating the website however trackback spam is a big issue yours is the first non spam mail for a while
Thanks again
XF
Hello,
Great website and fantastic effort put into it all, An answer to an earlier question is that the land at Wiggenhall Road was bought by Watford council from a government company called EEDA in October 2011,
I was wondering if you had any historical records from the site or maybe you could point me in the right direction of where to find them
Regards
Steve