Trains around Watford in the early '60s

F2Andy

Member
I am looking for a relatively self-contained project, but with a lot of traffic, and a mix of steam and diesel, without the complication of having to turn around tender locos. With this in mind, I am thinking about recreating Watford Junction, ca. 1963, and would like some advice about the sort of trains running at the time (especially with a view to what is available in the DLS). I am aware of a Euston to Watford layout, but it is not too accurate, though I might try linking the two ultimately.

My plan is to model out to St Albans, I think the line to Hatfield was still open for freight at that time; that would be a portal (or just a dead end) just beyond St Albans Abbey station. I would also do Rickmansworth (I think only open for goods) and Croxley Green. To the north, the tunnels are an obvious stopping point, to the south, I intend to include Bushey. I hope also include the narrow gauge line to Eastbury Pumping Station. That is quite a lot, but it is reasonably compact, and I do not intend to be that accurate with scenery nor to go more than a baseboard away from the track.

The DC Electrics would have been 501s, for which I intend to use EPBs s a near replacement. Was the Bakerloo 1938 stock at that time? I am guessing the AC OHLE was being built, but was not yet in use.

Diesel: Class 47, class 40 (expresses), class 37, occasional 31, class 28 (double-headed on the Condor express), class 25, class 24, class 20, a shunter of some sort maybe?

Steam: I really have no idea what would be steam-hauled at that time, nor by what.

Any photos of the area would be of interest too.
 
Yes, I have got what I can from old-maps, so I have a good idea about the track layout (I also happen to have a street atlas of London from that year). It is the operational side that I am not so clear on.
 
Google

I often use Google Images search to find photos of the era and geography of lines I want to model.

It invariably finds sites which are loaded with relevant reference material of all types. The old B&W pictures often provide the best stuff.

I’ve just gone into Images search and typed “watford trains 1950s” and got these 21,300+ returns, some of which might be quite useful.

This is just one example from the topline of results which has a nice mix of history and pictures.

Cheers.
 
Tried to reply here a couple of days ago, but I think my dodgy internet connection let me down.

mezzoprezzo, it had actually occured to me to do a Google search, and I had already found the Abbey Line site, which is definitely useful.

nexusdj, that signalling diagram is very useful, thanks for that. Now if I only had one for the local line and the St Albans line...
 
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