The Alban Way Photo Gallery

Part of the Lost Rails Project

Abbey Station, St Albans, in 1946. The terminus had eight bays and station buildings; today the Watford Service leaves from an unmanned platform.

Abbey Station, St Albans, the eastern terminus of the line, in August 1964. The buildings were demolished in the 1970s.

Passing the LNWR's signal box at St Albans Abbey Station.

London Road Station, St Albans, and its staff soon after opening in 1865 - the museum's earliest station view. Milk was an important perishable freight.

The de Havilland workers' train arriving back at London Road Station, St Albans, in July 1950, not long before the end of passenger services.

London Road Station, St Albans, in the 1950s, looking west. Passenger services have ceased and the platform is overgrown.

London Road Station, and Staples' Printworks, St Albans, looking east from the goods yard in May 1965.

London Road Station, St Albans, in the 1950s, looking towards Hatfield beneath the London Road and Midland Railway Bridges.

London Road Station in 1994, St Albans

London Road Station, St Albans, preserved as offices, February 2010. The car stands on the old trackbed.

Rosalyn Goulding, © St Albans Museums

The track beneath London Road bridge, St Albans, looking east. The steelwork of the railway telegraph survives; March 2010.

The new Midland Railway crossing over the St Albans - Hatfield Railway at London Road Station, St Albans, shortly after opening in 1868. The branch line was only three years older.

The 60-foot arch of the 1868 Midland Railway Bridge, St Albans, looking east up the long haul to The Camp, March 2010.

Graffiti inside the Midland Railway Arch, St Albans, March 2010.

Running uphill beneath the Midland Railway Arch, St Albans, March 2010.

Brickwork of the Midland Railway Arch, St Albans, March 2010. The load-bearing arch is 30 inches thick and spans 60 feet.

Sanders' Orchid Nursery siding, near Camp Road, March 2010. A timber goods and coaling platform still standing though well over 60 years old.

Special rail car used by Sanders Orchid Nursery, St Albans, to take its blooms for sale in London.

Camp Road railway bridge, St Albans, after demolition c1965.

Alf Gentle, © St Albans Museums

N7 tank engine and 25 wagons derailed at 15 mph following vandalism at Camp Road, St Albans (Sanders' Siding), 1955. No one was hurt.

The new Salvation Army Printing Works and its siding, Campfield Road, St Albans, c1900s.

Tank engine and box wagons moving goods to or from the Salvation Army Printing Works, Campfield Road, St Albans, c1900s.

The line passing between the Salvation Army Printworks and Fleetville Cemetery, St Albans, c1930s.

June 1910. Sutton Road, Fleetville, St Albans, 'dipped' beneath the railway bridge, and often flooded.

Bridge at Sutton Road, Fleetville, St Albans, after demolition, c 1965.

Alf Gentle, © St Albans Museums

The 'new' bridge carrying St Albans' eastern ring road across the line. February 2010.

Rosalyn Goulding, © St Albans Museums

A private coaling line led from the railway to the boiler house at Hill End Hospital on the eastern outskirts of St Albans. c1920s

Hill End Halt, on the eastern outskirts of St Albans, formed an entrance to the mental hospital. Here, in the late 1950s, it is used as a car park and the buildings have been burnt out.

N7 tank engine without freight passing the derelict Hill End Halt, east of St Albans, November 1959.

N7 tank engine with freight at Hill End Lane level crossing, eastern outskirts of St Albans, April 1960.

Hill End Halt, east of St Albans, March 2010

Marconi's electrical engineering works, Longacres, eastern outskirts of St Albans, 1948. The factory was located across the tracks from Hill End Halt.

Railway telegraph post between Hill End Halt and Smallford, 2009; possibly the last standing post on a Hertfordshire branch line

Lesser Celandine beside the track between Hill End and Smallford, April 2010.

Tony Brookes deals with a cycling barrier on the Alban Way, January 1996.

Milepost beside the track on Cycle Route 61, commemorating the National Cycle Network, 2000.

Rosalyn Goulding, © St Albans Museums, February 2010.

Blackthorn bushes beside the track at Acrewood, between St Albans and Hatfield, April 2010.

Flowering cherry near Smallford Station, March 2009

Smallford Station, looking towards Hatfield, between the Wars.

A 'special' train for railway enthusiasts at Smallford Station, near Colney Heath in 1961, ten years after the withdrawal of passenger traffic. The goods yard was still in use.

Smallford Station looking east in 1967.

Smallford Station buildings among elder bushes and rubbish, February 2010.

Nast Hyde Halt, near Hatfield ½ mile SW of the Comet Hotel, 1966, long after closure. Halts were unmanned stops, added to boost passenger traffic

The bridge carrying Cavendish Way, Hatfield, over the line, February 2010.

N2 tank engine and passenger train arriving at Lemsford Road Halt outside Hatfield during the Second World War. The train served a local aircraft factory.

The derelict and overgrown platform at Lemsford Road Halt, outside Hatfield, February 2010.

The eastern terminus was an outside platform at Hatfield GNR mainline Station; between the Wars.

LMS - London, Midland and Scottish Railway - train at Abbey station.

St Albans Museums Service

London Road station.

Train near Hill End, c1960.

Train at Hill End sidings. c1960.

This page was added on 03/03/2011.

Add your comment about this page

Reply
I grew up with the Abby Flyer at the bottom of my garden with the level crossing forming part of my daily commute to school. I grew up playing on the line and I remember the old postal house that use to be on the level crossing. It was on the side of the track with the gravel Pitts behind it. I have been looking for years for a photo of the old house. Do you know if there are any photos of it.
By Maria (19/03/2021)
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Hi Washu. If you create an free account and log in, you’ll be able to create a post which you can add pictures to. We’d love to see your photos.
By Nicholas Blatchley (23/08/2017)
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Many thanks for the information, Peter. I’ve updated the credit for the image.
By Nicholas Blatchley (23/08/2017)
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The photo of Tony Brookes at the cycle barrier was taken by Peter Wares.
By Peter Wares (20/08/2017)
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How do i submit some curent pictures taken this year for you to use?
By Washu (09/08/2017)
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The loco is an N1 not a N2 from a ex Hornsey steam driver
By Peter Smith (24/04/2014)
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Great photos, thanks
By Mick Bryce (21/03/2013)
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To update my earlier reply, this passenger platform is not the original one for Sander’s Orchids, but the later replacement, built sometime after the Salvation Army took over the Campfield Press in 1901, but before the survey for the 1924 OS 25″ mapping. The original platform was on the same side but on the other side of Camp Road, with access directly into Sander’s nursery.
By Alex Bell (27/01/2013)
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Having studied this picture, 1897 25″ OS map and history of this railway, the platform of which the corner is visible in the bottom left of this picture, must be the original one provided for Sander’s Orchid nurseries staff and visitors. When the orchid enthusiast Frederick Boyle visited Sander’s 1892-3, the platform was in place and a linking reception area for visitors arriving by train was being built (see “An orchid farm” in “About Orchids – A Chat” by F Boyle, 1893). Sander’s siding (of 1890) is behind the photographer on the other side of Camp Road, and was connected to the nursery and this platform by a footbridge.
By Alex Bell (27/01/2013)
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Never eight bays! The terminus had one main platform – shown in the photo – and one bay platform.
By Peter Lawrence (23/09/2012)
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I question whether this is Hill End. The latter had a road level crossing with gates at the east end, not a sleeper crossing as shown. The buildings do not look burnt out – see the next photo for that!
By Peter Lawrence (23/09/2012)
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This is the passenger platform originally provided for Sanders’ Orchid staff, & subsequently used by Salvation Army staff. Sanders’ siding was on the same side but between the Dellfield – Vanda Crescent footpath (marked by the green posts and waysign in the picture) and the Camp Road bridge; it faced Hatfield, and had a brick built and paved platform long since cleared into the edge of the school field. The Salvation Army siding was on the other side of both the track and Camp Road bridge, with a loading bay directly into the works; the remains of its earth bank and sleeper buffer stop are still visible.
By Alex Bell (25/06/2012)
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Is this the Salvation Army station platform or the orchid platform? I have been told That only the passenger platform remains in the area.
By Mike Gayton (30/05/2012)
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LNER Class J52 No.68846 in GNR livery as No.1247 hauling an enthusiast brakevan trip on the Hatfield-St.Albans line. Locomotive is part of the National collection and is on static display at Shildon “Locomotion” museum.
By David White (10/02/2012)
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The picture is of the Abbey Line bay platform at Watford Junction not St.Albans Abbey station. A similar photo is in an Oakwood Press monograph No. 177 published in 1990 although that shows a later built locomotive. Regards, David White
By David White (10/02/2012)
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You’ve got it in one. Couldn’t have put it better.
By Fleta (29/07/2011)
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Thank you so much for this article, it saved me time!
By Chaas (29/07/2011)
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Great photos, many I have never seen. The locomotive at Lemsford Road Halt is a Class N1 not N2. The photo of the J52 at Hill End was taken on 17th June 1961(exactly 50 years ago). The event was a Stephenson Locomotive Society Rail Tour.
By Roger Taylor (10/06/2011)