Ayot Greenway photo gallery

Part of the Lost Rails project

Luton-bound train passing the Welwyn builders' siding, 1959.

N7 and passenger train approaching Welwyn builders' siding, bunker first, 1959.

The temporary halt building at Welwyn Garden City between 1920 and 1926, Dunstable train coming in bunker-first.

The Dunstable train arrived at Welwyn Garden City, 1959.

N7 locomotive on Luton train at Welwyn Garden City Station in 1959.

A grimy N7 tank engine with two passenger coaches about to go under the White Bridge behind Welwyn Garden City Campus, 1959.

N7 tank engines with coal wagons passing through Sherrards Wood on the western outskirts of Welwyn Garden City, 1960s.

Looking west from Brocks Wood towards the site of Ayot Station, September 2009.

©St Albans Museums Service

Trackbed east of Ayot, close to A1 motorway, September 2009.

Luton-bound passenger train with N7 locomotive, c 1960.

East-bound N7 tank engine with freight at Ayot c 1960.

Ayot Station between the Wars.

Ayot Station burnt down in 1948, and was never rebuilt. Intense heat caused the tracks to buckle.

A tank engine derailed at Ayot St Peter, 1938.

Class 20 diesel shunter rescuing a Diesel Multiple Unit at Ayot in January 1963.

Special excursion train (a preserved GNR saddle tank) at Ayot in March 1962.

Trackbed looking east (uphill) towards the site of Ayot Station, June 2009.

Heavily-wooded embankment at Hunters Bridge between Ayot and Wheathampstead, June 2009.

Hunters Bridge, between Ayot and Wheathampstead, carried a farm track beneath the railway embankment. April 2010.

Dogs Mercury and ash trees growing on the embankment near Hunters Bridge, between Ayot and Wheathampstead. April 2010.

Bluebells in Robinson's Wood, between Ayot and Wheathampstead, May 2010.

N7 tank engine on the London rubbish run at Ayot on its way to Blackbridge Tip outside Wheathampstead, 1959.

The trackbed seen from Blackbridge Tip, near Wheathampstead, April 2010.

Blackbridge Tip, near Wheathampstead, with teasel, elder, and nettle. June 2009.

New planting to screen Blackbridge Tip, near Wheathampstead. June 2009.

©St Albans Museums Service

Wheathampstead Station, Great Northern Railway, about 1910, passenger train approaching.

Passenger training arriving at Wheathampstead, bunker first, in 1959. There was a steep pull up to the station.

Coming in to Wheathampstead Station, perched above the village, from the west in 1959.

Wheathampstead Station part-demolished in September 1972.

Diesel Class 20 shunter with wagons on the Dunstable coal run, Harpenden East, 1966.

Wheathampstead Goods Yard lay to the west of the station, at a lower level; 1959.

Derelict line at Harpenden East , early 1966.

Harpenden East Station in 1966 just before the tracks were lifted.

Lent by Harpenden Local History Society

N7 tank engine with brake van at Harpenden East Station, 1959

Harpenden East Station demolished in 1966

Lent by Harpenden Local History Society

Diesel Multiple Unit [DMU] approaching Harpenden East a few months before the end of passenger services in 1965.

A Welwyn-bound passenger train passing bunker-first beneath Westfield Bridge, north Harpenden, in the 1930s. This stretch of track is now alongside Beeching Close.

Lent by Harpenden Local History Society

Diesel recovery unit ready to haul away lifted track sections at East Hyde, May 1966.

Lifting track sections at East Hyde, north of Harpenden, May 1966.

Track sections loaded on to wagons at East Hyde, north of Harpenden, May 1966.

Cleared track at Harpenden East, May 1966.

Luton Hoo Station, looking east, in the 1950s.

Luton Hoo Station, early twentieth century

N7 tank engine with passenger train heading north from Luton Hoo Station, 1959

Diesel Multiple Unit travelling through Luton Hoo Station on the way to Welwyn just before closure, April 1965.

Dunstable-bound Diesel Multiple Unit at Luton Hoo, with photographer on platform, in April 1964, a year before closure.

Train arriving at Dunstable, the northern terminus, in May 1959. The driver returns the token (his authority to drive on the single track) to the signalman.

Diesel train at East Hyde, 1966.

Crane for track lifting at Harpenden East, 1966.

Points approaching Ayot St Lawrence Station, 1959.

Another view of Luton Hoo station, 1959.

Luton Hoo station in 1956.

Train near Harpenden East

Train at Harpenden East

Harpenden East signal box.

You can view the pictures using the photo gallery below, or click here to launch a slideshow.

This page was added on 01/03/2011.

Add your comment about this page

Reply
Picture of a derelict Harpenden East station taken in 1966 by Robert Wade is correct, The only problem is, this is a negative, or the picture is the wrong way round. When looked correctly, it is a great picture of the removed track, now long gone.
By Andy Ward (10/04/2022)
Reply
Old Luton Hoo signalbox photo by Jack Waldock Hertford
By g woodward (17/01/2018)
Reply
As a 10 year old boy living in Crabtree lane I use to visit the signal box, Mr munt was one of the signal men at the time,he would always let us pull the levers, how things we’re different in those days.
By David Lewis (17/01/2018)
Reply
Hi. Is this image incorrectly posted? If so, I could try to fix it, if you let me know what’s wrong with it.
By Nicholas Blatchley (07/12/2017)
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To reply to Mr Taylor, if you flip the image horizontally, all will become clear.
By Richard Armstrong (06/12/2017)
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Hello
Re photo of: Derelict line at Harpenden East , early 1966.
I think this photo is an error and doesn’t show Harpenden East., though the station building is very similar. The signal box (I think it is) in the background was in fact at the other end of the station building. The levels are also wrong. Harpenden East was situated in a cutting. The single storey building in the foreground was partially hidden by foliage in 1966 (see next photo), there is a total absence in this picture etc etc
So where is it?
By Simon Taylor (24/07/2017)
Reply
as a Harpenden boy I found the pictures of Harpenden east railway station and the railway track in the 1950s bring back so many memories as a boy living next to the station at that time. alas now it all gone for ever only in pictures to look at. thank goodness some one took the pictures for Harpenden’s history.
By patrick boyle (04/10/2014)
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These photos and the interviews with those who remember the line are fascinating. Thank you for taking the time to do this!
By Richard Armstrong (10/02/2012)
Reply
This photograph appears to be reversed!
By David Reynolds (13/12/2011)