Highgate Wood Sidings

[BR(S)]

Highgate Wood Sidings Layout

 

Some RMwebbers will know me as the builder of Bromley North (http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/65199-bromley-north/), a layout that I have now taken apart as I had achieved all I wanted to with it.  My next Southern Region layout will be based on Addiscombe, with a focus on the SR engine shed. 

 

I don't really want to start a project of that size yet though, so I've decided to leave the track from Bromley North in place and turn it in to a layout based around the old Highgate Wood Sidings, located between the long-closed Alexandra Palace to Finsbury Park line and Highgate London Underground depot. 

 

For this layout, the Ally Pally line existed beyond its final closure in the early 1970s (passenger trains ceased in the 1950s).  The layout will be set in the late 1980s and the line now comes under the remit of Network SouthEast, but is undergoing gradual closure.  Passenger trains now run from Stratford to Highgate High Level via Canonbury and Finsbury Park.  They appear in the Wood Sidings to allow them to change from the up to the down line as there are no points at the High Level station for this purpose.  All passenger trains are formed of first and second generation DMUs. 

 

The Wood Sidings themselves are now used by BR as a storage area for engineering wagons that are used for engineering needs around London.  This allows me to use my large collection of engineering wagons and also justifies the appearance of various loco types as they collect wagons to take back to their respective regions.  The sidings are also used as a temporary stabling point for rolling stock going for scrap, so miscellaneous carriages, wagons and other items can appear (my SR stock can then appear with diesel haulage).  A few Speedlink services also put in an appearance while picking up freight from local industry.  Finally, a Red Star Parcels depot has also been established at the sidings, so an MLV can put in an appearance under battery power, together with the occasional mail train.  A few BRUTEs sit around the depot for staff to use when loading and unloading these trains. 

 

The non-electrified freight line from Bromley North will now be used as a headshunt for Tube trains shunting around Highgate Underground depot.  I have a motorised EFE 1962 London Underground train; this uses two Tenshodo motors with a Bachmann 36-553 decoder hardwired to them. 

 

This layout is a departure for me from modelling the Southern Region, but as it is only an interim project, I fancied doing something different for a change.  The location has been chosen as it allows me to model somewhere real but with my own history (which I always try to do) and my Tube stock can put in an appearance.  Using the existing track from Bromley North also makes this a much easier layout to build as all the track, ballasting and wiring is already in place. 

 

Maps and Photos

 

Stratford to Highgate High Level route shown on this excellent map, with the old Alexandra Palace line showing: http://carto.metro.free.fr/cartes/metro-tram-london/

 

History of the Alexandra Palace line and loads of pictures of the route on this website: http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/a/alexandra_palace/index.shtml

 

The Wood Sidings that I am modelling:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/17889585@N03/3527306063/in/photolist-6nLw4s-6nGmW6-6nLw59-6nGn2t-6nLw63-H7nTC-6nGncM-6u9NV9-6n8v5i-buLFqN-6gVhGX-6nGn4x-dcg8z6-87P7QM-iFQhGr-anj2d3

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/24772733@N05/6889147130/

 

Highgate High Level station, now the end of the line for passengers in Network SouthEast days: http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/h/highgate/

[stewartingram]

Looking forward to this one, after the saga of Bromley North, and my work involving the Underground. I have a folder of pics taken recently on the Highgate high level disused platforms if you are interested?

 

Stewart

[BR(S)]

I have a folder of pics taken recently on the Highgate high level disused platforms if you are interested?

 

Yes please; all inspiration welcome!

[BR(S)]

Some pictures of what I am starting with from the old Bromley North layout:

 

 

 

 

 

Those above pictures used to look like this; oh, the humanity!!:

 

 

 

And a first bit of modelling.  I always wanted a footbridge on Bromley North but couldn't justify one.  This one has been made from two Heljan footbridges (Heljan code 715) and I think it fits in with north London railway architecture.  It will lead to a fenced-off footpath that runs by the sidings 

 

 

 

 

 

[nest]

Looking forward to seeing this one develop seen as I particularly liked Bromley North (and am saddened to see it go...)

 

Nestor
 

[Karhedron]

Looking forward to seeing this one develop. I lived in East Finchley for a while and I have walked the old "Northern Heights" line a couple times. I have often toyed with "what if" scenarios for a layout based on the area.

 

One idea I had was that the line remained open but passed to BR ownership at nationalisation who completed the electrification. NSE 313s would run from the city with some running all the way to Ally Pally with others using the turn-back facilities at East Finchley.

[BR(S)]

One idea I had was that the line remained open but passed to BR ownership at nationalisation who completed the electrification.

 

I'd considered the idea of adding some OHLE, giving me a chance to try the Dapol masts.  However, this is supposed to be an easy summer project, so I'll probably leave it as diesel-only, although note the key word "probably"!

[RANGERS]

I'd considered the idea of adding some OHLE, giving me a chance to try the Dapol masts.  However, this is supposed to be an easy summer project, so I'll probably leave it as diesel-only, although note the key word "probably"!

....and then Bachmann announce a 313......

[stewartingram]

As promised, Highgate high level platform pics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stewart

 

 

[croydon junction]

Why! I know BR(S) as a modeller of the south eastern region of London. Now he has moved to the north of London                               At least it will be an interesting project even though Bromley North has gone

[croydon junction]

....and then Bachmann announce a 313......

Please add a link soon to the Bachmann class 313 as the silverlink version is my favorite EMU.

[BR(S)]

With autumn now in full swing, work has begun again on Highgate Wood Sidings.  With the track and wiring already in place from my previous layout Bromley North and a lot of the scenic items having been recycled from that, progress on this layout has been quick.

 

To start with today, some overview pictures. 

 

"Helicopter" shots.

 

 

 

I've done the following picture in the (slightly sharpened) original, edited to give it an autumnal feel and in black & white.

 

 

 

 

And I thought this final picture gives a feel of what I was trying to achieve with this layout, especially the black & white version.

 

 

 

The bushes and trees, which I think look very realistic, are from the Woodland Scenics range: Premium Trees and Foliage range for the bushes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bobster]

Superb - Great pics there.

 

Cheers, Bob.

[BR(S)]

It's a busy autumn Sunday night at Highgate Wood Sidings. 

 

A dedicated spotter is rewarded with a Class 33 hauled Speedlink freight in Siding 1, a brand new Class 92 on its way from Brush Works to Dollands Moor hauled by Toton's 58009 and a lone HST power car (43045) in Intercity Executive livery on test from Bounds Green. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Axel.Richardson]

Looking forward to seeing this develop, looks a very interesting place to model and looking at your past efforts will be modelled to a superb standard.

[BR(S)]

Some Tuesday night pictures from Highgate Wood Sidings (I must do some daylight pictures at some point!).

 

Engineering wagons stabled until next weekend.

 

 

 

A Northern Line 1962 stock train occupies the headshunt while moving around Highgate Underground depot.  The trees behind are the woods the sidings get their name from.  When the Alexandra Palace line went beyond Highgate, the line would have passed behind these trees.

 

[BR(S)]

Some daylight photos from the Wood Sidings.  I've not done much editing to these; just sharpened them a bit and toned down the lighting.  The first few are taken from some different angles, so unfortunately bits of the room get into the shot.   

 

It's Wednesday afternoon and only a Class 08, allocated to Bounds Green, is in residence.

 

I'm happy with the Woodland Scenics bushes in these first two pictures:

 

 

 

 

I'm very pleased with the Woodland Scenics trees from their premium range: 

 

 

 

The blue light in the building is the Express Models arc welding unit that goes on and off at random to simulate someone doing some welding:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ess1uk]

Looks great.

[31A]

Don't know why I hadn't come across this thread before as I've always had an interest in the GN 'Northern Heights' lines (my grandfather lived at East Finchley and worked as a signalman at various places on those lines including Park Junction power box); I've run various 'what if' scenarios through my mind at times over the years so it's good to see what yours looks like!  Look forward to seeing more of this....

[BR(S)]

Don't know why I hadn't come across this thread before as I've always had an interest in the GN 'Northern Heights' lines (my grandfather lived at East Finchley and worked as a signalman at various places on those lines including Park Junction power box); I've run various 'what if' scenarios through my mind at times over the years so it's good to see what yours looks like!  Look forward to seeing more of this....

 

Amazingly, this is the first time I've come across this area referred to as the Northern Heights.  I typed it into Google and a whole new lot of reference info has appeared. 

[Ben04uk]

I love the old 12T planked Vanfits in the sidings - a very nice touch and harks back to an older time. Have you renumbered them to Departmental variations as I assume they are depicting stores wagons?

[BR(S)]

I love the old 12T planked Vanfits in the sidings - a very nice touch and harks back to an older time. Have you renumbered them to Departmental variations as I assume they are depicting stores wagons?

 

They're used as a scenic item, some vans once shunted there years ago when they developed a fault and never moved (they should be next to the buffers but I moved them there for the photo).  I'm going to put a red banner in front of them, like the one seen to the left of the power car here:

 

Leicester North by Ingy The Wingy, on Flickr

[Mike Storey]

This brings back memories, sort of. I grew up not far from East Finchley, and a group of us used to wander off from Cherry Tree Woods, just north of this site, down towards the old Highgate station and the old trackbed up to Ally Pally, in the late 60's. Happy Days!

 

There was a very good paperback book published in the 80's or maybe 90's called the Northern Heights Railway, which I still have somewhere. You may be able to get it on ebay or one of the second hand shops.

[BR(S)]

This brings back memories, sort of. I grew up not far from East Finchley, and a group of us used to wander off from Cherry Tree Woods, just north of this site, down towards the old Highgate station and the old trackbed up to Ally Pally, in the late 60's. Happy Days!

 

There was a very good paperback book published in the 80's or maybe 90's called the Northern Heights Railway, which I still have somewhere. You may be able to get it on ebay or one of the second hand shops.

 

While looking the book up on Google, I came across this website I've not seen before: http://overground.doeth.net/heights/

 

Photo 28 shows the Wood Sidings and photo 25 is where the passenger line now ends in my history.  RMweb member stewartingram has also provided some excellent pictures of the High Level station in entry #9 above.

[croydon junction]

I never thought Highgate Wood sidings would turn out so well. I thought it would match the boring atmosphere of London Transport, but it doesn't, so I think BR(s) is really clever!