Rather ghostlike. Anyone know what line this was in pre-BR days? When was it lifted?

http://abpr2.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi?february03/02-19-03/parkland11.jpg
ryarger@rypn.org

> Rather ghostlike. Anyone know what line this
> was in pre-BR days? When was it lifted?
Location:North London.
This was the former GNR later LNER branch from Finsbury Park (where it diverged from the East Coast main line) to Alexandra Palace. It split near this location with another line going to High Barnet. This is now part of London Transport's Northern Line. The Alexandra Palace line remained part of the LNER later BR and was closed - not sure when, I think in the early 1950's.

jimlivesey@btopenworld.com

A capsule history:

"East Finchley & High Barnet
In 1867 the Edgware, Highgate and London Railway was opened from the GNR mainline at Finsbury Park to Edgware. Branches to High Barnet and Alexandra Palace followed in the 1870s. The 1935 New Works Programme proposed incorporating the lines in a major extension of the Northern Line. The Northern line was to be extended to meet the GNR branches at East Finchley. The branches would also be connected to the Northern City Line at Finsbury Park. Substantial work was carried out before the outbreak of World War Two, electric trains reached High Barnet in 1940 and Mill Hill in 1941. After the war completion of the work was delayed. Although expensive infrastructure such as cable runs and conductor rail were already in place the extension of electric services to Alexandra Palace was cancelled in 1953. The branch closed to steam services in 1954. Parts of the route from Finsbury Park to Alexandra Palace are now a footpath.
Whilst the station at High Barnet was largely unchanged East Finchley was rebuilt with two island platforms for easy interchange between the two routes. The centre tracks have only ever been used by trains going to and from Highgate depot."

From http://www.simon5596.supanet.com/barnet.htm



eledbetter@rypn.org