London's Lost Railways Ep. 14 - Watford to Croxley

It's Episode 14 of London's Lost Railways, and we venture slightly outside of London to find the stations on the old Watford to Croxley Green branch.

You have been watching (in order of appearance)

Many thanks to David Kirwin for additional Illustrations.

[thelonesculler]

That ending was the crossover I never thought I needed

[kasparvg]

Marvel: Infinity war is the greatest crossover event in history
Geoff: Hold my tea

[Pina_Coladas]

end game was the most ambitious crossover ever. Geoff: Hold my allotment

[keithkellogg]

Geoff, there was something quite heartwarming about that ending, really really well done.

[YetAnotherGeorgeth]

That ending was the crossover event that was so ambitious it makes Endgame look like a school play!

[ldp]

Cheers to everyone in the GMCE (Geoff Marshall Cinematic Universe)

[londongrad]

Hi Geoff, Croxley green station, the gate is open to the station 😂 So you can go into the station and there are tracks!

[michaelatkins]

I remember steam on that line - and Watford Met. also had regular steam shunting as well. The Croxley line was supposed to have been closed back in the 60s, but although services were greatly reduced, the line was kept open in large part because my uncle Ron was very senior management at BR, and couldn't be expected to travel by bus: that timetable showing the early and late trains was drawn up to suit Uncle Ron's expected commuting times, and I was with him on one occasion when they held the train for him because he was late getting to the station!

[marthaanderson]

Love love love the ending, Thank you for an out loud laugh

[OkieOtaku]

Tim's bit with the piano was great. Then there's "mine just says castles" 😂

[AndyKing]

I used to work on that line. Where the line used to go under the bridge near Watford High Street there used to be an Ice factory (or at least that's what we called it. There was also a siding off the main line going into a power station, which had metal gates across the rails). After the line closed it was amazing to see just how quickly nature took over with fully grown trees sprouting up in the 4-foot within years.

Great video. I walked past the old Croxley station yesterday. The metal fences have been removed and the shrubs around the stairs have been cut right back, so you can get much closer now

[SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Another great this line did see tube trains run over it! There was a depot at Croxley which serviced the Oerlikon, and then class 501, EMU stock. But London Transport also stabled 38 stock Bakerloo Line trains here as well, it also had a Bakerloo Crew Signing-on point. Until the late 1960s every other train along the DC lines to Watford was a Bakerloo Line working. By the 1970s there were only 4 Down trains in the evening with 4 Up the next moring. Three were Croxley crews while one was a Queens Park Depot crew. I rode the last Bakerloo to Watford back in September 1982 and the driver allowed a few of us enthusiast's to stay on board and ride to Croxley Depot. It was acessed via a head-shunt where the train reversed to get into the car sheds. The only other time i rode the line was on the Farewell Class 501 railtour in 1985. Once the 501s had been withdrawn BR closed Croxley and Bletchley maintained the class 313's used on the DC lines from then i wonder what has been built on the old Depot that could be a new series of vids...closed depots &

[kevinwilliams]

As an apprentice in the late sixties, I had a happy time at Croxley Green Sheds working on the old electrics. Thanks for the memories

[realityboost]

Incredibly moving for me as my parents bought a house on Winton Drive, at the junction of Winton Approach, in Croxley Green in 1966 and I was born there in 1971, growing up with the sound of the tube trains literally going past down the embankment at the bottom of our garden…And indeed my middle name is Croxley. 😔

[josephj]

Disney/Marvel: Avengers: Endgame is the most ambitious cross-over ever.
Geoff: Hold my allotments!

[MrHovis]

Geoff is so so good at what he does. From races round the tube to All the Stations. From least used stations to London's lost railways it is all so watchable. And Geoff as a very proud allotment owner....they are not that bad 😁

[cholten]

"You'd think I'd be good at squares" - I LOLd :-D

[lolfulls]

Right by the old Watford Stadium station there are some allotments!!

[JR-lbiw]

Lovely to see this. I travelled on this branch line in the 1980s. West watford station had a ticket booth near the entrance before going down the flights of stairs. The metal barriers have now been removed from Croxley Green station and so it is easily accessible to walkers.