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Lower Kings Road, BERKHAMSTED, HP4 2AJ

Opened in 1875 by the London & North Western Railway on the line from London Euston to Birmingham, this station replaced an earlier station located some 200m further south east that was demolished during track widening. View south east towards Hemel Hempstead and London.

As well as the National Rail logo, and Berkhamsted name in London Midland style, there is also a logo for Intalink, a Hertfordshire initiative bringing together local authorities and public transport operators to provide coordinated travel information.

This is looking along the up fast line (towards London), the line on which the freight train was travelling. It derailed passing through the station and came to a halt about half a mile ahead. The tightness of the curve is well shown here: it must have been fortunate that no wagons fell sideways onto the slow (commuter) lines. The signal at red was no doubt necessary under railway working rules, but seems rather superfluous. For further photos of the incident, see Image, Image, Image and Image

View NW, towards Bletchley and the North: WCML. The Class D freight is on the Up Slow line, headed by Stanier 8F 2-8-0 No. 48257. This locomotive had an interesting history, having been built for war service (originally with the BEF in France!) by NB Loco as No. WD 321 (later 70321) in 8/40, but owing to the Fall of France none of these 8Fs were sent over there. Instead they were loaned to the LMSR and GWR, then shipped to the Middle East (including neutral Turkey) in 1941. This particular engine worked (as WD No. 321) on the LMS from Holbeck (Leeds) and was shipped to Persia in 9/41. There, as Iranian Railways No. 41.131 and still a coal-burner, it worked supplies for Russia over the infamous line from Ahwaz on the Persian Gulf to Bandar Shah on the Caspian Sea, until many 8Fs were substituted by US Army locomotives. Its identity was confused by renumbering to WD 70395, but it seems to have stayed in Iran at least until 2/46 when it was moved to Palestine. It was then stored at Suez, restored and continued working WD (Royal Engineers) traffic in the Canal Zone - also given the name 'Capt. H.G.Elphinstone, VC'. In 1948 it was purchased by BR, brought back and put to work on the LMR in 9/49 and not finally withdrawn until 7/68.

Railway station entrance.

Seen from the grounds of Berkhamsted Castle, the doorway giving access to the subway under Berkhamsted station can be seen on the left hand side of the building (the booking office is on the down side). The rest of the building is in use as the Marlin Montessori School.