IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Kingsley Avenue, BOREHAMWOOD, WD6 4LY

A class 56 approaches Elstree with a train of empty refuse containers. The 56's had only recently started to appear on these trains in 1979. The signal on the left has two arms and is very tall in order to provide northbound train drivers with a sight of the signal's aspect from behind the bridge that this photo is taken from. It is a little unusual in being of lattice construction, signals on the line were usually of the circular pole variety. I am advised by John Webb that the lattice type was used for tall signals as they had lower wind resistance than the circular post type. The gantries that will carry the colour light signals to replace these semaphores are already in place further along the line.

A southbound stopping service in the form of a class 319 electric multiple unit pass a northbound train of empty Bardon Aggregates hoppers on the outskirts of Boreham wood.

This is another near repeat of one of Martin's images from 1979, this time Image, viewed from the Red Road bridge. The modern gantry seen in Martin's photo that was to carry the new electric signals which were replacing the old semaphore signals and were about to be commissioned in 1979 has long since itself disappeared from the scene. The up fast line has recently been re-ballasted. Just visible in the bottom of the photograph between the two fast lines, with a metal mesh cover over it, is a drainage catch pit. These pits have sumps that are designed to capture solid material that gets into the drainage system and will be periodically emptied. This photograph is taken from the bridge off Red Road, visible in another of Martin's images Image This is quite a massive structure the purpose of which is no longer clear. It was certainly present when the Ordnance Survey mapped the area in 1871, so it was quite probably part of the fabric of the original Midland Railway line. It has never carried a public road so maybe it was an accommodation bridge to allow the farmers at the former Tilehouse Farm to the east of the railway access to the fields to the west of it.

A class 45 heads a train of three BG's (Guards Brake carriages) towards Elstree. Behind are special tall semaphores with repeating arms. They are arranged so that the northbound drivers can see the aspect of the signal from the other side of the bridge that this photo is taken from. Being so tall, the signals have bracing wires to the white posts on the embankment on the right and to another set of posts on the left that are hidden by the vegetation. The signal between the tracks uses the standard Midland Railway circular post. However, the one to the left of the tracks is of a lattice design - see Image for a closer view.

The main part of Theobald Street runs parallel to this service road on the other side of the trees on the left

This is the Old Haberdashers Sports Ground - see also https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/7182342

A class 45 bursts under the bridge with a St. Pancras bound express. When the line was electrified the footbridge from which this photo was taken was removed. All footpaths now use the brick bridge in the photo. Note the twin telegraph poles on the right of the line - once a common sight along our railway network, now largely gone. Note also the tall signals beyond the bridge. Each post carries two signal arms (only the top ones are visible here) so that the drivers can see the aspect of the signal from this side of the bridge and when they have passed under it.

Draining the area of Watling Chase to the west of the railway at Borehamwood, the water will probably drain into Tykes Water to the north.