Railway 200
2025 is the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway. Britain and the world changed forever. Railway 200 celebrates the past, present and future of rail.
Join us as we mark this special occasion with a range of events and activities throughout the year.
Check back here for our latest Railway 200 events and activities
More events and activities being added soon!
Share your Abbey Line Tales
Click here to submit:
- your tale as text (maximum 3000 characters) or
- a video recording telling your tale and
- any images to add to your tale
(For images/videos, please ensure you have been respectful of other’s privacy and that the content has been taken in your own private setting or a public setting.)
We aim to share your tales here on our website, on social media, at our events and at our stations.
If you wish to submit a video with a file size larger than 100Mb, please email us for a file transfer link.
Scroll down to see our collection of Abbey Line Tales.
1. Roger Taylor
I lived in St.Albans from 1947 to 1972 and travelled on the line from St Albans Abbey to Watford Junction on many occasions. In the 1960’s the line became very run down and was a suitable case for closure. Thank goodness it didn’t happen.
For some strange reason I and my friends always preferred to travel to Watford by train rather than use bus route 321. We travelled to see Watford F.C. In the early 1960s, a long walk to the Abbey station and the same to Vicarage Road (Watford F. C. Ground). Then back again! Must have been fit.
I travelled the line for the first time for many years in summer 2024, what a pleasure it was. The stations are clean, as are the trains, and the many information boards etc. are extremely helpful and interesting. So much better than the old days.
St. Albans Abbey station is much improved, I miss the lovely station building and canopy but not the Gas Works, the smell was awful. Now it seems to be set in a sylvan setting, almost a country station. As for Bricket Wood station – an absolute gem, nice coffee as well!
Well done to all concerned, your work is much appreciated.
2. Rodney Salter
In the early-to-mid 1950s, British Railways started to use diesel railcars, initially as an experiment, on the St. Albans Abbey branch line. As this was something new and different, my parents decided on a family outing to St. Albans on the new trains—I was seven or eight years old at the time.
At Watford Junction, my father managed to blag a ride in the driver’s cab in order to film the journey on his 9.5 mm cine camera. When the film was returned from processing, we were very disappointed with the results! Vibration from the diesel engine combined with jolting and jarring from the not-very-good permanent way, had produced so much camera-shake that the movie was unwatchable!!
Prior to this, we had lived in Windsor Road, not far from Watford North Halt and I would frequently stand behind the pedestrian gate, in perfect safety, but with some apprehension, only five or six feet away from the steam locomotive as it puffed away from the halt and over the level crossing in Bushey Mill Lane.
3. Howard Green
In the early 60’s I travelled to Watford Technical College on the ‘Abbey Flyer’ for evening classes. In those days there were actual human beings running the show and they would actually speak to you. It was probably the best branch line I ever travelled on.
It was in the days of steam locomotives and two steam-heated comfy wooden carriages. It all started going downhill when the 4-wheel diesel railcars started bouncing up and down on the uneven track.
The branch was worked on the ‘Pull and Push’ principle where the locomotive pulled the two carriages from Watford to St Albans; a nd then pushed the coaches back to Watford with the driver driving from a special compartment at the (now) front of the train, whilst the fireman stayed on the footplate to look after the fire and water level in the boiler. The driver picked up and dropped off the signal keys as he passed St Albans Abbey, Bricket Wood, Watford North and Watford No. 3 signal boxes. The ‘Pull and Push’ system meant the locomotive did not have to be uncoupled from the carriages, run round the coaches, and coupled up again at the other end.
A 1953-built 2-6-2 tank locomotive 84004 at St Albans Abbey ready to return to Watford; also the goods sidings and the gas company wall. Photo courtesy of and copyright Howard Green.