Rediscovering the Nickey Line: Harpenden to Hemel Hempstead 

A poignant reminder to me of my days along the line. I lived on the site of "Brocks" factory first. It was still Brocks Corner on the bus timetable then. Later I moved to Redbourn & then moved on to Harpenden so I got to know the track pretty well. A lovely production & many thanks.

I was brought up in Luton and always wondered about the bridge that crossed the road on the A6 coming into Harpenden from Luton. I live in Harrow now so last year I took my bicycle to Hemel Hempstead and cycled along the pathway of the Nicky Line. Great afternoon out

I lived in Harpenden 77-79 and walked the line many times and saw the very last train from the Hemelite factory in the spring of 79.

Another bitter sweet look at a lost Railway, how banal modern Life seems. Thank you

Hi My grandma used to live at the toll lock house and I used to get on the train being shunted down into the gas works. This circa 1956/7 ish! I was 10! Now I used to go down the line from Hemel Heath halt and the train about 10 wagons or less and the guards van. The guard had the trucks brakes partly pinned and he operated the catch points. We ran down into the gas works and he ran the train to a stop and then ran the guards van onto one siding and walked back changing the points and then rolling the trucks into another siding and then pinning the brakes. On the way back an engine came and collected the trucks, pulled out and then came and collected the guards van the whole train then came back where the engine uncoupled the wagons brakes pinned, as was the guards van. There used to be a coal siding along the side of the road on the north side of the River Gade and the new police station and car park are now on the other side, whilst the "main line" curved around on an embankment to the other side of the valley with the Coach and horses Pub being on the east or Hemel side and passed over a granary or animal feed store and then over the road, ther the loco waited. The train of trucks from the gas works was rolled down into one of those sidings. This happened several times with the trucks returning several groups as a long line back to St Albans. There was no connection between the main Boxmoor to Euston line the whole train coming from St Albans. There may have been a siding but certainly no connection at the gas works, indeed the retort and the gasometer actually precluded something passing either side as the road to Boxmoor railway line space was quite limited. I used to go to Two Waters school (Pillings Volvo was there subsequently) and frequently scrambled up the railway bank and walked along the track to my grandmothers.

As a child I regularly walked the line during the summer holidays with both my nan and aunt and I was led to believe by my uncle that the pile of bricks may have been the base for a small crossing keepers but although I was also told that it was more likely to be an old P way hut, I loved this video it brought some wonderful memories of my childhood

I love the way you compare the old situation at stations to the current situation.

excellent video👍 so sad to see what was a lovely railway line disappear and sadly not much of it left it's ashame it closed 🤔

Haunting music to go with a very haunting film. Very little left of a once magnificent line. Thank you for bringing it "back to life". Superb video.

The Brocks Firework factory was on the line and had sidings. Now Highfield housing estate. Latterly Hemelite brick works ran from Cupid Green(Grove Hill) to the main line at Harpenden. Using Clayton Diesel Locos.

I remember laying pennies on the line, near Roundwood, to see how the steam engine would remould them. Happy times,

Thank you for putting this together! I used to have to drive down Cherry Tree Lane to get to work...

Another very informative and well-presented video. How good see that so much of the railway's alignment has been turned into wide footpaths that would never have existed had it not been for the Nickey Line. What an excellent legacy.

Love the video I lived in Harpenden and remember the trains passing the schools junior and S M, steam 43119 and 0-6-0 43333

I lived in Chequer Lane, Redbourn (in fact my parents still do) and I vividly remember waving at the driver (he waved back) as he came past on the coal train in the late 70's, in a small clearing, from our house window. I also have a very rare photo that I took that no-one has ever seen of the bridge when it was taken down, as it lays in Chequer Lane, being nudged along by a JCB tracked digger. I think this was the last time it was ever seen before it was taken away for scrap. This was when the By-Pass was being built early 1980's. I should post this on the internet for all to see...

Used to put pennies on the track as the slow trains went past in the late 70’s. Thanks for sharing.

hi there.love the video. we live near the midland rd, and i often walk from the pub along the nickey line to the next bridge. where was the brick viaduct,some said it was where the magic roundabouts are,its a pity the platforms were taken away. another walk is the Harrow to Stanmore village line which i have done a few times

I grew up next to that line, we used to play along there during the school holidays, I used to find railway men`s tools some times. There were quite a few relics left behind but, some one used to take a great deal of time, taking them away, presumably to put in his museum. I did hear a rumour he was told to stop doing it. I was actually one of the people who worked with others to lay the footpath

Great video. Imagine how much sense this would have made to keep the line and use it for passenger services now days. This would have relived pressure of the very busy Redbourn Road and surrounding neighbourhood's!

Excellent choice of music!

Well done....great memories, especially of the shunt trips from the Hemelite factory towards Harpenden...loads in [power station fly-ash], empties out. All came to untimely end in 1979...

Great work again, but a mention of the wonderful viaduct that was demolished in 1971 where the 'magic roundabout is' would have been on the approach to Heath Park Halt, would have been nice. The Station Lamp dating from 1901 is still outside the Art centre where heath park Halt forecourt was.!. There's a great book published by Oakwood Press called "The Harpenden to Hemel Hempstead Railway' Has some great pictures in there... Great work once again

I worked at the Brooke Bond factory in Redbourn from Sept 1978 till Sept 1983 and remember the hearing the trains running behind the warehouse for a while after I started, I guess they stopped in 1979 as I didn't hear them for long, as a youngster a Freind and my self cycled from St. Albans one day in the early/mid 70s to Redbourn station to see if a train would pass, can't remember if anything did. Nice film.

I have a book that commemorated the 100th anniversary of the line's opening in 1977. Even then it wasn't expected to close except the widening of the Midland Line through Harpenden forced it to only two years later.

I've passed through the disused railway bridge in harpenden and other's on the country lane going into Hatfield direction and the former Luton branch line now the busway to dunstable

Although nothing is obvious these days because of the change in the landscape and scenery, putting wagons on and taking wagons off of the branch was done at night as it occupied both fast lines. Empty wagons off first, then pushing the loads up certainly made (the usual Class 25's) bark as they went round the corner at which point the wagon brakes were pinned down and the loco then coasted back down the bank, pick the empties up and take them forward to Cricklewood.'All change' came with the commissioning of West Hampstead Power Signal Box which resulted in the abolition of Harpenden Junction Signalbox

Must cycle this in the Summer.

Highly enjoyable video. Even though likelihood of it reopening is low, good to see that majority of trackbed is accessible by bike/foot.

Another superb video Thank you for sharing !

Wow! The quadrant signal's still there. :)

George Phipps - I worked at Northampton Bridge Street for about a year after my National Service, really enjoyed the Video, brought back many memories. Long Retired now after my 40 years with BR, would like to know about some of the trial traction that was used while I was there. The Porters name was Albert Hicks and I used to help him barrow the weights across the track as the RailCar was too light to negotiate the curve by the Loco Shed

Wonderful video such a travesty it has gone,your railways in the south of England where superb,so sorry you had to lose them.

Walked it a couple of years ago in the summer great line to walk love seeing the video Well done again

Thanks for sharing once again...always a pleasure viewing your video`s ...excellent content by the way.

Good to see a signal still in situ at Roundwood Halt.

Some of these old lines, would love to just bike or walk along them, could get lost for hours on them!

Very well researched. Great to view. Thank you

Great video. I drive trains along the Midland Mainline to Derby and have often wondered as I see the old branch curving off to the west (as I drive N/B) what it was like. I have been told by old hand drivers it was truncated at one point and became known as the 'Hemelite' branch.

Excellent as always. Thankyou.

Great video as always, don't know if you knew that originally line went north to Luton, also the Distant signal is an upper quadrant not lower. The green lens would have been under yellow for lower quadrant. I too walked the path a while ago, there were rails in the next driveway that crossed after the M1 tunnel then. In the old picture of Hemel station you can just see the Midland Hotel, it's still there pity you didn't see/show it. Also didn't show the embankment close to there where you can clearly see where line went. There's a good book by the Oakwood Press about the line. Keep up the good work.

Thanks for the video. Love the detail and old pictures. Perhaps we should do a "Collab" one day... is that what the kids call it?

Upon seeing this, much of what I remember from travelling through that area years ago came flooding back, and now seems to have been from a different time-scale, even a different world. I wonder how different the coming of the trains made it for those a few generations before me?

Another excellent video,loving them

Love your work 👍🏽

Another great video thanks. Have you ever considered doing the Lyme Regis to Axminster line? Nothing remains of the station at Lyme although the station building was moved to Alresford station I believe. The Cannington viaduct still exists as a Grade 2 listed building. Regards Steve.

Amazing some great cycle routes left but you wonder with all the new town type development whether a tram or guided bus route between the two very busy commuter belt would work with park and ride..

I spent the summer of 1959 at a house called Lark's Herne in Hemel Hempstead on the corner of Queensway and some fairly busy road (don't remember the name ) BUT there was a large train viaduct just down the road. Any chance that rings a bell with anyone ? Mom was a war bride and came to the US with my Air Force dad and we had a great time in Hemel where she was from ( Wood Lane End> Think it is long built up now

Digging up! I like the double deck bus on the Hemel Station bridge. (sorry, I am french...)

You should do the welyn to dunstable line next. Can cycle most of it from luton down to Harpenden Wheathampstead and then to Ayon and Welyn.

Has anyone carried out a survey of these now missing lines & connections that would show how beneficial they would be if still in service today? If autonomous vehicles will be using the roads then similar trains could use tracks monitored by computers. The old network reached all parts of the Country, it could,for example shift biomass around instead of coal.

The connection from the gasworks to Hemel Hempstead (Boxmoor) station wasn;t put in until the Nicky Line was closed. There was never a through connection.

HH used to be a lovely old town with a special old town section that I remember had a fasinating cane and basket shop called salters at the end near Gadebridge park, the high street had really lovely privately owned Georgian houses and pretty cottage gardens. I dont think they could have done a more destructive and soul less job of so called updating it. They destroyed its warm friendly character, brought in business and pushed away the residential. They destroyed a very good hospital and built endless soulless housing estates that were very poorly built. This extended way beyond the boundaries of the town and engulfed special nearby villages. Quite disgusting.

Thank you for a wonderful video. I really enjoyed it, the canal and the Pendolino at speed at the end of the video. The path which you were on from Harpenden, did it take its name from the former 'Nicky Line' railway?

Delightful

Another fascinating video done with respect in a refreshingly pure factual style. You have a fantastic eye for spotting small details. I presume these are shot in a single day and you cycle along the route? Generally how much research does it require beforehand before you set out?

I walked this line, must have been early 80s. There was a little more to see then (especially at the Hemel end), and it wasn't quite as tidy!!!.

Second movement of Elgar's 1st Symphony, am I right?

Most of the trackbed is intact. Would be great to see it restored - heritage line with a terninus just outside hemel?

😥

Perfect for a reinstated line? Or maybe a light railway,only a few obstacles to overcome

Look up other videos from this publisher, there's quite a few, all with glorious music!

I can remember where it crossed Marlowes,the huge arches.

How ever dreamt up the name Nickey Line is wrong its the Midland Line hence the name of the road and pub/ hotel and the station was for Hemel Hempstead was her.

Great you failed to mention the Hemelite works by Cherry Tree Lane which operated until the late seventies which still linked to the Midland mainline at Harpenden carrying building material from the Hemelite works.

That's an UPPER quadrant signal at 3.11.

i found a big piece of steel and my friend found a bolt on here

I've damaged my wrist listening to this dreadful music. For one moment, I thought the solemn tones had won their cast over the already severely Depressing (Conservative-style) life that ORDINARY PEOPLE live here in the UK. Yet, I live another day with the blood-stained knife beside me, whilst loving extinct railways the way they SHOULD be loved: With happiness in memory, and not in UTTERLY audible sorrow.