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Hemel Hempstead And London And North Western Junction Railway
All photographs of this railway in date order.
![Clayton Class 17 diesels were not a successful design and all but one were scrapped in the 1970s. The escapee was D8568 which was purchased in 1972 by the Hemelite company for use on the Hemel Hempstead - Harpenden line. The loco is pictured here in August 1976 near the Hemelite factory, still in its original BR green livery. On the right is the rake of trucks used to import power station ash for building block manufacture. D8568 moved on to a different industrial use in 1977 and happily survived long enough to be preserved by enthusiasts [see image 34392].<br><br>[Mark Dufton 07/08/1976]](/images/22000/22649.jpg "Hemel Hempstead")
![Redbourn was the main intermediary station on the line between Hemel Hempstead and Harpenden. It lost its sparse passenger service in 1947, but the track remained in use until 1979 to serve the Hemelite factory at Hemel Hempstead. By 1976, only the platform, and a disused siding plus loading gauge, remained. The platform facing, being composed of high quality brick, was evidently proving attractive to someone. Presumably, they completed the job, because today no trace remains alongside the <I>Nickey Line</I> footpath and cycleway that now occupies the track bed.<br><br>[Mark Dufton 07/08/1976]](/images/22000/22651.jpg "Redbourn")
![A view along the former Harpenden - Hemel Hempstead line on 7th August 1976. The location is Sunnyside, a minor crossing to the east of Beaumont's Halt. The battered fixed signal is protecting the level crossing at the halt. The line remained in use for occasional ash traffic until 1979.<br><br>[Mark Dufton 07/08/1976]](/images/46000/46528.jpg "Sunnyside Crossing")
![The <I>Nickey Line</I> between Hemel Hempstead and Harpenden carried traffic until 1979 when the Hemelite building block factory at the western end switched to road transport to import its raw materials. Shown here are the factory sidings at Cupid Green near Hemel Hempstead a few months before the rail traffic ceased, complete with the company's Ruston loco tucked away in its shed for the Christmas break. Appropriately, the shed is built from <I>Hemelite</I> aggregate blocks.<br><br>[Mark Dufton 26/12/1978]](/images/22000/22652.jpg "Hemel Hempstead")
![Much of the 'Nickey Line' from Harpenden to Hemel Hempstead has a good cycle riding surface. Some parts, however, have rather stiff gradients!<br><br>[Ken Strachan 05/05/2007]](/images/25000/25991.jpg "Redbourn")
