On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 19:04:43 +0100, Tom Anderson
wrote:

On Thu, 3 Apr 2008, Charles Ellson wrote:

On Wed, 2 Apr 2008 15:49:39 -0700 (PDT), Mr Thant
wrote:

On 2 Apr, 23:30, Tom Anderson wrote:
And heading north. I saw a mention of a branch that was built to the
Croxley printworks - is this it? Seems a bit mad that this railway built
two separate branches that went to almost the same place. No wonder they
went bust.

The London Railway Atlas* says the branch to the north goes to
"Croxley Mill", very near Croxley Green station.

(* You really should buy a copy)

The two branches (Rickmansworth and Croxley Green) were built by
different companies at different times. Rickmansworth was first in the
1860s by a local company and Croxley Green later by the LNWR using
part of the route to Rickmansworth

But after the LNWR had bought the local company, no?

Eventually. It was one of several lines (real and theoretical) which
would have eventually provided a by-pass route toward the Great
Western which might or might not have been dropped by the time the
LNWR took over. The line originally had two full-length through
platforms (or a platform? the 1898 OS map suggests one but ISTR a
track diagram showing two) at Watford Junction, the southern end(s) of
which have became DC line platforms.

(later re-used again for the DC line from Watford Junction to Watford
High Street and Croxley depot). If I'm remembering the location of
Croxley Mills correctly then it was effectively just a siding built off
an existing railway.

Yes, that's about right.

tom