Epping Ongar Railway
Encyclopedia
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
along the final section of the old Great Eastern Railway
Great Eastern Railway
The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...
and London Underground Central Line
Central Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
branch line between Epping
Epping
Epping is a small market town and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of the County of Essex, England. It is located north-east of Loughton, south of Harlow and north-west of Brentwood....
and Ongar, with an intermediate station at North Weald
North Weald tube station
North Weald tube station is a former London Underground station in Essex, England. Located between Epping and Blake Hall stations on the Central line the station is part of the Epping Ongar Railway...
. The line was reopened in late 2004 after 10 years of closure (operating a Sunday and Bank Holiday service using a Class 117
British Rail Class 117
The British Rail Class 117 diesel multiple units were built by Pressed Steel from 1959 to 1961.When first introduced, these three-car units were all based with the similar Class 121 single carriage units on British Railway's Western Region for suburban work out of London Paddington, as well as...
diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
), running between Ongar and Coopersale. The service is provided by volunteers who maintain the line as well as run the trains. The land and infrastructure is owned by a separate company, Epping Ongar Railway Ltd.
Early workings
The connection to OngarChipping Ongar
Chipping Ongar is a small market town, and a civil parish called Ongar, in the Epping Forest district of the county of Essex, England. It is located East of Epping, South-East of Harlow and North-West of Brentwood.-Geography:...
was made in 1865 by the Eastern Counties
Eastern Counties Railway
The Eastern Counties Railway was an early English railway company incorporated in 1836. It was intended to link London with Ipswich via Colchester, and then on to Norwich and Yarmouth. Construction began in late March 1837 on the first nine miles, at the London end of the line.Construction was...
/Great Eastern Railway
Great Eastern Railway
The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...
. The eastern section of the line, between Epping and Ongar, was always single track, with just one passing loop
Passing loop
A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it...
at North Weald station, and approximately 14 trains each day went as far as the rural station, with the rest terminating at Epping
Epping
Epping is a small market town and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of the County of Essex, England. It is located north-east of Loughton, south of Harlow and north-west of Brentwood....
or Loughton
Loughton
Loughton is a town and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of Essex. It is located between 11 and 13 miles north east of Charing Cross in London, south of the M25 and west of the M11 motorway and has boundaries with Chingford, Waltham Abbey, Theydon Bois, Chigwell and Buckhurst Hill...
.
This remained the case until 1949, when the London Transport Passenger Board's New Works scheme extended the Central Line to Epping using electric trains (taking over the railway from British Rail). The Epping-Ongar branch lost its through trains to London, and a shuttle service between Epping (to connect with trains to London) and Ongar was implemented; for a short time, one could see the unusual sight of steam trains and London Underground electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s side-by-side at Epping. The steam shuttle was hired by the London Transport Executive from British Rail, as it was felt there wasn't justification for electrification as far as Ongar unless patronage of the branch rose.
The 1950s saw attempts to improve the service on the branch, and eventually the line was given light electrification in 1957. The low-cost nature of the electrification meant that the branch could only support special two- or three-car trains—the power supply was simply not strong enough to support full-size trains, and the short platforms on the branch line would not have been long enough to support eight-car trains. Hence, the Epping to Ongar branch was normally operated as an isolated branch of the Central Line. However, for two days every year, through trains were run from London, terminating at North Weald
North Weald tube station
North Weald tube station is a former London Underground station in Essex, England. Located between Epping and Blake Hall stations on the Central line the station is part of the Epping Ongar Railway...
. These trains served the North Weald airshow
Airshow
An air show is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators in aerobatics. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called "static air shows"....
on the Saturday and Sunday of its opening at the aerodrome almost adjacent to the station. The normal Epping to Ongar shuttle dovetailed with this service passing the terminating train on the adjacent line during its southbound journey. The through train was operated as an extra train on the normal Central Line timetable but was only four cars long.
Cutbacks and closure
Green belt
A green belt or greenbelt is a policy and land use designation used in land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighbouring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges which have a linear character and may run through an...
). Even at its peak in 1971, its daily 650 passengers hardly made the line an economic proposition. London Underground tried to close the entire line in 1980; instead, a reduced service was implemented, along with Blake Hall tube station
Blake Hall tube station
Blake Hall station is a disused station in Essex, formerly on the Central Line of the London Underground between North Weald and Ongar. It was named after Blake Hall, a country house located a mile or so to the north east of the station in the village of Bobbingworth, and inhabited by a family of...
being closed on Sundays.
Blake Hall was permanently shut in 1981; it is said that the station, before closure, handled six customers a day. The station building still survives, sans platform, as a private dwelling.
North Weald station's platform one was closed in 1976, then the passing loop/westbound tracks were lifted in 1978. Until this time, access to the two platforms was controlled from the original Eastern Counties Railway signal box still sited on the southbound platform to this day. Until this occurred, North Weald was the last section of the London Underground network to be signalled using mechanical semaphore signals.
On September 30, 1994, the line, which was making a loss of seven pounds for each passenger journey and was in need of some expensive maintenance work, was finally closed to the public, the Central Line
Central Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
terminating at Epping Station. At the time of its closure, it was carrying a mere 80 passengers a day; local lore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
had it that the line was being kept open in case the Cabinet needed to be evacuated to the nuclear bunker at Doddinghurst. However, the track was left intact along with the stations (albeit in an unmaintained state).
The train that ran the final London Underground service on the line, a three-car unit of 1960 stock
London Underground 1960 Stock
The London Underground 1960 Stock was a small, prototype class of electric multiple unit designed for the London Underground Central Line. Twelve motor cars were supplied by Cravens, and pairs were made up to four cars by the addition of two converted standard stock trailers...
, has been preserved by Cravens Heritage Trains.
Purchase and reopening
The line was purchased by Pilot Developments (later Epping Ongar Railway Ltd.) in 1998. The Ongar Railway Preservation Society entered a £325,000 offer for the line, but Pilot Developments convinced London Underground to accept their slightly higher offer after the bidding deadline. Independent politician Martin BellMartin Bell
Martin Bell, OBE, is a British UNICEF Ambassador, a former broadcast war reporter and former independent politician...
described the deal as "the most controversial land deal in the constituency for years", alleging a conflict of interest with local politicians. The line, under the running group (Epping Ongar Railway Volunteer Society), reopened on Sunday 10 October 2004, providing an hourly service between Ongar and North Weald. The line was shortly after extended to Coopersale, although no alighting facilities as yet exist here.
On Sunday 9 October 2005 the line celebrated its 1 year running anniversary, with a large number of people visiting on the day.
In early 2006 between 22 January and 9 April the line was shut down for engineering works. This involved general station maintenance, rolling stock maintenance and track maintenance. Ongar station remained closed for engineering works and general maintenance and reopened on Sunday 28 May 2006 to passengers, although initially without the use of the station buildings.
The Easter weekend of 2007 saw the Railway's largest number of visitors on a single day since reopening, on both the Sunday and Monday. The Teddy Bears' Picnic, Anniversary of Reopening and Halloween events are also very popular.
At the end of 2007, as a result of the awarding of planning permission for the Ongar residential development (see below), the railway was sold to a new private owner who is committed to bring steam back to the line.
Further Developments
A change in ownership occurred in 2008. It was decided to cease running trains and to concentrate on improving the track, the line was closed to passenger trains in order to undertake the major engineering works in order to facilitate the return of steam to the line, such as run-round loops, signalling, along with coal and water facilities. Both Ongar and North Weald Stations have seen changes:Ongar
The previous Good Yards area (wasteland for many years) has been purchased by David Wilson Homes who have now built a small collection of houses. The Cattle Dock still remains, as does the main station building which has been repainted in GER colours (1900–1930s). On reopening Ongar will be the only operational GER station in GER colours.The milk dock is being restored into a bay platform, and just to the north of the old cattle dock will become Platform 1 and will host much improved refreshment and shop facilities in newly restored static coaches.
North Weald
North Weald is being repainted in LNER / BR (E) (1940s–1960s) colours.The track height is being corrected for UK standard stock and is being re-laid through the loop as well as into the bay platform making 3 operational platforms at North Weald, which can all be used thanks to the signalling, allowing bi-directional working (trains can arrive / depart from any platform in either direction), as well access to improved siding facilities and enable safer shunting at both locations.
Heritage railway operations
During 2006-07 the line ran an hourly service on Sundays and Bank Holidays, beginning on the hour every hour at OngarOngar tube station
Ongar tube station is a former London Underground station in the town of Chipping Ongar, Essex. Until its closure in 1994, it was the easternmost point of the Central line, and from 1961 until closure, it held the distinction of being the London Underground station farthest from Central...
, arriving at North Weald at 13 minutes past the hour before departing for Coopersale, and returning to North Weald
North Weald tube station
North Weald tube station is a former London Underground station in Essex, England. Located between Epping and Blake Hall stations on the Central line the station is part of the Epping Ongar Railway...
for pick up and set down at 33 minutes past the hour, subsequently leaving for Ongar. The first train left Ongar
Ongar tube station
Ongar tube station is a former London Underground station in the town of Chipping Ongar, Essex. Until its closure in 1994, it was the easternmost point of the Central line, and from 1961 until closure, it held the distinction of being the London Underground station farthest from Central...
at 11:00, with the last returning at 15:50 (16:50 between April and September).
DMU
British Rail Class 117
The British Rail Class 117 diesel multiple units were built by Pressed Steel from 1959 to 1961.When first introduced, these three-car units were all based with the similar Class 121 single carriage units on British Railway's Western Region for suburban work out of London Paddington, as well as...
. These were built as part of an order for 127 of this type of vehicle and they were delivered new in 1959 to West London and first based at Southall depot working services between Paddington and the suburbs. They continued to be based in the London area until final withdrawal in the 1990s.
The fleet includes:
- Driving Motor Standard (DMS) Number 51384 and
- Driving Motor Brake Standard (DMBS) Number 51342
As both are "motors", it means each coach has two Leyland diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s underneath, which mechanically drive the wheels through a fluid flywheel. The driver's cab at each end of the unit means it can be driven from either end, without needing a turntable or run-round loop, making it ideal when running to Coopersale, and speeding up turn-around times. The windows in the ends, also mean passengers in the leading coach get an excellent view of the line ahead and also get to watch the driver in action.
DEMU
The railway has one 2-car DEMU, a 1957 "Hampshire" Class 205 unitBritish Rail Class 205
The British Rail Class 205 diesel-electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh from 1957–1962. They were replaced by Turbostar units.-Description:This class of unit were built in four different batches for use on different lines....
, commonly known as a "Thumper". These diesel-electric multiple units (DEMU) were once common on many commuter lines and nicknamed "Thumpers" due to the characteristic noise they produce. "Thumper" 205205 has been brought back to the South East from its former home on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is a heritage railway in North Yorkshire, England. First opened in 1836 as the Whitby and Pickering Railway, the railway was planned in 1831 by George Stephenson as a means of opening up trade routes inland from the then important seaport of Whitby. The line...
, so it can be restored and once again carry passengers.
"Thumper" 205205 is the only unit with a corridor connection being experimentally converted and 'modernised'. Because of this it was saved for preservation, and over the coming months the volunteer team at EOR will be restoring the unit, complete with its "commuter" style interior. This both ensures the preservation of this period of transport history, and is attractive to film and TV companies who require a "modern" train.
EMU
Epping Ongar Railway has an affinity with electric multiple unitElectric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
(EMU) preservation, as the branch was run with LT's electric stock
London Underground rolling stock
The history of the London Underground's rolling stock is as complex as the history of the network itself. A wide variety of types have been operated, from the early days of steam locomotives and carriages through to today's electric multiple units...
from 1957 until 1994. There was even originally talk of the line being electrified by the LNER with overhead electrification before the Second World War intervened. Many local lines were electrified quite early on, for example to Shenfield and Southend, and the next generations of EMUs continue to work services on the lines into Liverpool Street.
While the 3rd & 4th conductor rails have been taken up many years ago, the line is proud to still host electric style units, even though without the electrification, these now need to be hauled by a diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
. Due to the costs, safety issues and legislation, there are no plans to re-electrify the branch.
3CIG unit No 1498
This unit (latterly British Rail Class 421
British Rail Class 421
The British Rail Class 421 electrical multiple units were built at BR York Works between 1964 and 1972. Units were built in two batches, and were initially introduced on services on the Brighton Main Line. Later units were introduced on services to Portsmouth. These units replaced older Southern...
) is one of the "Phase 2" units, which entered service in the 1960s. It was previously numbered 1888, 1223, then 7423. The unit was originally a 4 coach electric unit, and entered BR service in the corporate blue and grey livery.
The unit became famous as one of the last "slam door" EMUs in mainline service, seeing out its final days on the Lymington Branch Line
Lymington Branch Line
The Lymington Branch Line is a railway that runs from Brockenhurst to Lymington Pier, both in the New Forest. The railway line is around long, and is single track throughout its length. It diverges from the South Western Main Line at Lymington Junction; and, at Lymington Pier, trains connect with...
, gaining the nick-name of "Lymmy Slammers".
In Summer 2009 South West Trains announced plans to replace the heritage EMUs with more modern units. This change took place on the 23 May 2010, with the final 3CIG service departing from Lymington Pier on the 22 May 2010 at 22:14 and arriving at Brockenhurst at 22:24.
Diesel locomotives
D7523Class 25
British Rail Class 25
The British Rail Class 25 diesel locomotives were also known as Sulzer Type 2 and nicknamed Rats, as it was alleged they could be seen everywhere in Britain, and hence were "as common as rats"...
number D7523 was built by British Railways at Darlington in 1965 and started its career at Toton TMD
Toton TMD
Toton Traction Maintenance Depot is one of the largest rail depots in the United Kingdom. Toton TMD is bordered by Long Eaton and Sandiacre in Derbyshire and Toton in Nottinghamshire...
before moving around various London Midland Region
London Midland Region of British Railways
The London Midland Region was one of the six regions created on the formation of the nationalised British Railways and consisted of ex-London, Midland and Scottish Railway lines in England and Wales. The region was managed first from buildings adjacent to Euston Station and later from Stanier...
sheds such as Willesden
Willesden TMD
Willesden TMD is a railway locomotive Traction Maintenance Depot situated in Willesden, north London. The depot is visible from the West Coast Main Line, to the south-east of Willesden Junction, on the way into London's Euston Station...
, Longsight, and Crewe
Crewe Diesel TMD
Crewe Diesel Traction Maintenance Depot or Crewe Diesel TMD was a diesel-electric locomotive Traction Maintenance Depot situated to the south of and visible from Crewe railway station. The depot is owned by EWS. The depot code is CD...
. It was renumbered to 25173 in 1974. It has previously been based at the Crewe Heritage Centre and on the West Somerset Railway
West Somerset Railway
The West Somerset Railway is a railway line that originally linked and in Somerset, England.It opened in 1862 and was extended from Watchet to by the Minehead Railway in 1874. Although just a single track, improvements were needed in the first half of the twentieth century to accommodate the...
but arrived at the railway on 7 September 2011 and will be used for engineering and ballast trains and for maintenance and testing of vacuum braked coaches.
31438
Class 31
British Rail Class 31
The British Rail Class 31 diesel locomotives, also known as the Brush Type 2 and originally as Class 30, were built by Brush Traction from 1957-62.- Description :...
number 31438 arrived on the Mid-Norfolk Railway
Mid-Norfolk Railway
The Mid-Norfolk Railway or MNR is a heritage railway in the English county of Norfolk. Opening as a tourist line in 1997, it is often referred to as a "New Generation" heritage railway....
on 24 November 2001, being delivered by road from Carlisle. On arrival at Dereham the original fault book from fellow resident 31235 was found inside it - both engines having been stored together at Upperby shed. The locomotive is one of a number of engines fitted with Electric Train Heating. It was delivered new to Ipswich shed as D5557, being transferred to Norwich between 1961 and 1965. The locomotive previously carried a unique livery of Brunswick Green with BR arrow symbols on all four cabsides and the numbers behind the doors. Listed as being for sale in late August 2011, and sold to the Epping Ongar Railway by September, leaving the MNR after their Autumn Gala.
37029
Class 37
British Rail Class 37
The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
number 37029, or as it is currently D6729, is resident on Epping Ongar. Following its recent withdrawal from mainline freight workings, it has been restored and repainted into the original 1950-1960s livery it carried when it was based at nearby Stratford shed (30A). The locomotive is popular with many as it has its original bodywork, complete with "split headcode" nose, and is one of only a few in the whole country.
03170
Class 03 shunter
British Rail Class 03
The British Rail Class 03 locomotive is, together with Class 04, one of BR's most successful smaller 0-6-0 diesel-mechanical shunters. The class, numbering 230 examples, was built by British Railways' Swindon and Doncaster works in 1957-1962 and numbered D2000-D2199 and D2370-D2399...
number 03170 was delivered new to British Railways as D2170 in late 1960. It was withdrawn in 1989. This is a class of locomotive that has a long history of working in East Anglia, members of the class being allocated to Stratford, Colchester, Ipswich and Norwich depots up until the late 1980s. This locomotive has dual (air and vacuum) braking systems. Its claim to fame is that it was the last 03 converted and overhauled at Swindon works before they closed.
Ruston Shunters
There are three Ruston
Ruston (engine builder)
Ruston & Hornsby, later known as Ruston, was an industrial equipment manufacturer in Lincoln, England, the company's history going back to 1840. The company is best known as a manufacturer of narrow and standard gauge diesel locomotives and also of steam shovels. Other products included cars, steam...
88s on the line which perform engineering duties.
RH 512572 of 1965 has been restored to working order, repainted and returned to traffic, after being restored by a team of volunteers.
This loco was built at Vulcan Works, Lincoln in 1965. It is the smallest of the railway's locomotives, with 88hp from a 4 cylinder diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
, complete with an air operated starter. It has its own unique charm, and is a timely reminder of the small shunting engines which used to toil away in rail-connected yards around East Anglia and the London Dockside areas. This particular engine was previously used in a BR track maintenance department in the Midlands, but has been restored to carry the early BR identity of 2957, which was a sister Ruston shunting engine based at nearby Stratford works.
RH 398616 of 1956 is out of service and used for spares to keep RH 512572 in service.
Ruston "Number 95" was a donation from Docklands Light Railway
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
. This Ruston is slightly different from the other two, with square buffers and air brakes. While stored, water falling down the exhaust pipe filled up the cylinders, which are consequently rust-pitted and require replacement. This unit is beyond economical repair.
Steam locomotives
Isabel is a 0-6-00-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
ST by Hawthorn Leslie (works number 3437/1919). Although historically these locomotives were mostly used for industrial purposes, Isabel is an extremely powerful engine, entirely suitable for the steep gradients on the EOR and quite capable of hauling 2-3 coach trains on low season days. The locomotive also has an enlarged cab, and so is ideal for both training crews and for undertaking “driver experience” courses. The locomotive is currently (November 2011) visiting the Colne Valley Railway
Colne Valley Railway
The Colne Valley Railway is a heritage railway based at Castle Hedingham Station, near Halstead in Essex, England. The railway consists of a mile-long running line, with a fully reconstructed station, signal box and railway yard...
line at Castle Hedingham Essex.
Wagons
- 'Vanwide' B783563 built by BR Wolverhampton 1962
- British Railways Standard Goods Brake Van B955096 Built Ashford 1962
Once a common sight at the end of every freight train across the network, this van ended its life being used by London Transport to act as guards van when transferring its Heritage fleet around the Underground network. On loan to us from the London Transport Museum, and having been recently restored into its original BR (unfitted) light grey livery, complete with many original fittings.
- British Railways VDA, "Ferry Van" 200780, Built Ashford 1976
These wagons were designed for the faster freight trains as BR tried to update its rolling stock. The design was introduced in 1975 and they had a number of uses and liveries, being very useful with both sliding and opening doors, enabling direct access to all parts of the vehicle. This van was used by the army, and still carries the identity "WGB 4311".
- GWR 'Macaw B' 60ft Flatbed Wagon
Built for the Great Western Railway and designed to carry rails for the track engineers, a purpose for which it is still very useful.
- 'Rectank' B909074, Built Swindon 1960
Built for carrying Army Tanks (hence the telegraphic name) and latterly used by the engineers departments for carrying heavy plant and equipment. This vehicle is very useful with its 38.5t capacity, and a team has recently completely restored the vehicle, repainting the frames and replacing all the wooden decking, finished off with its lettering.
- 'Shark' Ballast Plough & Brake Van BXXXXX of 1959
Used to spread track ballast after it has been laid as well as a guards brake van on engineers trains. The Shark is currently undergoing restoration, having had a new roof covering applied. During the time without proper covering, the rain penetrated into some of the timbers which are currently being replaced prior to the vehicle being repainted into an authentic BR colour.
- 'Dogfish' 20T ballast hopper
With doors able to spread ballast to all parts of the track (either side and down the middle) this is a very useful ballast carrying vehicle.
- Plasser Ballast Hopper - "Twin Bin 100"
Donated to us by the Docklands Light Railway this is a more modern (and perhaps unique) version of the 'Dogfish'. Rebuilt from ballast hopper of regulator 77307 c. 1995 (and possibly hopper from 77334 too?)
- Taylor & Hubbard RCE Light Duty Diesel Mechanical Crane 81027
Used for light engineering works and currently in BR yellow livery, this crane has its runner and match trucks.
Engineering and Permanent way stock
- Plasser & Theurer 07-16 Universal Tamper-Liner (previously 73241)
Used for track maintenance removing dips in the track and minor alignment movements to ensure a smooth ride.
- Permaquid PM002 Maintenance Unit - 'Badger'
Built to help with the movement of point motors Badger is now used on minor track inspection and renewals duties. Its low flat-bed making it ideal for carrying materials (such as sleepers, fishplates and tools), and taking these to the various work sites to allow our teams to keep our track in good condition.
- Bance Alumi Cart Mark 2 two seater Nicknamed 'Mouse'
Acquired from Bance in 1995 by BRIS and based at Yeovil. Later owned by AMEC Rail, then Balfour Beatty Rail Plant. Disposed of from Eastleigh OTP Depot late 2004. This small inspection cart and trailer is used for track inspections. Heavily modified by our engineering team to make it more useful on our line. This has included a very novel modification to allow it to be "turned" round by a single person - have a look at EOR TV for the video.
Future plans
- Ongar: It is intended to restore the station, rebuild the trackwork, install a signal box and have full signalling. This will enable an increased service frequency, and is a key step towards towards reintroducing steam trains on the line.
- Epping Glade: It is intended to extend trains to Epping, with the current plans having the train terminating at a new station near to the present London Underground Epping tube stationEpping tube stationEpping on the London Underground is the north-eastern terminus of the Central Line. The station before Epping is Theydon Bois, which is about three minutes travelling time away. Epping station is in the Epping Forest District of Essex...
, called Epping Glade. This will require significant investment and will be tackled once the line has re-opened with steam services. - Coopersale Halt: The possibility of building a halt at Coopersale village where the train presently stops is under consideration, subject to investment and a possible consultation with residents.
- North Weald: It is intended to restore the station and signal box, rebuild the passing loop here and add full signalling with both semaphore and colour light signals. This will enable an increased service frequency, and is a key step towards towards reintroducing steam trains on the line.
- Steam: Steam reintroduction is an objective for the railway, necessitating run round loops and servicing facilities. Tank locomotives will likely be used for the majority of services, though platforms at Ongar and North Weald have been improved to enable longer trains to be operated. Guest locomotives, both steam and diesel may appear from time to time.
See also
- London Underground Central LineCentral LineThe Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
- Epping Underground stationEpping tube stationEpping on the London Underground is the north-eastern terminus of the Central Line. The station before Epping is Theydon Bois, which is about three minutes travelling time away. Epping station is in the Epping Forest District of Essex...
- North Weald Underground stationNorth Weald tube stationNorth Weald tube station is a former London Underground station in Essex, England. Located between Epping and Blake Hall stations on the Central line the station is part of the Epping Ongar Railway...
- Blake Hall Underground stationBlake Hall tube stationBlake Hall station is a disused station in Essex, formerly on the Central Line of the London Underground between North Weald and Ongar. It was named after Blake Hall, a country house located a mile or so to the north east of the station in the village of Bobbingworth, and inhabited by a family of...
- Ongar Underground stationOngar tube stationOngar tube station is a former London Underground station in the town of Chipping Ongar, Essex. Until its closure in 1994, it was the easternmost point of the Central line, and from 1961 until closure, it held the distinction of being the London Underground station farthest from Central...
External links
- Epping Ongar Railway official website
- Epping Ongar Railways Official Youtube Channel EORtv1
- Epping and Ongar Railway History - An unofficial site by one of the members of the Volunteer Society on the railway's history.
- London's Abandoned Tube Stations - Photographs of the Epping-Ongar line between 1977 and 1981
- The Tube map in 1990, in which the EOR was still present
