N2 1744 To Epping Ongar

It was my cache, got timetable now. Enough to plan with!

 

So from looking at that plus the booking page, I'm figuring it out as Met 1 and Tube-ish stock basically alternating with another set (N2 & small Prairie...?) on NW-Ong trips, and D7523 (+ EMU?) shuttling to Coopersale and back in gaps but not yet on timetable. That'll do nicely. And assuming the Met tank runs around at each end except for when it goes through to Coopersale?

 

When i emailed i was told the Hall & 4141 would be running. Not sure what 5 locomotives will do on that timetable though!?

 

The hall stays in light steam as a standby engine in the bay platform at North Weald. 4141 is running, but in its new guise as '6141.'

 

not my video, but here's today at EOR..


Both Met No1 and the GNR livered N2 look very at home on the EORs line with the Varnished Metropolitan stock..(with that subtle London suburb look the line has)

Paying my own visit tomorrow to the EOR's first gala.. so nice to have a steam line 30 mins from central london !

 

Paid a visit to the EOR yesterday, my second visit. It was nice to see it busy, last time our party were the only people on a "Hall" hauled train!

The sooner they get a station at Epping the better, the buses are lovely but a rail connection would be so much quicker. Coming from SW London it took two and a half hours to get to North Weald station!

The trains were very busy, we struggled to get a seat on the first departure. It was great to see authentic coaching stock shipped in for the occasion, it really made things feel special. I was surprised that they had five engines in steam but still turned a diesel out on the Coopersale shuttle; if you've got an airbraked steam loco on site why not use it on the air-braked EMU being run on this section?! The Coopersale section is the most interesting scenically, passing through ancient forest and with a couple of great 'glimpse' landscape views. I thought the railway rather downplayed this section, which is a pity. They should try marketing themselves as the Epping Forest Railway, it sounds more atmospheric than 'Epping Ongar', and probably more folk have heard of Epping Forest than Ongar.

I really hope the railway made enough to cover the haulage costs of staging the event, bringing three locos and four carriages to Essex won't have been cheap! I got the impression the whole railway was underwritten by the wealthy guy that owns Blake Hall Station, and hope they've got a plan B up their sleeve for if that cash runs out -wouldn't want to see another Weardale situation.

 

Had a great day today, will turn up some pictures later.

Gosh this was a busy place, the trains were rammed.. The 1pm nonstop from Ongar to The outskirts of Epping was jammed full.. On its way to Ongar even before the nonstop.

Loco changes at each end of the line, 3 train service everything attached to the Met coaches just looks great...N2, 4141 (as 6141), 5521 as LUL150 and Met1. 4953 was in steam all day but not used, approx 12 RT, RM buses on hand, tbh this was something in itself.

The EOR has a very unique feel unlike any other line, with some working LU signalling, inc fog repeaters! As well as a nice abundance of semaphores. In one year EOR has come a great distance further than a great many other lines have in decades... I noticed some of the sidings still have lul 3rd rail.. How many other lines have this ?

I understand the plan is to get into Epping LUL if possible, I hope they find some space for the vintage bus service, as that's a pretty good attraction in itself.

 

A nice touch, glad they kept some of the juice rails. Back in the LUL days when I was a commuter on the branch there were no sidings at all, just a single line from Epping to Ongar worked by a 4-car unit of 1962-stock. I (genuinely) once had a dream of a loop and sidings at Ongar station filled with steam locos and interesting rolling stock. Probably the only dream I've had that has come true in every detail!

 

I'd certainly agree that the Coopersale section was more interesting. I think the North Weald - Ongar section could benefit from a little more vegetation clearance as the views were obscured in places, and given that the line is relatively short and with a lot of cuttings they really need to maximise the scenic potential wherever they can. (This is intended as a constructive criticism rather than a belittling of the efforts of the EOR volunteers, who have undoubtedly achieved a great deal.) The line-up of rolling stock was excellent - bringing in visiting coaches as well as engines made the event ten times more interesting, IMHO. It's a lesson many larger railways could learn from.

 

I went today. My first visit to the line. Very pleasant indeed and completely agree about the visiting stock making a big difference. Dare I say it was even nice to see a prairie in Met livery even if not prototypical. I will definitely go back. One comment is that I would have killed for a real coffee (drip filter would be fine) and a hot bacon sandwich. The food was very limited (although very reasonably priced). I loved going on an RT and an RF bus also. Good work ladies and gentlemen

 

All, Many thanks for all your comments. We have come a long way in a year and are still moving forward. The vegetation was knocked back a fair bit over the last couple of months but as most other railways have, getting people to come and cut trees isn't easy and its the forth bridge syndrome. The plan is how ever that we are going to get on top of it all and start to knock it all back to the fence and like you say show off the great scenery that we have. (cant quite take as much down in the forest other wise it would have to be classed as Epping woods).

The reason we didn't run 5521 on the CIG is because they had a few problems with the air pump at Felixstowe and were busy with other things at the flour mill. But watch the EOR website because it is something I have up my sleeve.

We are working closely with LT and trying our best to get back to Epping. This will be a great achievement in itself and will be one that will really make the railway grow.

I hope all who came to the gala enjoyed it as much as I did driving and organising it. How ever don't forget were doing it all again next weekend.

Dave

 

I noticed 5521 was missing an air pipe on the front. I don't think the air pump was working on the Amersham shuttles either (though the 20 was probably providing the air).

 

Now that would be exciting!

 

EOR is without doubt a very interesting and unique feel of a line, already well developed infrastructure and a very good selling point with the bus service included, it is already a very good tourist line, that is only missing the Epping connection.
It does very well to maintain the GE feel by keeping cars out of North Weald station entrance, saving it for the vintage buses.

the only motive I would question about going into Epping was someone at EOR suggested running a weekday commuter service to Epping from Ongar.
If BR and LU couldn't make it work, why could anyone else ?, especially if not in the travelcard zone.

Added to that Epping has a commuter attraction that none of the EOR stations has... A fast road to it and a big car park.

 

I seem to recall the owner of EOR telling the local press a few years ago he didn't think a commuter service would be viable, so I doubt this is a major factor in the thinking behind a link up at Epping. However both EOR and LUL would benefit from tourist traffic coming via the Central Line.

Nice to see, from recent photos, the newly rebuilt platform at Blake Hall!

 

Many thanks for your positive comments. The link into Epping would be for us to deliver a great heritage railway close to London with easy access more so than a commuter service. If it turned viable to run a commuter service then who knows. But its not the sole reason.

 

One wonders whether the new housing being built at Ongar might provide a greater number of prospective passengers? It certainly seems silly to reduce the transport provision for an area while increasing its population. Furthermore, during my visit to the railway I overheard a local who used to use the line in LT days complaining about how difficult it is to get a parking space at Epping on a weekday morning.

On the other hand, though, they may find, as Weardale did, that it is difficult to compete with cars when your trains are limited to 25mph. And having to change at Epping would be slightly inconvenient.

 

Martin

Thanks for a wonderful photo event down at Ongar. As you say tidying up Ongar will make it a more attractive place for the locals as well as the visitors. Sadly the 2 Finnish engines are going to be scrapped due to no one stepping forward to take them off our hands. (advertised in the mags and on the internet).

As for the vegetation we are hitting that with great guns soon. believe it or not it was 10 times worse 2 months ago.

Ongar is getting very much bigger and North Weald too so a chance to provide a service for locals is something in our mind. Space at Epping station for parking is impossible and buses are very few.

Anyway its our last couple of days for our Gala today and tomorrow and the weather is set. So if you haven't come down then please do so and support us in getting that little bit closer to London.