What's Happening at Epping-Ongar?

As some of you may be aware, the Epping-Ongar branch has not run passenger trains for a while now. The branch is undergoing something of a transformation following the departure of the former owners (Pilot Developments), as major infrastructure improvements are being undertaken and completed, and I thought the forum might like to hear more as to what has been achieved....

At Ongar:
• The Grade II listed building at Ongar is being restored into authentic GER colours and its original room layouts. This has involved the demolition of 3x LU 1980 internal rooms, opening up original doorways, blocking up later doorways and replastering many rooms.
• Removal of all LU’s many electrical surface conduits and complete re-wire of station to modern standards, all wire re-run via roof space and all new period “gas” light fittings, using original gas light ceiling roses.
• New telephone system and exchange well on its way to being completed.
• Station Frontage, Booking Hall, Ticket office, Parcel’s Office (to be museum and display area), General Waiting Room and Station Master’s Office all now restored. Ladies Waiting Room and Meeting / Training Room plastered and currently being prepared for decoration and new flooring.
• GER fireplace procured, restored and currently being re-fitted in the Booking Hall, opposite original ticket window with “gas style” uplighters on each side.
• On the signalling side, former Spelbrook signalbox on lifting cradle, ready to be lifted in to place once foundations have been dug and poured. Relay room being prepared for relay frame (already restored and waiting to be put together), new signalling system designed, and many location cases already wired up. Signal structures for Outer & Inner Down Homes and Advanced Up Starter already restored, ready to be erected. The inclusion of a outer down home signal will allow shunting in station while there is a train in section, plus signalled routes into Main platform and Bay Platform (former Milk Dock). Signal system will also include a King Lever to help facilitate a lower staffing requirement when DMU / DEMU (low season) operation.
• Existing covered engine shed facility: New lights added throughout to enable prepping of traction in all weathers and times of day. Pit fitted with lights and plugs. New workshop facility added.
• Original 1891 Porter’s Room and Footwarmer Hut completely restored, roof partly re-built. Inside re-plastered and restored to original condition, to act as new Staff Room, complete with butler sink and those all important tea making facilities!
• Finnish 5ft steam engines removed from their previous location on the run-round loop, some being re-housed.
• Completely new throat being laid (4ft8.5 inch throughout of course!), all component parts secured, awaiting lifting gear to be moved following imminent completion of North Weald (see below).
• Double slip being installed giving access into Platform 2 (Milk Dock) and Platform 1 (Cattle Dock), with headshunt for “shunt & release” operation from both platforms, in addition to the original platform (Plat 3) with its run-round. Both Platform 1 & 2 have new drainage and modified platform walls to HMRI standards.
• New platform lighting to be provided in GER period style using cast iron lamp posts

Rolling Stock
• Teams working on carriage restoration, including repainting 117 DMU into proper colours (BR Green), and getting the seats re-upholstered, with replacement lino (of correct original colour and pattern).
• Thumper (205205) – new fan clutch fitted and run-up for over 3 hours with no issues. No evidence of any tyres slipping from its delivery to NYMR, just scorch. Now oil pump self-primes, interior deep cleaned and apart from a handful of seat covers, ready for use. Fault identified with air brake being fixed and then just fitness to run exams before it can be test-run. Exterior currently being sanded down ready for repainting into BR Blue before re-entering traffic.
• 5t crane serviced, and jib currently being repainted. Ex DLR Ballast Hopper “twin bin” engine serviced to enable hydraulics to work.
• Tamper-liner (73xxx) purchased, in working order, and will be used to correct alignment faults and dipped joints.
• Steam engine 0-6-0st purchased (Isabel) and in working order, in ticket.
• Additional vac braked Mk1 & 2a coaches purchased, along with BCK, to make 5 coach set. A number of these coaches just need final few items attending to before entering traffic. The size of set will be varied depending on if using our loco or one hired in. Additional coaches have been purchased to make a 3 coach air braked set, with us looking at a “heritage branch set” in the future (watch this space!).

Meanwhile, at North Weald (the half way point, 5.8km from Ongar):
• At the east end of the site, two new sidings on former (1900’s siding), forming 2x 5 coach sidings are now completed.
• Main to loop point (NW13) laid and line extended to foot crossing, track laying paused while team works on Up platform and new footbridge.
• Concrete footbridge condemned (due to section loss from reinforcing bar rusting and blowing concrete), and demolished. ORPS donated an original GER latticework footbridge from South Woodford , which has been sand-blasted, and is in process of being installed on the site of the old one.
• Up platform extended, to take loco + 5 coach (6x65ft), with additional circulation space at bottom of footbridge.
• New DDA compliant ramp installed to Up platform (disabled users crossing line using existing footpath crossing) – doesn’t sound much but was no small feat when you look at the geology!
• Cast iron lamp-posts installed down Up platform, asphalt being laid next week. More cast iron period lamp-posts being installed on other platforms to replace the 1980’s sodiums.
• Meanwhile at the other end of the station, a brand new tandem point has been installed to enable access both to Up loop (forming run-round loop) and also into the bay platform (formally goods platform). All ballast removed from Kiln Road bridge, bridge deck restored and new ballast plates installed. This is following all the bridges on the line being examined, given RA8 to RA10 clearance and minor remedial works programs put in place.
• North Weald goods platform re-built to modern standards, to enable shuttle service from North Weald Bay towards Epping. This will be fully signalled, so DMU / Thumper can be accepted into any of the 3 platforms.
• The signalling includes both bi-directional signalling through the main platforms, access into yard headshunt and sidings. The section to Ongar has an outer home signal to enable shunting within station limits and operational (4 aspect searchlight) auto distants. The King Lever is being retained, allowing North Weald box to be switched out when DMU / DEMU operation, or indeed future running towards Epping when passing is not required at North Weald on low season days.
• The 1865 station which oozed the charm of a country station is being restored into LNER / BR (E) colours. Inside many of its original GE features are retained, the Booking Hall has had the 1980’s LU ticket machine strong room demolished, opening up the room which has been replastered, and the original ticket office is currently being restored. The Ladies Waiting room is being brought back in to use, to provide baby changing as well as a separate ladies toilet.
• As with Ongar, North Weald has been completely re-wired, removing all surface conduit and replacing with period fittings. Outside the 1977 single ladies toilet lean-to was unsafe and demolished, this has allowed us to reinstate the original side access to the Down Main platform with a new ramp to DDA requirements, making step-free access to all platforms.
• Original 1888 signalbox restored, with 21 lever Saxby & Farmer frame freed off, rubbed down and restored. New relay rack installed, and relay room now completely wired-up. Location cases for North Weald completed and ready to be lifted into trackside areas.
• Point machines installed and serviced on all points mentioned above, just awaiting to be connected up to location cases.
• Chitt’s Hill level crossing gates (the last traditional manual gates on the Norwich main line), kindly donated by NR, are being re-hung at North Weald, where the original level crossing was (closed 1968). These will be interlocked, but mainly are “for show” or dummy use with filming work.
• Following completion of the asphalt on the Up platform next week the track will be re-laid down the middle of North Weald (connecting up the points already installed). The track was removed along the down main as LU had built it up for step free access to tube stock lowering the level again will facilitate easy access to our coaches for all our visitors.
• Track in the down goods yard is being completed.
• New unloading facility installed to facilitate easy and quick loading / unloading of stock in all weathers, comprising of a concrete pad with tram-way rails, made long enough to enable unloading “both ways”, also enabling us to use a low-loader to “turn” stock in the absence of a turn-table. Additional siding space and loco coaling facility to be included as part of the works at North Weald, which will also assist with materials handling in future (e.g. ballast).

Heritage Services:
As part of re-opening, we will be running restored RT & RM’s on the "339 Route" which runs to Epping Tube station, so visitors can come from London, and for their entry ticket enjoy three experiences; heritage bus, heritage DMU / DEMU and steam or loco hauled diesel, as well as visit the historic Ongar town, and WWII North Weald aerodrome.

I would like to highlight that due to H&S risks and the building works, we are unable to accommodate casual visitors to either station site, and the line is running engineering trains and is not a footpath!

And finally… Epping – well, like any heritage railway, we have to take things one step at a time. This could be a new platform on the north side of the existing station, hopefully close enough to present a viable interchange, but that depends on others. We are focusing on getting the branch smart, welcoming and operational first, before then looking towards Epping, BUT all the present works (layouts and signalling) have been designed with future running to Epping in mind.

Lastly, and very importantly, while some of the parts have needed to be undertaken by experienced contractors, as with all heritage railways, it’s the volunteers who are making it happen, and this posting is a testament to all of them who have been coming down, both the weekend and weekday gangs, and slogging away to get our picturesque 6.5 mile branch ready to run trains again. We will be thanking all those involved by giving them priority in the coming months when we start ops training.
There is lots more on our website, including weekly updates, news, signalling diagrams, rolling stock etc etc.

Simon Hanney,
General Manager, Epping-Ongar Railway
http://www.eorailway.co.uk/

 

Indeed having seen the work Simon and all are undertaking first hand it is indeed a very interesting line to see progress, myself im waiting till i can get down to film the signalling in use as Simon will point out the layout at North Weald will /should be the only authentic preserved LU/GER signalled layout once completed.

If youre down that way volunteer, they need the help from everyone they can to progress quickly with their plans to fruition


see ya soon boss

dom

 

Fantastic progress, cant wait to visit. Perhaps LU/LTM could be persuaded to promote in some way the line and its reopening?

Anyway, good luck!

Chris

 

An excellent progress report and I am certainly looking forward to the reopening of this line. I had one trip there in 2006 and found the visit most enjoyable.

 

This lot must be costing a fortune, and there are no passengers yet. Volunteers must be very dedicated.

Is there any immediate plan for an open day ?

 

Many thanks for the postings, and your kind support.

Dom - good to hear from you, and thanks for your continued help and advice )

We already established good links with LTM (we have been loaned a BR 20t Brake Van from them, the restoration of which we have nearly finished), and hope to extend these links in the future. Both their team and the local education officer have indicated their help with our new museum and educational facility in the Parcel’s Office at Ongar.

Indeed our volunteers are very dedicated, and I are very grateful to them for all their hard work during the extended shut-down. I hope that they will all share the satisfaction and enjoyment seeing the line they have worked so hard on, once again running with steam and diesel locomotives and seeing the enjoyment that the public get from a visit to a heritage railway.
We periodically have Open Days at Ongar, and I am afraid you have just missed one! Who knows, perhaps the next one might be the official launch of the North Weald site, complete with passing loop, extended platforms etc.... keep an eye on our website for details or perhaps become a member of the society http://www.eorailway.co.uk/membership/ (if you are technically minded you can subscribe to our rss feed or You Tube Channel).
Simon Hanney, General Manager, EOR

 

Looks like they're making good progress

How's the new build F5 coming along?

 

The whole branch was previously owned by Pilot up to the end of 2007, during which time the Society ran the 117 DMU (though they were forced by Pilot to paint it those horrible colours!... which I am delighted to report has now been corrected to BR Green).
Following the sale of the branch to a "railway loving individual" (who wishes to stay out of the limelight and I would hope readers will respect this), the decision was made to undertake the improvement works to enable loco hauled trains, as well as improvements to passenger facilities, rolling stock, signalling etc.

I am aware that the F5 project has recently moved from its farm shed to Mangapps Railway Museum (Burnham on Sea), which has the necessary covered space and workshop facilities to enable the project to step up a gear (currently the facilities at EOR are more akin to a "running shed", rather than Sheffield Park's / Herston Works / Loughbo'ro etc!).
We have an excellent relationship with the F5 team, many of which are also volunteers at EOR, and we look forward to the day when we can welcome the F5 to the Branch. Please check out their website: http://holdenf5.co.uk/ where you can find project updates and details on how you can help this very worthy project (especially when you consider how few GER locos there are left, and even fewer in steam!).

Simon Hanney, EOR General Manager

 

Don't go to visit Mangapps at Burnham-on-Sea, you might be disappointed. It's Burnham-on-Crouch you need to go!!

 

Just a quick update, as many of you are probably aware, split-head-code Class 37 D6729 (37029) has recently arrived at EOR. The team are delighted to be re-uniting this former Stratford engine with a 30A plate and using it on the branch.

Work has been continuing on the signals, with many of the signal structures now lifted in at North Weald and work progressing on the various components. Teams are also working hard on the coaches, Thumper and 117 DMU as we get them ready for traffic. http://eorailway.co.uk/departments/diary/

Track laying has commenced at Ongar, with the first elements of the new throat in the process of being laid out today.

In addition, may I draw your attention to our recent news announcement regarding the 3CIG which is destined for the branch - more details on our news pages: http://eorailway.co.uk/news/

 

Is the EOR any closer to being able to announce when trains will run again ? Are we looking at 2011 or 2012 ?

 

hopefully soon,theres a lot of work happened to the line over the past two years,the progress at North Weald certainly shows this, i believe something may be decided for the 2011 season possibly, the best person to ask is Simon -the G.M of the railway,check out their departments diary on their website, certainly the signalling will be well worth a visit.

 

Thanks for your kind comments Kestreleyes, and indeed, we will be open and running just as soon as the track is finished, the coaches and stations smart and signals working - and the more people coming down to help out and "muck in", the sooner that date will be. )

Regards, Simon

 

Thanks Simon - looking good on your webite and through the fence on occasions when I have been in the area. I also think you are wise not to announce an opening date prematurely!

 

Hi Guys
Why not join up with us and help by getting your hands dirty, perfect excuse to lose a few pounds during the Christmas binge!!

Barry

 

Just to give a quick update, the tracks have now been connected up to the platform lines at Ongar!!

Pictures on our website: http://www.eorailway.co.uk/news/

Next job is a quite involved shunt to move the stock, many of which the teams have been restoring, before lowering the track through the station so the platform is a more comfortable height and at the same time putting in the loco release points at the buffer-stop end...

 

Thanks for the update Simon, wouldnt it be nice to see the two loading gauges re-instated....

 

I agree Christopher... and indeed we have one GER pattern loading gauge in our museum, but given these two bays will be passenger platforms, I will need to check with my colleagues if this is possible or if (as I suspect) the gauge could pose a risk to those leaning out of windows and Guards observing the platform and signalling to the driver... who knows, we might have an opportunity to mount one of these elsewhere in due course ;o)

Another piece of news has just been announced on our website; that of the full restoration into working order of our Ruston by our engineering team, which is now taking on the identity of 2957, a sister Ruston based at nearby Stratford.

Full details and pictures on our website: www.eorailway.co.uk/news

Regards, Simon