Epping Ongar Railway

A selection of reports, taken at random from some of our regular work party teams:

Signals (w/e 14^th May)

The team spent a productive day in North Weald Signal box catching up with some minor outstanding tasks.

The first task tackled was the renewal of all the track circuit indication lamps. Not all of the old lamps were working (we don’t know how old they are as they came with the diagram case), and are of a type that’s obsolete so the opportunity has been taken to renew them with a much brighter like for like LED replacement which will reduce failures and maintenance in the future.

Whilst this was going on the new indication lamps for NW 101 and 901 signals were installed in the switch box. Once this was done the lamps were powered up and the controls through from the relay room to the switches were tested out.

Control of North Weald 101 & 901 Signals Now Installed

 At long last the level crossing control unit has been commissioned. The unit interlocks the level crossing gates with the main signalling system ensuring that the gates are firmly locked shut across the footpath when trains are running. The testing and commissioning of the unit took quite some time as the crossing is configured to work when the signal box is open or closed. So both scenarios had to be simulated to ensure they operated correctly.

Level crossing controls now installed at North Weald, interlocking the former Chitt's Hill gates with the signalling system

Locomotive Maintenance – 03170 Work Party

The team last Sunday were made up from Ray, Chris, Guy, Martin, and Sean. The team managed to fill the holes between the new chequer plating at the bottom of the 03 door’s, and fitted the final windscreen wiper motor. They also strengthened the L/H window frame with a few more nut’s and bolts, Ray switched the oil filter around on the exhauster, and next week will be looking at exchanging the blanking plate/filler cap arrangement. The other members of the team finished off painting the driver’s desk, and then painted the air pipes above the side rod’s, both loco door’s and the L/H cabside of the loco.

Building Restoration – North Weald Station

The team mainly work during the week, and are currently focusing their efforts at North Weald, as we get the station ready for the forthcoming Open Day on 3^rd July.

Rodger, Terry and Richard from the Building Restoration Gang hard at work getting North Weald station ready for the Open Day on 3rd July...

Amongst the tasks the group are currently undertaking, include re-pointing the outside of the buildings, rubbing down and repainting the former Chitt’s Hill level crossing gates, painting the lamps on the platforms, adjusting doors, repairing sash windows, painting ceilings and walls, plumbing work and fitting posterboards and undertaking sign-writing. Very varied, and always rewarding as they see the station being restored into its LNER – BR (Eastern) (1940-60’s) period colours. The team would appreciate any additional help, and as with all our teams, have a friendly welcome for new faces.

The finished article! A nice neat pair of bonds between the rails, hopefully meaning a reliable and trouble-free train detection system.

Michael was trained on how to undertake this task by the signals team members, and this is another example of how anyone can get involved, and of course, the more people helping in our friendly teams, the sooner the task will be completed ready for running trains. Find out how you can make a difference on the How You Can Help page.

Thursday was another busy day for the building restoration gang as we work on Ongar signalbox. We finished rubbing down old paintwork and filler, then undercoated ceiling in white matt and top part of wall cream. Other members of the team continued with removing paint from the window frames and rotten beading removed.

Michael works on one of the GER window frames, while Rodger applies a first coat to the ceiling

Next Thursday we plan to continue with the renovation of the window frames, remove broken glass and Perspex in the frames and remove old putty. Then measure the frame sizes for replacement glass. We may also remove the left side window frame and side window frame and renovate runners and continue removing paint from outside panes and renovate outside frames.

The commanding view from Ongar signalbox, across the new station pointwork and looking towards North Weald

Report by Rodger Green, Building Restoration Gang Team Leader

The locomotive and engineering departments have been busy over the last few weeks, and I have pleasure in compiling their reports into a Department Diary update. The teams have been focusing their activities on three important areas; 03170, the Ruston 88 “2957″ and the Permaquip works unit “Badger”. 

Readers may recall that the Ruston has been the subject of quite a bit of hard work by the Thursday Team, and they have now completed the unit’s restoration to a very high standard. For many on the team this was the first time they had worked on a locomotive, and have both found the experience interesting, learnt new skills and found it very rewarding.

Newly restored cab of Ruston 2957

The Thursday gang are next going to be turning their attentions to the Ruston that is up on the display pad at the top of station approach, as well as undertaking some minor running repairs to the works unit “Badger”.

03170 has been the subject of quite a bit of attention while it has been based at Ongar, helped by the facilities offered at this site. Work parties have included Sean, Phil, Guy and Michael.  

Phil and Guy have set to work replacing the old lights on the Loco’s front and rear with the new type LED type whilst Sean has been continuing the loco’s repaint. Unfortunately Phil discovered that the lighting circuit has a broken wire hence only 3 out of the 4 lights work, but we have found out where the faulty wire is and replaced it last Sunday, making all 4 marker lights operational.

The team have also re-greased the axle boxes on the Dogfish and topped up the 03 side rod bearings as and where required.

Sean Continues with the report from yesterday…

Guy has set about re-painting the Wasp’s Stripe’s at the front of the Locomotive, Martin rubbed down and then painted the Control desk and Control Panel. Meanwhile Phil and I started to prepare the bottom of both cab door’s for the chequer plate I’ve made up to make the step safer and improve the appearance of the unit.  We prepared the ground and Phil applied a coating of Ferricon to the metal frame at the bottom of the cab door’s after I cut away a section of floor to enable us to fit the chequer plate flush to the cab floor (preventing a trip hazard) as is the norm with these thing’s; a hour’s worth of work took over 4 hour’s but we got the job done and completed it by sealing the edges with silicon.

Restored cab foot-step on 03170

  Phil then decided to replace the broken wire to the LED marker light at the front of the Locomotive that refused to work last week, I’m please to report that this was done with total success.

I then proceeded to continue to remove the cabside transfer’s and rub down the sides of the 03, the worst of the rust around the cab doors was treated with Ferricon  I also applied some new identification plaques to the gauges on the loco control desk and panel. There are a few more to apply but she’s getting there.

Michael works on restoring the 03 control panel

There are however some rust hole’s in the side of the loco by both door’s which we will fill and rub down flush next week.

After that it on with the painting then if we can we’ll apply the transfer’s. So all in all, a very productive days work. My sincere thanks to all who turned up you are a superb bunch of blokes who have a can do attitude and it’s a pleasure to be working with you all on this project.

Report & Photos by Sean Sharples, Loco Department (Sunday Team Leader), EOR.

Its been another busy couple of weeks at EOR, with lots happening on many aspects of the railway’s restoration work. The Buildings Team have completed the works inside Ongar Station, which is now resplendent in GER colours, the culmination of over 12 months of hard work by this team.

Eddie Pratt and the experts at County Flooring installed the “wood-effect” floor over the mass-concrete that LU kindly installed in the station in the space previously occupied by the suspended floors! This was kindly supplied by Polyflor, and includes anti-slip properties which both ensures the flooring has a non-shiny matt finish, but also is safe if water is spilled within the toilet or other passenger areas.

Ongar "Ladies" Waiting Room, which will be used as a Family Room

Its hard to believe that 12 months ago the window and door were sealed up, and a LT safe room covered this area, which has now been accurately restored to its 1890's Great Eastern Railway period by our volunteer teams.

 The Building Gang are now splitting their efforts between Ongar signalbox and North Weald station which is being restored in 1940-1960′s period. For Ongar signalbox they are working on the restoration of upper section and its windows and are about to start work on boxing in the lower half after the lever frame has been lifted in, so that the signals team can commence their works as soon as the building is weather-proof.

The engineering and loco teams are continuing work on a number of aspects, regular maintenance is being undertaken, as well as work on the starter circuits of the Thumper (205 205) where a faulty relay needs re-winding.

Doug puts the finishing touches to the Ruston (2957), which was recently featured in the Gazette. There will be an opportunity to drive this engine when the railway re-opens, as part of the popular "Driver for a Fiver" experiences.

Meanwhile a weekend loco working gang has spent a considerable time cleaning and restoring the cab of 03170, to make this useful work-horse a more pleasing environment for our volunteer crews and restore it to what it would have been like when first entered traffic. There is still some work to do on this, and in the next few weeks the team will look towards carefully undertaking some “back-dating” of the cabs inside D6729 to remove some redundant modern equipment and also more closely resemble how the cabs used to be when she was based at nearby Stratford shed (BR shed code: 30A).

Work has continued on the track through Ongar station, with new drains being installed. While not as glamorous as work such as loco restoration, these jobs are non-the-less important to ensure a well maintained railway, and the opportunity is being taken to undertake these jobs now, as they are easier when the track is lifted, rather than interrupting train services in the future.

Less exciting, but non-the-less very important, land drains being renewed through Ongar's trackbed

As mentioned in the news item, the platform edge is being revised, so there is a safety refuge under the edge, and work is continuing on installing the support for the coping stones…

Platform improvement works continuing at Ongar, laying foundations for the coping stones and safety refuge

Meanwhile the weekday and weekend teams are continuing work on the all important coaches, with a number of gangs now tackling both the loco hauled carriages, as well as the 117 diesel multiple unit, which is finally starting to come together, and the team should be justly proud of their hard work re-panelling the interior, which I am sure will be a pleasure to ride in once the seats are re-covered and installed.

Finally the signals gang are continuing the installation of various components and starting to look towards the next stage of the works, getting ready to start on the signalling of the layout at Ongar, and the track maintenance gangs have been up the line, tacking the vegetation to improve sight-lines, repairing fences damaged over the winter and also are commencing the essential tasks of fishplate greasing and sleeper changing prior to the arrival of the tamper in a few weeks time.

We are also delighted to have been featured in the Ongar & North Weald, Brentwood and Essex Chronicle papers and would like to thank Sam and the staff for their support. As a result of the article we are delighted to be welcoming more new faces to our friendly teams, and hope that we can include the results of their effortsand help in future department diary reports. As touched on in this report, there are a huge variety of projects you can get involved in, and no minimum commitment or previous experience is necessary.

In addition to the track and signals progress already reported, our rolling stock is also receiving attention, as one of the important elements for running passenger trains.

Inside the Class 117 Diesel Multiple Unit, work is progressing on re-panelling the interior, servicing the drop-light door windows and putting the final touches to the ceiling, before the panelling is stained and original pattern BR green flooring installed.

Darren fixing ply door panels on the 117 DMU

Please see Eddie’s report on the next posting for more details on these works…

Norman our C&W Leader also reports on the work that is also being undertaken on our other coaches, the Mk2a arrived with a few broken windows, which are being replaced, and the interiors will then be tidied, minor jobs attended to and running gear serviced before it is ready for service.

Similar work is also being undertaken on 4925, which in its BR(S) livery is ideal to be added to the 3CIG to increase seat capacity on busy days.

I am pleased to announce that we have two new working parties. The first is led by Anne-Marie and Steve who are working on two of the Mk1 “vac braked” coaches which run with steam and diesel engines; the Tourist Second Open and the Compartment Composite. The second group is working on the Shark brake van and ballast plough. Both groups are meeting at weekends, many of the tasks do not require any previous experience, and gives everyone more opportunities to get involved at their local heritage railway, on a wide range of enjoyable and rewarding tasks as we work together getting the railway running passenger trains again.

Meanwhile Marco & Sean have been working inside the cab of 03170, which has been rubbed down and a leak in the roof is being attended to, so we look after this important shunting engine and give the crews using it a more pleasant working environment, and to be authentic to the days of BR. There is still plenty to do, including working on the instrument panel, sliding windows and recovering the seats – can you help with this or any of our other teams? http://www.eorailway.co.uk/howyoucanhelp/