Filming at EOR
Epping-Ongar Railway
"The Easy Access & Friendly Transport-Themed Film Location"
The railway is situated just 3 minutes drive from Junction 7 of the M11, and 5 minutes from Junction 27 of the M25, but yet runs for 6.5 miles through unspoilt Essex countryside. Along the line are the original Ongar and North Weald Stations. Both were built in 1865 and latterly run by the Great Eastern Railway (GER), then London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) similar to the majority of lines in the East Anglia Region. The station buildings are probably the last original un-altered working stations built by the Great Eastern, and we are restoring them to their original colours, condition and atmosphere. In addition to the stations, we have vintage rolling stock which is in use or undergoing restoration and many unique lineside areas.
EOR offers a number of unique filming locations, both available now and being completed in the next few months (listed here so film units can plan their location schedules).
- North Weald Signalbox - dating from 1888, complete with large mechanical lever frame, painted in authentic LNER / BR(E) colours (1923 - 1950s).
- North Weald Station; smaller GER country station dating from 1865, countryside backdrop in all directions, also has original 1930s Southern Railway concrete footbridge and waiting shelter (the latter in poor condition). Interior of station includes small country ticket office, Waiting Room and Ladies Waiting Room (all interiors currently undergoing restoration to LNER 1923 - 1950's colour & atmosphere). All rooms have open fires, sash windows, high ceilings and most of the original atmospheric features of a branchline station. Station offers extensive parking, private approach road, and offers a secluded filming location.
- Ongar Station, impressive and atmospheric country terminus; exterior of station and station master's house in good condition, with glass canopy and traditional frontage, complete with turning circle and original wooden yard gates. Interior complete with large ticket & parcels offices, waiting room, station master's office and interior is about to be repainted into period colours (authentic GER colours (1905 - 1923)).
- Diesel Multiple Unit train - 2 coaches, original 1960-80s interior (exterior about to be repainted into 1960s BR exterior).
- Collection of freight wagons, coaches and rolling stock in varying stages of restoration, most being painted to date from the 1950 - late 1980s.
- Lineside locations, including 4 arch viaduct over river, single and multipal span over and under bridges (both brick and steel structure), long straights with countryside outlook and railway running through forest.
- Wide collection of vintage buses; single and double-decker. Including red London RT's, RCL & RML's, Green Line county service coaches, single deckers and other vehicles. These can be hired complete with qualified driver for use both on EOR and at other locations.
Stills Photography
- EOR is also an ideal location for stills photography, offering a wide range of period settings and can assist with providing suitable props to set the scene.
The railway is currently not running passenger trains as we focus on putting in the infrastructure to allow steam to return. This enables filming at any time day or night, weekdays or weekends. Both stations have good access for vehicles (with off-street parking) and we also have a few access points along the line: a number of tree lined sections as well as some up on embankments. The time-scales indicated above are based on volunteer man-power and the progress of exterior projects, also on how kind the weather is to us. We would be open to film companies helping us with professional decorators if they require the locations earlier than our team of enthusiastic volunteers can achieve, as well as enabling the railway to reopen to the public sooner.
We would be delighted to discuss your requirements and welcome your film location team to the railway for a site visit, and throughout filming one of our friendly and helpful team can be on hand as "Facility Enabler" to assist with ensuring your shoot goes smoothly (and possibly even advise on technical aspects if required).
We hope to have the track and signals in place to enable us to bring steam engines back working between North Weald and Ongar in the coming months. This will be signalled using authentic heritage signals. This will then become the only full length steam railway in Essex & Hertfordshire, offering a country railway location, yet easy to reach from its nearby motorway connections.
For Further Details Please Contact: Simon Hanney (Secretary):