Epping Ongar Railway

A group of apprentices has been recruited in partnership with Transport for London to maintain the Epping Ongar Railway heritage line and as work continues towards providing passengers with a connection to the London Underground.

The group, which started work on 9^th January 2012, has been employed by Manchester-based Vital Rail, which has set itself an ambitious target to recruit and train 270 apprentices across the UK by June 2012.

Each of the 270 apprentices will complete an Intermediate Apprenticeship in Rail Engineering with Vital Skills Training – a qualification for those who want to work in the rail transport industry that combines theoretical work with hands-one training in a realistic work environment, leading to a Level 2 NVQ.

Vital Skills Training apprentices hard at work

Part of Vital Services Group, Vital Skills Training is one of the largest suppliers of training services for the rail, energy, mechanical & electrical and construction sectors and the success of current projects has prompted the company to invest further in Apprenticeships.

In Manchester, 50 young people will complete an Apprenticeship, as will a group of 24 apprentices who will work on a project in Staffordshire to restore part of the Foxfield heritage railway at Stoke-on-Trent.

Lawrence Dobie, operations manager at Vital Skills Training, explains why the company has set itself such an ambitious target: “The rail industry needs an injection of fresh, young talent in order to prepare for forthcoming major infrastructure projects, such as HS2,” he said.

“With an increasing number of young people looking for an alternative route to university, Vital is committed to plugging the rail sector skills gap, as an expert training provider in that field.  The advancement of theUK’s rail network is essential to the country’s economic and environmental development which is why we are investing on this intensive recruitment programme to secure a strong workforce of the future.”

Chris Marsack, Infrastructure Manager at Epping Ongar Railway, added: “We are pleased to welcome Vital and the apprentices to Epping Ongar Railway on this ‘win-win’ project. The railway provides an ideal real-life classroom, enabling the students to learn and practice skills and the safe practices needed to advance their careers, with the added benefit that the works they undertake helps our volunteer teams as we maintain the closest heritage railway to London.”

The apprentices will undertake track work on EOR, furthering their skills as they work towards a nationally recognised qualification to further their careers

For further information on Vital Skills Training’s Apprenticeship programme visit www.vital-skills.com, email apprenticeships@vital-skills.com or call 0161 836 7024.

EOR were pleased to welcome Steve Scruton from BBC Essex down to the railway, to see first-hand the progress being made towards the railway once again running steam and diesel hauled passenger trains.

You can hear how he got on, including learning more about the track maintenance works being undertaken, news on the two steam engines recently announced (Pitchford Hall and 4141) and meeting several of our volunteers on his Friday afternoon show (27th Jan). You can listen online on the BBC iplayer or 95.3 or 103.5 FM.

Our Department Diary page has recently been updated with the very latest progress update from many of the departments, as the volunteer teams work towards getting passenger trains running later this year.

Essex’s longest heritage railway will soon be welcoming its first two resident mainline steam engines as it prepares to operate steam hauled passenger trains later this year.

The locomotives are ex  GWR ‘Hall’ class “Pitchford Hall” Number 4953 and GWR large Prairie Number 4141.

Pitchford Hall, a GWR Hall Class loco, is destined for the Essex heritage railway (Photo Amos Wolfe)

Built in August 1929 at a cost of £4375, Pitchford Hall was a regular sight on the mainline before being condemned for scrap as part of the railway modernisation scheme by BR in October 1963. Languishing in the now famous Woodham Brothers scrap yard in Barry South Wales for just over 20 years it was the 150th locomotive to leave the yard for preservation in February 1984.

Since its restoration to working order was completed in 2004, Pitchford Hall has once again performed on the mainline in recent years as well as touring a number of heritage railways, where it has proved a popular and capable  performer. Indeed when paired with sister 4965 Rood Ashton Hall, the pair broke the preservation era Lickey Incline steam ascent record by 36 seconds! The locomotive currently carries GWR ‘Transitional’ (1945-48) livery.

4141 passing Kinchley Lane on the Great Central, prior to its current overhaul. This locomotive will soon be a regular performer on EOR (Photo Mark Jobling)

GWR Large Prairie number 4141 was built in August 1946 to a long established George Churchward & Charles Collet design and following being used on the mainline around Gloucester and latterly hauling expresses between London and Cheltenham, 4141 was withdrawn in February 1963. Like 4953, 4141 went to Barry and was the 28th locomotive to leave the site for preservation in January 1973. 4141 is currently completing an extensive overhaul at the Llangollen Railway and will be destined for the 6 mile Essex line in the coming weeks. This tank locomotive has already proved itself a useful sized engine for heritage railways, and will be ideal for the typical loads and gradients that the Epping Ongar line presents.

EOR is delighted to announce the arrival of the two locomotives and this further sets in place our commitment to providing a variety of motive power and to preserve our transport heritage. The opportunity rarely arises to purchase steam locomotives, especially ones in such good condition, and we are pleased to have secured these. In the future we would look forward to hosting the Holden F5 “new build” locomotive when this is completed.

Further details can be found on the locomotives page of our website, and in the latest issue (no 159) of Heritage Railway magazine, including an exclusive behind the scenes look at the latest progress on the restoration as the branch heads towards running steam and heritage diesel passenger services.

Epping Ongar Railway will be on television later this week – the new series of Great British Railway Journeys returns, and in this first week of the new series Michael Portillo is visiting East Anglia.

On Thursday 5th, BBC2 at 18:30 the journey includes a trip along the Epping Ongar Branch, filmed earlier this year. On a glorious sunny day Michael visits the former Blake Hall station (closed in 1981), learns more about the history of the branch, its influence on local industry and agriculture, before taking a cab ride on D6729 (37029) to North Weald.

If you miss the episode, or want to watch it again, it will be available after the broadcast on the BBC’s iplayer.

Epping Ongar Railway have recently taken delivery of 3CIG unit 1498, following its extended summer holidays at the Swanage Railway. The 3-coach set was one of the last “slam door” electric sets in regular public use on the mainline network and in latter years was used as a “heritage set” on the Lymington branch.

Following South West Trains decision to use modern units, both 1498 and 1497 were made available to preservation and luckily both have been saved. EOR’s 1498 was the last on the network and made its final trip on mainline metals down through Wareham on 5th May and onto the Swanage branch, where the unit has been in regular service and proved to be very popular throughout the summer. It has often run with the Swanage Railway’s BR Class 33s and also in “push-pull” mode, recreating many scenes seen in the BR Southern Region.

3CIG 1498 & BR Class 33 approach Corfe Castle on the Swanage Railway (Pic: Andrew Wright)

As the Epping Ongar Railway looks towards once again running passenger trains, the 3CIG has been moved to its new permanent home. On arrival the unit has been shunted together, and will be used as an air-braked set to work with our heritage diesel fleet. The railway will use BR Tourist Second Open (4925), also in BR(S) green, as a strengthening coach to add additional seats when required.

The first coach of 3-coach set "3CIG" 1498 makes its first steps onto EOR metals... (Pic Simon Hanney)

The team at EOR are very grateful to Bournemouth Depot for their care and attention to the unit over the many years, and while they were sorry to see her go, they were pleased she was going to a good home. They were also instrumental in assisting with its move by rail from Bournemouth to Swanage and we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for all their help with this move. We hope to keep up their high standards of maintenance on the unit so many future generations can enjoy riding on her.

The view from the cab of 3CIG 1498 as she is pushed into North Weald's Up platform (Pic: Simon Hanney)

EOR was pleased to welcome 03 119 to the railway, which arrived this morning (3rd Dec) from its former home on the West Somerset Railway.

BR Class 03 (03119) takes its' first steps onto EOR metals (Photo Sean Sharples)

03119 is a unique engine as it was one of the specially modified Class 03 shunters which was modified to have a “cut down” cab to enable it to work the Burry Port & Gwendraeth Valley branch which had lower bridges. Built at BR Swindon Works and introduced in September 1959 as D2119, it was allocated initially to Danygraig depot.

Renumbered to 03119 in March 1974, it was withdrawn from traffic while allocated to Landore Depot in February 1986. After arriving at Knills scrap yard, Barry, in November 1986, 03119 was quickly saved and moved to the Dean Forset Railway by December 1986 to enter railway preservation. 03119 made the move to the West Somerset Railway in March 1996, where it has been kept in good working order by the Diesel and Electric Preservation Group at Williton. The locomotive carries the BR livery, and 03 shunters were once a common sight all over the country, including at many East Anglian stations on shunting duties.

03119 being shunted by EOR's other 03 shunter, 03170 (Photo Sean Sharples)

As preparations gather pace for running steam and diesel passenger trains on the Epping to Ongar branch, Epping Ongar Railway is delighted to take delivery of three suburban style coaches of a similar type to that which used to run on the line.

The coaches are British Railways non corridor Suburban coaches and were once used regularly used on suburban lines like Epping Ongar and other services running into Liverpool Street, Fenchurch Street and other mainline stations. The coaches were last used on suburban services into Moorgate station and were built during the 1960′s, being shorter than a standard coach and have closed compartments and no corridor connections at the ends of the coaches.

Inside of one of the Suburban coaches, showing the un-restored entrance to a Third Class compartment

Following agreement with the North Norfolk Railway where they have been in storage, three different coaches are being transferred to the branch and represent a typical suburban branch line set; comprising a “Brake Second” coach with closed second class compartments, a “Standard” comprising of closed second class compartments and a “Composite Lavatory” and open coach with First class at one end and second class at the other with Lavatories in the middle separating the two. The interiors include long bench seats, wood panelling and traditional slam doors, bringing back all the charm and atmosphere of pre and post WWII travel as once experienced on lines such as Epping Ongar.

A full width Third class compartment inside one of the Suburban coaches. After our opening we will be turning our attentions to restoring this authentic branchline set

All of these coaches require extensive restoration and have been acquired as part of a longer term project with focus on the restoration of these being after the line is open to passengers. Once restored internally and externally the special heritage set will be available for use on gala days, educational trips, filming and photographic charters.