Epping Ongar Railway

We have recently overhauled the Rolling Stock page, which has been updated to include recent acquisitions and to better list the various items of rolling stock. These are now listed by section, making it easier to navigate and find out more about our rolling stock collection and a little about the history of the items. A big thanks to all those who have helped compile and proof read the information.

The Rolling Stock group would be delighted to hear from people wishing to find out more about helping out in this important area.

As an essential part of the re-opening, the more hands helping, the sooner the coaches will be ready to welcome our passengers. The Rolling Stock department offers a huge range of rewarding and interesting volunteering opportunities, from electrics to mechanical engineering, painting and varnishing the wood trims, laying flooring to upholstery, there is something for all tastes, ages and abilities. Find out more here. 

Simon Hanney, General Manager, EOR

On Sunday, 4 July, over 500 visitors came through the door at Ongar Station, all eager to see the extensive restoration work that has been achieved in and around the Grade II listed station buildings. The book sales and information area in the booking hall was thronged with people enquiring about the progress of the refurbishment, with many expressing interest in becoming members of the Society. Some local people were so keen that they insisted on filling in the application form and joining on the spot!

As a community project, we welcome volunteers, wherever they come from and we at the Railway have sometimes been disappointed that more local people have not visited the EOR – but this was not the case last Sunday! The 339 vintage bus service run in conjunction with the North Weald Bus Rally was very popular, with people visiting both events and connecting to the Central line at Epping.

Great interest was shown in our recently acquired “Thumper” unit; during the day it was started up several times, so that its unique sound could be sampled by all present.

Crowds gather around the Thumper diesel electric unit, currently undergoing restoration (Picture Steve Cooper)

Simon Hanney (General Manager), Bill Dale (EORVS Chairman), and Bob Gillman (EORVS Publicity Officer), gave regular talks throughout the day to visitors in the diesel unit and hear all about the current state of progress and the future plans for the railway.

Simon Hanney (EOR General Manager) updates with the latest progress and the exciting plans for the future, accompanied by Bill Dale (EORVS Chairman) and Bob Gillman (EORVS Publicity)

The railway had a prize draw, supported by our local farm shop Ashlyns (www.ashlyns.co.uk), and the winner of the hamper was Caroline Walker who visited with her father who is a local Ongar resident.

Simon Hanney (EOR General Manager) hands over the prize hamper to lucky winner Caroline Walker

Report by Bob Gillman, EORVS Publicity Officer

There is a rare opportunity to visit Ongar station, meet our friendly team of volunteers, see behind the scenes at the restoration works as we put it back into its original Great Eastern colours and ready the station for steam trains.

Ongar Station is being transformed, see more on the 4th July....

Ongar station will be open to the public on one day only on Sunday 4^th July (10am – 4pm).

Light refreshments available, as well as plenty of opportunity to find out more about your local friendly heritage railway. Entry to the station is FREE, and FREE parking available in Ongar Town Centre.

There will also be a heritage bus running in conjunction with the North Weald Bus Rally, running along the old 339 route between Ongar and Epping Tube Station. Bus Rally tickets are required to use this service (£8 per person, Children free); and also enables entry at North Weald aerodrome where 200 buses and coaches will be on display, Transport bazaar with wide variety of stands, Real ale beer tent.

Epping Ongar Railway is keen to inform and discuss the exciting re-opening of the railway with local community and interest groups.

As part of our commitment to this aim, the railway has presented or been represented at a number of local events and meetings over the last few weeks, for example:

* Ongar Annual Town Meeting (26th April)
* Ongar Town Forum (17th May)
* North Weald Preservation Society AGM (21st May)
and Roding Valley MRC Exhibition (22nd May)

The first three involved formal presentations; covering a little of the history of the branch, how it has now been saved for preservation, the works going on “behind the scenes” on the infrastructure improvements, the exciting plans for re-opening with steam and diesel and future possible links back to Epping.

At each of these, there was a chance for questions and comments, and all three meetings were very pleased to have been kept up to date with progress on their local heritage railway. Of course all the meetings were reminded that the best way to keep up to date with developments is to get involved at the railway, and the large range of volunteering opportunities to suit all ages. 

Bob Gillman (EORVS Publicity Officer) has been busy collating the next issue of the society journal, Mixed Traffic, and also the publicity stand which recently visited Roding Valley MRC. Bob reports;

“The Roding Valley MRC held their model railway exhibition in Leytonstone on Saturday 22 May, and a lot of interest was shown in the EORVS stand by many of the people attending. A large number of visitors took volunteer appeal leaflets and membership application forms, so I expect their will be some more new members swelling our ranks soon.

I was ably assisted by Dave Regan and Eddie Veckranges, who were extremely good at explaining the railway’s aims and objectives.”

The railway is committed to continuing to build and strengthen links with the local communities, and both entertain and inform about developments happening on the branch, as we work to re-open the line both to encourage green tourism as well as reinstate the transport link for local people.

EOR are delighted to announce the purchase of another coach as we further strengthen and expand our rolling stock. The railway has secured a British Railways Mark 1 “CK” (composite corridor) number W 16237, purchased from the Bodmin & Wenford Railway.

BR Mark 1 CK, recently purchased for EOR

This coach is vacuum fitted, and so will work with steam engines and most diesels, and further expands our “vac set”. The coach also is a corridor design / layout, with both first and second class compartments.

Looking along the corridor inside the "CK"

First Class Compartment on the CK

Just a quick update photo taken earlier today showing the tracks extending towards North Weald station. From the left is the main line, the loop, siding road 2 and siding road 1.

Track laying continues at North Weald

The main and loop are being re-laid through the station, and then will connect up with the existing track crossing Kiln Road (and which runs on to Epping). This will form a “loop” / two tracks at North Weald, which will be signalled for bi-directional working (trains can arrive in either platform, in either direction).

The railway is progressing towards the re-opening, and the more people helping, the sooner trains can run… visit How You Can Help page for more info on how to get involved with our friendly team as we enable steam and diesel to operate.

EOR were pleased to have been invited, and attend the Loughton Festival on Saturday (24th). This was held at St. Mary’s Church and Bob Gillman (one of our Volunteer Liaison officers) reports… “As the weather was so fine it was decided to hold the event on the front lawn, which gave access to a lot of people passing by along the High Street. Quite a number of leaflets and membership forms were given out after much friendly interest and conversation. Fellow volunteer Dave Regan also helped man the stand and we took a number of enquiries from a wide variety of ages, interested in all manner of volunteering opportunities on the railway”. 

The festival was also attended by Volunteer Action Epping Forest, the railway being a member of this voluntary groups signposting service:

Dave Regan and Christine Eyles of 'Voluntary Action Epping Forest'