Visiting the Epping and Ongar Railway

On Sat 30th June I finally made a visit to my closest preserved Railway, the Epping and Ongar Railway.

We took the normal service bus from my home town of Harlow to Epping Tube Station where we then caught the railways own heritage bus service to North Weald Station. The bus also serves the station at Ongar although that service starts later in the day.

Bus services to Epping and Ongar wait in North Weald
Station for their next service

This is by far the best way of doing the trip, if you are coming by car park in the LT carpark at Epping and get the bus, parking at North Weald and Ongar is limited.

North Weald station has been nicely restored with new tarmac leading up to the building and nice neat lawns around it. There is still much work being donw but it is a whole lot better than some lines I have visited.

The Coopersale Shuttle reversing into North Weald.

The building is typical of the stations on the Central Tube Line. The platforms bear all the hallmarks of having been a tube station with the signals and general fittings making any commuter feel at home. However the train that pulled in first was certainly not typical of the Central line.

The line towards Epping is run as a shuttle with no station as yet for passengers to use. The train, an ex-SR multiple unit, runs to just before the Coopersale bridge where it reverses back to North Weald. Motive power is supplied by a very tatty Class 31 locomotive.

Pitchford Hall heads into North Weald

Then, after a short wait, the main train appeared from the opposite direction hauled by  no 4953 'Pitchford Hall' with Class 37 diesel no D6729 on the rear of the train. This push-pull arrangement saves the locomotives running around and simplifies operation of the shuttle service as well.

Once on the train we had a nice ride into Ongar with a short wait just outside the station. We saw our local countryside from a different perspective as I never rode on the railway when it was still run by LT.

D6729 at Ongar Station

Ongar station has changed quite a bit with a new housing development taking place in the old railway yard however the railway still has a fair bit of room and the station has been very nicely restored. It has a small shop and the town of Ongar has several good places for eating.

The railway is certainly worth a visit and I hope to get back there sometime in the summer to take some video.

The official website for the railway is at eorailway.co.uk.