By Train To Ongar - A Film By Fred Ivey

Filmed in the final month of operation (September 1994) of the Ongar branch Fred's camera catches the rural quiet of the line while following 62 stock unit no 1510 and then he spends time at Epping watching 1960 stock working the branch.

The branch really was a rural idyl. Electrified in 1957 the remotest station, Blake Hall, took its power supply from the traction current. The station telephone was connected to the GPO's North Weald exchange one of the last manually operated exchanges in the country. Game was left besides the track by farmers for train drivers to collect in return for drivers whistling up at certain points on days when a game shoot was in action. Evening newspapers were also carried for many years. No wonder John Major's government were happy to approve closure of this relic from the pre-Beeching railways.

Professor Abercrombie's Greater London Plan of 1944 saw the line being extended to Chelmsford as Ongar was planned to expand into a new town. Instead Harlow became the new town and Ongar remains to this day a sleepy Essex market town.

Fred Ivey's YouTube videos can be downloaded at http://www.eavb.co.uk/fredivey/

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• london
• underground
• epping
• ongar
• central
• line
• 62
• stock
• 60
• fred
• ivey
• loughton
• tube
• London Underground
• Central Line
• Trains

[Mr6292]

Congratulations to Fred for a stunning film and thanks to A60stock for posting.

Epping / Ongar could be a difficult piece of line to run on. It only took morning dew or light rain to cause loss of rail adhesion leaving Epping and it was wheel spin time. LU introduced the 'sandite' train eventually, and it helped a bit. Shame the line has been closed, as it was intended to extend it to Stanstead, after upgrading the power supply. What a waste.

[A60stock]

Thanks, we are always delighted at the appreciation Fred's films receive.

BTW In the 1944 Greater London Plan it was proposed to extend the line to Chelmsford as Ongar was to be come a new town after the war. In fact they built the new town at Harlow instead and so Ongar remains a sleepy backwater.

[DJSpymo]

Game was left besides the track by farmers for train drivers to collect in return for drivers whistling up at certain points on days when a game shoot was in action - That isnt quite right, but Ill let you off.

[A60stock]

Well it certainly happened when I was in the cab, about 30 years ago now, how time files.

[tomhami]

The drivers told me that the would often hit game and collect it on the way back. They also stopped at North Weald to collect golf balls on occasion.

[A60stock]

Yes that was also a perk for working the Ongar branch.

[f1baker]

wonder why the guard is traveling in the front DM rather than the rear at 0:11...

[krakenwave]

How many trains were working the service at any one time during those last days (and was the peak-hour service reduced from when it was started in the 1960s or did it stay about the same)?

By the time this was filmed, if say you missed the up train at Blake Hall to Epping, would you have to wait for that same unit to return back down the line to you?

[krakenwave]

I grew up in Metroland and in the 70s would often bunk school and ride the tube all day (doing homework and lessons I missed and taking library books with me). The Central Line was a favourite afternoon ride because a) it was lo-oo-oo-ong and b) I could finish up by getting a bus home from West Ruislip. The elusive Epping-Ongar line was always denied me because it was peak hours only so I never got the chance. I wish I had but I was wanting my tea by then and had the whole of London to cross.

[rayflute]

Love that 'burping' discharge at 3:06!

[lewisc1997]

why did the driver keep opening and shutting th doors?

[xHELLSxDARKxANGEL]

that was nine minutes of my life well spent

[KevinRBoyd]

Did you happen to notice the guard always travelled up the front - so he could talk to the driver between stops?

[A60stock]

@englandbornandbred65 Actually the 1944 Greater London Plan envisaged the extension of this line from Ongar to Chelmsford with Ongar being expanded into a new town. In the end the new town was built at Harlow. As for Stansted I don't think extending the Central Line makes any sense as the journey time would be around 90 minutes from Oxford Circus.

[AGDH1]

As always, Fred Ivey's films are very good.