Considering it was used by so few people, Blake Hall had more facilities than a lot of busy mainline train stations. Beautiful rural station, such a shame it’s gone forever.

Thanks so much for posting this. When Blake Hall shut I was 12 years old and obsessed with the underground. This was the station that intrigued me more than any other on the network and I never got the chance to visit, though I did manage to do so circa 1986/7 when the building was derelict.

@sarahsara3775

5 жыл бұрын

Liked trains so much

Always been fascinated by the onger branch

This footage is like gold dust. When I saw the trains pulling in, I find it hard to believe they still don't, even if they were the washing machines they now have on the central line.

@Richardsrailway

8 жыл бұрын

Cheers mate !

At 1:56 you even manage to catch one of Blake Hall's famous half dozen passengers a day!... Incredible footage, hard to believe it's thirty-eight years old.

What a fantastic time capsule

I still have a platform ticket from Blake Hall

@Dexter-wc3en

Жыл бұрын

That's most probably a collectors item by now

Thank you for uploading and bringing the past to life.

@Richardsrailway

5 жыл бұрын

You Tube glad you liked it

Yes, I've been all over the Underground now, including the now closed Aldwych and Shoreditch stations, plus most of the National Raill network, some lines in Europe, plus a few other urban metro systems, but the first time I visited the Epping - Ongar branch was around 1984, with Blake Hall already closed and the services reduced to Monday - Friday peak hours only. Seeing Blake Hall as it was prior to closure is fascinating.

The trains certainly didn’t hang around at the station. Train pulls in, guard opens doors, 2 seconds later, guard closes doors and train sets off.

@leytonexile

3 жыл бұрын

That's why it was the least used station on the network.🤣

@SiVlog1989

3 жыл бұрын

Considering the fact that only ~6 passengers a day used Blake Hall on average, and even by 1980 wasn't used as often as the rest of the Epping to Ongar section (many trains ran through nonstop) it wasn't too surprising that it closed about a year later in 1981. Even after closure, LT seemed to be vindictive as they found out that drivers were still stopping there to drop passengers off after the station closed. As a result, they removed the platform

@EssexWolf1993

3 жыл бұрын

@@SiVlog1989 I heard that before about some drivers letting passengers off at the disused platform, if they (the passengers) asked very nicely if they still wanted to get off there.

It was a year later that Blake hall tube station closed And the station is now private residence and trains no longer stop here at Blake hall

this looks more deserted than roding valley. it had to be the least used station on the tube before it closed

@bakedsodium6528

5 жыл бұрын

Miles Campbell yes it was

Great Footage!

Seems so busy, can't think why they closed it! Lol!!

Great video, thanks. I became fascinated by this place in 2003 when I learned that a whole section of the Underground closed. Someday I hope to ride the Epping Ongar Railway and at least catch a glimpse of this station. I wonder whatever became of the station roundels. Those would be collectors items today! Questions: what's upstairs? I notice there's a ticket booth -- when was it last staffed?

@Richardsrailway

5 жыл бұрын

Backlight 1981, the roundals went either to the LTM or collectors . Upstairs used to be accommodation for the SM

@AeroModule

5 жыл бұрын

@@Richardsrailway Thanks for the reply! Guessing SM means station master. Did the SM live there? How long before the closure was there an SM or even someone in the ticket booth?

@Richardsrailway

5 жыл бұрын

Backlight . Because it was so under used there used to be these large paper boy style ticket bags at Blake hall and Ongar . The idea was each week the ticket office staff would put the collected tickets into the respective bags and they would go by train up to 55 broadway , so as the big wigs could see how much revenue was being generated by the line , thus it finally closed in September 1994 . Blake hall ceased in 1981. I think if you bunked your fare at Blake hall it was hardly a capital offense ! Yes SM is station master .

@ceeg88

3 ай бұрын

I walk past a house in Theydon Bois now and then, and the man has a “North Weald” roundal in his shed up on display on the back wall. Always makes me smile. After watching a few videos on the old line, I saw him in a video yesterday believe it or not! He used to drive trains on the branch. I’m going to say hello next time I pass and the shed is open.

The least used station on the Underground before it closed

Hi Dennis Bostock, this is Cliff Hatton, haven't seen you since 1969, you can catch me on Facebook

This is now a beautiful private home.

Looked so quaint and tiny for a Tube station! My kitchen/dining room is bigger.

@Richardsrailway

7 жыл бұрын

stephthestar90 that's because it was a a quaint branch line originally steam hauled and had only mainly freight workings and the odd passenger train back in the day , it never anticipated the number of passengers that you get west of Epping

@stephthestar90

7 жыл бұрын

TRIPLEVALVE62 THE DEPOT Ah I see. that makes sense. it was probably too remote for people. this station was closed before I was even born (my parents got married the year this one closed) so I didn't know about it til recently. I think Chesham tube station is similar or is it busier? I haven't been on the tube since I was a child. I vaguely remember being on the Piccadilly line and I might have been on the District line but I don't really remember it.

@ianmcclavin

3 жыл бұрын

@@stephthestar90 Yes, Chesham's a lot busier than Blake Hall was...and gets regular through trains to Central London now, but that was due to a change in rolling stock rather than passenger demand. These outposts (or former rural outposts) of the tube always have had a quaintness of their own...I don't think there's much chance of Blake Hall ever re-opening, but it would be nice to see a connection back into Epping made possible for the preserved railway. There again, the vintage buses have proved popular in recent years..

Great footage, but I can't make out the blackboard notice... Was it impending doom? Following up a reference to the station in Simon Bradley's amazing "The Railways" book.

@Richardsrailway

7 жыл бұрын

bryan3550 probably train times or like you said .

Looks more like a request stop station on the national railways.

@Dexter-wc3en

Жыл бұрын

After this station closed drivers still stopped at this station to let passengers off if they requested nicely until the platform was removed

@speakfreeley4473

Жыл бұрын

@@Dexter-wc3en Had heard about that.

Biffo bostock..

This still here? Looks like a good place to Graff

@Richardsrailway

6 жыл бұрын

Paul Badman long gone since 1981 , the building is there but in private ownership and the platform is long gone

@leytonexile

4 жыл бұрын

Platform has been reinstated, but no trains call there anymore.