I grew up in Ongar in the 80s / 90s and remember the underground fondly, on a still, quiet summer's day I could hear the tube train arriving even though we lived at the other end of town. Being the last station on the Central Line was a source of pride; connecting Ongar to London and literally putting our small town on the (tube) map. The line closed the month I left home for university and I never felt that Ongar was quite the same without it.

I grew up in Woodford in the 1970s, and at weekends and school holidays was often to be found ferreting about on both the Epping to Ongar and Woodford to Hainault lines. Many thanks to the uploader, and many thanks also to Fred, along with congrats on such an evocative and well-made film. Finding this made my day, thank you! :)

What beautiful photography, especially the lovely rural scenes and the stunning evening as the train departs from Ongar.

Before I left London Transport (buses) in 1992 I made a point of going right across London (from Fulwell garage - after an early turn) just to ride the Epping - Ongar line while I still had my LT staff pass. When I got to Ongar I intended to go for a quick look round and catch the next train back. The whole place was deserted except for the driver. I asked him what time the last train went back to Epping and he said this was it. Seeing I was in LT uniform he invited me to ride back in the cab with him. When we stopped at North Weald he told me to pull the handle behind me and I heard a rumbling sound. Then he told me to push it with similar results. This was evidently the door control. During the journey he also slowed to walking place and explained that he had seen some newish golf balls on the track on the way up and, if they were still there on the way back he would stop and collect them.

I actually had the pleasure of riding the line to Ongar in 1990 when I was living in England. It amazed me that a tube line could be single track and out into the countryside

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

This film captures not only the feel and charm of the ongar branch but reminds of what awesome machines the 1962 were and all of their oddities like the line breaker popping in and out, the tick tick of the camshaft motor, and the microwave oven guards signal bell, and the best whistle tone on the Underground, another great film by Mr Ivey!

Fantastic video of a line I remember well. Thanks Fred. Does anyone else remember the pre Central Line days when steam trains used to run along this line. My recollection is waiting with my mum by the level crossing in George Lane (South Woodford station) to see the man close the gates, then watching the engine puff its way across. 1940s I believe.

I remember working on the epping Ongar line when I was a guard at Loughton depot in 1984 ...

@SiVlog1989

5 жыл бұрын

Wow! That's amazing! I know the line had a reputation of being very quiet, but were there any occasions where, in terms of passengers, it bore even slight resemblance of busy times?

Well done Fred! Excellent film - it reminds me of my time in the late 1960s and early 1970s working in the tiny BR Electrical Control Room at Ryde St. John's Road Station on the Isle of Wight. With three 33kv/750V (nominal) substations I felt that (when on duty) I had the biggest electric train set in the world. The Ongar end reminds me of the Shanklin terminus. Pity we never ran on through the tunnel to Ventnor...I walked through the tunnel several times - it was okay to use.

Nicely put together... Must have taken all day!

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.

Nice (now Nostalgic) video.Just been to North Weald and filmed the recently opened heritage railway.We wish them well, Its good to see the railway surviving!

I rode this line in 1985 on my first overseas railfan trip from New York. A true landmark event in the history of Trainluvr.

Like the notching up when they get door trouble

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

Blake Hall did use traction current for lighting power so the station staff knew when a train was in section by the reduced lighting. Unlike other stations on the underground Blake Hall was not connected to the internal telephone system. A GPO phone on the North Weald exchange was provided. North Weald was the last manual exchange in the South East. I seem to recall that at one time the tenant in the station house had a miniature live steam railway in the garden.

Excellent film and memories.

@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.

that was nine minutes of my life well spent

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

I can remember crossing gates at South woodford and foot only crossing near Eagle Pond and steam puffers bringing coal wagons and the Coal Yard or Later smokeless Fuel suppliers at each station..most are now part of the car parks as that us what happened to goods yard..

It almost feels like LT never took the section from Epping to Ongar with the potential for development it could have done. When they took over, they only initially electrified as far as Epping in 1949, almost wondering if it was worth electrifying the section to Ongar. Even when it did, it wasn't a full electrification, it was only fed current from Epping, meaning that there were limits to the length of trains that could use the line

Very good! 5 stars! I knew that 1960 covered the ongar branch from 1990, but did 1962 stock occsionoly used the branch between 1990 and 1994?

Nice video those railways is! 😊

Central Line 1962 Tube Stock

Another nice film, liked those Cravens tubes, notice the one here at 7:34 has what seems a coach from Standard stock. I believe in the 60s these were used for ATC experiments for the Victoria line, on this end of the Central.

Whats the deal with the train doors cycling open then shut numerous times at 5 min.

@thegardener6342

8 жыл бұрын

+waxingthenip Clearly something stuck in the doors - you can see the guard coming to resolve it at about 5:26.

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

ITS A PERSEVED RAILWAY NOW PLEASE GO AND VISIT IT

Jesus 1992 stock brand new and soon will be replaced as they are about 25 yrs old and looking a mess

I regret missing out on travelling on the shuttle to Ongar. I can only hope that one day it reopens as part of the tube, perhaps as part of an extension to Harlow. No doubt they'd hack back trees to half a mile from the tracks on either side as per the current arboreal policy.

They look so spooky!

This 5 mile line was taken over by the Underground after World War II and tube trains worked the section from 1957 to 1994. It always worked as branch from Epping with short trains. Passengers travelling from London changed trains at Epping.

@mat2090

5 жыл бұрын

Beulah25 even though the first train in the video starts at Loughton...

I wonder why the branch train didn't carry a red light at the rear? Is it something to do with operating on a "one engine in steam" principle?

@thegardener6342

8 жыл бұрын

+m222rjr They did have red tail lights; you can see them at about 3:19 but in the film they have come out white rather than red.

what happed with the doors and did 92 stock ever call at epping and ongar section

I watched your video's how did you did the old video's?

Was the Epping to Ongar section run by London Transport and was this segment considered part of the Central Line? How far was it to Ongar from Epping? Never got out that far on the tube trains and have only visited England twice; this video has stimulated my curiosity. Thanks.

@NHGMitchell

6 жыл бұрын

Yes, it was part of the LT central line. The distance was 9.8 kilometres from Ongar to Epping..

Has any 1992 stock of 4 coaches be making that shuttle?

where there only old stocks driving on the branch or also, espacially in the last years, newer stocks driving? e.g. stock 1992

@sebastianleschhorn6041

7 жыл бұрын

The last couple of years a 4-car train of '92 stock would run from Ealing all the way to North Weald, one weekend, for an annual airshow. Other than that, one had to change at Epping, and no other 92s went on. Why? When that branch was electrified, it was done so with a "light" power station, so only two half-length trains or one full-length can be on that line at any one time.

On the main part of the Central, were the 1992 stock trains in use by this time, or were they still being tested?

Why the 20mph speed restriction?

@peterdeutscher1442

3 ай бұрын

Ongar line railway being overheat machinery... Pretty soon be retired from this train, sadly!

Excellent line-side footage etc showing the rural nature of the line, but I have to say not as good a video as ian29d's 'Last Train from Ongar'. All right he's a friend of mine so I'm biassed!

That train seen here at 5:11 is having trouble problems shutting the doors properly the way it keeps open and shut and then open and shut

@peterdeutscher1442

3 ай бұрын

Probably is sticky door... Oh dear. :(

why did the driver keep opening and shutting th doors?

@EMMAWONDERLAND1

6 жыл бұрын

Probably is the main problem the door stuck of gears with auto closing the doors.

@Richardsrailway

6 жыл бұрын

Lewis Curtis sticky door that eventually got sorted hence the whistle !

@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah the door is sticky that’s why the guard on the train tries to get the doors to shut properly

Why the guard is at the front of the train instead of the rear of the train in the 1962 stock

@MannyAntipov

2 жыл бұрын

Probably since the section is shorter in comparison to the rest of the Central line, the guard might as well be sat at one position to not switch panels from one side of the train to the other.

As of today Epping station is no longer a terminus it’s now a run through station

yeh why is the guard in the front carriage there always normally where in the last carriage ??

@DANEBLUEGNOME

4 жыл бұрын

I don't know idea to find sense it is!

0:13 What on earth is the guard doing in the front carriage...

Ongar remains a lovely small essex town unlike RLO

@NESTABROWN9

3 жыл бұрын

What is 'RLO?'

Who's Fred Ivey?

@peterdeutscher1442

3 ай бұрын

Presentation film, mate.

I do not understand why the line was closed : this was a poor decision ! And I do not understand why it was not kept as an operating museum for historic LT Tube stock, both steam and electric ...

What beautiful photography, especially the lovely rural scenes and the stunning evening as the train departs from Ongar.

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