On Thu, 8 Jun 2017 05:15:47 -0700 (PDT), Offramp
wrote:

http://eorailway.co.uk/events/real-ale/

28th, 29th and 30th July 2017.

Celebrating 60 years (apparently) since the Epping-North Weald-Ongar line first opened.

Steam Trains, of course, but the poster in London Drinker shows what looks like an old solver Northern Line train - was it '68 stock?

The price, whatever it is, includes heritage buses from Epping and Shenfield.

So there is a lot there for transport and beer fans.

Are you serious?

This was the furthest outpost of the Central Line, served by 59/60
stock, even though it's always been a country branch line.

It's a nice little railway, steam & diesel traction with a very useful
connecting bus service to get you there from Epping Underground
Station & possibly Shenfield too.

The buses are around because the railway's owner owns the bus company
too...........

No idea about beer but theres a nice pub near Ongar Station.

DC

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On Thursday, 8 June 2017 19:36:23 UTC+1, David C wrote:
On Thu, 8 Jun 2017 05:15:47 -0700 (PDT), Offramp

http://eorailway.co.uk/events/real-ale/

28th, 29th and 30th July 2017.

Celebrating 60 years (apparently) since the Epping-North Weald-Ongar line first opened.

Steam Trains, of course, but the poster in London Drinker shows what looks like an old solver Northern Line train - was it '68 stock?

The price, whatever it is, includes heritage buses from Epping and Shenfield.

So there is a lot there for transport and beer fans.

Are you serious?

Here is the article, from the current London Drinker:

The Epping Ongar Railway will present over 65 beers at
its summer festival this July to celebrate 60 years since
the tube train first trundled through the Essex countryside.
What could be a better setting for a good ale than a
panoramic view of the rolling hills and unique woodlands of
Epping Forest? From 28 to 30 July, North Weald station and
the heritage trains of the Epping Ongar Railway will again
ring out to the sound of clinking glasses. Our 5th beer
festival is planned to be the biggest and the best yet.
What’s more, with regular and direct vintage bus services
from Epping Underground and Shenfield National Rail, the
festival is one of the most accessible rail ale festivals near
London.
The team started planning once the 83 casks from their
2016 festival had all been collected. Taking inspiration from
the 60th anniversary of the first tube train arriving in Ongar,
beers with connections to Essex and London will feature
heavily, including some brewed especially for the event.
Once again in the evenings, the hills will come alive with the
sound of music, including at least one dedicated music train
each night. A full list of all the beer, cider, food and soft
drinks on offer will be published on the railway’s website in
advance.
As usual, the funds raised will be ploughed into
supporting the operation and maintenance of the classic
trains, some of which are now approaching 100 years old.
Additionally, the festival will be supporting a locally based
charity, Canalability, which organises broad beam canal boat
experiences for disabled and disadvantaged people.
For further information and to book tickets, take a look at
www.eorailway.co.uk.
Alan Perryman

see http://www.westmiddx-camra.org.uk/LD/2017/LDvol39_3.pdf

On Thu, 08 Jun 2017 19:36:21 +0100
David C wrote:
This was the furthest outpost of the Central Line, served by 59/60
stock, even though it's always been a country branch line.

Given the distances people commute now, I can't help wondering if LU had
upgraded the line and given it a half decent , possibly even through service
instead of treating it like some part time afterthought, there might by now
be considerably more passengers on it than there were back when it was part of
LU. Ongar is a reasonably sized small town which if south of london on a
railway would be prime commuter belt territory.

--
Spud

In message , at 08:40:15 on Fri, 9 Jun
2017, d remarked:
This was the furthest outpost of the Central Line, served by 59/60
stock, even though it's always been a country branch line.

Given the distances people commute now, I can't help wondering if LU had
upgraded the line and given it a half decent , possibly even through service
instead of treating it like some part time afterthought, there might by now
be considerably more passengers on it than there were back when it was part of
LU. Ongar is a reasonably sized small town which if south of london on a
railway would be prime commuter belt territory.

Ongar's not as big as you think, and the rail journey was very slow with
almost no additional catchment until Epping. It's far easier to drive to
Brentwood station.
--
Roland Perry

On 2017\06\09 09:44, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 08:40:15 on Fri, 9 Jun
2017, d remarked:
This was the furthest outpost of the Central Line, served by 59/60
stock, even though it's always been a country branch line.

Given the distances people commute now, I can't help wondering if LU had
upgraded the line and given it a half decent , possibly even through
service
instead of treating it like some part time afterthought, there might
by now
be considerably more passengers on it than there were back when it was
part of
LU. Ongar is a reasonably sized small town which if south of london on a
railway would be prime commuter belt territory.

Ongar's not as big as you think, and the rail journey was very slow with
almost no additional catchment until Epping. It's far easier to drive to
Brentwood station.

Or Shenfield, which has much faster trains to London.

In message , at 10:17:56 on Fri, 9 Jun 2017,
Basil Jet remarked:

Ongar's not as big as you think, and the rail journey was very slow
with almost no additional catchment until Epping. It's far easier to
drive to Brentwood station.

Or Shenfield, which has much faster trains to London.

Having lived in the area for many years, Brentwood has a bigger and
cheaper car park, and more trains (if you count only the fasts at
Shenfield, and if you want a slow then why go out of your way to
Shenfield in the first place).
--
Roland Perry

On Fri, 9 Jun 2017 09:44:06 +0100
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 08:40:15 on Fri, 9 Jun
2017, d remarked:
This was the furthest outpost of the Central Line, served by 59/60
stock, even though it's always been a country branch line.

Given the distances people commute now, I can't help wondering if LU had
upgraded the line and given it a half decent , possibly even through service
instead of treating it like some part time afterthought, there might by now
be considerably more passengers on it than there were back when it was part of
LU. Ongar is a reasonably sized small town which if south of london on a
railway would be prime commuter belt territory.

Ongar's not as big as you think, and the rail journey was very slow with

~6000 people according to wikipedia, about the same as little chalfont on
the Met.

almost no additional catchment until Epping. It's far easier to drive to
Brentwood station.

Yes, the journey was slow because the trains were slow, infrequent and the
journey involved a change. If it had a similar service level to Epping however
I suspect it might be a different story. I doubt the traffic around Brentwood
is much fun and I suspect the parking at the station isn't free either assuming
there are any free spaces.

--
Spud

In message , at 09:34:18 on Fri, 9 Jun
2017, d remarked:
On Fri, 9 Jun 2017 09:44:06 +0100
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 08:40:15 on Fri, 9 Jun
2017, d remarked:
This was the furthest outpost of the Central Line, served by 59/60
stock, even though it's always been a country branch line.

Given the distances people commute now, I can't help wondering if LU had
upgraded the line and given it a half decent , possibly even through service
instead of treating it like some part time afterthought, there might by now
be considerably more passengers on it than there were back when it
was part of
LU. Ongar is a reasonably sized small town which if south of london on a
railway would be prime commuter belt territory.

Ongar's not as big as you think, and the rail journey was very slow with

~6000 people according to wikipedia, about the same as little chalfont on
the Met.

The thing is, Little Chalfont isn't the only railhead on that stretch of
the Met.

almost no additional catchment until Epping. It's far easier to drive to
Brentwood station.

Yes, the journey was slow because the trains were slow, infrequent and the
journey involved a change. If it had a similar service level to Epping however
I suspect it might be a different story. I doubt the traffic around Brentwood
is much fun and I suspect the parking at the station isn't free either assuming
there are any free spaces.

It wouldn't be free at Ongar, either (it's £4.30 at Little Chalfont), if
it had the pipedream service you advocate.

--
Roland Perry

On Fri, 9 Jun 2017 10:48:22 +0100
Roland Perry wrote:
It wouldn't be free at Ongar, either (it's £4.30 at Little Chalfont), if
it had the pipedream service you advocate.

Obviously its a pipedream since its never going to happen now. No harm in
playing what-ifs though. Improved train services tend to drive greater
passenger numbers. Removing a train service from a town even if it is only
6K people is a backwards step and not something a public body should have
done IMO.

--
Spud

wrote:
On Fri, 9 Jun 2017 10:48:22 +0100
Roland Perry wrote:
It wouldn't be free at Ongar, either (it's ï½£4.30 at Little Chalfont), if
it had the pipedream service you advocate.

Obviously its a pipedream since its never going to happen now. No harm in
playing what-ifs though. Improved train services tend to drive greater
passenger numbers. Removing a train service from a town even if it is only
6K people is a backwards step and not something a public body should have
done IMO.

Thanks to the Green Belt, the small number of people in the catchment area
wasn't going to grow, and there are better ways to commute from the wider
area.

The line would have needed serious investment in order to run more
frequent, full length, direct London trains. Would you, as a London
taxpayer, wanted to have paid for more Essex residents to have heavily
subsidised travel into the already packed core Central line? Wouldn't your
generous offer of a large personal donation be better spent increasing the
central area capacity?