So I braved the depths of Essex and Regal Busways to ride the EOR
service from Ongar to North Weald and back.

My verdict: worth at least one return ride (4GBP for adult all-day
return), if for no other reason than the novelty.

The class 117 DMU they were running (formed from two vehicles, a DMS
and a DMBS) was in relatively good condition, considering its age; it
seemed to have no trouble running at the current linespeed of 16mph,
and its horn worked perfectly fine. It was the first time I ever rode
a Mk1 slammer railcar.

Ongar and North Weald are in a rather worn state; the platforms at
both stations are serviceable, but beyond that the lack of
maintenance, undoubtedly inherited from TfL and the line's enforced
limbo, is apparent. Interestingly, the old two-aspect station starter
and single-aspect inner home at Ongar are still extant, though
stripped of most of the interesting bits - the line is currently
worked using the token-based 'one train in steam' principle, with the
token being the brake controller handle.....

The P-Way was OK, albeit restricted in two places to 10mph running due
to poor rail alignment, and festooned with broken and discarded power
rail insulators, some still upright and empty. I spoke to one of the
volunteers on the return trip from North Weald, who stated that the
EOR, with the assistance of a Network Rail P-Way engineer, had plans
to improve the P-Way to permit 25mph running. Fortunately the bridges
and embankments are in excellent condition; one can see that the ECR
wanted to leave no major obstacles if the line were to be doubled ;-)

I was talking to someone else who stated that a platform at Epping was
still vapourware; to make up for this, the group has a rather nice
RTL-class Routemaster, painted British racing green and bearing the
code RTL1256, which they intend to run between Epping LU and North
Weald for onward connections.

In my honest opinion, the EOR is worth a look.

Interestingly, the old two-aspect station starter
and single-aspect inner home at Ongar are still extant ...

What's a single-aspect signal?
--
Mark Brader, Toronto | "Where is down special?" ... "Good."
| "Do you refuse to answer my question?" "Don't know."

Mark Brader wrote:
Interestingly, the old two-aspect station starter
and single-aspect inner home at Ongar are still extant ...

What's a single-aspect signal?

A signal with only one aspect.

Interestingly, the old two-aspect station starter
and single-aspect inner home at Ongar are still extant ...

What's a single-aspect signal?

A signal with only one aspect.

Sigh. Okay. What *use* is a single-aspect signal?
--
Mark Brader ...the scariest words of the afternoon:
Toronto "Hey, don't worry, I've read all about
doing this sort of thing!" -- Vernor Vinge

In article ,
Mark Brader wrote:
Interestingly, the old two-aspect station starter
and single-aspect inner home at Ongar are still extant ...

What's a single-aspect signal?

A signal with only one aspect.

Sigh. Okay. What *use* is a single-aspect signal?

Fixed distant, or fixed stop signal. Not what I'd expect to find doing
an inner home job, though ...

Nick
--
http://www.leverton.org/ ... So express yourself ...

Mark Brader:
Sigh. Okay. What *use* is a single-aspect signal?

Nick Leverton:
Fixed distant, or fixed stop signal.

Oh, of course.
--
Mark Brader | (Monosyllables being forbidden to doctors of philosophy,
Toronto | such truths are called "invariants" in the trade.)
| -- Jeff Prothero

(Mark Brader) wrote in message ...
Interestingly, the old two-aspect station starter
and single-aspect inner home at Ongar are still extant ...

What's a single-aspect signal?

A two-aspect head with the upper aspect blanked off.

I looked at the signalling diagram for the LW and LX sites and it
makes no mention of a west-facing single-aspect signal at Ongar; only
LX21, the two-aspect station starter, and an FRL, are shown.

Does anyone have any more information?

"TheOneKEA" wrote in message
om...
I looked at the signalling diagram for the LW and LX sites and
it makes no mention of a west-facing single-aspect signal at Ongar;
only LX21, the two-aspect station starter, and an FRL, are shown.
Does anyone have any more information?

The signal approaching Ongar was a fixed yellow, designed to act as a
repeater for the red lamps at the end of the line. This arrangements was/is
not unique on LU - I think there is a fixed yellow approaching Chesham, and
also most tunnel sidings have sequences of them. Most are un-numbered,
however the one at Ongar was unique in that it's ident was "ONGAR".

I would guess it was installed as part of the post-Moorgate enhancements.
Most termini would have the last signal held at red until the train was
proved to have slowed, but presumably other arrangements were necessary at
Ongar because there weren't any approach signals. Obviously the yellow
isn't going to stop a fast-approaching train, but it would provide
protection at night if a driver couldn't see the landmarks where he had to
start braking for the terminus.

David Splett wrote:
"TheOneKEA" wrote in message
om...

I looked at the signalling diagram for the LW and LX sites and
it makes no mention of a west-facing single-aspect signal at Ongar;
only LX21, the two-aspect station starter, and an FRL, are shown.
Does anyone have any more information?


The signal approaching Ongar was a fixed yellow, designed to act as a
repeater for the red lamps at the end of the line. This arrangements was/is
not unique on LU - I think there is a fixed yellow approaching Chesham, and
also most tunnel sidings have sequences of them. Most are un-numbered,
however the one at Ongar was unique in that it's ident was "ONGAR".

I would guess it was installed as part of the post-Moorgate enhancements.
Most termini would have the last signal held at red until the train was
proved to have slowed, but presumably other arrangements were necessary at
Ongar because there weren't any approach signals. Obviously the yellow
isn't going to stop a fast-approaching train, but it would provide
protection at night if a driver couldn't see the landmarks where he had to
start braking for the terminus.


This signal had a trip thing that went down a certain time after the
train has passed the signal - it was away from the signal. If the train
was approaching too quickly the trip thing would of still been up and
set of the brakes.

James Looker wrote in message ...
David Splett wrote:

The signal approaching Ongar was a fixed yellow, designed to act as a
repeater for the red lamps at the end of the line. This arrangements was/is
not unique on LU - I think there is a fixed yellow approaching Chesham, and
also most tunnel sidings have sequences of them. Most are un-numbered,
however the one at Ongar was unique in that it's ident was "ONGAR".

I would guess it was installed as part of the post-Moorgate enhancements.
Most termini would have the last signal held at red until the train was
proved to have slowed, but presumably other arrangements were necessary at
Ongar because there weren't any approach signals. Obviously the yellow
isn't going to stop a fast-approaching train, but it would provide
protection at night if a driver couldn't see the landmarks where he had to
start braking for the terminus.

This signal had a trip thing that went down a certain time after the
train has passed the signal - it was away from the signal. If the train
was approaching too quickly the trip thing would of still been up and
set of the brakes.

Sounds like an approach-controlled trainstop, to prove the train is at
the proper low speed before allowing it access to the platform.