London Transport trio take over former tube line for gala
THE 50th anniversary of the final steam trains running in London Underground service was marked in style by the Epping Ongar Railway's October 8-10 annual London Transport weekend.
The themed event celebrated the era when the line was part of the Underground.
It featured three locomotives in London Transport maroon livery, including the Worcester Locomotive Society's GWR 0-6-0PT No. 5786, which ran in LT service and was bought by the Worcester Locomotive Society. Based at the South Devon Railway, it was on loan to the Gwili Railway in 2020 and currently carries the LT number L92.
It was joined by Bill Parker's GWR 2-6-2T No. 5521, which, with its cab cut down to negotiate the lower headroom of the tube tunnels, starred in the 2013 celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of the Metropolitan Railway.
The third locomotive in LT maroon livery was Class 20 No. 20227, appearing courtesy of the Class 20 Locomotive Society and currently named Sherlock Holmes.
The trio were supported by the railway's own Class 31 No. 31438. Passenger services throughout the day were complemented by a goods train running through North Weald, and the popular real ale train also ran.
Panniers remembered
The last three panniers in service were the final steam locomotives in service on a UK main line. Acknowledging the huge public interest, LT held a final day of steam operation on the Underground on Sunday, June 6, 1971, when a demonstration engineers' train was headed by GWR 0-6-0PT No. L94 (7752), which is now based at Tyseley Locomotive Works.
Now preparing for the festive season, the EOR will be running its Light Fantastic illuminated trains on selected dates from November 19 until January 9, with all services departing from North Weald rather than Ongar.
Traditional Santa specials will run on December 4/5, 11/12 and 18-24.
The railway will round off Christmas with a New Year steam gala on January 1/2. This is set to see No. L150, No. L92 and home-based GWR 4-6-0 No. 4953 Pitchford Hall in action, and the event may see the return to operation of Hawthorn Leslie 0-6-0ST No. 3437 of 1919.
10th anniversary
May 27-29 will see a major event to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the branch reopening as a heritage line. The event is planned to include a special guest steam locomotive, as yet unannounced, making its first visit away from its home line since overhaul, and further visiting engines.
EOR general manager Dean Walton said: “The railway has come far in its first 10 years. With the possibility of an interchange at Epping, development at Ongar and strong passenger growth, it will be enter the next 10 years in a strong position.”