It's nice and busy at North Weald,
where Met Number One is preparing to take its train to Ongar.

Some condensation on the windows of the bus - or my camera.




Rain drops falling on the window. Looks like an impressionist painting!

Number 6430 is getting ready for Ongar.




Just a few more minutes ...




... before 6430 can take over the section from Met. No. 1.




Met. No. 1 enters North Weald with a three-coach train from Ongar.
The turntable at Ongar was removed many, many moons ago (see "history").
So it is often "bunker first"!
It depends on which way the engine
is unloaded off the road transport at North Weald!

Upper quadrant and single aspect signals both at danger!




Each side of Met. No. 1 depicts the Metropolitan Railway Crest.
Railway companies used to like elaborate company crests. At the top, below the clenched fist, the Latin inscription, "Vis Vincta Servit", translates as "power harnessed serves", or, which might be more elegantly put as, "[electrical] power harnessed to serve [the public]". Underneath, the crest depicts, from top left in clockwise rotation, the four administrative areas served by the Met., namely, the City of London (with Wat Tyler's sword), Middlesex (not Essex), Hertfordshire (Hart is a stag) and Buckinghamshire (which used to keep the swans for mediaeval kings - hence the poor bird is in chains). Of course, John Betjeman's "Metro-Land" was the area served by the Metropolitan Railway.

Skilled sign painters were originally employed to embellish the liveries of a railway company's rolling stock. Nowadays, I understand, transfers are used - at least for intricate crests.




Waiting at North Weald to go to "Epping Glade".
Before boarding the train, there may be time to investigate a Victorian mystery.




In the cab, there is a nice lot of plumbing, gauges, and a spade for the coal.
Note the wooden floor!




The Class 20 number 8001 is from another age,
but today is "top and tailing", with trains
to and from Epping Glade and some to and from Ongar.

North Weald recedes into the distance.




It looks as if we have reached the Stop Board marking the start of a radio token section.
It's time to return to North Weald.




It's July, so the trees are in full leaf.




We have passed beneath the M11 and soon we'll reach North Weald.

Met No. 1 repositions itself to take the three-car train to Ongar.




The footbridge has been completed and provides a nice vantage point
for all the goings-on at North Weald.




Met. No. 1 is backing on to the trio of MK1 carriages for Ongar.
For most purposes, the foot bridge has taken over from the level crossing
as a means to connect the two platforms at North Weald.




I'm not sure if today, the engine driver is also doing fireman's duties.




Almost there! Gently does it!




More or less there!




On Platform 1, the Pannier comes in from Ongar.
The Class 20 will "tail" this train for the run to Epping Glade.




On Platform 2, Met No. 1 is preparing for Ongar.




The footbridge provides a good vantage point,
but I shall join the train for Ongar.

Met No. 1 runs around its train to go bunker-first to North Weald.
The turntable at Ongar is long gone!




Inside the station, there was a picture of a GER icon, a Claude Hamilton.
This one, number 1870, built in 1902, was an early experiment in using oil instead of coal.
See also linkCH1 and linkCH2.




"Claude Hamiltons" were used on express trains from Liverpool Street to destinations such as Ipswich and Norwich. They will probably not have hauled more local trains to Ongar, but, being a GER icon, they deserve a picture at Ongar Station!




These three maps show the extent of the Great Eastern Railway (GER).




The GER served most of East Anglia and Essex,
and had a good coverage of north east London, as the right side of this map showed.
The lines on the left side represent running powers of the GER north of March and Spalding.
Connecting bus services and shipping to Holland and Belgium were also part of GER's remit.




The GER had an extensive network of services in north east London.
This included running powers to Fenchurch Street (LTSR),
St Pancras (MR), and south of New Cross (LBSCR).
So, for example, there were direct services from Fenchurch Street to Ongar!
In the above map, the link to Greenwich is by ferry - not by rail!!




Popular holiday destinations such as the Norfolk Broads, Lowestoft,
Great Yarmouth and Cromer were all part of the GER empire.




This "advertisement" at Ongar Station for the "Titanic",
reminds us of a poignant connection of Ongar with the ill-fated ocean liner.
(See 2012 Memorial Plaque.)




At first glance, the terminus at Ongar suggests that time has stood still. It is only closer inspection that reveals that this picture was actually taken in the 21st century! The trees across the road straight ahead preside over the reason why the EOR was never extended to Dunmow or to link up with the main line at Chelmsford. A frequent and much liked visitor on the EOR is Met No. 1, although this locomotive is actually associated with the north west of the Underground network.




Inside Ongar Signal Box work had advanced since 2012.
Levers neatly labelled. Even the obligatory cloth for the lever handles.
The cloth means that the human hand does not physically have to touch the levers,
so keeping the lever handles as clean as possible.
There is also the track diagram. Electrics are in place.
There are what appear to be two single line tokens on the right.




GWR Pannier 6430 is running around its train which it will shortly take back to North Weald.
Behind, enshrouded in tarpaulins, is a Gresley teak buffet coach, which is being restored. When restored, it would be ideal for lunch trains on the EOR!




Another view of the Pannier as it runs around its train at Ongar.

Lots of summer greenery ...




... as we head out of Ongar.




The overbridge connects Chipping Ongar (North) from the right
with the New Barns Cottages and the Penson's Lane Path on the left.




Onward we go with a sign on a red post appearing up on the left.




This sign might indicate the distance to the footpath which crosses
the track a short way further on. Perhaps NINE metres (or yards) away?
At the same time this could also be the fourth pedestrian rail crossing,
at the level or as on over bridge - since Ongar.




Is there an overbridge ahead?




Here's the overbridge with the former Blake Hall Station just behind on the right.

I took this picture of 8001 from the footbridge at North Weald at 15:00:54.
I took the previous picture behind the Pannier just before the overbridge at Blake Hall at 14:51:24.
These are timings given by my camera;
important here is the time DIFFERENCE, as opposed to the absolute times.
The time difference is 00:09:30 or 9½ minutes. This could be plausible even though I am only moderately fleet of foot. So what? This suggests that the journey from Ongar to North Weald WAS top and tailed by the Pannier and the diesel, even though I was in Ongar Station looking at the GER mementos and was not aware of the manoeuvrings of the diesel outside!




Two more views of D8001, ...




... which has probably been uncoupled by now.




D8001 will back sufficiently up the line towards Ongar ...




... to give the Pannier room to switch on to the other line (Platform 1)
and back on to the head of the train parked there.




The Pannier is running around its train in readiness for the journey to Ongar. Note the extra shovel. What would happen if the original shovel broke and there was no spare!! No shovel, no progress!




The Pannier will steam past the points ahead and reverse on to the other track.
Upper quadrant signal at "clear".




The parked diesel and multiple units include,
closest to the buffers, the Class 45 (Peak Class) number 45132
which is being restored on the EOR.




The Pannier - seen on the extreme left - heads back past
the points and the line of parked diesel rolling stock.




Points change, and here's the Pannier on the other line - Platform 1.
Stations with two through platforms often
had the up (London-bound) platform numbered 1




Backing on to the Ongar-bound train.
A nice rural view of North Weald.




I remember seeing Panniers at Paddington in the days of steam. On the departure side, they brought in the carriages (typically MK 1 stock) for a 4-6-0 or a Britannia to take to the West or Wales on an express. Conversely, on the arrival side they would haul the empty carriages off to the sidings for servicing. Nowadays, diesels and multiple unit stock simplify changing direction.
Sic transit gloria vaporis.




Number 6430 was built by the GWR in 1937 at their Swindon Works,
but looks resplendent bearing BR's "cycling lion".




A look at the controls of number 6430.
The GWR preferred just one steam pressure gauge in the cab,
whilst other railway companies usually used two.




Final preparations for Ongar.
The lamp has been set up to give the correct "Head code":
the single lamp means a local passenger train.
Coal is redistributed in the bunker for ease of "shovel" access during the journey.




Here's Met. No. 1 from Ongar.
Once again, "Head code" with single lamp implies a local passenger train.
Upper quadrant signal (right) and single aspect signal (left) both at danger.




Met. No. 1 is slowing down and ...




... and bringing its train into North Weald's Platform 2.




Now that Met. No. 1 has come in from Ongar on Platform 2,
Ongar beckons to Pannier and train at Platform 1.
It's probably the last train of the day to Ongar.




Phew! Off to Ongar in a cloud of steam.
All this seems to recall the Jazz Trains of the 1920s and earlier,
taking commuters in and out of Liverpool Street Station
while operating to a tight time schedule.
Well before electrification!




Met. No. 1 gets some water to drink.
I'm not sure if the driver also maintains the fire
for the reasonably short stretches on the EOR.




It's probably off to the overnight parking space.
I think the head code means "engine running light".




Here's a close-up of Met. No. 1.
The diesel behind tells us the Victorian age is behind us -
although we like to celebrate some aspects of Victoria's reign!

The Great Eastern lives on!