Last BR train to Epping

The last BR passenger train was later than '58. There were very early and late passenger trains via Leyton Junction in later years and only stopped when the jucnction was taken out of commision. IIRC One or two of the said trains went as far as Ongar.

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LNER/BR passenger services were withdrawn as Central Line trains took over, though local freight services lasted much longer and the first and last trains to Epping continued to run from Liverpool Street into the 1960s. Once taken over, the section from Hainault to Woodford was operated as a self-contained shuttle, with only the occasional peak-hour trains running on to the rest of the line (and no trains ever running right round the loop). This changed to the present arrangement in the early 1990s. The north side of the loop was used as a testbed for the Automatic Train Operation later adopted on the Victoria Line.

The section from Epping to Ongar provided a refuge for steam for 8 years while a shuttle was worked by BR on behalf of LU. When electrification was completed in 1957, there still wasn't enough power to start a full-length train at Ongar, and the shuttle remained, but now worked by one or two half-length trains. The section was eventually closed in 1994, and in 1998 it was sold to Pilot Developments, a private operator. Although the track under the M11 bridge was lowered enough to allow main-line stock to fit, no services were ever run. At the start of 2001 Pilot was released from the obligation to run the line and their operating licence was withdrawn. In 2004 the Epping-Ongar Railway Volunteer Society started a Sunday service along most of the route

I remember this being discussed elsewhere about a year ago. At the time I posted

When I joined LU in 1966, I remember watching the diesal leave Epping before the first passenger train in the morning. I believe they stopped running shortly after - about 1968?

The BR Freight service ran from Temple Mills - as an ex work mate of mine was AYM there in the 1960s - it was kimited in length to about 10 or so wagons and had to have a brakevan at each end.

Some well meaning freight salesman got a bulk order (about a years supply) of bagged fertiliser for Ongar - promptly delivered in a 60 wagon block load to Temple Mills who naturally wanted it sent down in 2 goes of 30 wagons each. This was refused - and as they could only unload about 2/3 wagons a day in Ongar - iot took them about a month to get the whole consignement offloaded - tying up lots of wagons for that period and blocking 2 roads in the yard. No wonder Beeching took such a dim view of wagon productivity - or lack of !.

I take it that there are no proposals to re-connect the Central to the NR lines at Ealing Bdwy? There was a connection in GWR days and this survived to the 70s I seem to recall via an extended unelectrified siding possibly from the WB to the Up Slow which you could see from a train on the overbridge east of Hangar Lane Junction if you looked down. I suppose that because of the signalling changes there is now no practical connection between the District and Central which is padlocked:

"Connections
Trains in the District Line platforms at Ealing Broadway can run on to the eastbound Central Line; this connection is normally padlocked".