Epping to Ongar

No, Pilot Developments did. No matter what some may think, I feel it was a reasonable move, as I highly doubt that the HSE (now the HMRI, thankfully) would have allowed a preservation group to run unshielded ground electrification.

I don't follow the logic here. Surely any railway is a pretty dangerous thing to run!

If HMRI are happy that heritage railways meet the numerous safety standards required to carry the public, why should electric traction be that much of an extra problem?

Because heritage railway staff are almost all volunteers and some of them do not even have the equivalent of a PTS (even WSR only introduced their version of a PTS this year and then only for new staff). As such, not being real railwaymen on a daily basis, they take much longer to develop 'instinctive' safety on and around the line, and to add a 3rd/4th rail into the mix is just asking for trouble.

Then there's the cost of power and the need to maintain the traction rails (and permanent way volunteers are hard to come by as it is for the running rails!). Just ain't gonna happpen.

adw, the standards I suppose are that lax because of the 25mph limit (so poorer track isn't so much of an issue, and it's safer for people on the line than being in the presence of an HST), the volunteer element (scaring them all off with paperwork and umpteen regulations isn't a good idea!) and because it's a comparatively amateur operation overall. As long as the basic requirements are met then they're happy (as happy as a safety executive can be, I guess!).

I understand it being to dangerous but I have read somwere that East Kent Railway were thinking about electrifying there line so they could run there 2 EPB and 4 CEP under there own power. It would be nice if the Epping to Ongar line could be re electrified and even stock would not be a problem whith the CHTL 1960 and 1962 stock units, the LT Museum's 1938 and Q stock units and maybe even the CO/CP stock unit at Quainton Road, plus the possibility of a 1959 stock four car unit and standard stock in the future.

Well it's not out of the question I suppose Tubeboy but the Railway will need to gain the trust of HMRI for some years and build up the funds to be able to run a 4th rail system.

On the other hand, the Railway has to consider its target market and old tube stock is fairly narrow when compared to, yes, you guessed it, the ever popular steam.

Plus, I believe all the old juice rails were sold back to LU or a contractor! ;D (So an order for new ones will be necessary, heh)

Never noticed before -Epping was spelt Eppint. Slip of the keyboard I suppose.

I suspect there's a subconcious thought that because it's only a "little" train it won't hurt you. Sadly it will probably take thirty or forty tons (or whatever a train weighs) in the kneecap for them to learn otherwise and the railway to get a blot on it's copybook.