Railway at Ongar

In 1858 the Epping Railways produced a plan to extend the existing Eastern Counties Railway (ECR) from Loughton via Epping to Ongar. This was granted Parliamentary approval in 1859. However nothingwas done until 1862 when the line was finally built by the Great Eastern Railway. The line eventually opened to passengers and goods on the 24th April 1865, as a single line (with a passing loop at Epping). The Chelmsford Chronicle reported that the first train out of Ongar left
‘amid the cheers of a huge crowd of spectators with the cadets of the Ongar Grammar School firing a volley of shots into the air to celebrate the event.’

The line was used for the transport of milk, some 5000 milk churns a week which were brought into Ongar, Blake Hall and North Weald by horse and cart from farms in the surrounding area. There were two trains a day to London for this purpose.

Before World War II, plans existed for London Transport to take over the branch as an extension to the Central Line from the terminus at Liverpool Street. The war delayed matters and so it wasn’t until September 1949 that London Transport took over the branch line and then only as far as Epping. Electrification of the single line section from Epping to Ongar took place in 1959. In the intervening period British Rail Eastern Region operated it as a steam hauled shuttle service.

The line was losing money from the 1960’s and although in 1976 Essex County Council offered to pay 25% of the line’s annual loss if a morning and afternoon only peak service was operated. The losses continued and London Underground Limited decided to close the line on the 30th September 1994.

Staff at Ongar 1911.

It is interesting to see how many staff worked on the railway at this time.

Station Master: Matthew Proust, aged 47 years.

Booking Office Clerks: Archibald Amos Houchin, aged 29 years and Walter George Holt, aged 44 years. Salary £28s.0d per week.

Lad Clerk: Percy Charles Gilbert, aged 15 years. Salary 8s.0d per week

Signalmen: William Hoppitt, and Frederick Robinson. Their salary was 21s.0d per week.

Foreman Porter: Walter William Heard, aged 56 years. Salary 22s.0d per week.

Porters: C. Adams, and Tom Ashman. Salary 12s.0d per week.

Passenger Guards: George Robinson, aged 52 years, John F. Pearce, aged 46 years and Mr. Vale. Each earned 29 shillings per week.

Goods Foreman: Harry Barnard, aged 31 years. Salary 21s.0d per week.

Leading Goods Porter: William Monk, aged 31 years. Salary 19s.od per week.

Goods Porter: William Judd, aged 31 years. Salary 18s.0d per week.

In addition the 1911 Census also shows the following staff:

Engine drivers: Benjamin Stains, aged 48 years. George Povey Harding, aged 63 years and Alexander William Pryer, aged 36 years.

There were also 2 trainee firemen, a foreman platelayer and a platelayer.