Epping Ongar Railway History Page-Three 1950-1960
In the beginning of 1950's the line was in it's best time.
In 1952 an AVC diesel railcar was tried on the line. As another way of getting around the problem of electrification.
The Ongar Branch line had a brillant safety record until one bad day on the 7th June 1957 a Hunter fighter jet, from the nearby RAF station crashed to the south of of North Weald Station.
Thankfully an approaching 'F5' push and pull did not leave the rails.
This brought back memories of when on 19th February 1934 of when the last 'near miss' occurred on that occasion a goods train from temple mills station, hauled by a J15 0-6-0, lost controls as it approached Ongar. With a passenger train already in the station only quick thinking by a signal man averted disaster. He switched the run-away goods to the loop line, where upon the 'J15' charged the buffer ends, climbed 30ft embankment and nearly landed in the village main street! Mercifully, the train crew jumped for it , and escaped with minor injuries.
Back to 1957, Ongar finally did get it's Electric trains in due coarse.
The steam train was suspended on the morning of Sunday 28th September while new cables were being laid. Current was then switched on 1.30 am Friday 15th November.
The steam service was withdrawn the following day which saw the end of steam at the east end of the original GER line. For many this was a sad day.
On Monday the 17th a tube service was started from Epping. Significantly,however, knowledgeable observers noted that the run round loop at Ongar station had not been electrified. This could have only ment that only two sets of LT trains could run at one time and would cross at North weald.
In early 1958 found the branch was worked by two-cars of 'experimental' trains 1936 stock and two minutes were added to the Epping-Ongar timing.
Then within months, the tube stock was reverted back to three-car trains and an additional evening train each way appeared on the timetable.
In 1957 the Epping Shed closed.
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