Epping Ongar Railway

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Filming at EOR

Epping-Ongar Railway
"The Easy Access & Friendly Transport-Themed Film Location"

The railway is situated just 3 minutes drive from Junction 7 of the M11, and 5 minutes from Junction 27 of the M25, but yet runs for 6.5 miles through unspoilt Essex countryside. Along the line are the original Ongar and North Weald Stations. Both were built by the Great Eastern Railway in 1865 who built many of the lines in the Eastern Region. The station buildings are probably the last original un-altered working stations built by the Great Eastern, and we are restoring them to their original colours and atmosphere. In addition to the stations, we have vintage rolling stock which is in use or undergoing restoration.

EOR offers a number of unique filming locations, both available now and being completed in the next few months (listed here so film units can plan their location schedules).

• North Weald Signalbox - dating from 1888, complete with large mechanical lever frame, painted in authentic LNER / BR(E) colours (1923 - 1950s). Interior due to be completed before end of year.
• North Weald Station; smaller GER country station dating from 1865, countryside backdrop in all directions, also has original 1930s Southern Railway concrete footbridge and SR waiting shelter (the latter in poor condition). Interior of station includes country ticket office, Waiting Room and Ladies Waiting Room (all interiors currently undergoing restoration to LNER 1923 - 1950's colour & atmosphere). All have open fires and most of the original atmospheric features of a branchline station. Station offers extensive parking, and offers a secluded filming location.
• Ongar Station, impressive and atmospheric country terminus; exterior of station and station master's house in good condition, with glass canopy and traditional frontage. Interior complete with large ticket / parcels office, waiting room, station master's office (etc) and about to be repainted into period colours (possibly authentic GER colours (1905 - 1923)). Anticipated to be completed by middle of 2009.
• Diesel Multiple Unit train - 2 coaches, original 1960-80s interior (exterior about to be repainted into 1960s BR exterior).
• Collection of freight wagons, coaches and rolling stock in varying stages of restoration, most being painted to date from the 1950 - late 1980s.
• Wide collection of vintage buses; single and double-decker. Including red London Routemaster, Green Line county service coaches and other vehicles. These can be hired complete with qualified driver for use both on EOR and other locations.

The railway is currently not running passenger trains as we focus on putting in the infrastructure to allow steam to return. This enables filming at any time day or night, weekdays or weekends. Both stations have good access for vehicles (with off-street parking) and we also have a few access points along the line: a number of tree lined sections as well as some up on embankments. The time-scales indicated above are based on volunteer man-power and the progress of exterior projects, also on how kind the weather is to us. We would be open to film companies helping us with professional decorators if they require the locations earlier than our team of enthusiastic volunteers can achieve, as well as enabling the railway to reopen to the public sooner.

We would be delighted to discuss your requirements and welcome your film location team to the railway for a site visit, and throughout filming one of our friendly and helpful team can be on hand as "Facility Enabler" to assist with ensuring your shoot goes smoothly (and possibly even advise on technical aspects if required).

We hope to have the track and signals in place to enable us to bring steam engines back working between North Weald and Ongar in the coming months. This will be signalled using authentic heritage signals. This will then become the only full length steam railway in Essex & Hertfordshire, offering a country railway location, yet easy to reach from its nearby motorway connections.

For Further Details Please Contact: Simon Hanney (Secretary): signals@eorailway.co.uk