NEW FOR 2026! Small Engines Gala7, 8 November
An exciting weekend where our small engines, both steam and diesel, come out to play alongside some visiting locomotives too!
Up to 8 diminutive industrial locomotives in action!
An intensive service will operate, during which the engines will need to work hard on our challenging gradients.
Hourly service between North Weald and Ongar, with frequent shuttle services into Epping Forest too.
All trains will be running in conjunction with our fleet of vintage London buses, which will provide connections with Epping Underground station.
HUNSLET SADDLE TANK
1589 "NEWSTEAD"
THE "LOST" ENGINE!
Discovered in a Convent and recently returned to steam!
ANDREW BARCLAY AUSTERITY TANK
2183 "EARL DAVID"
THE MILITARY VETERAN!
Built for the War Department and rescued in 2003!
(Photo: K Felstead)
BAGNALL 0-6-0 PANNIER TANK
2613 "BROOKFIELD"
RARE GUEST APPEARANCE!
Appearing at a guest location for the first time in 30 years!
GREAT EASTERN RAILWAY "COFFEE POT" LOCOMOTIVE
229
RETURNING FAVOURITE!
Returning to a part of the former Great Eastern Railway network for the first time!
FORMER LONDON UNDERGROUND SENTINEL
DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE DL82
HISTORIC FIRST!
Working passenger trains for the first time
HAWTHORN LESLIE SADDLE TANK
3437 "ISABEL"
OUR OWN "LITTLE ENGINE"
Working shuttle trains into Epping Forest
CLASS 03
DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE D2170
DIESEL SHUNTING WORKHORSE
PUBLIC TRANSPORT:
It's easy to get to us via the London Underground and Elizabeth Line and Greater Anglia services. Our inclusive vintage London buses will run from right outside the front of Epping Underground station (Central Line, zone 6), connecting with our train services at North Weald and Ongar stations. These will connect with the first and last train services, as well as running regularly throughout the day, so you will not miss a minute of the action! Timetables with bus times will be available shortly.
THERE IS NO CAR PARKING AT OUR STATIONS:
There is only limited car parking for disabled passengers at our stations, which must be booked in advance. Public car parks are available in Ongar (charges may apply), a short walk from the station (use postcode CM5 9AB); Alternatively passengers may park at Epping Station (charges apply) and join our vintage bus service (use postcode CM16 4HW).
More details on how to get to us.
LNER Cafe at North Weald and the Buffet Stop at Ongar
Our catering outlets will be open all day. Hot snacks and other light refreshments and hot and cold drinks are available at the LNER Cafe at North Weald, including breakfast rolls until 11.30; the Buffet Stop at Ongar will be offering hot and cold drinks and other light refreshments.
The Penny Salon Gallery
The Penny Salon Gallery at Ongar station will be open featuring our new exhibition 'WINTER - SNOW AND FROST AND STEAM' showcasing renowned photographer Geoff Silcock's embodiment of a famous J.M.W. Turner painting in the snow. Admission is free so don't forget to complete your visit and take a look during the day.
Timetables for the train services, together with times of the connecting vintage London bus service will be available soon!
Why not sign up to our newsletter, via the homepage, or like or follow us on Facebook and Instagram to be among the first to find out more!
All fares include unlimited travel on our train and vintage London bus services on the date of your visit.
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TRAVEL TICKETS - IN ADVANCE Adult: £27.00 |
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TRAVEL TICKETS - On the day Adult: £28.50 |
Discover the fascinating histories and background details of our guest steam locomotives.
HUNSLET 1589 "NEWSTEAD"
Built in 1929 by the Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds (Works No. 1589), 'Newstead' is a saddle tank steam locomotive with an extraordinary, fairytale history. Built for industrial service, the engine spent its working life shunting coal for the South Kirkby, Featherstone & Hemsworth Collieries and the National Coal Board at Woolley Colliery until its withdrawal in 1971. Famously dubbed the "Lost Engine," it was long presumed scrapped by the enthusiast community. In reality, it had been saved in 1972 by enthusiast Malcolm Saul, who secretly stored and cared for it inside a custom-built shed - eventually hidden by overgrown trees - in the grounds of a Hertfordshire convent. Following its incredible rediscovery in 2015 after Saul's passing, the engine was extracted and underwent a meticulous, multi-year restoration. Working its first-ever public passenger trains in July 2025, the locomotive has been beautifully brought back to life and is now based at the North Norfolk Railway.
ANDREW BARCLAY 2183 "EARL DAVID"
Built in 1943 by Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. in Kilmarnock (Works No. 2183), 'Earl David' is a powerful 0-6-0ST (saddle tank) steam locomotive with an extensive military and industrial background. Constructed to the Hunslet Engine Company's iconic "Austerity" pattern under a World War II War Ministry contract, the engine first served the War Department as WD71529 near Carlisle before moving into industrial service, eventually joining Scotland's famous Wemyss Private Railway in 1965 as No. 15. Following the railway's closure in 1970, the locomotive spent 33 years languishing in a Scottish scrapyard before being rescued for preservation in 2003. It was during its subsequent restoration at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway that the engine formally acquired the name 'Earl David' when it returned to steam in December 2007. Following a comprehensive mechanical overhaul completed in 2025, this resilient engine has now moved on loan to Peak Rail in Derbyshire, where it proudly operates in its distinctive, historic Wemyss Private Railway livery
BAGNALL 2613 "BROOKFIELD"
Built in September 1940 by W. G. Bagnall (Works No. 2613), 'Brookfield' is a unique 0-6-0PT (pannier tank) steam locomotive with a fascinating wartime history. Originally ordered in 1939 for export to Turkey as a 1-metre gauge engine, the outbreak of World War II saw it commandeered and completed to standard gauge for domestic use, serving at the Admiralty Machinery Depot in Stoke-on-Trent until 1959. Following a brief working stint at the Brookfield Foundry until 1962, the locomotive was saved at auction in 1983 and entered preservation. After an extensive overhaul, this historic engine successfully returned to service in late 2024 at the Mangapps Railway Museum in Burnham on Crouch.
GREAT EASTERN RAILWAY 229
Built in March 1876 by Neilson & Co. in Glasgow (Works No. 2119), 'No. 229' is a tiny 21-ton Great Eastern Railway (GER) Class 209 0-4-0 Saddle Tank steam locomotive with a remarkable 150-year survival story. Affectionately nicknamed the 'Coffee Pot' or 'Flat-Top' due to its unusual, flat-shaped water tank, the engine began its working life shunting at London’s Liverpool Street station and testing carriage brakes. Sold to the Admiralty in 1917 for wartime service at the National Shipyard in Chepstow, it worked industrial sidings until it was finally retired and sold out of commercial service in 1982. Following a long period as a static exhibit at the North Woolwich Old Station Museum from 1984 to 2008, it was moved to The Flour Mill workshops in Gloucestershire. There, it underwent a meticulous, multi-year mechanical overhaul that returned it to steam for the first time in nearly 70 years. Celebrating its landmark 150th anniversary in 2026, this incredible Victorian survivor made high-profile tour appearances at Hopetown Darlington, the Beamish Museum, and the Didcot Railway Centre, before appearing at the Epping Ongar Railway.