Apparently this was filmed in reverse and played backwards. Geoff has the unique ability to talk backwards. He started speaking as soon as the train doors closed, then the video was reversed. Genius.
"Do you like Epping?" "I don't know, I've never epped!" A joke used at every opportunity by my recently departed father in law. Somewhat frequently given he lived in Leytonstone. At least Geoff can say he has properly epped now!
i’m from Germany and was in London for a few days some years ago and thought “why don’t i just take the tube to a random end of line”. It ended up being epping and I gotta say it was a pretty lucky choice. lovely station with lots of heritage all around it on that bit of track 🛤
Same for me, but in my case i ended up the several Metropolitan Line endings (Amersham, Chesham, Uxbridge and Watford). I also had visiting Epping in mind, but as time is limited, I had to save it for my next London trip.
I bumped into Geoff while he was filming this at Epping and just wanna write a comment to thank you for being so lovely and polite despite me possibly interrupting your filming, sorry if that was the case!
I was a signalman at Epping in 64/65 the car park was at that time a goods yard and on night shift nearly always had a diesel dropping off and picking up truck’s before heading off to Ongar. In those days it wasn’t a particularly busy signal box plenty of time for hobbies. Happy days.
Great to hear Epping in Sydney and Melbourne mentioned at the end. Sydney also has stations named Lewisham, Croydon, Sydenham (soon to be a metro station like Epping), Stanmore, Windsor and Richmond. We also have Woodford and Blackheath a little further out in the Blue Mountains, and Waterloo metro station opening in 2024!
For those who don't know, there is a superb cab-view video of the Epping-Ongar section on UA-cam, shot in 1980, the year before Blake Hall closed. A wonderful historical document.
I actually used Blake Hall Station (Ongar extension) several times back in the 1970's as it served Britain's oldest wooden church which looks incredible.
Stuart Hall, Now you can call yourself Stuart Blake Hall. One Monday morning about 1979, I spoke to the staff member at Blake Hall, expressing my simple view of it being quiet, the quietest on LT. Not at all, I was corrected, he had sold fourteen tickets that morning. I didn't like to ask how many were weekly tickets. The location was, probably still is, romantically rural.
Another great video, I know Epping station well as I grew up in nearby Loughton and would often go for rides to Ongar when I was a boy. I can just remember the 1923 stock, which later ended up on the Isle of Wight, when I was very small but mostly it was the 1962 stock I travelled in most of the time. There was something delightfully incongruous being on a tube train meant for deep-level lines in central London but here instead bouncing through Epping Forest and woods and fields and stopping in the middle-of-nowhere at Blake Hall station. Epping station is delightful and when the Epping Ongar heritage line is in operation, there is a very real air of the past with RT, RTL and RF buses working their way between the station at North Weald station to provide a link to the heritage line. One thing you didn't mention, however, is that while Epping town centre is only five minutes from the station, it is a very steep climb for those with reduced mobility but there are, thankfully, buses between the two for those of us who can no longer face the climb. Kind regards, David, Crouch End, London N8
Are used to live in a bin for many years and I used to think the same myself . But then again my family lived in the area for over 400 years Edit just checked again over 500 years
Every time Geoff said “End of the line” I started humming the Travelling Wilburys song. Also looking at the copyright notice at the end of the video I’ve only just noticed how strangely satisfying the year 2022 is in Roman numerals with it being MMXXII.
Hi Geoff, British Rail owned the track and maintained it till 1971. A friend of mine, held the last BR residential staff pass from Loughton, as he joined prior to 1971.
As a Harlow resident, I’m glad you pointed out the dilemma we have with two ways of travelling into London. It’s also worth noting the two waiting rooms which are almost never used, since every day apart from Sundays there’s always at least one train in the station at any time.
That waiting room is perfect on cold winter days in the late evenings. Sometimes there’s a 10-15 minute gap near the end of service, so it’s much better to be in a heated waiting room than a cold miserable platform.
I can confirm that, around the corner beyond the bridge, TfL has installed a back-to-back train arrestor setup at the end of their rails to facilitate the Epping Glade heritage station 😄
Fun fact. Sydney's Epping was also an end of the line from 2009-2018 as part of the Epping - Chatswood rail extension. Prior to this from opening it was always a thru station on the T9/ Main Northern line, but became one end point to the T1 North Shore line. In 2018 the line was closed and converted to Metro standard along with the extension to Tallawong.
Hi Geoff, was a pleasure meeting you outside the pub yesterday post half marathon! Hope your legs are not in too much pain this morning and thank you for the selfie!
When I started learning English as a child growing up in Germany, the textbook centered around folks who lived in Epping. Less than a year later, I moved to a different place in Germany. The grammar school I went to after the move was in a town called Eppingen. And Epping was their sister city. That school used the same English textbook.
This series makes me want to do a tour of the end-of-line stations here on our own Singapore’s MRT network. There’s a certain quality to terminal stations, wherever they are, and they definitely deserve more appreciation.
tbh there's nothing much to it, even on the tuas west extension (other than it's the nearest to the checkpoint to malaysia but there's no foot entry to the checkpoint as policy.)
@@shawnli4746 Tuas Link definitely has that quiet ambience. I should visit that station and the area around it more often when I need some quiet away time.
Newcastle Airport on T&W Metro is so hugely disappointing (and expensive given its one stop away from Callerton PW but in a different fare zone). St James' is HUGE when empty most times but not that big when NUFC are at home at SJP (or events on). South Shields is "tidy" with handy semi-integrated bus station under it (platform elevated). This is the newest termini having moved about 100mtr further West from the old station. South Hylton feels like it's in the countryside even though its just off the A19 & about 10km from Sunderland City centre.
When I started working for Network Rail, way back in 2007, I first became aware of how distances are measured on the network, and some of the peculiarities of them. One of the strangest on my area was the Days Road Siding in Bristol. A short siding that ran from the line between Temple Meads and Filton and used for refuse trains and formerly linked to the docks. Most distances in the area were set from Paddington, but this one siding had a datum in Derby. Why? It hadn’t always been a siding. It used to be a branch of the midland railway route between Birmingham and Bath which was long since truncated to Westerleigh Oil Terminal. When it was connected to the former Great Western network to continue serving the docks, it kept its original, now long since severed, mileage datum.
Amersham station's car park has about twice the number of spaces as Epping's (over 1000). But as it council owned and run, rather than LU owned/NCP run, it never figures in these stats. Even before the recent expansion, it was slightly bigger than Epping's.
Interesting as well that the TFL website does say Amersham station has a car park which would in theory would make it the biggest car park according to the TFL website even if not owned by them.
2:50 Hooray! That’s my local station! Still use Epping to get into London often though since it’s cheaper. Always loved Epping station, and despite the fact I’ve been here more times than I can count, I still learned new stuff about it in this video. Amazing!
The “FP” sign shown is a “fouling point”, which means that the coaches on the train cannot pass it. This is because the loco may not be able to clear the coaches when running around. The 0.0 marker is actually where the buffers are. I’m a volunteer at the EOR in case anyone asks. Great video, I hope you visit the EOR again some time.
I have driven the Epping Ongar railway. Driving a BR Class 25 locomotive and rake of coaches, for my 50th birthday treat. So you could say I have driven to the end of the line!
Hi Geoff, Interesting video that, I have a friend, a former main line Driver like myself, who works trains on the Ongar line and another who drives Classic LT buses over there on certain classic transport rallies. I trust you are now fully recovered from your challenge with Jen on the move, that was also an enjoyable watch. Thanks for all you do, Jon B.
I lived in Theydon Bois and went to school in Epping so went through that station twice a day for 5 years between 1972 to 1977. I was very lucky as my older brother was a central line train driver and sometimes we got to look in the cab between Theydon and Epping stations, but I will deny that if asked lol. He also drove the Epping to Ongar line.
Interesting tidbit for you about the Epping station in Melbourne (pronounced Melbun by us locals), Epping station was opened, then closed. Rebuilt the other side of the road, and then moved again a few hundred metres, before being rebuilt underground, closer to the original position.
YES Geoff did not quite get the pronunciation of Melbourne quite right but I have heard worse attempts. I grew up in Reservoir which is about 4 stations south of Epping. Your history re Epping station is spot on.
I recon that yellow loco is much older then 1964...the epping-ongar branch was fantastic to work on in the summer..a pretty magical little line. Imagine being the station master of Blake hall station in the 1930s-40s..difficult to think of a better job.
Brings back memories- think 1981 when I was student in Reading. Go train to Ealing Broadway then tube to Epping. The Epping Ongar service operated in the evening. Did the branch and back to to Reading. The Ongar train was a shuttle so you crossedthe footbridge at Epping.
Good to see Epping Station again. I was a trainee booking clerk there in 1970. I'm glad I took the opportunity one day to take the Ongar shuttle. I've never been back to Epping or Ongar since but I must check out the heritage railway if I get the chance.
I do love this series. As a kid I'd do the same thing here in Alberta on both our metro systems in Edmonton and Calgary. It was my Grandma that always took me to station/extension openings because she was a huge railfan herself and I still do the same thing with my mom even if she's not nearly as interested in it as we were... On a side note, I'm still surprised that TFL hasn't reabsorbed the old Epping Ongar railway back into its portfolio or even extended it to North Weald Station since it has an old RAF base/airport within walking distance and an active 6000' runway that is large enough to accommodate A220-300's on it if they so chose. Seems like a natural fit to either expand services out of this airport OR demolish it for the housing estate that was planned 10-15 years ago... As a transport fan, I'd say make it into a London City-esque Airport with flights to Canada, but that's just me... Since Alberta and Ontario taxpayers along with Kuwait own LCY aka London City Airport I say we build and operate a second one with more expanded offerings to British North America!
Geoff, the 0.o point is actually at the buffer stops at the end of the head shunt at Ongar, that is the actual end of the line. The post with "FP" on it is a "Fouling Point" marker. Rolling stock doesn't pass this point, this allows the loco to be uncoupled, move into the head shunt, then run around the train without "fouling" it. Just thought I'd let you know.
Just got back from doing this end of the line Journey! Third one we've completed. Was a lovely day out, nice market in the high street, walk through the forest, and great lunch at a little Turkish spot. Have to pick an End of the Line for the next holiday.
If you're old like me and live in Essex, you may well have used Epping station during the rail strikes of the '70s. I did and changed trains onto the Ongar shuttle. I seem to remember that the destination screen at Holborn had a position for direct trains to Ongar but didn't manage to ever see such a train.
Being a pedant, past Geoff forgot that distances on London Underground are measured in kilometres and metres, rather than the miles and chains that most of the National Rail network uses. (Exceptions being HS1, HS2, and the Crossrail Central Operating Section, which are all in metric units.)
Great video as always Geoff. Just to let you know the FP the white marker post near the points, stands for 'Fouling Point.' It's where there is not enough clearance for two trains to pass safely.
Ah, this brought back some distant memories - as a teen I used to work Saturdays over the road from Ongar station, and did make the journey all the way into Central London on the line a couple of times.
Great series! Thanks for the mention of the Eppings down-under. "Our" Epping in Melbourne used to be the End of the Line from 1964 up until the line was (re)extended in 2012.
I'm in the middle of watching, well almost 2 minutes... that post in the switch says "FP" for Fouling Point. It's not the indicator of MP 0.0, at least not right there in the center of a crossover. I really enjoy your videos and this current new series. Thank you Geoff.
This was Epic-ping good video Frank Pick... Sorry meant to say Geoff. Love how you managed to use some unused footage for this video at Ongar as well. Also they run a Heritage bus to the Epping Ognar Railway as well.
Fun fact: When the dreaded Rupert Murdoch relocated from Australia to Britain in the late 1960s, he lived at Coopersale and commuted from Epping to Fleet St every day.
Thanks for mentioning a thing that fascinates me about the London Underground, is that it's run on lines, which used to be mainline. From somebody from Moscow that sounds unbelievable, since every line is newly built. It's also that some station's feel incredibly rural.
I grew up in Loughton. (Well, I SAY I grew up) so I know this from 60 years ago, wandering around the forest, In Theydon Bois, next down the line, there was a beekeeper - a German pilot shot down, POW, who just stayed. Good vid, thanksd
Loved the 0 0 marker! This is the first time I’ve seen chains mentioned in a UA-cam video. I did forest surveying in NW Ontario in the 90s and used a metric rope chain (20 meters). An imperial chain is 66 feet. Back in the day they were actual chains with 100 links/chain (or four rods). There’s 80 chains in a mile. That’s where the phrase “yanking my chain” comes from. When surveying one person takes a compass bearing on a distant point and walks straight towards it holding the front of the chain (no matter what’s in the way - mud, swamp, black fly infested muskeg, …etc). The other person would yell “Chain!” When the entire 66’ chain is taunt then walk up to meet his partner. However,as a joke the end person could yank on the chain when the first person was right in the middle of a big mud puddle or swamp and they’d fall into whatever icky mess they were surveying over. My survey partner Bart did that once and I fell off a log into a lovely bit of wet muskeg. (Still was an awesome summer… that started with my getting off the train from Toronto at a remote Whistle Stop at ‘Red Lake Road’) Thanks again Geoff!
The issue of (far) cheaper fares vs Greater Anglia from Harlow and further afield means the car park is often full by 7:30am and most of the town’s residential streets are a giant residents-only parking zone. Busy extends to weekends as well due to the many WHU, Spurs and even Orient fans out here, plus Westfield.
This is my local station, one thing I’ve wondered how many other TfL stations don’t have any canopy. Ideally it being a terminus there’s always a train waiting, but quite often one is bereft of train due to issues. This leads to people crowding around the entrance for shelter. Indeed in rush hour it can take several minutes for people to exit from a train, then a second arrives. Having both exits open is a huge help.
Was impressed that you mentioned the other Epping stations in Aus! Interestingly enough Epping station on the Melbourne "metro" also used to be the end of the line until the 2010s!
Yes Epping was the terminus on the Melbourne system for many years until around 2010 when it was extended to South Morang and later Mernda both parts of the former Whittlesea line a diesel service that closed in the 1950s. When it was a terminus I remember paddocks but now suburbia has caught up to it. Also at Epping is an electric car maintenance depot.
As a Sydney Sider, Epping station is both what you would call a national rail station and underground station as it is a major interchange between Sydney Trains, NSW TrainLink (intercity) train station along with the Sydney Metro (underground style metro station) which opened in 2019 but that part of Sydney metro was originally part of the Epping to Chatswood rail line which closed in 2018 to be converted to Metro operations
Hi Great program. Also I grew up on the Epping line in Melbourne. Epping was the end of the line for many years before this line was extended to South Morang and then to Mernda.
TfL have done all they can to prevent the EOR connecting at Epping. The Ongar branch was closed after some fantastic logic from LUL (at the time). The cut down the trains to 3 a day each way, then, lo and behold, they closed the branch as the numbers were down! Pilot Developments bought the line and were supposed to run a regular service (it was Glenda Jackson as part of Blair's government) - they never did and asset stripped the land to build houses.
I grew up with South Woodford as my local station and always liked this end of the Central Line. Only went to Epping station once but liked the station and it's a really nice town. Loving this series already Geoff!
I really must explore the "other end" of the Central line, as I used to frequent Ruislip Gardens, and often wondered how the whole trip would be like...Top video, Geoff
Rekky interesting Geoff, I've watched all your episodes, thoroughly enjoyed them! Many tears ago in the late seventies I used to visit London fairly often, you could get a day return first class for £10. The first train from Barrow was I think around 6:00am, getting into London around 10ish. Returning there was a through train to Barrow which left Euston at 23:55, so I could use it on the day return. It was compartment stock, usually pretty empty, so stretch out on a seat, nice sleep and wake up in Barrow. Those were the days! On one of my trips I got an underground all line ticket for a day and kept changing trains without looking at where I was and where the train was going! Great fun!
Brilliant as always. I used Epping dozens of times when I lived in Essex. Of course I never saw L11 or anything of note at the station itself. I'm now going to have to visit it!
I'm so glad you started this series. I was on the tube to Hillingdon a couple of weeks ago and was thinking I really need to explore the edges, and now I definitely will be.
I’m from Sydney. And I much prefer this Epping station than my local Epping station! Mainly because the staff kick your bottom, yell and scream at you, crush the doors on you, and WORSE, just because you have a disability and had a drop attack on the train! Thanks for the video, Geoff! Really love the true Epping station!
I've never needed a youtube video more than this. I've just come home, tomorrow will be a hard day, and so will the next days, and I just need to enjoy this last few hours of sanity. Thank you Geoff.
I love watching your videos Geoff, they always put a smile on my face everytime you post a new video. I also know a lot about trains and i love riding on them as they make a persons day from bad to good and everytime I have a bad day then they make my day so much better. Keep up the good work.
I have used Epping station many times in the past when visiting the preserved Epping Ongar railway. They run Routemaster buses between Epping and North Weald stations on days that trains are running
Memories of Ongar as a !9 year old in 1991 at Oxford Circus jumped on to go Notting Hill then fell asleep (too many pints) wrong way ended up in Ongar and a nightmare to get home.
You were absolutely INCREDIBLE at staying completely still in Jay's new video!
I know right? He was crazy
Mad lol.It’s a tube map video so Geoff had to be somewhere
Ikr
He ran out of steam 🔥🤣
Wait what? Which one?
No one going to mention how perfectly timed the end of the video was. Super satisfying Geoff!
Thanks 👍 VERY SATISFYING wasn't it!!! made me smile too when it happened :)
And it only took 55 takes too 😉
agreed
@@geofftech2 the Epping at Sydney used to be the end of the line :)
Apparently this was filmed in reverse and played backwards. Geoff has the unique ability to talk backwards. He started speaking as soon as the train doors closed, then the video was reversed. Genius.
I didn’t know that Frank Pick had a UA-cam Channnel ! Neat ❤
Coming here to say the same thing, but I'm soundly beaten to it 🤣
You seen Jay Foreman's new video? 😄
@@Rob-James no
Frank is much more animated in this video!
@@Rob-James Absolutely 😄
"Do you like Epping?"
"I don't know, I've never epped!"
A joke used at every opportunity by my recently departed father in law. Somewhat frequently given he lived in Leytonstone. At least Geoff can say he has properly epped now!
very ept joke, thanks for sharing!
You could say he's epped off!
Did you persuade the missus to make his grave marker read "Here lies the late [name]" - so that he would have ""late" on stone?🎃
It's the age-old Kipling joke!
I’ve also never epped!
i’m from Germany and was in London for a few days some years ago and thought “why don’t i just take the tube to a random end of line”. It ended up being epping and I gotta say it was a pretty lucky choice. lovely station with lots of heritage all around it on that bit of track 🛤
Same for me, but in my case i ended up the several Metropolitan Line endings (Amersham, Chesham, Uxbridge and Watford). I also had visiting Epping in mind, but as time is limited, I had to save it for my next London trip.
Epping is also twinned with the German town Eppingen in Baden-Württemberg!
@@keithl3855 🤣
Did you visit epping forest?
I bumped into Geoff while he was filming this at Epping and just wanna write a comment to thank you for being so lovely and polite despite me possibly interrupting your filming, sorry if that was the case!
Timestamp?
I was a signalman at Epping in 64/65 the car park was at that time a goods yard and on night shift nearly always had a diesel dropping off and picking up truck’s before heading off to Ongar. In those days it wasn’t a particularly busy signal box plenty of time for hobbies. Happy days.
Great to hear Epping in Sydney and Melbourne mentioned at the end. Sydney also has stations named Lewisham, Croydon, Sydenham (soon to be a metro station like Epping), Stanmore, Windsor and Richmond. We also have Woodford and Blackheath a little further out in the Blue Mountains, and Waterloo metro station opening in 2024!
Yay. Transport vlog
I can see a Paul Geoff collab in the future
And also Regents Park (although rather annoyingly without the apostrophe).
@@sydnorth5868 Aaah yes, I missed that one!
Pity about Geoff's pronunciation of Melbourne 😀
Your presenting is so professional. It feels like a TV documentary.
It’s a surprise no tv network has contacted him to produce a London transport documentary
For those who don't know, there is a superb cab-view video of the Epping-Ongar section on UA-cam, shot in 1980, the year before Blake Hall closed. A wonderful historical document.
I actually used Blake Hall Station (Ongar extension) several times back in the 1970's as it served Britain's oldest wooden church which looks incredible.
Stuart Hall,
Now you can call yourself Stuart Blake Hall.
One Monday morning about 1979, I spoke to the staff member at Blake Hall, expressing my simple view of it being quiet, the quietest on LT. Not at all, I was corrected, he had sold fourteen tickets that morning. I didn't like to ask how many were weekly tickets.
The location was, probably still is, romantically rural.
So excited for the end of the Waterloo and City line!!
I'm excited for Heathrow Terminal 5's video. That will be a short one!
Same! Also looking forward to that one 😅😂
But which end? 🤔
And Kensington Olympia!
Damn. If you hadn't made that joke, I was about to... :D
Another great video, I know Epping station well as I grew up in nearby Loughton and would often go for rides to Ongar when I was a boy. I can just remember the 1923 stock, which later ended up on the Isle of Wight, when I was very small but mostly it was the 1962 stock I travelled in most of the time. There was something delightfully incongruous being on a tube train meant for deep-level lines in central London but here instead bouncing through Epping Forest and woods and fields and stopping in the middle-of-nowhere at Blake Hall station. Epping station is delightful and when the Epping Ongar heritage line is in operation, there is a very real air of the past with RT, RTL and RF buses working their way between the station at North Weald station to provide a link to the heritage line. One thing you didn't mention, however, is that while Epping town centre is only five minutes from the station, it is a very steep climb for those with reduced mobility but there are, thankfully, buses between the two for those of us who can no longer face the climb. Kind regards, David, Crouch End, London N8
I admire how Geoff likes the feeling of 'where am I? Why am I here?'
Are used to live in a bin for many years and I used to think the same myself .
But then again my family lived in the area for over 400 years
Edit just checked again over 500 years
Where's my large automobile?
@@sie4431 where’s my beautiful wife?
Every time Geoff said “End of the line” I started humming the Travelling Wilburys song.
Also looking at the copyright notice at the end of the video I’ve only just noticed how strangely satisfying the year 2022 is in Roman numerals with it being MMXXII.
Hi Geoff, British Rail owned the track and maintained it till 1971. A friend of mine, held the last BR residential staff pass from Loughton, as he joined prior to 1971.
As a Harlow resident, I’m glad you pointed out the dilemma we have with two ways of travelling into London. It’s also worth noting the two waiting rooms which are almost never used, since every day apart from Sundays there’s always at least one train in the station at any time.
It was slightly annoying when they got rid of the 8:55am train. I was using it for the Tube Challenge.
That waiting room is perfect on cold winter days in the late evenings. Sometimes there’s a 10-15 minute gap near the end of service, so it’s much better to be in a heated waiting room than a cold miserable platform.
@@Liam_ Don't they lock the doors like they do at Leytonstone?
@@DavidKnowles0 sometimes, particularly post-covid. But most of the time they seem to be open right until the station closes
Apart from when there isn’t a train, and there’s no canopy to shelter under.
I can confirm that, around the corner beyond the bridge, TfL has installed a back-to-back train arrestor setup at the end of their rails to facilitate the Epping Glade heritage station 😄
Oh wow Frank Pick is making videos about the Underground now that's really neat
came here last summer for a walk around the town, had a great day
I love the new series!
What are you doing here? Xd
Do it in Canada 🇨🇦
This popped up literally as I was coming into Epping station. Epping, New South Wales.
These episodes never fail to make me smile and you're doing a great job
Hear hear !
Fun fact.
Sydney's Epping was also an end of the line from 2009-2018 as part of the Epping - Chatswood rail extension.
Prior to this from opening it was always a thru station on the T9/ Main Northern line, but became one end point to the T1 North Shore line.
In 2018 the line was closed and converted to Metro standard along with the extension to Tallawong.
Epping in Melbourne used to be the end of its line, before it was extended to South Morang in 2012, and later Mernda.
Hi Geoff, was a pleasure meeting you outside the pub yesterday post half marathon! Hope your legs are not in too much pain this morning and thank you for the selfie!
When I started learning English as a child growing up in Germany, the textbook centered around folks who lived in Epping. Less than a year later, I moved to a different place in Germany. The grammar school I went to after the move was in a town called Eppingen. And Epping was their sister city. That school used the same English textbook.
The opening of the train doors in the final shot Geoff were perfectly timed.
This series makes me want to do a tour of the end-of-line stations here on our own Singapore’s MRT network. There’s a certain quality to terminal stations, wherever they are, and they definitely deserve more appreciation.
tbh there's nothing much to it, even on the tuas west extension (other than it's the nearest to the checkpoint to malaysia but there's no foot entry to the checkpoint as policy.)
They are all quite busy other than woodlands north, tuas link and marina South pier
@@shawnli4746 Tuas Link definitely has that quiet ambience. I should visit that station and the area around it more often when I need some quiet away time.
Newcastle Airport on T&W Metro is so hugely disappointing (and expensive given its one stop away from Callerton PW but in a different fare zone).
St James' is HUGE when empty most times but not that big when NUFC are at home at SJP (or events on).
South Shields is "tidy" with handy semi-integrated bus station under it (platform elevated). This is the newest termini having moved about 100mtr further West from the old station.
South Hylton feels like it's in the countryside even though its just off the A19 & about 10km from Sunderland City centre.
Please do. I’d watch.
Congrats on the deadpan cameo in Jay Foreman's latest video!!
When I started working for Network Rail, way back in 2007, I first became aware of how distances are measured on the network, and some of the peculiarities of them. One of the strangest on my area was the Days Road Siding in Bristol. A short siding that ran from the line between Temple Meads and Filton and used for refuse trains and formerly linked to the docks. Most distances in the area were set from Paddington, but this one siding had a datum in Derby. Why? It hadn’t always been a siding. It used to be a branch of the midland railway route between Birmingham and Bath which was long since truncated to Westerleigh Oil Terminal. When it was connected to the former Great Western network to continue serving the docks, it kept its original, now long since severed, mileage datum.
Amersham station's car park has about twice the number of spaces as Epping's (over 1000). But as it council owned and run, rather than LU owned/NCP run, it never figures in these stats. Even before the recent expansion, it was slightly bigger than Epping's.
Interesting as well that the TFL website does say Amersham station has a car park which would in theory would make it the biggest car park according to the TFL website even if not owned by them.
I suppose because Amersham also has Chiltern Railway services, not all the passengers will be for the LU service either.
2:50 Hooray! That’s my local station! Still use Epping to get into London often though since it’s cheaper. Always loved Epping station, and despite the fact I’ve been here more times than I can count, I still learned new stuff about it in this video. Amazing!
The “FP” sign shown is a “fouling point”, which means that the coaches on the train cannot pass it. This is because the loco may not be able to clear the coaches when running around. The 0.0 marker is actually where the buffers are. I’m a volunteer at the EOR in case anyone asks. Great video, I hope you visit the EOR again some time.
Aren't the Underground distances metric as well (in kilometres, rather than miles and chains)?
@@fetchstixRHD yes they are. Which makes the EOR unique in having km posts rather than mile posts unlike most heritage railways.
We used Epping as a 'Park and ride' for our visit to the Paralympics back in 2012. Great facility! Thanks for sharing Geoff.
I have driven the Epping Ongar railway. Driving a BR Class 25 locomotive and rake of coaches, for my 50th birthday treat.
So you could say I have driven to the end of the line!
Hi Geoff,
Interesting video that, I have a friend, a former main line Driver like myself, who works trains on the Ongar line and another who drives Classic LT buses over there on certain classic transport rallies.
I trust you are now fully recovered from your challenge with Jen on the move, that was also an enjoyable watch.
Thanks for all you do,
Jon B.
I lived in Theydon Bois and went to school in Epping so went through that station twice a day for 5 years between 1972 to 1977. I was very lucky as my older brother was a central line train driver and sometimes we got to look in the cab between Theydon and Epping stations, but I will deny that if asked lol. He also drove the Epping to Ongar line.
Interesting tidbit for you about the Epping station in Melbourne (pronounced Melbun by us locals), Epping station was opened, then closed. Rebuilt the other side of the road, and then moved again a few hundred metres, before being rebuilt underground, closer to the original position.
YES Geoff did not quite get the pronunciation of Melbourne quite right but I have heard worse attempts. I grew up in Reservoir which is about 4 stations south of Epping. Your history re Epping station is spot on.
@@DavidJones-kn9zb At least to his credit it wasn’t as bad as some of the attempts by people from the USA. 🤣
You are one of the best in terms of framing shots and doing artistic angles.
I recon that yellow loco is much older then 1964...the epping-ongar branch was fantastic to work on in the summer..a pretty magical little line. Imagine being the station master of Blake hall station in the 1930s-40s..difficult to think of a better job.
Frank Pick has his own UA-cam channel. Who'd ever have thought that would happen?
The Melbourne Epping station was my local station from 1999 to 2012, when they extended the line closer to where I lived at the time.
Brings back memories- think 1981 when I was student in Reading. Go train to Ealing Broadway then tube to Epping. The Epping Ongar service operated in the evening. Did the branch and back to to Reading. The Ongar train was a shuttle so you crossedthe footbridge at Epping.
Good to see Epping Station again. I was a trainee booking clerk there in 1970. I'm glad I took the opportunity one day to take the Ongar shuttle. I've never been back to Epping or Ongar since but I must check out the heritage railway if I get the chance.
I do love this series. As a kid I'd do the same thing here in Alberta on both our metro systems in Edmonton and Calgary. It was my Grandma that always took me to station/extension openings because she was a huge railfan herself and I still do the same thing with my mom even if she's not nearly as interested in it as we were...
On a side note, I'm still surprised that TFL hasn't reabsorbed the old Epping Ongar railway back into its portfolio or even extended it to North Weald Station since it has an old RAF base/airport within walking distance and an active 6000' runway that is large enough to accommodate A220-300's on it if they so chose. Seems like a natural fit to either expand services out of this airport OR demolish it for the housing estate that was planned 10-15 years ago... As a transport fan, I'd say make it into a London City-esque Airport with flights to Canada, but that's just me... Since Alberta and Ontario taxpayers along with Kuwait own LCY aka London City Airport I say we build and operate a second one with more expanded offerings to British North America!
Good to see L11 up close, the other end stars in the live cam feed (on UA-cam) from Epping Signal Cabin!
The cabin is part of Epping Museum, which is open every Saturday 10 til 4:30pm. Come and have a look round inside it.
Geoff, the 0.o point is actually at the buffer stops at the end of the head shunt at Ongar, that is the actual end of the line. The post with "FP" on it is a "Fouling Point" marker. Rolling stock doesn't pass this point, this allows the loco to be uncoupled, move into the head shunt, then run around the train without "fouling" it.
Just thought I'd let you know.
If I go on holiday in London, you have now given me a new location to visit, the Epping Ongar Railway, cheers.
This Frank Pick guy is a lot more animated than I expected.
Just got back from doing this end of the line Journey! Third one we've completed. Was a lovely day out, nice market in the high street, walk through the forest, and great lunch at a little Turkish spot. Have to pick an End of the Line for the next holiday.
Awesome new video from frank pick 😂
If you're old like me and live in Essex, you may well have used Epping station during the rail strikes of the '70s. I did and changed trains onto the Ongar shuttle. I seem to remember that the destination screen at Holborn had a position for direct trains to Ongar but didn't manage to ever see such a train.
Being a pedant, past Geoff forgot that distances on London Underground are measured in kilometres and metres, rather than the miles and chains that most of the National Rail network uses. (Exceptions being HS1, HS2, and the Crossrail Central Operating Section, which are all in metric units.)
This is a really fun and informative series!! Really enjoying them Geoff.
Great video as always Geoff. Just to let you know the FP the white marker post near the points, stands for 'Fouling Point.' It's where there is not enough clearance for two trains to pass safely.
Ah, this brought back some distant memories - as a teen I used to work Saturdays over the road from Ongar station, and did make the journey all the way into Central London on the line a couple of times.
Great series! Thanks for the mention of the Eppings down-under. "Our" Epping in Melbourne used to be the End of the Line from 1964 up until the line was (re)extended in 2012.
I remember that! I lived there in 1999 and I remember there was an "Epping/Hurstbridge" line.
I'm in the middle of watching, well almost 2 minutes... that post in the switch says "FP" for Fouling Point. It's not the indicator of MP 0.0, at least not right there in the center of a crossover. I really enjoy your videos and this current new series. Thank you Geoff.
This was Epic-ping good video Frank Pick... Sorry meant to say Geoff. Love how you managed to use some unused footage for this video at Ongar as well. Also they run a Heritage bus to the Epping Ognar Railway as well.
Fun fact: When the dreaded Rupert Murdoch relocated from Australia to Britain in the late 1960s, he lived at Coopersale and commuted from Epping to Fleet St every day.
Cracking video, Mr Pick! 👍🏻
I love Epping! I love you Geoff✊🏾💜🥰
Thanks for mentioning a thing that fascinates me about the London Underground, is that it's run on lines, which used to be mainline. From somebody from Moscow that sounds unbelievable, since every line is newly built. It's also that some station's feel incredibly rural.
I grew up in Loughton. (Well, I SAY I grew up) so I know this from 60 years ago, wandering around the forest,
In Theydon Bois, next down the line, there was a beekeeper - a German pilot shot down, POW, who just stayed.
Good vid, thanksd
Jay uploaded, then Geoff! loved the little cameos
Hi Geoff. Just watched Jay’s video on the tube map. You did absolutely amazing there! Some scenes killed me. Keep on!
Loving this series. I often squint up at a TfL map opposite my tube seat and wonder about these places.
Loved the 0 0 marker! This is the first time I’ve seen chains mentioned in a UA-cam video. I did forest surveying in NW Ontario in the 90s and used a metric rope chain (20 meters). An imperial chain is 66 feet. Back in the day they were actual chains with 100 links/chain (or four rods). There’s 80 chains in a mile.
That’s where the phrase “yanking my chain” comes from. When surveying one person takes a compass bearing on a distant point and walks straight towards it holding the front of the chain (no matter what’s in the way - mud, swamp, black fly infested muskeg, …etc). The other person would yell “Chain!”
When the entire 66’ chain is taunt then walk up to meet his partner. However,as a joke the end person could yank on the chain when the first person was right in the middle of a big mud puddle or swamp and they’d fall into whatever icky mess they were surveying over.
My survey partner Bart did that once and I fell off a log into a lovely bit of wet muskeg. (Still was an awesome summer… that started with my getting off the train from Toronto at a remote Whistle Stop at ‘Red Lake Road’)
Thanks again Geoff!
The issue of (far) cheaper fares vs Greater Anglia from Harlow and further afield means the car park is often full by 7:30am and most of the town’s residential streets are a giant residents-only parking zone. Busy extends to weekends as well due to the many WHU, Spurs and even Orient fans out here, plus Westfield.
This is my local station, one thing I’ve wondered how many other TfL stations don’t have any canopy.
Ideally it being a terminus there’s always a train waiting, but quite often one is bereft of train due to issues.
This leads to people crowding around the entrance for shelter.
Indeed in rush hour it can take several minutes for people to exit from a train, then a second arrives. Having both exits open is a huge help.
Was impressed that you mentioned the other Epping stations in Aus! Interestingly enough Epping station on the Melbourne "metro" also used to be the end of the line until the 2010s!
Really like the plan map illustrating the exits - would love more of these although I expect they're time consuming to make
Epping marvellous!
Yes Epping was the terminus on the Melbourne system for many years until around 2010 when it was extended to South Morang and later Mernda both parts of the former Whittlesea line a diesel service that closed in the 1950s.
When it was a terminus I remember paddocks but now suburbia has caught up to it. Also at Epping is an electric car maintenance depot.
this was uploaded at the perfect time because i just came from the jay foreman video lol
same here!
Good theme and with all sorts of travel destination possibilities. Thank you.
The one only best UA-camr
As a Sydney Sider, Epping station is both what you would call a national rail station and underground station as it is a major interchange between Sydney Trains, NSW TrainLink (intercity) train station along with the Sydney Metro (underground style metro station) which opened in 2019 but that part of Sydney metro was originally part of the Epping to Chatswood rail line which closed in 2018 to be converted to Metro operations
Hi Great program. Also I grew up on the Epping line in Melbourne. Epping was the end of the line for many years before this line was extended to South Morang and then to Mernda.
TfL have done all they can to prevent the EOR connecting at Epping. The Ongar branch was closed after some fantastic logic from LUL (at the time). The cut down the trains to 3 a day each way, then, lo and behold, they closed the branch as the numbers were down! Pilot Developments bought the line and were supposed to run a regular service (it was Glenda Jackson as part of Blair's government) - they never did and asset stripped the land to build houses.
Really looking forward to the Heathrow Terminal 5 Video!
One of your very best Geoff.
I can't wait for the Waterloo & City line episode.
I grew up with South Woodford as my local station and always liked this end of the Central Line. Only went to Epping station once but liked the station and it's a really nice town. Loving this series already Geoff!
I really must explore the "other end" of the Central line, as I used to frequent Ruislip Gardens, and often wondered how the whole trip would be like...Top video, Geoff
There’s a great walk from Chingford station to Epping through Epping Forest - recommended!
Rekky interesting Geoff, I've watched all your episodes, thoroughly enjoyed them! Many tears ago in the late seventies I used to visit London fairly often, you could get a day return first class for £10. The first train from Barrow was I think around 6:00am, getting into London around 10ish. Returning there was a through train to Barrow which left Euston at 23:55, so I could use it on the day return. It was compartment stock, usually pretty empty, so stretch out on a seat, nice sleep and wake up in Barrow. Those were the days! On one of my trips I got an underground all line ticket for a day and kept changing trains without looking at where I was and where the train was going! Great fun!
Love the shoutout to Australia's Eppings there at the end!
I have been to two of them about time I complete the set!
All The Epping Stations! Sounds rude when I say it like that...
Hilarious work
So grateful for this abundantly amazing information
Great video Geoff! I watch the Railcam stream of Epping Station but it’s great to see the station and history in more detail!
Brilliant as always. I used Epping dozens of times when I lived in Essex. Of course I never saw L11 or anything of note at the station itself. I'm now going to have to visit it!
I'm so glad you started this series. I was on the tube to Hillingdon a couple of weeks ago and was thinking I really need to explore the edges, and now I definitely will be.
Don't forget to pop down the car park at Epping and take a look around (www.eppingmuseum.com). Open Saturdays.
I’m from Sydney. And I much prefer this Epping station than my local Epping station! Mainly because the staff kick your bottom, yell and scream at you, crush the doors on you, and WORSE, just because you have a disability and had a drop attack on the train! Thanks for the video, Geoff! Really love the true Epping station!
I've never needed a youtube video more than this. I've just come home, tomorrow will be a hard day, and so will the next days, and I just need to enjoy this last few hours of sanity. Thank you Geoff.
It’s so nice to see a new episode in the Series!
I love watching your videos Geoff, they always put a smile on my face everytime you post a new video. I also know a lot about trains and i love riding on them as they make a persons day from bad to good and everytime I have a bad day then they make my day so much better.
Keep up the good work.
Hello from Melbourne Australia
I have used Epping station many times in the past when visiting the preserved Epping Ongar railway. They run Routemaster buses between Epping and North Weald stations on days that trains are running
The Essex Way really is a wonderful walk, especially the sections close to Epping station.
Memories of Ongar as a !9 year old in 1991 at Oxford Circus jumped on to go Notting Hill then fell asleep (too many pints) wrong way ended up in Ongar and a nightmare to get home.
You must have changed trains at Epping in your sleep.