The first standard gauge heritage steam railway in Britain, the Bluebell Railway, opened in 1960. Since then, over eighty have opened to the public. While each of these has its individual characteristics, nearly all are former British railways branch lines or parts of secondary routes, closed either under the Beeching axe or under subsequent cutbacks. The six-mile-long Epping Ongar Railway is different and unique. Despite its location in rural Essex, this was not part of the British Rail network at closure but was an electrified section of the London Underground. Its rundown and closure was a protracted affair spanning twenty-five years. On closure it was earmarked to become a heritage line, but it would be another eighteen years before it re-opened in its current guise with steam and diesel traction. This book tells its story up to the re-opening in 2012 and of the ten years of progress since then.

About the Author
Born in 1952, Malcolm Batten has lived in East London all his life, and has always had an interest in the local transport scene and the history of Newham. After a boyhood of trainspotting, he started taking photographs in 1969. Since then he has recorded the local buses and railways, in an area which has seen enormous change.


Book Information
ISBN 9781398107847
Author Malcolm Batten
Format Paperback
Page Count 96
Imprint Amberley Publishing
Publisher Amberley Publishing
Weight(grams) 284g