Epping Signal Cabin

On Sunday the 22nd of September 2019, the signal cabin at Epping was opened as a museum by the Director of Line Services for LU Mr Nick Dent. This is satisfactory end to the vast amount of work by the volunteers of the Epping Cabin and Locomotive L11 sub group of Cravens Heritage Trains. The group acquired the cabin on a long lease from LU back in 2000 but by the time that the group took control of the site contractors had removed the original lever frame and left the cabin building gutted.

A leaking roof caused a rapid deterioration of the interior. LU kindly offered any of the remaining lever frames on the central line to the group provided that they carried out the removal, the frame at Hainault was found to still be in situ and so parts of this were duly obtained and stored in the relayroom at Epping. Ten years went by and Bob Yeldham who is the leader of the group then placed an advert on John Hinson's website asking if there was anybody who knew how to reassemble one of these Westinghouse Style N lever frames. Graham Floyd said- "like a fool put my hand up and volunteered. After close to four years work this is the result"

Epping signal box on the Central line was opened by London Transport in 14th August 1949. It was built to the London Transport Type design and was fitted with a 47 lever Westinghouse 'N2M' frame (frame number 216) The new cabin replaced the original Great Eastern Railway signal box, which had stood on the down platform of Epping station. It was closed on 29th July 1996 and the box is preserved although the frame has been removed. Control passed to Loughton signal box push button panel until control passed to Wood Lane 28th February 2000.

Illuminated diagram shows the single line to Ongar inset bottom left. The main service used platform 1 to reverse. Picture is reproduced by kind permission of the Graham Floyd

Epping signal cabin official photo January 1950