VOLUNTEERS at Epping Ongar Railway have celebrated the unveiling of their new water crane at North Weald Station.
Prior to having the crane, steam crews were unable to refill with water without a lengthy trip to the maintenance yard.
Thanks to the efforts of volunteers and support from local company DGR Mechanical Services, a new facility has been built to deliver water directly to the main running lines.
DGR at Matching Green normally works on big contracts such as the Shard in London but pitched in to help the volunteers at no cost.
Team leader Doug Pinkney explained that the gravity-fed system was designed to deliver large volumes quickly from the existing yard tank to a rotating crane similar to those used by railways back in the 1860s.
The basic components were obtained from an unwanted stock of 150mm valves and pipes and assembled by the volunteer team over a number of months, with DGR supplying specialist steel pipework and carrying out onsite welding.
The Epping Ongar Railway volunteer steam engine crews say they are delighted with the new facility and visitors can now enjoy the sight of locomotives refilling in the traditional way.
The Epping Ongar Railway is open at weekends until early January, with Santa Specials running throughout December.