FAMILIES living with the downside of railway nostalgia as historical trains thunder past their gardens are demanding steps to make their lives more bearable.
People living in Bowes Drive, Ongar say their weekends were ruined when smoke and diesel fumes from the newly-reopened Epping Ongar Railway line started pouring into their homes.
They now plan to launch a petition to reduce the impact of the trains and have questioned whether the trains being used should be on the line.
Hazel Simmons, 49, said: “The residents aren’t anti-railway at all, but what’s happened is the size and the scale of the operation is far in excess of anything that’s suitable for the locality.
“Originally, there was a tiny little steam train that ran up and down the line a couple of times a day delivering milk.
“A preserved railway line should be preserving what the railway line has always been.”
While some of the trains bought by the Epping Ongar Railway came from Stratford, others were in use further afield, including on the Great Western Railway and in dock yards.
Mrs Simmons plans to organise a petition over the fumes and other issues surrounding the railway, which she will present to Simon Hanney, of the Epping Ongar Railway.
“Mr Hanney states that he has an open door, but he really doesn’t,” she added. “I’ve been emailing him constantly – I just keep hitting ‘resend’ – and he doesn’t want to talk to us.”
Ron Frost, 69, also of Bowes Drive, said he was particularly worried about the diesel fumes since the World Health Organisation said they could cause cancer earlier this week.
“The trains blow out clouds of black smoke,” he added. “We have to shut all the doors and windows because the smell is appalling.”
Mr Hanney, who has helped restore the line with the help of 100 volunteers, denied that the trains being used were not authentic.
“I would disagree with that,” he added. “The Class 31, which we’ll be using at the weekend, was actually used down the branch.”
He said he would soon be writing to people living near the track, explaining its workings and inviting them to the station to speak to him.
He added: “Prior to opening, we had two drop-in sessions and sent a letter to all local residents saying ‘if you’re at all concerned about the railway, drop in on this date’ and no-one came.”
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