Cravens Home | Epping Museum

Zone 1

Welcome to the Cravens Heritage Trains website, parent company of Locomotive L11 and Epping Signal Cabin

The Car Diagram at the top of each CHT page shows the destinations available. Click on the destination of your choice. Stops within Zone 1 all contain information on the various Cravens subjects whilst stops within Zone 2 relate to Epping Signalling Museum. Members of CHT can access the Members area using their password. Enjoy your visit!

The 'other' Cravens Unit. Photo credit: Keith Ward

You've heard the old saying - "There's light at the end of the tunnel". Well, there is an increasing possibility it could once again be the headlights of the last passenger-carrying 60TS Cravens Unit to run over London Underground metals, now owned by Cravens Heritage Trains!! The only other surviving Cravens Unit is the LU owned Track Recording Vehicle, which has recently been spotted on a much more regular basis travelling across the whole network. Many great pictures have been posted on Facebook's Central Line Past & Present - why not join the group?

Before we get carried away, we must remember our Cravens Unit last ran under her own power back in 2003 when we held the last Railtour and much has changed on the London Underground network since. The last time the Unit ran in public was when it was 'topped and tailed' to the Epping-Ongar Railway in 2014 to commemorate 20 years since the closure of the Central line branch between Epping and Ongar.

After many years of languishing in a siding, there are on-going discussions about the future of the Cravens Unit and there is a definite air of optimism. You may know this is not the first time such discussions have been held, but there is a real feeling that this time progress can be made.

We posted previously that the Cravens Unit had been towed inside the depot at Ruislip so a Brake Test could be performed. Before any further activity could be carried out, there had to be confirmation the brakes still worked. They did!! This was the first step along the way to a more detailed Inspection and Condition report.

Further updates on progress, together with pictures when they come through, will be announced on our various Facebook channels and then published in full here.

** LATEST UPDATE on 21st April 2026 **

We are grateful to LU and the team at Ruislip Depot for this further update on the activity being carried out on the Cravens Unit as part of the continuing assessment of her potential to return to running order..

The work on the Cravens Unit progresses at West Ruislip and we are pleased to announce another step forward on the long road to restoration. You will be aware that the 1960 Cravens stock were experimental units and several new key improvements were incorporated in these trains. One major change was the move away from traditional metal spring suspension and the introduction of rubber suspension on the train bogies. The aim was to not only give a smoother ride and thus greater passenger comfort, but also reduce the maintenance complexity compared to the older stock.

The passage of time has of course taken its toll on the rubber suspension on the Cravens Unit and it was established, as part of the thorough inspection which has been carried out, that replacement rubber suspension units were needed. As no spares are held for these and they were unique to this class of unit, an order has been placed with a specialist manufacturing company for the replacements. At present we have no firm indication of delivery times, but will update this page when schedules become known.

The three car Cravens unit is made up of two Cravens driving motor cars and in the centre, one 1938 trailer car. The trailer car retains the original metal springs and so is not in need of any changes to the suspension.

There has never been a better time to consider signing up as a Member of Cravens Heritage Trains. CHT welcomes new members interested in continuing the work of preserving some of the history of London Underground. The annual membership starts at a very modest £20 per annum and entitles you to vote at the AGM as well as allowing you to become a Volunteer at Epping Signalling Museum.

There is lots of information about Cravens Heritage Trains and how to become a Member: please take a look at our Membership page, and if you'd like to ask us for more details to help you decide, please drop us a line to our joint email address: eppingmuseum@gmail.com. You might also be interested in taking a look at our Facebook group?

The Cravens Unit is currently on an inside road at Ruislip Depot undergoing tests which will determine its future and whether it could again run over the network

CHT is the parent Company of the popular Epping Signalling Museum, which now opens to the public as a museum of historical London Underground artefacts and exhibits, including a 'real' LU locomotive as well as a fully functioning 47 lever signal frame, signals, signage and a set of fully operational points.

Click one of the 'destinations' on the map at the top of this page to go to a chosen subject, or the arrow below to go to the Epping Signalling Museum