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andyram
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Okay, this is my first post on this thread, and I will admit, I'm a little confused as to why 1962 is now in Carmine & Cream. Are the GCR planning to overhaul 1526 in the near future and put that into the Chocolate & Cream set, cause that's the only thing I can think of right now.

And actually thinking about it, that would make sense, as without 1962, the western set had at least 242 standard seats, and a max of 280 if the SKs and BCK don't have armrests, while the B&C set only had 234 to 248 if both 34393 and 21184 were in use, so 1962 would give that set 257 to 271 seats and balance it out a little better. And just so you know, I have checked various sources and know the TSOs have 64 seats, the SKs 48 minimum, the BCKs 18 minimum, and the BSK 24 minimum.

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i wondering when the two will finally be join up wonder if it will be by the end of 2020 ?. Nottingham side could do with been double tracked in future if its possible.  

Think the original plan was 2022 - subject to funds being available, but as the loco shed is now going to be moved, that will presumably add a further delay to that timescale.

At the end of the day, the speed of the work will be down to raising the money to do it.............

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This weekend sees the GCR Winter Gala (Friday - Sunday) expecting to see up to 10 locomotives over the course of the weekend:

Special guest locomotive 7802 "Bradley Manor" which appears courtesy of Erlestoke Manor Fund & Severn Valley Railway.
6990 "Witherslack Hall"
9F 92214 "Leicester City"
Stanier 8F 48624
Stanier Black 5 45305
BR Standard 5 73156 BR Standard 2 78018 (facing north)
Ivatt Class 2 46521 (facing north and subject to completion of maintenance)
Fowler 3F 47406
J94 68067 (subject to completion of maintenance)
Metro Cammell Diesel Railcar (Additional local services)

 

Details: http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/special-events/winter-steam-gala/

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The GCR Friends will be at the Stafford Model Railway Exhibition this weekend, stand 72. Featuring our new, refurbished Z Scale model of the Bridge project to Unify the two sections of the GCR in Loughborough.

This model was commissioned by the then 'GCR Bridge Committee' back in 1995 and was replaced by the later and larger N gauge model which I rebuilt in 2017. It was originally a white architects model and was very nearly consigned to a skip in the Lovatt House tidy-up. I salvaged it and with the agreement of the Friends it has been refurbished in my workshop for use at events such as this where we have a smaller stand.

It now reflects the Bridge project as it is being built, is landscaped and detailed, and (on Saturday only) can even operate. Static models include a HST power car, A4 and train, and operating GCR railcar.  Call by and see us!

Dava

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On 09/12/2018 at 19:42, Boris said:

It's a regular occurance on a lot of preserved railways, they're steam trains, they can't hurt you you know.  Rule 1 of Preserved Railways "The public are stupid".

Isn't that the first rule of public transport generally? Certainly is on the buses.

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The Friends of the Great Central MainLine will have a stand at the Leicester Model Railway Group 70th anniversary exhibition this weekend. Sat 1030-5, Sun 1-4 St. Margaret's Church, St. Margaret's Street, Leicester, LE1 3EB

 

http://www.ukmodelshops.co.uk/events/18462-LeicesterModelRailwayGroupExhibition

 

See our Z scale working model of the Unify Bridge project

10 layouts in total

 

Call by & see us on the 50th aniversary of the Belgrave and Birstall Action Group which helped save the GCR with the Main Line Steam Trust, predecessor of the 'Friends'

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As in the last post, the GCR Friends stand will be at Leicester Model Railway Show this weekend. Free entry so come & see us. Happy 70th to Leicester MRS & 50th to Belgrave & Birstall Action Group. 

 

The Z gauge display model has an impression of the GCR petrol electric railcar running. The first version body was ropey. Simon at Recreation 21 did me a nice 3D print of the railcar but being scale it's too small for the Rokuhan chassis. Last weekend I finally got a copy of the drawing in Dow's 'GCR' vol 3, reduced,  printed, coloured and made a slightly better body. The Z gauge Bridge model will get an acrylic case for static display later this year, so enjoy the fun for now. Z scale modelling is a bit bonkers, or I'm too old....

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The GCR has launched its latest fund raising to get the last bits of bridge built. This one being over the current car park to link the bridge over the main line with the canal.

 

This is being costed at £3m http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/unify/ 

 

Is there any news on where the loco shed will go? At one time they were going to use an ex BR she’d, but I understand the bits are not as robust as originally thought.

 

Good luck to the GCR for this on going project.

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On 02/03/2020 at 07:48, Neal Ball said:

Is there any news on where the loco shed will go? At one time they were going to use an ex BR she’d, but I understand the bits are not as robust as originally thought.

 

I think the current plan is to rebuild roughly on the present site but realigned, allowing a better route for the through line.

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On 08/03/2020 at 19:08, Christopher125 said:

 

I think the current plan is to rebuild roughly on the present site but realigned, allowing a better route for the through line.


Wont that make it a bit cramped? I thought at one time the shed was going to be built on land adjacent. Presumably that wasn’t owned by the railway.

 

Am I right in thinking the recovered she’d came from Workington, but wasn’t in such good condition after being stored for a while?

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I think that the Workington parts sustained a lot of damage when being removed. The original planned shed site was on a old waste tip next to the line, but the ground conditions were not good.

*this is all from memory which is fallible

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I think Corbs is correct.  It's a big shame the old tip site can't be used - it's away from the housing, and would have allowed the GCR to build a proper locomotive depot, with ash hpists, coaling tower, maintenance hall, running shed, turntable.  A proper 1:1 model of a late period BR steam shed, for example, not another glorified tin shed.*

 

*my fantasy

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From GCR supplied information.

 

The locomotive shed at Loughborough has served the GCR well since acquisition in the early 1970s, being an ex-RAF structure from Langar airfield near Nottingham. But after over 40 years it is unfortunately, feeling its age.

 

A long held ambition of the railway has been to reunify the lines north and south of the Midland Main Line which runs approximately East to West north of the Shed. In the early 1980s the original Great Central Railway bridge over the Midland line was removed to make way for electrication, something that has yet to happen, and the embankment between the Grand Union Canal and the Midland line, removed. While the position of the shed was planned to make way for this development the current thinking is that the position of the shed does not allow for that reunification to be done in the best way. Thus the shed will have to be moved. The site of the re-location has yet to be determined.

 

And from another thread here on RMWeb:

 

"I'm afraid this is a project that never got off the ground. Funding was promised, on a timescale of several years (as this project required the bridging of the Gap north of Loughborough Central station). The roof girders of the former LNWR Workington shed were obtained, intended to be used, and stored at Swithland Sidings for a while, and then quietly scrapped as they were in worse condition than previously thought. Meanwhile, it turned out that the former tip site where they wanted to put the shed, being made of rubbish, could not really support the weight of the buildings/locomotives that would site on it, at least not without very expensive. Furthermore, there would have to be a new bridge over the Hermitage Brook, which would cause additional expense. Present plans are to rebuild the life expired shed at Loughborough on more or less on the same site, probably with a single track on the down side"

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5 hours ago, Dr Gerbil-Fritters said:

I think Corbs is correct.  It's a big shame the old tip site can't be used - it's away from the housing, and would have allowed the GCR to build a proper locomotive depot, with ash hpists, coaling tower, maintenance hall, running shed, turntable.  A proper 1:1 model of a late period BR steam shed, for example, not another glorified tin shed.*

 

*my fantasy

Ruddington would seem like a better place to put something like that once the line is complete.

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Surely Zomboid is right, given the size of the site, with the only caveat being adequate security bearing in mind problems in the past.

 

If the idea is to restore a double track main line operated as such, it seems a bit wierd to have a bottleneck single section in the middle because of an engine shed which could go somewhere else.

 

John.

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The MML bridge is single too, so Loughborough to some point to the north will be single forever. It's not really the end of the world, in truth the section that currently exists is probably enough to give the impression. I doubt they sell twice as many tickets as a result of having it, but there's twice the track to maintain...

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Full details of the GCR Reunify project are here. This will reunify the two sections of GCR. See the progress already made with two bridges completed and the 'Factory Flyover' next stage poised to happen. With your investment and support it will happen all the sooner, not without it.

 

 http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/unify/

 

No alternative plans for double track are available, feasible or viable. If you want to see double track on the GCRN, then go fund it. 

 

Dava

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Surprised no one has picked up on this.

Quorn station car park will be open but social distancing will be required, maybe they could leave a strategically placed collection box for some donations?

It does mean today now by the way, I may have a trundle over myself.

https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2020/05/steam-locomotive-in-action-at-the-great-central-railway-tomorrow.html

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On 14/03/2020 at 21:54, Dava said:

Full details of the GCR Reunify project are here. This will reunify the two sections of GCR. See the progress already made with two bridges completed and the 'Factory Flyover' next stage poised to happen. With your investment and support it will happen all the sooner, not without it.

 

 http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/unify/

 

No alternative plans for double track are available, feasible or viable. If you want to see double track on the GCRN, then go fund it. 

 

Dava


Thanks for posting the link @Dava I’ve just had a look....

 

Tonight! At 7pm is an on line update via Zoom for £10 sounds interesting.... I might join In.

 

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Not directly GCR related, but this Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST has been purchased by the Mountsorrel Heritage Centre and arrived there last week......

 

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The photos were taken earlier today.

Formerly privately owned and kept at the Chasewater Railway, it was overhauled earlier this year and comes with just short of a full 10 year "ticket" on the boiler.

The plan is to use it on shunting demonstrations at the Centre, though, hopefully, it may be able to wander a bit further at times...

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