Great Central Railway news

[Dava]

The Great Central Railway Model Event starts tomorrow, open Friday-Sunday. The third one [i missed last year] it certainly looks worth visiting for £18 if you haven't prebooked. 40 layouts, many other attractions, all-day travel on steam & diesel trains, on-train breakfasts, real ale bar, what more could you want?

 

I'll be on the GCR 'Bridge to the Future' stand Saturday morning, then roving. 

 

Details here: http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/modelevent/

 

Quoting from the website:

The main event arena, at Quorn & Woodhouse station, there will be a 35,000sqft exhibition hall where suppliers such as Bachmann, Cheltenham, Kernow, Hornby Magazine and Book Law will be in attendance alongside many others.  Layouts, also being exhibited include, amongst others: The Charnwood Forest Branch, Market Witham, St. Marnock E Shed & Ladeside Depot, Stoddern Hundred, Coaly Junction, Hergest, Elmfield and Airesby Colliery.

 

Other stations will specialise in different areas of the hobby.  At Loughborough 16mm live steam, G gauge, OO guage and Railwayana traders, at Rothley model engineering, gauge 3 and GCR’s resident garden railway. An intensive timetable will be in operation across the weekend.

 

Enjoy, take a big bag for your goodies, and a waterproof.

 

Dava

[Dava]

GCR Model Event does not disappoint. Busy day today. Lots of excellent layouts in all scales - Forth Bridge to scale in T Gauge!

 

All you can see in a day. If you've missed it so far, go on Sunday.

 

Dava

[Dava]

An unusual sight at Rushcliife Halt, GCRN this evening.

 

A pair of immaculate blue Class 20's  20189 & 20205, coupled to the Mark 3 train with the  prototype HST power car 41001 coupled nose-in to the train so it could go at the back [not under power]. The ensemble was paused for checks and awaiting main line clearance,  destined for an event someone will know about.

 

 

I had not seen a pair of BR Blue x20's as fine as this since Derby Works stopped doing them , and even then these are a sight.

 

 

 

Its amazing how glossy these preserved 1970's era items now are.

 

Dava

[28XX]

Like many restored 60s and 70s cars, they look better than when factory-finished.

[great central]

Crikey! Another repaint for 189. Not so long ago it was in pseudo LT livery, 3 years if I recall correctly I saw it at Butterly when I had my 60th birthday footplate experience. Then it was in Balfour Beatty livery, now it's in plain blue. The paint must help with adhesion  

Thing is I never cease to be amazed that it's still with us. Many years ago it was paired with 20056 on a Nottingham-Skegness 'Jolly Fisherman'. All the way there and back it did very little work but succeeded in filling the first few coaches with thick smoke, just spluttering along at slightly above idle. Fortunately 56 was in fine order and coped very well. 189 was withdrawn soon after and joined a good number of others in the trek to M C Metals. It can't have been that bad though as it became their yard shunter as seen here:

 

https://www.britishrailways.tv/train-videos/2013-11/scrap-locomotives-at-mc-metals-scrapyard-in-august-1992/

 

Eventually being rescued and restored

[Bon Accord]

Both 20s and prototype HST are bound for the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway for this weekend's Summer Diesel Gala.

[andyram]

The Great Central Railway has a busy week ahead with several special events over the next ten days. This weekend begins with a "miniature steam show" at Quorn and Woodhouse. This is due to feature lots of miniature traction engines etc. There was a lovely looking steam powered fire engine being unloaded in Quorn yard yesterday.

Next midweek the railway is operating Tuesday - Thursday with the final three days of its teddy bear's picnic event. Special cheap fares apply (£25 for a family ticket of 2 adults and 3 children and £20 if only one adult). The standard day runabout is just £10. There are stalls on Loughborough platform including face painting, a small fair ground at Rothley and a teddy bear on the trains giving out free sweets to the children. There will be a two train service with departures from Loughborough at 10.15, 11.15, 12.15, 1.15, 2.15 and 3.15. From Leicester the trains leave on the hour from 11.00 - 4.00pm. Yesterday the locomotives were 46521 and 6990. The 9F failed on Tuesday but not sure what the problem is.

 

The final event of the Great Central's busy spell is the Cadeby Gala on the 13th and 14th. This takes place at Quorn and reunites all Cadeby exhibits. The railway is trying locate any former volunteers from the old Cadeby steam museum in order to stage a reunion. See the railway's website for more details.

 

In addition:

The Mountsorrel Branch will be operating on the 20th and 21st August with services from Bond Lane to Swithland Sidings using the Great Central's three car DMU. Tickets are only available from the Mountsorrel Branch and not from the GCR's booking offices.

Edited August 5, 2016 by andyram

[srihaggis]

Its amazing how glossy these preserved 1970's era items now are.

 

On the mk3's the cleaning product helps a lot. It leaves a nice glossy sheen after application. I would like to do some of the other coaches, but i'm afraid i'll just clean the paint off like I did with the GUV which had turned green one side, should be maroon but it's now in part BR-Blue!

Edited August 5, 2016 by srihaggis

[Dava]

I'm adding a little article I wrote on the Cadeby Collection and Light Railway, ahead of the Cadeby Gala this weekend. It appeared on the GCR 'Main Line Extra'  but you have to be a 'GCR Friend' to read that, so its here for our other friends. I've also included some photos including two, digitised from my Cadeby archive. Hope to see you there this weekend.

 

Cadeby Memorial Rally & Boston Steam Party 13-14 August

 

This event at Quorn & Woodhouse is a welcome reminder for those of us with affectionate memories of the Cadeby steam events, staged by the Rev. ‘Teddy’ Boston at Cadeby Rectory from the mid-1960’s and, after his untimely death in 1986, by Mrs Audrey Boston and friends until the collection was closed and later dispersed in 2005. Here's the view from the front...

 

 

Cadeby was a special place, a tiny village in Leicestershire where the 1960’s rectory was almost surrounded by the 2 foot gauge Cadeby Light Railway, around the sharp curves of which Bagnall 0-4-0ST ‘Pixie’ and a train of RAF munitions wagons loaded with visitors would gyrate through the trees. The garden sidings held a collection of narrow gauge industrial petrol and diesel locos, including a rare Baguley from the Lilleshall Abbey & Woodland Railway meant to look like a steam loco. 'Pixie' and visiting Barclay gasworks loco  seen on the 'Ruby Jubilee' train in 2003.

 

 

At the front, the Peckett 2112, one of the smallest standard gauge locos built, stood on parade but never steamed. It has since become the tiny star of the preserved railway circuit, appearing here at the Mountsorrel Branch reopening in Oct 2015.

 

 

However the Aveling & Porter steam road roller named ‘Thistledown’ and the Foster agricultural engine ‘Fiery Elias’ regularly rumbled around the narrow lanes of the village.

 

In the grounds, model railway fans would be astounded by the hut containing the vast ‘Olton Prior’ 00 gauge layout, commemorating the prime of the Great Western Railway, and the house also held a fine collection of models and railwayana.

Visitors were always welcome on the special Saturday steamings at Cadeby, never more so than prior to Christmas when teenies would encounter ‘Santa’ dispensing gifts from his grotto in the coal cellar. The whole place was imbued by Teddy’s larger-than-life character and generosity. Such a creation would never be possible today: imagine a country parson building a railway round the garden and inviting people to turn up and ride. Especially on a line with an elegantly simple set of four rules, the third reassuringly being ‘Them that gets it off gets it on’!

 

Dava

 

Edited August 8, 2016 by Dava

[andyram]

The Great Central's Teddy Bear's picnic finishes tomorrow. The two locomotives in service are the 8F and 9F. The 8F was working the griddle car set today with departures at 10.15, 12.15 and 2.15 from Loughborough. The 9F worked the other set, containing the RVP group's teak buffet, departing Loughborough at 11.15, 1.15, 3.15. The 9F has suffered another identity change and now sports Leicester City name plates.

[luckymucklebackit]

.... The 9F has suffered another identity change and now sports Leicester City name plates.

 

Has had them for a few weeks. I took this photo of it on the very warm evening of 19th July

 

 

Jim

[andyram]

Has had them for a few weeks. I took this photo of it on the very warm evening of 19th July

 

 

Jim

Yes I am aware they had put these plates on a few weeks ago. Personally (and I am not a Leicester fan), I think if the railway wants to name this locomotive then its current identify is more appropriate than the other dreadful plates it has carried.

[73c]

Think the TPO section on Thursday's 'Full Steam Ahead' was rather good.

[Dava]

Update from the first day of the Cadeby Gala event today. Weather fine and good time had by all.

 

Cadeby was represented by the Peckett 'Teddy', the Lister loco from the Light Railway, and the traction engine 'Fiery Elias' (Foster) and steam roller 'Thistledown' (Aveling & Porter).

 

Visitors included a second Leicestershire County Council roller (Marshalls), a fine Sentinel steam lorry and a Ransome Sims & Jeffries and Fowler traction engines, plus assorted cars and commercial vehicles. 

 

Here is Teddy awaiting custom outside the goods/beer shed which had a collection of small Cadeby models, photos & artefacts. I did suggest Teddy could run a brake-van special on the Mountsorrel Branch but this was not deemed possible!

 

 

The Lister is now at the Leicester Abbey Pump House Mudeum and operated all day on a length of temporary track.

 

 

Posed with the road engines, the orange fence comes down for a moment!

 

 

Close-up of Teddy from station platform

 

 

Four of the road engines before they rumbled off round the village

 

 

Recommended if you're in the area tomorrow. Thanks to Michael Stokes and all who brought their exhibits and organised the event.

 

Dava

 

 

 

 

 

 

[luckymucklebackit]

Not really a preservation related question, but I was watching a very interesting video on You Tube of the final years of the Great Central before closure by BR, showing film of the DMU service that ran between Nottingham Arkwright Street and Rugby https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah0tHrpvz-s&t=2630s.  I cannot get my head round how the DMUs gained access from the rest of the network during the last days of operation.

 

Jim

[Zomboid]

I think they used weekday cross junction and reversed in the tunnel.

[The Evil Bus Driver]

Update from the first day of the Cadeby Gala event today. Weather fine and good time had by all.

 

Cadeby was represented by the Peckett 'Teddy', the Lister loco from the Light Railway, and the traction engine 'Fiery Elias' (Foster) and steam roller 'Thistledown' (Aveling & Porter).

 

Visitors included a second Leicestershire County Council roller (Marshalls), a fine Sentinel steam lorry and a Ransome Sims & Jeffries and Fowler traction engines, plus assorted cars and commercial vehicles. 

 

Here is Teddy awaiting custom outside the goods/beer shed which had a collection of small Cadeby models, photos & artefacts. I did suggest Teddy could run a brake-van special on the Mountsorrel Branch but this was not deemed possible!

 

Teddy quorn 13816.jpg

 

The Lister is now at the Leicester Abbey Pump House Mudeum and operated all day on a length of temporary track.

 

Teddy Lister.jpg

 

Posed with the road engines, the orange fence comes down for a moment!

 

Cadeby gala.jpg

 

Close-up of Teddy from station platform

 

Teddy quorn 2.jpg

 

Four of the road engines before they rumbled off round the village

 

Steam traction rollers.jpg

 

Recommended if you're in the area tomorrow. Thanks to Michael Stokes and all who brought their exhibits and organised the event.

 

Dava

Those Listers are great fun! When I was at Amberley I was shown how to drive one. Motorised Roller Skate is not far off...

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

I think they used weekday cross junction and reversed in the tunnel.

 

I suspect this may actually be such a train about to reverse direction and head along the old GC main (on the right) to East Leake and the gypsum works.

 

 

From the excellent Nottstalgia site, lots of good railway stuff.

[luckymucklebackit]

Thanks for that, great photo.  Out of interest, what are the newish looking pipes in the left foreground.

 

Jim

[Butler Henderson]

I suspect this may actually be such a train about to reverse direction and head along the old GC main (on the right) to East Leake and the gypsum works.

 

CNQ1tQQWUAA6GdU.jpg

 

From the excellent Nottstalgia site, lots of good railway stuff.

Suspect its actually come off the GC and is now propelling back along the GN viaduct. It would be a far longer propelling move going the other way.

[griffgriff]

Thanks for that, great photo.  Out of interest, what are the newish looking pipes in the left foreground.

 

Jim

I believe they are heating pipes to supply warmth to the Victoria centre.

 

Griff

[Dava]

78018 steams again today

 

http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/2016/08/78018-steams-again/

[Dava]

Today was the first of a weekend running a Metro-Cammell DMU on the Mountsorrel Branch. This was simply a shuttle service, from Mountsorrel station, stopping at the newly completed Nunckley Hill station, and down to the junction with the GCR. 

 

 

The Mountsorrel site was certainly busy, with the recently opened Heritage Centre car park full and the commendable Granite's Cafe doing a brisk trade with swift service. This is a really pleasant location, with a decked outdoor area overlooking the station. There are interesting displays on the local natural history and heritage of the village.

 

Down the hill to the line, you can see the new railway museum building [not yet open]  with the three restored wagons in Mountsorrel Granite livery in the sidings. These have weathered  from their time stored in Swithland Sidings. The building for the stoneworking demonstration is nearly complete. This area promises to be interesting once complete. The wagons cry out for a Lionheart or Dapol Gauge 0 version. The sidings clearly merit their own small shunting loco as well. It will be a photogenic location for shunting demonstrations.

 

 

Crossing the line by the boarded crossing gives access to the Nature Trail, not otherwise accessible  [except for disabled access from the road]. The nature trail, including a picnic site with a view down to Swithland, is a real treasure and has clearly taken a huge amount of planning and work to complete. the paths are all woodchip surfaced to avoid mud. The trail is surprisingly long to walk  all the way round, and has many delights including photo vistas over the railway, remains of a building, and woodland surprises for younger visitors. The pride from the Mountsorrel and Rothley Community Heritage Centre volunteer staff was very evident today, providing a very pleasant visitor experience.

 

Highly commended. It is to be hoped that the GCR can enable regular train running to and from the main line in future. A DMU running from Rothley to Mountsorrel would be worthwhile on summer weekends such as this.

 

Dava

[andyram]

Today was the first of a weekend running a Metro-Cammell DMU on the Mountsorrel Branch. This was simply a shuttle service, from Mountsorrel station, stopping at the newly completed Nunckley Hill station, and down to the junction with the GCR. 

 

DMU Mountsorrel 20-8-16v2.jpg

 

The Mountsorrel site was certainly busy, with the recently opened Heritage Centre car park full and the commendable Granite's Cafe doing a brisk trade with swift service. This is a really pleasant location, with a decked outdoor area overlooking the station. There are interesting displays on the local natural history and heritage of the village.

 

Down the hill to the line, you can see the new railway museum building [not yet open]  with the three restored wagons in Mountsorrel Granite livery in the sidings. These have weathered  from their time stored in Swithland Sidings. The building for the stoneworking demonstration is nearly complete. This area promises to be interesting once complete. The wagons cry out for a Lionheart or Dapol Gauge 0 version. The sidings clearly merit their own small shunting loco as well. It will be a photogenic location for shunting demonstrations.

 

Mountsorrel Granite wagons 8-16.jpg

 

Crossing the line by the boarded crossing gives access to the Nature Trail, not otherwise accessible  [except for disabled access from the road]. The nature trail, including a picnic site with a view down to Swithland, is a real treasure and has clearly taken a huge amount of planning and work to complete. the paths are all woodchip surfaced to avoid mud. The trail is surprisingly long to walk  all the way round, and has many delights including photo vistas over the railway, remains of a building, and woodland surprises for younger visitors. The pride from the Mountsorrel and Rothley Community Heritage Centre volunteer staff was very evident today, providing a very pleasant visitor experience.

 

Highly commended. It is to be hoped that the GCR can enable regular train running to and from the main line in future. A DMU running from Rothley to Mountsorrel would be worthwhile on summer weekends such as this.

 

Dava

I also hope the GCR can find a way of incorporating this branch into its regular running. I think that is there plan, not sure of signalling for this is in place at present. As regards the Mountsorrel wagons I believe a limited edition was produced through a magazine some time ago, but not sure which magazine.

[andyram]

This weekend is Peppa Pig weekend. Two steam locomotives in service with a mainline diesel operating the 1.00 departure from Loughborough whilst one of the steamers operate the diner. The DMU is fostered on Loughborough - Rothley services, running I between the main service trains.

Yesterday the railway put out an A list cast with 70013 "Oliver Cromwell" and 777 "Sir Lamiel" providing the steam power. The DMU appears to have failed so it's diagram was operated by a class 45 top and tailed with a class 25. I think it was a 33 on the other service but only saw it fleetingly.