Horsetan Posted October 29, 2016 Share Posted October 29, 2016 ......Let's hear it for contemporary architecture which essentially serves its purpose for visitors of all kinds and sits comfortably within its environment.Besides,reclaiming antique buiding materials is a prohibitably expensive and frustrating activity. The problem with these sorts of projects is that they are put in the hands of people who want to make a bit of a name for themselves as designers. Copying an old design carries very little kudos, so such people are far more interested in created something that hasn't been seen before, rather than something that is a copy of something from the period..... Somewhat OT, but I think we may now be looking forward to a modernist glass-and-steel edifice in Exeter once they've swept up the remains of the Royal Clarence Hotel..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyram Posted October 29, 2016 Author Share Posted October 29, 2016 More here and here. Most images here One of the designs looks somewhat like a modernist roundhouse, that would have been my choice if I had to go for a modernist option. The winning entry seems to preclude any future 'mini-Marylebone' which was the original intention for Leicester North, as I recall. I can't locate any artists impressions, there were some in the GCR house mag back in the mid-90s I am sure. I think they even had the ironwork for the overall roof tucked away somewhere. The existing short spur was going to become a second platform with a centre release road - that has gone from the winning site plan, which I think is a shame. Oh well, whatever gets built it's certainly helping the GCR become a world-class heritage railway. On the subject of the mini-Marylebone mentioned in this post - the discovery of a high pressure water main under the site of the proposed building prevented it being built. The museum site has a different footprint entirely. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Harrison Posted October 29, 2016 Share Posted October 29, 2016 You want to know my first thought? "Its the sheds off Thomas the Tank Engine!" The 3D graphics person has missed a trick there. The rather rotund gentleman standing on a cable drum telling the engines that they have caused confusion and delay. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pom-pom Posted October 29, 2016 Share Posted October 29, 2016 You want to know my first thought? "Its the sheds off Thomas the Tank Engine!" The 3D graphics person has missed a trick there. The rather rotund gentleman standing on a cable drum telling the engines that they have caused confusion and delay. Are those visitors wandering around in muddy, oily puddles of general engine shed grime or has it just tipped it down with rain? And the window cleaners of Leicester must be rubbing their hands together with glee! There's a lot of glass in all of these designs. I wonder how they'll look after a couple of years of exposure to steam, smoke and oil, if the 'up' side of Loughborough Central near the overbridge is anything to go by! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Harrison Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 Serious thought here; if the original intention was to build a mini-Marylebone at Leicester North (which now can't be done due to high pressure water mains), why not transfer the idea to Ruddington Fields? I was there today attending the 567 Supporters Day and it struck me that here you have a station with one very long platform, a second under construction, A run-round loop which has the room for a second platform road alongside making it a centre release road, oh and a siding to the one side that could become a bay. Imagine it with a single pitched overall roof with a smaller add-on platform canopy to the one side, a nice Tudor Revival brick building at the entrance.... Would it be likely to happen in the immediate future? No- there's already too much going on what with the bridge and the Leicester Museum. But maybe 10 or 15 years down the road with the bridge in and the Museum open, and possibly with works ongoing to upgrade the GCR(N) back to mainline status? 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zomboid Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 That would seem the obvious thing to do. Would be operationally interesting with the connection to the GC main line facing Nottingham rather than Leicester, but that will have to be dealt with whether they build an overall roof or not. Is a third side to that triangle remotely buildable? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PenrithBeacon Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 I have always thought that reproduction CLC station would be a nice addition. The CLC was very important to the GCR and it would be good to have it recognised by the current GCR Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sigtech Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 To me it just looks like another bland,modern characterless design, - reminds me of ww2 German beach fortifications..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
28XX Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 As to traditional designs using antique reclaimed or facsimile materials, it has been done superbly by the SVR at Kidderminster and is being done currently by the GWSR at Broadway. So what you do is decide on the internal space you need for the types and quantity of exhibits you intend to display, choose a set of design cues and features from the railway and era of your choice, copy and paste. It's that simple. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
73c Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 It's already been nicked named 'the broken Kit Kat' ( see aerial views ) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNERGE Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 (edited) I had a family day out to the GC yesterday. It was a truly super day out. They laid on shunting in the yard at Quorn for us with a class 25 and there was light loco flitting about on driver experience turns. The crew took water at Loughborough and explained what they were doing to the kids. We had a look in the signalbox at Loughborough too. This highlighted a problem i need to address. The three year old twins saw the levers and wanted to go it and do what they do in my signalboxes. No real idea that pulling levers etc does things outside. I'll work on that one. The hot chocolate from the buffet car was spot on for both myself and Mrs LNERGE. The DMU had the blinds up so we could see out the front. A good way to show the kids the signals i've donated to the line etc. Oh for the day when the down outer distant at Loughborough can show a green.. More shunting with the 25 at Quorn as we were readying ourselves for the trip home with the light just beginning to fade. Super stuff. My only negative thought of the day.. I was knackered doing what we did. Looking round a museum too. Oh boy. Edited October 31, 2016 by LNERGE 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ian Hargrave Posted October 31, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 31, 2016 As to traditional designs using antique reclaimed or facsimile materials, it has been done superbly by the SVR at Kidderminster and is being done currently by the GWSR at Broadway. So what you do is decide on the internal space you need for the types and quantity of exhibits you intend to display, choose a set of design cues and features from the railway and era of your choice, copy and paste. It's that simple. Actually no it isn't. Other players....the NRM and Leicester City Council .....have large financial stakes in this project.It is set to be a major tourist attraction in the city and quite naturally they have what has to be seen as a controlling interest...like it or not,I'm afraid This comes on the back of an extremely successful few years for the image of a city in dire need of reinventing itself. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartingram Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 A blast from the past? I wonder if anyone can help me with the station identity from a few years back. When 71000 was first restored there was a gala held on the GCR, with a runpast of locos including 71000. I attended one of the sites, it may have been Quorn? and took a few phots of the road vehicles there. I need to know the site as I am cataloguing my bus photos, there are no clues within the pics unfortunately. Stewart Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted October 31, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 31, 2016 A blast from the past? I wonder if anyone can help me with the station identity from a few years back. When 71000 was first restored there was a gala held on the GCR, with a runpast of locos including 71000. I attended one of the sites, it may have been Quorn? and took a few phots of the road vehicles there. I need to know the site as I am cataloguing my bus photos, there are no clues within the pics unfortunately. Stewart Almost certainly Quorn. When 71000 was restored it didn't run to Leicester North I recall. Rothley less likely. Dava Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted November 6, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 6, 2016 Loughborough station was pleasant if chilly yesterday morning. Lots of railway book bargains in (and outside) the Emporium. There is a new brick wall between the housing development in the old Goods yard and the railway. It's not a bad wall, but is this the kind of Wall Donald Trump has in mind? Dava 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 It's not a bad wall, but the goods shed is on the wrong side of it... another sadly lost opportunity. Oh to have been a billionaire at the right times Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyram Posted November 6, 2016 Author Share Posted November 6, 2016 Yes sadly the goods shed does not seem to be part of the Great Central's plans. I did hear that this being used by other businesses at present. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted November 6, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 6, 2016 The goods shed seems to be used as a sports/play facility. Even if it eventually becomes available, there is probably insufficient space to put a siding in the space available at the North end, especially with track layout changes resulting from laying a new running line beside the loco shed to cross the Canal bridge and the new line over the MML to the North. Speculation on my part. Dava Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zomboid Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 How long before the new residents complain about the noise and smoke? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted November 12, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 12, 2016 Amazing event at the GCRN on Saturday 19 November: Hybrid HSTs@40 http://www.125group.org.uk/ The 125 Group have an IC125 mini-set loaned from EMT for the day. They will be running a special HST formation which will consist of an EMT power car at one end of the train, Prototype power car 41001 at the other, and coaches from both EMT and 125 Group in between. 4 round trips planned. Obviously well worth supporting by all HST fans and benefiting good causes! There is a 'Last hurrah of the season' mainly steam gala at the GCR on Sat-Sun so you can make a weekend out of it with lots of on-train catering Dava Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkC Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 How long before the new residents complain about the noise and smoke? Indeed. However, one would hope that the GCR's legal eagles will have made sure that prospective buyers are made well aware of exactly what happens on the other side of that wall, so the old "I wasn't aware" argument won't fly... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyram Posted November 13, 2016 Author Share Posted November 13, 2016 Indeed. However, one would hope that the GCR's legal eagles will have made sure that prospective buyers are made well aware of exactly what happens on the other side of that wall, so the old "I wasn't aware" argument won't fly... Well anyone thinking of buying such a property will surely have a pair of eyes to actually see the large steam locomotives running just the other side of the wall! They, therefore, should have no reason to complain! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted November 13, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 13, 2016 Well anyone thinking of buying such a property will surely have a pair of eyes to actually see the large steam locomotives running just the other side of the wall! They, therefore, should have no reason to complain! Amazingly it might come as a surprise that some people simply do not look or take any notice of such things and their solicitors (or more likely the solicitors' clerks) carry on in blissful ignorance. I became involved in exactly such a case involving a relaid bit of BR where the house purchaser and their solicitor completely failed to notice a railway going in over the wall at the opposite side of the road - they then, fortunately unsuccessfully, sued the people who had sold them the house. It shouldn't bother the Railway BUT don't forget that smokeless zones can be put in by local councils nowadays (hence there is - believe it or not - one at Didcot not that it includes the GWS although it is almost next door, covering a new housing development). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted November 13, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 13, 2016 Recent housing is also very close to the GCRN at East Leake and Ruddington stations. Buyers of the East Leake station site houses were told the line had closed by an incompetent solicitor. Some complain about passing trains but they are overflown by aircraft landing at East Midlands Airport every 2 minutes! We bought a house on a new development about 500m from the line near Rushcliffe Halt 5 years ago, I can hear the 8F and diesels passing in the cutting which is pleasant. No mention of this in the sales blurb etc. We had to pay for a coal mining survey [complete waste of money, no Carboniferous strata] which did not mention that the whole area is built on former and active gypsum workings! Dava Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyram Posted November 13, 2016 Author Share Posted November 13, 2016 Solicitors are useless at times. Think I did half the work for mine when we moved three years ago because I had lived on the street I was leaving for most of my life. My father in law is finding similar problems with his solicitor. You pay inflated fees and you expect value for money. Returning to the topic of conversation, perhaps some of the houses will be purchased by railway enthusiasts. Just think - looking out of your bedroom window on a GCR gala day, what a grandstand view that would be. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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