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New GCR engine shed?


JeffP

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Anyone know where, and when?

 

Last I heard was last year, they had had the old shed at Barrow-in-Furniss (??) taken down and were rebuilding it in, or near Loughborough.

 

But everyone was very coy about where.

 

Thanks.

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I had read that the task of rebuilding the shed was not as easy as it might sound, as the people who deconstructed it did not do so with as much care as they could have done, and lots of components are damaged and will need repairing.

 

The old refuse site, I believe, had foundations not suited to the size of the structure and would have required a lot of work.

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Yes, once the bridge goes in, and they also reinstate the canal embankment and bridge, the old shed will have to go.

 

The River Soar is quite close, though, making the ground difficult to drain.

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I seem to recall the suggestion of an alternative location for the shed at the junction for the former Gotham branch further north once the two sections of the GCR were reconnected by the Midland Mainline bridge? There is a chunk of land within the apex of the junction looking on Google maps and the surrounding area is all farmland so no NIMBYs.

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There is a deleted Wikipedia article that seems to confirm what is said above and what I have heard from folks who work on the GC.

 

The article - which was deleted due to a lack of "verifiable information"  said

 

"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"

 

 

Rob

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That's actually really disappointing. A combined MPD/shed with turntable, facilities etc, not in a housing estate and not sat on one of the former running lines was a very tasty opportunity to evoke the main line sheds of old.

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Chatting recently to somebody who has some involvement with the GCR, it seems that they are looking to see if there is room to get two tracks from Loughborough around the back of the loco shed and perhaps across the canal. going down to single track over the new bridge.

 

When you look at how much room there is, if all those containers and piles of junk (sorry - useful stores and spare parts) were removed, I can see two tracks round there being a possibility.

 

If the present loco facilities can be retained and/or upgraded on their present site, it will mean a huge saving in costs for the whole project.

 

So although a whole new shed site would have been nice, I can fully understand the reasons why other options are being looked at.

 

Tony

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There are a few things that strike me as (in my view) illogical, given the plan to relink both halves of the GCR, such as why the turntable is halfway up the line at Quorn and not at either of the ends of the line (there are plans to provide a turning facility at Ruddington but there isn't one at Leicester).

Developing the Loughborough cutting shed seems like a large missed opportunity. It seems as though Swithland wasn't considered for an MPD/turntable location, it now has a large carriage shed on site so unlikely to be possible now, and it was a large area of land with a road connection, close to the end of the line but sufficiently isolated.

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I have just talked to someone who knows a lot more of what is being considered - I says considered as they are still thinking about it all and haven't made any decisions. There is space beside the shed at Loughbourgh for two tracks and that is being actively considered for operating reasons - you can have a train depart from the station heading north to clear the platform but still wait for a southbound train coming in from Ruddington (it will be a long time before the north section will be even considered to be doubled). However if you put two tracks then how do you get road access to the shed as it will be blocked in by the running lines - there will be no chance of visitor access. So do they move the shed to the other side of the tracks - or do they move it all to Ruddington and (maybe) Leicester as part of the possible NRM museum. Or maybe something else....

 

Also sounds like at the moment it may be a new bridge over the gap - as the cost of a new bridge is about the same as the Reading bridge. Still will be single track.

 

Rob

 

 

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Chatting recently to somebody who has some involvement with the GCR, it seems that they are looking to see if there is room to get two tracks from Loughborough around the back of the loco shed and perhaps across the canal. going down to single track over the new bridge.

 

When you look at how much room there is, if all those containers and piles of junk (sorry - useful stores and spare parts) were removed, I can see two tracks round there being a possibility.

 

If the present loco facilities can be retained and/or upgraded on their present site, it will mean a huge saving in costs for the whole project.

 

So although a whole new shed site would have been nice, I can fully understand the reasons why other options are being looked at.

 

Tony

There is something to be said for aesthetics over practicalities, Captain Howdy had the northern approach to Romney station rebuilt on a "S" curve to improve the look of approaching trains. I hope Loughborough can maintain its mainline look without compromising around existing features, such as the shed.

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There are a few things that strike me as (in my view) illogical, given the plan to relink both halves of the GCR, such as why the turntable is halfway up the line at Quorn and not at either of the ends of the line (there are plans to provide a turning facility at Ruddington but there isn't one at Leicester).

Developing the Loughborough cutting shed seems like a large missed opportunity. It seems as though Swithland wasn't considered for an MPD/turntable location, it now has a large carriage shed on site so unlikely to be possible now, and it was a large area of land with a road connection, close to the end of the line but sufficiently isolated.

It's possible that not all journeys will be over the full route, the average member of the public only has a limited tolerance to travelling on a train (especially Nottingham to Leicester at light railway speeds) and the line may still operate in two halves with a few through trains, like the Ffestiniog/Welsh Highland.

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The latest update on the website, which I think is incorrectly dated as it seems to be dated a year ago, said the following (my red and bold):

 

Latest project headlines - 28th January  2014:

  • The total amount raised so far is £730,000. Thank you! Please join us in a last push to the target.
  • Planning permission for bridge granted.
  • Ground survey works completed. Outstanding ecology work on the bridge area now complete.
  • One million pound Government ‘local growth fund’ grant allocated for next phase of reunification works,
  • Canal bridge survey has taken place. Quote received for refurbishment work.
  • Embankment environment study now complete. Ground investigation work to follow.
  • Revised bridge design now chosen, using a single span, allowing reclaimed ex Reading bridge decks to be used elsewhere in reunification.
  • Next major update in Main Line 162 (published 1st March 2015) 2015 is the year of the bridge!

They expect the bridge itself to be in place by the end of this year, albeit they are still, as the press release suggests, short of the funding target. I have taken it upon myself to ask them about the press release date. The grant cannot be used on the bridge itself, it has to be used on other parts of the project.

 

As a former founder supporter of GC North I really hope this succeeds.

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I was surprised that the GCR was going to build a loco shed on the landfill site. There are civil engineers volunteering at the GC and they would know how unstable landfill sites can be. Now the bridge is going ahead I would expect that a new shed will be built at Ruddington. Perhaps!

 

Regards

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