Great Central Railway - News and "Stuff"
Discussion
Looking good.
One question from me on wagons on a heritage line, when do you get to use them? - I haven’t seen a goods train run up and down a heritage line and assume the cost benefits of getting a train in steam means it needs to pull paying customers. Love the updates, just really intrigued.
One question from me on wagons on a heritage line, when do you get to use them? - I haven’t seen a goods train run up and down a heritage line and assume the cost benefits of getting a train in steam means it needs to pull paying customers. Love the updates, just really intrigued.
RacingPete said:
Looking good.
One question from me on wagons on a heritage line, when do you get to use them? - I haven’t seen a goods train run up and down a heritage line and assume the cost benefits of getting a train in steam means it needs to pull paying customers. Love the updates, just really intrigued.
Goods trains are run on the GCR.One question from me on wagons on a heritage line, when do you get to use them? - I haven’t seen a goods train run up and down a heritage line and assume the cost benefits of getting a train in steam means it needs to pull paying customers. Love the updates, just really intrigued.
RacingPete said:
Looking good.
One question from me on wagons on a heritage line, when do you get to use them? - I haven’t seen a goods train run up and down a heritage line and assume the cost benefits of getting a train in steam means it needs to pull paying customers. Love the updates, just really intrigued.
The Great Central has four Freight trains in regular use at Galas, photo charters and some other events. They are usually about 18 vehicles long - but were combined to give a 50 wagon "special" last year to celebrate the GCR 50th Anniversary.One question from me on wagons on a heritage line, when do you get to use them? - I haven’t seen a goods train run up and down a heritage line and assume the cost benefits of getting a train in steam means it needs to pull paying customers. Love the updates, just really intrigued.
They have a Van train, Mineral "Windcutter" rake, Mixed Goods and a Tanker train. There are also Ballast wagons which operate with the Permanent Way dept.
January 26/28th Winter Gala will see some of them out so come along and give them a wave!
Flying Phil said:
The Great Central has four Freight trains in regular use at Galas, photo charters and some other events. They are usually about 18 vehicles long - but were combined to give a 50 wagon "special" last year to celebrate the GCR 50th Anniversary.
They have a Van train, Mineral "Windcutter" rake, Mixed Goods and a Tanker train. There are also Ballast wagons which operate with the Permanent Way dept.
January 26/28th Winter Gala will see some of them out so come along and give them a wave!
That is awesome, must make it to one of these sometime as never seen them. Thanks. They have a Van train, Mineral "Windcutter" rake, Mixed Goods and a Tanker train. There are also Ballast wagons which operate with the Permanent Way dept.
January 26/28th Winter Gala will see some of them out so come along and give them a wave!
Still here!
But we have been busy working on our Windcutter wagons. The last one was used by ICI for transporting Soda Ash and so it had a complete inner steel body. Unfortunately the corrosive material gets trapped between the outer and inner skin. This causes a lot of corrosion which is only seen when the gap is opened up. Thus what looked a "reasonable" outer skin has turned into a major job with the removal of the inner skin, entire floor and the lower 6 to 12" of the body and stanchions.
The side doors and their hinge beams have also been removed and repaired...but we are nearly finished and have started on the next one - we have 30 wagons so it is a never ending process!
In more general news the paid staff had a meeting yesterday so the mood in the shed was grim, but I don't know what the outcome was.
In other GCR news, the Engine shed at Loughborough will be moved so that there will be two tracks to the North from the station, on the original alignment when the Gap project is completed. The two tracks will go over the canal bridge and then down to a single track on the, to be built, embankment and past PreciSpark.
But we have been busy working on our Windcutter wagons. The last one was used by ICI for transporting Soda Ash and so it had a complete inner steel body. Unfortunately the corrosive material gets trapped between the outer and inner skin. This causes a lot of corrosion which is only seen when the gap is opened up. Thus what looked a "reasonable" outer skin has turned into a major job with the removal of the inner skin, entire floor and the lower 6 to 12" of the body and stanchions.
The side doors and their hinge beams have also been removed and repaired...but we are nearly finished and have started on the next one - we have 30 wagons so it is a never ending process!
In more general news the paid staff had a meeting yesterday so the mood in the shed was grim, but I don't know what the outcome was.
In other GCR news, the Engine shed at Loughborough will be moved so that there will be two tracks to the North from the station, on the original alignment when the Gap project is completed. The two tracks will go over the canal bridge and then down to a single track on the, to be built, embankment and past PreciSpark.
Edited by Flying Phil on Friday 12th April 11:22
Flying Phil said:
Still here!
In other GCR news, the Engine shed at Loughborough will be moved so that there will be two tracks to the North from the station, on the original alignment when the Gap project is completed. The two tracks will go over the canal bridge and then down to a single track on the, to be built, embankment and past PreciSpark.
I'd seen that reported, but had been under the impression that was always, however it seems like it's a new thing. It does rather obviously otherwise block the way to connecting the bits of the railway In other GCR news, the Engine shed at Loughborough will be moved so that there will be two tracks to the North from the station, on the original alignment when the Gap project is completed. The two tracks will go over the canal bridge and then down to a single track on the, to be built, embankment and past PreciSpark.
Edited by Flying Phil on Friday 12th April 11:22
It seems rather a roundabout way to arrive at what for me was the obvious/right answer in the first place. I'm happy for the inhabitants that in the meantime the structure was made weatherproof but I do wonder at the economic impact of that.
Question on the wagons Phil - is there a reason you don't pre-fab whole sections, I don't mean an entire side, but sort of like pre-fabbed car repair panels? Is it just quicker to cut flat plate to size?
Question on the wagons Phil - is there a reason you don't pre-fab whole sections, I don't mean an entire side, but sort of like pre-fabbed car repair panels? Is it just quicker to cut flat plate to size?
mcdjl
When the engine shed was first built (1974 ish) they deliberately left space on the West side for any future track to go North. This would be a single track as double would have a very difficult "s" bend North of the shed. This was the previous thought with the gap project. It is also only a single track bridge over the Midland Main Line.
However, when looking at the future traffic requirements, there would need to be sufficient space for a full length train to be stabled North of Lbro station. I think it was found that a sufficient length of double track could not be fitted just to the North of the shed on the canal bridge and embankment (Remember there is a storm sewer outflow now built there). So it has to be double track from the platform, on the original alignment. So the shed will have to go. It was S/H when bought (ex WW2 RAF Langer) and was increasingly delapidated and so needed refurbishment and updating. These upgrades will make it more economic over the next five years and some may be used in the future wherever the shed(s) is to be located.
Toasty
The problem with pre fab is that all the wagons are slightly different due to different builders/rebuilders and hard life! So each overhaul is a bespoke job. The other aspect is that if we did replace much bigger sections - remember that there are already some big repair plates fitted on some wagons, then we would end up with a lot of identical "new" wagons rather than the "way they were". Fitting new, straight, steel to old bent rusty steel is our challenge!
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/PNzHYRfe[/url]
When the engine shed was first built (1974 ish) they deliberately left space on the West side for any future track to go North. This would be a single track as double would have a very difficult "s" bend North of the shed. This was the previous thought with the gap project. It is also only a single track bridge over the Midland Main Line.
However, when looking at the future traffic requirements, there would need to be sufficient space for a full length train to be stabled North of Lbro station. I think it was found that a sufficient length of double track could not be fitted just to the North of the shed on the canal bridge and embankment (Remember there is a storm sewer outflow now built there). So it has to be double track from the platform, on the original alignment. So the shed will have to go. It was S/H when bought (ex WW2 RAF Langer) and was increasingly delapidated and so needed refurbishment and updating. These upgrades will make it more economic over the next five years and some may be used in the future wherever the shed(s) is to be located.
Toasty
The problem with pre fab is that all the wagons are slightly different due to different builders/rebuilders and hard life! So each overhaul is a bespoke job. The other aspect is that if we did replace much bigger sections - remember that there are already some big repair plates fitted on some wagons, then we would end up with a lot of identical "new" wagons rather than the "way they were". Fitting new, straight, steel to old bent rusty steel is our challenge!
[url]|https://thumbsnap.com/PNzHYRfe[/url]Edited by Flying Phil on Friday 12th April 13:43
Edited by Flying Phil on Friday 12th April 13:44
What a great way to start the day! There is a new GCR Reunification video which shows that the old embankment North of Loughborough will not be rebuilt but instead replaced with a new viaduct with pillars on piles and precast deck sections.
This viaduct makes so much sense! The GCR went on viaducts through Leicester and elsewhere and is a classic image.
It also explains why the engine shed will need to be relocated. To have a single track around the shed and a long section of double track North of the shed (To allow a full length train to wait entry to Loughborough) would mean a double track embankment almost up to Precis-spark. The extra height needed to cross Railway terrace would mean a significantly taller and wider embankment....lots of lorry loads of material!
Using piles and standard bridge decks for the long single track viaduct from the Sewer outflow to the MML bridge will be a lot faster to build, and far less intrusive in terms of lorry movements during construction. It also means though that it becomes one construction project rather than three phases but I suspect because of the modular construction, a smaller workforce could be used?
CAUTION WIMB Alert!
It would also be good if the single track bridge across the sewer outflow had steel lattice parapets ( as per the new Quorn bridges and canal bridge) ....also the viaduct could have blue brick arch facades along the East side where it runs past Precis-spark. This was done on the new MML bridge abutments.
If you really had some spare cash, then a non-structural "Bowstring Girder" would be nice across Railway terrace!
This viaduct makes so much sense! The GCR went on viaducts through Leicester and elsewhere and is a classic image.
It also explains why the engine shed will need to be relocated. To have a single track around the shed and a long section of double track North of the shed (To allow a full length train to wait entry to Loughborough) would mean a double track embankment almost up to Precis-spark. The extra height needed to cross Railway terrace would mean a significantly taller and wider embankment....lots of lorry loads of material!
Using piles and standard bridge decks for the long single track viaduct from the Sewer outflow to the MML bridge will be a lot faster to build, and far less intrusive in terms of lorry movements during construction. It also means though that it becomes one construction project rather than three phases but I suspect because of the modular construction, a smaller workforce could be used?
CAUTION WIMB Alert!
It would also be good if the single track bridge across the sewer outflow had steel lattice parapets ( as per the new Quorn bridges and canal bridge) ....also the viaduct could have blue brick arch facades along the East side where it runs past Precis-spark. This was done on the new MML bridge abutments.
If you really had some spare cash, then a non-structural "Bowstring Girder" would be nice across Railway terrace!
Phil - <tenuous question alert>
Many years ago my brother in law's late friend Geoff bought a 6 wheel MR parcels brake van and restored it at the Great Central. BIL saw Geoff's son recently who said he doesn't know if it's still there or what condition it's in and he wants to find out about it.
I don't know why he doesn't email the GC and ask, just hasn't got round to it I guess - Geoff died about 10 years ago.
Asking you in case you say Ah, the old MR parcels brake, we wondered who owns that!
Many years ago my brother in law's late friend Geoff bought a 6 wheel MR parcels brake van and restored it at the Great Central. BIL saw Geoff's son recently who said he doesn't know if it's still there or what condition it's in and he wants to find out about it.
I don't know why he doesn't email the GC and ask, just hasn't got round to it I guess - Geoff died about 10 years ago.
Asking you in case you say Ah, the old MR parcels brake, we wondered who owns that!
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