Great Central Railway - News and "Stuff"

[Flying Phil]

I popped along to see the "caps" in place - 44 tons of pre-cast concrete!

[Flying Phil]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

"An extra few inches" is said on a GCR press release. The old bridge was stated as 4.3m and I suspect the new one will be 4.4m/4.5m, but we will have to see. The constraints are that the roadway floods and the rail track cannot have a greater gradient coming off from the Midland Main Line up the chord line.

[0a]

Belated, but I wanted to thank anyone here for a super night out on the bonfire event last week.

Very well run (aside from getting throughput on the beer tent up!), it was, and this sounds naff, a bit magical to go from Loughborough to Quorn/Woodhouse and back on the trains.

Seeing a stream train appear in the distance at night for the first time was incredible.

The great thing about the GC is that you bring history to life and to this present day.

The staff were brilliant and very enthusiastic as well. Clearly one of the highlights of the calendar and that came across as a passenger (I took my Dad and we had a great time).







A fantastic night. Our transport back!

[Ian Geary]

My parents are close to the GCR and I'm familiar with the nuts via Quorn, and the new (old) quarry spur.

North of the Loughborough GCR station, i see from Google maps there is now a bridge structure over the grand Union canal (covered in earlier posts) and space beyond that to presumably lay track to join a spur from the existing NR railway line just south of Loughborough station.

What's the plan then?

Is the track to Ruddington in tact? It looks ok to the British gypsum hq, but gets ropey by the time the village is reached.

Is another group working on restoring that end?

Thanks

Ian

[RyanOPlasty]

You can find out all about the reunification project here

On completion, trains will be able to run from Leicester North to Ruddington

[mcdjl]

Ian Geary said:

My parents are close to the GCR and I'm familiar with the nuts via Quorn, and the new (old) quarry spur.

North of the Loughborough GCR station, i see from Google maps there is now a bridge structure over the grand Union canal (covered in earlier posts) and space beyond that to presumably lay track to join a spur from the existing NR railway line just south of Loughborough station.

What's the plan then?

Is the track to Ruddington in tact? It looks ok to the British gypsum hq, but gets ropey by the time the village is reached.

Is another group working on restoring that end?

Thanks

Ian

From brush just north of Loughborough station to ruddington is the great central railway(north) or Nottingham heritage railway post the spat. It was running regularly until the pandemic and mainline trains were running to gypsum until the bridge that Phil showed pictures of got dangerous. They should be running again in a few weeks.

[Flying Phil]

This weekend should see the new bridge decks being put on the abutments. It is also the "Last Hurrah Gala" on the GCR with an intensive timetable - including that "lengthy train" of Windcutter 16T minerals operating mid day on Sat and Sunday. In a few years time it will be fantastic to see them going North over the new bridges!

[mcdjl]

Flying Phil said:

This weekend should see the new bridge decks being put on the abutments. It is also the "Last Hurrah Gala" on the GCR with an intensive timetable - including that "lengthy train" of Windcutter 16T minerals operating mid day on Sat and Sunday. In a few years time it will be fantastic to see them going North over the new bridges!

You might know, how often does the mountsorell branch actually get run? After all the effort that went into building it, it feels very rare for a train to run on it, even at galas.

[Flying Phil]

mcdjl said:

You might know, how often does the mountsorell branch actually get run? After all the effort that went into building it, it feels very rare for a train to run on it, even at galas.

I think the intention is to have running on the branch about 6 times a year (Plus shunting demonstrations). There has been a problem with a damaged trap point (?) plus covid, which has meant no through running recently.
I believe it is scheduled to be in operation for the January Gala and in March - when the main GCR line is closed around Quorn to allow for two bridges to be repaired/replaced.

[Flying Phil]

Work is progressing well at the A 60 bridge with a large crane on site and one of the bridge decks waiting to be installed.

[dxg]

Livestream of the deck lift happening now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SOhFxYTKT4

Woo...

[Flying Phil]

At the A 60 bridge tonight (Sunday) I was told that the two decks and two anti-collision beams were now in place. The big crane is being dismantled. There is some grouting to be done and other finishing work over the next couple of days, then it is ready for ballast and track!

[Flying Phil]

Here is a much better picture of the new A60 bridge taken today.

[toastyhamster]

New reunification update, mainly on the bridge, but there's a teaser at the end as well, may be some more actual progress next year on the factory flyover.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlMcRE13zfk&ab...

Is it really just the A60 bridge completion holding up the Gypsum trains, I thought there was more work required?

[mcdjl]

toastyhamster said:

New reunification update, mainly on the bridge, but there's a teaser at the end as well, may be some more actual progress next year on the factory flyover.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlMcRE13zfk&ab...

Is it really just the A60 bridge completion holding up the Gypsum trains, I thought there was more work required?

They were running until it fell apart a year ago, so unless the track has deteriorated elsewhere I guess so. The weeds growing though it have mostly died back now.

[toastyhamster]

mcdjl said:

toastyhamster said:

New reunification update, mainly on the bridge, but there's a teaser at the end as well, may be some more actual progress next year on the factory flyover.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlMcRE13zfk&ab...

Is it really just the A60 bridge completion holding up the Gypsum trains, I thought there was more work required?

They were running until it fell apart a year ago, so unless the track has deteriorated elsewhere I guess so. The weeds growing though it have mostly died back now.

I'm hoping Phil can update us, I did read somewhere all the operations stuff had to be reviewed/renewed. Plus there were some physical inspections of other bridges due (might be North of Lafarge). Would be great news if we see some trains in the Spring. Recent comments on Facebook about morale of volunteers being rock bottom don't fill me with confidence.

[mcdjl]

toastyhamster said:

I'm hoping Phil can update us, I did read somewhere all the operations stuff had to be reviewed/renewed. Plus there were some physical inspections of other bridges due (might be North of Lafarge). Would be great news if we see some trains in the Spring. Recent comments on Facebook about morale of volunteers being rock bottom don't fill me with confidence.

Hopefully though gcr and gcrn/nhr are very separate inspite of the aim to join them! I knew they inspected a bridge in East Leake earlier in the year and haven't heard any bad news. That said the volunteers I saw at the village lights turn on maning a stand had no idea when trains would run again..... And had had enough of being asked!

[Flying Phil]

Despite asking, I do not have any new information about the GCR(N). I do know that a lot of people have been doing long hours on trying to get systems put in place to get back to running at Ruddington and down the line. I think we will just have to be patient a while longer.

On the Boscastle Website there is news of a new "Boscastle Official Supporters Club", which is free to join for anybody wishing to be kept informed of the restoration progress and opportunities to help in various ways. (I'm sorry, but my limited IT skills do not stretch to getting a direct link posted.)

In other news - the BR Std Class 2 No 78019 has been fully overhauled and now has a new "10" year ticket. It also looks very fine!

[Flying Phil]

Here is a picture of half of our "Lengthy Train" of 16T mineral wagons going through Quorn Station.


.......and our next wagon restoration project...a black one!

[Flying Phil]

We have now removed the floor from the "Black One!"


The next job is to remove and overhaul the vacuum cylinder.