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Bridge that Gap: Great Central Railway News

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by Gav106, May 8, 2010.

  1. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    Well spotted Johann....It seems to be the GCR fashion to say nothing or very little before they are about to make things happen. The carriage shed extension is another example. Still it is great news about the locomotive shed, and having the educational/visitor/training aspects integral to the design will appeal to a wider range of additional funding sources.
    I was visiting yesterday and went to the bridge site to see the tidy embankment end. I suspect they need to keep the short gap to allow access to the brook, will they need to have a small access tunnel through the embankment in the future, as the original bridge did have that unused Northern span?
     

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  2. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    ........Perhaps they are trying for Forestry Commission funding..:rolleyes:
     
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  3. ghost

    ghost Part of the furniture

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    Looking at the artist's impression, I think one set of trees are on the other side of the running line. I don't know if there is room for them there or not!
    The shed looks quite narrow to me - if it's to be used as a running shed then that might be workable although not ideal, but if it is to be an overhaul workshop too, then I think there would need to be more space between the roads to allow for lifting equipment, tools, people(!) putting large components on the floor etc. I know it's only an artist's impression at this stage, but perhaps looking at what other railways have got or are building should influence the design? Also not a fan of having rusting boilers sitting outside

    Keith
     
  4. mdewell

    mdewell Well-Known Member Friend

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    Where is the new shed to be sited? (I could not see any info about that on the GCR page). I vaguely recall something about needing to move it to clear a path for the new running lines, but will it be mostly on the current footprint or a new site (Not that there seems to be much room elsewhere within the current GCR land at Loughborough). Obviously it is going to cause major disruption if they have to demolish the old shed before a new one is available.
     
  5. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    I believe the new shed will be right up on the Left hand boundary (looking North) alongside the current industrial land (Coachworks). Thus the two running lines to the canal bridge will be going through where the current shed is located. I know there is a plan to have an overhead crane in the new shed and so boilers need not be outside. The sketch is just an impression.
     
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  6. pmh_74

    pmh_74 Well-Known Member

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    The artists impression of the 'new' shed looks suspiciously like the existing shed to me. I have a hunch that whatever gets built will look rather different, but who knows? There's nothing on there about how this project will interact with the 'gap' project, so I can only presume that this detail either isn't known yet, or will come later. Given the size of the potential project here, this seems a bit low-key, but I guess it's early days yet. I presume there will be a step-change in this appeal once the canal bridge is done. We'll see.
     
  7. J Rob't Harrison

    J Rob't Harrison Member

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    What happened to that sketch proposal in a recent Mainline showing a replacement loco shed in a brick-built faux London Extension style? Was that officially sanctioned, or just a flight of fancy? I know it bit the dust as soon as the plan to shift the shed wass announced, but is there anything to prevent that design being moved over away from the running lines? I'm not sure, at the moment, that I can afford to give any more on a monthly basis, already having a direct debit for the gap project, and donating to the GCRN, and the GCR RST and the 567 project.
     
  8. Johann Marsbar

    Johann Marsbar Well-Known Member

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    That plan, with the shed in its existing position, appeared in ML this time last year and was followed, in the next edition, by another piece stating that the shed was actually likely to be moved to the western side of the site when it was rebuilt!
    Got the impression at the time that the latter is the more likely option and the sketch one was just a "proposal" that didn't fit with the current thinking. Unless something appears in this weeks news e-mail, I expect we will have to wait until the June ML for full details.....
    Presumably, if a strip of land could be obtained from the owners of that "Coachworks" site, that would enable a shed to be erected with a bit more space around it.
     
  9. Johann Marsbar

    Johann Marsbar Well-Known Member

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    Any reference to the fund for the new shed has now vanished from the GCR website!
    Very strange.................................
     
  10. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    You are quite correct....I bet it was a trial that got inadvertently posted "live", hence the lack of fanfair about a good news story .........which will be announced soon.....I hope!
     
  11. ghost

    ghost Part of the furniture

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  12. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    There is a Locomotive Shed Appeal leaflet in the latest Shareholders letter, which arrived in the post today....so it is "Official"!
     
  13. Quicksilver2510

    Quicksilver2510 New Member

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    A new shed is certainly good news. Improved facilities as well as access for the running lines north are both most welcome. However, has the canal bridge appeal concluded yet? It makes sense that the next phase of the project would be moving/upgrading the shed, but strange that two appeals would be open simultaneously. Given that the target donors for each appeal are likely to have a large degree of mutual inclusivity, would this not dilute the funds available to each? Of course it may be that the canal bridge fund is now complete, but if so that's news to me.
     
  14. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    I believe the Canal Bridge fund is about £350,000 and actual work has been going on for the past three months. As they are now, only restoring to running order, one side at this point in time, I suspect that there is sufficient in the fund to finish the canal bridge work. As the Locomotive Shed Appeal highlights heritage, education and visitor experience I'm sure it will be attracting income from a variety of outside sources.
    I have been impressed with the fact that the GC is steadily achieving all the improvements that it has set out to do ie MML bridge, Canal Bridge, Osmosis water treatment, Cafe refurbs and extensions, carriage shed extension and several other smaller works.
     
  15. Johann Marsbar

    Johann Marsbar Well-Known Member

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    And the shed appeal has now appeared back on the website.................................!
     
  16. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    ....and I can confirm that the functionality is there to accept donations by buying a plaque!;)
     
  17. Captain Fantastic

    Captain Fantastic Member

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    Currently sat on the 9.00 from loughborough, on what should be a 45 shaped item but has turned into a 50, no worries mechanical things break down hope it's not too serious. But the main reason for my post is the griddle car breakfast wow that was fantastic and excellent value I just wish every railway did the same thing, seriously sat in a compo now feeling refreshed and ready to enjoy the day well done all i say!!!
     
  18. Johann Marsbar

    Johann Marsbar Well-Known Member

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    The Peak failed late yesterday afternoon (brake problems according to the guard on the train I was on) and was left in the sidings outside Rothley carriage works.
    I always make a point of having one of the breakfasts when I visit the GCR!
    Yesterday was a lot busier than I was expecting and seemed to be a lot more cars parked around the station in Loughborough at 08.15 than the last couple of diesel events that I have been to there.
     
  19. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    Ah ... the GCR breakfast! I have enjoyed many of those sat in a Mk1 going through the countryside and over Swithland reservoir, seeing the Mounsorrel Branch curving in from the side.........
    The diesel Gala had a good lot of people yesterday as well.
     
  20. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    Just to bring this thread back on track, there is a good "N" gauge model of the gap project, that is used by the Friends of the GCR. This is the part that shows the new bridge over the MML , together with the Ex Reading steel decks and the two sections of brick arches. DSCF6537.JPG
     

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