Great Central Railway General Matters

Thanks for that.
Cheers Andy

 

From the GCR website:-
Clayton D8568 in service this weekend 29th & 30th April
Published April 25, 2023 | By GCR Admin
It's your last chance to travel behind visiting Clayton Type 1 D8568 at the GCR this weekend, with the loco due to work three round trips of the line on both Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th April 2023.

The unique Type 1 was the star of our Spring Diesel Gala last weekend, and we're pleased to offer another chance to travel behind the sole surviving member of the class. Normal fares apply, and we're also running trains on the Mountsorrel Branch on Saturday (a supplementary fare applies for Mountsorrel Branch trains).



D8568 is due to haul the 11:00, 12:45, and 3:00 departures from Loughborough Central on both days.

D8568 appears courtesy of the Diesel Traction Group.

 

June 17/18 will see the GCR celebration of 50 years as a preserved main line. It is a time for the original and many of the long serving members of the GCR family to meet up. The local communities are also recognised.
As a "One-Off" highlight, there will be a 50 wagon freight train running on the Saturday.....50@50!

 

I assume it won't be 50 hauled at all?

 

One has to hope not (I will just grab my coat)

 

Agreed, got to be the 9F

 

Although it does have a nice symmetry "50 on 50 @ 50" ....... I hope it will be the 9F.

 

Another GCR news report on YT.....

 

Travelling along the line yesterday it was good to see that those typical steel Lattice pillasters (?) were being put back in place on the new bridges either side of Quorn.
It was quite busy with 48305, 78019 hauling trains and a DMU in use.
S & T have been busy at Rothley relaying cables ready for the repositioned point to reconnect the West siding.
There was some shunting taking place at Quorn with the PW ballast hoppers being used it appeared.

 

Not my photo, but they were out yesterday evening!

 

50th Anniversary weekend event details announced....
https://www.gcrailway.co.uk/special-events/50th-anniversary-weekend/

 

Thanks Johann
Not mentioned is that there is a Windcutter Wagon display at Quorn celebrating 30 years since the start of the restoration team.

 

There is now an updated list of activities on the GCR for the June 17/18th 50th Anniversary Event...and our Windcutter display at Quorn is included.
The 9F is scheduled to pull the 50 wagon freight through Quorn around 12.30 on the Saturday. That should be a real recreation of a working Main Line - which is of course the "Raison d' etre" of the preserved GCR.

 

The new shed doors are looking good in the sunshine.


Inside, Witherslack Hall is still boilerless - but the boiler is looking complete outside the shed and the safety valve bonnet is being polished so I expect the boiler will go back on the frames soon.

 

There are the timetables for June 17/18 posted on the GCR website. The Minerals and vans are moved to Loughborough in the morning on Saturday June 17th only, these are coupled together, then the 50 wagon train, hauled by 9F 92214 will run to Rothley where it is split up. Truly a worthy celebration of a preserved Main Line celebrating its 50th year.

 

Four short features have been put on the GCR YouTube channel over the past couple of weeks featuring volunteers from the "early days" who are still involved at the railway.
Link to the first of the 4 is here....

 

Very nice to see those 4 videos. I started, with my father, back in 1969 when the BR train service between Nottingham and Rugby stopped. This was when the Main Line Preservation group came into being and this became the MLST when trains started running in 1973. He was the founder MLPG Vice chairman, but he stopped being so involved after the Clam Bake and he changed careers. I was away at University and only became more involved when the Windcutters arrived - I had been "doing cars" in the intrim.
Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to this weekend and seeing those 50 wagons running through Quorn on Saturday.

 

There’s someone here thinking the same!
Very much looking forward to seeing this through the power of the internet later on tomorrow.
Just out of interest is it being planned to run fully unfitted? Or some sort of fitted head?

 

I assume everything's through piped, if so what's the acceptable vacuum loss from loco gauge to rear brake van gauge on a 50-wagon train!?

 

[PEDANT] If "everything" was through piped you might as well call it unfitted...[/PEDANT]