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Great Central Railway Last Hurrah Gala Saturday 15 & Sunday 16 November 2025

Discussion in 'Galas and Events' started by waterbucket, Oct 13, 2025.

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  1. waterbucket

    waterbucket New Member

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    Loco Lineup

    Steam
    6990 'Witherslack Hall'
    68067
    73156
    78018 - one of it's final appearances before expiry of it's boiler ticket early in 2026
    78019

    Diesel
    Class 27 D5370 - final GCR appearance. Appears courtesy of the Caledonian Railway Diesel Group
    Class 35 Hymek D7018. Appears courtesy of the DEPG & West Somerset Railway

    DMU
    Blue Class 101

    Event Details

    Three passenger sets in use along with the DMU: A set conveying griddle car serving full cooked breakfasts, B set conveying refreshment car serving real ales & C set diesel hauled hopefully including the steam heat van.

    First departures both days as follows:

    Loughborough at 0910 (last arrival 1753)
    Quorn & Woodhouse at 0919 (last arrival 1745)
    Rothley at 0900 (last arrival 1736)
    Leicester North at 0915 (last arrival 1710)

    Demonstration Box Van and Mineral Wagon trains between Loughborough and Rothley throughout each day.

    Double headers and non-stop express services through Quorn in the Down (Loughborough) direction.

    Timetables (including freight movements) and further details now available on the GCR website (note D5370 will work services currently allocated to D123): https://www.gcrailway.co.uk/visit/events/20251115-last-hurrah-gala/

    All attractions subject to availability & all the usual caveats etc. Hope to see some of you there!
     
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2025
    waterbucket, Oct 13, 2025
    #1
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  2. neildimmer

    neildimmer Resident of Nat Pres

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    No EMR main line trains to Loughborough again, same as Autumn Steam Gala
     
    neildimmer, Oct 14, 2025
    #2
  3. Jamie C. Steel

    Jamie C. Steel Member

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    Timetable now changed to show D5370, there will be a bus link from Leicester London Road to Leicester North to connect into and out of trains during the day.
     
    Jamie C. Steel, Oct 16, 2025
    #3
  4. Alex Productions

    Alex Productions New Member

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    May be a bit early to know but any ideas what directions the locos will be facing at this Gala. Cheers.
     
    Alex Productions, Nov 6, 2025
    #4
  5. waterbucket

    waterbucket New Member

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    73156, 78018 & 78019 all face South

    6990 starts North but gets turned to face South on Saturday morning

    68067 faces North
     
    waterbucket, Nov 7, 2025
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  6. Alex Productions

    Alex Productions New Member

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    Cheers, much appreciated.
     
    Alex Productions, Nov 7, 2025
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  7. pmh_74

    pmh_74 Part of the furniture

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    Thought 78019 was at Dean Forest? Their FB post says it is.
     
    pmh_74, Nov 7, 2025
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  8. Ben Jenden

    Ben Jenden Well-Known Member

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    Yes...and its coming back for the gala over 15th and 16th before heading to Nene Valley.
     
    Ben Jenden, Nov 7, 2025
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  9. pmh_74

    pmh_74 Part of the furniture

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    OK but that must make any statement about which way it is facing null and void, surely?
    (Appreciating that @waterbucket has some insider knowledge... but he wrote the statement in the present tense, not the future tense.)
     
    pmh_74, Nov 7, 2025
    #9
  10. waterbucket

    waterbucket New Member

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    Jeez pmh_74, talk about being pedantic :Pompus:

    Sincerest apologies for missing the word *will* out of my previous post!:)
     
    waterbucket, Nov 7, 2025
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  11. D7076

    D7076 Well-Known Member

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    D5370 and D7018 face north and south .
     
    D7076, Nov 8, 2025
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  12. malc

    malc Part of the furniture

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    Hopefully, they will turn one of them so they both face the same direction when they diuble-head.
     
    malc, Nov 8, 2025
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  13. ianh

    ianh Member

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    Does the Brake Tender get a run out on Gala Days?
     
    ianh, Nov 9, 2025
    #13
  14. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    But doesn’t that mean they’ll be double heading nose to nose? I hate it when that happens. :D
     
    Spamcan81, Nov 9, 2025
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  15. Tim Light

    Tim Light Well-Known Member

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    Will platform ticket be available for this event?
     
    Tim Light, Nov 9, 2025
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  16. D7076

    D7076 Well-Known Member

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    No ,you’re safe they’ll be cab leading and cab to cab when double headed .
     
    D7076, Nov 9, 2025
    #16
  17. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    yes but a end or b end leading . lots of combinations on that score !
     
    Sidmouth, Nov 9, 2025
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  18. Tim Light

    Tim Light Well-Known Member

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    GCR web site shows standard day ticket at £33 if purchased online. Can anyone tell me the price if paying on the day? Definitely intend to visit but not sure which day. Might be a late decision.
     
    Tim Light, Nov 10, 2025
    #18
  19. Ben Jenden

    Ben Jenden Well-Known Member

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    Past experience is usually £2-£4 more at the ticket office
     
    Ben Jenden, Nov 10, 2025
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  20. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    I've always been able to buy online the day before, and then use a printed ticket or add the eTicket to my phone wallet.
     
    35B, Nov 10, 2025
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