East Midlands Railway Trust/GCR (Nottingham)

How many were there? Wouldn’t surprise me if Greg Wilson wanted another, he evidently loves them. But 3 plus an 8F is probably plenty

 

There was around two and a half in total

 

1631 was the nominally under restoration one, 2138 & another reputedly 2364 were the others. The incomplete ones were said to include chassis, wheels, cylinders, boiler, tender frame and misc. parts; how viable that makes either of them as projects in their own right I've no idea. They were put up for sale in the middle of 2022 so haven't exactly been quick to find a buyer, but I hope at least one of them gets restored.
Shame really, I quite like them, but a kit of parts for a large loco is not what Ruddington needs right now, or any time soon really.

 

GCR(N) has now been reconnected to NR as track has been laid across the new A 60 bridge. I believe there is more work needed before trains can run to the North though.

 

There's also been a new video update on the Ruddington carriage shed: Great Central Railway (Nottingham) new carriage shed at Ruddington - 2 minute news briefing - YouTube

 

A recent psot on soical media suggests it wil lbe a steam free railway wehn it reopens

 

Can you link said post? GCRN social media is basically non existent these days so I would be curious to know where you saw this?

 

Is that in the short term? Given that B1 no. 1264 is based there for overhaul I’d be surprised if that is a long term plan

 

Also several (steam) locomotives have been transported from Lbro on loan/hire over the years.

 

Would be surprised if its a strategy, more likely a statement of fact for any running in the near future (as the only things operational on site are diesels).

I note last night that one of the lines into No4 building has been ripped out and replaced, looks far better from a curvature perspective

 

Noted on the LNERGC Heritage Trust website (and on their fb page) is an appeal for £30,000 for repairs to Bridge 302A (between Ruddington and Hotchley Hill).

https://lnergctrust.org/

There are now three fairly large fundraisers running simultaneously;
-£15,000 for carriage shed
-£25,000 for accessible toilets
-£30,000 for Bridge 302A

Whilst I wholeheartedly welcome this uptick in fundraising efforts (it's a very welcome change from the situation back in 2020 with the 'woe is us' attitude toward the A60 bridge), I do wonder if it's a good idea having so many campaigns running at once. If I have £50/month to give to the GCRN I want it all to be directed toward the greatest need / most effect, I don't want to be having to split it say £25 to the bridge, £20 to the toilets and £5 to the carriage shed because what earthly good is that?

 

I had a look at the trust site and there are actually another four fundraisers being run as well as the three you mention and are shown under the "other campaigns" tag!
As an aside, I can't work out why the Trust would own four of the buses that are kept at the site there though (which is one of the other fundraisers) as I'd have thought one of the established bus groups like NABS would be better placed to look after those, particularly as that group are based there.......

 

Whilst it does look like a bit of overkill, you could just specify which you feel is most important for getting trains running again which I think is the new bridge appeal.

 

It's a bit of a cyclical thing though isn't it?

- We all want to see trains running again
- To get them running again means the bridge needs to be repaired
- To then keep them running they have to attract enough visitors to make it worthwhile
- Those visitors have certain expectations hence the need for facilities like the toilet block.

So you can probably see that my opinion is that the toilet block is every bit as important as the bridge.

I have every sympathy for whoever is trying to prioritise work and judge the right time to launch appeals for the next job - I just hope that having several appeals at the same time works.

 

It might have made more sense to have said we need to raise x amount, being the amount needed for the three projects, and said, the first amount we need is for the bridge, then y for toilet blocks , z for the carriage shed, and once we have reached each objective then you announce we have raised the amount to do the bridge, , then the toilet block, then the shed. does that make sense?

 

You mean a sort of combined fundraising appeal with the three goals merged into one? It would certainly make things easier for those of us with a fixed monthly budget for the cause, being able to just make one donation rather than trying to weigh up how much to give to one appeal over the others.

It's a small point really because it's all for the greater good.

 

Well the greatest need would be the bridge as there is no alternative in order to get a half decent rail service running.

There are toilets on site and some close by in the country park (although why they are being built separately and not part of the future station building is a complete mystery, a 'Station Building Phase 1 - Accessible toilets' I suspect would generate more interest and funding).

The carriage shed is a mile away from being finished and is far from essential, this fund is for electrics and doors and these are not blockers in any means......lots more needs doing first.

 

My understanding is/was that the fundraiser for the carriage shed is close to its goal (three or four months ago there was an announcement that it only needed £1,000 to reach its target). That it's all gone quiet since then is... disappointing. Given a choice between donating £50 toward completing one fundraiser, and giving that same £50 - or a portion of - to a completely new appeal, I know that I'd choose the former, every single time. To me, it's a matter of not splitting attention or resources - finish one thing before starting another.

I agree about the missed opportunity that the toilet block could have been part of Phase 1 of Ruddington's take on Marylebone. I think it's somewhat telling though that when GCRN's pretty CAD drawings did the rounds on a Facebook group a few months ago, everybody said they wanted to see it happen yet a straw poll of who was prepared to donate toward it drew no responses. Not to say it left a sour taste in my mouth but my gut feel is that the only way that will see light of day is if somebody builds a scale model of it. I'd be delighted to be proved wrong on that score of course.