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Mountsorrel Heritage Centre

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by Johann Marsbar, Sep 21, 2018.

  1. Johann Marsbar

    Johann Marsbar Well-Known Member

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    In case anyone is in the area this coming Saturday (25th), they are going to be running demonstration workings on the narrow-gauge line during the afternoon. A new level crossing has been installed (which they were constructing last weekend) and a new path has been opened up round the base of the old quarry face between the rail museum building and the station platform at Nunckley Hill.
    Some pictures on their FB page...
    https://www.facebook.com/Mountsorrel-And-Rothley-Community-Heritage-Centre-43876650405/
     
  2. Johann Marsbar

    Johann Marsbar Well-Known Member

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  3. Johann Marsbar

    Johann Marsbar Well-Known Member

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    The GCR are intending to run (pre-booked only) railcar services on the Mountsorrel branch on Bank Holiday Monday, 31st August 2020.
    Full details will appear on the GCR website from tomorrow, apparently.

    EDIT: Looking at the GCR Facebook page, the Mountsorrel runs may be continuing into early September whilst the bridge north of Quorn is replaced. That is what had been mentioned to me a few weeks back, but wasn't for publication anywhere until confirmed!
     
    Last edited: Aug 25, 2020
  4. Johann Marsbar

    Johann Marsbar Well-Known Member

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  5. Johann Marsbar

    Johann Marsbar Well-Known Member

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    According to their FB page, they had a break-in at the centre overnight on Wednesday and had £10,000 worth of power tools stolen....

    Sadly the Heritage Centre site suffered a burglary last night and all the power tools that we have for looking after the nature trails, the railway and the lineside were taken. The cost of replacing the tools and the repairs needed will be over £10,000. Everyone is devastated. There's never a good time for these things to happen but the financial strain through lockdown makes this all the more difficult to bounce back from... Our CCTV shows the perpetrators coming into site at 10:35pm. They had a white transit van that they parked on the road side near the bridge. They were only there for a few minutes and then came back at 11:55pm for half an hour. If any of you came past at those times and might have dash cam footage that might provide further details, please do let us know.

    Seems that railway preservation sites are becoming a common target at the moment.
     
  6. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    It must be so upsetting for all the volunteers and supporters of this community based Centre to have this happen. However, I am sure they will rally round and continue with their excellent work.
     
  7. Johann Marsbar

    Johann Marsbar Well-Known Member

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    I don't do FB, but as their page is "Public", it was interesting to read all the comments from local people about this theft. Shows just how much support there is in the local community for the scheme, unlike other places that have various problems with their neighbours..
     
  8. Johann Marsbar

    Johann Marsbar Well-Known Member

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    One of the locals set up a "Just Giving" appeal to raise £2000 (initially it was £500) following last weeks theft and it has now raised over £2400 in 7 days, with the figure still rising....
    https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfun...OG9cY9eDg1sXdgGFeQa5N7UlcitjnWYkQppfPNQ3bw9pQ
    Having seen a list of what was stolen, most of the items were actually gardening/site management related, with only a rail cutter being specific to the rail side of things. The problem seems to be that the insurers are looking to pay out the secondhand value of the stolen items, rather than the new replacement costs!
    All of the items stolen were kept in a building away from the rail museum or cafe/heritage centre which have their own seperate security systems in place.
     
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  9. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    And that’s without any offline donations - having been there for the first time on Saturday with the DMU trips, and seeing quite what had been conjured out of nothing, a look at the site for how to donate led to a cheque.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
     
  10. Johann Marsbar

    Johann Marsbar Well-Known Member

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    Called in at the Centre for a couple of hours yesterday and discovered that landscaping work is underway to create the "memorial garden" area, which is enclosed by the narrow-gauge demonstration circuit.....
    DSCF5139.JPG

    When I was last there, 8 weeks ago, that was still a bramble filled wilderness with dumped stone/rubble that took great care to negotiate when photographing the NG operation!
    Lots of visiting members of the public in evidence - the recently completed car park extension was certainly needed by the time I arrived - and a large number of volunteers present as well engaged in a wide range of tasks.
     
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  11. Johann Marsbar

    Johann Marsbar Well-Known Member

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    This suitably cryptic message has been posted on the Heritage Centre Facebook page today, Monday 26th October.....
    We have something very special arriving at the Heritage Centre tomorrow morning around 11am. All we can say at the moment is that you won’t be disappointed! You are very welcome to stop by and see it arrive.
    Might be worth a look if you are in the area!
    Yes, I do know what it is, but there has been a "news embargo" on it until it arrives to take up permanent residence!!
     
  12. Johann Marsbar

    Johann Marsbar Well-Known Member

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    Arrival time of the new resident has been revised to between 12.00 and 12.30, just in case anyone was thinking of going to have a look today. It's still got to be unloaded after that time as well.
    Will be apt if it arrives at 12.23........
     
  13. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    It's now 12:31 so can we be told?
     
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  14. Squiffy

    Squiffy New Member

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    Guessing it’s 0-4-0 “Colin McAndrew”...and I claim my £5!
     
  15. Johann Marsbar

    Johann Marsbar Well-Known Member

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    I'm 140 miles away, so I don't know whether it's arrived yet!!
    There was a more than subtle hint in my last post suggesting a time of 12:23 for it's arrival would be appropriate, but the last poster guessed right....
    A-B 0-4-0ST "Colin McAndrew" has been purchased by Mountsorrel and was moved from its former home at Chasewater this morning.

    Photo on Mountsorrel FB page
    https://www.facebook.com/4387665040...w4YxfYVf2LcHbaqSvqKz81A41fXBr85FVw-l7ZqGCk8RC
     
    Last edited: Oct 27, 2020
  16. Johann Marsbar

    Johann Marsbar Well-Known Member

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    Another photo from yesterday, courtesy of Steve Cramp, showing "Colin McAndrew" being propelled into its new home inside the workshop building at the Heritage Centre....

    20201027_140613.jpg

    Considering it has only been 7 weeks since the aquisition of a working steam loco was first mentioned, things have moved a lot quicker than I was expecting, particularly when we ended up with a different loco to what was originally suggested, and one that hadn't been advertised for sale either!!
    All the money to pay for its purchase and move from Chasewater had to be raised in that time as well, which has all been achieved through donations from supporters......

    Having only been overhauled at LMS (Loughborough) in the past few months, I believe it just requires a visit from an Inspector to sign-off a new valve that was fitted before it can be used on staff training and shunting demonstrations for the first time.
     
  17. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    That is a nice addition to the Mountsorrel collection - there must be three steam locomotives on site now?
     
  18. Johann Marsbar

    Johann Marsbar Well-Known Member

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    Yes, the Jinty until the end of next year when its overhaul starts, the Brush built loco on loan from Leicestershire Museums and now Colin McAndrew. Thankfully the Fireless loco that is supposed to turn up at some stage has been put back to sometime in 2021 at least...most probably longer!
    Not sure how they are going to be affected now with Charnwood going up to Level 2 in the next few days.....
     
  19. Johann Marsbar

    Johann Marsbar Well-Known Member

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    Having undertaken a pre-Lockdown visit there today, one previously unreported thing is that the 1934 LMS box van was delivered last week off the GCR and now is going to be the first item of rolling stock to be restored in the new Restoration Shed..

    Van.JPG

    It looks like it's going to be fun to get the doors off it!

    In addition, I took a photo of the completed Harbilt electric platform trolley which now has received a new wooden loading platform.....

    PT.JPG
     
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  20. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    That will be a nice place to do restorations Johann...I was in Rothley shed this morning on my Pre lockdown visit.....one day we will meet!;)
     

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