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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. The Dainton Banker

    The Dainton Banker Well-Known Member

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    Is there a reason that the two organisations should, or could, not merge ? Then all the problems you foresee will be irrelevant. :)
     
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  2. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    What a great memory!
    But what is really scary is that I remember, as a teenager, watching an 8F with brake van pulling into Leicester GC station.......:eek:....June 1965.
    2013-08-19_73 8f great June 66central.JPG
     
    Last edited: Nov 24, 2020
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  3. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    Without comment on the specifics of the two GCR organisations, doesn't that depend on not just the leaderships being able to agree, but also the volunteers feeling that a merger would be to their collective benefit.
     
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  4. The Dainton Banker

    The Dainton Banker Well-Known Member

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    Without going back several years to check, I thought that was always the intention once the opportunity to link up became realistic.
    And are they currently two separate bodies or are they two parts of the same body ?
     
  5. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    They are two separate organisations with very close links. I am sure there are areas where they will be working together as one in the future, but there will be lots of distinct areas so that people can operate and volunteer to their preferences. This is not to underestimate how much work will be needed to co-ordinate the operations.
    But let's concentrate on getting the "Gap" closed first.:)
     
  6. Great Western

    Great Western Member

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    The situation would then be reversed, at the moment the North something the South want (Mainline connection) if you merge the two the North then get all the marvel of what the South have (double track, a fully signalled railway).

    Is a mainline connection REALLY worth 'loosing' the marvel that is the GCR(S) ?

    Maybe the South could take over X mileage lock stock and barrel of the North to obtain the mainline connection, and leave the North as a separate operation with access to the South as required.
    To run a meaningful operation across the gap on the North is going to take many millions in terms of signalling, train renewal/upgrade etc, who is going to pay for that? If the GCR(N) retain ownership/lease of the North why should the South pay for any works?

    I can see a WSR situation develop in years after the gap is filled, there's two separate operations with very different approaches for a reason. The GCR asking the North to drop the GCR bit of their title as the don't (rightly) want the negative press is very very telling.

    It doesn't matter what the senior management board wants, its what the core grass root people across both operations want, their the ones who will have to work day in day out with each other.

    Then you have the propel or run round movement into Ruddington Station area, not ideal for a full line operation. The proposed new cord is a good idea, most viable concept but again who is going to pay for it? If a full line operation was happening you could argue the South would reap most reward, but if the two operations remained separate aside from special full line days then the North would.

    As it stands the North operate one train in steam, without serious investment this will have to continue for least a decade or more. How practical is to have one full line train operating on the Northern section, you'll have a queue of north bound trains blocking Loughborough awaiting acceptance onto the North.

    The more I think about it, the more I think the project should admit the main driver is the mainline connection and the boast to revenue it will bring the South. and only the South.
    No shame in that, the revenue inbound charters and test trains bring can be reinvested in the South to ensure it continues to strive and grow.
     
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  7. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    If that's the driver, then that's my DD stopped. The vision is reuniting two halves of the same railway, and the outcome needs to be the spread of the excellence that is "south" to the "north". The challenge to those involved is to deliver more than the sum of the parts, not less than.
     
  8. Great Western

    Great Western Member

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    The South have a huge talent bank of skills, and experience which if the will was there along with a huge pot of money could really bring the North upto the same standard as the South, but as Ive said above unless Dave the signalling chap wants to work on the North he wont. You simply can not force people to share their skills or experience with someone they don't want to.
     
  9. Great Western

    Great Western Member

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    I agree, Id love to see a South style railway across the gap onto the North, but where is the money to do it? I think the reality is the gap will be filled this decade, with the mainline link established, a few token trains to the far end of the North to say we can do it. But as time ticks on the gap wont be fully utilised as the North wont be up to standard without a huge, and continuous plan of works which wont happen itll fizzle out after a few years.
     
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  10. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    That is where the onus is on all to continue to pursue excellence once the tracks are joined, and to see the jewel that is Loughborough - Leicester extended to include the run up to Ruddington. And if it takes a while, so be it - that's hardly unlikely.
     
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  11. Mark Thompson

    Mark Thompson Well-Known Member

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    There seems to be a degree of divisive speculation creeping in here, regarding the future relationship between the two halves of the railway
    The impression emerging is one of negativity. This is a free access forum which anyone can read, and might, in a worse case scenario, deter valuable funding.
    Could I humbly suggest we keep our comments positive, or at least informed?
    Out of morbid interest, I've just felt prompted to glance at the WSR thread. As expected, it still induces a dreadful sinking feeling, akin to watching the BBC "news" channel. I know that we can stay above that.
    Please forgive the lecture.;)
     
  12. The Dainton Banker

    The Dainton Banker Well-Known Member

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    Thank you for your reply but I asked if there was some reason that the two organisations should not just merge and then operate as one railway. You have not answered that but, instead, seem to be trying to work out who is up who and who isn't paying ! Surely it is not a matter of North versus South tribalism, both are part of the GCR and should be working for the benefit of the whole railway. What difference does it make if you are working at one end or the other ? I see this attitude as the sort of narrow-minded divisiveness that has done so much damage to the movement in the past.
    Please explain.
     
  13. garth manor

    garth manor Well-Known Member

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    Is a Lough North station on the GCR(N) connected to the main line station still intended ?
     
  14. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    Hi Garth
    There was a discussion about this earlier in this thread I believe and the view was that the idea for a station on the embankment by the Midland station was just that - an idea. It would be expensive to build and difficult to manage. Although it would allow easier/shorter distance to access the GCR from the mainline station, only a relatively few passengers actually arrive by train anyway. Although some gala events had a free, heritage bus, transfer I seem to recall.
    There has been no mention of a station there on any of the recent reunification reports.
    I would also suggest that a read of the EMRT website (linked on post #1280 by Johann Marsbar) gives a comprehensive view of the problems and progress associated with that area.
     
    Last edited: Nov 18, 2020
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  15. garth manor

    garth manor Well-Known Member

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    Thanks
     
  16. Great Western

    Great Western Member

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    I’ve no connection to either railway, I’m simply giving a non connected opinion - no requirement for me to explain you agree or not either way makes no odds to me.
     
  17. misspentyouth62

    misspentyouth62 Well-Known Member

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    Can I just say that in the 40+ years I've enjoyed and supported the GCR, I've not felt any dissenters wanting to derail (excuse the pun) the ambitions to extend the GCR line and bridge the gap over the MML.

    Tribalism only exists in the minds of those that wish it upon each other - just saying. Point me at someone specifically who fears a nose-bleed working north (or south) of Loughborough and I'd like to put my arm around them and help understand those fears. We're hopefully all on this forum because we have something very important to us in common and survival of our Heritage Railways for future generations honestly cannot and must not rest on tit-for-tat.

    As other's have said, please, please keep negative speculation away from this thread.
     
  18. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    Just to remind us about how far the GCR has come, here are two pictures taken around 1976.
    Seasonal... South of Loughborough Station 2019-09-26_31 Snow Littleton 1976ish.JPG

    The final connection to get a run round at Quorn station
    Pictures scans0028 Quorn runround 1976.jpg
     
    Last edited: Nov 18, 2020
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  19. desperado

    desperado Member

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    I've probably put this one up before but given the discussion, I think it's worth putting up again. A reminder of how small the gap really is. Looking north across the canal bridge towards Loughborough Midland in 1983.

    [​IMG]View looking north from Loughborough Central depot by jon33040, on Flickr
     
  20. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    Just a reminder that there is a Zoom talk on Sunday - details on the GCR website

    "Join Les on Sunday the 29th of November in a special hour long illustrated zoom presentation. Broadcaster and journalist Tom Ingall will interview him about his career and his interested in railways. The online meeting will commence at 7pm - with the talk starting at 7.15pm UK time. We'll also bring you the latest on the Reunification project".
     

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