Great Central Railway General Matters

You know? I am so sorry if I offered anyone but this whole fiasco with 2022's Winter Event is getting right on my wick now!
First they announce 80080 and the second visitor is Southern.
Then suddenly 80080 disappears with no explanation and we are back to square 1.
Now 80080 is back and STILL no idea who visitor 2 is?!
Honestly it's ONE MONTH till the gala starts, they must have SOME IDEA what's happening and why aren't we as the fair paying enthusiasts NOT being told this information?!!

 

Given the uncertainty over possible covid restrictions that may, or may not, be applied at some time in the future it is surely understandable that the GCR - and others, cannot detail exactly what the visiting locomotives will be.....We should be pleased that a gala with 7 + locomotives is going to happen!

 

Well really! Galas are difficult and stressful enough to organise at the best of times, let alone in the current climate when there must surely be some doubt as to what the pandemic situation will be by then. It's hardly unusual for guest loco lists to be somewhat fluid as and when things go wrong. Quite what the GCR is supposed to do to keep you happy I'm not sure. We do not have an inalienable right to be told the exact loco line-up a certain date in advance of the event. It is probably not known for certain by those organising it, stressing over whether a problem will be fixed in time or whatever it is, and the last thing they want is enthusiasts moaning at them.

On the one hand they could announce the loco in the knowledge that something might then happen to preclude the visit (80080). Now that something has gone wrong, you criticise them. Or they could hold back on the official announcement of exactly what the loco is in case something goes wrong and wait until closer to the time (The suggested Southern guest). Now that something appears to have gone awry with that too, you criticise them. It's difficult to see what else they could have done.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to it, as a prospective fare paying enthusiast I don't really care what turns up, as long as it's steam.

 

So am I!
I just don't know what in the name of Collett is going on?!

 

In 99% of cases, visiting locos are announced the very moment that contracts are exchanged and all parties satisfied in order to tempt as many enthusiasts to make their plans to visit the event.

Your conspiracy that the second visitor is confirmed as visiting, but the information is being held from the public is, most likely, very wide of the mark.

It is also very common indeed for previously agreed visitors to drop out, for a variety of (tedious) reasons. This is of course frustrating for all concerned and is never done deliberately.

Hopefully this insight into gala planning will refresh your wick!!

Sent from my moto g(8) power using Tapatalk

 

I understand all that but:
Have you ever know a visitor to be announced, then unannounced, then reannounced?

 

Absolutely! A different example, but we had a visitor once which was agreed and announced in good time. Halfway through the engine's winter maintenance the owners felt it wouldn't be done in time so it was declared as not coming. A few weeks later and the scope of work was reduced so the engine was back on...

Sent from my moto g(8) power using Tapatalk

 

I just removed the "Ignore" function to try and make sense of the postings above. It just reminded me why I put them on ignore.....

 

I am not attending so it does not effect me, but if I was I would be far more concerned about it actually happening (due to current Covid numbers and hospital issues) than what may or may not be a second visitor.

 

Noticed the GCR have been running 8 coach rakes this and last weekend, 7 was a rarity before! Interested in coming next weekend, does anybody know if the set will be 8 coaches then?

 

Hi JBTEvans
I think the 8 coaches have been happening when the Veranda coach and support Mk1 are added (for private charters) to the end of the regular 6 coach sets. This does mean that the end coach can be "Off the platform" but you cannot get off from the veranda end anyway.

 

The two visiting locomotives, 80080 and 34072 "257 Squadron", have arrived at the GCR so it is looking good for the Winter Gala and, with the latest C-19 news being favourable, it should be a busy three days. There is more information and timetables, on the GCR website, now.

 

Apologies if this has already been covered, or if there has been no recent news, but is there any news on where the engine shed will be once the reunification happens?

I seem to recall that there is a live appeal offering name plates to go on the shed as and when it is rebuilt, but any clarity on where that will be?

 

Hi 49010 (Simon?)
There is another thread on here (one or two pages back?) which discusses specifically the "Gap" project and has detailed discussion about the shed. P89 post #1777 gives a summary.

 

There was an appeal launched just before COVID, which obviously got disrupted.
Locomotive Shed Appeal | Great Central Railway – The UK's Only Main Line Heritage Railway (gcrailway.co.uk)

No-one seemed to know though how this latest proposal was to be incorporated with the future reunion of the GCR halves.
Great Central Railway - Locomotive Shed Appeal (gcrailway.co.uk)

 

This would be it https://national-preservation.com/t...ntral-railway-news.24082/page-89#post-2713503

 

Lovely I'll dig a bit further.

I had a look on the GCR website and it seemed to suggest that the running line would actually go through the shed.... hmmm, not sure that would be a good idea. I gather that the idea of putting it on the landfill north and east(?) of Loughborough has been spiked.

SC

 

I think the website shed situation has caused a lot of confusion.....but it was really just to show the various aspects that are to be accommodated rather than an actual design.
Still, I'm looking forward to seeing a "Spam Can" back in action on the GCR this weekend with the visit of "257 Squadron" for the Gala.

 

I think the thing to bear in mind is that there are no obviously good answers for where to put the shed. Others more closely involved in the railway can probably comment with greater accuracy than me, but my understanding is:

A new shed on the current footprint will mitigate complaints about moving a shed from neighbours, but involve squeezing the northbound track round by the signalbox and will cut off your vehicle access to the shed as easily.

A new shed moved to the west, but on the existing railway footprint (where the track to the back of the shed is now) would be quite a squeeze and probably not big enough.

The only parcel of land left around the railway in Loughborough is the Jackson coachworks, which I understand is not available.

The tip site would cost too much to get the ground stable enough to build on.

LMS used to be based in the GCR shed have a non rail connected premises in the town, and Riley's and Southern Locos Ltd have shown that that is one way to operate, but it doesn't solve your problem about stabling in traffic locos.

Ruddington is a large site, but it is already full, 10 miles from where your workforce currently are, and 18 miles from where you might want to start some services.

Obviously, any final location and set up is going to be a compromise. but I think sending the runnig line through the shed is probably not the winning compromise

 

I'm not familiar with the site, but I think it's possible to make some relevant observations. Firstly, I don't think the tip site should be written off without a reasonably accurate idea of the costs involved. It's all too easy to dismiss a possibility as too expensive when the true cost is not known. Secondly, in favour off an off-site workshop, if only 50% of the loco fleet is in working order at any one time, a running shed only needs to be large enough to hold them, the others awaiting workshop space can be stored somewhere else (in a museum building?) Lastly, as has been said, a running line through a shed is definitely not a good idea!