[Oct 6, 2016] Great Central Railway Autumn Steam Gala 6-9 October (Great Central Railway)

4 Day Autumn Steam Gala featuring 9 locomotives in steam:

- 47406, 48624, 46521, 45305, 92214, 777, 6990
- Return to steam of Standard 2 No. 78018
- Guest Locomotive soon to be announced...

 

Good news about 78018 now up on GCR website

http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/special-events/autumn-steam-gala-thurs-6-to-sun-9-oct/

 

Looking at coming down on the Saturday.

Haven't been to the GCR for a while.

 

Does Anybody know if 70013 will be at the GCR for the Gala?

 

Very unlikely, I think the plan is for it to leave for the mainline asap!

 

Oliver Cromwell is advertised to run at the 50th Anniversary Mini Gala 3rd and 4th September

http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/special-events/50th-anniversary-of-gcr-closure-mini-gala/

 

£16 day ticket is a bargain for a mini gala, with that line up.

 

Looks like 4566 has been added to the line-up

http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/special-events/autumn-steam-gala-thurs-6-to-sun-9-oct/

 

it will look good on the minerals

 

Contrary to my post above, 70013 has now been added to the lineup!

 

Looks like lots of information on the GCR web-site except a timetable (or have I missed something?). Can anyone tell me what time the show starts on Saturday? I haven't been to the Great Central before so don't know quite what to expect but the loco line-up is awesome!

 

I'm planning to visit Thursday and am also hoping for some information, if only the time of the first train....

 

Usually a 9am start on Gala Saturdays.

 

Timetables are now on the GCR website

 

Thanks - certainly looks interesting. As I've said before I've never been to the GCR so a couple more questions:

1) Why do some southbound trains go to Leicester North and others stop at Rothley Brook? Is that where the double track section ends?

2) Why the DMU? I thought this was a steam gala!

Thanks,

John

 

Yes

 

I am hoping to attend this event, as it really is a great loco line up! However, I do wonder why you keep on using the DMU at the gala. Surely with 10 steam locos this could be put away for the gala!

 

I think the DMU is just plugging some gaps in the timetable. Were those trains to be steam hauled you'd need another rake of coaches and two steam locos tied up all day (since there is no run-round facility at Rothley brook). With 10 engines in steam, I guess the coaches are more the limiting factor.

 

I think some people like the view you get from the DMU of the action. Yard action at Swithland etc. It's also good for moving people about quickly. Very rare at most railways to have so many freight workings during the day. And as mentioned...it's another two coaches which are in relatively short supply at the GC compared with SVR that can put out 5 x 8-coach rakes as they did last week.

 

Is there an entry missing from the Sunday timetable? The first departure from Loughborough is down as 09:45 with 777, and from Leicester North 09:46 with 78018. As pretty well all services on the GCR start and finish at Loughborough, I would have expected a 09:00 from Loughborough with 78018 (and possible a second loco to be detached at Rothley) as per the Saturday timetable, which would then become the 09:46 back.