Bridge that Gap: Great Central Railway News

Having spent 36 years of my life involved with a local (non railway) preservation group - from restoration work up to Council of Management level, it does make a change to make a break at some stage. I've spent 2 years "away from it all" now and have been able to get on with lots of other things that didn't get a look in before !
Sometimes a break is really needed.......

 

In other news, http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/3...ailway-musem/story-29729494-detail/story.html land secured for the museum.

 

Any Update available?

 

There's usually an update in each issue of Mainline, every three months or so, but the last issue there wasn't. Whether that was due to issues of space or having too much else to report or just not a lot having gone on with the bridge for a few months I don't know.

If I recall correctly the issue previous to that (which would have been around August/ September 2016) discussed clearing away vegetation and detritus on site and discovering the remains of the abutments to the original bridge.

 

Mention of the bridge was actually included in the CEOs report in the Winter Mainline, stating that the paperwork has taken up some time, but it is still intended to get the bridge built in "Spring 2017".
No doubt a suitable announcement will be made "as and when......."

 

Reported that oranges suited workers and plant visible clearing the southern abutment ready for piling and that fabrication of the bridge deck has started. So it looks like the bridge works have finally started! Anybody seen anything official from the GCR?

 

Fantastic news!

Is there anyone local who can give those of us who are distant an update?

Or, better yet, a whole regularly-updated Web site, a la Bluebell and GWSR? Such sites can be a huge help to fund-raising - the GWSR sites have brought in a ton of money from far away, from people who probably wouldn't have donated otherwise. A volunteer to do that would probably bring more return to the railway that anything else they could volunteer for, I expect.

Noel

 

I totally agree! With a webcam as well, so we can follow progress of the bridge being built, if possible.

Andy

 

Can't wait to visit once it's complete

 

Has construction work started yet?- there's no mention of it on the GCR website. I agree, it is great news if it has indeed begun!- and I look forward to being able to visit and view the works some time. I dimly (and possibly wrongly) recall mention of open days to view the construction work, once it had got out of the ground.

 

Report with photos today on a faceache group, contractors are on site (North side) with cabins and machinery.

 

Buy them a cam and broadband feed and I'm sure they'll be happy to obilge.

 

Why don't you go up for the Winter Gala next weekend and have a look / chuck some pennies into the bridge fund.
It's always a good gala (if a little chilly).

 

Which group is this on. Thankyou

 

I've had a monthly standing order in place since the start of fund-raising for the bridge, that will have to suffice for now...............
Andy

 

According to the GCR website, enthusiasts and the public have donated £1.1M for the bridge appeal. I don't think it's unreasonable for those donors to be kept up to date with the project. It would be a foolish railway who antagonises its supporters and then in 6 months? 1 year? goes back to the same people looking for more money for their next project.

As a general point, this is one of the biggest shortcomings of heritage railways and associated groups; we live in the age of communications and a simple blog or email, dare I say it even an open access Facebook site is all it takes to keep people informed and make them feel that their donated money is achieving something. All too often railways and groups appeal for money and as soon as it is received there is no further updates until another appeal is required.

Keith

 

"Greater Great Central (Leicester North to Ruddington)" A closed group. ( ie. You need to be member of the group to view anything)

 

The GCR seem to fall flat on publicity on a number of fronts. The last update to the "Bridge to the Future" section on their website was 28th July last year, with nothing since.
If I was involved in a project like this, and was out to extract as much money from donors as possible, I would at least keep people updated on what is going on, and would be "shouting from the rooftops" that work had started.
There has been nothing about it in the "Friends" weekly e-newsletter either.
I'm waiting to see if they milk the publicity from something else happening in the area during this coming week, or not, as the case my be..............

 

I agree, more info on progress would benefit both those who have donated, and would encourage those who haven't to perhaps dontate.
A blog / section on the site or perhaps even FB or twitter feed would work and wouldn't cost to produce.

I don't think the suggestion of a web cam was in any way appropriate.
It would cost, what £200 for a reasonable one with 1/2 decent resolution
£250 a year for a broadband account (you'd need broadband to provide a video feed)
How much to actually install? A minimum of 100 notes *if* BT have already run telephone cables to the shed, far more if you're looking at running a new installation.

So, to provide a web cam, you're wasting a minimum of 600 notes, and potentially thousands. Nah, not worth it unless someone wants to personally fund it. I would rather my (admittedly small) donations went on the infrastructure.
(I do note that AndyY donates. fair play )

Agreed, some railways seem to be far better or worse than others. Mind you, that's from an outside observer perspective, for all I know updates for members may be fantastic, whereas public web based updates might not be a priority (the main website maybe being a publicity machine for attacting new customers, not a preservationists information tool).

 

Whilst I’ve never been an active volunteer at the GCR, I’ve been a member of ‘both ends’ for decades, a shareholder, and support fund raising by standing orders, so clearly I ‘do my little bit’ to help what I think is one of the most worthy of preserved railways.

So I think I’m entitled to have a bit of a moan about the lack of publicity and information on the major projects on the go, the bridge and the new museum in particular.

I know it requires volunteers with the skill and interest, but compared with the GWSR and the Bluebell, for example, information is thin on the ground.

Other railways provide webcams, usually doubling up as providing security of sites vulnerable to theft or vandalism, so I don’t think the idea should be discarded on cost grounds.

I’m sure regular updates akin to the GWSR blogs would pay dividends in terms of support.

Andy