Great Central Railway - End Of BR Steam Gala : 4-5th & 11-12th August 2018

how the area around Woodthorpe has changed I remember when it was a country lane and very peaceful not a spot I would want to go to anymore

 

He will be very unhappy come the Autumn and Winter Galas then!

 

My footage of this event, enjoy.

Kind Regards

Andrew

 

Looks like it's back to normal for the second weekend of the event - 4 steam & 2 diesel listed + the DMU, with steam working the whole line...
http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/special-events/end-of-br-steam-gala-2018/
Shame I'm working on Saturday and elsewhere on the Sunday.....

 

Enjoyed my day on the GCR last Saturday. Full marks to the team who put the show on with the concern of causing lineside fires.
My photos can be viewed here.... Narratives are a bit sparse as its not easy writing with my 18 month old grand-daughter on my knee!

https://evergreen.zenfolio.com/endofbrsteam

 

Hello Clive, thanks for posting excellent photos; some excellent images there!
Not sure what the palisade fencing at the south end of Quorn is all about? I believe that this area is only open to lineside permit holders and surely the railway is not fencing off the mail bag exchange area? Can anyone enlighten me please? Thanks, Andy

 

Timetable for the second weekend is on the GCR Website now.

Also the Peak has been swapped for the 47.

 

If you can't get along to the Gala - or if you are there and want an unusual perspective - @Anthony Coulls and I will be doing a Facebook Live broadcast from Leicester North at 11:30, and then live from Oliver Cromwell's footplate as we head to Loughborough - for as long as the 4G signal holds for. We're doing it on the National Railway Museum's Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/nationalrailwaymuseum/

I'm really pleased to work with the teams from both Science Museum and NRM on this, who have invested a great deal of time and effort to make it happen - it's great to be able to tell the story of 11 August 1968 with this very special part of the National Collection. Apols in advance if I get any specifics wrong; but I have good friends on hand to correct me! I hope it's as enjoyable to watch as I'm sure it will be to film - live railway broadcasts always have an element of the complete unknown.

 

Some more pictures from Saturday and mostly Sunday: https://www.flickr.com/photos/djcs_trains/albums/72157696792520762
Am busy on Saturday (taking two non-enthusiast friends for a ride on the SVR) but may visit again on the Sunday depending on the weather.

 

It's interesting that the developers haven't built up the land right to the railway boundary leaving the grass space, also planted saplings there which presumably will block any view of the line once grown. I guess they will also replace the temporary fencing eventually, as the properties look aimed at the pricier end of the market maybe with something less visually offensive (and opaque) than palisade. The development next to Loughborough Central has put in a boundary wall which isn't completely unsympathetic to its surroundings: https://www.flickr.com/photos/68729621@N03/38544576186/

But all that said it was nicer when it was green fields!

 

Looking at the timetable, I note 73156(/069) and the 8F are double heading all weekend? Is this correct or will they be top’n’tail?

Many thanks in advance,

James

 

Looks like double headed as they have ## next to them, rather than %% which denotes top and tailed.

 

Still yet to see 73156 so a bit gutted that she will be double heading all weekend as the inside locomotive. Also a shame the minerals only get one right way facing steam run.

 

Decided to give the event a miss, tiredness was one of the factors as well as the above.

Absolutely gutted about Woodthorpe though, I will certainly treasure the images I last took there in January:

 

Thank goodness I went last weekend since 73156 on the vans and not many people on the lineside and also at Woodthorpe and Kinchley Lane

 

Noticed this:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-45143771

 

Made a change of plan after seeing the weekends forecast so visited the gala today and had a very good day.

There was some late running though various reasons, some of which I haven't heard the reasons for. Most interesting of which being a sudden stop at Swithland on the second Northbound Non-stop behind Cromwell.

For anyone going tomorrow, I hope you have a good day and the weather holds for you.

 

Is this Cromwell's last hurrah before a full overhaul?

 

Had a fantastic day at the gala today

Was a great day