GCR Winter Gala 31 Jan '09

Personally, yes! I'm prefer those two hammering along at 75 mph on the mainline rather than trundling along at 25 mph on the GCR, but the Q6, the O4, the 8F and the Prairie can only be sampled on a preserved line.

 

It all seems very strange to me. What other passenger carrying heritage line would have a visiting loco for a gala and stick it on a freight for all but 1 trip? Obviously its the GC's gala and they can run it as they see fit but I think there may be more than a few go away disappointed (my own personal view).

 

So ride behind it at the 1960's event that the GC say it will appear at?
Or another day?
Or go to the Moors and ride behind it?

 

This happened the last gala where the 04 ran on the freight all day, now why dont they put the Q6 on in the morning and then the afternoon, this would benefit GC as more people might be likely to get there earlier and maybe buy a rover ticket and bring some revenue in. For my benefit the Q6 will be great on the freight as i have a lineside pass, but does this mean that when i end my day that all i will have on the freight is a Q6 and an 04? all but in 3 different places? Now brits were often found hauling freights in the latter years and would not look odd in front of a set of vans, in fact that was the dissapointing part of the autumn gala, that oli didnt have any more vans on the back! To be honest i have to go by train too and it is costly and my dad also will be going to this gala and when i tell him he only has one ride behind the Q6 he wont go. And it is all good going to the NYMR to rid behind it, but not everyone lives next door to it, and whats saying that Q6 will be on passenger trains at the 1960's gala. There not gunna stick lamiel, and oli on the freight when only a max of 3 steam and 3 diesel are used. But overall i think the decision by the GC is not going to please everyone.

 

No decision is ever likely to please everyone and for the GC to please everyone within the space of a three day Gala would be just about impossible.

 

It doesn't alter the fact that I had planned to visit this event since the visitor was announced and will not now be able to travel behind the loco I was going for. Unfortunately can't make the 60's event. I will hopefully catch up with it on the Moors one day or maybe on another railway within easier reach.

 

It doesn't alter the fact that I had planned to visit this event since the visitor was announced and will not now be able to travel behind the loco I was going for. Unfortunately can't make the 60's event. I will hopefully catch up with it on the Moors one day or maybe on another railway within easier reach.[/quote:1eaho3ui]

Well it's still doing a passenger trip in the gala, so you will be able to travel behind it :-k

 

No loco has ever been advertised as hauling passenger trains so I don't know what this hoohah is all about really. The loco is visiting for three months, if you want to ride behind it you'll have plenty of chances.

 

Well it's still doing a passenger trip in the gala, so you will be able to travel behind it :-k[/quote:a4mnor0t]

Yes..........at 1545!

 

True Jamie, but not everybody can get to the GC every weekend. sorry if people think i'm having a gripe, its not intended to be that way. Just wish the loco had an extra turn earlier in the day thats all. I'll shut up now :-#

 

Congratualtions to the GC on putting freight engines on freights. Even those that like to travel will be able to sit at Quorn and watch a freight with the right engine rumble through followed by a passenger. Nowhere else can recreate the past like that. The ROD has been around for ten years now so I think it is appropriate that during some of its' last galas it works freights. I will be there on Sunday and will enjoy the spectacle.

 

Well it's still doing a passenger trip in the gala, so you will be able to travel behind it :-k[/quote:corpwfim]

Yes..........at 1545![/quote:corpwfim]

Which is still during the gala... A round trip lasts just as long whatever time you start, so I really don't see what the problem is :s

 

1545 from Loughborough gives me 95 mins for a round trip to Leicester onto my train home from Loughborough mainline at 1720 including the walk between the two. Thats the problem for myself, I appreciate the roster is fine for those who have a car or live locally, just means that for me its not now viable. Good luck with the event though, hope it goes well.

 

Of course it's viable, the walk between stations is 15 minutes at most, you can knock off a good 3 or 4 minutes by walking out the back gate at the GCR if you really wanted.

Or alternatively get a later train, you live in Telford so you'll be able to get back right up to around an 8 or 9pm train from Loughborough.

 

Or even get off at Leicester North, bus into Leicester and pick up your train from there.

 

Yes it's viable, but it's up to him whether it's worth the risk. Personally I'd say no. I've missed a 30 minute connection before due to late running on GCR.

 

The Q6 is not due to arrive back in Loughborough Central until 17.00 leaving C WALL 20 minutes to get the 17.20 to Loughorough Midland. Yes, it's possible if it's on time, but we're talking about gala here with lots of freights about (in my experience, one of the most common cause of delays at galas). I certainly wouldn't want to risk it if I definitely had to be on the 17.20. As Jamie says, there are later trains to Telford, but we don't know C WALL's circumstances and whether he definitiely has to be on that train.

 

Has the GCR never considered running a bus link in order to help people make connections to MML trains?

 

Running the trains to time would be a start. Some of the run rounds at Leicester seem to be dragged out instead of trying to make up time.

 

What a broad comment we have there. It depends on what loco crew and what guard you have, with a good crew I've done a run-round at Leicester in five minutes before, which is pretty difficult to do even on a good day and I doubt I'll do one again as I've given up running to catch up time. For example I know one guard who managed to take 14 minutes at Rothley Brook with the assistance of three movements inspectors, when I arrived on the next train I took 3 minutes and 32 seconds (each one was being timed by a fourth person with a stopwatch). So in many cases it's down to the guard, in my opinion at a gala weekend the timetable is sacrosanct and I generally won't wait for passengers as there will be another train along soon. Whereas on a normal weekend I don't mind waiting as the wait can be a bit longer.