East Midlands Railway Trust/GCR (Nottingham)

As a matter of interest, they woudn't be a Midlands based group would they..???
One I've been watching has some plans on their website, but haven't put anything on there about proceeding with it yet, and as I'm not a member/regular contributor, I only go from news announcements or their website.

 

I'd prefer not to put out further details at the moment, as the group is a tenant of a preserved line and there's been no definitive statement that conversations have been had and agreements made between tenant and landlord for the project to actually proceed. I'm fairly confident that when all the background agreements and whatnot are in place the group will be making some form of public announcement.

 

Thanks - will keep an eye out for that then, if it's who I think it could be......

 

Good verbiage from EMRT - Plans (tentative) in place, and the way forward is mapped. Loads of Money seems to be the requirement.... Just like in the days of the struggling MLST and GCR - they thank their benefactor David Clarke (as do all of us) - it seems that EMRT and GCR(N) now requires someone (or many) to step forward.

 

Nice to see that the GCR(N) website has been updated with running days and event info for 2021. However there doesn't seem to be any news about the A60 bridge - has it been allowed to re-open for gypsum traffic yet?

 

Hotchley Hill signalbox is looking a lot better now....
https://www.facebook.com/RushcliffeHalt/

 

Thanks Johann but that link seems to only be for Facebook users. Perhaps somebody else has a photograph?

 

It worked OK for me this morning (and just now..) and I don't subscribe to Facebook. It's a "Public" site so should be OK, though I have noticed that some of the "Public" ones do have a different format now and only show the last message posted (ie the Nottingham Area Bus Group site).
I did get to it via the "Cutting Edge" FB page though, so it might be worth trying that if it won't load directly...
https://www.facebook.com/GCRNCuttingedge/

 

Thanks Johann - both links now working for me.....the "delights" of IT!
But good to see that work continues with good effect at the signal box and with the "Cutting 'edge" teams.
It is a bit disappointing that there appears to be no information about the A 60 bridge situation. However, I read that the gypsum trains used the by-products from coal fired power stations. Obviously this is much reduced in volume now, so is it a needed traffic flow or do they get the gypsum from another source?

 

A lot of the DSG is imported now. If anything more train miles rather than less (when the traffic resumes).


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Just been to have a look as interested at getting back for a run down to Loughborough to see into the works before they close, but couldn't see any information for running days this year. It wasn't the 2020 dates that you looked at?

 

Only things I've found on there when looking are various events at Ruddington itself mainly involving buses and other road vehicles.....
http://www.gcrn.co.uk/events/2021-events/
Nothing at all as yet on any train services other than "hoping to start them from late May Bank Holiday weekend", which, given that is just over 3 weeks away now with no information seemingly appearing anywhere about remedial works underway or anything else for that matter, seems rather unlikely.
.

 

From the events list the first and only rail related item seems to be the end of August and that's TBC. I know when I was at the GCR for the first weekend back running they were sold out on the first day, so seems to be a potential loss of earnings to not be running, but guess for some it will take longer to be COVID secure than others due to stock etc.

When they do open again though I'll make sure they get some of my funds on a return trip.

 

Sorry.....I had followed the special events 2021 link and didn't pick up on the fact that it linked to the 2020 timetable page. I do hope that Ruddington does restart running soon.....and lets us know about it!

 

I might be wrong, but not noticed any updates to the site for nearly a month since they announced that the site was reopening, and think that the events page was updated then.

I've seen some pictures recently of most of the loco's parked up around the site with the Class 144 parked at the platforms covered in graffiti that I presume it had on arrival and not since it arrived, so you can get around if you want a few pictures of what's there. I'd have hoped for something by the next bank holiday weekend as we're then after the next phase of restrictions lifting, but I imagine that quite a few of those involved in volunteering are of the age groups most at risk.

 

It is not simply a case of waiting for restrictions to lift, there are pieces of work which need doing before passenger carrying trains can run again. From experience my guess is that, as has often been the case, many key people are currently very thinly spread, which results in delays to work getting done (including comms). Many people don't realise that the volunteer base at Ruddington is really quite small considering the size of operation they have, especially in some key areas, and many people are key figures in multiple teams. This unfortunately means in circumstances like this where the to do list is really quite long, it can take a little longer to get everything ticked off.
EDIT Almost forgot to point out that the easy way to solve a problem of having a small volunteer base is for it to grow! More volunteers in every capacity always welcome!

 

Is there any more information about the re-opening of more of the GCR(N) operation? The website is not helpful and the previous Facebook links are not public now - as far as I could see.

 

No further communications have been sent out to all volunteers. The previous communication said opening "In time for Summer" was the goal, but this was dependent on various jobs being completed, and an appeal for help to complete these jobs was put forward. My assumption is that if no further communication has been sent out then there are still things yet to be ticked off the 'to do list'. Communication not the railway's strong point, but then one has to remember that unlike many other railways, the GCRN has no full time paid staff, everybody in a key role does it in their spare time, and if their day-to-day jobs are taking up a lot of time and effort, then they're busy doing practical jobs on the railway, the time and energy to produce a communication may not always be there. I do acknowledge that as a long-term volunteer myself I am inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt (especially in public) and others would be less gracious than I.

 

Communication is definitely key for any heritage line, but not just internally. It needs to go out to enthusiast and the general public as well. People like to be kept up to date even if its just to say we're working on it and we've not disappeared for good. I know then to go back to the website or facebook page to look for updates in the future and helps as part of the marketing.

This week is national volunteers week and I've seen other lines have been using it to give a thank you to the existing volunteers and also to try to get others involved as well with future generations helping to take over. Trying not to be too critical, but has this been a missed opportunity to get the message out there and help build on the volunteer numbers/skills? As its my nearest heritage line I've always been interested in volunteering, but for some reason always felt a little apprehensive and unsure what I could actually contribute towards, but if there was some sort of event like other lines have I would be interested in attending.

 

Oh I do agree with a lot of your sentiment. I just feel I don't like to 'let the side down' in public, but then maybe I'm a bit too passive about it?

Regarding volunteering, I can say from experience that actually at the GCRN it's very easy to integrate yourself into whichever role or team you want to be involved with (be it loco restoration, steam or diesel operation, guarding, S&T, P-way etc). I'm not 100% sure how easy it is to sign up at the moment though, and what the induction process would be, but a FB message should at least flag that you're interested and hopefully they can point you in the right direction. Once you're in there shouldn't be too many barriers (other than the necessary training ones) to you getting stuck in how you want, but I do agree it's not necessarily the most obvious how to get to that point at the moment. I should also point out that, what with a combination of COVID, myself getting married and other factors, I haven't actually been present as a volunteer for over a year, and things might have changed since then!