Great Central Railway General Matters

https://www.loughboroughtowndeal.co...t-central-railway-project-thanks-to-town-deal

 

The timetables for the "Last Hurrah Gala" are now available on the GCR website. It is good to see that there will be a variety of authentic motive power to haul our 25+ "Lengthy Train" of 16T mineral wagons. (9F, 8F, Std 5, and Std 2). A sight and sound not to be missed!

 

Next years Quorn bus event, which was supposed to be held on 6th May 2023 (now Coronation Day...) is expected to be moved to September 2023 from information recieved this afternoon.....

 

We had our "Lengthy train" of 25 vehicles (23 Wagons and 2 brake vans) running today on the GCR. We had hoped right up to the last minute to get another 3 wagons but sadly it did not happen.
Here is a picture from the brake van of the train leaving Swithland sidings, going from the Up line to the down line, to get to Loughborough.

We will be running it again tomorrow.

 

Here is a different view - from the signal box at Quorn taken today

 

From the latest GCR Rail Mail is the news that
..." the Board of directors is now very pleased to announce that Malcolm Holmes will be joining GCR as General Manager in March.


Malcolm has been associated with GCR in a number of volunteer roles for 28 years and, to that extent, his face will be a familiar one. His professional life has largely been in the public transport sector, particularly rail operations, most recently as Executive Director, West Midlands Rail Executive.


The whole Railway will warmly welcome Malcolm to GCR and the experience he will bring to the General Manager role".

Additionally there are plans on the Council website which show details of the Loughborough Shed work. Basically single story offices and amenities in an extension along the East side. An extension to the workshop at the NE corner and rooms, above the existing workshop, with disabled access.
This will, I think, enable clear space along the whole West side for the track to the North.

 

Not sure I understand that PDF there's a great long East elevation, two narrow elevations (North and West) but no South elevation, or am I reading it wrong?

I take it as well that if there is enough room to one side then the issue of moving the Loco Shed is closed as it will remain where it is with a running line alongside?

 

The West elevation looks to be only partial; the diagonal line on the right is I think a cut point, the rest would just be a very long blank rectangle as it's just a continuation of the loco shed cladding. South elevation is just to the right of the North elevation.

 

Ah yes, I see, thanks

 

*Sigh* More stuff to knock down when they eventually decide to do the job properly.

 

Re the new GM, there has been a good introductory video introduction from him, sent to GCR Working Members today, which was a very good start. He certainly knows the Railway, and many of its people, very well.

 

Nice to see a GM who knows about railways rather than some of the suits we have seen take over on one or two other lines

 

I notice that there is a "Kids for a Quid" promotion on the GCR trains over the next few days.
There was also this initiative reported in the latest "Rail Mail" ...
"Back on Friday, 9th December the Railway hosted PASIC – a Nottingham based charity providing support for parents and families dealing with the devastating impact of childhood cancer. This involved two trains with approaching 400 children, parents and family members travelling on GCR. I’m sure you’ll agree that a day such as this displays GCR and everyone across the “team” in the best possible way.
GCR provided the trains of course and thank you too for the sponsorship from Next and AutoWindscreens."

I think these are very good offerings and the Railway is to be commended. We are used to getting requests for support for our Railways, but it is easy to overlook the many instances, on so many lines, where they have "given something back".

 

Proper these days increasingly means affordable. There isnt any other way as l see it. Could you explain?

 

Is there enough room alongside the shed for the running line over the canal bridge, I'm assuming it will just need to be a single line, using the far most bed, with the nearside being an storage road for the shed,

 

The last thing I read - and that was a while ago now - was that they intended to lay double track from the station up to just beyond the canal bridge, which is why they refurbished both decks of that structure. Whether that is even possible now with the shed staying in the same position is another matter......
Taking a measurement off a Google Maps image, the south west corner of the shed to the boundary fence - the narrowest point of the available space alongside the shed, measures out at something like 28 ft which might be a bit tight. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable can come up with the minimum distance required?

I suppose they could always do this......

 

Gauntleted track has the practical advantage of having no switches (the most vulnerable part of points) and thus no point drives, detection, locks and periodic FPL checks. I dare say track circuits and appropriate interlocking would keep it safe and legal.
Pat

 

Minimum width would be derived from:-
Cess to Running Edge = 1.625 Minimum, desirable to be plus 0.3m wider
Rails RE to RE = 1.435
6ft RE - RE = 1.970
Rails RE - RE = 1.435
Cess to RE = 1.625 Minimum, desirable to be plus 0.3m wider

Total minimum width = 8.090m Minimum, desirable to be plus 0.6m wider
Desirable 8.690m total cross section.
Dimensions from Track Design Handbook

 

Many thanks for that.
So that gives 8.69m x 3.28084 which comes to more or less 28ft 6in !! Depending on an accurate measurement between the corner of the shed and the boundary, they might just get away with it, though laying out a suitable double track S-Curve off the canal bridge to run alongside the shed might present another problem....

 

I am just wondering if it is actually necessary to have two tracks going around to the West of the engine shed. Given that there is room for a long siding over the canal bridge and onto the (to be built embankment) that should provide a degree of operational flexibility for trains to and from the North.
However I also know that many people, with greater knowledge, will have been thinking long and hard, over many years, to come up with a suitable plan.
In fact, I recently came across an article detailing the Engine shed original build and the "New" GCR had been trying to come up with a viable site. Quorn and Rothley had been considered and ruled out by local planning conditions. The original lease/sale was only up to the road bridge from Lbro station. It was only as a last minute addition that the land from the Bridge to the Canal bridge was to be part of the deal. Then the actual location for the shed was to allow for a track, round the side, to go North....at sometime, possibly.
It was much later that the possibility for the adjacent land might become available. In the meantime the worsening condition of the S/H shed has made its refurbishment in situ the only viable option in view of all the factors.