Great Central Railway General Matters

Just going through a variety of Pre Grouping Railway Company drawings and many have a clear formation width of 30ft.
Seems preferable as a figure easier to remember and greater safety space.

 

This has been posted on Social Media from the GCR. There should be some very interesting events during the year.

 

75 years since Nationalisation and the Locomotive Exchange Trials too, coincidence that an image of 6990’s being used?

 

Looks like they are going to be using the Mountsorrel Branch for more than just the one previously mentioned weekend in March now whilst the line through Quorn is shut......
https://www.gcrailway.co.uk/march-bridge-repairs/

 

Two train service using all three railcars (Blue 2 car 101, Green 2 car 101 + Iris) on the first weekend, and the subsequent weekends after will be one railcar in service although depending upon demand Iris may be added to the railcar on the day to provide additional capacity.

On the first weekend services will pass between Rothley and Swithland with a double reversal at Swithland to access the branch. No confirmation yet whether services will run bang road on subsequent weekends.

 

Hmm, is that a generic map, or have the bridge clearance issues and drainage issues between Nunckley Hill and Mountsorrel Halt been resolved?

 

I'm fairly confident in it, in as much as I would hope if you'd gone to all the trouble to modify a template to show the out of service sections on the main line, why would you leave the branch showing as inaccurate?

The last I've seen is that VolkerRail have approved the condition of the whole branch. The clearances under the bridge are still the same and I don't think the drainage pump at Mountsorrel has given any more trouble.

 

Thanks. I'd be interested to know the operating procedure through the tight bridge; does it involve additional on-board staff, for example?
I hadn't realised there was a pump at the Mountsorrel end although that would make sense. It would be so much better if the end of the cutting wasn't blocked by a big pile of quarry waste...

 

Of stouter habit to keep the coaches down on their springs?

 

Are trains able to run from the heritage centre up and down the branch using the Barclay or the Ruston?

Regards

Chris

 

I want to be quite careful to not suggest more than I actually know, but I'll try my best. The cutting, gradient and that great pile of quarry waste make Mountsorrel station perfect for collecting ground water unfortunately and the pump is not MARCH's to maintain. When it stops the water can build up very quickly and we rely on reporting it and hoping for the responsible party to sort it quickly.

I think the branch is already restricted to 10mph and that during the initial tests of the stock that has passed through the coaches have been populated with plenty of spotters. However once it's confirmed that the stock clears it (with sufficient margin), I would hope that it wouldn't be necessary to do the same every journey? Either way, the running of passenger trains on the branch is currently the responsibility of the Great Central, so I think any extra requirements for staffing or operating procedures would be up to them to decide. I would hazard a guess though, that if it turned out to be that difficult (i.e. needing a railcar full of volunteers to watch out of the windows), then they would decide quite quickly the return wasn't worth the extra effort.

I am very much looking forward to the weekends though, it will be the first time I'll have travelled on any part of the branch in anything other than our Wickham

 

Not usually, day-to-day the branch is under control of the Great Central, the key for our ground frame is kept at Swithland and we need permission to take anything beyond the signal at the end of the quarry yard. The Ruston doesn't have any train brakes and is probably a bit under powered for anything other than shuffling a few wagons around. In theory you could with the Barclay, but you would most likely need a second engine to top and tail and I don't know what the footplate arrangements would need to be. You would technically be driving MARCH's locomotive on a different railway.

 

Thanks for clarifying that. You don't say whose the pump is, but I would assume the quarry?

I don't believe there's any particular issue with stock clearing the bridge parapets, the issue is the wellbeing of anyone daft enough to ignore the notice not to lean out of the window. It wouldn't be quite the same as being whacked by an overhanging tree...

I'm aware passenger trains have been run through there before, but not having been on operational duty at the time I'm unfamiliar with the details, hence asking.

It's not a height issue!

 

I'm not entirely sure exactly who owns the pump (only for never asking specifically) but I would think the quarry would be a sensible bet.

By coincidence, we've just received some more information on the setup. Mountsorrel will be providing volunteers to guard the windows and stop anyone from leaning out during the Nunckley Hill - Mountsorrel section in addition to the usual GCR train staff. I'm not too familiar with the DMUs, would it just be the door windows that are large enough to lean out from?

Hopefully that's also a pretty strong confirmation that the trains will indeed be running all the way to Mountsorrel. Exciting times indeed, roll on February!

 

Welcome news announced today! Great loco to have on the line, don't believe it has long left on the ticket, but hopefully it'll start its overhaul sooner rather than later (then the debate on the livery can begin anew).

EDIT: Ah, didn't look in the Steam Traction section before posting, so duplicating post there.

 

Hopefully it will emerge from overhaul in its proper livery and minus that silly nameplate

 

The livery debate starts already! TBH I don’t mind it in green John, when it went to the SVR a few years ago it did look rather nice with the LMS set, it was rather reminiscent of a certain joint railway…

 

Its not a livery debate it’s whether the GC want to recreate a realistic windcutter that will always be associated with the line. The only time it looked right was on a photo charter as 92220

 

A realistic Windcutter should have a 9F that’s so dirty you couldn’t tell what colour it is.

 

Not if it was ex works, amazing what can be done for a photo charter though.