Great Central Railway General Matters

I'm planning to attend the Winter Steam Gala, and I was just looking at the ticket booking options (I always buy on the day so this was purely for interest).

I'm afraid in my opinion it's far too complicated and messy. By default when you click on "View Times and Book" there are twenty different options; some of them are duplicates; and the simple options (one for each day) are mixed in in a random seeming way. I've attached a screenshot at the bottom to illustrate this, not all the options fit in!
Firstly, it would be a big improvement if the top, most prominent option presented for each day was the simple option for just that one day. Currently, if you look at Friday, Saturday or Sunday, the simple one day ticket option isn't even visible until you scroll down!

And ideally the multi day options would be presented in a more rational way. For example, is it necessary to have the option for Thu/Fri/Sat/Sun presented on every day, as opposed to just on Thursday? I.e. could the options for a given day only include those that actually start on that day?

Of course, I recognise that software and other limitations may make it very difficult to improve this situation but I thought it was worth saying that this very important part of the GCR experience is (in my view) not optimal!

I'm a great fan of and frequent visitor to the GCR so I hope this can be taken as constructive criticism.

 

The three visiting locomotives have arrived for the Winter Steam Gala (Jan 23 -26th). There will be Boscastle guided Shed tours at Loughborough on Saturday and Sunday (with the shed also open on Friday I believe). There will be a Windcutter Information/Sales stand at the Rothley C&W Shed on Sat and Sunday.

 

Will the main shed be open on the Saturday?

 

Yes for Guided Shed Tours from 10.30 to 3.30. They are free but donations towards the overhaul of Boscastle are appreciated. Just walk up to the shed and join the next tour - they last approx 30 mins.

 

Thank you!

 

Latest YouTube update......

 

Just to say I really enjoyed my shed tour last Sunday, genuinely informative explanation of various mechanical 'bits' from different locos. I didn't have any shrapnel to donate to 'Boscastle' but will place a donation online.

 

Had a excellent day (Saturday 1st October) 6695 has now been turned to face south.3850 and 6880 also running as expected.Good loadings with a 6 coach set nearly full on the first train ,09.45 from Loughborough, with 6695.

 

My son and I enjoyed our guided tour on the Saturday morning, Phil Were you wearing a blue and yellow striped hat?

 

Two photo's from yesterday, 6695 at Quorn and 3850 LE at Loughboro'

 

Had a grand day at the GCR on Sunday. A trip behind the Grange, some excellent photographic conditions and some good banter.

2025-02-02 6880 GWR GRANGE 4-6-0 RABBIT BRIDGE GCR 5747 by KING COBRA 92, on Flickr

2025-02-02 6880 GWR GRANGE 4-6-0 KINCHLEY LANE GCR 5838 by KING COBRA 92, on Flickr

2025-02-02 6695 GWR 5600 0-6-2T KINCHLEY LANE GCR 5760 by KING COBRA 92, on Flickr

2025-02-02 3850 GWR 2884 2-8-0 RABBIT BRIDGE GCR 5738 by KING COBRA 92, on Flickr

2025-02-02 3850 GWR 2884 2-8-0 KINCHLEY LANE GCR 5789 by KING COBRA 92, on Flickr

 

GCR have said on Facebook that 6880 is now staying on the railway until the end of the month.

Will be running on regular services on Thursday 20th and Friday 21st. It will be hauling regular as well as lunch/dining services on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd.

 

Good to see you too and your lads. Fantastic weather and no forest of heads out of windows either.

 

That would be Jonathan...I was wearing a black hat! Sat was very, very busy for Shed tours. Sunday was a steady flow of visitors. Glad the tours were/are appreciated.

It was good to see our Windcutter wagon rake back in use. We will be steadily adding more to the line up as we get them through "Fitness to Run" exams at Rothley over the next couple of months.

 

Thanks, Phil.

It was a great day, my first visit to the GCR. Needless to say, it will not be my last!

 

That was a shame, but hopefully they will be available throughout the year for other Charter work?

 

A big thank you for the dedication of your team members. The wagons looked superb when we saw them behind 78019 at the gala. The sound of the wagons clanking as they passed, took me back to my days of spotting on the Somerset & Dorset. Yes, I am old - happy days though. <BJ>