GCR WINTER GALA - FRIDAY 27 JANUARY 2012 TO SUNDAY 29 JANUARY 2012

Thanks to all for a great gala. Here's my footage from pm Friday / am Saturday

Great Central Railway "The Big One" Winter Steam Gala Jan 2012 - YouTube

 

Big thanks to those at the GCR who listened to feedback and supplied us with a roster. I attended and have never seen the railway so packed - arrived about 09.45 and the car park at Quorn was full so had to park in the village, and I don't think I got a seat on many of the trains I travelled on.

 

Oh quite, I wasn't actually accusing anyone, it's just that the topic of 'freeloading photographers' is such a common one (and even features earlier in this thread IIRC), but if one can travel for over 4 hours without having a ticket checked, one has to wonder whether there could have been 'freeloaders' riding the trains!

 

ChrisKempster Photography | GCR - 'The Big One' - Let the trains begin!

Second gallery now up!

 

My video from the event is now available, enjoy...

Great Central Railway Winter Gala 2012 - The Big One - YouTube

Thanks,
Lewis

 

Blimey...How many linesiders....

Good video tho....

 

In hindsight lineside was the place to be!?

Certainly didn't enjoy travelling yesterday, never seen it so busy, would have had greater enjoyment watching it.

Great news for the railway and well done all involved but a few more coaches and less dining cars wouldn't have gone a miss.

25 minute queue to get tickets at Loughborough in the morning, hopefully online tickets can be sorted out for the future?

The two "manning the gates" at Rothley should have been trained in how to read timetables/signals etc, as they refused to open the gates with the terminating train held outside the station and even when it arrived, the signal for Rothley Brook not being able to be pulled off as the train from Leicester was due, they finally realised at let the crowds get across the line.

 

Good day today, pretty busy both lineside and on the railway, not the best weather but at least it stayed pretty dry.


Great Central Railway - January 2012-436.JPG by grahamjenks, on Flickr


Great Central Railway - January 2012-487.JPG by grahamjenks, on Flickr

More here:

Great Central Railway - January 2012 - a set on Flickr

 

Popped in today on my way through, saw a good variety of engines and was jucky enough to just catch the M7 on the TPO run. Highlight of my half hour or so there was Pitchford Hall-beautifully presented and what a noise it makes!

 

Second that with Pitchford Hall! Attended yesterday and spent a very pleasant few hours at Quorn. Within an hour had seen 7 locos and all ten with 2 hours, such was the frequency of trains. I think the lineside was the place to be; just watching the trains going by, taking advantage of the fine new cafe there and popping into the pub for lunch! the new turntable looked splendid too. Well done GC for another fine event, as one linesider said, the service in BR days was never this good! Also finally caught up with the red 8F (very fine it looks too, please don't paint it black!) and the M7 was a first for me too.

 

Great show from the guys at the GC, spent the weekend in the area primarily to give the M7 a clean Saturday and Sunday mornings (didn't want to have the old "Medieval Teapot" shown up by having too many shiny and newly painted locos around her now did we?) and turned attentions to 4953 this morning, Mr.63601 of Natpres fame borrowing my 'Cornishman' Headboard for the event, she looked a treat!
astounds me how intensive the service can be, and 2 goods trains plus a TPO? As 'Giant Train Set' like it is, it's bloody good fun to take part in, or just watch from any point along the line.
A few photos:







:clap2:

 

Yes a great gala, but they MUST do something on ticketing. I made a point of getting to L'boro early to get a full day in, starting on the 09:00 Saturday. I joined the queue about 08:35. I was still in the queue at 09:00. Watching the ticket issue process, it is painfully slow and I was surprised how complex negotiations seemed necessary for many passengers. Then they pay by credit card. The 'heritage' booking office windows are, well, wonderfully heritage, but when there are some hundreds of anxious customers, they don't do the job very well.

Perhaps it was just the trains I caught, but ticket checks were done more often then not.

David

 

this is true. I think the GCR do need to do what the SVR do and make tickets (and programmes) available via the internet. You also need to put your best staff on the ticket windows; some people can't work as quickly as they used to.

 

A video featuring scenes from Friday and Saturday of the Gala and including two of the best TPO runs I have had the pleasure to see featuring 4953 'Pitchford Hall' and 70013 'Oliver Cromwell'. Many thanks to all involved at the GCR for all the hard work in planning and operating the gala.

Great Central Railway - Winter Steam Gala 2012 - YouTube

 

40 departures from Loughborough on Saturday in the end. My legs and back might possibly recover at some stage, I always seem to forget just how heavy locomotive couplers are, particularly when you're squatting. Hope everyone enjoyed it anyway! We have more carriages coming on stream all the time at present with a rolling programme of Mk1 overhauls ongoing so hopefully any capacity issues can be alleviated.

 

Drove up from Cardiff with two other Forum posters, leaving here 0530 Saturday, and arriving home 2330. Used the very handy £3 car park next to Loughborough station.
Ticket queues at Loughborough were short, but not particularly rapid, at 0820 Saturday. Trains were very busy from mid morning, not helped by the number of catering/ non passenger vehicles in the various rakes. A bit more concentration required on moving large volumes of people is probably required. A bit disappointed that no one had discovered that lights in one particular end coach wouldn't work, which led to the coach having to be vacated after dark. There was still no excuse for the language used by one passenger towards the guard in that situation, however. Also surprised to be forced to close all windows on the same evening train, as it was cold. The steam heating was working very well, thank you. Catering vehicles at the ends of trains reduces window options for those of us who like to hear the locos working. Personally, I'd be delighted if all locos ran bunker/ tender first for that reason (though I doubt many photographers would agree!).

Travelled about 71 miles from 0935 to end of services and didn't have my ticket inspected once (just an observation, GCR).

Apart from those minor observations, a very enjoyable day. Locos looked and sounded good. Interesting variety of locos and rolling stock.

 

Superb gala, and a massive thank you to everyone at the GCR for putting on a great show, here is a few of my pics



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I'm pleased to read so many good comments from everybody. On Saturday when the service had crept up to a 45min delay in both directions on the majority of services, we were all feeling a bit dissapointed we had let you all down. From my vantage point in Quorn box Saturday PM I could see the state of play in all four block sections, and the biggest problem we had was the stack of trains queuing on the up line, I regularly had a train in the block to Rothley, one waiting acceptance at the section signal, and one stood at the home, so it was frustrating for me, as it must have been for you.

But we did our best, put on a bloody good show, and thankfully only one round trip (a freight) got caped to help pick up time at the end of the service. The last TPO was definately worth the wait on Saturday! Here's to a bigger, better gala in October, when we should have a new block post to play with!

 

Certainly was


Night Mail by Ashley 123, on Flickr


Mail by Rail by Ashley 123, on Flickr

Kinchley Lane by Ashley 123, on Flickr

I would also say more people should go to Leicester north, no queue at 10:15am Saturday, paid easily by card. Plenty of parking (although I was on bicycle)
Tickets checked once on 3-4 journeys.

 

Excellent!