Great Central Winter steam gala

Have the roads around the stations been gritted? I can imagine the roads around Loughborough and Quorn have been/will be gritted, but am wondering if the roads in Leicester and Rothley have been sorted? I don't want to be driving up to Leicester to find the roads 3 inches under snow/ice. If someone could help with this, please do get in touch!

James at SVN

 

Cracking shot Simon

 

Thank you for all the kind comments on my 6023 shot got lucky with the sun for once. Hope its a good day tomorrow if I don't go to Shap I will be around again for some more of 6023. Cheers Simon.

Flickr: FlyingScotsman4472's Photostream

Zenfolio | Simon Lathlane

 

Thinking of coming over tomorrow what's the snow like round Loughborough and quorum for driving

 

Loughborough's roads were quite clear earlier in the day, however it is currently SLEETING, outside temp is +1 degree C. Met office forcast is for heavy snow overnight, with sunshine tomorrow morning.

 

Now heavy sleet overnight...

 

The snow has quickly turned to rain here in Leicester so roads should be ok if it stays like this. A good first day although the turntable demos didn't quite go to plan due to lack of manpower! All locos except 47406 currently face south.

 

I think I've defrosted now! The blood and custard set wasn't particularly warm this morning. 3803 was only hooked on 10 minutes before departure, and the set didn't feel like it had been pre-heated.

Other than that, I had a good day. The other set was nice and warm! 6023 was pretty impressive.

 

Just a weather update (I'm just outside Loughborough) to say that the predicted heavy snow overnight turned out to be sleet and not much more. It's a glorious start to the day and all roads are clear. There is still a light dusting of snow on the fields so should be good oppotunities for photographers.

Rain predicted overnight but then good, sunny (and warmer!) conditions predicted tomorrow.

 

Had a great day at the GCR yesterday, the King looked fantastic and was in great voice too. Neither set was doing well for warmth! Know the open windows certainly didn't help and the day was freezing, but every time I felt the carriage heaters to see if there was actually anything coming out, the heat level was pretty mediocre.

It was my first visit to the GCR and overall I was definitely impressed. The passing-at-speed experience was excellent, I loved the extent to which the different period experiences at stations was taken, and was great to have full access to the loco yard and works too. Gervase is looking good! (On the subject of the loco works, could anyone tell me what the loco that's just a set of frames and a red cab is? Looked Austerity-shaped but I'm not great at identifying engines by components).

Also impressed with the Greenacres complex at Leicester North, good value cakes, interesting view and the excellent surprise of the first xx album playing on the cafe stereo. Mint.

Conditions were gloriously snowy yesterday so good opportunities for pics. I don't think I'm be making as many visits to the GCR as I will lines with big gradients for engines to pound up (I do like some decent noise), but for galas it's certainly a great experience.

The 8F looks great in red, by the way! But not quite as good as the King in blue. Not sure how passenger numbers compared to normal as it was my GCR gala debut. Some trains later in the day seemed very quiet (particularly those hauled by the 8F) but the King's outings were pretty packed, especially the first one.

Thanks and congratulations to everyone involved in making it happen.

 

Excellent start to the day today, clouded over around 3 and I couldn't hang around for the evening show, but well worth it. It seemed pretty busy, although still seats on the trains I travelled on.

A couple from today of the GWR stars of the show:


Great Central Railway - January 2013-116.jpg by grahamjenks, on Flickr


Great Central Railway - January 2013-010.jpg by grahamjenks, on Flickr

See the rest here:

Great Central Railway - January 2013 - a set on Flickr

 

Worth getting up at 630am and digging the car out of the snow, I should say so Conditions too good to miss not to take a picture of a great steam engine in the snow ...

Tons more to follow but here is a a first taster.Many thanks to all staff, loco people and volunteers, great show today and a great start to 2013's gala season.

Cheers

Duncan

 

First time I have been behind a King, what a great noise. Good gala, but damned cold, didn't have to stand once in carriages. Timetable at the end of the day on Saturday was disrupted due to a brake fault on the wooden set at Loughborough. Its a good sign for the future to go to a large gala like this and to see so many youngsters taking a very active part in the decision making & manangement of the gala as well as doing more normal volunteering tasks.

 

Excellent few hours spent at Quorn today. Trains every few minutes and they looked very well filled too. This may not be a popular comment (!) but it was nice to have a gala with a splash of colour with a red 8f, two different shades of green locos (Gresley tank and Sir lamiel) & of course the glorious blue King which was the show stealer. It sounded pretty darn good too! Thanks GC for another brilliant curtain raiser to the new year.

 

wow, what a great picture.

 

I'll second that! In fact all the photos on this thread have been great as you have taken some wonderful shots so that I didn't have to! Far too cold and snowy for me to attend - even though I've yet to see 6023 in the flesh yet. I'm an enthusiast but there are limits! Seriously, would have liked to have gone but weather too crap and so I'll have to make do with seeing through others' eyes. Thanks to all who have posted these shots, they are brilliant!

 

Just one more and then I must tear myself away otherwise I will edit the images all night It's rare that conditions come together so well. I will be working a lot of Saturdays this year so it will be rare I get a chance to just play, but thanks again to the GCR for today.


Langtree Photography-4720.jpg by Langtree Photography, on Flickr

Cheers

Duncan