GCR Winter Gala 2014 Special guest Engine ???

To answer my own question, timetables with rosters are now available on the GCR website.......Many Thanks!!!

 

Its a slight disappointment that the last train leaves Loughborough at only 4pm on Friday & Sunday and 4.45 on Saturday. It was great last year with trains running up to nearly 7.30pm on Saturday.

 

No,no,no,that is just not authentic enough for me.Pair Scotsman up with a six wheel tender,either a Fowler or Maunsell one will do,paint them blue and put a nice big yellow 4 on each side of the tender.

Mark

 

As a one time volunteer at the Buxton Steam Centre, I am looking forward to seeing 47406, 48624, and 92214 in steam together. If it happens again, perhaps Vulcan might be brought in to work the Mountsorrel branch as well? Incidentally, Vulcan is currently in Black, which I suspect is post-preservation. Do any of the livery experts know what colour it was at Vulcan Foundry?
As for the colour of 48624, the fact is red was originally a practical joke. The painter had found some red undercoat which was being applied as a foundation for rubbing down, ready for overpainting in black, when a gentleman with a camera and a bad temper jumped to conclusions and tried to insist that the work be halted. His grounds remain obscure as he had made no contribution to the restoration that anyone knows of. The painter went off with a wicked gleam in his eye and found some red gloss. This colour remains very popular with the hirers of the locomotive, and the over-riding aim of the owners is to earn the money for the next overhaul and so ensure the future of the engine.

Tim

 

Morning All,

Just a few snippets of info for any of you who may be thinking of paying us a visit at the weekend:

Friday
18 departures scheduled from Loughborough with the first movement at 09:45 followed by the first passenger service at 10:00.

Locos that should be in use are 5643, 46521, 70013, 78019 and 92214.

Full line passenger as well as local and freight services are planned with the final service from Loughborough at 16:00.

Saturday
37 departures scheduled from Loughborough with the first movement at 08:20 and the first passenger service at 09:00.

All 10 locos should be in use: 22, 777, 1744, 5643, 46521, 47406, 48624, 70013, 78019 and 92214. The DMU will also be in operation.

Full line passenger, local, freight, minerals and TPO services are planned along with turntable demos at Quorn. The final service from Loughborough is at 16:45.

Sunday
33 departures scheduled from Loughborough with the first movement again at 08:20 and the first passenger service at 09:00.

All 10 locos and the DMU should again be in use as above and the full programme of the various passenger and freight services along with TPO drops and turntable swivels should be taking place.

The final service from Loughborough is at 16:00.

Hope this is of some use. If we can manage to achieve all this it should be a pretty good (and colourful ) spectacle!

Kind regards,
Phil

 

Thanks for the information Phil. I'm looking forward to attending on Saturday.
Cheers,

 

Me too

 

As we'll be experiencing most of this from inside railway carriages, does anyone know if there's any "interesting" coaching stock rostered? I don't know much about the GCR, but it'd be nice to not travel in Mk1s the whole day.

Thanks!
tim

 

Normally the Beavertail is added to the Maroon set during galas, and the LNER kitchen car, other than that it's strictly Mk1s.

 

It always seems to be closed for gala events. It might have something to do with the volume of people or their ability to check for non-passeneger station tickets. Yes I agree, it is very annoying because you cant get video from the road then run downstairs to catch the train.

 

The stairs from the road bridge are not in fantastic condition IIRC and on a big gala day there is also a charge to get onto the platform. With the majority arriving by car I suppose volunteer resources are concentrated on the road entrance. However Biffa have awarded the station some funding for improvements, and it is hoped that this will allow repairs to the stairway to take place.

 

The stairs at Quorn are being worked on and as of last weekend closed.
Wooden elements on the west side had been removed. Scaffolding surrounds both sides but access is still available to the NAAFI tea room.
Although it is mandated for your safety you do not pass the scaffolding when a train is approaching, in or leaving the station due to limited clearance.

Also if no one has seen, the New running in board at the South of the station now has its lettering applied to original 1899 style as would have been seen during the stations recreated era.

I will be on duty on Saturday so come and say hello. (I'll be the loud Inspector on the platform)

 

This is the first year that the Friday timetable has been ramped up above 45 min intervals/3 engines in steam isn't it? Really hope that particular move is a success and is repeated for 2015 and beyond. Had a brilliant day at the GCR on the Friday last year with the King in the snow and had pencilled it in for this year again even before news of the enhanced Friday timetable. But in my current job there are certain pre-season events in the sport I work in that I have to be at the newsdesk for, and one of them is now happening tomorrow lunchtime, which scuppers my GCR plans this time. So I'm hoping the bigger Friday is a great success and becomes standard for this gala as next year the chances of a work clash are likely to be a fair bit lighter. Best of luck to the GCR for the weekend and look forward to seeing the pics and videos of what I'm missing.

 

Not that many people about lineside today but that worked in the favour of those that went out to get some different shots.Nice to see some freight mixed in today on a Friday timetable.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10257146@N05/12118356964/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10257146@N05/12118768286/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10257146@N05/12122701223/

The wreath on the Brit was in memory of driver Mick Pickering who sadly passed away on 11th January. A lovely man with plenty of time for the visiting railway enthusiast who will be sadly missed at the GCR.My condolences go to Mick's family at this sad time.

 

Note to anyone hoping for it that No.22 has failed according to the GCR website and won't appear at the gala

 

That's a shame, I was looking forward to seeing Number 22. Thanks for the heads up! Any idea what's working its diagram instead this weekend?

 

Literally I only know what's on the website, I'm a couple of hundred miles away from Loughborough MPD

 

Evening All,

Sorry it's a bit late, tried to reply earlier but my phone wasn't playing! 22 has indeed failed and won't be out during the weekend. There is no straight swap and so the diagrams have been altered as a result. This reflects on the passenger workings for saturday as follows:

Up Trains

13:05 Lough - Rothley Local: 1744 vice 47406
13:45 Lough - Leics N: 70013 vice 1744
14:30 Lough - Leics N: 48624 vice 70013
14:45 Lough - Rothley Local: 47406 vice 48624
16:15 Lough - Rothley Local: 46521 vice 47406

Down Trains

13:37 Rothley - Lough Local: 47406 vice 22
1515 Leics N - Lough: 48624+70013 vice 1744+70013
16:47 Rothley - Lough Local: 1744 vice 22

Hope this helps, will attempt to post info for sunday if and when I have it. All locos currently face south with the exception of 1744 although several are due to be turned tomorrow.

Kind regards,

Phil

 

A video from Friday;

 

Does anyone know what locos are scheduled to do the TPO runs on Sunday?

Thanks in advance,

Ollie