Great Central Railway General Matters

I have just been reading about this on the GCR website...
Drive A Deltic Experience
We are happy to announce that in conjunction with the DPS we will be holding Drive A Deltic Experiences with 55019 Royal Highland Fusilier.

All the four "slots" in September have been sold out but it will be good to hear that Napier roar again on the GCR.

 

This was a surprise at the GCR Diesel Gala yesterday - a three car blue railcar!


The set is now augumented by a Class 117 TCL that I believe came from the WSR (?), which has had one of the toilets and adjacent seating area converted into a mini buffet...



I don't think it has been on the railway long and required a full repaint in blue before it could be used....

 

Be interesting to see what the interior looks like, wonder if there’s a GC equivalent of Mr Valentine in there?

 

I did have a quick look in the First Class section (where the Buffet counter is) when I travelled on it on Saturday and it looked fairly smart. There is a photo of the interior in the latest edition of Main Line.
Seems that car and a 117 Driving Motor Second (51396) - which appears to need a lot more work - are there as "part of a storage contract for a third party", though mention of "purchase" is made regarding the DMS, so whether that applies to the TCL as well, isn't stated. Both only arrived at the GCR in "early July", so they have turned the TCL out fairly quickly.

 

Four more Deltic experience days were added.......

• Thursday 16th September - SOLD OUT
• Friday 17th September - SOLD OUT
• Monday 20th September - SOLD OUT
• Monday 11th October - SOLD OUT
• Tuesday 12th October - SOLD OUT
• Friday 15th October - SOLD OUT
• Monday 25th October - SOLD OUT
• Tuesday 26th October - SOLD OUT................obviously people like Deltics!!

 

I saw that the Std 2 No 78018 has returned from the Swanage Railway......off -loaded at Quorn yesterday

 

The single chimney 9F No 92134 has arrived together with 3802 for the Gala. There is a double headed 9F turn scheduled on Sat and Sunday. Details on the GCR website.

 

Nice and busy at Loughborough today!

 

I see from the page giving details of this coming Saturdays (9th Oct) Quorn Bus Event that the visiting GWR 2-8-0 3802 is due to be in service again for that, along with 48305, D8098 and one of the DMUs.

 

The Bus event was very busy with four trains running and about 25 buses at Quorn with a bus shuttle service to Lbro.

 

Just to update this info, the Class 117 TCL is apparently on loan to the Renaissance Railcars Group for a period of 3 years after they managed to restore/return it to operation in a very short timescale. It may be purchased by the group thereafter.
It was out in service (with operating buffet section) for the Quorn bus event yesterday and I did have a ride in the (rather comfortable) nominally first class section where the buffet is located.

As Phil has put in the previous post, the LTHT organised bus event was very busy yesterday, as was the railway itself. Having parked at Rothley and done a couple of runs from there to Leicester North first thing, I didn't get to Quorn until about 11.30 and couldn't believe the number of people in the yard there - by far the most I've seen at one of the bus events. The route 70 trips into Loughboro' were every 20 mins and even they were being operated by pairs of double-deckers! It did get a bit quieter during the afternoon though. Nice to find the "tin shed" was open selling Nottingham Brewery products, despite that not being mentioned on the website as one of the attractions!!

Seemed to be a few people out for visiting 3802 as well.....

 

An unusual operational difficulty on the GCR yesterday, there was a "Bridge Strike" caused by a lorry at Swithland. The 11.15 was held at Quorn and the DMU at Rothley (I think). There was a rapid re-organisation of the timetable to use locomotive 73156, from the lunchtime dining train, to pull the 11.15 back from Quorn. The bridge passed its inspection and it was a normal timetable from 12.50.

 

We were riding in the GCR "Veranda" carriage yesterday. This did receive some critical comments as it was a std Mk 1 carriage when it was converted. However it is really popular and does enable a very close up view of the engine working hard!

 

They are holding a 40th Anniversary Deltic day in January...
https://www.gcrailway.co.uk/deltic-40/

 

There is an intensive timetable for the Gala this weekend. Our "Windcutter" wagons will be in operation behind several different locomotives.
There was a major shunt at Rothley and the CCT (Closed Car Transporter), which has had major body repairs, has moved into the paint bay. This is to be used as an electrical generator van for the "Winter Wonderlights" train.

 

Latest News on GCR website
A1 Pacific 60163 ‘Tornado’ To Visit GCR
Published November 18, 2021 | By Dan Bowler


Following Tornado’s temporary withdrawal from mainline services due to wheel flats, the steam engine; which was the first new locomotive to be built in the UK since Evening Star 92220 was built in 1960, is set to return to the Great Central. Shortly after being built, Tornado first visited the GCR for high-speed testing in 2008 ahead of its launch onto the mainline.

The locomotive should arrive in the coming days after our Last Hurrah Gala as road transport allows and will operate on a selected number of dates into the 2022 season. Keep a close eye on our website and social media for updates on when this special guest loco will be running.

The locomotive is expected to leave the Great Central in advance of our Winter Steam Gala on the 28th - 30th January where we are hoping for two other guest locomotives as well as up to 7 locomotives from home fleet to be in service.

60163 Will arrive and operate with thanks to the A1 Steam Trust - To find out more about the trust and Tornado visit their website A1Steam.com


Posted in Main Line, Main Line Xtra, Press Release

 

Who writes this drivel? It isn’t even the first *standard gauge* *steam* engine built in the UK since 1960.

 

Groups who love a bit of myth making. With only a couple of extra words it would be correct.

 

First since 1960? I think not.
"Locomotion" replica built 1975
"Rocket" replica built 1979 by NRM
"Sans Pareil" built 1980 by NRM(?)
"Novelty" replica built 1980 by MOSI(?)
" Steam Elephant" built 2001 by Beamish
"Puffing Billy" replica, built 2006 by Beamish

 

Also, when was the last "Austerity" built? ca. 1964, I have a feeling.