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Great Central Railway General Matters

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by Reading General, Nov 11, 2017.

  1. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    Thanks pmh, but I would argue that the excellent Loughborough South re-modelling needed to be on that scale precisely because it is to flexibly feed a Bi directional double track with lots of loops and sidings to the South. To the North there is, as you say "the long single line to the North". So the provision of a long loop siding to the North of the loco shed will satisfy that operational scenario you outline. Yes, it is a single line round the shed, but then there are two tracks leading up to and over the canal bridge. There is space for a two track embankment for a couple of hundred yards before the narrow constraint of the brook and factory. I think that this would be long enough for 8 coach trains.
    This is surely a more economical solution given that the canal bridge has been refurbished for both tracks anyway?
    Incidentally there could also then be access into the North end of the shed, and through the shed for shunting moves.....
     
  2. pmh_74

    pmh_74 Well-Known Member

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    As a point of order, the double track is not “bidirectional”.

    If you put access into the north end of the shed you have to shorten the shed by quite a bit to allow for the fan of sidings, trap points etc. Probably 6+ engines less covered space. That wouldn’t be my choice. It’s not that onerous to pull the first four locos out of the shed if the one behind is next in traffic, any further in and they are probably stored o.o.u. anyway.

    Yes you could have a loop further north if there is room for it; I’m not sure there is.

    There is also the argument that we are meant to be preserving a main line; it should look like one. We need to get away from this idea of doing the bare minimum we can get away with for the short term; that was the sort of thinking that led to Quorn being signalled and re-signalled about 3 times before the box finally got commissioned.


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  3. Andrew MI

    Andrew MI New Member

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    I think this goes to show that “bridging the gap” is much more than building a relatively short albeit complex link…

    we’ve seen the political angles (hopefully resolved or on track) now we are seeing some operational ones. I don’t see it as being readable for the main facility to remain where it is for the foreseeable. If it needs to be in Loughborough (eg that’s where the workforce is) there are few options and it won’t be cheap. If a smaller facility can be located at Loughborough with a larger facility at, say, Ruddington for longer term projects that might do the trick.

    lots to fall into place over the next 2-5 years…
     
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  4. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    I used the term Bi - directional because I'm sure I have read in the safety documentation that trains can travel in either direction on the GCR tracks. Certainly trains can arrive at Loughborough Station and go into either platform and, either platform and loop can go to the South, so it is a great flexible piece of track work and signalling.
    Re the shed, as two of the roads already have track leading out of the back to the North, I cannot see why the shed would need shortening at all. I suspect that the present shed will be refurbished "in situ" as planning restrictions are getting increasingly important. Still we will have to wait and see and trust that all options have been considered.
     
  5. NBDR Lock

    NBDR Lock New Member

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    The track layout apparently under consideration for the junction with the chord line to/from the MML (Microsoft Word - FEATURE 2.docx (emrtrust.co.uk), see page 4) could also be used to loop a northbound GCR/NHR service if the signalling were to be so arranged.
     
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  6. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    Meanwhile, it was an excellent "Winter Gala" with a lot of happy visitors enjoying the sunshine, braving the wind and savouring a busy timetable with a lot of variety.
    It was also great to see the visiting Bulleid Pacific "257 Squadron" from Swanage and SLL.
    DSC01365.JPG
     
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  7. Ben Jenden

    Ben Jenden Member

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    GCR shed works Loughborough FB page reported Standard 2 No. 78019s boiler has returned from overhaul at Tyseley. Potential to have three 2-6-0s rubbing shoulders before 46521 is withdrawn
     
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  8. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    78019's boiler is on a well wagon in the shed having work done in its smokebox. It is on the same road as the chassis, so I expect the two will be reunited fairly soon. The J94 (?) 68067 is on jacks with its wheels out.
     
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  9. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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    Is there anything left in Hotchley Hill, or is it simply the building itself that has survived?
     
  10. ruddingtonrsh56

    ruddingtonrsh56 Member

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    I believe it was just the building, I think the lever frame and everything was stripped out. However the GCRN S&T Group have make good progress in securing and starting to restore the fabric of the building, including improving security, so that it can be ready to accept signalling equipment when the time comes
     
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  11. pmh_74

    pmh_74 Well-Known Member

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    In its later years it was used as a shunter’s office, for which the operating floor was enclosed over where the levers were. But they didn’t remove the frame, they simply smashed it off just below floor level.

    Unusually for the GC the frame was at the back of the box. This is because it replaced an original 1890s box on the opposite side of the line, and they would otherwise have had to reverse the signal numbering.


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  12. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    It was busy on the GCR this week with a 2x3 DMU service and a steam hauled set in operation. It is a "Paw Patrol" theme so lots of happy children .......
    For those who want a more "Authentic" atmosphere, there is the Railways at Work Gala March 19th, 20th. Let us see which proves the more popular......?
    DSC01397.JPG
     
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  13. banburysaint

    banburysaint Member

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    Lovely day on the GCR today. I am always amazed that you can still look around the shed, plenty of work in progress. Great to be able to use 63601s boiler to my daughter so she could visualise the construction of the boiler. Just one locomotive would couldn't find was 70013, I appreciate it is under overhaul but we didn't see the frames or boiler, is it on site? [​IMG][​IMG]

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  14. Ben Jenden

    Ben Jenden Member

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    70013 boiler is at Tyseley, the frames and tender is in the shed at Swithland
     
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  15. Johann Marsbar

    Johann Marsbar Well-Known Member

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    Rather surprised to read in the latest Main Line that arrived today about a major upgrade to Loughborough shed (new doors at both ends, new roof supports, roof material and sidecladding + full rewiring) as it stands today - which seems to indicate any ideas of building a brand new structure have been dispensed with. Work starting imminently as well, as orders/contracts for the work have already gone out....
    Gets mentioned as a "matter of course" style in the "News from the Line" section on pages 90/91 of the magazine so the news is not exactly being shouted from the rooftops either!!
     
  16. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    Thanks Johann - my Main line has not arrived yet ..:( Interesting about the shed though.....Ref message #524 :rolleyes:.
    I note from the GCR website
    "Please note that there will be no passenger trains on 26th and 27th March 2022 due to engineering works (pre-booked dining services are due to run as planned), but normal services are due to resume the following weekend on 2nd April 2022.

    I believe this engineering work is to replace the small bridge just to the North of Swithland reservoir that has caused the 5MPH temporary speed restriction. Although small, access is very difficult and hence the line closure as described.
     
  17. Johann Marsbar

    Johann Marsbar Well-Known Member

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    The Bridge 348 rectification work gets a mention immediately following the shed upgrade news in Main Line and that says the work will commence "in March", so there is a lot happening on the GC at the moment !
    No mention of them sorting the damaged catch points on the Mountsorrel Branch anywhere in the magazine though, so I assume that hasn't been done yet......
     
  18. pmh_74

    pmh_74 Well-Known Member

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    It’s been reported elsewhere that it’s being repaired rather than replaced. Either way, I’m not sure how a dining train can run if there’s a bridge out. Or why a bridge at Swithland would prevent, say, Loughborough-Quorn shuttles or a Rothley-Leicester DMU. So maybe that is not the whole story?


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  19. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    Hi pmh
    Again from the latest Main Line..."New steelwork will be installed to bridge between both abutment shelves, and these will be encased in structural concrete....." I assume they will do one track at a time, with access from the adjacent track, but will try to run just the dining trains at the weekend, if they do one track during the first week and the second track during the second week?
    Either way, it is very good that the work is getting done in time for the Easter and Summer.
     
  20. pmh_74

    pmh_74 Well-Known Member

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    Phil, if you can run a dining train using SLW then you can work a basic service around it as well. Pre-Covid, not running for a weekend would have been unthinkable.


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