Mountsorrel Heritage Centre

As I was on the way to the GCR event it was just a case of seeing what had been done since I last visited, such as the NG track changes/Lift bridge site and having a look at the LMS van in its new role as a museum vintage household item display area (which I dropped off a rather ancient - possibly 1920's - non-H&S compliant, electric fire for!)
Will come up for one of the steaming days for C McA later this year and spend a longer time at the Centre.....

 

In case anyone is interested, the next steaming day for "Colin McAndrew" is planned to be on Good Friday - 15th April.

 

Hi everyone,

I thought I might put up a couple of photos from the Saturday just gone (30th) to show the work currently going on at the Heritage Centre. External contractors had been on site for a couple of days already making progress erecting the extension to the workshop for the narrow gauge locomotives. I didn't get any more photos but by the end of the day the front end of the extension was nearly completely clad. The existing and new sections are prefabbed agricultural buildings so hopefully progress should continue to be fairly rapid.

Saturday was one of our shunting demonstration days, this time using our Ruston 48DS. It was joined in the early afternoon by a couple of local road going visitors.

 

I was at the Heritage centre today and it was a hive of activity with the NG yellow engine on a works "train".....well, one open wagon!

 

Wasn't intending visiting Mountsorrel today, but the late running on the GCR this afternoon saw me having to abandon a shut-down 37 at Rothley (waiting for the late running dining train to come back from Leicester) and driving my car to Quorn to at least get another ride or two at the bus event. Took the opportunity for a very brief call in at the Heritage Centre to photograph the workshop extension.....



Still all the trackwork to complete as yet.

 

That extension will be very useful - I did wonder why they did not just add another "half bay" to make the building symmetrical, or was it a cost/space constraint?

 

That was actually suggested before the workshop extension was built, but it was deemed that there was insufficient space available to lay pointwork giving access into 4th bay at that stage as the curvature would have been too tight.
Of course, since then, the tracks layout has been re-jigged to take account of the lift bridge going in (not forseen 4 years ago), so a track lead into another bay could have been linked with that. Biggest problem is that the NG circuit wouldn't have been able to be put where it is now (another later addition) either.
That part of the site has evolved somewhat more rapidly than I expected when the workshop extension was first mooted - with the (rather nice) garden area, lifting bridge site and the NG operation - whilst it looks like the "Discovery Building" that was also proposed for the area may not actually ever be built - unless someone has rather a lot of money going spare ! No doubt something else may end up in that space in the fullness of time though....

 

Next planned steaming day for Colin Mc Andrew is Saturday 4th June.
Other dates are planned but await confirmation......

 

Planned dates for the steaming of C McA for the shunting demos over the next few months are likely to be Saturday 16th July, Saturday 30th July (with a very slight chance it might be Sun 31st instead) and Saturday 13th August.

A lot of work is continuing on rebuilding the narrow gauge circuit at the moment, though it looks like Passenger services may be launched next year rather than this year. Three Penrhyn Quarry style passenger coaches will be used on these trains, and there is the promise of something a bit more interesting than an ex Chesterton Junction Ruston to haul them for the first 3 months.......

 

As an indication of how rising prices are affecting preservation sites as well as the rest of us, apparently the annual electric bill for the Heritage Centre has increased from just over £13K to over £40K......

The damaged catch-point blade down at the Swithland end of the branch has now been repaired by a third-party contractor, so hopefully a replacement point motor will be fitted by the GCR S&T Department so the line will be returned to service fairly soon.

 

It will be good to have trains running onto the branch again.

 

Hopefully it will be sorted in time for the GCR "Branch Line Event" in September, as at least it will provide a branch line to run on!
Not sure who sorted the point blade, as that was done by Contractors doing work at the Heritage Centre. I'm hoping to get up there on Saturday for the C McA shunting day, so should find out more details then....

 

A team from Tarmac who have experience maintaining their own internal railways have provided help with several projects on the site recently, especially around the narrow gauge railway and with preparations for the Jubilee. They are the ones who have fixed the point blade as Johann has already mentioned. I think it is now being discussed between Tarmac, the GCR S&T department and the Heritage Centre if it will be possible for Tarmac to complete the remaining repairs to the point mechanism and the motor.

 

Thanks for posting that - I did know a bit more about it (including a photo) of the repaired blade, but as I didn't take it, I wasn't sure how much Steve C wanted it publicised at the moment!

 

Sounds sensible to me Johann, I think we're probably getting the same emails? I don't think (hope) what has been done so far is too big a secret and from memory all the Jubilee stuff has been fairly well publicised. Their help so far has been invaluable though, we just don't have the tools and skills at the moment to do what they have done, and so quickly too. I would hate for their efforts to go unrecognised. We're all very much looking forward to welcoming trains back on to the branch too, speaking to visitors on the ground it's been disappointing a lot of people for a while that there are no rides available on site. Hopefully to improve with the repaired point and eventually the commencing of the narrow gauge passenger trains.

 

A few photos from Mountsorrel today showing current progress.
The prefabricated steel narrow gauge inspection pit is now in situ - Apparently about 5" of solid granite had to be excavated to get it to sit in the required position!



Pointwork providing access to the workshop extension that will provide a new home for the two locos already based there, plus visitors (steam already promised...) in the future....
A check rail will need to be provided on the curve between here and the new station platform and a piece of track is roughly laid in the right place, as seen in the photo.



The mound of earth is the site of what will be the passenger platform. Three passenger coaches based on Penrhyn Quarry originals have already been ordered - paid for by a supporter - and are on course for delivery next Easter which is expected to be passenger runs will start on the circuit.



This display of a section of original, unrestored, Mountsorrel branch track has been put together in the garden area. It was recovered from the area of Lord Lanesboroughs coal delivery sidings and the rail chairs are all dated 1895......



The base for the lift bridge, with the new fabrications which will support the timber uprights, a change to the original design to eliminate rot caused by the uprights being buried in the ground, as they originally were.......





A third supplier for the timbers has now been sourced following problems with the previous two attempts after sanctions were introduced against Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. Hopefully the timber should appear (from somewhere other than there) in September/October !

 

Thanks for the photographs and updates Johann. The Heritage Centre is getting to be a real gem!

 

The Summer Newsletter is now available on the website.....
http://heritage-centre.co.uk/newsletters/summer-2022/

 

Next steaming days for Colin McAndrew are listed as this Saturday - 30th July and Sunday 14th August

 

Update to the shunting demonstrations at Mountsorrel for this month - Another couple of dates mentioned on their FB page.....
Running days for August are Sat 6th (diesel), Sun 14th, Sat 20th and Sat 27th all steam.