Volume 8 Number 9 GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY WEEKLY NEWSLETTER February 27 2013 From the General Manager Last weekend, despite the bitterly cold weather, we had an excellent turnout of visitors for the Golden Opportunities weekend. Thank you to everyone who visited and also to those of you who volunteered. Moving on rapidly, this weekend sees our diesel running event and, just a week later we have our Peppa and George event. Details of the above may of course be found on our website, as will our Easter Vintage Festival over four days. The latter was staged in 2012 for the first time in many years. Besides all the steam traction engines, we're catering well, I hope you'll agree, for steam rail enthusiasts: not only will we have the Blue ‘King’ in steam, we'll also be welcoming Gervase onto the railway (for which our gratitude to Mike Hart OBE). Just a little later, at the last weekend of April, we'll have our Swithland Steam Gala. This event is really beginning to take shape now. Amongst the locomotive attractions will be the Webb Coal Tank (courtesy of Bahamas Loco Society and the Heritage Lottery Fund) and Alfred and Judy (courtesy of Bodmin & Wenford Railway). Richard Patching We've Done It! - Mountsorrel Railway Reaches the End Of the Line On Saturday February 23rd 2013 the final panels of track were laid along the Mountsorrel branch line to reach the proposed location of the new Mountsorrel Halt at Bond Lane. Over 75 project volunteers turned out to help lay the final panels and we were joined by representatives from Mountsorrel Parish Council and Lafarge. A film crew from Central News were also there filming a news item for Saturday evening's broadcast and their should also be coverage in this week's Loughborough Echo. Last May when we launched our appeal to raise the funds necessary to secure the rail we needed to complete the project, we set ourselves the ambitious tasks of having track laid through to Mountsorrel Halt by February 2013. At the time many doubted that we would Receive the newsletter direct to your inbox! Subscribe at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GCR-Announce or send a blank email to [email protected] Page 1 / 7 achieve this and if it hadn't have been for the support of those who donated and the hard work and dedication of everyone involved, we certainly wouldn't have done so. There is still much to do before the line can open for public trains to operate. Full details will appear in the next issue of ‘Main Line’, due out at the end of this week. Please see our project website www.mountsorrelrailway.org.uk for pictures from the day. Steve Cramp EASTER VINTAGE FESTIVAL – Fri 29th March through to Mon 1st April Join us as we celebrate the good ol’ days of steam. Experience a country fayre at Quorn station with steam powered gallopers and big wheel, traction engines, live music & beer tent, craft stalls and visiting locomotives. It’s good old fashioned family fun and for just £30 for a family of 5, it’s good old fashioned value too! Friday Night Live Gig with ‘The Roosters’ On Friday night Quorn gates open again at 6.30pm with a knees up in the real ale tent with live music from The Roosters, playing no-nonsense covers of classic songs from the “golden age” of pop music, the sixties, the seventies and the eighties. To purchase tickets (£5pp or 10 for £40) please call into the marketing office (opposite the booking office) or call 01509 632315. The vintage fairground rides will also operating into the evening and we will be serving hot food. Join us for a boogie, a pint and a ride on the gallopers! For more information visit www.gcrailway.co.uk GCR Extranet The GCR has launched a new information tool for staff and volunteers called the Staff and Volunteer Extranet, and this is available to anyone with an internet connection at the following url: https://extranet.gcrailway.co.uk All staff and volunteers are invited to register for access by using the link above. For registration you will need certain information to hand from your FoGCML membership, as your identity is validated against this information during the registration process. Your type of FoGCML membership is checked at the same time, and registration is only permitted for those people with a valid working membership. If your FoGCML membership lapses or you change your membership to a non-working membership, access to the extranet will be revoked automatically. If you have a "life" FoGCML membership rather than a working membership, please email [email protected] before registration. If you encounter any issues during registration or when using the extranet, please contact: [email protected] InterRail Pass Scheme 2013/2014 Receive the newsletter direct to your inbox! Subscribe at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GCR-Announce or send a blank email to [email protected] Page 2 / 7 The annual two person passes are again available to staff and volunteers at a cost of £25. These can be used at the majority of heritage railways, and a list is supplied with the passes, although there are usually restrictions on Gala Days and special events. To apply please forward to myself a cheque payable to ‘Heritage Railway Association’ (or ‘HRA’) together with an SAE unless you wish to collect from Loughborough Booking Office. Passes will be valid from March 1st. Steve Saunders MEET PEPPA & GEORGE - 9th & 10th March Join Peppa and her little brother George for an exciting day out for all the family. This is the sixth time that Peppa and George have come to the railway and they loved it so much they’re coming again. You can meet Peppa and have your photo taken with her and then meet George and have your photo taken with him too! There are lots of lovely things to see and do, funfair rides to play on, a miniature railway and to keep you nice and dry we have even put up a special marquee where you can magic and tricks with Mr Twister. Take a ride on the big steam train, choo choo, and for an extra special treat why not get your face painted just like Peppa’s, OINK OINK BOOK YOUR TICKETS ON LINE NOW, VISIT: http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/special-events/ Branch Line Society/ GCR Track Visit - 17 March 2013 Our friends at the Branch Line Society will be chartering a special train on Sunday 17th March 2013. Departing at 08:00, and due to conclude by 12:00, they are delighted to offer what is believed to be the most comprehensive “track bash” of GCR infrastructure. It is intended that either a 2 or 3 car DMU formation is used. The proposed route is as follows: Depart Loughborough Central Platform 1 - Quorn and Woodhouse Up Reception North - Quorn and Woodhouse Up reception South, via North crossover - Quorn and Woodhouse turntable road - Quorn and Woodhouse cattle dock road - Swithland Up Loop - Swithland head shunt - Swithland Up Loop - Swithland Up Main, via double slip - Rothley Up Platform - Rothley C&W yard - Leicester North platform to EOL – Leicester North Bay platform, via South end of loop - Loughborough Down Loop via Swithland Down Loop - Loughborough Shed Road 1 - Loughborough Platform 1 North – Loughborough Shed Road 2 - Up Through siding South - Carriage siding 1, via Down loop - Loughborough Platform 2 North via Shed Road 1. As usual a track map, stock list and souvenir ticket will be provided to aid enjoyment of the day. Note that passengers will be required to sign a short disclaimer as a condition of participation in this event. The event will operate at a fare of £22 per person for members of the Branch Line Society, £27 non-members. To book your place, please forward a cheque payable to “Branch Line Society” to Kev Adlam, 53 Kemble Close, Wistaston, Crewe. CW2 6XN, providing an email address where possible. Any queries should be addressed to Kev Adlam preferably Receive the newsletter direct to your inbox! Subscribe at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GCR-Announce or send a blank email to [email protected] Page 3 / 7 by email to [email protected] or by telephone 20:00 to 21:00 Monday to Friday on 01270 662396. The fixture is expected to fill quickly so do please book promptly if you are interested. An opportunity for a supporting fixture in the afternoon is being pursued, and if successful further details will be provided. Richard Patching FORTY YEARS OF MEMORIES – 23 March Forty years have passed since the first Open Day at Loughborough Central. David Putt looks back at a random collection of pictures taken over these amazing years. The people, the locomotives, the rolling stock, the stations, the track and the signals have all played a role in creating the Great Central we know today. This presentation will take place at Lovatt House, Wharncliffe Road, Loughborough on Saturday 23rd. March 2013 at 7.30pm. Admission is free but a collection in aid of the Loughborough Canopy Fund will be taken. AWARD WINNING SWITHLAND SIDINGS COMPLEX OPEN TO VISITORS AT SPECIAL GREAT CENTRAL GALA Visiting Engines to star at three day event 26th to 28th April 2013. It’s the three day steam dream railway enthusiasts have been waiting for. For the first time since the completion of the award winning signalling at Swithland Sidings, the Great Central Railway is opening the area to the public.