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17th and 18th May 2008
Stars of the 60s
An exciting gala event featuring engines which were all around in the swinging 60s.
Starring “Oliver Cromwell” from the National Railway Museum, which has recently returned to steam, plus two other steam engines and two diesels. The railway will run with a busy timetable featuring passenger and freight trains.
24th, 25th, 26th May 2008
Days Out With Thomas
Join everyone’s favourite blue tank engine along with Daisy and Sir Topham Hatt for three days of family fun including entertainers on board the trains.
31st May 2008
Look out for our brand new tea room, “Ellis’s” at Rothley station opening around now!
1st June 2008
Railway collectors fair at Quorn station
Hunting for a bargain, or a piece of ‘railwayana’ to collect? Gates open early.
8th June 2008
Toy and Train fair at Loughborough station
Models and toys galore on Loughborough platform. Come and browse the small trains and ride the big ones!
14th and 15th June 2008
Wartime Weekend
Our annual event gets bigger and better. Step back into the 1940s as the Great Central goes back to the dark days of World War Two. Strolling passengers in costume bring the atmosphere to life along with star exhibits like DUKW amphibious vehicle, military transport, period music and even flypasts.
There’ll be plenty of steam trains as well.
21st and 22nd June 2008
“Windcutter” Wagons Celebration
Featuring an exciting secret guest engine, we celebrate 15 years of the famous train at the Great Central. Watch the coal wagons roll – with a demonstration of how they are restored.
30th June 2008
Tornado on track
Expected first public runs with Britain’s brand new steam engine, “Tornado”.
Join in to be part of genuine railway history in the making! Watch this space for details.
26th and 27th July 2008
Mail By Rail Gala
Thrill to the spectacle of mail bags being picked up and dropped off from a speeding train, several times a day. Featuring the last ever runs of the 1930s wooden mail carriages.
It will be a cavalcade of memories at the Great Central Railway this weekend (17th / 18th May) as a special gala event recreates the sights and sounds of four decades ago. Star of the show will be BR Standard 7, “Oliver Cromwell” which hauled Britain’s last steam train back in 1968.
Thousands of visitors are expected to visit the award winning Leicestershire line for an engine line up featuring steam and diesel trains. Oliver Cromwell might be the pride of the fleet but it isn’t the only national collection engine on parade. Southern Giant, “Sir Lamiel”, another priceless treasure from the York museum will also be pulling trains.
“I’m really excited about this line up,” said general manager Robert Crew. “Oliver Cromwell is delighting crowds since its return to service two weekends ago. Many people have told us that they’ve been waiting since 1968 to see it in action again. Putting it out with some other big engines will make for an evocative combination from the end of steam era when diesels where taking over.”
Meanwhile the Loughborough line can reveal visitors have travelled from Canada and Costa Rica just to witness Oliver Cromwell in action.
The railway has arranged the event at short notice. It marks the conclusion of the first phase of celebrations for Oliver Cromwell’s return. The engine will soon head off to York to appear at the National Railway Museum in a 1968 themed show, before returning to Loughborough in June.
Also pulling trains alongside Sir Lamiel and Oliver Cromwell will be BR Standard 2 no. 78019, Class 25 diesel D5815, Class 47 diesel D1705 and Class 45 diesel D123.
There will be a busy service of passenger and freight trains on the GCR’s unique double track network. Oliver Cromwell will be hauling its first freight trains since the 1960s during the weekend. Passengers will receive a complimentary booklet about the engine (while stocks last) and can raise a glass of the specially brewed “Cromwell’s return” to mark the occasion.
“It’s great to be bringing people from all over the world to Leicestershire, particularly after all the hard work that has gone into restoring the engine. Our staff and volunteers can be proud of what they’ve achieved and for putting Loughborough on the map. We hope people will travel from all over the country for the gala event this weekend,” concluded Robert.
A special ceremony is taking place at Leicestershire's award winning heritage railway this weekend with guest of honour, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, Tom Harris MP.
The minister who is responsible for railways will join other invited VIPs to formally rededicate BR Standard 7, no. 70013 "Oliver Cromwell", as it returns to passenger service. The historic engine triumphantly returned to steam at the Great Central during the Bank Holiday weekend following a four year rebuild costing hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Robert Crew, General Manager of the Great Central Railway said, "We're delighted to welcome Tom Harris to the railway. He'll unveil the locomotives nameplates, marking its return to passenger service. It sets the seal on a long hard job well done by our volunteers and staff."
Rail Minster Tom Harris said, "I am proud to announce that Oliver Cromwell has departed the museum hall and is back on track. I want to pay tribute to the volunteers and staff at Great Central Railway, whose tremendous efforts made the locomotive's return to passenger service possible. Although our efforts are focused on designing a rail network for the future, it is important we remember the history we are building on."
Oliver Cromwell is famous for its place in railway history. In 1968 it heralded the end of an era, hauling Britain’s last steam train - "The 15 guinea special". Since then, while being part of the national collection based in York, it has been on display at a museum in Norfolk. In a partnership deal it has been overhauled and on Saturday May 3rd 2008 hauled its first passenger train since the infamous end of steam special.
Robert Crew continued, "The return of Oliver Cromwell has really captured imaginations. The bank holiday weekend was extremely busy for the railway. We even had two visitors from Canada who had travelled to Leicestershire just to see the engine. Fortunately our team had it ready on time!"
The partnership who made Oliver Cromwell's comeback possible is made up of the National Railway Museum, the readers of Steam Railway Magazine, 5305 Locomotive Association, Loughborough Standard Locomotive Group, the Friends of the National Railway Museum and the Great Central Railway
Generous support for the Cromwell campaign has come from Bressingham Museum, Welbeck Sixth Form Defence College, Cromwell Tools, 4c Systems, The Main Line Steam Trust and The David Clarke Railway Trust and Mr Bill Ford, President of the Great Central Railway.
At the end of May, Oliver Cromwell will head to the National Railway Museum in York to be part of an exhibition, “1968 and all that”. Afterwards it will return to Loughborough for further testing and trials. In August it will haul a recreation of the 15 guinea special, 40 years after the original train ran!
Visitors to the Great Central Railway in Leicestershire this weekend will witness railway history in the making. After an overhaul costing well over a hundred thousand pounds and four years of hard work, Oliver Cromwell, an engine which became a national celebrity in 1968 is coming back to life after decades asleep.
“It’s going to be a huge weekend for the railway,” said General Manager Robert Crew “and we are expecting to be welcoming passengers from all over the country. Oliver Cromwell is a large engine – and getting it fully restored to operational condition has been a huge task. This weekend all the effort will pay off as visitors will be able to ride behind it again. However, this is far more than ‘just another restoration’ because the engine has become a significant national icon. Exactly four decades ago it hauled British Railway’s last steam hauled train before diesels took over forever.”
The engine which is almost seventy feet long was built by British Railways in 1951. It is a member of the Britannia Class which, when built, represented a new era of investment for the railways after the second world war. However, steam didn’t have much of a future because in 1955 BR decided diesel and electric engines would take over. So, Oliver Cromwell gained a place in history and hearts by pulling the last ever steam hauled train in 1968.
The train was called the 15 guinea special because that was the price of a ticket – that works out at £15.75p – which was a princely sum, but the train was still packed because of the occasion. Fortunately the story doesn’t end with the engine going for scrap because Oliver Cromwell was saved for the national collection. It has spent the years since 1968 at a museum in Norfolk, but hasn’t steamed since the early 1980s. In 2004 a new partnership deal brought the engine to the Great Central in Loughborough for restoration to full working order.
“The work has been done and the engine is ready to go,” continued Robert. “It is a hugely significant moment for steam lovers, for people who remember the 60s and for anyone who wants to get up close to a real giant from a bygone age. We’ve had the support of so many people to make this happen. There are red letter days ahead for the GCR and for Charnwood as well, as attention is focussed on what we can achieve in Loughborough.”
In case of last minute hitches, visitors are urged to check the GCR website for details (www.gcrailway.co.uk) before setting out to visit.
The partners involved in the restoration are, The National Railway Museum, Steam Railway Magazine and it’s readers, 5305 Locomotive Association, Loughborough Standard Locomotive Group, The Friends of the National Railway Museum, Bressingham Railway Museum and The Great Central Railway. Generous support has come from Welbeck Sixth Form Defence College, Cromwell Tools, 4c Systems, The Main Line Steam Trust and The David Clarke Railway Trust and Mr Bill Ford, President of the Great Central Railway.
After steaming at Loughborough, Oliver Cromwell will be heading to the National Railway Museum to appear at a special ‘1968’ show, featuring other steam survivors, before returning to Loughborough in June. In mid August, exactly 40 years after the end of steam on the national network it will haul a recreation of the 15 guinea special.
Brand new in the shop at the Great Central Railway is a full colour, easy to read “Walks from the Line Guide”. The booklet has ten walks of varying lengths complete with colour maps so even novice ramblers can find their way around.
“The guide has been written by one of our volunteers,” explained marketing assistant Lynn Hill, “and we think it will be very popular. There are point to point walks between our stations so it’s easy to combine a trip on the train with a return leg under steam power! There are also circular walks so anyone who would like a day out exploring Charnwood and Leicestershire is bound to be inspired.”
The book is ring bound so the pages can be folded back, making it a durable guide which is easy to refer to ‘en route’ – not that the walks are particularly difficult…
“You won’t need to be a hardened explorer to use the booklet explained Lynn, it’s good fun and designed to get people switched on to discovering the countryside around the Great Central.”
The guide went on sale last week and costs just £2.99.
Families and steam enthusiasts are in for a Spring treat at the Great Central Railway in April. A handsome visiting engine is on its way to the award winning Leicestershire line sometime in the next week.
“Kinlet Hall” was built by the Great Western Railway at their Swindon works in 1929. Nowadays having been saved from the scrap man it usually works special excursion trains on the main line.
“We’re pleased Kinlet Hall is paying us a visit” said Robert Crew the railways general manager. “It’s handsome machine which will delight not only fans of the Great Western but children and families alike. It’s a large engine with plenty of shining copper work just like you see in old photos. We hope it will be in action with us from Sunday 6th of April onwards. It won’t be here too long though – so don’t miss it!”
The visit from Kinlet Hall (named after a Shropshire stately home!) is a timely one. The Great Central Railway is already host to a similar engine, “Witherslack Hall”. Witherslack is awaiting an expensive overhaul to return to steam and the railway hopes to use the high profile arrival ‘classmate’ Kinlet to raise cash for the job.
These are exciting times at the Great Central Railway in terms of engines. A large diesel loco is rolling into Loughborough in the next week, ready for the line’s diesel gala on the 11th, 12th and 13th of April. Meanwhile, historic steam survivor Oliver Cromwell, a large Britannia class engine, is rapidly approaching the end of a four year overhaul and Britain’s brand new steam engine (the first to be built in 48 years) will be paying a visit in June.
“There’s never been a better time to join our supporting organisation, ‘Friends’ explained Robert. “With such an exciting line up of steam and diesel engines on parade in the next few months, I’m sure people will be coming to visit us again and again. If they sign up to the ’Friends’ club they could be saving money on tickets and be kept up to date with all the news from the railway.”
2008 has already been declared “The Year of the Express Engines” by the Great Central and there will be even more surprises before December!
The Great Central Railway will be celebrating Easter with an Eggs-stravaganza. From Good Friday to Easter Monday children will get a free mini egg along with their ticket to ride.
There’s also the chance to win prizes by entering an ‘eggy’ themed quiz.
“We’ve teamed up with Twycross Zoo this Easter,” explained Lynn Hill, the award winning Leicestershire line’s marketing assistant. “We’re running an quiz which will keep mums and dads puzzling along with our younger visitors. Answer all the questions and you’ll be in with the chance of family tickets for the Zoo and also railway tickets to come back and visit us at the next Thomas the Tank Engine event in May.”
The railway is running trains throughout the holidays from the 21st of March to the 28th. There’s no excuse not to take a trip out behind a vintage steam engine, or even better combine it with a stroll in the Leicestershire countryside to blow the winter cobwebs away!
Details about timetables and fares can be found at www.gcrailway.co.uk or by phoning the booking office on 01509 230726
A steam railway that swings, rock and rolls? That will be Great Central Railway’s special 1960s experience – taking place over three days, this coming weekend (the 14th, 15th and 16th of March 2008.)
Leicestershire’s award winning family steam railway is turning back the clock to the decade that gave us moon shots and short skirts – and saw a million hearts broken as steam engines were shunted into history and diesels took over.
As well as plenty of trains, there will be a display of period cars at Quorn station. The railway has also been contacting Mods and Rockers to come and experience the swinging decade all over again, four decades on.
“The 60s were an incredible decade and we’re the perfect place to step back in time,” said the railway’s general manager Robert Crew. “We’ll have period music and posters at our stations, an exciting selection of steam engines and diesel locos from the time and we’re even offering visitors the chance to turn up and drive a 1960s diesel engine themselves!
Friday the 14th will be a diesel day, especially for those who like to celebrate heritage traction, which in itself is now almost 50 years old.
People who get into a groovy spirit and dress up in period gear will get a discount on their travel tickets.
While the original Great Central fell victim to Doctor Beeching’s famous cutbacks of the 60s (the smaller stations at Quorn and Rothley were already closed by 1963) the modern day GCR is turning back the clock with a bit of artistic licence and imagining how 1964 might have been had they stayed open. Listen for station announcements from the time and look at for newspaper headlines with the stories of the day.
“It’s going to be a great weekend of nostalgia at the railway,” concluded Robert, “We’ll be running a really intensive timetable so there’s plenty for everyone to see and enjoy. It’s hard to believe the 60s were over forty years ago now. For anyone ready to enjoy their misspent youth all over again – or anyone who doesn’t believe how good it was - it’s the perfect day out!”
The Great Central Railway has announced provisional dates for the launch of Britannia Class, no. 70013 "Oliver Cromwell" into traffic and the arrival of the newly built Peppercorn class A1 locomotive, no.60163 “Tornado” for testing.
"It's fitting that 40 years on since the end of steam we can bring together the engine which finished British Steam in 1968 - and a brand new one which heralds a new dawn," said General Manager Robert Crew. "We're announcing the following event dates in good faith - but we do hope people will understand they should check what's running before setting out to visit us. We're working very hard with all our partners in the restoration of Oliver Cromwell and the entry into service of Tornado. Everyone is committed to putting on the best shows possible and if the programme needs to change we’ll be making announcements as soon as we can.”
Tornado will stay at the Great Central until late June. Both the railway and the A1 Trust are looking to add extra events to the programme, including a run with Railway Vehicle Preservations famous Travelling Post Office set.
Both Oliver Cromwell and Tornado will undergo 60mph test runs while at the GCR. The railway respectfully reminds enthusiasts the railway has to remain strictly closed while these tests take place as an HMRI requirement.
"We have one more piece of exciting news", concluded Robert, "The chance to be one of the very first people to drive Tornado on our double track main line. This is literally a moment when you can book a place in history"
A strictly limited number of slots are being offered to take the regulator of Tornado. Participants will enjoy a full day at the railway, including preparation and disposal, riding behind it and one return trip of 16 miles driving and another round trip on the shovel. Prices are likely to be around £2400 - £2500 per person and current thinking will see the experiences happening in June. ALL DETAILS, INCLUDING DATES, TIMES, PRICES, AND EXPERIENCE CONTENT HAVE YET TO BE CONFIRMED. To make a non committal expression of interest in this extraordinarily exciting chance to experience new steam, write to Bruce Pollard, Commercial Manager, Great Central Railway, Great Central Road, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 1RW
More details for all of the above events, including times and fares will be made available on line at www.gcrailway.co.uk closer to the time.
Meanwhile the Leicestershire based heritage railway is looking forward to welcoming GWR superstar City of Truro on it’s first ever visit to the Great Central in November.
The staff of Leicester City Council are set for a spring treat this coming Sunday (10th of February 2008) at the award winning Great Central Railway.
The railway has teamed up with the council to stage an ‘affinity day’ where staff can enjoy big discounts on train tickets. Even better – anyone travelling with them gets the same discounts!
The railway's marketing assistant Lynn Hill said, "We hope the council’s staff will enjoy a day out with us for less on Sunday. Our garden railway at Rothley will be open this weekend, which always delights children. Fingers crossed for some good weather.”
Anyone showing their identity card, or proof of council employment at a booking office window will see their ticket magically shrink in price to just £5. Anyone travelling with them gets the same deal – even if they are not council staff. Children can climb on board a steam train for just £3. The offer is valid on the 10th of February 2008 only.
The railway has set itself the aim of working closely with the community and is considering ‘affinity days’ with other local groups and employers.
Three steam, three diesels a DMU and a heck of a lot of trains. It's the return of the swinging sixties gala at the Great Central Railway.
Starring guest diesel loco, Class 40 D212 (thanks to the Class 40 appeal) and some favourites from the home fleet the event will feature three days of action and the chance to turn up a drive a class 47 on the GCR double track main line.
"It's going to be an exciting show,” said General Manager Robert Crew, "it's an event which traditionally stretches the double track capacity. We're making some changes this year and hope to run a breakdown train featuring the newly restored steam crane and a parcels train between the passenger service. We're also planning to put Quorn sidings to the test with some shunting and laying over of non passenger trains while 'faster' trains pass them. Last year we were also able to attract some mods, rockers and bikers to the weekend. We're inviting them back to add some more flavour to the scene!"
Friday the 14th is diesel only day and is likely to feature Class 31 D5830, Class 47 D1705, Peak D123 as well as the star guest Class 40, hauling passenger trains from 10am. There will be two real ale trains on Friday night at 7pm and 8.30pm.
Saturday and Sunday will feature steam and diesel haulage plus the lines resident class 101 DMU. The Class 40 will feature on a variety of trains during the day. Full details, including times and prices of the turn up and drive programme will be announced on the railway website. Steam traction is likely to include SR King Arthur 30777, "Sir Lamiel"
"We're really looking forward to the visit of the 40," continued Robert, "We've called this the year of the express engines and it fits perfectly. Add in 'Sir Lamiel' and they're two big draws for a great railway show. Expect some period music and prototypical station announcements to help some people will relive their misspent youth!"
Visitors will also be able to tour Loughborough locomotive shed to see the progress on the restoration of Oliver Cromwell, which is all but complete. Fares and timetables will be available soon at the railway's website.
PRESS CALL: SATURDAY 2nd FEB, 11.00am, LOUGHBOROUGH CENTRAL STATION, GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY, GREAT CENTRAL ROAD, LOUGHBOROUGH, LEICS, LE11 1RW
Seventy five years ago, in a railway accident whose cause remains a mystery, an express passenger train hurtled through Loughborough Central station and ploughed into a freight train which was shunting into a siding. A fireman who tried to leap to safety was killed.
This weekend the Great Central Railway is bringing together relatives of those directly involved to remember and pay tribute. The accident happened on Jan the 31st 1933 close to Empress Road bridge in Loughborough, which is now where the preserved heritage line has its engine sheds.
“This was a tragic accident,” said the modern day General Manager of the Great Central, Robert Crew “but one which has slipped not only from the minds of the nation, but locally as well. We are welcoming the relatives of the fireman who was killed and also the engine driver who heroically tried to slow down his train and prevent the accident from happening. They’re going to tour the site at Loughborough, see where the accident happened and then take a ride along the Great Central to see it as it is today”.
The accident involved an express train from London to Bradford hauled by a Great Central class B2 locomotive no. 5423 “Sir Sam Fay”, and a freight train working north to Nottinghamshire. As was common practice, slow running freight trains were ‘set back’ into sidings to clear the main line for faster express passenger trains. While this was carried out, signals behind the freight train should present other trains from approaching. It was never established why the Bradford express overran the signals. Driver, Tom Webster, realised there would be a crash as he came through Loughborough station. He could see the freight train shunting ahead of him and managed to slow his train down to around 30 miles and hour when it smashed into the freight train. The fireman on the express, 37 year old Francis Tarron from Sheffield leapt from the engine but was killed. Passengers on the express train were not injured, nor were the driver and fireman of the freight train.
Expected to attend the commemoration are the family of Francis Tarron and Tom Webster. Much was made of Webster’s heroism in the Loughborough Monitor and Herald at the time. He had warned Tarron not to jump and remained in his cab trying to stop the express.
“What makes this accident so vivid today is the fact that all the structures survive. Empress Road bridge might not see express trains roaring towards Nottingham, but it still watches over the engines leaving our current sheds,” continued Robert. “Meanwhile, the signalbox, right next to the bridge, from where the signalman on the fateful day watched the accident unfold is still there and still controlling train movements around Loughborough. It will be a solemn commemoration, but it is important to remember.”
The story of the accident and the investigation that followed is described in a booklet written by local railway enthusiast Alan Godber, and published in 2006 by the David Clarke Railway Trust, the Great Central’s supporting charity.
The Great Central Railway is celebrating pancake day with a new family event. Over the weekend of the 2nd and 3rd of February trains will be running with pancakes being flipped and cooked in the buffet cars.
There will also be pancakes on sale at some stations.
“It’s a new thing for us to try,” said Lynn Hill, the railway’s marketing assistant, “and it might seem a bit early in the year to be abandoning resolutions and tucking in, but we hope it will be a lot of fun and we won’t have to spend too long scraping pancakes off our carriage roofs!”
It’s hoped to bring community groups into the railway to cook different varieties of pancakes. Extra trains above the railway’s ordinary hourly passenger service will help transport pancake lovers between stations.
The Great Central is announcing another addition to its express engine line up for 2008 in the shape of Class 40 D212. The locomotive, owned by The Class 40 appeal group and resident at the Midland Railway Centre will move down the road to Loughborough in March.
“We’re very please the engine and its owners are joining us for the season,” said General Manager Robert Crew, “We’re looking forward to seeing a 40 on the double track.”
The engine, in green livery with small yellow warning panels should arrive (subject to completion of contract details) in time to star in the three day 1960s weekend (14th, 15th and 16th March) which has a mixed traction line up. It will also work during the April and September diesel galas.
“We’re hatching plans for the loco to work at other times as well.” concluded Robert, “With Tornado, Oliver Cromwell and a Class 40 there’s a vague ‘Eastern Region’ flavour emerging, so we might look at an additional special weekend. Of course, we’ll also have three type 4’s on the line together – which could prompt another ‘off the cuff’ event…”
The Great Central operates a weekly electronic newsletter which will carry the latest details of special events through the year.
Full trains, immaculate engines and a packed lineside were the hallmarks of the Great Central Winter Gala 2008. The Leicestershire based heritage line estimates it welcomed around 3,000 visitors.
Takings for the event came very close to the Winter Gala held at the same time of year in 2007.
This wasn’t quite a record breaker for us,” said General Manager Robert Crew, “but it came close. I’d like to thank everyone who turned out and supported us. Without an audience there would be no point doing it! We were fortunate with the weather which meant the busy show we put on was appreciated by photographers and passengers alike.”
The event was a successful conclusion to the railway’s financial year. New innovations like including the gala programme with a full price runabout ticket, a new location for the real ale bar and day lineside passes (which were accompanied with a 30 minute safety briefing) seem to have been successful and popular.
“I’d like to publicly thank the owners of the 4F, No. 44422 and Dr John Kennedy who owns GWR Hall, 4953 Pitchford Hall for their assistance with the event, not to mention our resident loco groups. Everyone who worked on the event deserves to take the credit,” said Robert.
Photographers who joined a pre gala photo line on Friday the 25th at Loughborough shed were able to witness the motive power team working into the night to fit the newly arrive tube plate for Oliver Cromwell. The Great Central has described 2008 as the Year of the Express Engines and the BR Standard 7 Britannia Class locomotive will be the next major attraction to steam at the railway.
The Great Central has lined up some very special visiting engines for a big steam show at the Loughborough based line this weekend. A Great Western engine named after a Shropshire stately home and a Southern express engine named in honour of a fictional knight of the round table are two of the stars at the Winter Gala!
There will be six engines in steam in total creating an exciting event with plenty of trains running between Loughborough and Leicester. The award winning heritage line is predicting 3000 visitors will flock to watch an event which includes special runs by the famous non stop postal drop train.
“Pitchford Hall, a Great Western engine and Sir Lamiel a Southern engine are our two big stars, but we have another visiting freight engine and three others from the home fleet in action,” said Robert Crew, the lines general manager. “From the calls we’ve had to our booking office already we’re preparing to be extra busy this weekend. The combination of engines will recreate the atmosphere of the railways around Oxford in the 1950s. It’s kind of appropriate because our Loughborough station played the part of Oxford in the film ‘Shadowlands!”
The railway is also marking the 60th anniversary of the birth of British Railways when special trials were run, using engines from different parts of the network to see which was best suited for development. Families and enthusiasts coming to the gala will be treated to the sights and sounds of freight trains working hard, turning the clock back to the days when Britain really relied on its railways for day to day life.
All day breakfasts and a luxury inspection saloon will be available on some trains.
“It’s going to be an exciting show, a fitting start to our ‘Year of Express Engines’ with one of the trains timetabled to run non stop from one end of the line to the other,” concluded Robert, “It’s the very first time Pitchford Hall has come to visit the Great Central Railway and it’s not every day you see a listed building in steam!”
Details, fares and timetables for the special event on Sat and Sun the 26th and 27th of January can be found here.
Burns Night is coming to the Great Central Railway. It's as traditional as New Years Eve - and some would argue even better! The Great Central Railway is heading into new territory, north of the border, for a Burns supper celebration on the 25th of January. To boot, a Scottish Chef, and a bagpiper will be making this a real highland fling.
It's the first time the award winning Leicestershire line has staged a Burns supper train. If you're mulling over the winter blues after the party season you've still got a chance to let your hair down. The railway will be sending it's first class restaurant car train steam hauled into the bleak midwinter night spreading Scottish cheer. Diners will enjoy six courses as the train rolls through Leicestershire.
"Burns Night this year falls on a Friday" said Lynn Hill, the lines marketing assistant, "so there's every excuse to make it a proper party. Our chef is Scottish and he's pulling out the stops to prove Scots know best when it comes to celebrating. When you add the bagpiper and a welcoming hot toddy for passengers into the mix, well we think lots of people might suddenly discover Scottish roots!"
The train, pulled by a vintage steam engine, which also 'steam heats' the carriages departs at 7.30pm from Loughborough Central returning around 10.15pm.
'Burns Suppers' are traditionally held on January the 25th to mark the birthday of Robert Burns, the Scottish poet whose work includes Auld Lang Syne, the traditional Hogmanay song. The Great Central will be serving up haggis as one of the courses to make sure traditions are up held.
Advance booking for dining services is essential.
Two large visiting engines will bring a distinctly Somerset and Dorset feel to the Great Central Railway’s spectacular January Gala. With up to six engines in steam (including a National Collection engine in the shape of Southern Railways ‘King Arthur’ class, no. 30777 “Sir Lamiel”) it will be a spectacular double track main line show.
The two visitors are Southern Railways ‘West Country’ class, no. 34007 “Wadebridge” and London Midland and Scottish Railways 4F, no 44422. It’s the “spam cans” first ever visit to the railway and the first time for many years the class has been seen at the GCR. The 4F has visited before and is making a much anticipated return after many years.
They’ll be joined by up to four others from the home fleet including 8F no 48305 and the King Arthur, which has recently returned to the GCR from main line duties.
“People have been asking us to do a Somerset and Dorset event for years,” said the railways general manager Robert Crew, “so we’re responding to the demand! With a West Country, a 4F and an 8F it’s going to feel pretty authentic – not to mention our mixture of double and single track main line formation. With the presence of the King Arthur I suppose it might also feel a little like the platforms of Salisbury in the early 60s as well. It will of course be a great show and the one to visit in January.”
The famous Somerset and Dorset route closed in 1966, the same year a through service on the Great Central came to an end. The line between Bath and Bournemouth was used for Summer holiday trains besides local traffic and was much loved by enthusiasts.
To go with the engines, visitors can be expect an exciting intensive service of passenger and freight services. There will be a run with the travelling post office train and it’s hoped to lay over an engine at Leicester North for part of the day to add to the variety. There’s even a possibility the Pines Express will make an appearance on a ‘non stop’ run…
On the Friday night before the event there will be a special line up of the engines at Loughborough Central shed, posed for photographers. The railway is in talks to sign up another special guest locomotive which will be very appropriate to the theme and help provide a unique spectacle.
Food will be available on board trains during the day and a souvenir programme with locomotive details, full working timetable and notes about the Somerset and Dorset railway will be on sale.
“As always details can change” conclude Robert, “and we’ll be adding updates to the railway’s website, email discussion groups and newsletter service as we can. Members of the Friends of the Great Central Main Line club will also get a mail out ahead of the event with all the latest information. Do check for times and ticket prices, particularly for the Friday night photo shoot before setting out to visit the railway. I can certainly say we’ll be pulling out the stops though. After last years Winter Gala with the visit of the Super D and the Steam Railway gala in October we’re shooting to break big records!”
