GREAT CENTRAL GALA AND THE BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE

An autumn gala on a heritage railway traditionally showcases the finest examples of transport history saved for the benefit of present and future generations. However, visitors to the Great Central Railway’s successful September 30-October 2 event who drove to Loughborough from the north would have encountered a classic example of demolition rather than preservation in progress – but one as a key stepping stone to an exciting new era, reports Robin Jones.

In the early hours of Saturday, October 1, contractor VolkerLaser began work on removing the original Bridge 236 over the A60 near the Brush Works. As dawn broke, the latticework side panels of the structure – which dates from the building of the GCR’s London extension in late Victorian times – were lifted out and the parapets demolished, all within earshot of regular steam whistles at Loughborough Central station.

The A60 was closed while demolition was in progress, with motorists facing a detour around the northern outskirts of the town. Wooden boarding was placed over the tarmacadam surface of the road to protect it.

Yes, in what might be seen at very first glance as a unique preservation ‘man bites dog’ scenario, a heritage structure was lost forever within hours. However, the bridge was on track to be replaced within a month in a project costing more than £1 million – which will open the door to several exciting and inspirational new horizons both for the GCR and the heritage sector in general.

The basic fact is that the 125-year-old bridge was not only life-expired, but had also been struck by careless over-height lorry drivers on several occasions. Deemed beyond economic repair, in September 2020 the Office of Road and Rail prohibited its use by trains.

The replacement bridge will carry two tracks. One will take trains to and from the national network, which could not only lead to heavy freight using it to access local businesses, therefore removing traffic from the roads, and delivering sustainable transport, but also eventually facilitate the running of main line passenger charters and stock movements to and from the heritage-era GCR at Loughborough for the first time in its history. The other track will carry the new connecting lines between the two heritage lines at Loughborough, the northern one, the Great Central Railway (Nottingham), which has been rebranded as the Nottingham

Heritage Railway, creating an 18-mile steam and heritage diesel highway between the outskirts of Leicester and Nottingham with immense potential for sustainable tourism.

The new concrete and metal bridge was due to in place by the end of October or early November. While the gradient on the railway will not be altered, the distance between the surface of the road and the bottom of the bridge will be slightly greater, reducing the risk of bridge strikes. Furthermore, the new structure will also benefit from crash protection – something the Victorian builders did not envisage the need for.

A short film documenting the final hours of Bridge 236 under the title of GCR Reunification Continues Finally, can be found on the railway’s official YouTube channel and was viewed more than 8500 times in the first 24 hours after posting.

Meanwhile, the gala proceeded – and succeeded, all but oblivious to the bridge replacement. Everything ran on time, with only one minor breakdown, while regular

demonstration freights ran in between the timetabled passenger services.

The guest locomotives were the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group’s NER P3 (LNER 27) 0-6-0 No. 65894 from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Ivatt 2MT 2-6-2T No. 41312 from the Mid-Hants Railway, and BR Derby lightweight railcar No. M79900 Iris from the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway. From the home fleet, Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0 No. 46521 was making its final gala appearance prior to withdrawal. Also in action were BR Standard 9F 2-10-0 No. 92214 City of Leicester, BR Standard 5MT 4-6-0 No. 73156, BR Standard 2MT 2-6-0 No. 78018, LMS Stanier 8F 2-8-0 No. 48305, and Class 37 D6700.

The event attracted more than 2500 visitors over the four days it ran for, although numbers were hit by torrential rain on the Friday and national rail strikes on the Saturday. Around 6800 passenger journeys were made.

GCR chairman and interim general manager Richard Patching said it was “an excellent four-day steam gala which seemed to go down rather well.”

“Operationally it all went well but, as always has to be added in these matters, that outcome only ever happens through the efforts of the many across the whole eight miles of the railway,” he said.

“As ever, it is teamwork that pulls us through – and that was evident on all the trains I travelled on and at each of the four stations.”

Inclusion of the Class 37 and Iris at a steam gala were also said to have gone down very well.

The Great Central Railway’s next big event is the Last Hurrah gala, being held on Saturday, November 19 and Sunday, November 20, which will be the final major steam running weekend before the festive season. Up to six steam locomotives and one diesel will be in action.

Santa steam specials will run from Saturday, November 26 to Christmas Eve, December 24, and the illuminated Winter Wonderlights service – now in its fourth year – will run on selected dates from November 30. For more details and to book, visit https://tickets.gcrailway.co.uk/christmas

JOHN TITLOW Visiting J27 No. 65894 departs Quorn & Woodhouse station with a passenger service to Leicester North.

ALAN WEAVER JOHN TITLOW NICK GILLIAM ROBIN JONES ROBIN JONES J27 No. 65894 departs Loughborough with a freight beneath the unbroken blue skies of the morning of October 1, providing a welcome and dramatic contrast to the rain-drenched previous day.

Soon to be withdrawn for overhaul, Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0 No. 46521 leaves Loughborough with the 10.15am to Leicester North on October 1.

Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0 No. 46521 and BR Standard 9F 2-10-0 No. 92214 City of Leicester pass at Loughborough on October 2.

Visiting Ivatt 2-6-2T No. 41312 heads a local train out of Loughborough past the waiting 8F No. 48305 and its service in the siding on October 1.

BR Standard 9F 2-10-0 No. 92214 City of Leicester departs Rothley on October 1.

JOHN TITLOW Autumn colours are very much in evidence as Stanier 8F No. 48305 passes Kinchley Lane with a freight on October 1.

FRIENDS OF THE GREAT CENTRAL MAIN LINE The original Bridge 236 spanning the A60 at Loughborough stood for nearly 125 years before being demolished on October 1.

FRIENDS OF THE GREAT CENTRAL MAIN LINE Demolition contractors remove the original Bridge 236 at dawn on October 1 in preparation for a modern structure to be installed.

ALAN WEAVER J27 No. 65894 on a freight and BR Standard 5MT No. 73156 pass south of Quorn & Woodhouse.

JOHN TITLOW Mid-Hants Railway-based Ivatt 2MT No. 41312 departs Quorn and Woodhouse with the local set.

ROBIN JONES Left: Ivatt 2MT No. 41312 and 8F No. 48305 enter Quorn & Woodhouse on a light engine movement early on October 1. The GCR joined forces with Quorn residents to enter the annual East Midlands in Bloom competition and following July’s judging, the village won a gold medal after being voted the best small town in the East Midlands. Quorn & Woodhouse station’s volunteer gardening team this year focused on red, whites, blues and purples for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.