‘K1’ AND PITCHFORD HALL FEATURE IN GREAT CENTRAL GALA BESET BY TIMETABLE TROUBLES
But railway celebrates 15% upturn in visitor numbers over last year’s event.
Ten locomotives, including ‘K1’ No. 62005 and Pitchford Hall, made the Great Central Railway’s Winter Steam Gala a commercial success on January 24-26.
But a series of events beyond the railway’s control also gave it the unwanted honour of one of preservation’s latest-running timetables, following a points failure and an obstruction on the line.
The North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group’s ‘K1’, making its first appearance on the GCR and what is now an infrequent visit to preserved line metals, left Loughborough Central with the last southbound train on the Saturday – the 4.45pm to Leicester North – 149 minutes late.
A surprise visitor – North Eastern Railway autocar No. 3170 – was even further behind time, arriving at Loughborough with a shuttle service from Rothley at 7.30pm instead of its booked 4.40pm.
Saturday’s delays began with the failure of electrically operated points at the south end of Loughborough station, which therefore had to be cranked by hand, while trains were being shunted northwards out of the station towards the shed in order to attach engines for the southbound departure.
Later, the 4pm train from Leicester, hauled by ‘Black Five’ No. 45305 and BR ‘5MT’ No. 73156, was halted at Quorn & Woodhouse for around an hour while the track was inspected for an obstruction in the Woodthorpe area. A vintage bus, which was being used for shuttle services between Loughborough’s Central and main line stations, collected 75 passengers for Loughborough just after 6pm.
GCR Events & Marketing Manager Michael Stokes said: “We are still investigating what happened; there was some fencing and a metal panel on the line, but we’re not sure of the cause.”
On the Friday, trains had been running over an hour late owing to the same set of points at Loughborough, together with a failure of the ground frame at Rothley and a broken signal wire at Swithland, the latter meaning that all trains had to stop at the signal for crews to telephone for permission to pass the signal at danger.
The signal wire was repaired by Saturday, after which, said Mr Stokes: “The points were sorted overnight and we had a good day on the Sunday.
“The passenger numbers were 15% up on last year, and takings in the griddle car broke all records for the GCR Breakfast!”
Pitchford Hall was a surprise last-minute addition to the event, having been at the GCR for running-in following its overhaul at Locomotive Maintenance Services of Loughborough. The opportunity was taken to double-head the BR black Collett 4-6-0 with resident Hawksworth ‘Modified Hall’
No. 6990 Witherslack Hall, although No. 4953 failed on the Sunday with a leaking clack valve gasket.
Resident Ivatt ‘2MT’ 2-6-0
No. 46521 returned to steam just in time for the gala following a re-tube, completing the ten-engine line-up which also included ‘Jinty’ No. 47406, ‘8F’ No. 48305, BR ‘2MT’ No. 78018 and ‘9F’ No. 92214.