Great Central Railway
 

Hi There,
Has anyone been to Loughborough to visit the set up there , it looks good on the website
Cheers Eagle:)

I was there for the recent Winter Gala, and it's well worth a visit. Loughborough Station is superb now that the platform canopies have been refurbished, and being a main line station it has a different atmosphere toother preserved line stations . An added bonus is that the Shed/ Workshop is, I think, normally open to the public, at least it has been on all my visits, and is full to bursting with locos undergoing restoration

Excellent preserved railway, I went twice last year and have been once this year up to now. Well worth a visit, you won't regret it.

You will have to keep your eyes open for GPO trains running through catch points.

Playin trains.

So HM181, are you suggesting that "mistakes" don't happen on "real" railways ?;)

Nothing unreal about the GCR pre65.

Oh I wholeheartedly agree, just using the term as referred to (playing trains) in the post I was answering.;)

Being a member I am bound to say its good! However don't just take my word for it, it's brilliant if your looking for continuous action. Best place to be on a gala day beside Loughborough, is Quorn. The action there is every few minutes, in fact it's busier than when it was a mainline station. That's mainly down to it being a double track line from Loughborough to Rothley. There is an unmissable day on the 10th and 11th May when the Swithland sidings will be open to the public. It's a brilliant show with action on two mainline tracks and two loops, beside the branch line to Mountsorral.
I'm sure you will find it fast and furious with as many as eight loco's in steam!
Hope to see you there one day
All the best
Phil

I agree with Phil it's very well run, and the trains are on time.

I visited in October last year and its a lovely base now.

The station is fully done up and a nice little walk down from the platforms to the sheds and yard.

Whether that is open regularly though or just for Gala's? I am not sure.

All stations on the GCR are nice. Although I always felt Leicester was a bit out on its own as maybe operations finish at and turn at Rothley.

The walk to the sheds are almost always open, and often all you need to do is ask a member if it's ok to go around the shed? They nearly always oblige.
I agree Leicester is a bit of an oddity, as it was not the original, nor is it in the original location. If you look at the bridge you will see where the original station was, including where the stairs dropped down onto the island platform.
Having staid that, there is a big project to open a satellite museum from the NRM on the opposite side of the platform. When this happens (expected around 2018) it will mKe Leicester quite an attraction in its own right.
Now imagine the "bridging the gap" at Loughborough to extend the line to join up with the Nottingham GCR (North) and a connection to the main line to boot! Presto we will be able to run all manner of events on an eighteen mile line!
Exciting times ahead and so much happening.
Steveaki13, if ever your at the GCR and want to meet up, I'd be happy to oblige.
All the very best
Phil