This will be removed in due course. HOW TO DONATE TO THE REUNIFICATION PROJECT The Great Central Railway in Nottingham The GCR London Extension ran North to South through Nottingham centre. (Undergoing overhaul). We hope to see you soon at the railway for an exciting year. Rugby Central to Nottingham Victoria remains open for local service. Barnum Brake Coach No 695 built in 1910. The tunnel was much in use before the GNR needed it and before the line through the Vic was built. Coming on the 1st of March we'll have some major news about the fundraising total so far and plans for the future of the Reunification project and a remixed project film to enjoy! Thank you for your support. (The trust are managing the finances for Reunification). We've now finished two sections of the Reunification project, creating an eighteen mile heritage railway across the East Midlands. On weekdays, trainloads of gypsum would be delivered to the works and unloaded on the concrete pad visible from the station platforms. The gated Asher Lane Crossing is on a private road which was formerly the MOD depot perimeter road. Nottingham Heritage Railway - Wikipedia Constructed in the late 1890s, it last carried a train above the water in 1972. The Great Central Railway, between Leicester and Nottingham, was left with a 500m gap after infrastructure, including bridges, were removed. 30th March. This is the biggest, most adventurous and most exciting project in railway preservation You can be part of this great enterprise by making a donation here Posted on 4th December 2020, 'The ideal Christmas present' say fundraisers. Leicestershire line's scheme to connect with the national railway network - and reunify with another Just by watching our films you're helping to raise money. A Charity called the GCR Rolling Stock Trust based at the Great Central Railway (Nottingham) owns the third largest (after the Bluebell Railway and Isle of Wight Steam Railway) collection of pre-grouping rolling stock known to exist in the UK, including the famous 'Barnum' carriages (so named as these were the type hired by P.T. Our depot at Ruddington Fields is home to numerous heritage vehicles, some ready for action, some ready for restoration. It will support the award winning Even though we can't meet our supporters face to face we're doing our best to keep in touch on social media, including premiering a brand new film all about the Reunification project on YouTube. So we're now at 20,000! the vision." We'll also reschedule all our talks. The bridge itself originally had 'Fifty Steps' but subsequent modifications have increased that number. It's going to take a few more days to process the latest figures and bring you right up to date. There are seven phases of work to complete the link. An appeal, launched by Friends at the start of the year raised 220,000 towards the A60 bridge replacement, with more donations still being received from well-wishers all over the world. We're really hopeful you'll chose to set up a standing order donation. Barton Transport Leyland PD1 KNN 254, built in 1949. Thank you for your support. Appeal reaches 150,000. The Great Central Railway is creating a 18 mile steam operated heritage Intercity Main Line from the outskirts of Leicester to the outskirts of Nottingham! At East Leake station, houses were built on the former goods yard in the 1980s and some were built only yards from the remaining track. Donations can be made online here. Fundraising is now underway for Give five pounds and it becomes ten. A cyclist crossing the river below on the road towards Stanford on Soar returns a wave from someone travelling in the first coach. Great Central Railway Wikipedia Republished // WIKI 2 Two parts have already been completed, the new A60 bridge is the third. Most trains are steam-hauled, but the resident classic heritage diesel collection is extensive. Every pound donated in March (online, via cheque, standing order, by text of at a Friends of the GCR stand) will be matched by a donor up to an incredible 150,000. Preservationists had hoped to convert that into a live heritage line, but funding was impossible to obtain except for the length from Loughborough to Belgrave and Birstall, north of Leicester. This latest A small gift every week (say 3 - the price of a coffee) adds up to £12 a month. Welcome to readers of Steam Railway, Heritage Railway and Railway magazine. The more you can contribute this year, the more we'll be able to finish. If you're considering donating, (or if you'd like to pass some time!) A purchase order has now been placed with VolkerLaser who are the preferred main contractors. Our team is made up of all sorts of people, each with a pair of boots and the enthusiasm to build something remarkable. Posted on 10th February 2021. We can go Forward only because you support us. Phases three and four, which involve crossing a road and a car park will be constructed together to save costs. The chairman of The Friends of The Great Central Main Line Andy Fillingham explained, "Our Reunification project is one of the biggest schemes on any heritage railway in the UK. AMBITIOUS RAILWAY LINK UP PLAN Text UNIFY to 70970 to give 5 The bus collection is available to view during the railway's open days. Great Central Railway (Nottingham) - ERIH During the 1890s the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway built its 'London Extension', more than 140 km long, from Annesley in Nottinghamshire through the centre of Nottingham, Loughborough and Leicester to Quainton Road in Buckinghamshi. receive this kind and generous grant. VolkerLaser are the lead contractor for the construction. That means we now have an incredible 1.4 million banked and ready to spend. However we have been able to For full terms see http://platform.nationalfundingscheme.org/terms-and-conditions Posted on 24th June 2020. You may be interested in an online talk later in July which gives more details on the project. Want to help us keep building? (painted army green), BR Palvan 782111 built in 1960. Reunification with Rail Riders. [1] On 1 January 1923, the company was grouped into the London and North Eastern Railway . The former Ruddington station is further north and, following the reunification of the two halves of the preserved GCR, could see improvements made to aid towards eventual reopening, the trackbed being owned by the charity, East Midlands Railway Trust, to support the eventual extension of the line. Great Central Main Line - Wikipedia GC Railway (Nottingham) operate every Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays from Easter through to October, and also Saturdays during school holidays, and during December ('Santa Specials' during weekends before Christmas and on Christmas Eve, and post Christmas services on 27/28 December). It's crossing the site of the original GCR station at Finmere in Oxfordshire. One day we'll be back in person - but until then you can watch the film now! (painted army green). Now you can also donate by text if you prefer. the third and fourth phase which have an estimated cost of three million pounds. Each panel was brought back to site in two halves and then bolted together into a single piece weighing six tons. Factory Flyover - Latest news "Their generous donations helped close a funding gap between what we had available and the total cost of the new structure. The brand new High Speed 2 rail line is currently being built between London and Birmingham. Barnum's travelling circus) and some items that even herald from the days of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railwaythe GCR's title before completing the London extension. We hope to raise 110,000 so work on this vital bridge can proceed as promptly as possible. While we aren't currently running passenger services, you're invited to visit Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre, our base. This appeal is being supported by groups north and south of 'the gap' between the two halves of the railway. We're really pleased to be able to say our fundraising has continued at a great pace. Meanwhile, there are lots of exciting things happening behind the scenes on the project, all of which bring us closer to building again. How can I help? You can also donate online by clicking here. The Great Central Railway (GCR) is a heritage railway in Leicestershire, England, named after the company that originally built this stretch of railway. It runs for 8.25 miles (13.28 km) [citation needed] between the town of Loughborough and a new terminus in the north of Leicester. Over a year that's a very special contribution.You can download a standing order form here. Every time a new standing order donation is established, the pace of the project picks up. Posted on 7th September 2020. Throughout the 1920s and 30s, the old GCR locomotives began to reappear bearing new liveries with 'L N E R' on their tender and tank sides, and many new locomotives were also introduced to . Save for some finishing off work the new A60 bridge is all but ready to play its part in bringing two halves of the Great Central together. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}525313N 10943W / 52.887N 1.162W / 52.887; -1.162. Donations can be made online here. With your generosity we have not only reached the one-hundred-thousand-pounds match funding offer for Money Match March but achieved it by some margin.We had a flurry of donations both through the post and online over the last few days of the campaign with people seeking to beat the deadline. The Great Central Railway PLC's Board are pleased to announce that they have today given approval for the work on the replacement of Bridge 326 crossing the A60 adjacent to the former Brush Works in Loughborough to commence with immediate effect. The Great Central Railway in Nottingham - leverton.org This is an appeal specifically for the A60 bridge. We'll have more news about the progress of this work as soon as possible. Great Central Railway (Nottingham) - Alchetron, the free social This is a real people power project, putting back a railway which so many didn't want closing in the first place. Or make an online donation here. Thanks to sponsorship from the Friends group, high quality computer visualisations of the new bridge have now been produced, by HBPW of Retford, the consulting engineers for the scheme. The railway is currently not connected to Great Central Railway (at Loughborough Central in Leicestershire), although there are plans well underway and work has started to reunite the two preserved lines by bridging the Loughborough Gap. The route consists of almost 10 miles (16km) of the former Great Central Railway Main Line be Thank you for your superb support! In the early 1990's a group of transport enthusiasts set up the Great Central Railway (Nottingham) Ltd with the aim of redeveloping the derelict Ruddington Ordnance depot as part of a country park project. This will reconnect two halves of the GCR to create an eighteen mile heritage line for steam and diesel tourist trains with far reaching benefits for the East Midlands economy. Great Central Railway (Nottingham) rebrands as Nottingham Heritage Railway 9th August 2021 Robin Jones News , Steam High Speed Train Class 43 power car No. This project represents the next major step in the reunification of the Great Central Railway Loughborough with the northern section which leads to Ruddington in Nottinghamshire. GCR suburban 1905 No.793, not part of the RST collection but under the wing of the GCR 567 Group is currently stored at Swithland Sidings just been examined and found to be in very poor condition. 12th May 2020. : 32 On 1 August 1897, the railway's name was changed to Great Central Railway.Building work started in 1895, and the new line, 92 miles (147 km) in length, opened for coal traffic on 25 July 1898, for passenger traffic on 15 March 1899,: 132 and for goods traffic on 11 April 1899. In fact, heritage passenger services last ran at Great Central Railway (Nottingham) (as it was then known) during the February 2020 half term - before all trains were cancelled and the centre closed to visitors due to the initial Coronavirus outbreak.Whilst other attractions at the Mere Way site managed to reopen in August 2020 in the wake of the first 'lockdown' - and then most of the . We've only come so far because you've made it happen. This isn't strictly Factory Flyover news but we know you'll be pleased to hear it anyway. The details of the stock are below. For your support, best wishes and donations, a heartfelt thank you. However, it's in a very poor state, not only due to its age but because it is frequently struck by lorries. Remove this and you cut the new tram network in half. We had 1.4m before we started the promotion. Barnstone Tunnel (which is 98 yards long) is the only tunnel on the preserved line. It's not too late to make a difference with a donation. Excitingly, more standing orders have been set up too. Every donation you give us helps on the way. Ironically, it was British Gypsum's intention to renew rail freight traffic that was the catalyst that allowed the GCR(N) to buy the line and restore it initially for freight use. Located close to the tunnel was another set of sidings, which although removed could be reinstated in the future for extra storage. The money being raised will go towards completing two more - the crossing of a road called Railway Terrace and a factory car park. It features a road transport building, locomotive sheds, GCR signal box (ex Neasden), miniature and model railways, cafe, visitor centre, toilets and car park. We had half a million pounds banked before the fund-raising drive - and now we have seven hundred and fifty five thousand pounds in the fund!It's a massive leap forward - we now have 25% of the amount needed to build phase three and four of Reunification, 'The Factory Flyover'. (Operational, painted BR Black), BR Grampus open wagon 991831 built in 1958. To support the appeal and make a donation online here. We're based at Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre, next to Rushcliffe Country Park. The railway continues towards Loughborough, passing close to the hamlet of Stanford-on-Soar. There's plenty of good news to share with you, not least of which is the current amount raised for the Factory Flyover phases of the project. The railway crossed built-up Leicester on a Staffordshire blue brick viaduct, incorporating a series of fine girder bridges. Station development is ongoing with a new footbridge being prepared to replace the original which was dismantled. (Stored), GCR Suburban composite coach 799. Great Central Railway - Wikipedia Even though Money Match March is behind us, we have someway to go before we can begin building the Factory Flyover. "We want to carry on building as soon as we can," continued Andy "but we must have most of the money in For Network Rail to route freight trains onto the line during the week and GCR(N) to operate heritage trains at the weekend, a length of rail north of East Leake was removed to create two separate railways. We placed the order for the bridge in April to beat inflation but still need to raise a few thousand pounds more to complete the work. All of those bring a more secure future for the railway, all the better to withstand tough economic shocks like the one that has been thrown at us this year. We've got great news to share. But here's a way of superheating our fundraising to get us building again even sooner. When we can finally announce where we have got to, its going to be a big push towards Reunification. As soon as we have the majority of funds for the next phase of the project to hand, we'll resume construction." We began with one hundred thousand pounds and thanks to the incredible generosity of supporters around the country we've reached one hundred and fifty thousand pounds." The two original abutments will be used again for the new bridge but to accommodate a new design, are being lowered. There were pre-Christmas celebrations at the Great Central Railway when a fifty thousand pound grant arrived for the line's ambitious Reunification project. This piece of the Reunification jigsaw is unique in that its the only one to already have track on it. The Great Central Railway in England was formed when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897, anticipating the opening in 1899 of its London Extension. The MS&LR ran passenger trains from Staveley Town to Nottingham London Road Low Level. 43159/43044 has arrived at the newly-rebranded Nottingham Heritage Railway, having been acquired by the 125 Group. It's going to cost around three million pounds. The bridge replacement will be funded by supporters and the Railway's charitable trust and will therefore be cost-neutral to the PLC. The line was built for . We can also accept donations online if you're staying inside. In the meantime, a special thank you to the Burton Railway Society. For now, stay safe and again, thank you for your support. To everyone who has supported the appeals and got involved, a heartfelt thank you. (Operational, painted BR Black), BR Shark ballast plough 993874 built in 1959. Posted on 4th December 2020. (Operational), Mk1 CK (Composite Corridor) 16190 in lined maroon livery. The Great Central Railway in England was formed when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897, anticipating the opening in 1899 of its London Extension. (The trust are managing the finances for Reunification). To order the Reunification book for 10 (plus 2.50 postage and packaging) please email The original station near the centre of the village of East Leake is currently disused and exists only as an island platform with the stairwell of the station's subway bricked up. It all takes us ever closer to constructing the next phases and ultimately to trains running on an eighteen mile heritage line." On 1 January 1923, the company was grouped into the London and North Eastern Railway . The GCR(N) aim to re-open the former station at East Leake in the longer term. Money Match March success and a new grand total. Download our Money Match March brochure here which you can use to make a one off donation or set up a standing order. We can only say, thank you very much indeed for supporting this latest step forward in the Reunification campaign. Reunification - Great Central Railway Trains pass across wide open countryside at Gotham Moor, which has much wildlife, and the line passes under a few bridges. Posted on 4th October 2020. (Awaiting resumption of overhaul), BR 20-ton Brake Van 954353 built in 1958. 2022 is the year of the A60 bridge and after your magnificent response to our appeal, on the 1st of October 2022 the heavy plant was on site. The line has also hosted locomotives of BR/Big 4 pedigree, notable examples in recent years being GWR 3700 Class 3440 City of Truro, LBSCR Terrier 662 "Martello" and LNER O4 63601 and currently is home to an LNER B1 No.1264. However, it's likely to be only one carriageway at a time to allow further work on the abutments. This included adding a new concrete retaining wall to the GCR railway embankment. We'll try and publish that as soon as we can at the end of the campaign. Despite the full line between Loughborough South Jn and Ruddington being owned by the GCN(N), when the GCR(N) require to operate trains into East Leake or through to Loughborough, possession of the line is taken from Network Rail. The railway operates classic steam / diesel hauled services to Rushcliffe Halt and Loughborough. The appeal for phases three and four of the Reunification project has now raised a quarter of a million pounds. [10][11] The GCR is currently seeking donations for the next two stages the "Factory Flyover" to which over 1.25 million has been raised by donors so far. Likewise to everyone who was able to support the campaign, another heartfelt thank you. Under the dynamic leadership of Edward Watkin it built a "London Extension" from Annesley, north of Nottingham, to a terminus at Marylebone in London, which was opened in 1899. The bridge over the A60 is key to the project as one day it will carry two lines. Your incredible generosity has seen tens of thousands of pounds arrive in the Reunification fund in the last two weeks.That will all be matched and added to the new appeal total. The new bridge will also have crash protection built in. Next, as our fundraising campaign for the A60 bridge replacement last year went so well, we didn't need to dip into any funds we'd already raised. We looked at the remains of the GCR's Weekday Cross viaducts with Huntingdon Street and Sherwood Rise tunnels. The busy A60 road was closed so the workforce could get cracking at 5am. Naturally, although we have released all the matched funding, the overall Reunification Appeal is still very much open, so if you would still like to contribute, or start a Standing Order, the same routes to donate are still open (you can make an online donation here). After a year which has curtailed a lot of our Crucially we are now in formal pre planning application consultation with our landlords Charnwood Borough Council - a step we need to take before we move forward with an application for planning permission to build the factory flyover section. Andy Fillingham, Chairman of the Friends of the Great Central Main Line said, "Raising one million pounds is an incredible achievement by everyone involved. Two tracks over the bridge are essential to secure a future connection with the mainline. We'd like to thank you for your continued generous belief in the project. We said 2022 would see another piece of the jigsaw in place. Remember Rail Riders, the British Railways loyalty club for kids back in the 1980s?Well it's been reformed with hundreds of former members rejoining the 'happiest club in the land'.The first edition of the new club magazine carries a full colour feature about our Reunification project, so we'd like to say a huge thank you to the new team at the club for helping to spread the word. At the Mountsorrel & Rothley Heritage Center Museum shed where it is displayed in fully-restored condition. No, the Great Central Main Line is not an adequate alternative to HS2 Whatever you give, can be matched. (Operational, painted BR Black), BR Bogie Bolster 943545 built in 1953. To everyone who rattled buckets, manned stands, presented talks, funded and distributed flyers, banked the donations and sent out the 'Thank You' letters to donors, an enormous 'congratulations and thank you'! Railway Archive - The Last Main Line Archives From The Great Central Railway Examining the history and continued social, environmental and economic impact of the railway's 'London Extension', which ran between London and North Nottinghamshire from the 1890s to the 1960s. Railway Archive - The Last Main Line Production has been sponsored by the Friends of the Great Central Main Line so every penny from the 10 cost goes to pushing Reunification forward! While the event was postponed, they've still been able to make the very generous donation. Great Central Railway reunification project steams forward with (Operational, painted BR Black), BR Dogfish ballast hopper wagon 993230 built in 1957. The good news is, a substantial sum of money is now available for the job - but we need to raise 110,000 towards the cost of the work. The railway fraternity at the time greatly mourned these closures and made attempts to privately operate them in some form. Awaiting restoration. /09/1967. Order now, via email to blycett.gcr@gmail.com (payment by bank transfer available). 28th June 2022 Vital step in ambitious project on course for October 2022 build. Reunificaction appeal tops a quarter of a million! Friends of the Great Central Main Line from the southern end of the line has offered a further 10,000 - bringing the total up to 30,000 and the amount we still need to raise to 80,000. Order them now via email to blycett.gcr@gmail.com (Operational, painted BR Black), BR Dogfish ballast hopper wagon 993597 built in 1959. ChrisB Advanced Nottstalgian Members 150 334 posts Gender:Male Location:derby We would like to thank each and every one of you who has contributed for your generosity. One day it will carry heritage trains again and is sure to be a much photographed location. Even if difficult times you are clearly thinking about the future. Canal Bridge parapets return! In the 1990s, work on what had become the Great Central Railway (Nottingham) Ltd was concentrated mainly at Ruddington. The existing 120 year old structure has been struck many times by over height lorries. And there's more good news. However you have donated, it all counts and means we are really building momentum. We're going to concentrate on the Factory Flyover this year. The first picture shows the east side panel in place and being bolted down. British Rail decided to maintain rail connection from Loughborough to Ruddington MoD depot until closure and the GCR main line became an unsignalled BR single-track branch.
great central railway extension to nottingham