[1] On 1 January 1923, the company was grouped into the London and North Eastern Railway . On Saturday evening as darkness fell the first of the decks - the one which will carry the GCR 'through line' was fitted. 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. 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. Remember, every pound received as a donation in March 2021 will be matched by a pound - up to one hundred thousands pounds. Factory Flyover - Latest news Six Wheeler No 373 GCR. Opened on 15 March 1899, the station was part of the Great Central Railway's London Extension linking Nottingham with Marylebone in London. Excitingly, more standing orders have been set up too. 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. pounds have been raised and spent delivering two phases of the project. 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. phase of our Reunification appeal began in March, so to have already reached more Meanwhile Reunification has received an usual boost from an unlikely source. (painted army green), BR Palvan 782111 built in 1960. Barnum Brake Coach No 695 built in 1910. Phases three and four, which involve crossing a road and a car park will be constructed together to save costs. They were taken off site to the Welsh workshop of our contractors Centregreat Engineering. GCRN operaions terminate at a Stop Board close to the A60 road. Donations can be made online here. Grouping to Closure - 1923 to 1969. The full story of Alan's inspiration for this picture is told in the Autumn 2021 edition (No. (painted army green), BR Palvan 778771 built in 1959. The bridge over the A60 is key to the project as one day it will carry two lines. Our match funding was fully subscribed, so now we have a jaw dropping 1.78m banked and ready to spend on building the next phases of the project. In the meantime, a special thank you to the Burton Railway Society. Not only will it help link the two halves of the Great Central but also it connects the GCR to Network Rail. The railway crossed built-up Leicester on a Staffordshire blue brick viaduct, incorporating a series of fine girder bridges. It will support the award winning The first picture shows the east side panel in place and being bolted down. Every donation you give us helps on the way. The Great Central Railway (Nottingham) (formerly known as Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre) is a heritage railway and Transport Museum on the south side of the village of Ruddington in Nottinghamshire. A short branch line, once used by the MoD, leads over a level crossing to Fifty Steps . The coping stones were put into place on the restored brickwork and a temporary scaffold brace installed on each side panel. HOW TO DONATE TO THE REUNIFICATION PROJECT 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. Posted on 24th June 2020. 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'! There are 7 steam locomotives permanently based at the railway, 6 of them being of industrial origin, 4 of these being locomotives which once worked at Stewarts & Lloyds at Corby, Northamptonshire. 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. Please see the details below. It was built by the Victorian navvies and was dug out by hand. We can't start building the next section until we have the vast majority of the finance in place. The transfer of former BR property to Railtrack and then Network Rail hindered attempts to purchase the line. The recent magazine articles and appeal leaflets in the national press have brought in brand new donations and new supporters giving by standing order. This bridge now links the two separate sections of the NET tramway. Once again, we deeply appreciate your support for the project. The Great Central Railway in Nottingham The GCR London Extension ran North to South through Nottingham centre. A small gift every week (say 3 - the price of a coffee) adds up to £12 a month. Thank you so much for your support. By midday by the original decks had been removed and some scrap metal removed from site. Overall though, the impression is of a wonderful GCR bridge restored to 'as built' appearance. You can use the project brochure to get a standing order underway. Each panel was brought back to site in two halves and then bolted together into a single piece weighing six tons. Whether this is your first visit to the Reunification mini-site, or if we're a regular stopping off point for you, we hope you'll find plenty of interest as the biggest project in railway preservation moves 'Forward!''. In a detail typical of the high standards to which the London Extension was built, the abutments of the girder bridges that crossed . Make your gift go further and we'll be getting closer to building and through trains between Leicester North and Ruddington. We'd like to thank you for your continued generous belief in the project. However it's life expired and is going to be replaced with a modern structure. Join the adventure. In due course the main road signs will need to be replaced as they have the measurements for the old bridge. Replacing it with a twin track structure, will allow freight trains from the national rail network to use the line again as well as paving the way for heritage trains to run between Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire as part of the Reunification project. (Awaiting resumption of overhaul), BR 20-ton Brake Van 954353 built in 1958. Great news on the appeal front! The Friends of the Great Central Main Line is offering supporters of the award winning heritage line a glimpse into the future! The gated Asher Lane Crossing is on a private road which was formerly the MOD depot perimeter road. However we have been able to (Stored). Posted on 4th December 2020, 'The ideal Christmas present' say fundraisers. There are seven phases of work to complete the link. As always, we want to have the money in place to show we're serious. Also available from the FoGCML stand. Or make an online donation here. Exciting enough but we've even more good news. the third and fourth phase which have an estimated cost of three million pounds. This included adding a new concrete retaining wall to the GCR railway embankment. At the Mountsorrel & Rothley Heritage Center Museum shed where it is displayed in fully-restored condition. "Seeing the completely refurbished canal bridge has given us all a huge psychological boost" said Andy Fillingham, chairman of the Friends of the Great Central Main Line who are leading the fundraising effort. You may be interested in an online talk later in July which gives more details on the project. At Rugby Central, the train is now ready in the northbound platform for the next service back to Nottingham, while a unit composed of M50763, M59310, and M50798 is in the siding. The money raised by the appeal so far will be used to complete planning work and obtain permissions so construction crews can begin immediately when the fundraising target is reached. As a thank you to everyone who has donated money for the work to replace the A60 bridge, we're delighted to have these images produced. now is a good time to read the new booklet that went out with Main Line and fill in the forms. Once part of the Great Central Main Line from Sheffield to London, our route runs from Ruddington (just south of Nottingham) to the northern edge of Loughborough. Fill it in and post it back and the David Clarke Railway Trust will do the rest. During the work, some masonry has been recovered, including eight handsome Victorian bridge coping stones. Thank you again and we look forward to seeing you back at the railway and bringing you up to date in person. Donations can be made online here. Cass Hayward believe this approach will be more economic, simpler to build and in the long term simpler to maintain. To reflect this its name was also changed to the more grandiose Great Central Railway. When we planned the appeal launch many months ago we were also preparing to deliver a number of talks for societies across the country - and of course we were hoping to see you in person at the GCR gala events. The Great Central Railway is the UK's only double track, main line heritage railway. 30th March. line and the wider East Midlands economy. Meanwhile we can't thank the people who have given us this 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. Any donation you give takes us closer to the day the first train runs along the full length of the railway. Railfreight Pressed Steel Box Van 201055. We start just south of the city centre at Arkwright Street, and travel North, above ground where possible. 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. All that in a fortnight! We would like to thank each and every one of you who has contributed for your generosity. Thank you very much for your support. Please watch our film below, and you can make donations at via this website by clicking here. We'd like to thank everyone who has contributed so far to the next phase of the Reunification appeal. 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. What we'd really like is a commitment to a small monthly standing order gift. It's not too late to make a difference with a donation. While the bridge appears all but complete, there are some finishing off works including adding the waterproof layer to the top side of both decks. Over a year that's a very special contribution.You can download a standing order form here. It's built on the course of the Great Central, which crossed the station in exactly the same spot, only that was demolished years ago. Rushcliffe Halt railway station is named after the nearby "Rushcliffe Golf Club". But here's a way of superheating our fundraising to get us building again even sooner. The second picture shows the new ballast retention plates installed on the west (down) side of the bridge to keep the formation in place and stop debris falling onto the beams or into the canal. This is a major engineering project that is expected to be completed during 2024 - 2028. The line through the station was closed on 7 January 1968 and . We want to protect the Factory Flyover funds we've raised, so we're asking now for a one-off donation / new Standing Order for the A60 bridge work. With a smooth process and provided the fundraising can keep up its current pace, we could be on course to build The Factory Flyover in Summer 2023 which gives us a clear target to focus on. In May 1969, the remaining stub of the Great Central's London extension between Rugby Central and Nottingham Arkwright Street succumbed to closure. Meanwhile, there are lots of exciting things happening behind the scenes on the project, all of which bring us closer to building again. Volker will be ready to demolish the old bridge deck and install the new twin decks from the 1st October, as well as making good the existing bridge abutments. Great Central Railway Extension to London Contract No. The line was built for . Great Central Main Line The Nottingham Heritage Railway[1](formerly known as Great Central Railway (Nottingham)and Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre) is a heritage railwayand transport museumon the south side of the village of Ruddingtonin Nottinghamshire. As you know at the start of October the old bridge was removed but most of the original abutments have been retained and repaired. We hope to raise 110,000 so work on this vital bridge can proceed as promptly as possible. This project is only happening because of your goodwill and generosity. (Stored), BR Mk1 GUV (General Utility Van) 86565. 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. In 2021, the "Great Central Railway (Nottingham)" was renamed as the "Nottingham Heritage Railway". It has period signalling, locomotives and rolling stock. It really counts and will help us move forward with Reunification. Also located at the GCRN is the Nottingham Area Bus Society,[14] which boasts an extensive collection of vintage buses, immaculately restored and maintaned, that originally operated for local bus companies. 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. They will carry the new bridge deck, due to arrive in a fortnight and also the bridge collision protection beams - in other words, two big bits of metal which will take the force of any strikes from carelessly driven lorries. Bus rides are offered several times a year during vehicle rallies. 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. You can also give online using a credit card or debit card here, or you can make a one off donation cheque through the post, using this form. Connecting the Great Central Railway to the national railway network will bring economic benefits to the 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." What a great way to start the year! Text UNIFY to 70970 to give 5 (Operational, painted BR Black), BR Dogfish ballast hopper wagon 993230 built in 1957. Fresh out of the works is our new Reunification promotional film.To be honest we'd hoped to share this with you in person at our programme of talks and events - we had planned a UK tour in 2020!At some point it will get shown on the wonderful Friends of the Great Central Main Line stand which is often seen at GCR galas. The money being raised will go towards completing two more - the crossing of a road called Railway Terrace and a factory car park. And there's more good news. On top, two new concrete blocks, specially cast to receive the decks and beams have been fitted. FoGCML are now offering a quality art print of an original pencil and watercolour painting by GCR volunteer signalman Alan Godber.A rebuilt Royal Scot Class 4-6-0 heads north over Loughborough viaduct in the summer of 1963 with a train for Nottingham Victoria. place for the next two phases before we can appoint contractors. The route. A team worked from the top - and from underneath using a pontoon and scaffold tower on the canal. If you want to donate, please consider a small monthly standing order.If you'd like to donate, please see the details below. The Great Northern Railway We are a volunteer-run company, responsible for the preserved Great Central Main Line north of Loughborough, including Rushcliffe Halt and the branch to Ruddington Fields, our base. They will be used in the construction of the Reunification scheme, giving the new project a real connection to the past. However, we had half a million pounds in the ring-fenced Reunification Fund before we launched Money Match March and comprehensively beating the one-hundred-thousand-pound barrier in donations releases the full matching amount of another one-hundred-thousand-pounds. While we're reusing as much of the original abutments as we can, the new bridge deck will be supported in a different way. Two tracks over the bridge are essential to secure a future connection with the mainline. Ruddington Fields is the main station on the line and the home of the Great Central Railway (Nottingham). 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 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. Over a year that's a very special contribution.You can download a standing order form here. First, three parts of the project are now ready for track laying, representing millions of pounds of investment. 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. It's going to take a few more days to process the latest figures and bring you right up to date. The new bridge is expected to be in place by late October / early November. There's a new project film to bring you right up to date at the GCR YouTube channel here. The History of the Great Central Railway On this website references to the "old" or "original" Great Central Railway refer, in the main, to the London Extension of the GCR which ran from Annesley, just north of Nottingham, through Nottingham Victoria, Leicester and Rugby to London Marylebone. As well as regular services, GCRN also operate a host of Special Events and 'Gala' days. The latest phase of the Great Central Railway's Reunification appeal has reached one hundred and fifty thousand pounds. Building the railway link requires new bridges and the rebuilding of an embankment. The branch originally served a gypsum mine which was located on the north-western side of the village of Gotham. We looked at the remains of the GCR's Weekday Cross viaducts with Huntingdon Street and Sherwood Rise tunnels. Already millions of Posted on 10th February 2021. These weigh 20 tonnes. Great news and a major step forward for Reunification. You can give online here. The Great Central Railway The GCR London Extension ran like an arrow North to South through and under Nottingham city centre. We want to start building again as soon as possible so your money goes into bricks, metal and concrete, rather than just fighting inflation. 43159/43044 has arrived at the newly-rebranded Nottingham Heritage Railway, having been acquired by the 125 Group. The GCR Northern Development Association was formed with the aim of reconnecting the then two GCR sections once again. BR Bogie Rail Sturgeon A 994271 built in 1956. We'll have more news about the progress of this work as soon as possible. Factory Flyover - New promotional film. Needless to say it is an ideal Christmas present. Barton Transport Leyland Leopard HAL 703J, built in 1970. More Stories. After alighting at Rugby Central Station the empty train travelled south for a few hundred yards before returning and crossing over into the northbound platform. For full terms see http://platform.nationalfundingscheme.org/terms-and-conditions Once lifted upright and moved into place the crane then held them while they were bolted onto the east and west side beams. 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. (Operational), Mk1 TSO (Tourist Standard Open) 4207 in plain maroon livery. We've got great news to share. New donations arrive all the time and following the recent appeals in Main Line magazine, Heritage Railway, Steam Railway and Railway Magazine, new standing orders are being set up too. planned fundraising work, this is a most welcome Christmas gift which has surprised As always, your donations count. "With costs of raw materials rising, we were delighted to receive such strong and timely support from so many people," continued Andy. 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. The line travels over the River Soar at Stanford Viaduct, close to the Brush works, now part of WABTEC. Order them now via email to blycett.gcr@gmail.com A small gift every week (say 3 - the price of a coffee) adds up to £12 a month. Network Rail then lock the line out of use from their end allowing GCR(N) operation through to Loughborough. 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. With only 4.3 metres from the underside of the deck to the road, the old bridge has frequently "seen action" in terms of bridge strikes from high-sided vehicles trying to pass underneath and we are designing the new structure to achieve maximum additional headroom as well as building collision protection measures into the new structure. "It seems to have had a similar effect on everyone. They show the brand new bridge, which is sure to become a local landmark." If you'd like to help you can give online using a credit card or debit card here, or you can make a one off donation cheque through the post, using this form. This piece of the Reunification jigsaw is unique in that its the only one to already have track on it. Great Central Railway REUNIFICATION LATEST - Summer 2021 GCRofficial 11.8K subscribers Subscribe 60K views 1 year ago Over one million pounds raised for the two Factory Flyover elements. It's heartening to know we're in your minds even as ordinary life is turned upside down as we've had new standing order commitments and one off donations both through the post and online. When the Ministry of Defence depot at Ruddington was closed, the 2.77 miles (4.46km) of track from East Leake to Ruddington was no longer needed by BR. If you are giving to the Bridge to the Future or Crossing the Canal campaign your standing order will now go towards the Factory Flyover. They're already at work and The Gotham branch-line was a short, freight branch connected to the Great Central Mainline via Gotham Sidings; it was lifted in 1969. (Operational, painted BR Black), BR Dogfish ballast hopper wagon 993597 built in 1959. Work initially concentrated on restoring Rushcliffe Halt, but when Nottinghamshire County Council, which had acquired the whole of the 220 acre MoD site, agreed to lease 12 acres of the former MOD site to the Association, the grand scheme of the Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre was devised to encompass not only railway preservation but any transport heritage relevant to the area. If everyone who reads this news item was able to set up a standing order for a few pounds every month, we'd race forward. There are stations open to the public at Ruddington Fields (within the main centre site) and at Rushcliffe Halt. To support the appeal and make a donation 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. Just by watching our films you're helping to raise money. 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. It gives the whole scheme a tremendous boost and takes us another step towards completing On weekdays, trainloads of gypsum would be delivered to the works and unloaded on the concrete pad visible from the station platforms. 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. Get involved [7][8] The line remained closed for the 2020 and 2021 seasons.[9]. Likewise to everyone who was able to support the campaign, another heartfelt thank you. The new height restriction signs have also been installed on the bridge confirming there is now an extra three inches of headroom over the tarmac. Then we were amazed to We had hoped to be there in person at their recent AGM to collect a donation of £650, which they had raised during this year for Reunification. 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. You're thinking of us and we're thinking of you.Until we can meet again face to face, enjoy the new film and stay safe. From 2003, regular services to Rushcliffe Halt resumed. The future, now with pictures! We have been receiving donations online, through the post and directly into the dedicated bank account and we've also got new standing orders to set running too. Thank you for your superb support! We have now raised 320,000 in hand towards the next two phases of the Reunification project, thanks to your unstinting support.That means we've crossed another fundraising milestone - we have more than ten percent of the estimated costs of building phases three and four in place. We hope to outline plans for the next phases in early 2023. Barton Transport Leyland PS1/1 WAL 782, built in 1948. Please bear with us while we get to and from the bank, get standing orders in the post and complete our tallying up. Download an appeal leaflet here. ", Money continues to flow into the A60 bridge appeal at a substantial rate, so we're really grateful for everyone's contribution.We're well over the seventy thousand pounds mark now. It was in tunnel for much of the way as the city was built up. With your help, the work will be done by the end of the year! We had 1.4m before we started the promotion. 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. Stored with poor body and major work needed on the frames. the vision." We're really pleased to be able to say our fundraising has continued at a great pace. In early March we set out to fundraise for the next stage which will see another two new bridges built. The loco sheds of the Great Central Railway at Loughborough are just visible across the MML, about one mile (1.6km) away. History [ edit] New name [ edit] AMBITIOUS RAILWAY LINK UP PLAN 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. Whatever you give, can be matched. Our team is made up of all sorts of people, each with a pair of boots and the enthusiasm to build something remarkable. We'll go as far as we can afford. It's crossing the site of the original GCR station at Finmere in Oxfordshire. The more of us getting behind the plan, the sooner it will be completed and we'll unlock the economic benefits." Hundreds of people are giving a small amount every month, which will keep pushing the total onwards and upwards. In the 1990s, work on what had become the Great Central Railway (Nottingham) Ltd was concentrated mainly at Ruddington. A new 2.5m bridge, in Loughborough, is the first . The superb images show what it will look like! So what's the new total? (Stored), GCR Suburban composite coach 799. We're determined to remain on the front foot and look to the future. Reunification appeal film The Great Central Railway Reunification project took a step forward earlier this month when the original bridge over the A60 road has been demolished to make way for its replacement. In Leicester, almost all of the trackbed has been built on; in Nottingham, it's been taken over by trams. The Friends of the Great Central Main Line is offering supporters of the award winning heritage line a glimpse into the future! The work will continue through October. MK1 SK (Corridor Second) 25693 in blood and custard livery. The handrails were then fitted and two large crash protection beams were craned in. Here's our latest film about our Reunification project, with the latest information on this exciting appeal February 2021 update Great Central Railway leading the fundraising effort said "At the start of December we had raised This has now been updated with an alternative system of work. 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! The station was also operated by the Great Central Railway and became part of the LNER in 1923 and then British Railways in 1948. A purchase order has now been placed with VolkerLaser who are the preferred main contractors. However, the new bridge will be very slightly higher above the road surface which should reduce the number of impacts from large lorries and the disruption this causes. 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.