GCR Bridge Project

[Dava]

The residents of houses built on the old station goods yard at East Leake have an Ingoing flight to East Midlands Airport at 2 minutes headway over their houses at peak times. Including a daily Boeing 747! They bought the houses knowing this. In comparison with which I’d be surprised if they noticed 3 preserved trains (in normal years) or 1 gypsum trains each way per day.

Dava

 

[Flying Phil]

Here is the view North over the refurbished Canal bridge.

 

[43096]

The residents of houses built on the old station goods yard at East Leake have an Ingoing flight to East Midlands Airport at 2 minutes headway over their houses at peak times. Including a daily Boeing 747! They bought the houses knowing this. In comparison with which I’d be surprised if they noticed 3 preserved trains (in normal years) or 1 gypsum trains each way per day.

Dava

Trust me, they do notice.

 

[AndyY1951]

It now just needs some temporary track up to and on the bridge, so a locomotive can be stabled there when the railway is open, for publicity pictures!

Andy

 

[Flying Phil]

It now just needs some temporary track up to and on the bridge, so a locomotive can be stabled there when the railway is open, for publicity pictures!

Andy

Absolutely!!!

 

[Tom6143]

Here is the view North over the refurbished Canal bridge.View attachment 84108

great stuff - is there anymore info on how the shed/track alignment will work out?

 

[Flying Phil]

great stuff - is there anymore info on how the shed/track alignment will work out?

In post #655 I wrote
"I believe the plan is for the new shed to be to the West of the existing shed right up along the boundary (where the present vehicle access is to the back of the shed. The line to the North will be double track, to the East side of the new shed, on virtually the original layout. However this is only based on scanty information as the plan is still evolving...."
The double track would only extend over the canal bridge and part way along the new(to be built) embankment.

....and of course, with the present C-19 situation, virtually all the management time has had to be spent getting the service up and running and just trying to survive. Many of the staff are still on furlough.

 

[Flying Phil]

Latest news on the GCR website is that the donations for the "Factory Flyover" section of the gap project have reached £320K.
To get the "Pot" up to £320K is seriously impressive.
This part of the fund started in March, the country has been in a Covid state since then. The Railway was shutdown and has steadily restarted - only to be shut down again. There has been a double track bridge totally replaced by a newly designed, built and installed (in 30 weeks) elsewhere on the railway.
Obviously a lot of people have been working very hard.....Well Done!

 

[AndyY1951]

Excellent progress!

 

[swt_passenger]

Latest news on the GCR website is that the donations for the "Factory Flyover" section of the gap project have reached ££20K.
To get the "Pot" up to £320K is seriously impressive.
This part of the fund started in March, the country has been in a Covid state since then. The Railway was shutdown and has steadily restarted - only to be shut down again. There has been a double track bridge totally replaced by a newly designed, built and installed (in 30 weeks) elsewhere on the railway.
Obviously a lot of people have been working very hard.....Well Done!

Should that also be £320K in the first line Phil? You’ve accidentally typed 2 £ signs...

 

[AndyB28]

Excellent progress!

Absolutely, couldn't agree more. Well done to all involved and I really hope they can keep up the momentum. I hate to be picky but I do wonder how much more could be achieved though if they'd only improve their PR a bit! Updates about the railway in general are a bit thin on the ground. I think something like the GWSR blogs could do wonders.

 

[Flying Phil]

Should that also be £320K in the first line Phil? You’ve accidentally typed 2 £ signs...

You are quite correct SWT...I have fat fingers and should really double check!
And I agree with AndyB28 that the GCR could improve their PR.....but that is one of the reasons why I post information up. We all tend to say "why don't they do.."...when we could say "I will do...."

 

[AndyB28]

You are quite correct SWT...I have fat fingers and should really double check!
And I agree with AndyB28 that the GCR could improve their PR.....but that is one of the reasons why I post information up. We all tend to say "why don't they do.."...when we could say "I will do...."

A very valid point. And your updates are always much appreciated Phil

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Very good news indeed.

 

[AndyY1951]

I can only agree that the GCR's PR is quite poor. A weekly blog would be much more informative than a glossy video every six months.

 

[Flying Phil]

I can only agree that the GCR's PR is quite poor. A weekly blog would be much more informative than a glossy video every six months.

To be fair, looking back to when the MML bridge was being built, the GCR website was being updated every couple of weeks during the construction phase. They have said the project will be quiet between construction of the various phases. Obviously there is still a lot of background/paperwork going on which is not necessarily exciting to report.
However, a weekly blog has been very successful on other railways to maintain interest and encourage support/finance.

 

[reddragon]

I can only agree that the GCR's PR is quite poor. A weekly blog would be much more informative than a glossy video every six months.

The GWSR has regular blogs for Steam (8/11), Diesel (5/11), C&W (9/8), track (15/2), buildings (16/2), structures (26/3), S&T, Broadway (5/11), drainage (8/11) - some as you see updated weekly, some only during winter maintenance. There is also a monthly newsletter too!

Come on GCR!!

 

[Flying Phil]

According to the GCR website the donations total went from £250,000 at the beginning of September to £320,000 at the beginning of October. This would seem to indicate that the donation rate is actually increasing......Which is even better news!
I would also like to add that the GCR quarterly magazine, "Main Line", has provided a great amount of information over the years and is an excellent publication - very professional.

 

[AndyY1951]

I totally agree about the quality of 'Main Line', definitely the best of the magazines from the various railways I am a member of.
However I still believe frequently updated blogs akin to those from the GWSR (which I check for updates daily) would 'keep the pot boiling'.

 

[Flying Phil]

I agree AndyY....not forgetting that there is a weekly update from the Quorn Wagon group and fairly frequent updates from the "Windcutters"

 

[Flying Phil]

There is now a new book "Reunification" which gives a lot more information about the start of the GCR and GCR(N). Then it details how the project has evolved and the difficulties that have been overcome. There are a lot of people who have been involved over the years who should feel very proud of their part (large or small) in this complex project. It also highlights what (is still to do) .....Will be Done!
It goes a long way to explain why, what appears to be easy, is, in fact, very difficult! (and "yes" I am guilty of that at times ).
Details on the GCR website.

 

[bspahh]

There is now a new book "Reunification" which gives a lot more information about the start of the GCR and GCR(N). Then it details how the project has evolved and the difficulties that have been overcome. There are a lot of people who have been involved over the years who should feel very proud of their part (large or small) in this complex project. It also highlights what (is still to do) .....Will be Done!
It goes a long way to explain why, what appears to be easy, is, in fact, very difficult! (and "yes" I am guilty of that at times ).
Details on the GCR website.

https://www.gcrailway.co.uk/unify/ says

Broadcaster, journalist and long time GCR supporter Tom Ingall has written a book chronicling our story so far. It's sixty pages, full of previously unpublished colour photographs and untold stories from the project. 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! Needless to say it is an ideal Christmas present. Order them now via email to [email protected]

UK postage is £2.50

 

[Flying Phil]

As the GCR magazine "Main Line" has been praised here is a pdf scan of the first issue......

 

[38Cto15E]

Probably mainly because of the financial ravages of Covid-19, the GCR management appear not to be prioratising 'bridging the gap' any longer but instead joining the GCR with the MML without using the bridge over the MML.
I wouldn't have thought that this could be a serious project given that it would cost millions and millions of pounds, am I missing something here?

 

[Flying Phil]

Probably mainly because of the financial ravages of Covid-19, the GCR management appear not to be prioratising 'bridging the gap' any longer but instead joining the GCR with the MML without using the bridge over the MML.
I wouldn't have thought that this could be a serious project given that it would cost millions and millions of pounds, am I missing something here?

I think you misunderstand the situation. Correctly the GCR is prioritising surviving the financial and personnel problems of Covid. It is still committed to joining the two parts of the surviving GCR by "Bridging the Gap". It has built the bridge over the MML. It has renovated the canal bridge. It is fundraising for the "factory flyover". There is still the embankment to build and North embankment plus A60 Bridge work to do.
The connection to Network Rail joins to the GCR (N) and, once the gap is finished, that connection also can be used for the whole 18 mile route.

 

[AndyY1951]

"prioritising surviving the financial and personnel problems of Covid" is perfectly understandable and reasonable.
However apparently changing the aim of bridging the gap has served no helpful purpose whatsoever and risks alienating long-standing supporters. Reconnecting the two halves of the railway brings the connection to the mainline in its wake, whereas connecting to the mainline without reconnecting the two halves of the railway is impossible.

Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory springs to mind!

 

[Flying Phil]

AndyY As you correctly say..." connecting to the main line without reconnecting the two halves of the railway is impossible" but who is suggesting that? The longer article in Main Line#185 is talking about many things, particularly priorities and only asks the question "Should the emphasis be to connect with the Main Line first?" which I take to mean that the MML link might be in use for "specials" etc before regular passenger trains are running through to Ruddington.
It does also talk of the difficulties at present with the GCR(N) and concludes..."unite with Genuine Partners and complete unification together." So not a change in the Aim.

 

[AndyY1951]

I'm not saying anyone is suggesting that connection to the mainline is possible without reunification, although I think others might be thinking this is somehow being suggested (post #774).
I'm emphasising that as it isn't possible, why tinker with the wording or emphasis of the 'mission statement' and risk alienating people? If it ain't broke don't fix it!
How a united railway is subsequently operated is independent of making the physical connection which also brings with it the mainline connection.

The fact that this discussion is taking place, and much more on Facebook, demonstrates that people have been rattled by reading Mainline, which is not good!

 

[Flying Phil]

Very True AndyY.
I am amazed at the reaction to a clumsily worded article which was merely asking a question about emphasis in the light of a global pandemic and its affect on the railway. I suspect we are all guilty of looking at everything on-line with a fine tooth comb...... because we cannot get out in real life!

 

[Flying Phil]

From the latest GCR "Rail Mail", I see that there has been a grant of £50,000 to the "Gap" fund from a charitable trust in December. It is great that the support for this project has been maintained, and, indeed, is increasing, even during this difficult time.