GCR Bridge Project

[Cowley]

View attachment 104557

Station Road is where the station entrance used to be with the steps heading south towards the current Leicester North plaform you can see at the bottom of the image.

Thanks for that @matt .

 

[75A]

You can see the old entrance to Belgrave & Birstall in a bridge as you start to approach the modern station on the train from what I recall?

Spot on.

 

[Flying Phil]

There has been a bit more space cleared North of Loughborough Locomotive shed and ballast has been laid on the canal bridge decks.


According to Main Line magazine the fund total was £1,100,000 in early November.

 

[Cowley]

There has been a bit more space cleared North of Loughborough Locomotive shed and ballast has been laid on the canal bridge decks.
View attachment 107015

According to Main Line magazine the fund total was £1,100,000 in early November.

Great to this photo Phil.

 

[Rover]

Thanks for the photo, that looks good.

 

[Flying Phil]

As expected, the A 60 bridge is to be the next part of the Gap project so that the Gypsum traffic can restart. According to the latest news from the GCR...
"
......... we’ve got some fantastic Reunification news to share. 2022 is the Year of the A60 bridge. There’s a substantial sum of money now in place to carry out the essential work needed.

We’re looking to raise one hundred and ten thousand pounds to contribute to the pot." There is £10,000 available to match fund the next £10,000 donated.

 

[Mogulb]

As expected, the A 60 bridge is to be the next part of the Gap project so that the Gypsum traffic can restart. According to the latest news from the GCR...
"
......... we’ve got some fantastic Reunification news to share. 2022 is the Year of the A60 bridge. There’s a substantial sum of money now in place to carry out the essential work needed.

We’re looking to raise one hundred and ten thousand pounds to contribute to the pot." There is £10,000 available to match fund the next £10,000 donated.

Phil. Is the official announcement available somewhere?

 

[Up Main]

There is further great news for the reunification project about to be announced. Renewal of the condemned A60 rail bridge in Loughborough is the critical next phase of the the programme. Look out for the launch of an appeal at this weekend's East Coast gala event at the GCR. The vast majority of the six figure sum needed for this is already in place. The shortfall is now needed quickly for the work to be done by the end of 2022. Just £110k needs to be raised. The first £10k donations will be match funded by one of the northern half supporting charities. This is a completely separate appeal from the £1.1m already in place for the Factory Flyover and will remain so and continue. Please give it your support and help make it happen.

 

[Spartacus]

Does anyone know if the height's going to be raised at all? Even a few inches will be enough to reduce the bridge strike risk.

 

[Flying Phil]

Does anyone know if the height's going to be raised at all? Even a few inches will be enough to reduce the bridge strike risk.

Whilst nothing has been announced yet I'm sure every effort will be made to gain as much clearance as possible.

Further to Up Main's post

Effectively, what is happening, is that the 7 aspects of the gap project are being re-sequenced with section 7 (A 60 bridge) now coming before sections 3 and 4 (Factory Flyover). If fundraising continues at the present rate, the work for the A 60 bridge could well be done by the end of this year 2022 and then they could start on the factory flyover. This would then leave only the two embankment sections (5 being the long 300m section North from the canal bridge, 6 being the short 40m section North of the MML bridge).

 

[AndyY1951]

This is excellent news!

Donation made!

 

[Flying Phil]

This news is now on the GCR website in the Reunification section.
Sorry but Automerge again....

Following a Board meeting Dec 21st..
In the latest "Trackside" #7, it says that new directors have been appointed to the GCR(N) board (NHR?). These are Richard Drew, Peter Ward, Andy Fillingham, Peter Morley, George Green and Tom Ingall, all leading lights in the reunification project. Two existing directors John Akinin and Peter Wilson remain on the board.
this represents a Huge change and I'm sure many people will be very pleased.

 

[reddragon]

This news is now on the GCR website in the Reunification section.
Sorry but Automerge again....

Following a Board meeting Dec 21st..
In the latest "Trackside" #7, it says that new directors have been appointed to the GCR(N) board (NHR?). These are Richard Drew, Peter Ward, Andy Fillingham, Peter Morley, George Green and Tom Ingall, all leading lights in the reunification project. Two existing directors John Akinin and Peter Wilson remain on the board.
this represents a Huge change and I'm sure many people will be very pleased.

Good news

 

[Up Main]

There is further great news for the reunification project about to be announced. Renewal of the condemned A60 rail bridge in Loughborough is the critical next phase of the the programme. Look out for the launch of an appeal at this weekend's East Coast gala event at the GCR. The vast majority of the six figure sum needed for this is already in place. The shortfall is now needed quickly for the work to be done by the end of 2022. Just £110k needs to be raised. The first £10k donations will be match funded by one of the northern half supporting charities. This is a completely separate appeal from the £1.1m already in place for the Factory Flyover and will remain so and continue. Please give it your support and help make it happen.

2022: YEAR OF THE ‘A60 BRIDGE’ - Close to £2000 was donated over the weekend East Coast Main Line weekend (15th /16th Jan) via the website and by on train collection teams. The first ten thousand pounds will be match funded pound for pound by the LNER GC Heritage Trust (a charity which supports the northern section of the GCR). So already the amount we need to chase has shrunk to £106,000

To make a donation to the A60 bridge overhaul fund head to www.gcrailway.co.uk/unify or send a cheque through the post made payable to the ‘David Clarke Railway Trust’, to DCRT, Lovatt House, 3 Wharncliffe Road, Loughborough, LE11 1SL. Please write on the back of the cheque A60 / Reunification. Don’t forget - please ‘gift aid’ your donation if you can. It adds another 25% to whatever you donate at no cost to you. If you can add gift aid, we’ll reach the overhaul target much sooner.

 

[james60059]

2022: YEAR OF THE ‘A60 BRIDGE’ - Close to £2000 was donated over the weekend East Coast Main Line weekend (15th /16th Jan) via the website and by on train collection teams.

Looking at various images on social media, there seemed to be a good amount of lineside photographers. Maybe a collection team could have gone round with a bucket to the various sites?, I'm sure the lineside toggers wouldn't mind.

 

[Trainfan344]

On that subject, a collection team going round before I have barely had time to settle down on the first train of the day makes you less likely to donate towards your cause

 

[MJ]

On that subject, a collection team going round before I have barely had time to settle down on the first train of the day makes you less likely to donate towards your cause

Have to agree with that, they were very 'keen' to get round trains which were at times full and standing.

Side note, did enjoy a trip on the much lighter loaded DMU that weekend!

 

[Trainfan344]

That DMU was a lot warmer too!

I understand the need to raise funds but allowing people a bit of time to settle before asking for donations usually works a lot better in my experience.

 

[Flying Phil]

As of 12 Feb, more than £40,000 has been raised towards the £110,000 total, according to the FoGCML newsletter. This is really encouraging as they hope to start work on the A60 bridge very soon and complete it within the year.

 

[AndyY1951]

As of 12 Feb, more than £40,000 has been raised towards the £110,000 total, according to the FoGCML newsletter. This is really encouraging as they hope to start work on the A60 bridge very soon and complete it within the year.

Excellent progress!

 

[Flying Phil]

In today's "Rail Mail" it says that the A60 bridge total has reached over £50,000 - which is fantastic.

 

[Flying Phil]

In other bridge news, a new replacement bridge (No 348), which is just to the North of Swithland reservoir, is due to be replaced at the end of March. This weak bridge, has been the cause of the 5mph temporary speed restriction at that location.

 

[Cowley]

In other bridge news, a new replacement bridge (No 348), which is just to the North of Swithland reservoir, is due to be replaced at the end of March. This weak bridge, has been the cause of the 5mph temporary speed restriction at that location.

I remember the speed restriction when we visited last year. Is that bridge one of a pair next to each other Phil?

 

[Flying Phil]

I remember the speed restriction when we visited last year. Is that bridge one of a pair next to each other Phil?

Hi Cowley
It is a pair of decks side by side, so typical GCR design. It is over a narrow farm track, so is only about 4m span. Access is the problem so I suspect they will use rail mounted lifting gear and replace one side during the first week and the other side the next week. The timetable for the weekend is cancelled but the dining trains will still be running according to the GCR website.

 

[Flying Phil]

The A60 bridge appeal is now over £70K so I expect they will make a start after Easter when they will have finished the small bridge (#341) replacement at Swithland. Work on this has already started, with no passenger trains running this weekend...... apart from the pre booked dining trains.

 

[Almyle503]

I'm assuming this extension will go as far as Ruddington. But will there be a small shuttle service from Ruddington to Ruddington Fields? I think it'd be nice.

 

[reddragon]

I'm assuming this extension will go as far as Ruddington. But will there be a small shuttle service from Ruddington to Ruddington Fields? I think it'd be nice.

Oh for a connection to the trams!

 

[Almyle503]

Oh for a connection to the trams!

Or both

 

[AndyY1951]

"I think it'd be nice". If only railway extensions could be funded and built on this basis!

 

[zwk500]

"I think it'd be nice". If only railway extensions could be funded and built on this basis!

to be fair, if it is private money, it can be!