Lunch on the Great Central Railway

11 February 2007

For Stephen's birthday, Lucy bought a pair of tickets for a first class lunch on the Great Central Railway - "Britain's only main line steam railway".

Loughborough Central station on the Great Central Railway. The station currently forms the northern end of the preserved main line railway; there are long-term plans to extend the route across the Midland Mainline railway to the northern remains of the line, on towards Nottingham.

The route was opened to goods in 1898 and passengers in 1899 as the Great Central's London Extension, connecting Manchester to London via Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester, and Rugby. It was the last domestic main line to be built in the UK, and was built to a continental loading gauge. In 1923 the GCR came under the control of the London & North Eastern Railway. At Nationalisation in 1948, it became part of British Rail Eastern Region. In 1958 a BR reorganisation moved it into the London Midland Region. Historically, the Midland and Great Central had been bitter rivals and the 'Midland' soon reduced services, ending all expresses on the line in 1960. The line was closed as a through route in 1966.

Locomotive 48188 was at the head of our train when we arrived at Loughborough Central. The actual number of this Locomotive is 48305, but to commemorate the bravery of John Axon in 1957 the number has been changed to 48188, that being the number of the locomotive that John Axon was driving. The LMS Class 8 was built in 1943 at Crewe by the London Midland and Scottish Railway as part of a programme to provide locomotives for the war effort. After construction she was based at Wellingborough, Northampton and Crewe South. Her BR career took her all the way through to January 1968, just months before the end of steam. She was withdrawn from Speke Junction (Liverpool) arriving at Woodham's Scrapyard in Barry in September 1968. She was rescued in 1985 and restoration was completed a decade later.

We had thought that this was the locomotive pulling our train until it rather startled us by whizzing past, light engine, while we were on Swithland Viaduct.

Lucy on the platform at Loughborough Central station

and Stephen

With time to spare before boarding of our train, we took a walk along the line to the engine shed

Lucy crossing the line having looked both up and down before doing so

Locomotives outside the engine shed

Safely inside and seated ready for lunch, Lucy looks cheerfully out of the window at the platform

Stephen also looking cheerful as he waits for his birthday lunch

The train stopped on Swithland viaduct which crosses Swithland Reservoir, to give us time to absorb the magnificent views across the reservoir to the woods.

Rather blinded by the sunlight behind, a photo of us on Swithland Viaduct on the way back.

And at Loughborough Central, sadly the journey all over, and about to disembark

Another walk along the platform found number 4141, which had been our locomotive today. After filling up with water, she is completing her run around ready to pull the 3.15 departure to Leicester North.

Currently on loan from the Llangollen Railway, 4141 was built by the Great Western Railway at Swindon in 1946 and was based at Cheltenham and Gloucester depots for the whole of its GW and BR working life. It was withdrawn in 1963 and sent to Woodham's scrapyard at Barry where it remained until January 1973. It was purchased by a Severn Valley Railway restoration group and then spent several years at Hampton Loade undergoing restoration until purchased privately and moved to West London for full restoration to main line standards. It arrived at Llangollen in 1997 and entered service on the Llangollen Railway in March 1998.

4141 is an example of a group known as 'large Prairies', over 300 of them being built between 1903 and 1949. They were very effective on semi-fast and suburban passenger trains working to tight schedules, and also saw duty on freight traffic.

Having completed the run around, 4141 is now coupled to the carriages once more ready for the 3.15 departure.

4141 pulls away from Loughborough Central

and makes her way towards Leicester North, while it is time for us to head back towards London. A great day out.