Great Central Railway Locomotives

This is a list of locomotives and rolling stock based at the preserved Great Central Railway at Loughborough, Leicestershire, the Great Central Railway (Nottingham) in Ruddington and the Mountsorrel Railway near Leicester.

Mainline steam locomotives

The Great Central has a varied fleet of steam classes representing each of the United Kingdom's " Big Four" railway companies and British Rail. Some of them once worked along the original routes, and others were part of classes that saw service there.

Operational

Non operational

Under overhaul/construction

Stored

Industrial locomotives

Industrial steam locomotives

Industrial steam locomotives became the mainstay of steam power in early British railway preservation before the Barry Scrapyard veterans were fully restored. Many have huge traction efforts despite their small sizes, making them more than capable of hauling large passenger trains.

Operational

Under overhaul/restoration

Stored

Industrial diesel shunters

In addition to the larger network shunters there is also a modest collection of old industrial designs in varying states of repair.

Operational

Mainline diesel shunters

With period railway scenes in mind and with the cheaper and more effective running costs they can deliver, there are a handful of ex-British Rail diesel shunters based on site. Despite normally working lightly they sometimes feature at special events on passenger and freight traffic.

Mainline diesel locomotives

Both railways have a large collection of heritage diesel locomotives and hold at least two galas each year to run them, in addition to parallel operations with the steam fleet.

Diesel and electric multiple units

Though many are still undergoing long-term restoration, the economic benefits of diesel multiple unit and electric multiple unit trains has been able to be utilised as an easy option for early morning services, off peak services, as a second train or where a steam locomotive is unavailable. Their large windows allow for excellent views of the line and surrounding scenery.

Coaching stock

Whole sets of coaches are in use on a daily basis, from rare LNER postal vehicles and observation cars to the far more common BR Mk1s.

British Railways Mark 1 coaches

The BR Mark 1 entered service in 1951 as a standardisation of passenger stock on all regions. They were built using the best elements of the four railway companies stock creating a very sophisticated design. One of the largest groups preserved is used every operating day at the Great Central Railway as they fit in well with the 1950s-style atmosphere. Those examples which are not in storage or under work are compiled into four uniformal rakes, each with brake and catering facilities.

British Railways Mark 2 and Mark 3 coaches

More modern BR stock is not really at home on a railway with period recreation in mind, but many have found work behind the scenes of the heritage operations. However, the Northern section intends to create a full vacuum-braked Mk2 set to replicate another lost era in British Rail history, taking less-efficient vehicles out of rotation as better examples are brought in.

Great Central Railway coaches

When the Great Central Railway was formed it was billed under the slogan "Rapid travel in luxury", and it was right to do this because it was able to boast the very latest and best in express passenger travel. Today the GCR Rolling Stock Trust based at Ruddington are the owners of the single largest collection of ex-GCR stock in the world.

London, Midland and Scottish Railway coaches

The GCR Plc does not generally rely on LMS stock for passenger trains, but has instead found other uses for what is available. ''See Coaches of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.''

London and North Eastern Railway coaches

RVP Ltd owns and cares for one of the most impressive collections of Gresley Teak-panelled vehicles in the United Kingdom. They intend to return a full rake of varnished teak coaches to service in the coming years. ''See Coaches of the London and North Eastern Railway''.

Other coaches

Some of the stock is completely unique to the railway.

Southern Railway vans

Most heritage railways in the U.K. use parcels and miscellaneous vans for storage purposes, and the Great Central Railway is no exception. ''See Southern Railway (Great Britain)#Carriages''.

Goods wagons

The GCR has a very extensive range of wagons and goods vans. Many are used as working vehicles on the railway for the transport of rail, ballast and equipment. Still more are used to run demonstration freight trains at the GCR's gala events illustrating a time when most goods were carried by rail.

Cranes

Windcutter

Lengthy trains of mineral wagons were a common feature on British Railways and the Windcutter Project set out to recreate such scenes. The idea of preserving a long train of mineral wagons was first aired in Steam Railway early in 1992 and following an encouraging initial response an appeal was launched in the August issue to purchase suitable wagons for use on the Great Central Railway. The appeal was a huge success, Steam Railway readers and supporters of GCR raised over £14,000 to purchase and restore the wagons.

With the exception of the two un-restored wagons, all the mineral wagons in the ‘Windcutter’ fleet are either fitted with vacuum brake or have been through piped to run in a vacuum braked train. This means that to be fully authentic all the wagons should carry British Railways ‘Bauxite’ livery. However the original aim of the project was to recreate the sight of long trains of unfitted mineral wagons as seen on the GCR in BR days and all over the BR network in the days of steam, and in some areas even as late as the early 1980s. All BR un-fitted freight vehicles were painted grey and hence to recreate the overall appearance of a steam era mineral train the majority of the wagons in the ‘Windcutter’ fleet have been restored in this colour.

Army wagons

Tank wagons

MSLR wagons

LMS wagons

LNER wagons

Southern wagons

British Railway wagons

Former GCR based locomotives

UNFINISHED

Steam locomotives

Diesel locomotives

References

External links

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