IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Holbein Close, LOUGHBOROUGH, LE11 1PS

Carriages in the repair area of The Great Central Railway is Britain's only mainline preserved railway.

This is the view from the embankment of the former Great Central Railway next to the canal overbridge.

This is the machine shop in the Great Central Railway's restoration facility at Loughborough. The view was through the open door and did not involve me entering the space that was not open to visitors. The workshops are actually on the old formation. In the not too distant future the missing section of line will be replaced allowing through trains from Ruddington to Leicester North. Fortunately there is enough space to pass the connection alongside this building, thus obviating the need to remove it to reinstate through trains. It will be eventually relocated though.

Locomotives in the repair area of The Great Central Railway is Britain's only mainline preserved railway.

A view of the DMUs to the right, the centre right one is under restoration ready for trips over the Mountsorrel branch further south. The carriage body is now a bookshop.

Seen from the disused railway bridge beyond the preserved railway's locomotive depot. The bridge is being restored in 2019 - 2020 to allow trains to ultimately run to Ruddington.

This is the business end of a Ransomes and Rapier steam breakdown crane. This is in ticket and had recently been involved in a boiler lift.

A Mumford of Colchester inverted vertical single cylinder rotative feed pump on a Ransomes & Rapier breakdown crane. The vertical boiler is seen beyond. This crane is workable.

An interesting restoration shed, closed to the public after thefts. However tours can be arranged. The shed is an ex aircraft one, I heard many years ago anyway. Here WCC Boscastle is under restoration along with a BR standard class. 73156 is the last survivor of all Doncaster-built BR standards. Allocated to Neasden depot (34E), from where she would regularly work on the ex-Great Central line. After several spells at sheds on the London Midland Region, she was withdrawn in 1967. When rescued from Barry and taken to the East Lancashire Railway, most minor parts had already been sold, but many new ones were purchased and fitted by 2003, when she was transferred to the Great Central to continue restoration, which is now progressing well. A new BR1B tender is being built off-site to replace the original. Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BR_Standard_Class_5_73156 34039 was built at Brighton Works, and was based at Stewarts Lane TMD (73A). She was rebuilt at Eastleigh for use in Bournemouth (71B), and was withdrawn from service in 1965. She became the first motive power at Loughborough in 1973. Restoration was not completed until 1992, with many issues causing withdrawal in 2000. A group was formed in 2005 which is now working to return her to working order with a £200,000 overhaul programme. The boiler is off site, while the chassis and wheels are under maintenance for completion in 2011/12. Wiki

Locomotives in the repair area of The Great Central Railway is Britain's only mainline preserved railway.