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Great Central Railway - Winter Steam Gala 'The Big One' - 28/01/12 - Part 3

812 views · Published 31 January 2012 · 9:16 · Indexed 23 September 2026

Channel: Speed To The West · 2012 · Autos & Vehicles

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The second railway outing for 2012 and it's off to the Great Central Railway for their annual winter steam gala. This would be the railway's biggest ever gala with ten locos in attendance  including one visiting and the debut of Ivatt Class 2 no.46521. A Saturday only feature was the evening twilight show featuring lots of night action including a night time TPO with 70013 'Oliver Cromwell'.

Locos in steam were:

 - BR Standard Class 7MT 4-6-2 no.70013 'Oliver Cromwell' (Recently returned to the line after a busy mainline stint in 2011)
 - LSWR M7 Class 0-4-4T no.30053 (Visiting from the Swanage Railway and the first of it's class to visit the GCR)
 - GCR 8K Class 2-8-0 no.63601 (She recently celebrated her 100th birthday. This was to be one of her last gala appearances before being withdrawn for overhaul later this year)
 - BR(M) Ivatt Class 2MT 2-6-0 no.46521 (Debuting at the gala after being overhauled, moving under her own steam for the first time in 11 years at the end of 2011)
 - SR N15 Class 4-6-0 no.30777 'Sir Lamiel'
 - LMS Class 8F 2-8-0 no.8624
 - BR Standard Class 2MT 2-6-0 no.78019
 - LMS Class 3F 'Jinty' 0-6-0 no.47406
 - GNR Class N2 0-6-2T no.1744
 - GWR 4900 Class 4-6-0 no.4953 'Pitchford Hall'

Shots included are:

Quorn & Woodhouse:

 - 4953 arrives on the 16:30 from Loughborough then barks out whilst 78019 passes on the 16:25 mineral train from Rothley Brook
 - The moon now in full view on the light fading, 63601 arrives on the 16:45 from Loughborough then 46521 arrives on the 16:25 from Leicester North. 63601 is then seen departing, giving my camcorder's auto-focus a run for its money
 - The light now completely gone, 78019 arrives light engine from Loughborough heading for the turntable. She is then seen being turned only being lit by the flashes of spectators cameras
 - 8624 passes through the darkness hauling the 17:10 mineral train from Loughborough
 - 30777 is seen - or more rather heard - departing on the 17:20 from Loughborough
 - The final scene now as 70013 silently approaches Quorn on the 18:03 TPO then, just before the bridge the driver opens up the regulator and she storms through, whistling through night, sparks flying everywhere and then she is gone, a spectacular ending to what was indeed a spectacular gala.

Filmed on a Panasonic HDC-HS60 HD Camcorder

Enjoy

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