Great Central Railway News and Updates

[Flying Phil]

In addition to the carriage shed extension, there is an additional building being erected on the apron to the West of the main shed. This is for the S & T dept and is a substantial 42m x 12m with a mezzanine floor to be incorporated.
Needless to say the project turned out to be more complicated than originally expected as the ground - particularly in the NE corner was very poor. This is higher than the adjacent field and had the level built up sometime in the past (could this have been done during the Second World War as part of the D Day build up???).

 

[Flying Phil]

In other (non) news, there is no sign of any work at present on the canal bridge or at Leicester North.

 

[Roast Veg]

It appeared (from a distance this morning) that fences have been erected on the Canal bridge today, with orangemen visible. Hopefully you can confirm it with a few pictures Phil!

 

[Paul Hitchcock]

It appeared (from a distance this morning) that fences have been erected on the Canal bridge today, with orangemen visible. Hopefully you can confirm it with a few pictures Phil!

Not singing "the sash me father wore" I trust

 

[Flying Phil]

It appeared (from a distance this morning) that fences have been erected on the Canal bridge today, with orangemen visible. Hopefully you can confirm it with a few pictures Phil!

Anything to oblige.....one on the other thread now.

 

[Flying Phil]

The Carriage Shed now has a big new S & T shed alongside.

 

[AndyY1951]

I thought that was an extension to the carriage shed, not an S&T shed?

 

[Flying Phil]

I thought that was an extension to the carriage shed, not an S&T shed?

The Carriage shed has been extended Andy - you can just make out the end 1 and a tiny bit apexes on the left hand of the picture, this is a shorter shed alongside the end of that extension. Here is a slightly different view.

 

[AndyY1951]

Many thanks!

 

[Flying Phil]

We visited Leicester yesterday and I took these pictures of the old Leicester Central Station. It has been in a sad state since closure, but now is being sympathetically refurbished. Most of the external brickwork and internal major walls have been retained, cleaned and repaired where necessary. A new glass roof is going over the front concourse area. As it is now just across the road from the extended Highcross shopping complex it could have a much brighter future.

 

[whhistle]

It's a shame Leicester doesn't look at a tram system.
I know most of the town wouldn't be reachable from that area, but the main shopping centre is just over the road, and having trams entering the old station would be such a WOW factor.
They could run it northwards from there towards Loughborough and Coalville, even using the track bed towards Ashby perhaps.

 

[mr_jrt]

I'd love to win one of the big lotteries and be able to buy up Leicester Central and the land up to Leicester North. Would be great to have the GCR terminating in a lovely grand old station in the city centre. All the old platforms would make for great spots for exhibiting things.

 

[Flying Phil]

I'd love to win one of the big lotteries and be able to buy up Leicester Central and the land up to Leicester North. Would be great to have the GCR terminating in a lovely grand old station in the city centre. All the old platforms would make for great spots for exhibiting things.

.....Well you will need to win very quickly as the railway land to the North of the station is rapidly being built upon with a new "Waterside" housing development. I think most of the embankments and all the bridges/viaducts have gone as well.
We will just have to wait for "Plan B" and develop Leicester North ....and that could be quite soon I think.

 

[mushroomchow]

It's a shame Leicester doesn't look at a tram system.
I know most of the town wouldn't be reachable from that area, but the main shopping centre is just over the road, and having trams entering the old station would be such a WOW factor.
They could run it northwards from there towards Loughborough and Coalville, even using the track bed towards Ashby perhaps.

East Midlands Today was leading a week or two ago with a fluff story about the Conservatives pledging to build a tram system if they won control of Leicester City Council. It's never going to happen in a million years however and is just a pie in the sky idea aimed at getting a few votes on what is true "red rosette on a donkey's arse" territory. It seems to be based more on a business case of "Nottingham up the road have a system and we're jealous of it" than any actual logic, particularly as the existing bus system and park & ride is actually pretty good with two sizeable bus stations right in the centre within 5 minutes' walk from each other.

I'd love a tram system in Leicester personally, but I'd be hard-pressed to claim with a straight face that it's necessary. Reopening the Leicester to Burton line through Coalville to passengers, on the other hand...

 

[didcotdean]

There was a LCC concept in the mid 1980s to have trams running on the GCR alignment then still extant, with street running through the city centre where this had already gone. From memory it wasn't on the books for long.

 

[AndyB28]

It's certainly good to see Central Station frontage being renovated. My understanding is that this is just the western edge of a general scheme to renovate that particular area of Leicester? What I haven't seen is anything dealing with the main platform structure which, at the moment, seems to be an industrial estate. Is it staying that way or are there plans to redevelop that too?

 

[Flying Phil]

There is a new page on the GCR website announcing the new Engine Shed funding appeal - so action soon on that project as they tend to only announce things just before they happen.

 

[38Cto15E]

What happened to the Workington? locoshed that was transferred a few years back?

 

[Flying Phil]

What happened to the Workington? locoshed that was transferred a few years back?

The remains are in storage somewhere.... but I believe it is only some of the stone/brickwork and some steel-work, certainly not a complete shed.

 

[grumpyoldman01]

.....Well you will need to win very quickly as the railway land to the North of the station is rapidly being built upon with a new "Waterside" housing development. I think most of the embankments and all the bridges/viaducts have gone as well.

Currently, I'm having to make a regular bus journey which takes me along St Margaret's Way into Leicester, then out from the city through Frog Island; there's still a section of viaduct standing immediately south of the site of a dismantled bridge over the River Soar which is visible from the two roads, and it still seems to have a wooden signal post standing on it!

Looks rather strange!

 

[Flying Phil]

Following the test drilling on the Leicester North site, the Museum project "plan B" is progressing with detailed plans having been costed and coming within the new budget. Hopefully, the plans will be made public in the next couple of months.
The "Engine Shed" appeal has raised over £10,000 in the first fourteen days!

 

[Flying Phil]

I was in Leicester yesterday and took this picture from the South end, looking to the North, of the old Central Station.

 

[Flying Phil]

From the GCR AGM there is a Project Summary booklet which has a page about the Leicester Museum and Station ...
"Advanced planning stage"
"Several routes to funding provisionally agreed"
"Design more in-keeping with Railway than previous proposals"
"Incorporating museum, station and conference/education centre in one enclosed area"
"Over 32,000 square feet"
"Estimated cost circa £7,000,000"
So, behind the scenes, progress is continuing to be made.

 

[Flying Phil]

Here is the picture of the museum proposal from the booklet. Notice how the details are very close to the generic GC house style as typified by the earlier pictures of the restored Leicester Central station facade (Post#100). This, I'm sure, will please many more people.

 

[Cowley]

Here is the picture of the museum proposal from the booklet. Notice how the details are very close to the generic GC house style as typified by the earlier pictures of the restored Leicester Central station facade (Post#100). This, I'm sure, will please many more people.View attachment 65559

That’s a very nice looking design.

 

[Chris125]

What informed the design? Was the aim to provide the best exhibition space and experience for visitors, or simply satisfy small 'c' conservative railway enthusiasts who have an attack of the vapours when anyone mentions modern design?

The concept would make absolute sense in a historic setting with other Victorian or Edwardian buildings but that's hardly the case at Leicester North - my fear is that compromises will inevitably be made to meet the budget, especially materials, and so we'll get yet another tacky pastiche.

 

[Paul Hitchcock]

What informed the design? Was the aim to provide the best exhibition space and experience for visitors, or simply satisfy small 'c' conservative railway enthusiasts who have an attack of the vapours when anyone mentions modern design?

The concept would make absolute sense in a historic setting with other Victorian or Edwardian buildings but that's hardly the case at Leicester North - my fear is that compromises will inevitably be made to meet the budget, especially material, and so we'll get yet another tacky pastiche.

encore

 

[Flying Phil]

I suspect that the design will evolve and we are only being shown an outline possibility at this stage. However All designs are compromises and, when constrained by budgets that are likely to be funded from a variety of sources....including railway enthusiasts, the design should aim to please a sizeable number of likely donors. I think a lot of newly built Heritage railway buildings are very much in keeping with their surroundings..... and are certainly not " another tacky pastiche".

 

[Chris125]

I suspect that the design will evolve and we are only being shown an outline possibility at this stage. However All designs are compromises and, when constrained by budgets that are likely to be funded from a variety of sources....including railway enthusiasts, the design should aim to please a sizeable number of likely donors.

You risk pleasing nobody as the cost of a genuine recreation often proves far too expensive - given the funding challenges facing this project I'm not optimistic.

I think a lot of newly built Heritage railway buildings are very much in keeping with their surroundings..... and are certainly not " another tacky pastiche".

The quality of design and materials vary massively even on the same lines but I'm all for 'fitting in' to historic surroundings, however Leicester North is a blank canvas and this is a large multi-million pound museum.

 

[Paul Hitchcock]

You risk pleasing nobody as the cost of a genuine recreation often proves far too expensive - given the funding challenges facing this project I'm not optimistic.



The quality of design and materials vary massively even on the same lines but I'm all for 'fitting in' to historic surroundings, however Leicester North is a blank canvas and this is a large multi-million pound museum.

Agreed