GCR Bridge Project

[AndyY1951]

You need a big crane to move a loaded container!

 

[Flying Phil]

One item to the North of the shed is the tender chassis for 34039 Boscastle and, according to the latest GCR "Rail Mail", this has now got two pairs of wheels fitted to make it mobile to get it out of the area. The signs are that Canal Bridge work will indeed start this Autumn.

 

[Flying Phil]

On my visit today there have been changes! The AC Railbus was at Quorn where it is going by road to, it is believed, Nemesis Rail for renovation. Boscastle's tender frame is now inside the North end of the shed and the 35025 shed has been taken down. One skip of scrap steel has gone and another empty skip is to be filled. There are three new 20 foot containers, two positioned on the East bank side, which possibly will be for Loughborough Steam Locomotive Group spares stock.

 

[Flying Phil]

There has been more clearance work near the canal bridge and I believe one of the Mk2 coaches is due to be taken away next week. There has also been work done on the North abutment of the MML bridge, the railings are now installed but the scaffolding is still in place.

 

[Flying Phil]

The scaffolding is gone from the North abutment and all the railings and steps are in place. There are no constructors plant or buildings on site so I assume the bridge is now finished.
There has been more clearance North of Loughborough shed and the canal bridge lift should take place this winter - possibly before Christmas.....Fundraising is going well - approx £200K so far.
(Todays "End of Steam" Gala was going well with "Oliver Cromwell" in steam together with the Standards 2 and 5. Various Diesels were also running to minimise the fire risk.)

 

[mushroomchow]

Rode under it on Saturday on my jollies to Nottingham. Hope you gave my sprinter a wave as I went by, Phil.

It certainly looks the part - I'd guess that the next step is connecting the south end to the embankment so the deck is actually accessible by works equipment?

 

[AndyY1951]

Rode under it on Saturday on my jollies to Nottingham. Hope you gave my sprinter a wave as I went by, Phil.

It certainly looks the part - I'd guess that the next step is connecting the south end to the embankment so the deck is actually accessible by works equipment?

The embankment is missing at the south end! The plan is to replace it with a viaduct, but the next planned job is refurbishment of the canal bridge. The sooner the money is raised, the sooner the job will be started and completed.

 

[Flying Phil]

Rode under it on Saturday on my jollies to Nottingham. Hope you gave my sprinter a wave as I went by, Phil.

It certainly looks the part - I'd guess that the next step is connecting the south end to the embankment so the deck is actually accessible by works equipment?

I think you are referring to the missing bit of embankment between the North abutment and the GCR(N)? It may be that they do not put that in until there is work done putting arches across the Precis spark car park to keep the lateral forces on the MML bridge balanced? This is only a guess though.
We did muse about a navvy workforce putting that bit of embankment back earlier in this thread...

 

[Cowley]

I think you are referring to the missing bit of embankment between the North abutment and the GCR(N)? It may be that they do not put that in until there is work done putting arches across the Precis spark car park to keep the lateral forces on the MML bridge balanced? This is only a guess though.
We did muse about a navvy workforce putting that bit of embankment back earlier in this thread...

I’ve still got my shovel and wheelbarrow ready Phil...
Thanks for the updates on this and the other GCR related threads by the way.

 

[AndyY1951]

Indeed, this is the only source of updates!
The GCR really are in the dark ages when it comes to providing information, sadly. I just checked their website, and the latest update on the members-only page was in May!
Given that the railway relies on donations to progress its projects, it should get its act together. Other railways manage to provide updates on a weekly basis, so why can't the GCR?

 

[Malcmal]

Indeed, this is the only source of updates!
The GCR really are in the dark ages when it comes to providing information, sadly. I just checked their website, and the latest update on the members-only page was in May!
Given that the railway relies on donations to progress its projects, it should get its act together. Other railways manage to provide updates on a weekly basis, so why can't the GCR?

I nominate Flying Phil to run such a page for the GCR. I always feel motivated to look at these threads when I see he has posted something

 

[Flying Phil]

Thanks Cowley, Andy and Malcmal. I too was disappointed that the GCR did not provide more regular updates so having tried to "chivvy" I decided to do my own thing....
There will be a hiatus till the end of the month as we are off on hols tomorrow.

 

[mushroomchow]

Just you watch, they'll have built it when you get back.

 

[Kell G Nielsen]

Hi Phil,
I too would like to say thanks for providing us with news, which I too think ought to come more regularly from GCR.
And apart from this comment, have a nice holyday.
Cheers
Kell

 

[Flying Phil]

Holiday is over (thanks for comments Mushroomchow and Kell) and in the latest issue of "Main Line" they say that over £250,000 has been raised for the Canal Bridge and associated paper/design work so contractors will be on site over this winter. They are still assessing the need to actually lift the deck and it might still be done "in situ" one half over the canal at a time. I will try to get pictures on Sunday as I believe more clearance has taken place.

 

[Flying Phil]

On the canal bridge site there has indeed been more clearance and tidying, also two more containers have been lined up on the East side for storage. Not worth a picture though....
As I went past the shed the Standard 5 was in steam, We also have two Standard 2 engines, Standard 7P Oliver Cromwell and the Standard 9F (aka "Leicester City") - does any other preserved line have so many BR Standards?

 

[AndyY1951]

Pictures are always worthwhile...……..

You simply can't have too many Standards.

 

[Flying Phil]

Pictures are always worthwhile...……..

You simply can't have too many Standards.

Agreed Andy! Pictures next time .....
I saw that the BBC TV Midlands news this morning had a good piece about the GCR Gap/MML Bridge and Canal Bridge, confirming that over £250,000 had been raised and that work would be started over the winter. There has also been more confirmation about the new, moved engine shed in this month's Steam Railway.
Great to see how the GC is moving ahead on these projects.

 

[mushroomchow]

Agreed Andy! Pictures next time .....
I saw that the BBC TV Midlands news this morning had a good piece about the GCR Gap/MML Bridge and Canal Bridge, confirming that over £250,000 had been raised and that work would be started over the winter. There has also been more confirmation about the new, moved engine shed in this month's Steam Railway.
Great to see how the GC is moving ahead on these projects.

Good stuff. I take it the Steam Railway article is following up on the plans put forward in Mainline about moving the shed to the opposite side of the trackbed?

 

[Flying Phil]

Hi Mushroomchow - Yes it is on the West side of the site, with the lines North running on the old formation on the East. It says that construction is hoped to start late in 2019. I wonder if the wheel drop unit, that has been stored for many years North of the shed, will be finally used? It has been identified to "keep" in the recent tidy up.
Also, I wonder if a new two piece bridge over the canal might be the cheapest, quickest, most economical option, as there is a lot of corrosion on the original - I'm sure it must be being considered.

 

[AndyY1951]

A new bridge might be 'cheapest, quickest, most economical', but that's not what preservation is all about! This bridge is a historic original GCR artefact in its own right and deserves to be restored.
Consider the view from the canal, do people want to see a Victorian bridge or a bland modern bridge?
(The bridge over the Midland was a different matter entirely, as the original no longer existed).

 

[Flying Phil]

Thanks Andy
I agree that a bland modern bridge would be a very different view, but if the lattice work could be incorporated on a new bridge deck, would it in fact look so different?

 

[The_Engineer]

Also, I wonder if a new two piece bridge over the canal might be the cheapest, quickest, most economical option, as there is a lot of corrosion on the original - I'm sure it must be being considered.

If you had followed this on the GCR website and this thread then you would discover that all options have been considered, However, a professional survey of the bridge revealed it is in quite good condition - some steel corrosion but not extensive. Based on the survey, the renovation of the canal bridge has been fully costed and will be the best solution. The funds being raised now in accordance with the required work......

 

[Flying Phil]

Thanks Engineer
I posed the question as, each time I go to the canal bridge, I see more and more really bad bits and I know there is likely to be more when the decks are stripped back. Also there has been changes about lifting the bridge or repairing "in situ" on the GCR website/articles so the costings must still be uncertain to a degree at this stage. Additionally the MML bridge has cost a bit more than £2M and was a much bigger bridge with two new abutments on piled foundations, so the money already raised for the much smaller (although twice as wide, it is much shorter 10-15m?? on existing abutments) canal bridge could well be enough for a new deck?

 

[duffield]

I contributed to the canal bridge fund on the basis that it would be restored, not replaced!

(No, I wouldn't demand my money back if the plan changed, but it would be very sad).

Anyhow, in the scheme of things (the £millions total cost of the whole reunification project) it would hardly be worth ditching a historical artifact like this to save a few £10,000 even if this was an option.

 

[Flying Phil]

Hi Duffield
As you mentioned Historic artifacts I was driving around Leicester the other day and there are still remnants of the GC. This is the Southern approach to what was the "birdcage bridge". Most of the rest of the alignment is now student blocks of flats and buildings for De Montfort University.

 

[AndyY1951]

It's very sad to see that neglected and out of use.

 

[Steveoh]

There's a great overhead picture of the Loughborough station site in the current issue of Rail. This shows the new bridge and the GCR alignment North and South of the MML. Gives a great view of the gap.

 

[Flying Phil]

It's very sad to see that neglected and out of use.

Very true - but I think the "Gap" section over the PreciSpark car park will look fairly similar, as they will be using precast concrete arches with blue brick facing - and if they put steel lattices on the Ex Reading decks it will complete the look.....nearly anyway.

 

[duffield]

It's very sad to see that neglected and out of use.

Yes, a real shame that the route into Leicester wasn't preserved by the GCR, but too late now. (Not blaming them, I don't think it was practical or affordable).