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GCR - why the hate?

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alexl92

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Apologies if this has been covered before, I did a search but it didn't bring anything up.

There seems to be a common consensus amongst enthusiasts (or at least a number of them) of disliking the Great Central Railway for some reason - quite often see it getting slagged off, or jokes along the lines of 'GCR, THIS is how to run a railway'.

I'm interested to know why that is. Can anyone explain? I'm aware that there have been one or two 'incidents' such as the runaway NR 37..

Cheers
 
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theblackwatch

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I'm not sure where you get that from - the GCR has, following votes by the membership on here, been the recipient of donations from the forum on the past two occasions when we have been in a position to make a donation. That doesn't really indicate a dislike....
 

AndrewE

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I wouldn't know either, but there was that embarrassing event when a steam-hauled TPO train trundled off the track at catch-points at the end of a loop...
 

scott118

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and a run away 37 in 2014....

(but hey, I'm Leicester born and bred, so i won't have a word said against the mighty GCR ..)
 

Peter Mugridge

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I've never heard it either.

If anything I've heard of more popularity on account of the double track there...
 

Greenback

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From my perspective, I'd like to ask 'Where's the hate?' rather than 'Why the hate?'
 

Monty

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If I remember correctly there was some animosity towards Mike Gregory the owner of cromwell tools and director of the GCR. His company had sponsored the creation of a dining train that involved rebuilding a mk1 coach with a rather ugly looking observation platform at one end. Part of the deal meant the train is currently called the 'Cromwell Pullman', if I remember correctly he also owns 9F 92214 which was named also Cromwell for a short period of time.

I think there was a concern that he was using his position on the railway to promote his company and that commercial interests were taking precedence over preservation.
 
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Flying Phil

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Having been a long time (Very Long time MLPG....!) supporter of the GCR I think it has always been overshadowed in the past by the SVR, Bluebell and MHR railways. The GCR has expanded massively but always at the limit of finances - and beyond at times!!
Now, it is firmly established and has been steadily building a solid reputation and the new museum development will enhance that. The double track and Mountsorrel branch make it unique among heritage railways.
The "Gap Project" should be the culmination of 50 years of hard work by a huge number of people - who love the GCR.
 

alexl92

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I stand corrected. Maybe it was the thing about the guy using his influence - now it's been mentioned I think the dining train and the 9F were parts of that.

Cheers all!
 

MP33

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At one time was the owner of Bressingham Gardens unpopular in the Heritage movement?

The reason was that there was disagreement with him moving a mainline steam locomotive onto his own private line not part of any rail network.
 

Flying Phil

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At one time was the owner of Bressingham Gardens unpopular in the Heritage movement?

The reason was that there was disagreement with him moving a mainline steam locomotive onto his own private line not part of any rail network.

I think that was more due to funding being in place for Brittannia to be overhauled and returned to Mainline steam, but then Bressingham (Alan Bloom??) wouldn't release it back to NRM control without a swap of a similar status locomotive.
 

Flipper

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I wouldn't know either, but there was that embarrassing event when a steam-hauled TPO train trundled off the track at catch-points at the end of a loop...

Trap points Andrew, not catch points. There is a big difference. If you're going to try to make a point* then you could at least get the basics right.

*Ha, point, do you see what I did there ?
 

markindurham

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I think that was more due to funding being in place for Brittannia to be overhauled and returned to Mainline steam, but then Bressingham (Alan Bloom??) wouldn't release it back to NRM control without a swap of a similar status locomotive.

Britannia class loco 70013 Oliver Cromwell, not Britannia herself, in fact, but that was the gist of it. Ollie is a National Collection locomotive; Bloom was initially claiming that Bressingham had been given custody 'in perpetuity', then, once that argument was debunked, was insisting on a replacement, as you say.
 
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