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Great Central Railway News and Updates

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Flying Phil

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Nice to see more progress on this project. There is a selection process going on for the design of the building/site, with a shortlist of about five firms.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
This was reported on the BBC TV local news this morning. They also said completion aiming to be 2019.
 

Flying Phil

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There were six proposals for the "Main Line" museum on public display at Greenacres Cafe Leicester North on Wednesday. The judging panel were to decide on Thursday and announce the winning design "Mid Oct".
There were some very good ideas in several of the proposals but some were a bit impractical and/or expensive to maintain/operate.
There was a good number of people viewing, comments cards were provided and well used!
It will be very interesting to see how this develops.
 

Cowley

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The CARMODY GROARKE/FORBES MASSIE design at the top of the page seems to feature 4472 in apple green with two tenders. Is this an extra piece of news that we haven't been told of yet? ;)
It's good to see this moving along. I often visit the railway and there's more and more things to see there.
 

mr_jrt

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It's an absolute flight of fancy, but I've always thought it a great shame the structures (let alone the bridges) through Leicester giving access to Leicester Central were lost as late as they were (~1978-2007, I believe?) The old central station would have made for an amazing museum site.
 

Flying Phil

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It's an absolute flight of fancy, but I've always thought it a great shame the structures (let alone the bridges) through Leicester giving access to Leicester Central were lost as late as they were (~1978-2007, I believe?) The old central station would have made for an amazing museum site.

It would be really nice if the new museum has some "Classic" GCR features Blue brick arches, girder "Bowstring" bridge section etc.
I believe some of the decorative stonework from the Leicester Central station was "Saved" when those sections were demolished, if so hopefully they will emerge and possibly be incorporated?
 

Tomnick

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It would be really nice if the new museum has some "Classic" GCR features Blue brick arches, girder "Bowstring" bridge section etc.
I believe some of the decorative stonework from the Leicester Central station was "Saved" when those sections were demolished, if so hopefully they will emerge and possibly be incorporated?
The 'vision' for the museum seems to be all about modern architecture, fancy shiny buildings and not a hint of heritage except for the collection of locomotives within. Such a shame, as the site has so much potential to integrate the museum and the operational railway into an impressive and historically relevant setting.
 

Flying Phil

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The 'vision' for the museum seems to be all about modern architecture, fancy shiny buildings and not a hint of heritage except for the collection of locomotives within. Such a shame, as the site has so much potential to integrate the museum and the operational railway into an impressive and historically relevant setting.

I agree - The brief was to have a "significant" building - just imagine if they came up with a (Smaller) St Pancras roofed structure modernised for sure with subtle PV panels, LED lighting at night, rainwater collecting Eco friendly etc.....
 

alexl92

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I think the HAwkins Brown one shows at least a nod towards railway heritage but even so, they're not amazing.
 

Bevan Price

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I think the HAwkins Brown one shows at least a nod towards railway heritage but even so, they're not amazing.

When funds are limited, mimimum construction & maintenance costs probably carry more weight than traditional, but more expensive, structures.
 
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When funds are limited, mimimum construction & maintenance costs probably carry more weight than traditional, but more expensive, structures.

plus the costs of running a more traditional building ( or putting a traditional facade on a modern building )
 

Flying Phil

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Well it is a striking design from the front - but so much flat concrete makes it look a bit too industrial/warehouse from the side - and flat roofs are rarely trouble free....
Hopefully the design will "evolve" as detail work is done??
Still, it is happening.
 
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Well it is a striking design from the front - but so much flat concrete makes it look a bit too industrial/warehouse from the side - and flat roofs are rarely trouble free....
Hopefully the design will "evolve" as detail work is done??
Still, it is happening.

flat roofs are so 'rarely trouble free' that they have been used on the vast majority of such types of buildings for decades ...

i think you are confusing the issues with poorly laid domestic flat roof systems or people who don't appreciate the life span ( compared to properly put on tiled/ slated pitched roof )of the old school felted flat roof

for the costs to be realistic industiral / warehouse /supermarket type structures are the way to go in such things .primarily because there is competition and experience in designing and building such structures and the large dimesions/ area of single span roof structure they offer...
 
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Flying Phil

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Thanks mph - I appreciate that there are a lot of flat roofs - and probably more with slightly pitched roofs hiding behind a flat facade - but the brief was.... "Organisers said the guiding principle would be a striking appearance that allowed the public to get close to working engines." so "industrial/warehouse/supermarket type structures" are hardly inspiring ......although no doubt highly cost effective per unit volume.
I, and several others, have commented how much more in spirit it would have been to have an overall arched, glazed roof as per St Pancras and the original Leicester Midland station.
 
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Thanks mph - I appreciate that there are a lot of flat roofs - and probably more with slightly pitched roofs hiding behind a flat facade - but the brief was.... "Organisers said the guiding principle would be a striking appearance that allowed the public to get close to working engines." so "industrial/warehouse/supermarket type structures" are hardly inspiring ......although no doubt highly cost effective per unit volume.
I, and several others, have commented how much more in spirit it would have been to have an overall arched, glazed roof as per St Pancras and the original Leicester Midland station.

cost ?

and in what way would a modern structure fail to deliver something which allowed the public to get close to working engines ...

and bear in mind the air handling requirements of an enclosed building with working steam locos ...

as for inspiring - ever been in a truely truely empty warehouse or cold store before the racking / mezzanines and so on is put in ...
 
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Flying Phil

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cost ?

and in what way would a modern structure fail to deliver something which allowed the public to get close to working engines ...

and bear in mind the air handling requirements of an enclosed building with working steam locos ...

as for inspiring - ever been in a truely truely empty warehouse or cold store before the racking / mezzanines and so on is put in ...

Cost
Well as the chosen design appears to have a glass walled ground floor and solid walled upper floor with three boxes - one straight, one kinked and one more kinked , linked by glass wedges I doubt that an arched roofed oblong would be much more costly?

Air handling
The working station would be in a separate section with glass walls to the museum, and would be/could be more open at the end and overhead. The museum public would still be close to the working GCR and vice versa.

Inspiring
Yes, I agree, large empty spaces can be inspiring - but it will not be empty and from the outside will look like ...a warehouse or cold store - hardly a design icon.

I am not an expert in these matters, but merely an interested observer and supporter of steam and the GCR.
 
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Cost
Well as the chosen design appears to have a glass walled ground floor and solid walled upper floor with three boxes - one straight, one kinked and one more kinked , linked by glass wedges I doubt that an arched roofed oblong would be much more costly?

Air handling
The working station would be in a separate section with glass walls to the museum, and would be/could be more open at the end and overhead. The museum public would still be close to the working GCR and vice versa.

Inspiring
Yes, I agree, large empty spaces can be inspiring - but it will not be empty and from the outside will look like ...a warehouse or cold store - hardly a design icon.

I am not an expert in these matters, but merely an interested observer and supporter of steam and the GCR.

money will be an issue

extra money on the building vs bridiging the missing link and maintaining the UKs only 'main line' Preserved railway in main line form ...
 

Flying Phil

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There is to be a meeting of "Interested parties" at Loughborough before Christmas which will "Explain to all Friends and volunteers where we have reached on plans for the museum and the next steps" (REF Main LINE issue 169 P62) so the involvement of a wider audience continues - which is to be applauded I feel.
Incidently, I find that I am liking the three box design more and more.....
 
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Flying Phil

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Well the meeting this afternoon was very well attended (80+). The background to the museum was explained.
The reasons for choosing the Wilkinson Eyres design were explained together with the expectation that the details would evolve within the overall concept.
More artists impressions of the inside and outside were shown, together with details of the floor plan.
The architects description of "Floating Boxes" was a far better tag-line for the design concept as the upper floor is to be a coloured steel clad structure with vertical glazing to break it up and provide more natural light, together with roof glazing. There was a deliberate desire to move the design away from "traditional" railway architecture as other railway museum buildings had derived from railway "Sheds" etc.
Questions were taken from the audience and what needs to be done next in terms of volunteer support/jobs was explained.
Interestingly the design will be future proofed by providing for a possible second platform and running line through the (Presently) unused second arch of the bridge to the North end of Leicester North - which was the original access to the original Belgrave and Birstall GC station.
So a further section of double track from Rothley to Leicester North is still high on the (Eventual) agenda...
 

XDM

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Ho Ho Ho

Do I detect a PR stunt dreamed up over a few beers?
Well it worked, & got them a page of free publicity for their much plugged ( in the article) continuing Santa Specials. Good luck to gc,a great preserved railway.
 

Flying Phil

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Re the Museum Project.
There is work going on in the allotments now - building a new access road so that the area for the museum is all accessible. I believe the contractor has yet to be selected though.
 

Cowley

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Re the Museum Project.
There is work going on in the allotments now - building a new access road so that the area for the museum is all accessible. I believe the contractor has yet to be selected though.

Things are happening at the GCR. It's going to be exciting times over the next few years.
 

L&Y Robert

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The 'vision' for the museum seems to be all about modern architecture, fancy shiny buildings and not a hint of heritage except for the collection of locomotives within. Such a shame, as the site has so much potential to integrate the museum and the operational railway into an impressive and historically relevant setting.

Architects have a lot to answer for. They are obsessed with the fashions of the moment, and should really be thought of as drawing-board stylists, not true designers. And I know, because I am one!
 
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Architects have a lot to answer for. They are obsessed with the fashions of the moment, and should really be thought of as drawing-board stylists, not true designers. And I know, because I am one!

anything more substantial than a house they (architects) have to get structural engineers in to do the hard sums ...
 

Flying Phil

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The new allotment roadway has now been tarmaced and there is more clearance work going on to the A6 side of the site. There is now a secure gate to the site from the footpath which runs alongside Leicester North Station.
 

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