Fifty Years of Railway Magic!
Great Central Railway celebrates half a century of running heritage trains with special event (17th / 18th June 2023)
A spectacular fifty wagon freight train will mark the occasion.
The Great Central Railway will clock up a special milestone in June 2023. It’s fifty years since volunteers were able to return steam trains to the award winning heritage line.
Over a special gala weekend on the 17th and 18th of June, the railway will welcome visitors to celebrate the anniversary and look to the future. On the Saturday, the largest locomotive on the line, (a member of the powerful 9F class which dates from the 1950s) will have the honour of pulling a train made up of fifty freight wagons, something the GCR has never attempted before.
Steam and diesel locomotives will be in action hauling passenger trains. On Sunday trains will also run on the Mountsorrel Branch Line. There will be other attractions at the lines stations, including a photo display and heritage vehicles will be open to view. Tours of the locomotive shed at Loughborough will take visitors behind the scenes.
The railway is now operated as a not for profit PLC, with shareholders investing in the line in return for a say in how it’s run. It’s also supported by members of the Friends of the Great Central Main Line and a charity called the David Clarke Railway Trust.
Details on the above and all forthcoming events can be found on the Great Central Railway’s extensive website: www.gcrailway.co.uk
Additional information can also be obtained from the Booking Office, Loughborough Central Station 01509 632 323.
