My family home backed onto a field with the GC at the bottom of the field, I grew up with the railway watching from my bedroom window, we found it difficult to sleep when it closed as it was so quiet. I watched a diesel loco disappear towards Leicester lifting the track behind it as it went, so sad.
What an opportunity that must have been for the railwaymen to have taken a Merchant Navy out on the GC on the final day. A fine locomotive being used to its full potential on a fine railway.
They couldn't turn the Bulleid on the turntables at Nottingham Victoria so it ran off to Colwick depot for servicing,local Gedling coal was put in the tender.
It wasn't built to "Berne Gauge". That didn't exist when it was built. The GC loading gauge was no bigger than most other UK loading gauges and there's absolutely no way modern European trains would have fitted on it. It was a myth.
We had a fourth north-south mainline in this country which still had so much potential, and it was thrown away by corrupt pigs like Beeching and Marples. When I look back at videos and photos of the entire site of Woodford Halse and Nottingham Victoria back in the day compared to now, it makes me really angry
Lovely video of two lines that should not have closed ,the GCR and Woodhead
Poignant and valuable footage if only to highlight the shortsightedness of rail infrastructure vandalism!
Wonderful video of the sad demise of a great railway.
Amazing footage...so clear. Very enjoyable.
Who'd a thought at this time steam was on death row but the sheer defiance of these engines is a testimony to those working today.
Long live steam.
I was on that rail tour and enjoyed it immensely (albeit bittersweet). Looked carefully at this footage but no sign of me!
Fantastic, great video of the end of a wonderful railway!
Excellent footage there especially of Loughborough Central.
My family home backed onto a field with the GC at the bottom of the field, I grew up with the railway watching from my bedroom window, we found it difficult to sleep when it closed as it was so quiet. I watched a diesel loco disappear towards Leicester lifting the track behind it as it went, so sad.
What an opportunity that must have been for the railwaymen to have taken a Merchant Navy out on the GC on the final day. A fine locomotive being used to its full potential on a fine railway.
Absolutely fantastic, no yellow lines on the platforms and everyone used a bit of common sense. Sadly Totally different now
Except lots of people didn't use common sense, and loads of people died in preventable accidents.
Great record of a sad day in railway history.
Shame the GC was closed, very shortsighted indeed
but two parts got preserved in the end so its not all doom and gloom
What was shortsighted was building it in the first place!
They couldn't turn the Bulleid on the turntables at Nottingham Victoria so it ran off to Colwick depot for servicing,local Gedling coal was put in the tender.
Along with the S&D of Beechings biggest mistakes only mainline railway built to the European Berne Guage would have been a shoe in for HS2!
It wasn't built to "Berne Gauge". That didn't exist when it was built. The GC loading gauge was no bigger than most other UK loading gauges and there's absolutely no way modern European trains would have fitted on it. It was a myth.
Great video.
We had a fourth north-south mainline in this country which still had so much potential, and it was thrown away by corrupt pigs like Beeching and Marples. When I look back at videos and photos of the entire site of Woodford Halse and Nottingham Victoria back in the day compared to now, it makes me really angry
What a truly superb video !