Project volunteers start railbus restoration!

Visitors to the Great Central Railway (GCR) in recent years may have noticed the rather forlorn frame of a railway vehicle languishing at the back of Loughborough loco shed. This is a 1958 built AC railbus now owned by the David Clark Railway Trust. The railbuses were built to carry passengers on short branch lines where passenger numbers didn't justify the cost of running a steam service. They were small single carriage vehicles just over half the length of a standard railway carriage yet still carried up to 47 passengers. With their own diesel engine they were extremely versatile and cheap to operate. Sadly they weren't able to save most of the branch lines they were built to serve, and as the Beeching axe closed some of the branch lines the vehicles were soon out of work after only a few years in service.
 


One of the aims of the Mountsorrel Railway project is not only to utilise the branch line for historical recreations, and to show how an industrial branch line would have interacted with a double track mainline railway, but we also hope for the GCR to run a passenger link along the branch to the nearby Stonehurst Farm attraction at Mountsorrel. The railbus would make an ideal vehicle for running that service, particular at quieter times of the year when passenger numbers may not cover the cost of running a steam service. Being able to run the railbus would allow us to operate trains along the branch on many more weekends than would otherwise be economically possible. The railbus would also offer excellent all-round views of the scenic branch line.

The other benefit of using the railbus is that they were designed to pick up passengers from almost anywhere, almost like a road bus. A full size platform is not required due to the railbus's vacuum operated fold down steps, which can be extended from underneath the vehicle allowing it to operate alongside either a full height normal platform or a simple almost ground level wooden structure. The obvious cost savings of not having to construct a full height platform at Bond Lane are immense.

With all this in mind, project volunteers have started to look at restoring the railbus for use on the branch line and on the GCR in general. The railbus has had some restoration work done on it in recent years, but only a little. A lot of work, both mechanically and structurally, is required to bring her back to operational use.

Running the railbus would allow the project to recreate yet another part of history, this time from the 1950s.

We have already built a strong team of volunteers to work on the vehicle, but we still need more help. If you have mechanical or steel welding skills, that would be great, but don't worry if not: there's still much to do for everyone. If you would like to help out with the railbus restoration please get in touch with Steve Cramp.

Funds for the railbus's restoration are also required. A fund exists within the David Clarke Railway Trust specifically for the railbus. If you would like to donate to support the railbus's restoration, please send your cheque made payable to "DCRT", with "Railbus" written on the back, to 112 Balmoral Road, Mountsorrel, Loughborough LE12 7EW. Thank you.

Mountsorrel Railway June news

Phase two ballast laying preparation underway

Hot on the heels of our recent track laying, we're pleased to announce that phase two trackbed preparation and ballast laying is now underway!



This work should see ballast laid over the final 600m of trackbed all the way to the end of the branch line at Bond Lane. We're very grateful to Lafarge Aggregates Mountsorrel Quarry community fund for supporting this work, which we hope will be completed in July.

Once complete the full length of the trackbed will be ballasted and awaiting track. Please see our track appeal for details of how to donate to help us secure the track we need to complete the project.

Wood Lane bridge restoration complete

15 months of hard work came to an end last Saturday with the completion of the restoration of the Mountsorrel Railway bridge at the top of Wood Lane! When we started there were some who questioned whether we had taken on a "bridge too far" with the challenge of restoring the bridge, let alone produce a finished result that did justice to such a significant and architecturally important part of our local heritage. We're pleased to say the restoration has been completed to a very high standard indeed. Both the original fabric and appearance of the bridge have been restored to its former glory.



Restoring the bridge involved the complete rebuilding of a section of the road side parapet wall using the original carefully restored stones, and the repointing of the road-facing sides of the structure. The work has only been possible thanks to over 30 of our volunteers who've given their time to work on the bridge restoration over the last 15 months. In particular we must thank our volunteer stonemasons who've overseen the restoration and helped to ensure completion of the work to such a high standard.

The entire restoration has been achieved at a cost of only a few hundred pounds, thanks to Lafarge Aggregates, Mountsorrel Parish Council and members of the public who have sponsored the restoration work. The restoration shows what the community, local business and the Parish Council can achieve when we work together to preserve our heritage for years to come.

Project hosts Scout, Guide and school visits

Last year the project ran a series of visits from local groups and schools, allowing over 300 local children to learn about their history and to help boost the ecosystem along the sides of the trackbed. Local children grew native wild flowers which they then planted alongside the route. A year on we're pleased to report that the planting was a great success. The difference between the planted sections and the sections left to run wild, which have filled with nettles and thistles, is clear to see.



Not only does the greater diversity of flora and fauna help the ecology of the trackbed to return to how it would have been during the original operating life of the railway, but it also helps to boost the ecosystem generally. Additional and varied wild flowers attract more insects, which helps pollinate the crops in nearby fields. The insects also provide food for birds and animals, further enriching the ecosystem.



This year's series of school and group visits will soon be underway, allowing even more of our local children to benefit and learn from the project. Thanks go to our ecology volunteers who work hard to create these educational opportunities for our children.

Tracklaying update

Thursday May 13th

Sleepers were laid out onto the branch line formation closely followed by two more panels of track.







Friday May 14th

The gang proceeded to drop ballast between the sleepers so that the new track could be slewed into the correct position and then lifted and packed. This was achieved by loading wheelbarrows and then barrowing the ballast onto the new track.

Also on Friday the hole was dug for the new branch exit signal post. The Great Central Railway's (GCR) signal and telegraph (S&T) department then erected the signal on Friday afternoon.





Saturday May 15th

We were joined today by six volunteers from the GCR's volunteer permanent way (P-Way) group. Thanks to Steve Saunders and his team for coming to work on the branch! Together with our own volunteers we had 25 people working on the trackbed at various times throughout the day. We were able to complete the lifting and packing of the last two panels. With plenty of wheelbarrows and people to help, we were able to barrow more ballast onto the newly laid track.









Tracklaying has also been mentioned on the websites of the GCR and Railway Vehicle Preservations.

We would like to thank all those who have worked on the project over this last week. This has included the GCR P-Way staff, GCR volunteers, S&T for erecting the signal, and our own project volunteers. The entire week has been a real team effort. Everyone has worked really hard to complete our first section of track. This is only the beginning though: with your help we can reach Mountsorrel!

We need a mile and a quarter of track to reach the end of the branch at Bond Lane. With budgetary cuts having a serious effect on the rail industry at the moment, potential second hand track sources are becoming increasingly difficult to come by at an affordable price. Nevertheless we have identified a potential source but we urgently need funds to secure this. Cuts are likely to continue for many years to come so this may be our last chance to secure the track we need at an affordable price. If you are able to support our track appeal please donate as soon as you can. Little and large amounts are gratefully received: whatever you can afford. Every donation takes us closer to completing the railway. We can only complete the railway with your help!

Tracklaying progress yesterday and today, 11-12 May

Tracklaying is going very well indeed so far this week. Mountsorrel Railway volunteers, led by Great Central Railway (GCR) permanent way supervisor Andy Higginson, and assisted by other GCR volunteers and staff, have been working hard since Sunday.

The aim for this week is to install the junction point, an additional catch point at the start of the branch, plus up to five panels of track beyond. This will take the head of steel on to the branch line, approximately half way around the long curve near to the GCR junction. This is a tremendous milestone for our volunteers who have worked so hard over the last two and a half years to bring the project to this point.

Progress yesterday (Tuesday 11 May)

By 2.30pm yesterday afternoon the junction point was in and packed. The shorter rails needed to close the gap between the point and the end of the loop had also been cut, drilled and fitted. Volunteers were starting to lay out the sleepers for the first track panel, to take track through the branch gates and onto the branch itself.









Later yesterday afternoon the first panel of track was laid, taking the head of steel right up to the branch gate. This was followed by the laying of the catch point which took track back onto the Mountsorrel Railway for the first time in 50 years!



Progress today (Wednesday 12 May)

There was much work to do this morning before additional track could be laid. This morning’s work focused on further lifting and packing of the the junction point and the new section of rail in the the loop. This was achieved by jacking the rails and then using shovels to pack the ballast underneath. Good numbers of volunteers helped to complete this task relatively quickly. By lunchtime the track in the loop was effectively complete although the point still needs its point blade operation mechanism installing so that it can be set to allow trains onto the branch.

This afternoon's work was focusing on slewing the first panel of branch track and the catch point, achieved by levering bars into the ballast.



Thank you

We would like to thank all those who have worked on the track laying this week, and the GCR volunteers, staff and management for their support and assistance. We must also thank Andy Higginson and Alan Brassey who have devoted a great deal of time over the past couple of months arranging and planning the work. We couldn't have done it without you.

Donating

Currently we only have the funds to buy and lay five panels of track this week. Further tracklaying depends on donations.

Would you consider donating to the Mountsorrel Railway track appeal, so trains can run again from the Great Central Railway to Mountsorrel?

Please see the Mountsorrel Railway track appeal donation form for more information. You can help by donating whatever money you can afford, for example:

• You could sponsor one or more sleepers at £15 each
• You could sponsor one or more lengths of rail at £180 each
• You could setup a standing order donation to the appeal, which would help reopen the Mountsorrel Railway even sooner

There has never been a better time to support the project! Thank you.

Mountsorrel Railway track laying has begun!

Yesterday six volunteers, assisted by many from the Great Central Railway, started removing the existing loop track to make way for the junction point. In only three hours the existing catch point, and the length of rail beyond, had been removed. Not bad considering we’ve never done anything like this before! Volunteers quickly learnt how to jack rails, remove and set chair springs, slide two-ton rails with ease, and move sleepers around.

As you’ll see from the photos, there’s no going back now!







Today a small length of rail will be cut and removed for the point to fit in place, and a digger will scrape the ballast to the correct height ready for the junction point to be craned into position. Let’s hope the weather stays fine. For the rest of the week several lengths of rail will be laid, with more to come in the future as funds allow.

Please support the project to enable further track to be installed.

Primary schoolchildren plant trees at the Mountsorrel Railway

Children from Mountsorrel Christ Church and St Peters Primary School have visited the Mountsorrel Railway with their parents to plant new trees and hedgerow bushes along the formation. The planting was done under the watchful eye of our ecology group leader Lesley Humphries.



The hedgerows along either side of the trackbed had suffered through 50 years of neglect. Although our volunteers have worked hard over the last two and a half years to restore and encourage the hedgerows, there is still a long way to go.


 
Lesley commented:

It was great to welcome children from our local primary school to help with this important ecology work, which builds upon the planting visits we ran with the school last summer. It was lovely to see the children enjoying themselves so much!

If your school or young peoples' group, such as Scouts, Guides, Cubs, Brownies, or Boys Brigade, would like to help with planting native flora and fauna alongside the Mountsorrel Railway, we will be running a repeat of last year's popular planting visits this coming June. Please contact Steve Cramp, volunteer project coordinator, as soon as possible if you would like your school or group to be involved.

LanGuard VM sponsors the Mountsorrel Railway project

LanGuard VM, a nationwide vegetation management and weed control business with a head office in Leicestershire, have very kindly offered to undertake a program of weed control along the Mountsorrel Railway trackbed.

Steve Cramp, volunteer project leader, said:

"We were concerned that the onset of Spring would bring with it a whole raft of unwanted weeds creeping through our mile long newly ballasted trackbed. As with any railway, it's imperative that the ballast is kept clear of weed growth to ensure that it drains well and the formation of the railway is protected. The cost for controlling the weeds over a mile of track bed is substantial and a significant overhead for a community volunteer project like ours. We were thrilled when LanGuard VM offered to keep the weeds at bay for us at no cost to the project and we really can't thank them enough!"

LanGuard VM Contracts Director Tony Marlow commented:

"We had heard about the Mountsorrel Railway project and its hopes of recreating part of our local history for today's generations to learn from and enjoy, but it was only when we saw for ourselves the phenomenal work that their group of community volunteers have done over the past two and a half years, we were only too happy to be able to support their endeavours and to offer our services."

The Mountsorrel Railway project aims to recreate part of our local history by rebuilding the Mountsorrel Railway both for historical purposes and to carry passengers as part of the Great Central Railway experience. Community volunteers have reconstructed the old trackbed and are now running a track appeal to raise the money required to lay track along the railway.

"We have just launched our track appeal with the aim of raising the £150,000 we need to complete the project." continued Steve "Our aim is to relay track in stages as donations come in. Local support has allowed us to source the first lengths of rail and track laying will start this coming May!"

If you would like to support the Mountsorrel Railway project's track appeal, please see full details on the project website www.mountsorrelrailway.org.uk.

Photos of wagons in action at recent GCR gala

See here for more.

Many thanks to Gareth Griffiths for taking these excellent photos.

More photos of the wagons from the gala are here (Rick Eborall) and here (Ian Loasby).

Final Mountsorrel wagon completed - all three to run at GCR gala!

The restoration of our three replica Mountsorrel Granite Company wagons is now complete. All three wagons have been marshalled together and they look truly fantastic!



The Great Central Railway will be including the wagons in a demonstration freight train at the 1960s gala this coming weekend (March 27th and 28th). It's great to see that even within only a few days of completion, the wagons are already satisfying the purpose of their restoration, which was to allow historical recreations. Once track laying on the Mountsorrel branch line gets under way (see our track appeal) this will open up an whole raft of historical and educational possibilities.



Come and see the wagons for yourself this coming weekend at the gala and be sure to visit our project stand on Rothley station (see map below). Our volunteers will be on hand to talk about the restoration and the wider project in general, and very attractive cardboard cut out models of the wagons will be on sale too!


View Route of Mountsorrel Railway in a larger map

Third and final replica Mountsorrel Granite Company wagon nearly finished

Volunteers have been hard at work in at times very cold conditions over the winter to complete the final Mountsorrel Granite Company wagon to be used on the Mountsorrel Railway project.



Many young people have become involved with the final wagon including our team of teenage girls from the local area who volunteer on Tuesday evenings. Some have worked on the wagon as part of their Duke of Edinburgh award. Loughborough University has sponsored the restoration of the third wagon because of the involvement of young people and the educational benefits the wagons will bring. Once track is laid on the branch (see our track appeal) we will be able to unlock the educational possibilities of the project further still!



We give our thanks not only to our volunteers, but also to East Midlands Airport and Loughborough University for sponsoring the wagon restoration work, professional coach builder and sign writer John Robinson who has applied the livery to the three wagons, members of the public who have donated towards the wagon restoration, Nick Tinsley for allowing us to use three of his wagons for the project, and Railway Vehicle Preservations and the Great Central Railway (GCR) for their support.



The livery should be completed by this coming weekend. We have something special planned for the livery of the final wagon, so be sure to check back soon for pictures of our completed work!



The GCR plans to run the three wagons together in a freight train at the forthcoming 1960s gala, which runs from March 25th to 28th. Our project display stand and volunteers will be on hand at Rothley station to talk about the project, so please come and see both us and the wagons!