1. ***SOLD OUT***

    Uncleaned BR-liveried '8F' Class 2-8-0 No.48624 on different goods rakes to include the Mineral Wagons & Box train at the Great Central Railway, Monday 12th February 2018
Great Central Railway, Loughborough, LE11 1RW

***SOLD OUT***

Uncleaned BR-liveried '8F' Class 2-8-0 No.48624 on different goods rakes to include the Mineral Wagons & Box train at the Great Central Railway, Monday 12th February 2018

A day of mainline action on the Great Central Railway with resident '8F' Class No.48624 at the head of different goods trains.

£80.00

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About this event

Synonymous with pulling the heavy freight trains in the North of England 8F's really only look the part in any recreation on double mainline track. What ever the weather these 2-8-0's really look the part when paired with a long freight so having the wide variety of wagons as the Great Central do it is here that we intend to recreate the scenes of a bygone era with '8F' Class 2-8-0 No.48624 which is now resplendent (but weathering rapidly!) in British Railways unlined black livery. We intend to use at least two different wagon rakes during the day, these include the Windcutters and newly restored Van Train.

Late Winter is possibly one of the best times of year to photograph Steam so we will make the best use of the low February light by being out on the line all day, visiting as many of the regular locations as we can. Our previous charters with 48624 took place on largely overcast days, on one of these occasions, the locomotive was in maroon livery and TLE, kindly assisted by Iain Ross, put the loco into a weathered black livery for two days. Of course now that the '8F' is back in authentic black livery, and weathering well it should really look the part for our charter once again.  

The loco was built at Ashford Works in Kent for the Railway Executive Committee in 1943 and is the only surviving '8F' to have been built by the Southern Railway. No.48624 spent its entire working life allocated to Willesden Depot before withdrawal in 1965 and dispatch to Barry for scrap. The loco was rescued for preservation in 1981 and some 28 years later was returned to steam at Peak Rail in Derbyshire in 2009. The '8F' has been based on the Great Central Railway since 2011. We would like to thank both the locomotive's owners and the GCR for allowing us this opportunity to recreate a scene so reminiscent of the double track main line in the latter days of BR steam.

Given the time of year, we are looking forward to some Winter low light and will have the advantage of no service trains to work around. The day will start at 7.30 from Loughborough and will run until sunset. Apart from a short break in the middle of the day to service the loco we will be out on the line all day.

We hope this will be of interest to many of you especially as these 2-8-0s were regular performers on the Great Central route between Nottingham and London in steam days, so therefore look forward to seeing many of you at the Great Central Railway in February for a  dose of double track steam action.

Cost is £80.00 per person.

 Images courtesy of Robin Coombes

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