27–28th January Winter Gala – Heavy Freight Experience

This year's Winter Gala was probably one of the best (GCR Galas) that I've attended. Subtitled 'Heavy Freight Experience', the GCR were truly 'Re-Creating the Experience' of a mainline railway in the years of steam. The intensive timetable featured 28 departures from Loughborough, and over a third of these were goods trains. Three different freight sets were used, windcutter mineral wagons, box vans, and a mixed train, I don't think any other (preserved) railway in the country can match that! The line played host to two visiting locomotives. The first was Stanier Mogul 42968 (from the Severn Valley Railway), but the star attraction as without doubt LNWR 0-8-0 Super D 49395, which joined resident 2-8-0 designs, GCR O4 63601 and LMS 8F 48305 (masquerading as 48188). These three heavy freight designs really set the theme for the gala, and it really was a joy to see these brutes doing the kind of work that they were designed for. The remaining locos in service were; GWR Large Prairie 4141, BR Class 45 D123 Leicestershire and Derbyshire Yeomanry, and Class 101 DMU.