Bridging the Gap - Links

Canal bridge no 331 seen from the north, with the Loughborough Central loco shed seen in the background. Although it is physically possible to run a single track round the side of the building, there are plans to relocate it. Photo by Steve Hallam.

Books

Great Central Album, George Dow, Ian Allan, 1969, ISBN: 0711000700
The Great Central from the Footplate, Robert Robotham and Frank Stratford, Ian Allan Publishing Ltd, 1988, ISBN: 071101759X
The Great Central in LNER days, D.Jackson and O.Russell. 1983 Ian Allan Ltd, ISBN: 0711012717
Great Central Recalled, George Dow, DB Barton, August 1978, ISBN: 0851533361
The Great Central: Then and Now, Mac Hawkins, Grange Books, May 2002. ISBN: 1840133236
Great Central (Vol 1) The Progenitors 1813-1863, George Dow, Locomotive Publishing Co 1959 (reprinted by Ian Allan 1985), ISBN: 0711003025
Great Central (Vol 2) Dominion of Watkin. 1864-1899, George Dow, Locomotive Publishing Co 1962 (reprinted by Ian Allan), ISBN: 0711003033
Great Central (Vol 3) Fay sets the pace. 1900-1922, George Dow, Locomotive Publishing Co (reprinted by Ian Allan 1985), ISBN: 0711002630
The Last Years of the Great Central Main Line, Robert Robotham, Ian Allan Publishing Ltd, ISBN: 0711016135
Main Line Lament. The final years of the Great Central route to London. , Colin Walker. 1999 Pendyke Publications 2nd edition, ISBN: 0904318117
The Making of a Railway: the Building of the Great Central, L.T.C. Rolt, Sutton Publishing, February 1997, ISBN: 0750913541
Manchester to Marylebone: Short History of the Great Central Railway, Robert F. Hartley, Leics Museums, July 1986, ISBN: 0850222036

Links to Websites of Interest

Loughborough Locomotive Works Project: See the recently announced plans of this exciting new GCR plc project following outline approval of the use of the site by Charnwood Borough Council.
British Waterways: British Waterways manage the Grand Union canal, over which the railway will have to pass
Charnwood Borough Council: The Gap is in the area of Leicestershire run by Charnwood Borough Council who are also great supporters of the GCR
Great Central Railway (Nottingham) Limited: Operators of heritage services on the Great Central Railway north of Loughborough, based at the Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre. And a link to Statutory Instrument 1995 No. 2143; the Great Central (Nottingham) Railway Order 1995!
Great Central Railway PLC: Preserved double-track heritage railway operating over the Great Central route between Loughborough and Leicester North.
GCR Rolling Stock Trust: Trust aiming to save, restore and operate original GCR rolling stock
Great Central Railway Society: A historical society looking at all aspects of the original Great Central Railway with an extensive archive of material.
The Great Central Today by Shawn Sanders: Documentation of the state of the Great Central Railway at the start of the 21st Century
Inland Waterways Association: The IWA campaign for the restoration, development and usage of Britain's inland waterways. They are the canal equivalent of the railway preservation folk and have an interest in our refurbishment of bridge 331 over the Grand Union canal
The Last Main Line: Leicestershire Records Office's Railway Transport Archive, including images from the S.W.A. Newton Collection of the construction of the GCR at the end of the 19th Century.
LNER (GC) Heritage Trust: The Trust that supports the development of the Nottingham Heritage Transport Centre and the GCR(N).
David Clarke Railway Trust: The charitable trust that supports the development of the two preserved sections of the Great Central either side of The Gap.
Friends of Great Central Main Line: The supporters membership group for the Great Central.
National Railway Museum: The premier museum for railway history in the UK and the home of the National Collection.
Network Rail: Network Rail manages the infrastructure for the "Big Railway", including the Midland Main Line over which our line will pass
Nick Willis's GCR web site: Information about Nottingham Victoria station, photos of the GCR and development of several GCR based train simulator routes
Nigel Tout's Great Central Railway Virtual Tour: A tour of the remains of the GCR from Leicester North to Aylestone and some old photos of the route whilst it was in operation
Office of Rail Regulation: The ORR replaced the Office of the Rail Regulator in July 2004. It regulates Network Rail and also licenses rail operators, approves access agreements to track, stations and depots, and enforce rail related legislation
Railway Vehicle Preservations Ltd: The historical rolling stock restoration and preservation group based at Rothley on the GCR, concentrating mainly on LNER and TPO vehicles
Rushcliffe Borough Council: The Borough through which the GCR(N) runs.
Severn Trent Water: Severn Trent Water are responsible for Hermitage Brook that runs alongside the proposed link embankment
UK Heritage Rail website: Information and links to the many preserved railway lines in the UK.