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Great Central Railway
A view from Platform 2. Notice the old bicylces at the back of the photo in the corner. First of all I want to thank everyone for keeping up with me during my travels. It is good to know that I can share these experiences with family and friends, and if you're reading this blog, then I definitely put you into one of those categories! So, this edition may be a favourite for some of you and I hope the pictures are enjoyable.
What do you do when you have a gorgeous day in England? Well, if you're in Leicester, you take the train north to Loughborough (pronounced Luffburra) Station, catch a taxi to The Great Central Railway and hop on an authentic steam train from days gone by.
Run completely by volunteers, The Great Central Railway exists today because of railroad and steam train enthusiasts; however, it was once a vital link from Manchester in the north of England to London in the south. The original line opened in 1899 and carried passengers as well as freight such as fresh fish, stone and coal. By the 1960's other railways and travel by road began to overtake the Great Central Railway and eventually the line closed. What remains today for the visitor is a recreation of what
Green Arrow
The front of my steam train. Isn't she a beauty? steam travel was like all those years ago.
Walking into the station is like walking onto a movie set as things appear much as they would have in the early parts of the nineteenth century. A small museum gallery of railroad artifacts awaits those interested and for those who just want to warm up with a cup of tea before the journey, a small refreshment room dating from the 1940's or so is a great place to soak up the atmosphere.
Once on board the steam train, you can make yourself comfortable in the dining car, or even a private two booth seating section just like the kids from the Harry Potter series ride in on their way to Hogwart's. In fact, some of the steam train footage from the movie was filmed on the very railway line I traveled on. There are three stops before the train returns to Loughborough Station and the whole journey takes about an hour. Don't think that's all you can experience for 12 quid (that's about twenty American dollars). The trains run at various times throughout the day and you can hop on and off as you like.
I opted to
My Conductor
This was my conductor for the afternoon. Doesn't he look like he was born to do this job? get off at Rothley Station and took a walk into Rothley Village. On my way I stopped into an Inn along the way, which must have been someone's home built in the fifteenth or sixteenth century. It even had an old stone church built onto the side of it. There was a lovely garden area and by my standards was quite palacial.
Further down I found I public footpath which England is loaded with and set out on that. I walked through a pasture with horses and was lucky enough to pet one. The real excitement started when I spotted two boys of about 10 or 11 practicing cricket. I asked if I could take their picture and they agreed. After I took the shot, I leaned toward the fence they were behind to show them their picture on my digital camera. This being horse country and all, the fence was DC electric and I got several shocks in the bum. It really hurt quite a lot but I continued on my walk and eventually found myself back aboard the train and on my way back.
What a day this was! Unforgettable no doubt.
(The historical information
Tea Anyone?
One can sit down in this quiet period room and have a cuppa before their train ride. above was taken from the Great Central Railway brochure. If you would like to learn more about this adventure you can log on to www.gcrailway.co.uk)
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peggy b
non-member comment
it sounds like you are having a great time. I am enjoying the pictures and comments to follow. Keep in touch.