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Last Hurrah Gala 2024

Join us for our Last Hurrah Gala, an intensive timetable of passenger and freight services will delight and entertain you throughout this two-day event. Our home fleet will be the stars of the show for this fantastic event.

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The Last Hurrah Gala at Great Central Railway!🚂

Before we switch gears to our magical Great Central Santa Express services, join us for the Last Hurrah Gala – a celebration of steam power, featuring an exciting lineup of locomotives and action-packed timetables.

Highlights include:

  • A starring role for our home fleet of locomotives.

  • Goods trains in operation all weekend, including a vans train and tanks train.

  • An intensive timetable with approximately 20 departures a day

  • "Iris" Derby Lightweight Single Railcar will also be operating.

  • Tours of locomotive shed and works at Loughborough Central

  • Free heritage bus tours (Saturday only) from Quorn Station driveway at 1245 and 1415 

  • Enthusiast stalls and "Trackside" magazine at Quorn & Woodhouse

This is the perfect event for railway enthusiasts and families alike, with something for everyone to enjoy.

British Railways Class 2 2-6-0 No.78018

BR Standard Class 2MT 2-6-0 No. 78018, built in 1953, gained fame after getting stuck in a snowdrift in 1955, inspiring the film Snowdrift at Bleath Gill. After years of service and a period in Barry scrapyard, it was restored and returned to steam at Great Central Railway in 2016, where it remains in regular service.

British Railways Class 2 2-6-0 No.78019

BR Standard Class 2MT No. 78019, built in 1954, closely resembles its Ivatt predecessor, with minor updates such as roller bearings and standard BR components. Initially working in the north, it later served at Willesden for stock trains out of Euston before being withdrawn in 1966. After years in Barry scrapyard, it was restored at the Great Central Railway and returned to steam in 2004, where it continues to perform reliably.

BR Standard Class 5 4-6-0 No.73156

BR Standard Class 5 No. 73156, built in 1956, served on mixed traffic duties, including express passenger trains like The Master Cutler and The South Yorkshireman. After stints at Neasden, Sheffield, and Leicester Central, it was withdrawn in 1967. Rescued from Barry scrapyard, it was restored and returned to steam at Great Central Railway in 2017, where it now runs in regular service.

GWR Modified Hall 4-6-0 No.6990 "Witherslack Hall"

GWR 4-6-0 No. 6990 "Witherslack Hall", built in 1948, was designed for mixed traffic duties and participated in the 1948 Locomotive Exchanges, where it ran between Marylebone and Manchester. After withdrawal in 1965 and time at Barry scrapyard, it was restored at Great Central Railway in 1986. Following several periods of service and repair, it returned to traffic in 2015 and remains in regular operation at the GCR.

Class 45 Peak D123 "Leicestershire and Derbyshire Yeomanry"

The 1955 British Railways Modernisation Plan aimed to replace steam with diesel and electric engines. Class 45 diesels, built from 1960-62, served express routes and were named "Peaks." D123, a preserved Class 45, joined the Great Central Railway (GCR) in 1998 and remains an important historic example of early British diesel locomotives.

British Rail Class 37 Diesel Locomotives

At least one of the Class 37 locomotives, D6700 or 37714, will be operating at the upcoming gala at Great Central Railway. Built by English Electric in the early 1960s, these iconic diesels bring a touch of vintage British Rail history. D6700, dating from 1960, is painted in classic BR Green with Yellow Panels and is on loan from the National Railway Museum. In contrast, 37714, built in 1961 and converted to Class 37/7 in 1998, is dressed in BR Railfreight Grey (Metals Sector) livery.

"Iris" Derby Lightweight Single Railcar

The "Iris" Derby Lightweight Single Railcar, built in 1956 at Derby Works, was one of the first DMUs designed to replace steam on quieter lines. Known for its lightweight aluminum body, it served in the Midlands and North of England before preservation, and now operates at Great Central Railway as a showcase of early diesel innovation.

Locomotives in action...

Additional Information -

  • Parking at £5 per car in the field adjacent to Quorn & Woodhouse Station LE12 8AG

  • Free blue badge parking in Quorn & Woodhouse station yard LE12 8AG

  • Limited free parking at Rothley and Leicester North stations

  • Limited on-street parking close to Loughborough Central station

Free heritage shuttle bus (Saturday only) from Loughborough Midland Station (EMR) to Loughborough Central Station - see attached for details

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