When they closed this line myself and my friends used to ride our dirt track motor bikes along it from Leicester to Rugby, along the way it passed some great areas to ride on---canal tow paths old claypits,quarries,wastelands ,woods etc -- I had a lock up garage just off the line on Marlow Road and lived on Western Road just across from the old "black pad". (seen in the film) previous to having the garage we had to push our bikes over Upperton Road bridge then ride down the tow path, through what is now Aylestone Meadows nature reserve and up onto the line ----- All the pathways at Aylestone were "carved out" by our bikes. Fantastic to see trains on the skyline In some of the shots you can see the flattened oval in the field where we rode before the railway was closed
Another memory - at 1:07 is 45292 on the 10:57am Nottm Vic to Neasden Sdgs empty parcels on 3rd September 1966, the GC's last day as a through route. Following that, at 1:21, is 44984 (with wreath) on the last GC line semi-fast, the 5.15pm from Nottm Vic, 5.54pm from Leicester Central. My father and I were in the front coach of this train.
Most enjoyable video. Having grown up in Leicester born in the 60's this was a reminder of the line that ran behind Humberstone park where Grandad lived.
Great content thanks for the upload, the GC was deliberately run down by the London Midland region,so as to pave the way for the closure due to the poor economic returns ,then hastily signed off for closure by that villain Marples, who later did a moonlight flit to France for tax evasion. Bad as our current politicians are, so were the lot in the sixties.
If the GC hadn't been closed, and if it and the GW mainline to Birmingham had been electrified we would have saved the billions HS2 is costing (if it ever gets finished). A terrible loss :(
@@roderickjoyce6716 No, because the GCR was the wrong route for HS2. It needs to be a straighter alignment serving Birmingham then up the West coast between Liverpool and Manchester to Glasgow/Edinburgh. Not a weird route to Nottingham then tortuous curve across the Penines to Manchester. HS2 needs to be straight, direct, and serve biggest cities. You are probably just glibly repeating this GCR/HS2 comment without understanding the facts.
@@PreservationEnthusiast Too many people trying to find a use for the ex GC by pretending it’s a natural alternative to HS2. Head north from Marylebone on a line shared with tube trains before somehow getting to Birmingham by turning left at Rugby onto what ?
The reality of the GCR was it was probably 30 years too late to be built and served many of the same stations as it’s Midland rival. South of Rugby, the GCR served few population centres compared with the Midland. With the railways losing money, it’s not surprising that one of the routes between Sheffield and London would go. The GC was the obvious choice.
Some very evocative clips here. The scene at 3:45 is at St Margaret's Pasture, a sports field where our mum used to take my young sister and me as toddlers to watch the trains as they sped over the steel bridge above the River Soar. The cabside numbers of locos on Up trains were visible above the brick parapet, as we see here, but Down trains, on the further track, were only 'spottable' through the mesh fencing as they crossed the bridge. The occasional WR steam locos that passed with grubby numberplates and nameplates were a real challenge, and we missed most of them.
Cool to see steam trains up there its always been abandoned for me ,we did used to walk uo to the train scrapyard though to get the break glass hammers out of the trains! This video is taken from exactly Packhorse bridge which itself is a relic from the 1400s
What a shame, it all was closing down, l have fond memories of staying on the station at Qourn & Woodhouse in the early sixties, l would cycle there from Derby. Did travel from Derby Friargate to Nottingham Victoria, onwardsto Grantham.
When they closed this line myself and my friends used to ride our dirt track motor bikes along it from Leicester to Rugby, along the way it passed some great areas to ride on---canal tow paths old claypits,quarries,wastelands ,woods etc -- I had a lock up garage just off the line on Marlow Road and lived on Western Road just across from the old "black pad". (seen in the film) previous to having the garage we had to push our bikes over Upperton Road bridge then ride down the tow path, through what is now Aylestone Meadows nature reserve and up onto the line ----- All the pathways at Aylestone were "carved out" by our bikes. Fantastic to see trains on the skyline In some of the shots you can see the flattened oval in the field where we rode before the railway was closed
Great video. I recognise most of the locations, Leicester Central, Abbey Lane Sidings, Belgrave and Birstall, Aylestone. Wonderful stuff!
Another memory - at 1:07 is 45292 on the 10:57am Nottm Vic to Neasden Sdgs empty parcels on 3rd September 1966, the GC's last day as a through route. Following that, at 1:21, is 44984 (with wreath) on the last GC line semi-fast, the 5.15pm from Nottm Vic, 5.54pm from Leicester Central. My father and I were in the front coach of this train.
Thanks for bringing the sadly missed GC back to life
Most enjoyable video. Having grown up in Leicester born in the 60's this was a reminder of the line that ran behind Humberstone park where Grandad lived.
Great content thanks for the upload, the GC was deliberately run down by the London Midland region,so as to pave the way for the closure due to the poor economic returns ,then hastily signed off for closure by that villain Marples, who later did a moonlight flit to France for tax evasion.
Bad as our current politicians are, so were the lot in the sixties.
If the GC hadn't been closed, and if it and the GW mainline to Birmingham had been electrified we would have saved the billions HS2 is costing (if it ever gets finished). A terrible loss :(
Such was the hurry to get rid of it track men removed the first parts an hour after the very last train in 1969.
@@roderickjoyce6716 No, because the GCR was the wrong route for HS2. It needs to be a straighter alignment serving Birmingham then up the West coast between Liverpool and Manchester to Glasgow/Edinburgh.
Not a weird route to Nottingham then tortuous curve across the Penines to Manchester.
HS2 needs to be straight, direct, and serve biggest cities.
You are probably just glibly repeating this GCR/HS2 comment without understanding the facts.
@@PreservationEnthusiast Too many people trying to find a use for the ex GC by pretending it’s a natural alternative to HS2. Head north from Marylebone on a line shared with tube trains before somehow getting to Birmingham by turning left at Rugby onto what ?
The reality of the GCR was it was probably 30 years too late to be built and served many of the same stations as it’s Midland rival. South of Rugby, the GCR served few population centres compared with the Midland. With the railways losing money, it’s not surprising that one of the routes between Sheffield and London would go. The GC was the obvious choice.
Amazing to see this film around the Central area!
Another great video of my favourite railway!!
Some very evocative clips here. The scene at 3:45 is at St Margaret's Pasture, a sports field where our mum used to take my young sister and me as toddlers to watch the trains as they sped over the steel bridge above the River Soar. The cabside numbers of locos on Up trains were visible above the brick parapet, as we see here, but Down trains, on the further track, were only 'spottable' through the mesh fencing as they crossed the bridge. The occasional WR steam locos that passed with grubby numberplates and nameplates were a real challenge, and we missed most of them.
Wonderful content and quality, thanks for sharing.
Superb video of a line that should never have closed , i have a commisioned painting by jill York of a B1 on the famous bowstring bridge in Leicester
Yes, it should have been closed. It was a duplicate line, and demolition was the correct decision.
9:25 *I used to go there [Aylestone] spotting as only ½ mile from where I lived then !*
Cool to see steam trains up there its always been abandoned for me ,we did used to walk uo to the train scrapyard though to get the break glass hammers out of the trains! This video is taken from exactly Packhorse bridge which itself is a relic from the 1400s
What a shame, it all was closing down, l have fond memories of staying on the station at Qourn & Woodhouse in the early sixties, l would cycle there from Derby. Did travel from Derby Friargate to Nottingham Victoria, onwardsto Grantham.
Wonderful videos, thanks for sharing.
That Merchant Navy wasnt hanging about !
Great shots. I lived near this line as a. Kid.
Fantastic video 👍🏻 What a shame it got pulled up as it would of a ready made HS2 😊
Great footage
Do you have any footage of the Belgrave Road Station In Leicester?
When British railways ruled
The great thing about the G.C. you could see any loco on it from halls to a spamcan on football specials