MY LIFE IN TRAINS
My Story - Part Twenty Five
Leicester - the Great Central and London Road
Two days after my sessions at Knighton North Junction I was out again, exploring the Great Central route. My location was where the Midland Railway line from Knighton Junction to Coalville and Burton crossed the Great Central extension to the south.
And then I discovered the bridge over the north end of Leicester London Road station on the Midland Railway route to the north. Why I didn’t go back and photograph more here, with a focus on Leicester shed is lost to me – I was a bit confused at the time: a first year away from home can do that, and there were plenty of other temptations.
All Photographs by Alan Lewis Chambers ©
English Electric Type 3s Nos D6827 and D6843 head south under the Coalville branch in Leicester on the Great Central main line
on 30 May 1963.
LMSR 8F 2-8-0 No 48629 heads a brake van east towards Leicester on the Coalville line over the Great Central in Leicester on 30 May 1963.
BR 9F 2-10-0 No 92030 heads a mineral train south on the Great Central line under the Coalville branch at Leicester on 30 May 1963.
English Electric Type 3 No D6753 heads north near the Coalville branch in Leicester on the Great Central main line with
the Bournemouth - York express on 30 May 1963.
LMSR Black Five 4-6-0 No 45144 heads a class E express mineral freight south on the Great Central line under the Coalville branch at Leicester
on 30 May 1963.
BR 9F 2-10-0 No 92068 heads a mineral train south on the Great Central line under the Coalville branch at Leicester on 30 May 1963.
BR 9F 2-10-0 No 92122 heads a northbound freight through Leicester London Road on 30 May 1963.
LMSR Fowler Class 4 2-6-4T No 42355 moves a rake of empty LMS carriages north out of Leicester London Road on 30 May 1963.
LMSR Fairburn Class 4 2-6-4T No 42087 heads a van train north from Leicester London Road
while LMSR 8F 2-8-0 No 48134 approaches from the north on 30 May 1963.
BR 9F 2-10-0 No 92158 heads north and passes LMR 8F 2-8-0 No 48134 just north of Leicester London Road station
on 30 May 1963.
Your pictures of the Great Central evoke many happy memories for me as that is where i did my train spotting as a boy . My uncle was a fireman on the GCR and would whistle as he passed . My father would take me to the station to meet him on his engine. The tracks and cuttings looked so clean and neat and tidy back then . Thankyou for sharing your pictures you transport me back to those wonderfully happy days ! Frankythe fox.