Time Travelling on the Great Central Railway
By Donna Richardson
The Great Central Railway in Loughborough is a great meeting place for lovers. Indeed, my partner and I recently found ourselves reminiscing about our very first date as we stood on the platform, awaiting the arrival of the magnificent Charnwood Forrester vintage locomotive. Many moons ago, we walked hand in hand down the platform and Rothley, and now we were back at the sister station, embarking on an exquisite evening of good food and wine. Welcome to the Great Central Railway, one of Leicestershire’s greatest treasures.
At the Great Central Railway (GCR) in Loughborough, Leicestershire, visitors can time travel to the golden age of steam. Guests will see magnificent engines from times gone by operated by dedicated volunteers who get into the role of playing characters in real life amongst the passengers. One of the ways they keep this going is by staging events. One can savour a splendid five-course meal and delicious wine aboard the train as they are transported in style past restored stations, working signal boxes and water towers, over viaducts, and through the rolling fields of Leicestershire in a first-class carriage.
Most journeys begin at Loughborough, where Thomas Cook began his international travel company. Over at the nearby mainline station, he organised a one-day rail excursion from Leicester to Loughborough on 5 July 1841 – Britain’s first package holiday.
In its heyday, the Great Central Railway linked cities in the north and Midlands to London. It was formed when the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897, anticipating the opening in 1899 of its London extension. It is the UK’s only double-track, main-line heritage railway. It runs for 8.25 miles (13.28 km) and is the only place in the world where full-size steam engines can be seen passing each other—just as they were when steam ruled the rails.
Steam locomotives were withdrawn from regular railway service in Great Britain in 1968. However, thanks to heritage railways like the GCR rescuing these magnificent engines, restoring them and keeping them running with the help of dedicated volunteers, you can still see them operating as they once did.
During a special gala event recently, passengers were transported back to the 1960s when England won the 1966 World Cup final, and many of the diesel engines were still in operation. To celebrate the glory days, this heritage railway transported willing customers back to this glorious era. Loughborough station is a living, breathing museum of the 1960s, and it is cared for by passionate volunteers who lovingly care for all the trains and perform all the jobs to keep them running. Behind-the-scenes restoration work occurs in the engine yard, where the trains and their carriages are polished and painted to keep them looking like they did back in their glory days. It is a marvellous place.
Travel through time
All of the connecting stations are situated in charming villages. Each one is designed to reflect the heritage of different bygone eras. In Loughborough, it is forever the 1960s. Passengers can imagine themselves catching a steam train to Wembley to see the 1966 World Cup, while just a couple of miles down the track at Quorn, guests can linger in the NAAFI café for tea and a scone listening to Vera Lynn tunes, imagining themselves in 1940s wartime Britain. Quorn is a delightful village that links to King Charles, who once rode in the Quorn Hunt. This village has eight pubs and many restaurants where you can spend time at leisure. Hop back on the train to Rothley and discover the Edwardian age, where gas lamps were all the rage. Rothley is a charming village whole of glorious residences, and it is but a short car journey to Cropston and Bradgate Park – Leicestershire’s most prominent country park. Here, one can roam among the ruins of Bradgate House, the reputed birthplace of Lady Jane Grey, the nine-day Queen and see the wild deer. The train also cruises past Swithland Reservoir, another area of outstanding beauty, before stopping at Leicester North in Birstall, where it detaches and then meets the train at the other end for the return journey.
A thrilling drive back
All of this is heaven for train enthusiasts, but the ultimate reward is actually to drive a steam train. Upon entering the cabin, you will feel the heat as the cleaner shovels coal into the furnace and ensures the water levels are sufficient to produce steam. You will then take the driver’s seat and learn to operate the gears and levers to make the locomotive work. With a maximum speed of 25 mph, the precise control needed when pulling into heritage stations like Quorn is an art. There are three packages for passengers to book: bronze, silver, and gold. As a silver package holder, I had the incredible experience of riding 16 miles down the track in the footplate and then driving back from Birstall – 16 miles down the track with the wind whipping in your hair. For vintage steam train enthusiasts, this is truly a dream come true.
Dining in a first-class carriage
As well as traditional dining meals, for those who like to be challenged while enjoying fine food in a first-class carriage is a beautiful way to celebrate a special occasion. You and your partner are cocooned in privacy as you sink into a plush, comfortable seat in an atmospheric first-class carriage. The carriage is dimly lit for added romance and the attentive sommelier presents the wine list. Pulses race as the train pulls out of the station in a cloud of steam. As you gaze out the window, the waiting staff bring the first course. Begin with the ham hock terrine with melba toast, Mediterranean vegetable tart, or chef’s soup of the day for the starter. For the main, guests can enjoy the lamb shoulder in a mint gravy and chicken breast with chorizo and red pepper stuffing or cod and pancetta fishcakes with white wine sauce, all served with a chef’s selection of seasonal vegetables, followed by a dessert of two gateaux or fresh fruit salad and double cream. There’s also a traditional English cheeseboard served with celery and grapes and tea and coffee served with chocolate mints.
There is a murder mystery train. Recently I found myself back at Loughborough GCR station where all the action unfolds on platform one as actors set the scene for a murder. The plot unfolds on the train as passengers put their heads together to solve the mystery during a scenic journey and five-course meal stopping at all the stations. The food was superb, and after the second course, we paused to watch the sunset over Swithland Reservoir. Then it was on to Leicester North before looping back. Overall, we had hours of entertainment playing Sherlock Holmes and Miss Marple, and at the end, we all learned who the culprit was, with the winner given a certificate and bottle of bubbly as a prize.
Great Central’s Santa trains are incredibly popular, too, and a great opportunity to introduce little ones to the railway. And if you are a vintage queen like myself, you’ll be pleased to see that they host wedding receptions, which is a very different way to say ‘I do!’ Perhaps we will be inspired by this, as this is where our love story began.
A journey on a vintage train evokes the grandeur of a bygone era when the elite travelled in luxury by steam. Step back in time and experience the elegance of a period where men and women donned their finest attire and indulged in unhurried, meaningful conversations, free from the distractions of modern life. Slow travel fosters an atmosphere of leisurely enjoyment and offers a respite from the rapid pace of contemporary living. Picture yourself in a beautifully adorned first-class carriage, surrounded by breathtaking scenery, relishing the company of others as you embark on a stylish and nostalgic adventure or revel in a delightful evening with friends.
Learn how to drive a steam train, or go on a murder mystery dining experience on a first-class dining cart, and make some beautiful memories.
Where to stay
The Holywell Guest House on Leicester Road is the perfect place to stay when visiting the Great Central Railway. It has been rated as the best hotel in the popular TV series “Four in a Bed”. The guest house is located in a beautiful old Victorian red brick vicarage and is run by Lez Cope-Newman and his husband Derek Hunter, who offer a timeless experience.
You can expect breakfast served with white gloves in a beautiful dining room. This is a luxury guest house on the edge of the High Street. This handsome red brick Victorian building, was built as the vicarage for Loughborough’s Holy Trinity Church in 1878. It is a short distance from the GCR.
Location – 68a Leicester Road, Loughborough, Leicester LE11 2AG
Telephone – 01509 731894 / 07899 755556 / 07799 085188
Further information – www.gcrailway.co.uk