The Transport Archive is a superb site with lots more photographs of the Great Central Railway, including pictures from the world-famous Newton collection of its construction, taken by S.W. Newton. Go to http://www.transportarchive.org.uk and enter the keywords Great Central Leicester in the search box.
There is a very nostalgic video of steam trains at Leicester south, Leicester Central, Abbey Lane sidings, and Belgrave and Birstall on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8GIQDz-GvM&. Although this is without sound and has the quality of 8mm film, it gives a very good idea of the
last days of the great Central as a through route.
The Great Central Railway plc runs steam and heritage diesel hauled trains between Loughborough Central and Leicester North. The section between Loughborough and Rothley is the only preserved double track main line in the world. For details see www.gcrailway.co.uk.
The Great Central Railway (Nottingham) Ltd.
runs trains between the Nottingham Heritage Centre (at Ruddington, to the south of Nottingham) and East Leake, and on special occasions to the northern outskirts of Loughborough. For details see http://www.nthc.co.uk/.
The “Bridging the Gap” web site has full details of the proposal for bridging the gap between north and south preserved sections over the Midland Main Line at Loughborough.
The company Central Railway has been formed with the goal of reopening the Great Central London extension south of Rugby as part of a through route for freight from the Channel Tunnel to the north of England. For details see www.central-railway.co.uk.
