A freshly refurbished carriage straight out of Rothley C&W works

John Kennedy's Prairie tank loco no 4141 has received weatherproofing and the white smokebox door bands have been re-painted black.

48305

78019 & 63601

78019 & 63601 stand at Loughborough shed

78019 & 48305

63601

The 08 shunter D4067 'Jocko' has shunted the ecs into the platform for the first train.

A portrait of D4067 - the mobile diesel pump.

48305 reverses into the siding.

48305 awaits its first duty

The DMU departs Loughborough with the 9.45am to Leicester

Richard looks out from the Standard 2 78019 as he brings it back onto the carriages at Loughborough

48305 & 78019

48305 then headed south light engine.

78019 departs Loughborough with the 10.15am to Leicester

D5401 moves towards Loughborough with the TPO set after being held at the signals.

63601 departs Loughborough with the mineral wagons

The DMU approaches Loughborough with the 10.15 from Leicester

Peak diesel D123 couples up to the green set in the sidings while Mike and I hurried back to the car to move to Quorn.

The first TPO (Travelling Post Office) run was hauled by 30777 Sir lamiel. The train is seen entering Quorn station and accelerating towards the maildrop point

48305 departs north with the mineral wagons.

D5401 arrives at Quorn light engine and is signalled into the quorn sidings.

Richard Todd keeps a lookout for the signal to depart Quorn as D123 arrives with the 11.15 from Loughborough

D123 arrives at Quorn from Loughborough

As D123 heads south towards Leicester D5401 stands in the sidings.

D5401 brings the freight out of the sidings and crosses to the down line for the run to Loughborough

The breakdown train heads towards Loughborough. After an exchange with John pepper it appears that this train was a re-enactment of the track lifting train that was used to lift the track back in the 60's. Well done to the GCR for putting this idea into reality. BTW No they did NOT actually lift the track!

Sign of the times. Buses taking over from trains? No! Its the shuttle bus to take passeners to the Mountsorrel branchline

78019 approaches Kinchley lane bridge with the mineral wagons.

Filming as they go...30777 Sir Lamiel approaches Kinchley lane bridge from the south

63601 at Kinchley Lane with the 12.15 from Loughborough

After a rapid drive back from the mainline at Cossington after viewing Oliver Cromwell hauling the Steam Dreams Palatine excursion a sprint down the track enabled us to see 30777 Sir Lamiel with the 1pm non stop express from Loughborough to Leicester

A conversion to b&w to hide the blue fencing (don't do that) shows 63601 with the mixed freight.

30777 Sir Lamiel at Rabbit Bridge on the mineral train

63601 runs away from Swithland with the returning mineral empties.

D5401 is seen at Rabbit Bridge

Peak diesel D123 heads north from Swithland

This must be the most unusual locomotive pairing I've ever seen on the GCR. 48305 and 78019 tender to tender. I guess it was simply a positioning move. Did this sort of thing occur on the big railway?

D5401 couples up to the TPO set at Quorn...

... and draws away towards Loughborough

The mailbags are being prepared for the next TPO run

Anglia liveried Class 47 no 47714 lies at Quorn

63601 at Quorn with the minerals. Another b&w conversion due to more blue fencing.

Diesel heaven?

30777 Sir Lamiel hauls the 4.25 from Loughborough towards Quorn

48305 arrives at Quorn with the minerals and will soon set back into the sidings

D123 flies through with the TPO as 48305 propells the mineral wagons into the sidings assisted by Jamie Steele as guard.

48305 finishes the reversing manouvre

48305 draws away with the guards van..

...and heads away towards Loughborough