Великобритания: История и наследие Great Central Railway

British pre grouping railway company (1897–1922)

On assuming its new title, the Great Central Railway had a main line from Manchester London Road Station via Penistone, Sheffield Victoria, Brigg and Grimsby to Cleethorpes. A second line left the line at Penistone and served Barnsley, Doncaster and Scunthorpe, before rejoining the Grimsby line at Barnetby. Other lines linked Sheffield to Barnsley (via Chapeltown) and Doncaster (via Rotherham) and also Lincoln and Wrawby Junction. Branch lines in north Lincolnshire ran to Barton upon Humber and New Holland and served ironstone quarries in the Scunthorpe area. In the Manchester area, lines ran to Stalybridge and Glossop. In the 1890s, the MS&LR began constructing its Derbyshire lines, the first part of its push southwards. Leaving its east–west main line at Woodhouse Junction, some 5½ miles south east of Sheffield, the line headed towards Nottingham, a golden opportunity to tap into colliery traffic in the north of the county before reaching the city. A loop line was built to serve its station in Chesterfield. The London and North Eastern Railway and the British Transport Commission, successors of the GCR, were granted arms of their own incorporating the GCR motto Forward. and Sheffield without a stop, adopted on 1 July 1903, became a trademark for the company, with 163.75 mile (264 km) run in three hours, an average of nearly Slip coaches were provided for passengers for Leicester and Nottingham. the GCR amalgamated with several other railways to create the London and North Eastern Railway. The GCR line was the last complete mainline railway to be built in Britain until section one of High Speed 1 opened in 2003 and was also one of the shortest lived intercity railway lines. Yet in its early years, its steam hauled Sheffield expresses were the fastest in the country.

For those in position before 1899, dates are as served for the MS&LR.

The following GCR coaches are preserved. Number & Name Description History & Current Status Livery Owner(s) Date PhotographNo. 946MSLR six wheel 5 compartment ThirdFully restored after a very long restoration. Usually on display in the Mountsorrel Museum. GCR Chocolate and Cream GCR Rolling Stock Trust1888~No. 373MSLR six wheel ThirdAwaiting extensive restoration, the body has been dismantled and flatpacked. N/AGCR Rolling Stock Trust1889~No. 10766 wheel thirdBuilt by MSLR for MSJAR. Operational, restored as an open saloon. GCR chocolate & cream. Buckinghamshire Railway Centre1890No. 1663Robinson Clerestory lavatory brake compositeOnly the body survives though being the oldest surviving Great Central carriage this is unsurprising. The body is mounted on the underframe of an ex. LMS BG, which has now become its permanent rolling chassis. N/A. GCR Rolling Stock Trust.1903 No. 5~~Robinson Suburban brake thirdBody survives in good hands but it will require a new underframe and serious restoration work to return to service. N/A. GCR Rolling Stock Trust.1905No. 793Robinson Suburban thirdAt present the only Great Central coach on the south section. In store at Swithland Sidings with a cosmetically restored body, which should prevent further deterioration. GCR chocolate & cream. Great Central Railway Plc.1905~No. 799Robinson Suburban thirdAwaiting major restoration which will require a lot of new bodywork to be manufactured. N/A. GCR Rolling Stock Trust.1905~No. 228'Barnum' open thirdUndergoing restoration at Ruddington. It will be converted into a first class bar car in due course. N/A. GCR Rolling Stock Trust.1910No. 664'Barnum' open thirdWill be restored when more accommodation has been built. It is intended to convert it into a dining car. Varnished teak. GCR Rolling Stock Trust.1910No. 666'Barnum' open thirdSheeted up as protection from the elements. It will be restored when more accommodation has been built and 664 has been completed. It is intended to convert it into a dining car. N/A. National Railway Museum.1910No. 695'Barnum' open brake thirdAwaiting restoration, which is planned to incorporate a kitchen where the brake end used to be, so it will complement the rest of the Barnum set. N/A. GCR Rolling Stock Trust.1911No. 652 Suburban Brake Third Built in 1916. Arrived at Quainton in 1997. Restoration started while on display inside museum, doors are inside the carriage with GCR numbering and lettering. N/A. Buckinghamshire Railway Centre1916

NumberTypeBuilderDiagram and lot no. BuiltLocation Single bolster Birmingham, Metro Cammell 1920 Shildon (available for transfer out of the collection 2020)

Original company Number Type Status/Notes LocationM&GCJR1 4 wheel Hand Crane Built in 1914. Only M&GCJR owned rail vehicle. Being restored. The original match wagon is not usable right now, so an LMS wagon underframe is in its place. Buckinghamshire Railway Centre

The marshalling yard at Wath upon Dearne opened in November 1907. It was designed to cope with coal trains, full and empty; it was worked with electro pneumatic signalling.

On 30 March 1889, an excursion train was derailed at Penistone, Yorkshire due to a failure of an axle on the locomotive hauling it. A mail train ran into the wreckage at low speed. One person was killed and 61 were injured. On 17 November 1899, GCR goods guard, Charles Harry Bennion was stationed at Staveley Town Railway station, Derbyshire. At approximately 08.30 am his goods train from Staveley to Frodingham was working through the thick fog when it hit two ‘light engines’ due to a 'signalling error'. Charles’ injuries were fatal and he died instantly. On 23 December 1904, an express passenger train was derailed at , Buckinghamshire due to excessive speed on a curve. Another express passenger train ran into the wreckage at low speed. Four people were killed. On 2 February 1908, the driver of a freight train sneezed, his head collided with that of his fireman, knocking both of them out. Due to excessive speed, a van in the train derailed approaching station, Yorkshire and the train overran signals there. It derailed completely at
On 13 December 1911, a freight train ran away and was derailed at station, Yorkshire. Both locomotive crew were killed.

Grimsby, dubbed the "largest fishing port in the world" in the early 20th century, owed its prosperity to the ownership by the GCR and its forebear, the MS&LR. Coal and timber were among its biggest cargoes. The port had two main docks: the Alexandra Dock (named for Queen Alexandra) and the Royal Dock which was completed in 1852, linked by the Union Dock. The total area of docks was 104.25 acres (42 ha).

Completed in 1912, this dock covered and was mainly concerned with the movement of coal. On 22 July 2012, the docks held an open day to celebrate 100 years of operation.