Mid-November traditionally sees most heritage lines running a minimum service, if at all, as they prepare for the intensive but profitable festive season.
The Great Central Railway though ends the season with a bang, by staging a Last Hurrah of the Season enthusiasts’ gala with an intensive service running on double track that only the GC can stage.
![](https://www.mortonsdirect.co.uk/heritagerailway/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2017/12/HR-236-p32.jpg)
2017 saw the event take an unusual turn with the debut of two bits of railway hardware that were a bit different to the usual fare at gala weekends.
Enjoy more Heritage Railway reading in the four-weekly magazine.
Click here to subscribe & save.
It is easy to forget, that he GCR, like most heritage lines did rely on industrial tank engines in its early days and the ubiquitous Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST played a part in getting what is now Britain’s only double-track main line heritage railway off the ground.
Roger Hibbert has restored a GWR 2-8-0T, an LMS 8F 2-8-0 and a 3F ‘Jinty’ 0-6-0T from Barry condition in a timescale few others have ever matched.
His latest acquisition was a Bagnall Austerity 0-6-0ST, which was named Robert in later years; one of the last to run in commercial service for the NCB and a star of the 1980 Rocket 150 cavalcade at Rainhill.
Read more in Issue 236 of HR – on sale now!
Advert
![Subscribe to Heritage Railway Magazine](https://b1944490.smushcdn.com/1944490/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2022/01/HR-970X250-copy.jpg?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1)