Following a successful fundraising effort in the summer this year, Great Central Railway (Nottingham) has been able to install a new locomotive servicing pit.
The new pit will allow them to maintain and clean their locomotives. While the northern terminus of the railway at Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre does have an indoor inspection pit, they needed a dedicated facility for lighting up a steam loco, as well as for maintenance and cleaning at the end of the day.
The new pit was constructed by Premier Pits of Splading, featuring lighting, power connections, compressed air and water and is part of a £100,000 investment.
The pit will also form a crucial role once the line is reunified.
It was craned into place just a few days ago, on the 17th of November, with only the final concreting left to complete. Donations for the cost of this can be made online.
“The pit is an absolute game changer for us,”
“While we have an inspection pit inside our engineering shed it’s not a suitable place to be firing up locomotives. We needed a solution and with grateful thanks to those who have donated towards it, we now have the best possible answer. Together with our rewired and updated locomotive running shed right alongside, the new pit will immediately help us develop steam services on our section of the Great Central in Nottinghamshire.”
“We want to invite all main line locomotive owners to come and use our facilities because we’re truly open for business”
“We can bring you in through our main line connection, along our nine mile line to the Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre. There’s covered accommodation at our running shed and of course the new servicing pit to make preparation and disposal so much easier. We also have the main engineering shed with overhead crane and we’re delighted the Thompson B1 Locomotive Trust are currently resident with us with B1 No. 1264 making use of everything we can offer.”
Andy Fillingham of Great Central Railway (Nottingham)
Responses
I would once live in pits like this? Late fifties Exmth jct and the outer pits have hot coals to burn your boots if your not a bit nippy! Outer shed pits ok though, Oil the innards of every Merchant Navy in the fleet! And those lighter variety that were converted? I was 5ft 11” and to get left leg up like some ballet dancer and to grab a hold to hoist yourself up and get over them counter balance’s to unscrew its corks and fill then to finger dip for a good cork replacement! Gen’ steam Navigation, to Blue Star or dear old Brocklebank or Clan and some other sorts with inner rods like mincing machines? And no fancy lights! I would have what’s called a ‘duck’ lamp of paraffin with a very smelly burning wick! And Bulleid creator, Oliver Bulleid and his wife lived in retirement nearby! She was Henry Ivatts daughter who also designed steam engines! It was a relief when an Unconverted rolled in! I spent far too much time down in that darn pit! Many mates would only ever see me from the chest up! And i only assume they have the same format for lubrication this day? = Ex cleaner/ fireman. Sthn, GW, Midland, Bristol.