Newsletter: October 2016

DMU Train Days

Is it really twelve months since the official opening? It seems fitting that we should round off 2016 with two further successful train days.

Did you travel on the branch line over the weekend of the 22^nd/23^rd? Did you manage to spot where the scenes from the ITV drama “Victoria” were filmed?

As before we have put together a short video taken around Nunckley Hill and Bond Land Mountsorrel. We took the opportunity to take some of the shots from the new viewing area which should be completed and opened to the public early next year. (See “Our Plans” below).

Many thanks to the Great Central Railway for operating their Diesel Multiple Unit (or DMU) and to the GCR volunteers who staffed the train and stations. We must also thank the many heritage centre volunteers that staffed the car parks, crossings and looked after passengers whilst they waited for the next train.

Spooky Wood

On the run up to Halloween our volunteers transformed the Nunckley Trail into a spooky adventure; haunted by witches and ghosts, cobwebs adorned the willow arch and pumpkins appeared around every bend, one complete with bird’s nest. And what was that cooking in the witch’s cauldron?

Granite’s also sold Halloween themed treats and cakes.

Sponsor’s Boards

We have had several enquiries about the Sponsor’s board that will appear in Granite’s. The final design has been agreed and has been sent off for manufacture, so we hope the board should be ready for installation by the end of the year.

Our Plans

Several of our “projects” must be completed by the end of the year. As a consequence, on the run up to Christmas, work will focus on the base of the quarry, the museum, exhibition building and the quarry recreation area.

The Stonemasons’ huts have take a leap forward this month with the black corrugated roof and guttering now in place. Much of the framework for the doors is also complete.

The Wickham shed has been relocated to the rear of the quarry, adjacent to the exhibition building. This will become the home for the narrow gauge wagons. A short section of narrow gauge track has already been laid to the shed, however this must extended across the base of the quarry to the Stonemasons’ huts. This will form part of the quarrying recreation area.

The existing concrete path down to the quarry must also be extended across the base of the quarry to the exhibition and railway museum buildings. Some of the shuttering is in place for this disabled friendly path, but there is still much to do.

… and of course the building needs fitting out with display boards.

Remember we are always looking for volunteers to help out.