Loughborough Great Central

Once we had moored up yesterday, I knocked together a quick lunch and showered before joining Graham and Jill of Nb. Matilda Rose in a sortee into Loughborough. First stop was Great Central Railway, a full gauge working steam railway running from Loughboro to North Leicester over eight miles of track. You could hear the steam whistles and smell the engines as we approached and every toot had me more excited. I can just remember steam trains in service and like many people, the trains and everything associated with them has a nostalgic resonance that is difficult to explain. Anyway, we bought platform tickets and went thru the wood panelled booked hall, down the wooden steps and on to the platforms that were out of another age...
At the platform the 14.15 was waiting to depart for Leicester. The engine was built in Darlington in 1954, the same year that Jill, Graham and I were born; it looked to have worn a bit better than us though!