In the course of my research over the years i’ve met many interesting characters online and in person. Pete recently responded to a question I posted on a Facebook Group about the Great Central Railway. He forwarded over a number of photographs that he took during Easter 1967 and very kindly gave me the green light to publish them here.
By way of context I asked Pete to write a few lines about the photos.
“For many years when I was growing up in West London, my mother would take my brother & I to stay with our grandparents in Leicestershire, normally 3 times a year at Christmas, Easter and for a couple of weeks during the summer holidays, travelling from Harrow on the Hill to Leicester Central. These were trips I always looked forward to and led to a strong affinity with the GC route. Hence, when at the age of 16 I saw that the GC was to close for through traffic, I resolved to take one last return trip on the day it closed, 3rd September 1966. Accordingly I caught the 0854 from Harrow, and after visiting my grandparents caught the very last Up Semi fast service, the 1745 back from Leicester to Harrow, pulled by Black 5 44984. On a subsequent visit to my grandparents during Easter 1967 I decided to visit the station one last time to take as many photographs as I could, to remind me of how the station looked. In the absence of staff or trains I was able to wander back and forth over tracks photographing the turntable, signals, water towers, and remaining trackwork and infrastructure. These are the photos that follow. In hindsight I wish I’d taken another roll of film with me, but it is what it is.”
![View Southwards from Bay 3. Two Lens Four Aspect Signals on Bay 3 and Up Main.](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/001-300x219.jpg)
![View of the Up Goods and Up Passenger Loop with Loco Servicing Area and Turntable in the background](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/020-300x219.jpg)
![Turntable](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/023-300x219.jpg)
![View to the North. 3 Aspect Signals controlled the exit from Bays 1 & 2](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/022-300x219.jpg)
![Buffers on Bay 3 & 4 (Southern Bays)](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/021-300x219.jpg)
![Turntable with the Station building in the background](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/019-300x219.jpg)
![Loco Servicing Area detail](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/018-300x219.jpg)
![Inspection pit with the Turntable at the back](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/017-300x219.jpg)
![Goods](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/016-300x219.jpg)
![Goods](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/015-300x219.jpg)
![Up Main Platform](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/014-300x219.jpg)
![Bays 3 & 4 (foreground)](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/013-300x219.jpg)
![Buffers in the Northern Bays](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/012-300x219.jpg)
![More details looking south in the Loco Servicing Area](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/011-300x219.jpg)
![Signal bracket on Down Goods and Down Passenger Loop](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/010-300x219.jpg)
![Looking South](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/009-300x219.jpg)
![View Northwards from the Up Main Platform](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/008-300x219.jpg)
![View at the South of the Station looking across Bays 3 & 4](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/007-300x219.jpg)
![Turntable](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/006-300x219.jpg)
![Looking South](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/005-300x219.jpg)
![Turntable](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/004-300x219.jpg)
![Searchlight Signal (50) and 3 Aspect Down Main and Bay 2 Respectively](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/003-300x219.jpg)
![Signal Bracket (43 & 53) Siding & Down Goods](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/002-300x219.jpg)
![Station Building from Great Central Street](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/034-300x219.jpg)
![Facade of the Station](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/032-300x219.jpg)
![Parcels Entrance](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/033-300x219.jpg)
![Looking South from Bays 3 & 4](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/031-300x219.jpg)
![Leicester Central Totem, Platform 5](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/029-300x219.jpg)
![Looking East from the Up Platform](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/030-300x219.jpg)
![Bridge Jarvis Street / All Saints Road](https://leicestercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/028-300x219.jpg)
You can navigate through the images below. Click on the thumbnail to view a larger image. These images are the ©property of Pete Garrard and have been reproduced here with his permission.