Newstead Stars at the GCR Autumn Steam Gala!

The Great Central Railway’s Autumn Steam Gala brought together an impressive selection of home and visiting locomotives for four days of action on Britain’s only preserved double-track main line. I visited on Friday and Saturday, travelling along the line and filming from Loughborough Central, Quorn & Woodhouse and other locations along the railway. There was plenty to see across both days, from passenger services and demonstration goods trains to some fantastic autumn evening running. The visiting locomotives included Port Talbot Railway 0-6-0ST No. 813, GWR 8750 Class No. 9681, 3F ‘Jinty’ No. 16440, Sentinel ‘Ann’ No. 7232 and, of course, Hunslet No. 1589 ‘Newstead’ — a locomotive I was particularly keen to find! The Great Central’s home fleet was well represented too, including BR Standard Class 5 No. 73156 and Austerity No. 68067, alongside appearances from some decidedly non-steam traction including Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9525, Class 45 ‘Peak’ D123 and the Metro-Cammell Class 101 DMU. Naturally, some disciplinary action was required... The video finishes with some of my favourite footage from the weekend, as the light begins to fade and the railway takes on some fantastic autumn colours — including final runs featuring Newstead and Ann as the sun sets over the Great Central. Which locomotive — or moment — was your favourite from the gala? Let me know in the comments! If you enjoyed the video, please consider liking and subscribing for more heritage railway visits, railway galas and station tours. Find out more about the Great Central Railway: https://www.gcrailway.co.uk The reunification project: https://www.gcrailway.co.uk/about/reu... Filmed October 2026. #GreatCentralRailway #SteamGala #Newstead #HeritageRailway #SteamTrains