Great Central Railway Autumn Steam Gala | 2nd, 3rd October 2026

A sunny and busy Friday and Saturday in Leicestershire as we visit the Great Central Railway for their Autumn Steam Gala. This was the 'Little and Large' themed gala with five small guest locomotives, including the resident locomotives 68067 and 73156, however the Great Central Railway was short on their steam locomotives, with 78018 out of traffic, 78019 having repairs done, 6990 'Witherslack Hall' also having a repair, and 8F 48305 having test runs before it can haul trains, so this steam gala had to use some diesel locomotives including the guest Class 14 and resident Class 45 Peak. 2025 had an LMS themed gala with Coal Tank 1054, Stanier Mogul 13268 and 45596 'Bahamas' for Rail 200, unfortunately I could not make a video for that due working at Quorn Station, however 45596 'Bahamas' and Stanier Mogul 13268 will make a return visit to the Great Central Railway for future steam galas when the heritage railway is connected to the mainline. 2026 is a steam gala with a mixture of small and big steam locomotives with lots of passenger and freight trains. The Great Central Railway is the UK's only double track heritage railway with steam and diesel trains passing each other at speed, it is a railway in Leicestershire that currently runs from Loughborough Central to Leicester North, in the future it will be connected to both the Great Central Railway Nottingham and the Midland Mainline. Loughborough Central Station is where 'Goodnight Mr Tom' was filmed with 6990 'Witherslack Hall', and Rothley Station is where CITV's 'Woof' was filmed with Black 5 45231 'The Sherwood Forester'. We begin at Loughborough Central Station on the Friday of the steam gala, where we take a train hauled by Pannier Tank 9681 to Leicester North and ride on the front window from Leicester North to Quorn & Woodhouse. We then take a diesel railcar train to Rothley and Swithland to see some trains pass by at Swithland Sidings before we travel back to Quorn & Woodhouse Station. The next day on the Saturday of the steam gala, we begin at Loughborough Central Station where we see the locomotives starting up at the sheds and some train movements at the station including Sentinal 7232 'Ann' which did shuttle trains at Loughborough. We then take a diesel railcar train to Rothley Brook and Swithland Sidings to see the Jinty's train pass by, and then lastly we see some more trains at Quorn & Woodhouse Station. LOCOMOTIVES AND TRAINS INCLUDED: British Railways Western Region Pannier Tank 9681 (visitor from the Dean Forest Railway) Sentinel 7232 'Ann' (visitor from the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway) LMS 3F Jinty 16440 (visitor from the Midland Railway Centre Butterley) Great Western Railway Port Talbot Saddle Tank 813 (visitor from the Severn Valley Railway) Hunslet Engine Company 1589 'Newstead' (visitor from the North Norfolk Railway) British Railways J94 Austerity 68067 British Railways Standard 5 73156 British Railways Class 14 Teddy Bear D9525 (visitor from the Llangollen Railway) British Railways Class 45 Peak D123 'Leicestershire and Derbyshire Yeomanry' British Railways Class 101 DMU Enjoy.