Later this month, the Great Central Railway is to hold a “Railways At Work” event which will recreate the time when railways were the prime movers and before lorries took over as the country’s prime carriers of freight.

During the weekend of Saturday, 19th and Sunday, 20th August, visitors to the railway will once more hear the rattle of milk churns, and the chatter of busy porters as cranes and trains bring the days of old back to life. Dozens of volunteer re-enactors will replicate loading and unloading goods trains, and shunting wagons, and generally create a nostalgic scene.

Quorn and Woodhouse station is the hub of the weekend where the sights and sounds of a busy country goods yard can once again be experienced. A host of uniformed porters will be busy making sure that goods get to their correct destinations so visitors can see how ‘special deliveries’ were organised in the style, long before warehouse-sized fulfilment centres had been thought of.

Anyone interested in how a country goods station operated in days gone by can see for themselves, as Quorn and Woodhouse will probably be busier than it ever was.

Over the weekend Several steam and diesel locomotives will be in operation hauling freight trains and the railway’s regular service of heritage passenger trains. As an added incentive, the summer special offer of ‘Kids for a Quid’ offer is available throughout the weekend. Full details about the weekend, including timetable and fares, are on the special webpage at https://www.gcrailway.co.uk/special-events/railways-at-work-gala/

Simon Bracewell, Head of Marketing & Communications of the Great Central Railway said, “This is one of our most exciting weekends of the year. Before lorries prowled motorways, freight trains crisscrossed the country loading and unloading wagons, parcels and goods at every small country station. We’ve got an impressive fleet of award-winning wagons which moved everything you can imagine. Also on display will be more unusual vehicles like rail-mounted cranes which we’ll set to work lifting heavy loads.