The north viaduct and the bridge over the river Soar, looking west, August 1975.

Panoramic photograph of the north viaduct from Slater Street, looking west.

Panoramic photograph take outside the north end of Leicester Central station. Soar Lane goes under the bridge on the left, the Great Central Hotel is in the centre, and Northgate Street bridge is on the right.

The Great Central viaduct alongside Dunns Lane, looking north, in 1976. Prominent in the centre is the “West End Inn” with its advertisement for Double Diamond beer. The name was later changed to the “Pump & Tap” and in late 2009 it is threatened with demolition.

Panoramic photograph of the bowstring bridge on Braunstone Gate, in 1976.

The Great Central Railway goods offices at the Western Boulevard goods depot. After closure for railway use the goods depot was taken over by British Road Services (which became roadline) as a distribution depot. The offices were later demolished when this whole area was redeveloped as a business park.

The remains of the carriage sidings and the gas works building, originally used for generating gas for lighting the coaches, looking north, 1979. The main line and goods warehouse are off the picture on the right. The Old River Soar runs behind the building.

The goods shed, 1979, seen while standing on the track bed of the main line, looking north, with Braunstone Gate bridge just visible in the distance.

The south goods yard from Upperton Road bridge, showing the coal sidings which were soon to become the major part of Vic Berry’s scrap yard, 1973. The goods warehouse is to the left of centre, with the track bed of the main line passing it on the left. By this date access to these sidings was via the new chord line from the ex-Midland Railway Leicester-Burton line, see below. More photographs of activity here are in the Old Photographs; Trains section.

Leicester Great Central Railway engine shed photographed from the roof of Leicester power station (itself now long demolished) April 1967.
The shed had been closed for a few years and through trains to London had ceased the year before. Local freight traffic was being handled from Nottingham, as evidenced by the two wagons in the timber yard alongside the shed.
The GC main line runs from right to left in the background, while the Midland Railway’s Leicester to Burton line runs diagonally from left top to centre top. The embankment for the chord line can be seen curving down from the Midland to the GC.
At bottom left is the Grand Union canal. A gap in the fence from the tow path allowed the spotter access to the shed, while no one was looking!

Old Photographs Section

© 2001-2010.   Text and photographs copyright Nigel Tout