Winter Steam Gala — Great Central Railway

The Great Central Railway runs its annual Winter Steam Gala at the start of the new year. The operator describes a four-day event with an intensive timetable of both passenger and goods trains and a line-up of special guest locomotives alongside its own home-fleet engines.

The operator's page lists the attractions as intensive timetables, home-fleet locomotives, visiting guest locomotives, double-headed trains, goods trains, brake van rides, shed tours and rare photography opportunities. It bills the Great Central as the UK's only double-track preserved main line.

A runabout ticket allows travel on all standard passenger trains through the day, so visitors can hop on and off at the line's historic stations: Loughborough Central, Quorn & Woodhouse, Rothley and Leicester North. Refreshments and catering are available. A downloadable event timetable is published on the operator's event page.

Four days of steam on the Great Central main line: passenger and goods trains, double-headed workings, brake van rides and shed tours, with home-fleet and visiting guest locomotives. A runabout ticket lets you hop on and off at each station.

Loughborough Central is the main station: Great Central Road, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 1RW. The line's other stations are Quorn & Woodhouse, Rothley and Leicester North. A runabout ticket gives travel on all standard passenger trains for the day. The operator publishes a downloadable event timetable on the event page, and refreshments and catering are available.