Preservation
In 1969 local groups who opposed the closure gathered together for a meeting in a Leicester Central waiting room. The Mainline Preservation Group (MLPG) was formed to restore a section of the railway to run Britain's largest steam and diesel locomotives on double track in a heritage capacity, and recreate scenes from the past using these features. Work began on salvaging as much reusable material from the recent demolitions and start work on the project. The original plan was to restore the entire closed line from Nottingham Arkwright Street to Rugby Central, but this was soon cut back to a smaller Loughborough to Leicester section due to time and financial realities. British Rail retained a single track between the Loughborough and Ruddington for British Gypsum freight and access to the now-closed Ministry of Defence base.
Read more about this topic: Great Central Railway (heritage Railway)
Famous quotes containing the word preservation:
“Is not our role to stand for the one thing which means our own salvation here but with which it will also be possible to save the world, and with which Europe will be able to save itself, namely the preservation of the white man and his state?”
—Hendrik Verwoerd (1901–1966)
“Men are not therefore put to death, or punished for that their theft proceedeth from election; but because it was noxious and contrary to men’s preservation, and the punishment conducing to the preservation of the rest, inasmuch as to punish those that do voluntary hurt, and none else, frameth and maketh men’s wills such as men would have them.”
—Thomas Hobbes (1579–1688)
“It is my hope to be able to prove that television is the greatest step forward we have yet made in the preservation of humanity. It will make of this Earth the paradise we have all envisioned, but have never seen.”
—Joseph O’Donnell. Clifford Sanforth. Professor James Houghland, Murder by Television, just before he demonstrates his new television device (1935)