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Steam Train Driving Experiences
Available
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If you know someone who's
mad about locos they'll
love these train cab
rides! This is your
chance to ride shotgun
upfront in a diesel
engine on the East Kent
Railway. This delightful
historic railway is the
perfect place to
experience a train ride
from the cab sitting
alongside the driver. The
railway line runs from
Shepherdswell to Eythorne
Station. It might only be
a fairly short section of
track but there is so
much to see in that time.
For starters arriving a
Shepherdswell you'll be
immediately drawn into
the lovely little station
cafe where many of the
travellers gather before
boarding. This station is
also where the East Kent
railway's miniature
railway resides again a
fascinating little
addition to your
experience. But the main
event is of course your
ride in the diesel engine
cab. Hooked up to
carriages you will have
the privilege of watching
a classic diesel engine
at work as it hauls the
passengers along the
line. And we have to say
you get an amazing view
down the...
Availability: In Stock
£29 GBP
Available
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Bronze footplate
experience on the GCR in
Loughborough!
Availability: In Stock
£599 GBP
Archived Product
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A great value hands-on
steam locomotive
experience! Become part
of the train operating
team at the Kent and East
Sussex Railway as you
prepare to accompany and
work with the crew on a
return trip at this
wonderful heritage
railway - one of the
finest in the South East.
These steam locomotive
taster sessions are a bit
like work experience
albeit the best one
you'll probably ever do!
You will discover what
each role in getting a
steam train running
involves. This heritage
railway like many others
around the country relies
on volunteers and it's
pretty amazing to see
first hand how dedicated
they are. And as they say
here: "There's always a
lot to do. But there's
always lots of tea
involved!". Incidentally
that's exactly how your
steam locomotive
experience starts. Over a
cuppa you'll be
introduced to the train
crew with whom you'll be
carrying out all the
tasks needed to get a
steam train on the move.
Then it's time to drink
up and head out to the
waiting train on the
platform and get to work.
After all there's steam
to make! As you'll be no
more than six
participants in each
group there's plenty of
time to have a go at each
role. Setting off from
Tenterden Town station to
Bodiam you'll swap at
each intermediate stop
spending time on the
footplate with the driver
and the fireman in the
train and with the guard
of the steam loco. Once
at Bodiam it's everyone
off to assist with the
'run around'. This is
when the loco is detached
from the front of the
carriages reverses along
an adjacent piece of
track called the 'loop'
to then re-attach at the
back of the carriages.
The train then sets off
back for the return
journey to Bodiam pulling
the carriages. Many on
these steam loco taster
experiences say this is
the highlight for them
along with being fireman
on the very steep climb
back into Tenterden! In
total you'll cover 21
miles on these superb
steam locomotive
experiences. In addition
to your onboard tasks on
the footplate as driver
and fireman you'll also
spend time with the
crossing keeper as well
as discovering what guard
duties involve too - and
it's not just checking
tickets! There might even
be time for more tea…
Availability: In Stock
£299.00
Archived Product
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Enjoy a diesel train
experience that'll see
you riding up front with
the driver on one of
Britain's finest light
railways through the
historic countryside of
Kent. You will be a very
privileged passenger on a
Diesel Mechanical
Multiple Unit with the
rare chance to see
everything on the railway
from the driver's
perspective.Learning all
about the heritage of
this lovely little light
railway as you go you'll
leave the main station at
Tenterden and head
through Northiam to the
present terminus at
Bodiam (right next to the
stunning castle!). What
we love about this diesel
train experience is that
whilst being driven along
the 21 mile long round
trip you will spend the
entire time alongside the
driver of this vintage
diesel train in the cab.
We think this is one very
special ride.Of course
the DMMUs that take part
in these experiences are
nothing like the diesel
trains you see driving
the length and breadth of
Britain today. We're
talking the first wave of
diesel power introduced
when the Kent and East
Sussex Railway was taken
over by British Railways
in 1948 and traction by
internal combustion was
becoming more common. In
the post-war era early
railcars and diesel locos
where in active use on
this very line including
a twice-daily 'hop
picker's' freight
service.Today the
heritage railway uses
diesels for shunting
engineers' trains off
peak passenger train
services and emergency
assistance too. The line
is steeped in history and
this experience gives you
time to ask the driver
all the questions you
want whether it's about
how the diesel trains are
used here or the
technical aspects of
restoration. Maybe you
want to know how signal
boxes work or you're
curious as to what
freight was carried on
this line. All your
queries will be deftly
answered by the
knowledgeable staff here
in Kent.To cover the
return journey you should
allow just shy of two
hours giving you plenty
of time to get to know
and understand how a DMMU
works. Being a classic
diesel train you'll have
a great 'driver's eye
view' from the panoramic
window of the cab and
you'll get a real insight
into diesel train driving
operations and
techniques. This is a
truly memorable day out
that doesn't end at the
train terminus as you
have all day to take in
the Colonel Stephens
Museum and general goings
on at the Kent and East
Sussex Railway after your
diesel train experience.
Availability: In Stock
£95.00
Archived Product
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Immerse yourself in the
golden age of the
railways on this
fantastic steam train day
that'll see you being
shown just what goes on
behind the scenes at this
popular heritage railway
in Kent known as the
'Jewel in the Weald' that
covers 21 miles of the
countryside from
Tenterden to
Bodiam.Lifting the lid on
this rural light railway
starts in the best way
possible - with
introductions to your
fellow tour guests and
guide along with a nice
cup of tea. Then it's off
to have a good look
around the carriage and
wagon workshop where
you'll see skilled
craftspersons who work
day in day out to
renovate the rolling
stock that are coupled to
the steam trains. It
really is a labour of
love and the team's
passion for their work
certainly comes
across.Your access all
areas day then steps up a
gear as you climb aboard
the first steam train
departure of the day from
Tenterden to the
intermediary Rolvenden
station. On arrival at
Rolvenden you'll be shown
around the locomotive
shed where all the heavy
engineering takes place
to keep these magnificent
locos running smoothly on
the tracks. And look for
the spanners on the wall
- some of them are
enormous and look like
they'd weigh a ton!You'll
then move across the
station to have a tour of
the fully working signal
box to see what all those
levers do and then you
will be able to watch
from the side of tracks
as the steam train which
departed from Bodiam
stops to be filled up
with water. Having
witnessed this impressive
'refuelling' of the steam
train your day continues
when you step aboard that
train to head back to
Tenterden Station for a
visit to the Colonel
Stephen museum before
lunch.The afternoon of
your exclusive day out
with the steam trains
starts with you hopping
aboard an afternoon
service to experience and
enjoy the full 21 mile
round trip on the Kent
and East Sussex line.
Once back at Tenterden
your fabulous steam train
day comes to a close with
a farewell drink and the
opportunity to ask any
remaining burning
questions you may have to
the experts. At the end
of the day it's all about
the wonder of travel by
steam train and we think
this experience gives you
the perfect blend of a
guided tour and steam
train travel.
Availability: In Stock
£149.00
Archived Product
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Steam train driving
Staffordshire that'll see
you conquering the
valleys and embankments
of the Churnet Valley
railway line. This is one
of those things that
everyone would love to
do. If driving a steam
train is on your 'bucket
list' we can highly
recommend these
experiences in
Staffordshire - the crews
are friendly the scenery
is stunning and the whole
day out is great fun for
all the family. The
'Regulator' steam train
experience offers one to
one tuition driving one
of this
Staffordshire-based
railway's fully restored
steam locomotives without
carriages attached. You
will be shown around the
the loco you'll be
driving which could be
No. 6046 that was built
in Pennsylvania before
being exported to France
in 1945 or perhaps No
69621 another beautifully
restored steam loco. Once
onboard the train driver
will give you 'on the
job' training as you head
off along the track for
12 miles. The 'Toplink
course' in Staffordshire
will see you being
responsible for stoking
up for the steam on the
train and driving her
with a rake of carriages
attached. What we love
most about this
experience is that you
can invite up to six
friends and family to
ride as passengers in the
carriages of the train
you will actually be
driving. This experience
is shared with one other
driver so you will
alternate between the
roles of firing and
driving along the
extended 23 mile Churnet
Valley route. The
ultimate day out at this
wonderful venue at
Frogshall near Stafford
is the 'Cauldon Lowe'
course. You will spend
all day at the base and
you'll feel like a fully
integrated member of the
steam train crew as you
have six hours of stoking
and driving ahead.
Covering 41 miles you
will tackle some of the
steepest gradients on the
Valley and Lowe lines
culminating in the summit
at Ipstones. And of
course you can invite
guests to be
passengers.When you pull
back into the station and
your steam train driving
in Staffordshire session
comes to a close you will
be presented with a
certificate and a Churnet
Valley Railway polo
shirt. You will also be
able to spend time having
a look in the museum and
loco sheds at the main
Cheddleton Station giving
you a superb full day
out. So blow the whistle
stoke the coal open the
regulator and feel the
power of steam driving
thee superb locos at one
of Staffordshire's top
attractions!
Availability: In Stock
£350.00
Available
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Drive a loco for a
return trip along
the East Kent Railway
line near Dover and
invite up to four to ride
along behind in the brake
van!
Availability: In Stock
£349 GBP
Available
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When it comes to cuteness
the Sherwood Forest
Railway wins hands down!
It's a whole world of
steam all in miniature at
this delightful
family-owned railway that
runs along the edge of
the former Sherwood
Forest farm park area -
and this experience will
see you getting to drive
one of the steam
locos.The SFR (as the
Sherwood Forest Railway
is know to locals and
fans!) is
Nottinghamshire's only
15" railway. Rolling on
this narrow gauge track
are 5/8th scale
locomotives with both
diesel and steam powered
versions along with a
fine collection of bright
and shiny passenger
carriages. For this
experience you will be
driving one of the lovely
steam trains.The family
who operates this
charming railway
originally bought steam
locos Smokey Joe and Pet
back in 1998 but it
wasn't until 2000 that
they had found the
perfect location on the
edge of Sherwood Forest
to build their railway
track. Each year the line
is extended and now
stands at one mile
complete with two level
crossings a tunnel...
Availability: In Stock
£69 GBP
Archived Product
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Ride upfront on a
footplate experience in
Staffordshire and see
what the track looks like
from the working end of
the train! This fabulous
package gives you the
chance to climb up onto a
fully-restored
steam-powered locomotive
and ride on the footplate
with the driver.Observe
just what it involves to
get a historic steam
train all stoked up on
the move and trundling
along the Staffordshire
track with the plumes of
steam swirling around
you.You really are quite
literally in the hot seat
on these experiences as
you stand on the
footplate and watch the
overall-clad train crew
shovelling coal into the
furnace expertly working
the levers and opening
valves to power up and
move these wonderfully
solid machines. Expect
heat noise and lots of
steam too as the loco
chugs into life and heads
off on its journey along
this superb rural
heritage train line.The
Churnet Valley line gives
you 22 miles of valley
views as you rumble
through the likes of
Consall station which is
right next to the canal
and the river. Then
there's Froghall stop
with its delightful
tearooms on the
platform.And you will be
amazed at just how
different everything
looks from the very front
of the train as you look
out from your very
privileged spot on the
footplate - quite an
exhilarating
experience!As you won't
actually be taking the
controls on this
footplate experience
you'll have more time to
enjoy the viewpoint of
the open locomotive and
you'll be able to watch
observe and understand
what all the jobs
involve. The crew is sure
to explain how everything
works and show you how
it's done - without you
having to get your hands
dirty!Don't forget to
being your camera along
to capture the moment you
had the chance to stand
on the footplate of a
steam train on the
Churnet Valley Railway!
Availability: In Stock
£150.00
Archived Product
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Pull on your blue
locomotive driver's coat
and flat cap - this is
the ultimate train
driving day for any
railway fan! This is real
train driving with you at
the helm of a beautifully
restored steam loco on a
mainline heritage railway
pulling a train of
passenger carriages. This
really is the ultimate
gift for train lovers who
want to spend the whole
day as part of the crew.
This steam gift voucher
allows to access places
not normally open to
member of the public as
you integrate into the
team running the railway
on the day of your
experience and be a
thoroughly hands-on
member too. What's more
given the extensive
amount of driving that's
included in these
ultimate footplate
experiences you can make
it a private group event
by inviting up to seven
friends or family to join
you and share the driving
duties. On arrival you'll
be introduced to your
colleagues for the day
watch an induction DVD
and of course start the
day off as any
respectable locomotive
driver does with a large
mug of tea and a bacon
butty. But there's a
timetable to respect with
eager passengers to
transport along this
wonderful heritage
mainline so it's time to
climb aboard the
footplate for your first
of four epic return
journeys along the full
Great Central mainline.
You'll soon discover that
being a railway driver on
these magnificent steam
trains is pretty physical
stuff with driving and
optional fire-stoking
duties to cover as you
trundle through the
Charnwood countryside
from Loughborough to the
Leicester North terminus
station. An absolute
highlight has to be
rumbling gently over the
tranquil Swithland
Reservoir a lovely spot
in the Leicestershire
countryside - and you'll
get the ultimate view of
it all from the footplate
of your steam train. And
although you'll be busy
driving the passenger
train on those four
return journeys it'd be a
shame if you didn't take
time to see all the
superbly restored
infrastructure at this
heritage railway so your
itinerary includes a
guided tour of the loco
shed and visit to the
signal box. The loco shed
at Loughborough Central
is where the restoration
maintenance and repair of
the locomotives is
carried out by the most
passionate dedicated and
highly skilled volunteers
you could ever meet. It's
fascinating here and
you'll discover a lot
about the history and the
vision for the future for
this railway line.
There's also time to
visit one of the signal
boxes on the line. The
50-lever box in
Loughborough is the only
original signal box one
the line and it's Grade
II listed. You should
also make time to visit
the on-platform museums
(we love the parcel
office at Rothley
station!) the emporium
shops and even the ladies
and gents toilets all
restored to their
Victorian glory! Indeed
it might sound like a
cliche that we spout all
the time but this really
is the ultimate train
driving day. Being the
sole double track
mainline heritage railway
in the UK this is the
only place your can be
the locomotive driver of
steam trains that pass
each on the line. And
remember this is real
train driving with your
loco hauling carriages.
Availability: In Stock
£1850.00
Available
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It's pretty much access
all areas when you go on
this Somerset railway
experience! The
Whistlestop Cream Tea &
Steam Train Ride is a
great value railway
experience for two people
that gives you plenty to
see and do at this
delightful heritage
railway near Shepton
Mallet in Somerset.
Founder of the East
Somerset Railway David
Shepherd first set eyes
on the dilapidated
railway station at
Cranmore in 1971 and it
was "one of the many
sleepy little branch line
stations that were
victims of the Beeching
axe." Since he had bought
two steam locomotives
from British Rail that
needed a home he invested
in Cranmore and the first
of the Somerset heritage
railway passenger
services ran in late
1973. By buying this East
Somerset railway
experience you'll be
helping to safeguard this
wonderful little part of
British railway history.
Your experience starts
with introductions to the
enthusiastic staff and
volunteers. You'll each
be issued with an all day
rover ticket that is
valid for all services
on...
Availability: In Stock
£30 GBP
Available
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Drive a 50s or 60s diesel
train for two return
journeys on the GCR
Availability: In Stock
£999 GBP
Archived Product
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Drive a diesel train
along the wonderful
Churnet Valley Railway
line! British Railways
started building cleaner
and more economical
diesel-powered trains in
the 1950s. Lightweight
and adaptable the diesel
rail cars you can drive
on these experiences were
all built by the
Birmingham Railway
Carriage & Wagon Company
not far from this
heritage line's base in
Staffordshire.A true
labour of love the wagons
and trains you will climb
aboard at the Cheddleton
base have been restored
by the army of volunteers
between 1992 and 2004. We
think the hard-working
team has every right to
be incredibly proud of
what has been achieved
with the train gone from
being on the diesel scrap
heap to be driven by you
and looking decidedly
more photogenic now too
liveried up in a gorgeous
dark green colour or
classic BR blue.To be
more precise about your
day out you will most
likely be driving a class
33 train. This class of
diesel was in production
between 1960 and 1962
with 98 locos being built
in total. At the time
they were quite
innovative being factory
fitted with dual braking
systems namely vacuum and
air. They were also
capable of working in
push-pull mode where the
trains run on a
non-electrified section
of railway line. All this
fascinating info and more
will be explained to you
when you take on the 12
mile trip on a one to one
basis with your expert
driver.And there is such
a lot of history behind
these locos! 'Sophie'
retired in 1992 from the
mainlines and she was
sold by tender in 1993.
After having her bogies
replaced and an overhaul
she went back into
service in 1997. A
complete restoration was
carried out in 2009
(covering everything from
re-wiring and bodywork to
new batteries and
repainting) before being
back in traffic in
2012.'Captain Charles' is
another class 33 who
retired from service in
1996 after a long career.
After being sold and run
privately to pull charter
and specialist services
he made his first
appearance after
restoration in 2010 and
found his way to the
Churnet Valley later that
year. These are just two
of the diesel trains that
are in the fleet here in
Staffordshire with lots
more stored awaiting
overhaul or repairs
including class 47s
'Brightside' 'Tamworth
Castle' and No6 Roger H
Bennett to name but a few
loco shed residents.You
will be heading out for
your jaunt on the Churnet
Valley Line that
stretches 12 miles along
the countryside they call
'Little Switzerland' in
this part of
Staffordshire. Every
drive a diesel train
experience is offered on
an exclusive basis so it
will just be you and the
experienced driver
upfront in the cab
ensuring lots of hands on
time actually driving the
diesel multiple unit and
learning what it was like
to be a diesel train
driver in the 1960s and
70s. And don't forget
your friends and family
will be able to wave from
the platform!
Availability: In Stock
£350.00
Archived Product
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Time to go all nostalgic
when you get to meet and
work on a lovely steam
train in Kent as part of
the loco's hands-on crew
for the day. But first
things first; at
Tenterden Town station
proceedings are kicked
off in a very civilised
fashion with all guests
meeting over a breakfast
bap and copious amounts
of hot steaming tea. Your
hosts will then lead a
safety briefing to let
you know the 'dos and
don'ts' of being around
the working steam
locomotive trains that
reside on the South Easts
premier heritage line.
Then you and your fellow
guest drivers will head
out onto the platform
where you'll find your
historic steam locomotive
waiting for you ready to
rumble down the line. The
first job is to get the
loco all stoked up and
steaming. When you're
ready to depart you'll be
given tuition by the
expert drivers on how to
smoothly pull off. Now
once you're rolling you
will of course need to
know how to stop so
you'll be shown how to
brake in your multi-tonne
steam train on this
magnificent railway in
the heart of Kent and
Sussex. With expert
tuition you'll soon be
confident in simple
driving manoeuvres (and
remember it takes a lot
of distance to bring a
hefty steam locomotive to
a halt!). As you are part
of a small group for the
day tasks will be rotated
amongst the team.
Everyone will get a go at
firing driving guard
duties and assisting with
level crossings as you go
on your first run of the
day from Tenterden to
Bodiam. On arrival at
Bodiam there'll be
lashings of railway tea
and time for photos
before you assist as the
engine 'runs around' to
couple back up to the
carriages ready to head
back to Tenterden. By the
time you roll into the
platform at Tenterden
it'll be time for a
well-deserved lunch.
After enjoying a tasty
ploughman's with your
fellow railway crew you
head off on another
outward and return
journey on the line. This
time you'll be well
versed in your various
duties and the team will
be working like a
well-oiled machine to get
the loco steaming
beautifully along. We
think these experiences
give you a real feel for
life as a steam train
driver fireman and guard
during the golden age of
steam trains. Kent's
friendliest heritage
railway will welcome you
with open arms and you'll
really feel like part of
the team for the day.
Excellent fun informative
hands on and all done in
a convivial way sign up
now for the next
departure from platform
1!
Availability: In Stock
£495.00
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