Ride upfront on a footplate experience in Staffordshire & 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 & ride on the footplate with the driver. Observe just what it involves to get a historic steam train all stoked up on the move & 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 & watch the overall-clad train crew shovelling coal into the furnace expertly working the levers & opening valves to power up & move these wonderfully solid machines. Expect heat noise & lots of steam too as the loco chugs into life & 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 & 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 & you'll be able to watch observe & understand what all the jobs involve. The crew is sure to explain how everything works & 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!

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Immerse yourself in a wonderful world full of locomotives & rolling stock from a bygone age when you book your ticket to ride on our steam railway experience! The East Somerset Railway is a small & friendly steam railway centre just a few miles outside Shepton Mallet & this experience means that you can travel freely all day long so you can really make the most of your day out. This steam train line originally ran from Witham to Wells but the route experienced the harsh reality of the Beeching cuts & the passenger route was shut in 1963. Freight trains did continue with bitumen trains using parts of the line right up until 1985 & stone trains going as far as Merehead Quarry. As it happens steam fan David Shepherd was looking for a railway to runs his locos. Despite his lack of experience at the height of the cuts David had simply as he says " Picked up the 'phone to British Rail & bought two locomotives". For the princely sum of £5000 he had two well-maintained trains one... ...

Tickets to ride the full Churnet Valley Railway heritage line in Staffordshire ...

Scones jam clotted cream tea & trains at East Somerset Railway! ...

All-day train travel & an afternoon tea at a station tea rooms for two people ...

Time to go all nostalgic when you get to meet & 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 & copious amounts of hot steaming tea. Your hosts will then lead a safety briefing to let you know the 'dos & don'ts' of being around the working steam locomotive trains that reside on the South Easts premier heritage line. Then you & 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 & 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 & 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 & 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 & 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 & return journey on the line. This time you'll be well versed in your various duties & 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 & guard during the golden age of steam trains. Kent's friendliest heritage railway will welcome you with open arms & you'll really feel like part of the team for the day. Excellent fun informative hands on & all done in a convivial way sign up now for the next departure from platform 1! ...

Steam train driving Staffordshire that'll see you conquering the valleys & 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 & 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 & driving her with a rake of carriages attached. What we love most about this experience is that you can invite up to six friends & 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 & 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 & you'll feel like a fully integrated member of the steam train crew as you have six hours of stoking & driving ahead. Covering 41 miles you will tackle some of the steepest gradients on the Valley & Lowe lines culminating in the summit at Ipstones. & of course you can invite guests to be passengers. When you pull back into the station & your steam train driving in Staffordshire session comes to a close you will be presented with a certificate & a Churnet Valley Railway polo shirt. You will also be able to spend time having a look in the museum & loco sheds at the main Cheddleton Station giving you a superb full day out. So blow the whistle stoke the coal open the regulator & feel the power of super hot steam driving thee superb locos at one of Staffordshire's top attractions!
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Enjoy a Sunday roast with a difference onboard our steam trains in Somerset where good food & fantastic scenery come together to make for an unforgettable afternoon under the power of super hot steam. Taking in the beautiful East Somerset Railway line you will tuck into a three-course culinary treat that is the perfect complement to this wonderful rail journey. Steam train rides are perennially popular & this Somerset treat is no different. Nothing beats partaking in a relaxed Sunday lunch as you watch the tranquil countryside go by from your comfortable seat in the beautifully restored carriage. Revel in plush surroundings of the Mendip Belle Wine & Dine train where the ambiance is most definitely 'yesteryear glamour' with each table adorned with crisp white linen tablecloths a quaint table lamp & heavy-weight curtains dressing the panoramic windows. As you pull out of Cranmore station your Somerset steam train luncheon experience will begin with a choice of light starter before... ...

Daytrips to Stonehenge & Bath by return coach from London with add-ons including tickets to the Roman Baths & exclusive access to the inner circle of the stones on the premium tour. ...

Gain access to the stones on these exclusive Stonehenge inner circle tours! These day trips by coach from London include a guided tour around the actual Stonehenge stones an area that is normally out of bounds for the visiting public. Usually when you visit Stonehenge you can't get anywhere near the famous mystical stones. & you can see why. It's a really really popular tourist spot & with hundreds of visitors descending on the ancient site every day the landscape was getting damaged. For these inner circle tours your hosts have forged a special partnership with English Heritage who manage Stonehenge. After the daytime crowds have died away you will be setting off on a fully guided tour of the inner circle. Hosted by a Stonehenge expert you'll hear all about the theories of how this circle of stones was built what it may have been used for & why it is so famous today. Each tour has a designated time slot & you'll spend up to an hour in amongst this amazing stone circle.... ...