Footplate experience recommendations/advice

[Ivatt46403]

A friend of mine is looking to buy a driver/footplate experience for her husband and asked my advice, does anyone have any recommendations, advice as to what makes a good experience/what to look out for?

 

My initial advice to her was that they are fairly expensive and you have to look at the small print so see how many people you're sharing with but I imagine people on her might have more experience.

 

Marcus.

 

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

...I would write down your questions first, then ring the 3 nearest preserved railways to where you live and ask your questions....such as how much actual driving time will I get for my money, will I drive more than one type of train, what else will I be involved in during my time at your railway, how long will this experience last, how many will share this experience with me etc. 

 

You'll quickly get a feel for who offers the best value for money.

 

In the South West there are the West Somerset, the Bodmin Railway, the South Devon Railway and The Paignton & Dartmouth Railway who are all well established and should be able to offer a rewarding experience. The Swanage railway is a little removed but is also well established.

 

Dave 

[PhilH]

Wherever she books, get a date when the weather is cooler. At the speed they will be going, if they're on an engine with an enclosed cab the footplate in hot weather is not for the faint hearted.

[cromptonnut]

Steam or diesel?  Although I get the idea you're looking for steam.

 

I had a great diesel experience on the South Devon Railway - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_615ybczns - although how I've got almost 2000 views a month since then I have no idea...

[Ivatt46403]

Thanks both, good tips, I should have mentioned that they are based in London, with family in Kent and Hampshire so I suspect those will be the areas they will be looking at.

 

I shall look in my ever handy AA Railway Days Out book to see what's in the appropriate area.

 

Marcus

[Gordon A]

If you look at the UK Heritage railways web site there is a map showing all the heritage railways in the UK.

Click on the red spot links you to that railways web site.

I echo the point about the heat, especially in a tank engine.

Some railways offer different courses for different lengths of time.

If your friends husband has any physical impediments like a bad back or asthma that should be mentioned to the railway when making an enquiry. The courses are reasonable physical as in shovelling coal when firing, climbing up and down from the ground to the cab and you may be involved in coupling and uncoupling, and operating a lever frame.

My experience with the Avon Valley Railway as a driver is that if some one cannot do a particular operation we will do it for them.

 

Gordon A

Bristol

[Ivatt46403]

Steam or diesel?  Although I get the idea you're looking for steam.

 

I had a great diesel experience on the South Devon Railway - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_615ybczns - although how I've got almost 2000 views a month since then I have no idea...

 

 

I think diesel would be ok too - he was apparently very jealous of the pictures I posted of the RMWeb members day at West Somerset at and that was on an 09

[Ian J.]

Back in 2009 I did an experience day on the Lavender Line in Sussex (near the Bluebell Railway, but not on it) on A1X Terrier 662 'Martello' (see profile pick to left). I enjoyed the day immensely. It was in a small group, and the line isn't long (only a mile or so) so there's no 'getting up to speed', but it was enough to enjoy. I haven't looked online to see if they are still doing the days at the moment. My teacher was Clive Groom, apparently quite well respected in the business of driving.

[Nick Holliday]

More years ago than I care to calculate, my birthday present from the wife was such an experience, on the Bredgar and Wormshill Railway just outside Maidstone.  As their website states, only 6 people are on the course at a time, with 2 locos in use.http://bwlr.co.uk/railway.php?flag=public#drive

I thoroughly enjoyed it - although, or perhaps because, it is narrow gauge and on a smaller scale than the preserved lines, I got the chance to do a lot more than I expected, and in fact the short travelling distance (it may be longer now) meant that there was more shunting and manoeuvring to do, and no "coasting along doing nothing except admire the scenery" time-wasting.  If it is still as good as it was then, I can thoroughly recommend it. It seems the family can come along and watch in the afternoon, and with the open carriages and simple loco cabs, they can get a good view of what dad or grandad is doing on the footplate.

[Ivatt46403]

Thanks everybody! I shall pass on your recommendations/advice.

 

Marcus.

[Fat Controller]

One of my god-children had a belated 21st present of a day's footplate experience on the Mid-Hants a couple of days ago, which was evidently very good.

[Joe MCMLXI]

Hi, on a slightly different take on what your asking.

 

I made a Money offer, by e-mail, to the Langollen Railway, for a return Footplate ride from Llangollen to Carog. I wasn't bothered about driving a loco, just getting the experience of a cab journey in a steam locomotive through a tunnel

This proved to be, for me, one of the best days out!

Foxcote Manor was the locomotive on the day, an open back locomotive.

I was the only public person on the plate , the crew being Driver, Fireman and trainee Fireman. The crew made me feel very welcome, even letting me throw a few shovel fulls of coal on!

The journey up the line was superb, the highlight for me, was the trip through the Berwyn tunnel, a single bore tunnel, so you really feel all the elements of a steam locomotive..Steam, pitch black, noise, smell, fair bit of soot and coal dust off the tender! You feel incredibly closed in by the tunnel lining, as it passes so close by around you.

 

Might be a long way from Kent, but it was a superb day out, a credit to all the volunteers at the Llangollen Railway. 

 

Joe

[roythebus]

The Kent & East Sussex run a series of "footplate taster" days for the inexperienced, experienced and more experienced. The day is usually shared with up to 3 others, not all on the loco at the same time I hasten to add!

[kevinlms]

Further afield. OK a LOT further, but a late friend of mine was a significant contributor to set this one up. Tony is in one of the photos, in the centre.

 

http://www.puffingbilly.com.au/news-events/drive-a-steam-train/

 

Note it is a full day, including trips along the 'mainline' between regular services. You don't share the footplate with other guests, but can take family/friends in the train. This one ISN'T run in summer, there is too much risk of total fire ban days & the line is too busy, to have this loco pottering along.

 

I know Tony told me, more than one guest driver flew in for a weekend, then back to USA or Europe.

 

[marsa69]

Checkout the Telford Steam Railway. The full day steam package not only includes firing an ddriving a standard gauge loco but also a morning on the 2ft steam tram first whilst waiting for the big loco to heat up. We offer value for money and our course is extremely popular with people travelling from all over the country. Here's the link;

 

   Telford Driving experience

[Firefingers]

Severn Valley do a varied variety, including short morning or afternoon only courses and autotrailer with autotank 1450 experiences. The highest level one is two days, two different locos and includes 2 night accommodation. 

[ColinK]

Probably much to far away for the original poster, but maybe of interest to others. Last time I visited the Harz narrow gauge in Germany, they were offering footplate rides, including up the Broken. I did Wernigerode to Deri Annen Hone and it was excellent. Motive power being one of the metre gauge 2-10-2 tank locos, which are huge and very noisy. Excellent.

[OzScroggs]

Hi Colin,

I'll be there for five days in just under a month. How did you arrange that, through the ticket office ?

Thanks,

Ian J

Melb, Aust,

[DavidH]

I was at Wernigerode last month and didn't see any advertising for cab rides. But if I had ...

[coachmann]

Having done the job, it makes me smile when I read BR steam was one of those dirty jobs that people didn't want after the war. Any railwayman of steam days will tell you it was the almost constant shift work that was the bummer (for the wife), not the getting of ones hands dirty! Therefore I am not surprised that folk are wanting the "footplate experience".

[Reorte]

Having done the job, it makes me smile when I read BR steam was one of those dirty jobs that people didn't want after the war. Any railwayman of steam days will tell you it was the almost constant shift work that was the bummer (for the wife), not the getting of ones hands dirty! Therefore I am not surprised that folk are wanting the "footplate experience".

Wouldn't it depend upon the job somewhat as well? Having to regularly fire a heavy train over Shap sounds like something that could quickly turn in to a chore.

[coachmann]

Wouldn't it depend upon the job somewhat as well? Having to regularly fire a heavy train over Shap sounds like something that could quickly turn in to a chore.

A friend of mine did work over the Settle & Carlisle with LMS 8F's and BR 9F's as well as Scots. He enjoyed his work and the only moan he had was the LMS 2-8-0 was preferred as he had time to sit down more and enjoy the view. Firing was an art and while one could have a bad steamer, it would be put down to a bad shift.......Isn't it like this in any field of work?

[edcayton]

A friend did his "footplate experience" on the RHDR and thoroughly enjoyed it. He said it was like driving a main line express.

 

Ed

[Bon Accord]

Of course the ultimate footplate experience can be found over in Wolsztyn, assuming regular steam running restarts again soon.

My first visit there some years back was a real eye opener; no briefings, no PPE requirement except for sturdy boots and overalls, no classroom etc, just myself and mate being marched over to Wolsztyn station at 0430 one morning and ushered up into the cab of an OL49 2-6-2 (their version of a Black 5) which was at the head of an early morning commuter service. I was driving on the outward leg (50 miles) with a wonderful old boy named Janus (now retired) and after introductions he quickly pointed out the controls in the (RH drive) cab:

 

Janus: (pointing furiously) Air brake, loco brake, regulator, reverser, wheesel, steam chest (pointing at the pressure gauge).  Is ok?

Me: Erm, ok.

(Whistle and voices in the background): Odjaz!

Janus: Odjaz! Odjaz! (blank look from me). GO! GO!

Me: Go?

Janus: Yes yes,  GO GO!

 

Whereupon with much trepidation and lots of encouragement I yanked open the regulator and off we stomped into the frosty darkness. I've been a number of times now and once the crews begin to recognise you and you display some basic knowledge of what's going on you're more or less left to get on with it (there are a number of regular visitors). Saying that, after all these years the peculiarities of the injectors used on Polish locos continue to flummox me occasionally, as they do to the crews themselves.

Wolsztyn is as close to real steam as you'lll find these days, a real timewarp: daily runs with regular crews - most of whom cannot drive diesels - on scheduled public services with locos which range in condition from very good to very tired and with none of the suffocating nonsense which plagues modern life in the UK. Just be ready to buy a lot of beer for the crews in the pub after your turn, which includes 'fines' for infractions such as spilling coal, hitting the firebox door with the shovel, blowing off in a station etc. When this happens a shout of "Piwo!" (beer) normally resonates around the cab complete with excited grins from the crew. More serious infractions such as braking too late and over-running a station, or hitting something will normally cost you a bottle of vodka!

[Reorte]

A friend of mine did work over the Settle & Carlisle with LMS 8F's and BR 9F's as well as Scots. He enjoyed his work and the only moan he had was the LMS 2-8-0 was preferred as he had time to sit down more and enjoy the view. Firing was an art and while one could have a bad steamer, it would be put down to a bad shift.......Isn't it like this in any field of work?

Certainly if you've got time to enjoy the view it sounds pretty good, I've always had visions of hot, back-breaking non-stop shovelling on long climbs, particularly if the weather is like it is at the moment. I can imagine though that there's quite a bit of satisfaction in getting a steamer running well for both driver and fireman.

 

Must try one of these footplate experiences to get a little bit of an idea myself, even though obviously it'll hardly compare to that. Hmm, it's my birthday soon...