Volunteering

Operations

Our Operations Department are responsible for the running of the trains and all positions are ‘safety critical’. All roles require ongoing training and assessments, you will need a certain level of fitness and you will most likely need to undertake medical checks. To work in these roles therefore a higher level of commitment is required from volunteers, and there is a minimum age of 18 for some roles. Although we used the traditional gendered job titles, we have female and male volunteers in these roles.

All operating days require Guards. They responsible for the safety of our trains, making sure each service is prepared properly, that all passengers are safely onboard and provide any assistance required. To train as a Guard you would normally have been a member of our Visitor Experience team working on the platform and as a TTI.

Our Steam Locomotive Department follows the traditional route of Cleaner – Fireman – Driver. Cleaners help preparation in the morning and disposal at the end of the day, whilst learning the basics of steam locos. As Trainee Fireman you’ll take turns learning the necessary skills with our experienced crews, working towards completing training and passing exams to progress to Fireman. As an experienced Fireman you can progress to Trainee Driver and Driver roles.

Within our Diesel Locomotive Department you’ll start as a Trainee Secondman, assisting the driver with preparing the loco and helping during the service, such as coupling up. After qualifying as a Secondman you can progress to train as a Diesel Driver on one of our heritage locos.