Video: How to . . . drive a steam train
Who among you wouldn't take up the opportunity to drive a big old steam train? Very few, I'd wager.
Who among you wouldn't take up the opportunity to drive a big old steam train? Very few, I'd wager.In all honesty, I was never one of those kids who harboured a burning ambition to be an engine driver when I grew up, but when Nene Valley Railway (NVR) called and offered me the chance to become one for a day, it somehow felt like the realisation of a childhood dream anyway. Poop poop!
Someone had dropped out of one of NVR's popular driver experience days, providing me with the opportunity to step up to the footplate and learn more about the golden age of steam.
Anyone who's ever been to Wansford Station will know that the staff – the vast majority of whom are volunteers – are an extremely friendly bunch, and before I got started on my tuition I was given a hearty lunch of chicken pie and vegetables to get me set up for the day.
Next up was a short tuition session with another volunteer, Peter, who did a fantastic job – aided by diagrams and a scale model – explaining just how a steam engine works, and ran through some basic health and safety stuff (with temperatures of 1,000 degrees it's important to know these things).
Next, we took a tour of the yard, which allowed me to poke my head in a few redundant boilers and shells of engines to get a better idea of just how they work, before it was time to get on the loco itself.
The engine – an Austerity type – was a beautiful-looking machine, and as I climbed on to the footplate, the first thing I realised was that it was going to be a tight squeeze for myself and Karen, from Lincoln, who was also learning the ropes.
Also aboard were Mark Sherwood and John Scholes, who would be instructing us in what to do. Although the tuition had given me an idea of what did what, the various levers and dials were still a bit of a mystery, and John ran through everything with me again as the train eased gently away from the platform.
As a regular traveller on modern, electric trains, the experience made me realise that I take the relatively smooth journey to work in the mornings for granted. The steam train lurched from side to side as it picked up speed along the bumpy track, but there was something satisfying about the noise, motion and effort that was needed to get the machine moving.
Although the engine was travelling at only about 20 miles per hour, the combination of the open carriage and the cacophony of sounds made it feel like we were travelling much faster.
The usual set-up on a steam train consists of a driver, to operate the levers and keep an eye on the track (there's not too much steering involved), and a fireman, who stokes the fire, but also, crucially, keeps an eye on the water levels and makes sure there's plenty to make sure steam is generated. The train wouldn't go very far without it.
My first job was to take the fireman's role, and I was beyond rubbish.
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More about the Nene Valley Railway - www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/nvr. Because of the limited space, you have to hold the shovel cack-handed – awkward enough without having to stay upright, on a surface that's shaking around all over the place – and put the great hefty lumps of coal into the firebox. The job was made that little bit trickier by the temperature – at one point I lent in a little too close and I was convinced my eyebrows had evaporated.
Next, it was my turn to have a go at driving. Mark – whose regular job is actually to drive trains on the underground – showed me what was what. The steam equivalent to the gears of a car is a lever that shifts the capacity of the cylinders that turn the engine's wheels. After heaving that into the right position, I had to push the regulator valve forward, which set the machine in motion with an immensely satisfying sound.
Soon the engine was gathering speed, as I pushed the regulator (which controls the amount of steam fed through) further. Before long, there was a marker at the side of the track that signified a whistle-stop. The near-deafening noise that erupted when I pulled the chain in the cabin couldn't help but put a broad smile on my face.
As we got to the end of our section of track, Karen and I swapped places and repeated everything over again, until we got a bit more familiar with the processes.
Thankfully, my second go at being fireman was much more successful than the first, and I didn't have to be held in place.
After running around on the tracks for some time, it was time to go back. I can genuinely say I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and it was clear that NVR's assertion that no one walks away from the engine without a smile on their face was more than just empty bluster.
Why do it...
For the thrill of it all...
You will need...
Patience and perseverance – no one can be brilliant straight away.
It will cost...
Starter packages cost 175, including a meal.
Where to go...
Wansford Station, Stibbington, near Peterborough.
More info...
So popular are the courses that they are booked up until November. There is the possibility that extra days will be added to cope with demand. Call 01780 784444 for more information, or visit www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/nvr.
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Friday 19 March 2010
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