Volunteering
The Railway is run by Volunteers from all walks of life and age groups. When you visit us you will see the Volunteers – the driver, signalman and the station staff, answering enquiries and working on the line. In short, our volunteers ensure that the Railway runs efficiently and safely.
Volunteers are the mainstay of our operation and you are welcome to assist, as and when you can, whether this is on a regular or occasional basis. A willingness to work as a member of a team, to ‘smile’ and help others do the same, are the only essential qualifications, although certain positions need acquired skills, of course. These can be obtained by ‘on the job’ training.
Whatever time you can spare will always be appreciated. The Railway and the other Volunteers will welcome your commitment and, in return we can promise you a very fulfilling time – along with very fulfilling cuppas!
Where can you help?
Station Staff
- Ticket Office – selling tickets, answering enquiries, meeting/greeting the public.
- Station Café & Kitchen Staff – Working alongside staff making hot drinks, serving cakes, cold drinks and ice cream as well as washing up and clearing tables.
- The Sidings’ Bar – general bar work ie. serving drinks, cleaning, clearing glasses and wiping tables.
- The Sidings’ Catering Staff – Cooking or Serving the BBQ (steam days, Friday evenings and special events).
- Gardening – If you have green fingers, your help would be appreciated. As well as the small station garden we have other areas yet to be developed as well as an adjacent camping field to maintain.
Railway Staff
- Restoration Work – Buildings. These need maintaining i.e. re-pointing, roof repairs, woodwork repairs & painting.
- Restoration Work – Stock. We have a variety of locomotives and rolling stock in various stages of repair. Carpenters, Engineers, Coachbuilders, Coach Repairers and Painters are required.
- Signal and Telegraph – We are still renovating the levers etc. to go in the newly appointed signal box.Would you like to be in at the start of our operations?
Operating Department
You are welcome to join any part of our operational department. You will be asked to undertake a basic Track Safety test – after training for this – to ensure your safety and that of others at all times
- Steam Locomotive Crew – Vacancies at present, please fill in a volunteer form on line and we will be in touch with you. You will start as a Cleaner (16 years but under 16s are welcome to come along for an informal chat) then follow the process through to Passed Cleaner (Fireman) then Driver. The process takes several years but is very rewarding for the right candidates.
- Diesel Crew – Vacancies at present. Please fill in a volunteer form online.
- Guard – The guard is in charge of the train and its safety depends upon his actions. A trainee will be rostered with an experienced Guard. Vacancies at present, please fill in a volunteer form on line.
Volunteering FAQs
Are there any age restrictions to volunteer?
We have volunteers from 16 to over 80. If you are aged 16-21, in the interests of safety, we will need to organise a responsible adult to be your mentor until you reach the age of twenty one.
How long do I have to help for?
We work round you – if you can only help for a few hours a month then fine. We can find you a role/task which will fit your hours you want to volunteer for. We have several volunteers who are on site most days.
What about my skills?
We are always on the lookout for particular skills – but even if you don’t have any, we can always find a job to suit you.
What do I get out of it?
Hopefully, a sense of achievement, friendship with other volunteers, and copious amounts of free tea or coffee!
What areas are there to work
We have the obvious areas: track laying, signalling, engine maintenance, painting, bricklaying, electricians – but don’t forget all the ‘backroom’ people: catering, event organising, marketing, office administration, sales. If you have skills in any of these areas, then great we want you!
Can I be trained in any area I don’t know?
Whilst we don’t have any formal training programmes at this time, we are more than happy to help people learn new areas of experiences if we have the manpower available.