Young engineers to learn heritage railway skills

Aspiring engineers will see what it takes to run a heritage railway

Aspiring engineers are to get the chance to find out what it takes to run a heritage railway.

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR) is hosting a "Young Engineer" weekend to attract and train a new generation of volunteers.

Richard Johnson, former chair of GWSR and event organiser, said: "There's always a need for volunteers and one market that we haven't really tapped in the past is younger people."

The event, on 28 and 29 September, will take place at Toddington Station.

Visitors will get a behind-the-scenes look at Toddington Station

The day will include demonstrations of track-laying, maintaining locomotives, restoring carriages and operating the signalling

"This is very much the first occasion that we're doing this and we do have plans, if the event is successful, to contact local colleges and engineering facilities and invite people to come along to the railway," added Mr Johnson.

"This is the sort of old-fashioned mechanical engineering - not computer science or technology.

"In some respects it's quite simple, but not the sort of engineering that people necessarily get involved in nowadays."

The GWSR is a volunteer-operated heritage railway with 14 miles of track running through the Cotswolds between Cheltenham Racecourse and Broadway.

Most of the railway's volunteer departments will be giving a "behind-the-scenes" look at what it takes to keep the railway running.

"It's for anyone who would like to pursue a worthwhile hobby in an atmosphere of friendship and camaraderie," said Mr Johnson.

"We already have over 900 volunteers who have joined us from all walks of life, but we could always welcome more to help secure the railway’s future."

GWSR wants to attract and train a new generation of volunteer engineers

The event coincides with the recent announcement by The 2874 Trust, of a £151,000 National Lottery Heritage Fund grant to help train the future generation in locomotive restoration skills.

The Trust’s locomotive is a 1919-built Great Western Railway 2-8-0 locomotive which is under restoration at Toddington and visitors will be able to discover what is involved in the work.