A SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY BEING OFFERED DURING SPRING AND AUTUMN
One Day Steam Locomotive Driving & Firing Courses

Realise that childhood dream or relive the great days of steam by spending a day learning how railway locomotives work, with theory and then practical experience on the footplate.

In Spring and Autumn the Bodmin & Wenford Railway will be offering courses giving an insight into footplate work on board real steam locomotives.  In particular,  the courses will feature the opportunity to work on the footplate on the railway's challenging 1-in-40 gradient which covers about 2 miles of the 3½ mile line.  It is an opportunity no other preserved railway can offer.
 

What is included

The course normally starts in the Waiting Room at Bodmin General Station with an introduction to the railway and a lecture on Health & Safety over a cup of tea or coffee.
This will be followed by a theoretical talk about the locomotives used, then footplate experience on the locomotive.
After preparation of the engine each participant will do one trip as Driver, one as Fireman & one as Guard. We endeavour to use a Great Western Railway loco for all courses.
You will get full guidance and supervision throughout from experienced footplatemen and will receive a certificate after completion of the course.

Participants will get most out of the course by spending as much time as possible with the crew but are welcome to invite a few family or friends to see them on the engine and to have a free train ride.  Please let us know if you wish to do this when you confirm your course dates.

Driving Courses do not run to a timetable but the following gives a guide.

 9.00am   Introduction and Health & Safety Lecture
 9.30am   Introduction to the locomotive then take coal and water as required.
10.30am  Locomotive to Train and carry out Brake Test
10.45am  Tea or Coffee in Waiting Room
11.00am  First trip down the line to Bodmin Parkway or Boscarne Junction and back,
12.00pm  Arrive back at Bodmin General.  Run loco round train and take water.  Push train back into station.
12.15pm  Cornish Pasty Lunch.
  1.00pm  Second trip down the line.
  2.00pm  Arrive back at Bodmin General. Run loco round train and take water.  Push train back into station.
  2.15pm  Tea or Coffee
  2.30pm  Last trip down the line.
  3.30pm  Arrive back at Bodmin General.  Run loco round train.  Push train back into station.
  3.45pm  Dispose of loco in shed.  Clean fire and smoke box.
  4.30pm  End of course.  Collect your certificate and say "good bye" to fellow participants and crew.
 

Price  £245 inc VAT

Bodmin Railway Preservation Society

All Participants are required to be members of the Bodmin Railway Preservation Society for insurance purposes.
B.R.P.S. membership also provides 3 Newsletters about the railway per year and two free tickets.

B.R.P.S. Membership is extra - see below.