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Fancy volunteering?

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by Woof, May 16, 2007.

  1. Ben Jervis

    Ben Jervis Member

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    For those GWR fans out there the 5029 Support Crew are always looking for new members.

    We are a small group who not only look after the upkeep of the locomotive, (which includes virtually every aspect of locomotive maintenance) but also form the core of the Support Crew when 5029 is operating on the mainline. We are always seeking to strengthen our numbers and would welcome more practical help in maintaining this superb example of a GWR Castle and to ensure its future.

    While practical skills of any kind would be useful, it is not essential nor do you need any previous experience of locomotive repair work. The essential requirements are enthusiasm for the project, a sense of humour, and be comfortable working in a team.

    5029 is based at Tyseley, Birmingham and this is where our workdays and most of the general maintenance takes place.

    Visit www.5029nunneycastle.co.uk for more information!!! :D
     
  2. Nick G

    Nick G New Member

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    I used to work as a volunter, on a Steam Railway 30 years ago. I have been thinking of volunteering again. Looks to me things have not changed much, in that time over the years. Which is a great shame
     
  3. pete d

    pete d New Member

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    No I do not currently volunteer
    I am thinking of volunteering at a couple of local railways but this closed shop mentallity that I have heard about puts me off slightly byt then again you get "office politics" in most jobs
     
  4. admin

    admin Founder Administrator

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    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    What is local to you?
     
  5. pete d

    pete d New Member

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    No I do not currently volunteer
    I am based in stockport so the ELR and KWVR are nearest to me
     
  6. 34007

    34007 Part of the furniture

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    Both are a good choice in what I have seen over the years - Which though is closer??? It is voluntary afterall.
     
  7. pete d

    pete d New Member

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    No I do not currently volunteer
    the ELR is closer ( about 15 miles away ) KWVR is about 1 hour so both very easy to get to, the reason I thought of KWVR my old man used to volunteer there years ago and when I have visited there seems to be a good atmosphere.
     
  8. simon

    simon Resident of Nat Pres

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    I have to say, the same thing stops me from returning after a similar period of time.
     
  9. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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    Yes I am an active volunteer
    deleted
     
  10. pete d

    pete d New Member

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    well the distance isn't massively and issue to be fair as I want to go where I will enjoy myself and be useful to be fair Llangollen SVR, KWVR,ELR and a few other lines are all within 90 mins driving. I have emailed the Elr and have a contact to ring at KWVR so will see what happens really
     
  11. pcgenius9

    pcgenius9 Member

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    Occupation:
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    At the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway we are looking for ANY volunteers to help us with the Dash to Duffield and beyond - from the age of 13 up (volunteers in the 18 to 30 category are low on numbers). There are particular areas that are short on people including buffet car and booking hall. Any generation welcome, just come along.
     
  12. DJH

    DJH Member

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    Also MOSI in manchester if your interested.

    Regards

    Duncan
     
  13. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

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    One scheme which interests me is the Mountsorrel Quarry Railway project at the GCR. I am very impressed at the way they have got the local community involved, especially schoolchildren. In fact I think every scheme should look at what they are doing. We often wonder if the younger generation can be involved, and here someone is doing it very successfully.

    Does anyone know when they propose to begin tracklaying? I heard they had been given a quantity of rail from Snibston Discovery Park.

    Tim
     
  14. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

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    I have just spent a few days volunteering on the start of the Mountsorrel railway. It was superbly organised, and coincided with the GCR working week. I reckon we had up to twentry P.W. volunteers on ite each day, many of them professionals, and another twenty S & T volunteers. The GCR provided a buiffet coach set on site serving three hot meals each day, even had a steward in a white coat bringing trays of cold drinks. Many thanks to Steve and Andy who organised it, the Mountsorrel branch project has got off to a very fine start and I shall be back.

    If anyone is doing this sort of thing better I would like to hear about it.

    Tim
     
  15. pinkpanther

    pinkpanther New Member

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    I was down at Swanage for a PTS course this morning and I have to say that the staff and volunteers there are very good at making new people feel welcome (always a good sign).

    I'm looking forward to spending a bit more time there (and getting a whole lot dirtier!) in future. :)
     
  16. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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    Have top agree with you. I've been living down South temporarily for the last 9months, and was persuaded to sign up to Swanage for this time. The welcome I've received was extremly friendly and everyone I've met so far has been a pleasure to work with and they are a credit to SR. Having been all over the UK to various rly SR is definitely one of, if not the most welcoming lines I've been to. Was also highly impressed with their Cygnets Youth Group, many of whom were surprisingly keen to get involved and stuck in.
     
  17. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    The overhaul of 34081 starts this Sunday and will continue for many, many months until she steams again so if anyone would like to get involved and see one of Mr. Bulleid's finest back in traffic sooner rather than later, PM me your contact details and I'll forward them to our volunteer coordinator.
     
  18. Edward

    Edward Member

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    Location:
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    If you're up for a challenge, the NYMR has an ongoing need for volunteers in all departments. "Dead Mens' Shoes" certainly not a problem!

    Free accommodation is available at Grosmont, Pickering, Goathland & Levisham. It's a great area to visit, and many do so for a working holiday.

    For the younger ones, we have a thriving Junior Volunteers section. Details here: http://www.goathlandstation.org.uk/

    Some details of other openings: http://nymrunofficialforum.atfreefo...volunteers-section-f54/departments-t2466.html

    The not very helpful bit on the official website: http://www.nymr.co.uk/volunteers/ and http://www.nymr.co.uk/volunteers/volunteers-required/

    We have working members from all over the UK, and also from overseas.

    Contact details are in the various links above, or PM & I'll put you in touch with the relevant people directly.
     
  19. blackcab94

    blackcab94 New Member

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    Occupation:
    EOR Motive Power Dept.
    Location:
    Essex
    Like all heritage railways, the Epping Ongar Railway could not operate without our friendly team of volunteers and helpers as well as the local businesses and groups that kindly assist.
    Volunteers undertake all the jobs that are essential for the safe and smooth operation of the railway, both the jobs that might first come to mind, as well as many that may go unnoticed, but are never the less essential to making the trains run, whether it is...

    • Selling tickets
    • Helping passengers onto the train
    • Being part of our on-train teams - a guard, train driver, fireman or ticket inspector
    • Safely signalling trains
    • Helping out in the shops, refreshment facilities and museum display
    • Keeping our stations and coaches clean and tidy
    • Being a bus conductor on our vintage bus to Epping
    • Caring for and restoring our heritage rolling stock
    • Restoring and maintaining the stations and gardens
    • Keeping the track in good order
    • Managing the vegetation and environmental ecosystems along our beautiful line
    • Maintaining drains, bridges and structures
    • Working on keeping the steam and diesel locomotives running that haul the trains
    With the huge variety of tasks, the railway can often be likened to a small town - and everyone is welcome and no matter how you choose to help, everyone plays an important part in ensuring the railway can operate trains and our visitors enjoy their visit. Please do not feel apprehensive - we all started from scratch!
    [​IMG]

    We have teams that meet on both weekdays, and at weekends, and there is always a friendly welcome for new faces. It's an excellent way to meet new people, find a new life-goal, do something different, work towards achieving something rewarding, or passing on your experiences. You can come by yourself and find many new friends of all ages, or bring your partner / family and achieve something together.
    You might find yourself working on an item that is over 100 years old, and getting it working / looking as it used to be can be very rewarding, especially when the public can then both enjoy seeing it operate and learn about our transport heritage by seeing it in action.
    Perhaps you have always been interested in the branch, or live locally and would like to put something back into the local community? With our goal to once again run trains to Epping; the more people helping out (in any capacity) the sooner we will achieve this goal, both improving the local transport network and encouraging tourism.
    [​IMG]
    Our volunteers are both male and female, and range from 18 to 85 - there really are jobs for all tastes, abilities and there is no minimum commitment, you come down when-ever you feel able. We intend to start a "Youth" section shortly so that the younger generation can share our rewarding hobby and participate in the exciting task of restoring and running a heritage railway.
    No prior railway experience is necessary! We have people within the teams that can pass on their knowledge, and if you are able to come regularly (perhaps once a month), you can soon become an active part in operating our local heritage railway.
    Our teams restoring heritage items can sometimes benefit from people with particular skills, such as brick-laying, plastering, plumbing, welding, carpentry, electrical, upholstery or painting, but just as important are those people who help with the marketing, fund raising or collating information in the historical archives.
    Epping Ongar Railway prides itself in providing a safe and rewarding volunteering experience, and you can always raise any questions with your team leader. We also have Volunteer Coordinators who are there to ensure you enjoy every stage of your volunteering, and ensure that you can progress and learn new skills or roles.
    Find out what our friendly teams of volunteers have been doing in the last few work parties on the Department Diary
    How to find out more...
    If you're volunteering instincts or perhaps a love of railways have been stirred and would like either some more information or a volunteer form, then please contact
    volunteering@eorailway.co.uk
    or ring Bob on 07779 743465 for a no-obligation chat
     
  20. thetriangman

    thetriangman New Member

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    EOR looks a nice friendly outfit, sadly too far away.

    Most lines are far too far away for me here in North Cambridgeshire, being shunted onto a cold damp siding in the employment scrapyard by redundancy, distance and petrol costs are a major consideration.

    I'm thinking of volunteering for a local preserved line in my area, but the closed shop mentality at the local lines is putting me off. Most of the local lines out here actively discourage volunteers from what I have seen by putting obstacles in the way, not responding to emails, a certain standard gauge railway on the Norfolk coast for instance sent me volunteer info but never got back to me once I had filled in a pile of paperwork, another line more inland isn't that helpful and so it goes on etc. I'm not the only one to have found this out either, a friend volunteered their services with the same coastal railway and was willing to give up their time, the railway provides volunteer accomodation but wouldn't tell hin what was available and when, so he couldn't book a slot, they never got back to him despite three emails, and two phone calls in which he was shunted from department to department. Very poor.

    I have been offered the chance of learning to drive a smaller scale 10 1/4 loco, but are finding the cost of overalls, boots etc daunting, if anyone can suggest a cheap supplier I would appreciate it. When you are surviving on £65 a week Jobseekers allowance and trying to get a small business going as well, it doesn't go far.
     

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