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Footplate experience course recommendations

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by ghost, Jan 30, 2023.

  1. ghost

    ghost Part of the furniture

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    I'm looking at doing a steam footplate course around May of this year.
    What are your recommendations, bearing in mind we would be flying from Belfast, so the railway would need to be reasonably close to an airport.
    A quick search has shown a big difference in cost/time on the footplate/added extras, so has anyone completed a course that they would recommend?
    Thanks in advance
     
  2. 50fan

    50fan New Member

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    I’ve done a few, and the best one for me was the Welshpool and Llanfair. I got the whole train, was very well looked after, and had great fun. Of course if Narrow Gauge is not your thing, I can recommend the SVR. Again good fun, but you have to share the toys! Both easy enough to get to from Birmingham international.
     
    Last edited: Jan 30, 2023
  3. acorb

    acorb Part of the furniture

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    The Great Central experiences were always highly rated - big engine on a double track mainline helps!

    I have done the SVR steam one (a long time ago now mind) & my dad drove a Western diesel more recently there. Both well organised and great fun.
     
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  4. gwralatea

    gwralatea Member

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    I did the silver level on the GC last year - 9F with 7 coaches on the back, 2 return trips, brilliant.

    quite fancy the South Devon and the Talyllyn in the future.
     
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  5. Cuckoo Line

    Cuckoo Line Member

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    The East Somerset is only 22 miles from Bristol Airport but they can get booked up quite quickly.
     
  6. Chris86

    Chris86 Well-Known Member

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    Bala Lake Railway was absolutely amazing, not sure if they have relaunched their experiences yet.

    Full day, from lighting up and oiling round to disposing at the end of the day with a couple of round trips in between.


    Edit: bit more detail.

    One person of the footplate all day.
     
    Last edited: Jan 31, 2023
  7. The Green Howards

    The Green Howards Nat Pres stalwart

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    2nd June brings you the 92 Squadron Freight Course at the Nene Valley Railway - not sure which would be the nearest airport for you though.
     
  8. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Stansted is 66 miles as is Luton.
    Birmingham is 72 miles.
    East Midlands is 51 miles.
     
  9. The Green Howards

    The Green Howards Nat Pres stalwart

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    Stansted and Birmingham do allow easy travel by rail to Peterborough though.
     
  10. 21B

    21B Part of the furniture

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    perhaps an alternative is the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch. The experience of speed is exactly that of mainline steam (having tried both).
     
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  11. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Indeed. The service between the two passes through Peterborough.
     
  12. Charles Parry

    Charles Parry Member

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    Did the mid-scale SVR one and had a blast. Full-length train, a decent distance covered, a 28XX so perfectly built to jog along at 25mph.
     
  13. D7076

    D7076 Well-Known Member

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    I’ve done three,one steam ,two diesel.
    3)SVR got a round trip -one way in cab ,drove half way .Average at best .
    2)ELR tour of Bury sheds etc .Got to drive 8 miles of 16 miles in cab .Refreshments provided.
    1)KWVR .By far the best .4 participants and guests get line to themselves for the day .Four round trips -cushions,guard,fire and drive .Refreshments on arrival and lunchtime and made to feel welcome and special .
     
  14. Crawley Ben

    Crawley Ben New Member

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    Bluebell Railway if they still offer said experiences?

    Gatwick is 40 mins away by car (approx 20 miles) or you can take a train to Haywards Heath from Gatwick & get a taxi from there.

    (PS, did a driver experience day at the Kent & East Sussex Railway a few years back, and that was a very enjoyable day/well organised)

    Cheers

    Ben
     
  15. 1472

    1472 Well-Known Member

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    The WSR offers a good experience with some nice hill climbing and a breath of sea air. Currently a GW loco is guaranteed!.
    Bristol or Exeter airports are not too far away.
     
  16. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Bluebell ones are advertised here: https://www.bluebell-railway.com/steam-footplate-taster-experience/ They don't seem to be releasing dates too far in the future, so worth checking with the office. You get a quality bit of Victoriana ...

    The format seems to be a bit different to some other courses. Rather than a trip along the line, you do a lot of to and fro around a station. Lots of starting and stopping, normally culminating with some kind of partial line trip to go a bit faster / further. So you do more "controlling" of the engine, reading signals etc. than you might do on a full line trip, but maybe less sense of being in charge of a train on a journey, if that makes sense.

    Tom
     
  17. Simon Smith

    Simon Smith New Member

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    The GCR ones are pretty boring especially if you have a big loco, I had the 8f on 5 coaches and pootled around with not a lot of chuffing. It must be down hill both ways!
     
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