BITE-SIZE DRIVER EXPERIENCES
You’ve admired locomotives large and small at heritage lines, but have you ever wondered what it would be like to be in the driving seat? Not everyone has a three-figure sum for an intensive driver experience course or the time to commit to climb the ranks to become a fully-fledged volunteer locomotive crew member at a heritage line.
Fortunately however, a number of heritage railways across the country offer low-cost driver experience courses, ranging in price from £5 to £20. As well as whetting appetites for a more in-depth experience in due course, such ‘taster’ sessions provide an affordable birthday or Christmas gift for a loved one – or maybe a treat for one’s good self.
For railways, they can be useful cash generators for minimal outlay, providing an unforgettable experience for participants and generating invaluable goodwill in the process – perhaps eliciting donations or volunteers as a result. Former industrial diesel shunters appear to be the traction of choice among many more embryonic lines, but others such as the Vale of Rheidol offer the chance to drive a charming steam locomotive for £5, while visitors to Cambrian Heritage Railways can try their hand on a class 101 DMU at Llynclys for £20.
Vale of Rheidol
The Vale of Rheidol Railway began offering driver for a fiver five years ago.
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