The South Tynedale Railway has announced that enthusiasts can now book a footplate experience to drive and fire one of their steam locomotives.
There is no better way to spend a day than steaming through the South Tyne Valley with the smells of a steam locomotive and the track ahead of you.
There are three experiences to choose from at the South Tynedale Railway; a steam footplate taster, a steam footplate experience day and a railway experience where participants will also act as a guard and learn to operate the signals too.
Steam locomotive Naklo is due to be relaunched this summer and will join the unique wood-burning locomotive, Green Dragon, in regular traffic at the Railway
The steam experience packages will run from July, but all three experiences are available to pre-book now via the South Tynedale Railway website.
What did the officials say?
Janis Goodfellow South Tynedale Railway General Manager said;
“This is such an exciting development for our railway. The Naklo restoration project, funded by the Power to Change Trust is almost complete and with her wide cab Naklo is the perfect loco for participants to join our fantastic volunteer crew and have a great steam footplate experience.”
Alan Farrar, Chair of South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society said;
“With the Naklo project now nearing completion, we shall soon be able to offer a greatly enhanced experience for our passengers, something I have been looking forward to for a number of years.
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Responses
This’ll be so Exciting for those who dream of riding the footplate of either one this Terrific ‘Eagerly-Must-Visit’ Northern Narrow-Gauge Heritage Railway’s well-preserved Narrow-Gauge Locos.
The STR (on the other hand) is now a high-5 miles in length (Alston to Slaggyford) en-route,
A Terrific Train Ride (I’d look forward to, when I do visit and check out the STR ‘in-person’ someday.
I Creatively Predict that the STR could potentially aim to one day (as part of reaching Haltwhistle someday) extend as far North as Knarsdale – Just before Burnstones/or Knarsdale Viaduct.
The STR have done successfully well on extending it’s Narrow-Gauge Rails to Spectacular Slaggyford, Let alone launching an occasional footplate experience in-between.