Last weekend, 12 youngsters from the Swanage Railway‘s youth group of 13 to 18-year-olds who call themselves The Sygnets visited the Churnet Valley Railway in Staffordshire to experience what it is like to be involved in an operational railway.

The Sygnets normally meet once a month, but their visit to the Churnet Valley Railway was a two-day weekend trip. During their visit, the youngsters performed a host of tasks around the railway in various departments to see for themselves what goes on behind the scenes to make the trains run.

Starting off by cleaning the day’s service locomotive, they experienced the engineering that is required to bring these ageing steam locomotives to life. After lunch, they spent an afternoon at Consall Signal Box where they found out about fault finding and repairing Victorian technology, and had the chance to help the signalman operate the box and its token system, giving them an insight into how trains were controlled safely long before computers came into existence.

On Sunday, the group was treated to a Staffordshire Breakfast on-board the railway’s First-Class Dining Train, followed by a visit to Leek Brook Junction for a quick tour of the ongoing work to extend to the railway Leek before they completed a line walk that included an inspection of the 531-yard Cheddleton Tunnel. The day finished with the group helping to expand the power distribution around the Froghall site ready for further developments to take place next winter.

The weekend proved to be a great success, with the Sygnets asking if they could return before they had even left. The Churnet Valley Railway’s Managing Director Greg Wilson was especially pleased: “If heritage railways are to survive, then it’s imperative that we encourage the younger generations.

“Many years ago I myself was the youngest steam driver at the CVR at the age of 23 – sadly that title no longer applies for myself. However only the other week we passed out two more steam drivers aged 26 and 30 respectively – both of whom joined in their early teens.

“If we don’t allow people the opportunity to be involved at early ages, then how can we expect them to develop a lasting interest?”

The Churnet Valley Railway is more than welcoming to any Youth Group wishing to visit the railway and sample a similar experience, if you are the leader of any such group then please send an enquiry to [email protected] or call 01538 360522