Bristol‘s M shed is offering people the chance to live their childhood dreams by driving a steam engine or crane on the city’s historic harbourside.

Anyone who has a passion for trains will no doubt jump at the chance to experience the thrill of getting behind the controls of a steam locomotive to experience the sights, sounds and smells of a steam engine.

The experience doesn’t end there, as there is also the chance to drive one of the iconic harbourside electric cranes.

Twenty minutes of one-to-one tuition will be given on how to drive the steam locomotive Henbury, followed by 20 minutes of tuition regarding driving the crane.

During the experience, there will be time for photos, and all drivers will receive a certificate of achievement as a reminder of their day.

Steam locomotive Henbury was built in 1937 and for 27 years worked as a shunting engine at the Port of Bristol Authority’s docks at Avonmouth.

In 1964 it was acquired by Bristol Museum, and since 1978 it has been the mainstay of operations on the Bristol Harbour Railway.

Eight cargo cranes were built in 1951 for the M Shed and were last used to unload cargo from a ship in 1974. Four of the cranes remain and are now an iconic part of Bristol’s skyline.

Since 1974, local groups and volunteers have spent many hours saving and restoring them.

To book one of the experiences participants must be over 18, agile enough to climb onto the footplate of the locomotive, climb the last three steps into the crane cab, and have the capability of listening to and carrying out the instructions of the driving instructor.

In addition, participants should be aware that the crane cab is reasonably high, so may be unsuitable for anyone with a fear of heights.

Appropriate clothing should be worn, sandals or high heels are especially unsuitable, and participants should be aware that the locomotive footplate can be a hot, dirty environment and it may well be draughty on the crane.

The steam engine and crane driving experiences are being run from Monday, 1 to Friday, 5 July and Monday, 14 to Friday, 18 October and cost £80.

Full information about booking details can be found by clicking here to visit the Bristol Museums website.

Some heritage railways also offer driving experiences, including the Severn Valley Railway.

We’re thrilled to relaunch our Have a Go experiences, offering the unique opportunity to step back in time and operate historic machinery like driving a steam locomotive and electric crane.

It’s all about bringing history to life and allowing our visitors to truly experience the past in an unforgettable way. It is a unique heritage offer and we’re incredibly grateful to our volunteer team who care for our steam engines and cranes.

Michael Dunn, Head of Commercial and Operations at Bristol Museums