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A fireman talks to his driver while the train is standing in Bewdley station

Steam locomotive crew (Motive Power Department - MPD)

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Driving a steam locomotive is far from simple, and the training to become a driver takes a number of years, but you will pass through a number of different grades and get additional responsibility as you progress. You'll also gain footplate experience as you go, so that you can enjoy the real pleasure of being on a steam locomotive as you learn.

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Skills/attributes required

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  • You need to be reasonably fit and healthy, both mentally and physically to undertake most of the work we do - a fireman can shovel up to 2 tonnes of coal in a day! To progress to footplate duties, you will need to pass a Severn Valley Railway medical which includes a colour blindness test.

  • We take volunteers as at 16 years old (14 if via the Junior Club) and have a maximum age of 75 for safety critical duties. We don't allow people under 18 to undertake any safety critical work, and the minimum age for firing is 18 years and for driving is 21 years.

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Level of commitment

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  • You will need to commit to a minimum of 1 rostered day per month or 12 turns reasonably spread over a 12-month period working at Bewdley or Bridgnorth as per rostering requirements.

  • As a first step, you will need to provide your own safety boots and suitable overalls. The department operates a dress code for footplate duties.

  • To get involved and help in other areas of the railway including locomotive maintenance and overhaul. Our aim has always been to try to reward capable individuals who go the extra mile with faster promotion and / or special footplate work.

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Training

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The most conventional route to driver is given below. We've added some approximate timescales to give you an idea of the durations involved. Some people will progress faster, some slower, and it depends on a number of factors such as ability, aptitude, commitment and vacancies higher up the chain.

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Cleaner

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Everyone starts here. The cleaners help prepare and clean locomotives for duty and / or dispose of them at the end of duty. Once the locos have gone off shed, they assist with emptying loco pits of ash, break up wood pallets lighting up, help keep the depots clean and tidy and carry out general maintenance duties working to the Lighting Up Cleaner and / or Duty Shedmasters instructions. After a short period, cleaners can submit availability and go on the roster, committing to at least one turn a month or 12 turns reasonably spread over the year. It’s worth noting as a general rule the more turns and work you do you increase your chances of promotion. Cleaner duties can start as early as 5am (sometimes earlier on special events!) and can work up to 12 hours in a day depending on shift requirements. We have two sheds on the SVR and you will be required to work at both sites as per rostering needs, one is at Bridgnorth, the other is at Bewdley. On some days you may be rostered to work at Bridgnorth when there are no locomotive operating off there, on these days you will be required to help out with locomotive maintenance and overhaul as well as general shed work working to the engineering teams instructions. This is a great opportunity to learn about how locomotives work and will greatly aid you in your path to becoming a steam locomotive driver.

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Lighting Up Cleaner (takes typically 1-2 years)

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As the name suggests, a Lighting Up Cleaner is the person that lights the locomotive up and starts getting it ready for duty before the crew arrives. You have to have a medical to get to this stage and will undergo your first formal training with an exam. It is expected you will also start training in shunting at this time to help move locos and other vehicles around the yard and station areas.

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Fireman (typically 2-5 years after becoming passed to light up)

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To be selected for the firing course, you will have impressed the department managers that you are made of the right stuff for the footplate. The training is a mixture of classroom theory, practical instruction and formal assessments. You may still be rostered for cleaning and shunting duties but will be mainly rostered a mixture of fireman and shed fireman duties.

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Driver (typically 7-14 years after being promoted to Fireman)

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You will really have impressed the department management to get onto the driving course. Again, the course is a mixture of classroom theory, practical instruction and formal assessment. Having passed the course, you may still be rostered as a fireman or for other duties but will predominantly be rostered for driver or shed driver duties.

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Other roles

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We also roster other roles within the department subject to training and assessment, these include:

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  • MPD Shunter – Working with the Shunt Loco driver, you help guide locos and other rail vehicles around the yard or station into their correct position acting as the driver’s eyes and guiding them through radio messages or hand signals when they can’t see the back of the train as well as coupling and uncoupling vehicles.

  • JCB Driver – Predominantly for coaling locomotives but also moving other materials and pallets around as required.

  • Duty Shedmaster – Managing and being responsible for the staff on duty that day at the shed you are rostered to.

  • Traction Inspector – Certain drivers after a period of time go on to become Traction Inspectors. These individuals carry out training and assessments on staff within the Department.

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