Looking for volunteering opportunity

i have a lifelong interest in the railway especialy steam, i am looking for a preservation railway to help on, i have just restored a canal boat which i will be living on permanantly, so i can go anywhere in the country, i
have contacted a few lines down south but they didnt appear to be overly interested, any suggestions please?

 

What sort of thing you interested in doing/what skills do you have? I'm sure GWSR would be happy to have another volunteer, the docks at Gloucester aren't miles away. I know CVR has a canal along it at some point and they always need volunteers too...

 

The Caldon canal runs within a few hundred yards of much of the length of the Churnet Valley Railway and we are always looking for new volunteers. Come and have a look at Little Switzerland in Staffordshire

 

i can weld but am not coded anymore, i am used to working outside, and have done so all my life in manual work so p way work would be ok, however i do have railway knowledge as although im not a railwayman myself, i come from a railway family. i am very interested in working in an old semaphore box as a volunteer? i dont know if this is possible but am happy to do any amount of hard work on a free basis as i enjoy it!

 

The Severn Valley are always on the lookout for new volunteers. I may be wrong, but I think training to be a signalman is one of the more popular areas.
Anyway this link will give you lots of information and contact details: http://svr-vlo.org.uk

Good luck.

46118

 

The Bluebell always wants new volunteers, and there are opportunities both as signalmen (three mechanical boxes) and in the S&T maintaining the signalling infrastructure.

See http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/volunteer.html for general details. There are regular "Find out more" days through the year, the next is March 1st and then the first Sunday each month. See http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/vol/vbbb01.htm

Not sure about the nearest canal though - maybe the Wey and Arun.

Tom

 

well that was a good response! thank you all for your help, i will be ringing around to find a suitable placement, as from tomorow, thanx again im sure ill find something now.

 

GCR at Loughborough is a stone's throw from the Grand Union canal and a few GCR volunteers are canal enthusiasts also (I can think of at least three boat owners). And if you can weld I suspect that the Windcutter group at Rothley would be happy to hear from you.

(Actually, there are a couple of welding jobs I would be willing to discuss with you on my own vehicles, but that would be on a more ad-hoc basis!)

PM me if interested and I will dig out the direct contacts. Probably quicker than going through the office and I can include S&T contacts too if that's where your interest lies.

 

The Montgomery Canal is getting closer to Llnclys, home of the Cambrian Heritage Railway.
http://www.cambrianrailways.com/html/volunteering.html
You could help restore the canal as well as work on the railway
http://www.montgomerycanal.me.uk/news.html

 

I don't know what the waiting list is like at the moment to be trained as a signalman on the Severn Valley, but it can easily be over a year. For me it was about 18 months, because I applied just too late to take the last place on the next upcoming training course and had to wait a year for the following one.

 

If you are in the area of the Churnet Valley any Wednesday I would give you a halfday tour of the railway on condition that you work on the Pway for the other half. All you need is a pair of toetectors and a strong pair of gloves we would lend you the hi vis. That way you see what is going on and participate to see if it really suits you without any commitment. Hope to hear from you.

 

i would like to take you up on your offer but the forum wont let me pm you

 

Leem, Have started a conversation with you.

 

This is a typical "I want to volunteer at a railway" post. I contacted him we had a few posts to each other and we arranged that he would come down on the 7th Jan. and we would work on the pway in the morning then I'd take him around to meet different people in the afternoon. We exchanged greetings on 1st Jan, then tried to contact twice before the 7th no reply. I still thought he might turn up on the day, informed my manager that we would only work in the morning which was alright but it was a no show. Have tried to contact since but no reply its so frustrating.

 

You find this quite often I'm afraid, although there may be genuine reasons.
Many don't realise the work involved is the simple answer quite often.
Most roles require much training, which includes anything on Footplate, Signalling, Guard well basically any roll. You can't just turn up to work on PWay unless you have a PTS certificate so that's a day study and test/exam, but you do have to have knowledge of safety and what to expect.
Unfortuneately in the age we now live with instant possession, access to etc many people don't realise it can take up to several years to be able to do some roles. There are of course others that take no or very little training.
For most prospective volunteers they should look to see what Heritage Railway is near enough to them for frequent visits (to learn quicker) and attend possibly a Volunteer Open Day, like the one the NYMR run, giving you a chance to meet people in the different roles who can explain the route to what is suitable for you, and what requirements it takes.

I must personally say, it is a enjoyable and rewarding job Volunteering, and even while training you will get much enjoyment and fulfilment working with others with similar views.
Don't be put off by some things you hear re times for training etc, a role you may not even have thought of could give you a great time, and of course see the trains while working. Many have volunteer accommodation for those that do travel a long way. So contact your nearest or the one you have interest in joining, and I'm sure you will be made to feel most welcome.

 

Don't know if this is allowed but if a person does come to see if would like to join the pway, he is under the personal supervision of a supervisor for all the time he is at trackside. Then if he wants to join its some studying to do, if not then no time has been wasted by all.