Packaging Options
All orders are sent in plain packaging so as not to ruin the surprise.
Premium Gift Pack
Our Premium Gift Pack includes a stylish gift box, which holds your personalised gift voucher and your activity voucher guide booklet. The premium choice.
£3.50 (+ £3.95 shipping charge)
Standard Gift Pack
Our Standard Gift Pack comes with a smart envelope that includes your personalised gift voucher and your activity voucher guide booklet.
Included in the £3.95 shipping charge
E Voucher
Our E Voucher is an instant voucher delivered by email, with your personalised email message and a downloadable .pdf of your personalised gift voucher.
FREE
What's Included
- Drive a Class 37 Diesel Locomotive
- Welcome, introduction and safety briefing
- Familiarisation session with the locomotive to show how it works and the operating of its controls
- The loco is a 'light engine' (no carriages)
- Guidance from an experienced train driving instructor
- Allow approximately two hours for this experience
30 Minute Drive
- Drive the train for 4 miles (two x journeys of Route 1)
- Approx. 30 minutes at the controls
- You will form part of a small group of two participants
60 Minute Drive
- Drive the train for 8 miles (two x journeys of Route 1 + Route 2)
- Approximately 60 minutes at the controls
- You will form part of a small group of two participants
Route 1: Furnace Sidings station - Blaenavon High Level station - Coed Avon - Blaenavon High Level station - Furnace Sidings station - Whistle Inn halt - Furnace Sidings station
Route 2: Furnace Sidings station - Big Pit station - Furnace Sidings station - Whistle Inn halt - Furnace Sidings station - Big Pit station - Furnace Sidings station - Whistle Inn halt - Furnace Sidings station
Class 37 Locomotive
- Fleet Number: 'D6916 (37216)
- Built in 1964
Want all the time in the driver's cab to yourself? Book an Exclusive Diesel Train Experience !
What Can I Expect
Drive a diesel-electric locomotive at Blaennavon Railway! Visit this wonderful little heritage line deep in the industrial landscape of South Wales and drive a classic ex-British Rail Class 37 loco on a shared experience.
Your day starts at Furnace Sidings, Blaenavon’s main railway station, where the cafe, shop and restoration workshops are based. The staff (who are all volunteers by the way!) are super welcoming and enthusiastic about the work of the railway.
Two guests take part in these shared experiences and you will be looked after by the train and station crew teams on the day.
These driver experience days are normally operated by the diesel-electric Class 37 D6916 (later 37216). Built by the Vulcan Foundry in 1964, this impressive and imposing locomotive ran both passenger and freight services up and down the country until finally retiring in 2007.
Having been a familiar sight across the UK rail network, these powerful ‘tractors’ (the nickname earned due to the distinctive noise the Class 37 makes!) are a real treat to drive.
Depending on the voucher you have, you will be at the controls for four or eight miles, travelling up and down the line from Furnace Sidings to Big Pit, back to the Whistle In stop, then southwards straight to Coed Avon, before returning to Furnace.
Offering great value for money, these shared diesel train driving experiences at the lovely Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway in South Wales are a great present to give any heritage railway fan.
When Is It Available
- Selected weekday and weekend dates throughout the year from September 2026
- There will generally be 4 dates per month
- Due to the popularity of this experience please book well in advance to avoid disappointment
Location
- Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway
- Situated in the UNESCO-listed Blaenavon Industrial Landscape on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park in South Wales
Suitable For
- Minimum age 18
- Participants should be reasonably fit and in good health - fit enough to climb on and off the locomotive from ground level unaided
Anything Else
- Old clothing that fully cover the arms and legs should be worn
- Wear sturdy shoes or boots that protect the feet - trainers are not permitted
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Please note that once your booking is confirmed, the provider's terms and conditions will apply. In the event of postponements due to weather and/or operational issues your booking will be rescheduled
- Generally the Class 37 loco is used for this experience. Occassionally a class 31 may be used ( Fleet Number: ‘D5627’ 31203) Built in 1960
