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
- 1:1 Class 31 Diesel Locomotive driving experience
- Welcome, introduction and safety briefing
- Sessions operate on an exclusive basis with just you and your train driving instructor
- Familiarisation session with the locomotive to show how it works and the operating of its controls
- Drive loco for 16 miles through the Hampshire countryside
- The loco is a 'light engine' (no carriages)
- Guidance from an experienced train driving instructor
- Allow approximately two hours for this experience
What Can I Expect
Exclusive diesel train drives on the Watercress Line! It’s just you and your host driver in the cab on these thrilling train drive days along this historic Mid-Hants railway line at the foot of the South Downs.
All experiences are bespoke and totally geared around you. You’ll feel like part of the regular train crew by the end of your visit, having experienced many different aspects of a diesel train driver’s daily life.
You will be at the helm of a Class 31 diesel electric train. Powerful and resilient, this heavyweight freight hero of days gone by remains steadfastly popular today. Maybe it’s that rugged design, maybe it’s the noise it makes - everyone loves seeing this behemoth on the tracks!
The Watercress Line runs along the former freight route serving the fields and fields of watercress this corner of Mid-Hampshire is famous for. This is your diesel train playground for the day - and it’s the perfect habitat!
Trundling out of the Watercress Line HQ at Alresford Station (just two miles from the picturesque Georgian town centre), the next halt is Ropley Station, famous for its Harry Potter footbridge.
Continuing along the Watercress Line and approaching Medstead & Four Monks station, which sits on a plateau, you’ve got 1 in 60 ascents and descents - just the sort of challenge the Class 31 revels in!
Cruising into Alton, the northern terminus of the Watercress Line, this is where the old meets the new, as Alton is a mainline station, with South West Railway using platforms 1 and 2.
With so much to see (including the West Country Buffet, Alresford Shop and the Watercress Line Museum) and so much to do (namely driving the actual train!), these exclusive, one-to-one diesel train drives are the ideal gift for train fans.
When Is It Available
- Selected weekday and weekend dates throughout the year
- There will generally be 4 dates per month
- Due to the popularity of this experience please book well in advance to avoid disappointment
Location
- The Watercress Line, Alresford, Hampshire
- Located just seven miles from the ancient city of Winchester
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
