Great Central Railway Steam Train Driving - Bronze

What Can I Expect

Ride the footplate and drive on these Bronze steam train experiences at the Great Central Railway in Loughborough! 

You’ll be sharing the footplate with one other driving experience day participant, driving for eight miles and then riding for eight. Go for Bronze Plus and a rake of coaches will be hooked up to the locomotive too!

Loughborough station is where your steam train experience starts. You'll meet your crew for the day and chat over a hot drink. Once kitted out in your overalls, you'll walk along the platform (which is like stepping back in time) to the briefing room.

You will be shown around the GCR collection of trains on the apron, visit the working signal box and see where the extensive locomotive workshops staffed by skilled enthusiasts are. The friendly volunteers who work tirelessly at this railway will be only too happy to answer your questions.

Then it’s time to climb aboard the footplate of a full-sized, mainline steam locomotive to crew the journey from Loughborough station and back again. The mainline railway runs through some of the most beautiful countryside in the East Midlands (including the lovely Swithland Reservoir bridge) and calls at two further stations (Quorn and Rothley), before reaching the terminus at Leicester North.

Lunch is included for the driver and one guest on these Bronze experiences and it'll be taken on the move in the Griddle Car, which is an original 1960s kitchen car, serving tasty dishes to keep any railway worker going all day long.

Once you have completed your return journey, it's time to say your goodbyes and reflect on the day you got to be a member of a crew to ride and drive a steam train from Loughborough to Leicester North and back again.

You don't have to be a steam buff to enjoy these Bronze experiences, there's just something so magical about the puff and hiss of a fully stoked engine!

When Is It Available

• Selected weekend dates between April and November
• Occasional weekday dates may also be available
• Sessions starts at 8:30am 
• Due to the popularity of these experiences, we recommend booking around six months in advance
• All dates are subject to availability

Suitable For

• Minimum age 18
• You must be physically fit and be able to climb up into the engine cab
• No previous experience is necessary
• Drivers overalls are provided
• Customers are advised to wear sturdy footwear

Spectators

• Participants can bring up to 6 guests, one of which can travel free. The remainder at concessionary rates
• Lunch is only included for one guest
• The station has a museum open to guests
• Guests may watch the driving from one of the stations and join in the tours and briefing

Anything Else

• Please note that as the Bronze experience does not haul carriages passengers tickets are valid for the scheduled passenger services in operation that day.  (Bronze plus experiences do haul coaches)