Before we go into the detailed guidance on footplate experiences, lets start at the beginning. Footplate experiences range from a 100 metre ride in a cab to whole day driving and firing a locomotive with rolling stock.
There are various ways to secure a footplate experience. Many heritage railways offer them during their running seasons, sometimes funds that own locomotives run short experiences at gala days, driver for a fiver and other such options. Some experiences only involve a ride whereas many others involve taking to the controls. Sometimes, gala days at heritage railways will also include opportunities to drive a locomotive, either steam or diesel.
Prices for short runs at galas can be as little as £5 and can range up to £50. Full footplate experiences can range from £150 to £1000+ . Short runs at galas can often (but not always) be bought on the day, full experiences need to be booked in advance, at some railways many months in advance. At some railways you will need to select a specific date and time at the point of purchase, at others you can buy a voucher that will last, 6, 12 even 24 months, it is then the responsibility of the recipient to communicate with the railway in question to organise a date at their convenience.
For railway fans, a footplate experience of any kind can be a dream come true. Finally getting to ride at the controls of these incredible vehicles that you've loved and admired your whole life. It can be a real tick on the bucket list. I've done six in the last two years with another booked for later this year.
In the next post I will outline the key things you should consider when booking a full footplate experience and should be given thought before taking part in a short run experience. As stated elsewhere, the guidance to be given is based on my own experiences and opinions based on what I have learnt. Others with similar experience may have different opinions.
I hope you've enjoyed this brief introduction to footplate experiences. There is a lot to consider with footplate experiences, it's a surprisingly varied area. Check back soon to see the next chapter in this section. The next section will outline everything you should consider when booking a footplate experience.