My job this morning is to
keep the boiler pressure up
when we need it
to make sure there is enough water in the boiler
you can see there, bobbing up and down.
Put coal on the fire when needed.
That will be white hot when we get moving.
[Train horn noise]
I always remember being into trains
and model railways and steam engines.
First rail I volunteered on was at Hayling Island.
I was eight-years-old when I first started.
I started volunteering here about five years ago
then an apprenticeship scheme came up
and I was one of the ones to get it.
[Train horn noise]
My name is Derek Simmonds.
I am a director of the Mid-Hants Railway Preservations Society.
I also manage the Mind The Gap apprenticeship
scheme which we run jointly with the National Lottery.
I joined the railway to manage the apprenticeship scheme.
For me personally
one of the big motivators was the fact that
we were attracting people who had not
particularly done well at school
but they had a lot of practical skills.
We were able to find
opportunities for them
and unlock skills which hadn’t
previously been discovered.
[Electric saw noise]
I mean it’s a slow process
rebuilding something like this
but it’s incredibly satisfying to see.
So this is the yard where we keep all our locos
this is an Ivatt class tank we have just finished the overhaul on.
My contribution to this was final refitting of all the pipework
and the boiler cladding you can see on top
and now it’s in service.
I’ve recently completed the repaint on this engine.
When you see something like this
roll up and down the line
and people enjoying what you’ve done
it’s quite a thrill.
I can’t imagine that
the first thing people
think of
when they’re buying their Lottery ticket
is that it’s helping get
an old steam train
going again.
I think this is brilliant
I can’t believe it.
I can go to the NRM National Railway Museum
and go and see something I have painted up in there
and think ‘how many people can do that at 24?’
Doing the job I’m doing means a lot to me
‘cos it’s always been my passion to work
on steam engines and railways
and now I am getting paid to do it.
If the lottery wasn’t here
I wouldn’t have a skill that
is quite sought after
so I thank everyone for paying in
and keeping these things alive
and giving me a job to carry on.
I’ve got eight young men here who would
tell you they are winners.
Thanks to the National Lottery
they have learnt a skill
they have a qualification in engineering
and they have a future.
Without the National Lottery support
we wouldn’t have been able to do it.
I’d love to become a driver one day
every kid wants to be a train driver at some point.
