Volunteering & Membership

We operate a catering outlet at Eridge using our restored 1930s railway wagon, a refreshment kiosk at Groombridge, and our award-winning bar car, ‘Kate’, or on-train buffet car. A small band of uniformed stewards and stewardesses serve drinks and snacks across the railway both in the static and moving facilities.

Catering is a major and key source of our income, so the more people who can take on this vital task and generate revenue, the more we can develop our railway. Several volunteers from other teams also volunteer to assist with specific event catering. We proudly operate a large and diverse range of on-train dining products, which are the mainstay of the Spa Valley Railway’s income between January and October.

Many choose to start as a Travelling Ticket Inspector.  This is an ideal way to start to gain operational knowledge, and to provide a valuable service to both the railway and our customers. After gaining experience you can progress from Travelling Ticket Inspector to Guard, one of the most responsible jobs on the line. With the right aptitude, you will, in time, be in overall charge of the train and the safety of its passengers. As with our station staff, a good standard of personal presentation is expected. We are in need of more TTIs and Guards on our railway and would be delighted to hear from you. The minimum age to qualify as a Guard is 18, but a TTI may start younger.

If you enjoy meeting the public and being at the centre of things, assisting to run our shop, selling tickets and undertaking platform duties can be rewarding and fun roles. Station Masters, Ticket Office Clerks and Shop Staff are a vital part of our visitor experience. We always need volunteers in this department. Our shop at Tunbridge Wells West sells a fantastic range of model railway items. If you love model trains, then this if for you!  Our shop is also open on some non operational days, further extending the opportunity.

The P-Way is an exciting, innovative and active group to be part of. Providing the foundation for a safe and expanding railway is very fulfilling, and the team is known for its camaraderie and can-do attitude. The team usually meets on a Tuesday and/or Wednesday starting around 08:30 am to 09:00 am at Tunbridge Wells West before heading off by works train, car or walking for the day’s tasks.

Installing and maintaining fences, bridges, and structures is essential to ensuring our railway is fit for service. The Civils Team offer a varied and interesting selection of jobs for people of all fitness levels. This is a small team that works and arranges its own schedule.

In addition, competent persons must undertake structural inspections on behalf of the Spa Valley Railway. If you have a relevant civil engineering qualification, such as a designer or bridge inspector, we’d be delighted to hear from you.

Working both midweek (usually Wednesdays but sometimes also other days), and Sundays, our C&W team undertakes restoration, overhauls, and maintenance on our passenger carrying vehicles and limited wagon fleet.

For example currently in the shed/yard are Mark 1 First Open 3131 (a future dining car),  a Mark 1 being converted into a Kitchen Car and the DEMU Centre Car from 1317; there’s always plenty to do. Future overhauls include Mark 1 SK 25845.  We have both skilled and semi skilled tasks.  We are especially keen to hear from carpenters, painters and welders, skills that are much in demand, but can find suitable tasks for most abilities.

Operating a Railway!

The areas we find many people want to be part of are the Operations and Locomotive departments, which are responsible for the running of trains. This is a vibrant department with people with both railway and non-railway backgrounds. However we need to be open that as Railways are a highly safety-critical environment, extensive training and assessments are conducted to achieve the grades listed below. It is often physically demanding work, with some long hours, and there is no way to skip anything out if you ultimately want to become a driver, for example.

I want to be a steam driver!

• Becoming a steam driver will take time; it is not just a few days of learning, and previous attendance at a driver experience day does not count towards this.
• You will start as an engine cleaner undertaking ‘yard’ turns (based at our Tunbridge Wells West depot) on the steam locomotives. This is often a dirty job, which begins early or can finish late. You will clean the locomotives, empty the ash pits, assist in the engine shed, and become familiar with the components of a steam engine and preparing them for service.
• A typical steam crew shift is 06:00 to 18:00, and you need to be able to commit to such hours to ensure progression.  We will of course split shifts especially for events or evening services to ensure no one works excessive hours.
• Once you have mastered ‘yard’ turns, you will start to be invited out on the footplate of the locomotive, where you will begin to learn what it takes operationally and physically to become a Fireman. The Fireman is the person on the footplate responsible for ensuring the locomotive has enough steam and water for the tasks at hand. Qualifing as a Fireman is a mandatory competence you must hold before being considered for the role of steam driver.
• Learning to become a Fireman involves not only shovelling the coal and managing the level of water in the boiler, but a whole host of operational tasks such as operating ground frames, coupling and uncoupling, learning the rules of the railway, shunting, demonstrating non-technical skills and lots more.
• Once you are in a position to be able to do all of this without further tuition and the relevant theoretical examinations have been completed, you will be assessed in the role of Passed Cleaner, which is a Fireman under probation. Following a period in this role and demonstrating your level of competence meets the grade of Fireman, you are assessed again as a Fireman.
• The road to Driver doesn’t start straight away. Firing will still be new to you, but the opportunity to have a little go may be offered.  Driving is not a grade everyone is suited to nor necessarily wants to achieve. We manage this on an individual level.
• If you are competent on another heritage railway as a Fireman or Steam Driver, then can offer fast-track opportunities. Please contact us to discuss your individual circumstances.
• We want to be honest that all the above takes time; none of this is done within a short period and can only be achieved if you can learn and commit the time to get there. We have seen new volunteers start and reach the grade of Passed Cleaner within 18 months to 2 years, undertaking 2 or 3 turns per month. Some take longer; it really depends on how you learn and the time you can commit. It is mostly kinesthetic on-the-job learning; essential classroom-based training also takes place, and there are books to read, but the majority of the learning is hands-on.

I want to be a diesel driver!

• Becoming a diesel driver will take time; it is not a few days of learning, and previous attendance at a driver experience day does not count towards this.
• This can be a dirty job. The starting grade for everyone who wants to learn how to drive a diesel is a 3^rd Man; you are training as a 2^nd Man.
• Our typical diesel crew working hours are 08:00 to 18:00, although other shifts are possible especially during events or when we have eavening dining trains and you need to be able to commit to this schedule to ensure progression.
• Starting as a 3^rd Man, you are training to become a 2^nd Man. This involves not only travelling on the locomotive and keeping an eye out for the signals, but a whole host of operational tasks such as operating ground frames, coupling and uncoupling, learning the rules of the railway, shunting, demonstrating non-technical skills, assisting with the preparation of a diesel locomotive, understanding the relevant parts that apply to you and lots more.
• Once you are in a position to be able to do all of this without essential prompting, and the relevant theoretical examinations have been completed, you will ready to be assessed in the role of Competent 3^rd Man, which is a 2^nd Man under probation. Following a further period in this role and demonstrating your level of competence meets the grade of 2^nd Man, you are assessed as a fully qualified 2^nd Man. Being a 2^nd Man is a mandatory role on the route to becoming a competent driver. Progression can be expedited if you already have a background working with mainline locomotives and the necessary coupling and shunting procedures. However, you must still progress through our competence route in order to learn the route, traction and procedure differences.
• The road to Driver doesn’t start straight away. Being a 2^nd Man will still be new to you, but the opportunity to have a little go may be given.  Driver is not a grade that everyone is suitable for nor necessarily wants to achieve. We manage this on an individual level.
• If you are competent on another heritage railway or the mainline as a 2^nd Man or Diesel Driver, then we do offer fast-track opportunities. Please contact us to discuss.
• All of the above takes time; none of this is done within a short period and can only be achieved if you can learn and commit the time to get there. We have seen new volunteers start and reach the grade of 2^nd Man within 12 to 18 months, undertaking 2 or 3 turns per month. Some people take longer; it really depends on how you learn and the time you can commit. It is mostly kinesthetic on-the-job learning; essential classroom-based training also takes place, and there are books to read, but the majority of the learning is hands-on.

The S&T department’s focus is on progressing the passing loop at Groombridge—an enormous undertaking for a small team. However, steady progress is being made towards completing the installation, with a signal box and many signals already in use. They often meet midweek at Groombridge and work with electrical installations and mechanical equipment. If you have an electrical/wiring background or are great with heavy mechanical components we’d be delighted to hear from you.

Whether you’re a skilled engineer already or a complete novice, we have a boundless array of clean(ish) and (very) dirty jobs lined up for you in our original Victorian engine shed. Restoration projects currently include our 3F LMS Jinty & LBSCR Terrier ‘Sutton’, as well as routine maintenance. Steam engines need ‘washing out’ every 28 times they have steamed, this is a mucky and wet job but one that interests a lot of people! There are also tasks such as painting, sanding, cleaning that all need to be done to enable overhauls to progress. We have a fairly well equipped workshop that allows us to undertake a number of engineering tasks in house, if you’re qualified externally to use machines such as lathes, borers or drills then the workshop could be something you enjoy.

A team of people maintain our lineside to its steam-age glory, with embankments rich with wildflowers and Indigenous fauna. They work on various weekdays and will be glad to welcome you. Our stations are frequently adorned with planters and hanging baskets, bringing colour and life to the surroundings. Groombridge Station is the usual workplace for this team.

The Groombridge Signalman controls the single line between Tunbridge Wells West and Eridge. They look after the passing loop at Groombridge and access to the mainline section between Birchden Junction and Eridge. To be a Signalman, you must start and become competent as a Forge Farm Crossing Attendant (FFCA), where you control the passage of trains over the crossing on the mainline section. This is a vital role that without we can’t operate trains to Eridge!  You control the road lights and show the yellow flag to our drivers so they can cross safely.

After a period of time as an FFCA, you can start the journey to become a Signalman at Groombridge, learning what the levers do, how to control the single line, undertaking hundreds of safety-critical phone calls and recording everything in the book!  The Duty Traffic Manager is in control of the daily operations, and you will liase closely with them as required.