Up Front & Steaming podcast
17 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago -Up Front & Steaming is all about heritage steam railways where we hope you will feel the joy, passion, fun, nostalgia shared by the thousands of people that volunteer and work for the 150 heritage railways in the UK, plus the delight of millions who ride on heritage railways every year. Series is hosted by Tom Burgess who has had a lifelong interest in railways and is a fully trained diesel and steam locomotive driver and recently started rebuilding his childhood model railway. If this is an interest of yours, then this new series is for you. www.upfrontandsteaming.com
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Episodes
Living our Heritage
March 14, 2024 00:30 - 32 minutes - 24.1 MBThis week we are going to look at the bigger picture of heritage railways in the UK. And who better to talk to than Steve Oates, the chief executive of the heritage railway association which is the UK-wide trade body representing heritage railways, tramways, cliff railways, museums and rolling stock owners. There are 300 members ranging from lengthy heritage railways operating historic steam locomotives, to short electric tramways and even miniature lines, together attracting more than 13 mi...
The Forgotten Standard
February 23, 2024 10:28 - 42 minutes - 36 MBWhat’s it like to take a rusting wreck and turn it into a shiny new fully working steam locomotive. Today we talk to Ian Crowder who is part of the team on the project to bring back to life a Standard Class 4 2-6-0 locomotive. The team are based at Toddington on the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire steam railway. Not only is Ian going to talk to us about the work being done but also the history of this type of locomotive and the life story of this particular one, 76077. This third series of U...
Coming soon on Up Front & Steaming
February 09, 2024 10:24 - 3 minutes - 3.71 MBUp Front & Steaming, the heritage steam railway podcast is launching a new series starting February 2024. Series Three brings you five new episodes, giving an insight into the people who volunteer, work and enjoy heritage railways. In the UK, Heritage Railways employ 4,000 people, with another 22,000 volunteers, they operate 560 miles of railway, run 460 stations using 800 steam and 1,000 diesel locomotives, 2,000 carriages and 4,000 wagons. Visitors take 18.6m passenger journeys every ye...
On the main: Great Central
December 14, 2023 00:30 - 30 minutes - 28.5 MBToday we talk with Malcolm Holmes, the General Manager of the Great Central Railway which is currently Britain's only double track mainline heritage railway, with over five miles of working double track, period signalling, locomotives and rolling stock. It runs for eight miles in total from the large market town of Loughborough to a new terminus just north of Leicester, plus as we will find out it even has a branch line! This second series of Up Front & Steaming is presented and produ...
Flying with the Scotsman
November 17, 2023 00:30 - 27 minutes - 32.9 MBHave you ever wondered what it really like on the footplate of the Flying Scotsman, the iconic 100 year old steam locomotive, at speed? today we talk to Andy Simpson, who has driven and fired the Scotsman on many occasions. Andy, an engineer by trade works for Riley’s, the engineering firm in Bury, Lancashire, whose task it is to repair and maintain the Flying Scotsman, on behalf of the owners the National Railway Museum. So Andy is part of a small elite group of steam specialists who are ta...
Making The Scotsman fly
October 19, 2023 00:30 - 29 minutes - 32.6 MBToday is about a National Treasure, no, not Sir David Attenborough but The Flying Scotsman, Yes, The Flying Scotsman was only a bright and shiny 3 year old steam locomotive when Sir David was born. In Part One, we talk to the man that knows the Flying Scotsman very well, Anthony Coulls Senior Curator of Rail Transport and Technology at the National Railway Museum, where the Flying Scotsman lives when it is not out and about steaming. Anthony has had a dedicated career in transport mus...
Making The Scotsman fly, Part 1
October 19, 2023 00:30 - 29 minutes - 32.6 MBToday is about a National Treasure, no, not Sir David Attenborough but The Flying Scotsman, Yes, The Flying Scotsman was only a bright and shiny 3 year old steam locomotive when Sir David was born. In Part One, we talk to the man that knows the Flying Scotsman very well, Anthony Coulls Senior Curator of Rail Transport and Technology at the National Railway Museum, where the Flying Scotsman lives when it is not out and about steaming. Anthony has had a dedicated career in transport mus...
Coming soon on Up Front & Steaming
September 05, 2023 00:30 - 2 minutes - 2.94 MBWelcome to Up Front & Steaming the heritage steam railway podcast. We are now back from our summer break and I just wanted to tell you about some of the exciting episodes you can look forward to. Coming up, we are up front and steaming with the Flying Scotsman on its centenary tour. In another episode we learn more about the Great Central Railway the only double track mainline heritage railway, we will be talking to with Malcom Holmes the General Manager of Great Central Railway PLC
Coming round the mountain, with Paul Lewin
April 28, 2023 00:30 - 35 minutes - 31 MBIn this second episode of series two, we get out on the tracks and speak to Paul Lewin, Director & General Manager of the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway, the longest heritage railway in the UK. He tells us the story of the line, the scale of the operation, how the 25-mile derelict Welsh Highland was rebuilt, the challenges, the volunteers, the training on offer and the need to make every visit a very informative and entertaining day out This second series of Up Front & steaming is p...
On the right side of the tracks
February 24, 2023 15:33 - 33 minutes - 37.6 MBIn this first episode of series two, we talk with Mel Holley, the editor of Trackside, The Journal of Railway Preservation, he is certainly a man in the know when it comes to heritage railways. Mel talks how heritage railways are more than just steam locomotives but is coal running out? He also outlines the growth and economic impact and the opportunities facing heritage railways today. This second series is in fact brought to you in partnership with Trackside, the monthly and online magaz...
Up Front & Steaming Trailer series 2
February 10, 2023 00:30 - 3 minutes - 4.43 MBUp Front & Steaming is podcast channel all about heritage steam railways. In each episode you will hear the joy, passion, fun and nostalgia shared by the thousands of people that volunteer and work for the 200 heritage railways in the UK, plus the delight of millions who ride on heritage railways every year. Series Two will kick off with an interview with Mel Holley, the editor of Trackside, the journal of railway preservation. This will be followed by episodes featuring a selection of her...
Poetry in motion
June 15, 2022 00:00 - 37 minutes - 45.4 MBIn this episode we talk to Ian Crowder a volunteer on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway which offers a leisurely round trip of 28 miles between Cheltenham Racecourse and Broadway through the beautiful Cotswold countryside. Ian had a career in public relations and media is now, as you may guess, the press officer on the railway as well as a fully trained locomotive fireman and driver plus the part owner of a steam locomotive or rather parts of a locomotive as it is currently being ...
Tickets please
May 17, 2022 00:30 - 28 minutes - 31.9 MBFormer clergyman, Brian Mason talks about what is like to be a booking office clerk, an on-train ticket inspector, a guard, a station master and a station staff assessor/inspector on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway which offers a leisurely round trip of 28 miles between Cheltenham Racecourse and Broadway through the beautiful Cotswold countryside. Brian has done all those jobs and more. You can find out more at www.gwsr.com
Our Happy Place
April 06, 2022 10:44 - 25 minutes - 31 MBThere is more to running a railway than driving a train! The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway has over 900 volunteers that come together to ensure a fun time for all who travel on the GWSR which offers a leisurely round trip of 28 miles between Cheltenham Racecourse and Broadway through the beautiful Cotswold countryside. Alison Cater is one of those volunteers, in this episode she talks about her many roles on the railway and how she enjoys the community of friends that help make the l...
The Living machine: My loco & me
January 20, 2022 00:30 - 29 minutes - 32.4 MBWhat is like to drive a steam locomotive and indeed actually own one? I talked with John Cruxon about Foremarke Hall which he restored from a rusty wreck to a fully working steam locomotive. John’s loco now hauls trains on the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Railway which offers a leisurely round trip of 30 miles through the beautiful Cotswold countryside. Find out more at www.gwsr.com. This episode is produced in partnership with the GWSR for Upfront & Steaming, the heritage steam railway po...
Steaming through the Cotswolds
December 03, 2021 11:22 - 30 minutes - 38.8 MBThe first series on this channel features the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Railway which offers a leisurely round trip of 30 miles between Cheltenham Racecourse and Broadway through the beautiful Cotswold countryside. You will hear the fascinating story of the dedicated people who rebuilt and now operate this amazing steam railway which were once part of the route of the former Great Western Railway's main line from Birmingham to Cheltenham, via Stratford-upon-Avon. In this first episode...
Up Front & Steaming Trailer Sept 21
September 10, 2021 11:37 - 3 minutes - 3.93 MBUp Front & Steaming is all about heritage steam railways where we hope you will feel the joy, passion, fun, nostalgia shared by the thousands of people that volunteer and work for the 150 heritage railways in the UK, plus the delight of millions who ride on heritage railways every year. Series is hosted by Tom Burgess who has had a lifelong interest in railways and is a fully trained diesel and steam locomotive driver and recently started rebuilding his childhood model railway. If this is an...