Daylight Evening Footplate Experience

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• The Guest Party arrives at Pendre Station, Tywyn, at between 16:15 - 17:15 hrs (depending on the normal service which we operate during the day) and is met by the driving instructor;
• The Guest Driver is given a safety briefing and all are shown around the works, blockpost and carriage sheds at Pendre;
• The Guest Driver collects their train - a coal-fired steam locomotive and passenger carriages with Guard's van - at Pendre Station and under supervision drives the 7 miles to the end of the line at Nant Gwernol (scheduled to take about 50 minutes);
• Accompanying guests are able to travel in a carriage of the special train which will otherwise not carry members of the general public;
• Water is taken on at Dolgoch Station on the outward journey where the guest driver will assist with the operation;
• The loco is run round the carriages at Nant Gwernol by the instructing crew before the Guest Driver starts the return journey;
• On the homeward journey, the train arrives at Abergynolwyn about 5 minutes after leaving Nant Gwernol. A refreshment break is taken here where a selection of sandwiches and cakes, and tea or coffee is provided;
• The train, again driven by the Guest Driver, leaves Abergynolwyn after the short refreshment break and arrives back at Pendre (taking a further 40 minutes) where the experience finishes.

The locomotive and carriage set will be one that has been used during the day for normal public service trains. Available from April to September - only one such course is available on any one evening and this is booked on a first-come, first-served basis.