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
This 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 million visitors each year and generating £600m plus to the economy. Up Front & Steaming is presented by Tom Burgess for OnTrack Productions www.upfrontandsteaming.com
23 Feb 2024
The Forgotten Standard
What’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 Up Front & Steaming is presented and produced by Tom Burgess for On Track Productions. More at www.upfrontandsteaming.com
9 Feb 2024
Coming soon on Up Front & Steaming
Up 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 year, covering 130m passenger miles.
Join presenter Tom Burgess and get Up Front & Steaming
31 Jan 2024
UFS S2 EP1 draft
14 Dec 2023
On the main: Great Central
Today 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 produced by Tom Burgess in partnership with Trackside, the monthly magazine targeted at the 26,000 people who work in the heritage railway sector, plus the estimated 100,000 enthusiasts. www.tracksidemag.co.uk. Find out more at www.upfrontandsteaming.com
17 Nov 2023
Flying with the Scotsman
Have 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 tasked with being the drivers and the fireman on the Flying Scotsman.
This second series of Up Front & Steaming is presented and produced by Tom Burgess (www.upfrontandsteaming.com) in partnership with Trackside, the monthly magazine targeted at the 26,000 people who work in the heritage railway sector, plus the estimated 100,000 enthusiasts. www.tracksidemag.co.uk
19 Oct 2023
Making The Scotsman fly
Today 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 museum curation, is also a volunteer on heritage railways and has authored many books.
This second series of Up Front & Steaming is presented and produced by Tom Burgess in partnership with Trackside, the monthly magazine targeted at the 26,000 people who work in the heritage railway sector, plus the estimated 100,000 enthusiasts. www.tracksidemag.co.uk
28 Apr 2023
Coming round the mountain, with Paul Lewin
In 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 presented and produced by Tom Burgess in partnership with Trackside, the monthly magazine targeted at the 26,000 people who work in the heritage railway sector, plus the estimated 100,000 enthusiasts. www.tracksidemag.co.uk
24 Feb 2023
On the right side of the tracks
In 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 magazine targeted at the 26,000 people who work in the heritage railway sector, plus the estimated 100,000 enthusiasts. www.tracksidemag.co.uk
10 Feb 2023
Up Front & Steaming Trailer series 2
Up 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 heritage railways as well as people who have a story to tell about steam railways, both the originals and the preserved
The series is hosted by Tom Burgess, a prolific podcast producer and BBC trained presenter who has had a lifelong interest in railways and is a fully trained diesel and steam locomotive driver
15 Jun 2022
Poetry in motion
In 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 restored. Ian talks about his interest in railways, how to attract visitors and what makes the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway so special. You can find out more at www.gwsr.com (http://www.gwsr.com)
17 May 2022
Tickets please
Former 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
6 Apr 2022
Our Happy Place
There 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 line such well-oiled machine and how it makes everyone happy. You can find out more at www.gwsr.com
20 Jan 2022
The Living machine: My loco & me
What 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 podcast.
3 Dec 2021
Steaming through the Cotswolds
The 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 we talk with Richard Johnson, chairman of the GWSR plc who tells us the story since 1981 from when there was an empty track bed to the fully operational steam railway carrying thousands of passengers every year. You can find out more at www.gwsr.com (http://www.gwsr.com)
10 Sept 2021
Up Front & Steaming Trailer Sept 21
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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