Come and lend a hand

The Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway has been entertaining local families for nearly 60 years and this would not have been possible without our volunteers. All staff are volunteers on this railway.

Thank you for showing an interest in becoming part of the team that makes the magic happen whilst preserving an important part of Britain's industrial history. 

We hope this information gives you plenty of ideas about how you could help us to continue delivering this friendly and fun local attraction for years to come.

The roles, areas and skills you can get involved in fall roughly into the following areas: 

Operational departments – predominantly required on operating days

• Booking office and shop – skills include customer interface, retail experience
• Steam and diesel – e.g. cleaners, firemen, drivers 
• Guards – people skills, key safety role in train operation
• Health and Safety – skills include IT and any health and safety experience
• Guides – e.g. helping at events with car parking, engine shed tours

Maintenance departments – often meet on particular days of the week

• Steam and diesel – skills include engineering, project management, painting, welding, cleaning
• Carriage – skills include joinery, carpentry, welding, painting, project management
• Permanent Way (i.e. track maintenance etc.) – skills include civil engineering, track maintenance
• Building Management – skills include building management, project management
• Machining – skills include machine tools operating
• Wagon – skills include engineering, welding, project management
• Vegetation management – skills include gardening, general help

Business

• Health and Safety
• Administration, IT and Finance
• Marketing 
• Event Management
• Junior Railway Club
• Museum/archivist

You may want to use your existing skills or you may wish to do something completely new. Please contact our Volunteer Coordinator using our contact us form or phone us on 01525 373888. Whatever you choose to do, full training will be given and there will always be people to support and guide you. For some roles qualification by examination is required for safety-critical operational duties. A medical is also required for some roles. There are also age and health restrictions for some tasks. 

For all sorts of reasons, a wide cross-section of people find working for the Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway very fulfilling, making new friends and expanding their social lives alongside the satisfaction of a day’s work well done.

There is a particular need for volunteers during the operating season, but there are openings for volunteers all year round.  Many volunteers find they learn new and useful skills that are of benefit in the world away from the railway, and may even help with job applications, where potential employers look very favourably on volunteer work of the sort offered on the railway. Universities also look favourably on voluntary work when assessing applications and at the interview stage; many young volunteers have commented on the interest shown in the work they have done.

To be insured to volunteer on our railway, you must become a member of the society. Please visit our membership page for information.

We also have the Junior Railway Club section, so that the under-16s can get involved as well!