Potential volunteering opportunities Suffolk

[tiptoptaff]

Hello all,

I am exploring a move to Suffolk and, as I have previosuly been a fireman at the WSR, although not recently, I am looking at potentially joining a hertiage line as a volunteer with a view to returning to the footplate.

Can any of you knowledgable souls point me in the direction of the best railway to go to for the specific puropse of returning to the steam footplate. Eg i see the MNR is longer, but the NNR runs more steam. Any other options locally?

Thanks

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Which part of Suffolk? As you may know, it's a fairly big county (= 8th largest?). Depending on where you move to, the nearest steam heritage line might just be across the Suffolk county border and thus in an adjacent county.

 

[tiptoptaff]

Apologies, Ipswich/surrounding area

I'm not fussed on the nearest, but the best one locally for steam

 

[Magdalia]

The Mid Suffolk Light Railway advertises itself as Suffolk's only standard gauge heritage railway.

East Anglia does not have any preserved railway on the scale of the West Somerset Railway. Apart from the North Norfolk Railway, the nearest that offer steam traction over a reasonable distance on a reasonably frequent basis are probably the Nene Valley Railway and the Epping Ongar Railway.

There are some smaller operations nearer to Suffolk such as the East Anglian Transport Museum and the Colne Valley Railway.