Two Tyne and Wear Metro drivers volunteer to drive steam trains at the Stephenson Steam Railway in North Shields. Michael Darling and Rob Kitching share a lifelong passion for steam locomotives and give up their time to celebrate the region's railway heritage.
Volunteers at the North Shields attraction
The pair are long-serving volunteers at the museum, having been enthralled by trains since they were young. They man the controls of the museum's only working steam locomotive, the Ashington Number 5, after completing assessments to get the role.
For the duo, this works well alongside their jobs with the multi-million pound Metro trains, providing a real contrast. They both help to give visitors an immersive experience on tours along a two-mile section of disused train lines at Percy Main.
Michael's story
Michael, 36, of Monkseaton, has been a Metro driver for 13 years and has volunteered at the museum since he was 17. He said: "I've always had an interest in trains ever since I was a child, it's a niche hobby that not many people get to do. I get a lot of pleasure from it, it's both exciting and interesting, and it's such a pleasure."
He added: "The heritage tours we run are educational, steam trains stopped running in our region in the late 1970s. It's important that people still get to see them, experience travelling on them, and learn about our region's railway heritage, as after all, we gave railways to the world thanks to George Stephenson."
"It took me seven years to become a qualified steam train driver, and I'm now an inspector and do all the assessments for our other volunteers. It's incomparable to driving the new Metro trains, but I love doing both."
Rob's perspective
Rob, 35, of Durham, has been a Metro driver for eight years and has volunteered at the museum for the last decade. He said: "There's always been a family interest in trains and that has passed down to me, and I worked at Beamish, driving trains there."
He added: "That opened the door to my role at Stephenson and helped to pave the way for me to become a Metro driver. Steam trains are just amazing, I like the engineering of them, and being able to appreciate something that has been hand built so many years ago and is still working today."
"They are part of the heritage of the North East, and are testament to how our region led the way with this technology. I love driving the steam loco, and it's great to see visitors come and enjoy it too, railways are in the blood of our region, so it's nice to be part of something that celebrates it for future generations."
