The award winning South Devon Railway is holding a special "Steam Driver for a Fiver" event at its Buckfastleigh station this coming Remembrance Sunday, November 9, with the proceeds going towards the Royal British Legion's annual Poppy Appeal.

As well as contributing to this very worthy cause, anyone who has ever nurtured childhood ambitions of driving a steam railway loco can now have their dreams come true for just £5.00 and experience what life's like on the footplate of a working steam engine.

SDR General Manager Richard Elliott comments: "We have good links with the Royal British Legion through one of our drivers Ron Reynolds and we try to organise a "Driver for a Fiver" event each year in aid of the Royal British Legion's annual Poppy Appeal.

"After marking the national two minutes silence at 11.00 am, people can come along and shovel coal into the firebox, blow the whistle and try their hand on the regulator to make the loco move. They can sense the loco's power and know what it feels like to be a real fireman and driver by moving the engine in and out of Buckfastleigh station.

"This year's loco is former GWR pannier tank No. 5786, so why not treat yourself or someone special to the thrill of a lifetime and help raise money for the Poppy Appeal?"

The steam "Driver for a Fiver" event will be held at Buckfastleigh station from around 11.15am until approximately 2.00pm after the two-minute silence at 11.00am across the country in honour of the nation's war dead.

One group who will be supporting "Driver for a Fiver" is Kent businessman and SDR supporter Bernard Wickham, plus his family and friends. They are all avid Charlton Athletic supporters and are in Devon over the same weekend to not only visit the railway but also to go to Home Park on Saturday 8th for Plymouth Argyle's home game against Charlton and travelling there and back on the SDR's ex London double-deck 'bus!

During their stay, Bernard Wickham and his group have chartered a Saturday evening dining train on the SDR but will also be trying out his namesake "Wickham" rail trolley again during their visit whose £5,000 restoration he funded two years ago. The trolley is called "The Addick" in honour of Charlton FC, and it is normally used to transport SDR track workers up and down the seven mile line. Further details etc etc.

With ample car parking at Buckfastleigh on the A38 Devon Expressway, the South Devon Railway is just 25 minutes from Plymouth, Exeter and Torbay. And the South Devon Railway will also be getting ready to run its ever popular Santa by Steam trains which operate most weekends in December and during the last week before Christmas.

The Expressway model railway shop is already stocking up with Xmas presents for children of all ages and is open for business on most days.

If you enjoy this taster at the controls then you can always book one of our full day "Driver Experience days".