Alex Harper-Bourne, Rail Engineering Technician

Alex Harper-Bourne standing in front of a steam locomotive.

Rail Engineering Technician

Alex's job title is Locomotive Fitter at North Norfolk Railway

What I do

I maintain and restore preservation steam and diesel engines that are over 100 years old. This can include conducting day-to-day maintenance so we can run a rail service or restoring engines that have been left derelict since their working days.

Train repair shed, containing several locomotives in various stages of repair.

Hear more about Alex's role by watching the video below...

How I became a technician

I studied history, science and product design at GCSE, then computer science at A-level. After leaving school, I went to college and completed a Level 3 BTEC in Engineering. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next, but as I had experience working at a garage when a job came up at the railway, I had the hands-on skills needed for the role.

When I started at the railway, I worked on diesel engines, as I had some transferable skills from working on cars. All my training has been hands-on, working on the job and picking up skills by shadowing other team members.

A typical day in my
working life

As I’m a Duty Fitter, I get in at around 6:00 am to ensure that the engines are running efficiently and fix any issues that arise. The engines must leave on time to take their first service. Once those trains have left, I move on to my in-shed tasks. These can range from maintenance to heavy repairs and restoration jobs. Usually, we have a restoration job in the background, and when we’re not busy with maintenance, we jump back on to that project.

If you do something you love, it doesn’t feel like work.

A little more about
my everyday role

What I love most about my job

I get a lot of satisfaction out of it. Especially the big projects, when we strip an engine down from start to finish and rebuild it - it’s very satisfying. We are bringing engines back to life, and to see that transformation is great!

The best bits about working in a team

We’re a close bunch, and we all get on and have a good laugh together. I have colleagues who previously worked on mainline trains, so they bring a lot of knowledge, and I can call on them for advice.

The most exciting thing I’ve achieved so far in my job

I have gained the skills needed to be a diesel driver and now get to drive diesel engines. I am on my way to becoming a steam driver too. It was also a proud moment to see a diesel engine that I had helped restore running and pulling a train.

Find out more about this role

Discover what qualifications you’ll need, how much you can earn, and what the next steps are.

Nine apprentices sitting on sofas socialising

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