Rail Engineering Technician
Alex's job title is Locomotive Fitter at North Norfolk Railway
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.
Hear more about Alex's role by watching the video below...
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.
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!
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.
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.
Discover what qualifications you’ll need, how much you can earn, and what the next steps are.
