The Heritage Steam Railway Podcast

Welcome to Up Front & Steaming, the leading podcast series all about heritage railways where you can feel the joy, passion, fun and nostalgia shared by the thousands of people that volunteer and work for the 300 heritage railways and museums in the UK, plus the delight of millions who ride the rails every year.

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Listen free to all episodes on Amazon, Apple, Google, Spotify and all major podcast providers.

If you are chuffed about steam, just rapturous about rail, or just enjoy a good historic day out, then Up Front & Steaming podcast is for you. Sign up now for regular newsletter and you will receive advance news about episodes, projects we are working on and special offers and events. Just join here to be in the know

Episodes offer several themes:

Preservation Projects

Features volunteer groups undertaking restoration and preservation of locomotives, rolling stock as well as stations and facilities

Track Talk

We chat with leading figures in the Heritage Railway business about the issues, challenges, and opportunities.

Rock Railheads

Rock and rail indeed go together there are several high-profile rollers who when they are not rocking like to rail. We give them a call to see what fires them up

Meet The Media

There are several magazines and online media that cover heritage railways, let’s find out what their editors think.

Riding the Rails

We get the inside track on a heritage railway with an interesting story to tell

About

Up Front & Steaming is a podcast series all about heritage steam railways where listeners can feel the joy, passion, fun and nostalgia shared by the thousands of people that volunteer and work for the 300 heritage railways in the UK, plus the delight of millions who ride the rails every year.

Episodes feature a selection of heritage railways as well as people who have a story to tell about steam railways, both the originals and the preserved.

The first series featured the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, the second series was produced in partnership with Trackside magazine featuring the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland railway, the Great Central and a two-part episode on the Flying Scotsman. Series Three will include a regular news bulletin and an update on a steam restoration project as well as personalities from the world of heritage railways plus our usual feature on specific heritage railways.

After just 10 episodes, Up Front & Steaming, has attracted up to 5,000 listeners per episode, pushing it into top 10% of podcasts in the world, the series hopes to exceed 10,000 per episode in 2024 meaning Up Front & Steaming, will be in the top 1% of podcasts.

According to Trackside, The Journal of Railway Preservation, the UK heritage railway sector attracts 13 million visitors a year and generates £600m economic activity. More than 200 railways, museums and steam centres employ 4,000 people, with another 22,000 volunteers. Collectively, they operate 560 miles of railway, run 460 stations using 800 steam and 1,000 diesel locomotives, 2,000 carriages and 4,000 wagons. Visitors take 18.6m passenger journeys every year, covering 130m passenger miles.

The series is hosted by Tom Burgess, a BBC trained producer and presenter who has had a lifelong interest in railways, is a fully trained diesel and steam locomotive driver and recently started rebuilding his childhood model railway. Tom had an entrepreneurial career in marketing and communications, most recently as CEO of an international public relations firm with capability to handle campaigns in 100 countries. Tom is the author of “From Here To Prosperity, a practical policy agenda to build a sustainable economy and greater social justice.

Up Front & Steaming is available free to listen and subscribe to on Amazon, Apple, Google, Spotify and all main podcast providers, just search “Up Front & Steaming Podcast” or click here. More information contact: info@upfrontandsteaming.com