23 Feb 2024. Up Front & Steaming, the heritage steam railway podcast has launched the first episode in its third series today.
Entitled “The Forgotten Standard”, it tells the story of a dedicated group working on the project to bring back to life 76077, a Standard Class4 2-6-0 locomotive built by British Railways in 1956. Presenter Tom Burgess speaks with Ian Crowder who is part of the team based at Toddington on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway. For years the partially dismantled 76077 was forgotten, lying in wagons in a siding, but not anymore! Ian talks about some of the history of this class of locomotive, 70677 in particularly and about the challenges they face in restoration.
The aim is to return 76077 to steam and operation on the GWSR in time for its 70th Birthday in 2026. Up Front & Steaming will continue follow developments bring listeners updates on progress over the coming months throughout the series
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.
For more info: chuffed@upfrontandsteaming.com
About Us
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, putting it in top 10% of podcasts in the world, the series hopes to exceed 10,000 per episode in 2024 putting Up Front & Steaming 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: chuffed@upfrontandsteaming.com