Volunteer Information

During your visit to the Railway the majority of the staff you have seen will have been volunteers - the driver, the fireman, the booking office clerk, the signalman and the catering staff. What you may not have noticed is the large number of backroom staff who carry out the restoration and maintenance work that keeps the Railway in first class condition. All are united in our aim of restoring and operating our section of Isle of Wight Railway as it used to be.

Our volunteer staff are of all ages and backgrounds - male and female - some joined as school children, some when they retired. Some have vital engineering skills, others are totally unskilled. All are equally welcome and have a part to play in the never-ending task of keeping the Railway and its equipment in tip-top condition. There are always vacancies in all departments and new volunteers are always warmly welcomed to the small, friendly team who keep the Railway's wheels turning. Please download our Volunteer Leaflet HERE for more information, and read on for details of some of the opportunities available:

Locomotives

For those interested in the operation and repair of our historical locomotive fleet there's our Mechanical Engineering Department.. Join the workshop staff and assist in the restoration and maintenance of the fleet, or perhaps start as a Locomotive Cleaner and progress to Fireman and Driver . See the latest Mechanical Engineering Update for details of the department's activities.

You might also want to find out about 'The Sunday Gang' - a team of regular volunteers, young and not-so-young, contributing to specific loco projects each weekend. Click HERE for more information.

Permanent Way

Responsible for the trackwork and lineside fencing - It's all healthy outdoor work! Monthly working parties are organised to tackle important tasks requiring a large team, and regular weekly gangs tackle lineside clearance and fencing renewals. The Civil Engineering Department is responsible for the Permanent Way; details can be found HERE, where you will also find the latest edition of Track Pack , the department's newsletter.

Operating

Start as member of the platform staff and progress through the grades to Guard or Signalman.

Station Maintenance

With four stations to maintain there is work to suit all interests and abilities from gardening to painting, carpentry to bricklaying.

Signals & Telecommunications

Help maintain the Railway's vital signalling system and the vintage and modern communication systems. Signals and Telecommunications is a section of the Civil Engineering Department; see Track Pack for the latest developments.

Carriage & Wagon

Join the team responsible for the upkeep of our unique collection of Victorian and Edwardian carriages. Visit the latest Mechanical Engineering Update for more information.

Special Events

The Railway hosts numerous Special Events throughout the year, The August Bank Holiday Steam Show, Days Out with Thomas, Real Ale Festival, Santa Specials and the 1940s Experience to name but a few. Each event is managed by a dedicated team. It's great fun with with jobs to suit all tastes - Real Ale Festival Bar Staff, Steam Show Rally Marshalls, and even Santa's Elves!

Volunteer Facilities

There is more to being a volunteer on the Railway than work. A range of social activities is also available to our workforce. We also offer purpose-built accommodation for volunteers wishing to stay overnight.

Contact

If you have a little spare time to offer us, whether you have any special skills or not, or are just looking for a pleasant interest and the chance to increase your circle of friends then please E-mail or telephone our Volunteer Co-ordinator, Clive Miller, who will be pleased to arrange a visit to the Railway and show you around the various on going projects and tasks in hand. Clive can be contacted via the Railway on 01983 882204 or please e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . You can also download our Volunteer Leaflet HERE

Please Note: All applicants will receive a mandatory CRB check, and certain roles will require volunteers to undertake a medical examination.

The IWSR Operating Dept has its own website to facilitate on-line rostering and the publishing of operational information. A log-in and password is required and will be issued on registering for duties or by contacting the Ops Manager. The site can be found HERE.