With Swindon being proud of its history, there are a few ways of becoming immersed in steam.

Steam Museum is a perfect location to learn about the history of the railway in Swindon and how it helped the town become a thriving railway community.

Most recently Steam hosted the Swindon Railway Festival where model train enthusiasts showcased their personal sets.

Of course, Swindon & Cricklade Railway is one of the best places to get hands on experience, with numerous events and days available throughout the year such as its family fun days or behind the scenes weekends.

Allan Bott, a volunteer at the railway, said: “Of course we have our scheduled events such as the vintage and military weekends that gives people the opportunity to see what we’re all about but we do offer additional services as well.

“We offer people train tasters where they can drive the steam trains under supervisions for around an hour. This is also offered for full days as well so people can really understand what it’s like.

“Outside of that we’re also open for people just to come and visit and to look around at what we do, all of our staff are friendly and engaging because they’re passionate about the trains and they want to share that with other people.

If you have a hobby in steam trains and are interested in working with the engines, you can volunteer at Swindon & Cricklade railway by going to swindon-cricklade-railway.org/volunteer or by calling 01793 771615