Pendo Pilot
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Greetings from Staffordshire UKHello everyone, I'm Shane, 37yrs old & now living in south staffs. By day (or night depending on the shift) I'm a train driver with Virgin trains driving class 57, 221 & 390 Pendolino's up & down the west coast mainline. This year will mark by 20th aniversary on the railway & have done a varied amount of jobs in that time including shunter & signalman but now happily doing what I always wanted to do.
My Mamod interest started when I was about 12 with a very beat up second hand static engine that bit's used to fall off everytime it steamed. In the end it was basically a kettle. In 1989 I had saved up some money & combined with Chritsmas money managed to buy a kit build Mamod Loco. This ran (pretty poorly) for about 2yrs until the wheels came loose & unquartered. I didn't have the tools, skill to fix it & it eventually ended up on a plinth next to my "00" garden railway in 1994. In the following years, work & leaving home etc led to the garden layout & mamod being abandoned. I got a call last year from my mother who had been gardening & found my old mamod. Did I still want it? I thought it would be nice to restore it cosmetically, however the plans now changed & I intend to restore & improve it, but it's in a right state . Lots of parts on the way & hope to steam her very soon. Look forward to reading more on the site to improve my knowledge of live steam.
All the best.
Shane
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Les
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Hello and welcome to the forum.  
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Ross
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Welcome
You have a great job!
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Bugsy
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Big welcome from chilly Sweden!
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tmuir
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Hi, and welcome.
Its been said before, but no toy steam engine dies, they just go to sleep.
If you can post photos I'm sure we can help.
Every part of these locos can be replaced with either original parts or upgraded, improved parts.
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Pendo Pilot
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Thanks all,
Will post pics of the work done so far & what it was like. It's not a pretty sight but 16yrs of UK weather did take it's toll.
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pauly
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dont worry wev seen it all here 
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dampfmaschinenjoe 1967
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Hi there,
you came to the right place to talk steam with us ! Every question will find its answer ! Locomotives are a main theme here amongst other steam engines . Most of us have minimum one live steam loco ! I must admit that I am a real steam loco buff but the sight of a nice traction engine or a vintage stationary will warm my heart too. So welcome amongst the best group of live steam afficcionados in the net !
cheers Joe
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johnreid
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Welcome from Indiana USA, All of you in the UK should be very proud of yout Passenger Rail System, I was very impressed with it.
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peol
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Welcome from Sweden
Beware, my collection also started with my childhood Mamod being rediscovered
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IndianaRog
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Another Indiana, USA welcome. You do seem like you have a job many here would kill for!!! Glad you can join us.
Rog
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boxman
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from Yorkshire
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Minor1PJG
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Welcome from Surrey
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Alf
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mogogear
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Welcome aboard Shane!
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Jay_Minor
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welcome Shane, you have come to the right place
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Steve_S
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Welome to the forum Shane! 
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steamyjim
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Welcome to the forum mate!
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Sandman
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A big Scottish welcome Shane.
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Atticman
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Welcome Shane- Ive enjoyed your loco postings already- lovely into too
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Burnmafingers
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Welcome to the site!
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Dampfmaschine
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Hello Shane and welcome - I used to be a driver too - Then an instructor / inspector / operations auditor - Now a shift station manager at Edinburgh Waverley with NR.
Hope you enjoy the forum - I certainly do
Stuart
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Pendo Pilot
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Hi Stuart, I only get up north as far as Preston, shame as I would love to be driving Shap & further north. Edinburgh is such a lovely station (I find). Used to catch the sleeper up to Kyle of Lochalsh in BR times. The train used to split there, maybe it still does. Great times on the free passes.
I miss the class 47's & AC loco's but actually really like the class 390 Pendolino's. Going through Rugby at 125mph with a full 8 degrees of tilt is such a rush. Then again going through main stations like Milton Keynes at 125mph is just insane. Plus driving class 57's helps to remember the past great loco's now sadly gone.
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Dampfmaschine
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I only ever got as far down as Newcastle or Carlisle. The 47 was the loco I was passed out for driving on. Used to love the 47/7's on the Edinburgh - Glasgow Queen St service - driving 117 tons of loco with 6 on at 100mph through blizzards etc - great fun
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