Engineer and Relief Driver Vacancy

Key Terms of Employment

Job title: Engineer and Relief Driver
Business/department: Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway
Location: Ravenglass, Cumbria, CA18 1SW
Terms of contract: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: From £27,000.00 per year
How to apply: Applications should be made by submitting your CV and cover letter to jobs@lakedistrictestates.co.uk

Job Summary

To support the Engineering Department in maintaining, repairing, and developing the Railway’s historic fleet of steam and diesel locomotives, carriages, and related rolling stock. The role also involves contributing to workshop operations, problem-solving engineering tasks, and supporting the overall success and safety of the Railway.

Key Responsibilities

Locomotive & Carriage Maintenance
- Assist with routine and reactive maintenance of the steam and diesel locomotive fleet.
- Support overhauls and long-term restoration projects.
- Support the upkeep and repair of the railway’s carriage fleet, ensuring safety, structural integrity, and presentation standards are maintained.
- General engineering tasks.
- Undertake light engineering tasks across the site, including fabrication, welding, machining, and general fitting.
- Contribute to workshop cleanliness, organisation, and safety.
- Maintain tools and equipment in good condition.
- Assist in identifying practical solutions to engineering challenges across the railway.
- Provide practical input during the planning of modifications or restorations.
- Monitor and report on stock levels of engineering supplies and consumables, liaising with the Chief Engineer regarding reordering requirements.
- Assist in maintaining accurate engineering department records. 

Relief Driver
- Preparation and daily maintenance, including cleaning, of your rostered locomotive.
- Undertaking daily safety checks of your locomotive.
- Safely and efficiently managing the boiler of your rostered steam locomotive to ensure it remains safe and has sufficient steam for the duties the locomotive is required to undertake.
- Driving your rostered locomotive between stations following instructions given, and to always ensure safe and compliant working.
- Working closely with your rostered guard and ensuring good communication at all times.
- To comply with all instructions given to you by the Duty Controller. This will include train movement instructions, temporary speed restrictions or other issues or hazards en route.
- Disposing of the locomotive appropriately at the end of its operating day.
- Recording faults in the fault book for maintenance.
- Helping to provide excellent customer service by always being helpful and courteous.
- When undertaking maintenance work, ensure records are kept by completing job cards for all tasks undertaken.
- Ensuring compliance with risk assessments and method statements when undertaking maintenance work on locomotives and rolling stock.

Health, Safety, and Compliance
- Always work in accordance with Railway and workshop safety protocols and procedures.
- Report any hazards, near-misses, unsafe conditions, or incidents immediately to the Line Manager and Health & Safety Lead.

Additional Duties
- Collaborate effectively with other staff and volunteers across the railway, fostering a positive, collaborative, and respectful working environment.
- Promote a positive and safe working culture within the team.
- Undertake other reasonable duties as required to ensure the operation and objectives of the railway.

Essential Qualifications, Certifications or Licences

To undertake such safety-critical roles at RER, it is necessary to obtain a successful medical certification from a specialist occupational health provider. This is a requirement of the Office of Road and Rail (ORR). 

Personal Attributes

- Reliable and punctual.
- Friendly, approachable, and professional.
- Takes pride in their work and enjoys being part of a team.
- Able to work independently with minimal supervision.
- Flexible and willing to adapt to changing tasks or schedules.

Staff Benefits

In addition to the above salary, the following benefits are provided:
- Company sick pay* (entitlement increases with length of service).
- Training and development opportunities.
- 28 days annual leave (including bank holidays), increasing by 1 day per 5 years.
- Employee wellbeing programme.
- Permanent members of our team are provided with life insurance cover.*
- Workplace pension scheme.*
- On-site parking.
- Discounted/free food 

*Upon completion of a 3-month probationary period.

We also provide the following staff discounts:
- Free travel for immediate family on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway and Ullswater 'Steamers'.
- Staff discounts in the Peter Rabbit and Friends™ and The Veg Patch shops, Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway and Ullswater ‘Steamers’ gift shops and cafés, and Peter Rabbit and Friends™ Keswick café.
- Discounted accommodation rates across the group, including a friends and family rate.

Welcome to Lake District Estates

Established over 80 years ago, Lake District Estates is a family-owned business deeply rooted in the heart of the Lake District, with a proud Lakeland legacy. We offer a diverse range of tourism products and services, making us a one-stop shop for experiencing all that the region has to offer. The company's head office on Maude Street in Kendal supports the wider business, accommodating senior management, finance, marketing, human resources and property teams.

We own and operate several holiday parks across Cumbria, catering to various holiday styles, with accommodation ranging from glamping and caravanning to cottages and apartments, plus holiday homes for sale. Our sites include Buck Yeats Lodge Park, Clea Hall Holiday Park, Hill of Oaks Lodge and Caravan Park, Newby Bridge Country Caravan Park, Tewitfield Marina in Lancashire, Waterfoot Park, and Woodclose Park.

We also own two of the region's leading heritage visitor attractions: Ullswater 'Steamers' and the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway. Additionally, we have a collection of Peter Rabbit and Friends™ retail shops, The Veg Patch online and retail shops, and a portfolio of residential and commercial properties.

How to apply: Applications should be made by emailing your CV and cover letter. Simply click below. We look forward to hearing from you.