GENERATIONS of young people have dreamt of becoming a train driver, and now a popular St Newlyn East railway attraction is offering a rare opportunity for one person to make that dream a reality.

Lappa Valley is looking for a full-time locomotive driver to work across its three narrow gauge railways.

The railway follows the route of the historic Newquay to Chacewater Branchline and carries in excess of 100,000 passengers per year.

The track runs steam, diesel and battery electric locomotives.

Ellie, one of Lappa Valley’s Steam Trains at Benny Halt ( )

Ben Harding, operations manager said: “Jobs like this genuinely don’t come around very often.

“As well as driving regular services throughout the year, the successful applicant will also help maintain our fleet of 13 locomotives, 23 passenger carriages, various wagons and over 2.5 miles of railway.” Lappa Valley, which celebrates its 50th birthday in 2024 has seen a huge level of investment over the last few years, including a new indoor soft play and café, new railway infrastructure and the introduction of a brand new £500,000 train, “City of Truro.”

They have also been named Cornwall’s top tourist attraction in the Cornwall Tourism Awards for two years in a row.

Ben said: “We’re a small and passionate team, and very lucky to be working with a variety of different locomotives.

“Although we are looking for someone with experience, we will be providing in-house training too.”

Full details on the job and how to apply can be found at Lappavalley.co.uk/work