When a reporter makes tracks, it's usually straight to the pub at the end of the day.

But for Lucy Stokes, it meant joining the train gang and taking her sledgehammer and shovel to the Chasewater Railway in Staffordshire for a 'day out' item in the Lichfield Mercury and Herald Leader.

Volunteers are working there to restore the railway and both steam and diesel locomotives are running along the track.

That means that the stations are brand new, but the trains are old - and need a little work to get them going.

Lucy said: "As it takes three or four hours to fire up the engine on a steam locomotive I decided that I didn't have the patience to wait around and would have a go on the slightly quicker one.

"I climbed aboard the 40-year-old diesel multiple unit and it instantly brought back memories of years spent commuting on the cross-city line between Lichfield and Birmingham."

The train was one of the old diesel ones used before the modern electric trains took over and should be very nostalgic for commuters.

"I was honoured to sit in the driver's compartment and was surprised how simple it appeared to drive it.

"Of course, there is no steering involved, although for split second I did wonder what the circular contraption that looked suspiciously like a steering wheel was. It was a brake.

"The train had an acceleration lever and a brake. In fact three brakes, and apart from some dials that appeared to be all there was to driving the train.

"Next I took a look at an old steam train under reconstruction.

"It wasn't easy getting on to the train without the luxury of a platform and for a moment I thought I was taking part in a rock climbing feature."

But she left only after making sure she took a look at an asbestos tank engine - that children mistake for the famous Percy - and made sure she didn't have to travel on the pump trolley, which looked more like something from the wild, wild west.

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