Great Western Coffee Shop

Am just wondering how a Steam train driver keeps his/her route knowledge up of a particular line and whether or not they have to go through the same level of training has a TOC train driver does?

With Steam drivers driving irregulary on one pacific route, there must be some way they are route trained on that main line?

Also freight lines they may tour down?

How do you become a mainline steam train driver?

Not sure we have many 'pacific' routes in this country! Although there are a few 4-6-2 'Pacific' locomotives running on the mainline. 60163 Tornado being one of them.  ;) ;D

Steam drivers will have the same route knowledge as other drivers (no special allowances for charter operators as far as I'm aware). They are employed by the charter-operating TOCs, for example DB Schenker or West Coast Railways, and I would guess will also drive diesels as more of a "day job".

Some DB Schenker or West Coast Railways frivers have amazing route knowledge.

How about Theale Welingborough (and probaly further North) for the cement. Hither Green Leicester via Stewarts Lane for ECS working. Which they probably wouldn't have had in BR days where particular sheds did particular routes.

Although Hither Green men knew Cliffe - Peterborough for the cement to Udingston,  they would have loved to work it throughout.

 I think via Haringay but might have been Widened Lines which they would have known as well for the Transfer freight.