and be part of a train crew?
Volunteer
Here's your chance to take a hands-on training course to become a train crew member at the Whitewater Valley Railroad. Classes are held each year on six successive Saturdays beginning in mid February. Students who complete the course and pass the required safety and rules tests are eligible to begin train service as student brakemen. Classes combine classroom instruction and hands-on outdoor activities with full-size railroad equipment.
Topics covered in the classroom portion include:
- history of the Whitewater Valley Railroad
- railroad safety
- train operations, including rules, signaling, and train orders
- air brakes and the technology behind fail-safe operations
- steam locomotive basics
- diesel locomotive basics
- duties and responsibilities of train crew members
- volunteer opportunities at the Whitewater Valley Railroad
The outdoor activities will include:
- railroad safety
- hand signals and radio communications
- operation of switches
- coupling and uncoupling
- connecting air hoses
- journal box inspections and maintenance
- assembling a train and preparing it for departure
- operating one of the railroad's historic diesel locomotives
The course costs $50 per student, including all course materials and a one-year railroad membership. Participants must be 18 or over and able to understand and follow instructions. Outdoor activities take place rain or shine.
The 2024 class is full. Registration for the 2025 class will begin in the fall of 2024.
For more information, email us at trainingclass@whitewatervalleyrr.org or call us at (765) 825-2054.
Not interested in train service? Contact our volunteer coordinator at volunteer@whitewatervalleyrr.org. We will be happy to discuss other volunteer opportunities at the Whitewater Valley Railroad that may suit your interests and skills.
The Whitewater Valley Railroad values the diversity of our volunteers and employees, and we welcome the variety of experiences they bring to our organization. We believe everyone should be treated with respect and dignity regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability. Discrimination or harassment based on these factors is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our organization.