"what a lovely station" is a comment that has been heard numerous times from visitors to Carrog. There's no doubt that the station has an atmosphere that the public appreciate. Although only a few months since opening, things have settled down and  we're now operating a station. What does this entail? More than you might think! 

A typical day begins an hour before the first train is due: once the buildings are unlocked and checked, the toilets are cleaned, the platforms are swept and the litter bins emptied. One or two other tasks usually present themselves and soon it's time for the first train. 

There are usually a few passengers for the diesel train, but after 11am things can be quite different! One minute the platforms are empty, and the next what seems like hundreds have appeared. There's a rush to see the steam locomotive, use the toilets, and visit the tea room. The girls in the tea room do a really good job and I can recommend a visit. The chocolate cake is a delight!

Soon things settle down and it's time for the train to depart. Once it has left, the station becomes quiet again, with only the sound of the birds and livestock in the adjoining field to break the silence.Of course there's usually something to do, such as issue tickets, answer the telephone, and various questions from visitors. The station is well used by local people and visitors who park their cars here and use the train to travel to Llangollen. Before you know it, it's time for the last train to arrive. Once departed, various jobs have to be done to leave the station ready for the next day. Prior to leaving, you can sit on the deserted platform and think "What a lovely station".    (by Martin Williams)

                                  "It's about time you worked on the railway"

I can't remember exactly who said these words, but they were to make me become a member of the Llangollen Railway, and see my doing Station Duty at Carrog.  Having been a frequent visitor to many preserved railways over the years, I have been toying with the idea of joining one and becoming a volunteer. But how would I decide which one to join? Living in Liverpool, it was an easy matter to visit several preserved railways, most of which were under a hundred miles away, and easily reached my motorbike. So I began to take notice of what was going on around me whilst I made visits to them.

A friend of mine had just had a serious accident in a microlight aeroplane and had been sent to the spinal injuries unit at Gobowen.Visiting was all afternoon from 2.pm onwards. So what to do in the morning? Yes! The Llangollen Railway had just opened it's extensions to Carrog, there were several engines I'd not ridden behind, there was a tea room at Carrog and Gobowen was not far away. So my visits to the Railway became quite frequent during the summer and autumn of 1996.

I had always been made to feel very welcome by the staff working at Carrog station, and after several visits that summer, the magic of the Railway began to work upon me. It was then when someone said, "It's about time you worked on the Railway!" There and then I decided to that this was the Railway to join! I felt that I was becoming part of the place already, having been made so welcome at Carrog.

Thinking ahead and aloud during one Eastertime visit to the tea room at Carrog, I mentioned the fact that it would be a wonderful experience for me to come and work on the Railway as soon as the school holidays started. Within seconds, the station diary was produced and I was pencilled in. I was to work as the Booking clerk in the ticket office for a week!

I had been busy at school in the three weeks leading up to the end of term. A school musical show, an outdoor activities holiday, reports to write and all the other things that school- teachers love to moan about. I was ready for a holiday. After what seemed like an eternity, the eighteenth of July arrived. That afternoon I had packed and was on my way to Carrog .

Debbie Stead had kindly offered to put me up for the week and to show me what I needed to know and do in the ticket office. At first I was quite nervous, having never done anything like this before. When I was shown how to count up at the end of the day, record the tickets sold, the money collected and fill in all the appropriate paperwork I was even more daunted! Selling the correct tickets and all their variations was something that I'd learn that week!

Saturday and Sunday were both very busy days, and having resolved to 'grab the bull by the horns' I set out to work with enthusiasm. My first customers were a Swede with a Visa card, and a group of youngsters wishing to purchase resident child singles to Llangollen! I hadn't a clue what to do. Luckily Debbie Stead was there and she showed me how to deal with these unforeseen problems. In fact, every time something unforeseen happened (including an injured dog struck by a train!) which I did not know how to deal with, Debbie seemed to appear from nowhere to sort it out. After this inauspicious beginning I soon settled into the routine and began to enjoy myself!

The rest of the week passed uneventfully (apart from the dog under the train) and all too quickly. The weekday timetable is nowhere as hectic as the weekend one, and thus the time passed gently and with not too much hard work. On Tuesday I had a day off and was lucky enough to have obtained a footplate pass to ride down to Llangollen. Riding on the footplate of the Pannier was quite cramped but a very enjoyable experience, especially going through Berwyn tunnel. The next day I was back at work and by now, having learned what to do in the ticket office and how to cope with most problems, I settled down into the routine easily. It was with regret that I finished my station duties on Thursday and locked up the station for the last time.

During the week I was always made to feel very welcome by all the staff and volunteers and the Railway. I was particularly impressed with the way in which everyone accepted me as a fellow volunteer with a job to do and a common aim to fulfil. I have really enjoyed my brief time as a working volunteer member of the Railway, and I hope soon to have the privilege once again of " working on the Railway"   (by John Hewitt)

                                These two articles were first published in the magazine "Steam at Llangollen "