LIFE on the railways and a bid to restore a much-loved steam railway will be on the timetable as a local train driver turns 40 in style.
Andy Christie will celebrate his 40th birthday next Saturday (December 4) by taking to the stage at The Henrician on Victoria Avenue to look back at his professional career as a train driver and 28 years of volunteering.
An advert in a local newspaper changed his life back in 2004 as Andy began his career as a train driver for Cross Country Trains at Worcester Shrub Hil.
Although based in Birmingham he regularly drives through Worcestershire and through his former hometown of Droitwich Spa.
When not at work, he indulges his love for garden railways, challenges and photography.
In 2017, Andy assisted Dick Strawbridge on Channel 4’s ‘The Biggest Little Railway In The World’ and since then he has worked on his own ideas for television and one of the projects saw the creation of his own cable mounted camera to chase a train through a woodland and over a viaduct.
His latest project has seen him filming trains and gardens for a television series he hopes to pitch to TV companies next spring.
“For a pilot episode, I have been working with volunteers to restore a steam powered tramway in Wales. It is now my mission to return tracks to a disused station in Chirk and be the first to drive a steam engine there in 86 years!,” he said.
“The Glyn Valley Tramway Trust has now become close to my heart and I wish to support them as much as I can.”
In June, Andy and the Glyn Valley Tramway Trust hope to stage an event to coincide with the Queen’s Jubilee.
“This will see the first steam engine arrive at the station for 86 years along with the two sole surviving carriages that once worked on the line,” Andy said.
Andy will be joined by special guests Cameron Stevenson and Jack Boskett for the show which starts at 7.30pm.
Visit www.henrician.org for more.
