Steve Oddy in relaxed mood with 9F class 2-10-0 no. 92203 Black Prince (Photograph courtesy Steve Oddy)


The engine that started it all for Steve Oddy: SR N15 (King Arthur) class 4-6-0 no. 30798 Sir Hectimere with no route identifying discs or lamps displayed, passing New Malden in 1961 (Photograph courtesy Prorail/Dusty Durrant collection)

Welcome to our second 'Five minutes with' - this time our subject is Steve Oddy, currently Chairman of the Steam Locomotive Department Management Team.  Steve is a valuable contributor to the railway and in his current role, is very much as the 'sharp end' when it comes to ensuring that steam locomotives are turned out every operating day.  And perhaps best of all, he has even managed to get his wife involved.  And as for the last question, you might like to quiz him if you spot him on your next visit to the railway!

My railway business card, if I had one, would say: …  

It would need to be a big one… Chairman, Steam Loco Dept Management Team; Finance Manager, Steam Loco Dept - and I could add fireman, trainee driver!

I first got interested in railways because:  

As a child in the 50s and 60s our house backed on to the busy marshalling yards at Hither Green, South London. Pure joy.

A typical run-down of what I do for the railway is:  

My proper job is 'steam locomotive fireman' although I've just started training as a driver. In the Steam Loco Department, however, footplate work is only part of the story as there are always things to do to keep the locos running, from shovelling out the ash pit and breaking up pallets for lighting fires to changing loco springs and countless other repairs. On the admin side I am responsible for a budget of some £300k which pays for coal and loco hire as well as all of the other expenses incurred in looking after steam locos, from litre tins of Brasso to complex weighing equipment. I'm also chairing the team that manages the department for the 2010 season.  This is a new concept - rather than having a permanent locomotive superintendent, we're introducing a Chairman for a year, with a deputy following in his footsteps to take over the next year. It seems to be working well.

I was prompted to get involved with the Honeybourne Line by what or who - and when:

My wife, foolishly, bought me a footplate experience course on the Bluebell Railway for my 50^th birthday and I enjoyed myself so much that I decided to get involved with a heritage railway. Dave Wasdell, the Honeyboune Line's head of Signalling, and I work together and six years ago he suggested I should come to Toddington - I'm still here! 

The thing I like most about our railway is:

The 'can do' attitude of so many of the volunteers.

And the thing I like least:  

The occasional negative attitudes that you'll find in all volunteer organisations.

I think the greatest achievement of our railway is:  

Operating one of the 'top ten' heritage railways in the UK without having mortgaged ourselves up to the hilt.

My 'real job' is:

I've been a pilot all my working life, first in the RAF and then, after a period in Saudi Arabia, as a flight examiner for the UK aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority.

I always read:

The Times

The headline I would most like to see in the newspapers about our railway is:

"First through service leaves Paddington for Cheltenham Racecourse via Honeybourne"

My favourite railway company is:

The Southern (and yes, I do get my leg pulled about that, this being a former Great Western line!)

…because:

It's the Railway I grew up on

My favourite locomotive class is:

The N15 King Arthur 4-6-0

…because:

No 30798, Sir Hectimere was the first loco I 'cabbed' when I was around 8 years old

If I was lucky enough, I would invest a £1 million windfall on:  

A share in a classic aircraft, like a Spitfire

If I wasn't involved with the Honeybourne Line I would probably:  

…be typing away at a computer writing code for my other hobby, an aviation training software company

My greatest achievement is:  

Being married for 35 years with 2 children in their mid 20s

My biggest regret is:

Not having got involved with a heritage railway until I was in my 50s

What does your wife think about your involvement with the Railway?

Having had 6 years as a railway widow, she's now decided to go for "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" and has recently qualified as a travelling ticket inspector!

In 10 years time I think the railway:  

Will need all the volunteers it can find to keep services running - come on people, become a volunteer today!

No-one knows this about me, but:

That would be telling!