Press Office
Engineering Career off to a flying start
The National Railway Museum (NRM) in York is firmly on track with the recent appointment of mechanical engineering apprentice Matthew Ellis.
Matthew, who started at the NRM last month, is already getting to grips with the engine of the museum’s flagship locomotive Flying Scotsman.
He is currently working on the super heater, an integral part of the boiler making sure the famous locomotive is set to be back in steam on the mainline in 2009. The most unusual task he encountered in his first few weeks in the role involved a running repair to the firebox in the Black 5, one of the engines that had been running the Railway Touring Company’s Scarborough Spa Express.
Matthew Ellis at the Ffestiniog Railway. Photograph by Paul Lewin.
Matthew has just completed a national diploma in manufacturing engineering at York College and has a long-term interest in all things rail, having been a volunteer on the Ffestiniog Railway in Wales for several years.
The 18-year-old is now on a five-year apprenticeship scheme at the NRM and is studying for a foundation degree in engineering through the Yorkshire Rail Academy.
Matthew explains:
” It’s a unique job and having already squeezed into the firebox of a locomotive I am really glad I don’t suffer from claustrophobia! I am really enjoying my role at the NRM and I am proud to be working on such an iconic project. I can’t wait to see Flying Scotsman in steam, knowing I played a part in her overhaul.”
Director of the National Railway Museum, Andrew Scott, said:
“We are investing in the future of the NRM and apprenticeship schemes demonstrate our focus on training employees in the workplace to ensure their specialist skills are second-to-none.”
19 September 2007