On Thursday, 31st July, Jack Palmer, a young volunteer at the Leighton Buzzard Railway, became the railway’s youngest-ever guard when he passed his assessment to become a guard with flying colours.

Jack, who only turned 18 in May this year, has been a volunteer at the railway for some years. As well as becoming the railway’s youngest guard, he is possibly one of the youngest qualified guards on a heritage railway anywhere in the UK.

The Leighton Buzzard Railway is in Jack’s blood. He has been visiting the railway with his family since he was just two years old, and his family, including his parents and grandparents, has been part of Buzzrail for generations. One of Jack’s grandparents is still running the Craft Shop at the railway’s historic Stonehenge Works terminus.

As soon as Jack turned 16, Jack started training as an assistant guard, and before the candles were out on his 18th birthday cake, he stated he was ready to take the test to become a guard.

To encourage more young people to become involved in the local railway, the railway has recently founded a Junior Railway Club led by volunteers. Through the club, skills and knowledge that could be useful in their careers are passed on to the younger generation. They can also help them pursue career aspirations, which they can then use in both paid employment and volunteering.

The Leighton Buzzard Railway is based at Page’s Park in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, and its line runs to Stonehenge Works and Munday’s Hill, next to sand quarries which the railway was built to serve.

As well as being an operational narrow-gauge railway, it is an Accredited Museum describing the story of the history surrounding the sand quarrying industry in and around Leighton Buzzard. The museum has equipment relating to quarrying in the local area and a significant collection of vintage narrow-gauge equipment from World War One. This includes a ‘protected’ Simplex No. 3098 (MR1377/1918) that the National Railway Museum has placed on loan to the railway, and a Baldwin 4-6-0T War Department Light Railways No. 778 belonging to the Greensand Railway Museum Trust.

The railway holds regular events throughout the year, including a Gin and Whisky Festival in May.