Tamworth Heritage Festival: Century-old steam engine switched on for Tamworth Heritage Festival

Their 1888 boiler still works today, a far cry from "today's throwaway society", he said.

Mr Taylor got a rare opportunity to switch on the equipment at an open day on Saturday April 24 during the Tamworth Heritage festival, which kicked off last week.

It takes two days to start, operate and then power down the huge equipment, he said, and it's a very dirty job.

But time consuming as it is, he always looks forward to the job.

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"It's a lot different to a modern trade and it's a trade that's getting lost," he said.

"We need to try and get as many younger people involved as we can and pick up the skills from the more maturing generation before the skills are lost so we can keep it going for future generations - which is why I'm here.

"It'd be a shame for the skills to be lost. It's be terrible to have this here but no local person have the work cover qualifications and certification and knowledge to maintain them and run them."

Mr Taylor is the youngest boiler operator at the museum, joining up at an open day at the museum about five years ago.

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"They haven't been able to shake me loose ever since!" he said.

But Steve Bailey has been working with steam boilers for decades, and helped founded the museum in 1988.

"They're always talking to you. You listen and they tell you what they're doing," he said.

"They're the most human of machines,

"They've got personalities and they reflect your input."

The heritage festival runs until May 3.

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