Welcome Chali Chaligha

The Trust is anxious to play a role in engineering education. This is a step we plan to build on to use steam to inspire the young towards an interest in engineering. To this end we welcome Chali Chaligha to our team and he writes:

I’m delighted to be working for the LNWR George the Fifth Steam Locomotive Trust for a year, as part of my undergraduate study of mechanical engineering. I have been captivated by works of engineering and in particular steam locomotives from as far back as I can remember, a fascination that came with an admiration for the ways of the past. This led me to the Bristol Harbour Railway where I  actively volunteered from age 14 until I left for university. There I had hands on experience of working with my fellow volunteers on the wide variety of tasks required to  run and maintain a steam railway. The time I spent on the BHR kindled within me the desire for a more holistic, human centric approach to engineering. Aiming to make this central to my future practice, I saw a place for steam. My interest in developing the steam engine as an invaluable piece in a future where sustainability is key, led me to the Advanced Steam Traction Trust, one of the few organisations in the world dedicated to understanding and improving mobile steam. From there the outstretched hand of Jamie Keyte introduced me to George Fifth Trust members, who together helped me secure a placement that I was keen to accept.

My year in industry is a fantastic opportunity to learn the technical theories and practices behind steam locomotives, practise the tools I learned at university, and develop the skills necessary to be a successful engineer in the 21st century. I am very grateful to the senior engineers who are guiding me on this journey, and the rest of the team who are making this all possible. It motivates me to know that the hours given to this project will be a contribution towards breathing living fire into a piece of history that will inspire generations toward a better future.