Accountant-turned-fireman honoured in song celebrating 200 years of rail

An accountant who volunteers shovelling coal as a steam engine “fireman” has had her life immortalised in a song for a special BBC series.

Working with steam engines connected Joanne Ormesher to her beloved late grandfather and gave her strength during her battle with an aggressive cancer.

Now, she is one of five people whose stories have been turned into songs by top folk artists for BBC Radio 2’s 21st Century Folk, which this year celebrates 200 years since the birth of the modern railway.

Joanne Ormesher volunteering as a fireman (Owen Hayward/PA)

The bicentenary year, led by Railway 200, began with a “whistle-up” of more than 200 locomotives across five continents, and Inspiration, a free travelling exhibition train showcasing the past, present and future of rail, is now touring the country.

Ms Ormesher’s grandfather was an engineer who made model trains, and she recalls engine parts strewn across his home.

But it was not until two decades after his death that she happened upon an iconic steam engine waiting at a local station.

“I thought they were consigned to museums,” she remembers.

“But this was hissing and breathing at the station. It felt alive. I stood at the back of a throng of enthusiasts, and it felt like my grandad was there.

“The smells and the sounds, everything reminded me of him.”

Her life changed that day and she began volunteering cleaning engines at a local heritage railway and quickly rose through the ranks to become a fireman.

She now volunteers on the Llangollen Railway in north Wales, a journey that can take up to three hours from her home near Blackburn.

Starting as early as 5am, Ms Ormesher shovels hundreds of kilos of coal and ensures the train’s engine is working correctly.

It took her body nearly a year to adapt to the punishing labour. Despite the toil, she often daydreams about being back on the railway while working in the office as an accountant.

In 2019, she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, and the railways helped her through.

“I didn’t know if I was going to survive, I shouldn’t have survived,” Ms Ormesher said.

“But I was determined to get back to firing steam engines. It’s what kept me focused. Ten weeks after my treatment I was back at it.”

Now in remission, she continues to volunteer as a fireman.

Ms Ormesher also strives to pass on her knowledge to the next generation of enthusiasts and champions greater opportunities for women on heritage railways.

She said she loved the song about her – Firecracker, by Findlay Napier – and was “so emotional” when listening to it.

The five songs celebrate 200 years since the first steam-powered, passenger rail journey when George Stephenson’s Locomotion No. 1 travelled along the Stockton and Darlington Railway.

Emma Roberts, programme manager for Railway 200, said: “The BBC and the folk artists have done an amazing job bringing these five stories to life.

“Joanne’s story is inspirational and it really demonstrates the powerful impact that the railways can have on people’s lives.

“This is a momentous year for the UK, and it’s been wonderful to see so many people getting involved, with hundreds of events happening across the country and the rest of the world.”

The songs are being played on BBC Radio 2 this week.

On Friday, Jeremy Vine will broadcast live from The Greatest Gathering, a railway summit in Derby.

BBC Radio 2’s Folk Show presenter Mark Radcliffe said: “Folk music tells the story of everyday life, with melodies and lyrics that are passed down through generations of families.

“It’s been amazing to see these listeners’ stories take on a life of their own with these special compositions, written and performed by some of the folk world’s most loved artists.”