Our P group learners have been looking at the poem ‘The Night Mail’ by WH Auden as part of their English lessons this term. As part of this Learning Key Stage 3 learners took a trip to The East Lancashire Railway to look at and learn about the trains used there.
There were lots of different sensory experiences available for students to experience. The train whistle was particularly loud and made some of our students jump, although this was followed by big smiles. The train engine had a very distinctive smell, as did the fuel and the fire buckets.
In addition to looking at the train, they were given the opportunity to observe how the train engineer and driver disconnect the engine, move it to the other end of the train and re-couple it to the carriages. It looked very cramped and awkward under the train but the engineer took her time as the guard explained what all the pipes and cables were for and what the engineer was doing at different points. Students were also able to explore the guards and station masters uniforms and equipment including the paraffin lamp.
We also spent time exploring the historic station and the items of related memorabilia on show.
The Night Mail
