A few years ago, some friends and I drove a miniature traction engine all the way into London to raise money for cancer charities, in memory of a friend we lost far too soon. It was a brilliant experience—and for a really important cause.

Now it feels like the right time to take on a new challenge.

This time, I’m planning to run my 7¼" T9 locomotive continuously for 24 hours, aiming to cover 120 miles—matching the number of the full-size T9 No.120. To put that into perspective, that distance would equate to around 960 miles for the full-size locomotive—that’s nearly three and a half return trips from Waterloo to Weymouth!

The challenge will take place over the 3rd–4th July, starting at around 4pm on Friday and finishing at 4pm on Saturday.

All money raised will be split between two charities:

• The 563 Locomotive Group (Registered Charity No. 1087318), who are currently undertaking the overhaul of T9 No.120. Their work is driven largely by younger volunteers, and they’ve proven themselves to be an incredibly worthwhile cause. I’d love nothing more than to see 120 back in steam again.

• Alzheimer’s Society (Registered Charity No. 296645), a cause that is very close to home. My grandad has been diagnosed with this awful disease, and watching him slowly slip away is incredibly difficult. That said, the last time I saw him, he still knew exactly what a Bulleid Pacific was—so there are still moments to hold onto.

Any support, no matter how small, would mean a great deal—thank you for helping make this challenge count.