Ever dreamed of driving a steam engine? Prince George's beloved century-old train is hiring

It's an unusual job description: show up in coveralls and a jaunty hat, chop wood and stoke the fire for a few hours, and then drive a century-old train around in circles.

For anyone who dreams of being a train engineer, now's the chance. Prince George's beloved steam train is hiring.

But working as an engineer on Little Prince isn't as easy as it may seem. Just the training itself takes 160 hours.

"You're not just sitting there pulling the whistle. There's a little more to it than that," said Frank Vanderlans, who's been doing the job for four years.

He's one of three engineers qualified to operate the train.

The 1912 steam engine was originally built for constructing the Grand Trunk Pacific railway and now carries visitors around Lheidli T'enneh Memorial Park each summer.

Not much has changed in how the train runs since last century.

It's an authentic steam engine, so it's regulated by Transport Canada and has to adhere to many of the same rules as CN or Via Rail trains.

Behind-the-scenes

Getting the the train rolling every day is a task in itself.

"It burns either wood or coal but, even today, wood is more readily available than coal," Vanderlans told CBC's Daybreak North.

That's why it takes three hours in the morning to get the train running: it takes that long to cut the wood, get a good fire going, boil the water and make sure the steam pressure is high enough to power the train.

Vanderlans didn't have much experience with the railway industry or steam engines before taking on the job. There simply aren't many around.

But he saw an ad in the paper and decided to apply.

"I said to my wife, 'Gee, I've always wanted to do that job," he said. "But [I thought] you must need a doctorate in steam or something."

He sent in an application to be a trainee and, as he says, the rest is history.

"To me, it's the best job in the world," Vanderlans said. "People are always happy, you never have a bad day."

The Exploration Place, where the train runs, is looking for three to six more engineers so they can expand the hours the train chugs away.

The training is free, but unpaid. Once you're working on the train, the pay is $25 an hour.

"If you like it, we'll put you up in a suit and away you go," he said.

In addition to the training, train engineers also have to pass several exams for certification.