ONCE a railwayman, always a railwayman. That's what Glen Simpson reckons and to prove the point, even retirement doesn't keep him away from trains.

Glen is the volunteer station master at Pickering station and he's been here for 12 years, having worked on the 'big' railways, as he calls them, since 1966. He did try a spell in the civil service, but didn't take to it. So there was nothing else to do.

Now North York Moors Railway is appealing for more like minded people to come forward and help out. So if you have a day or just the odd morning to spare, you too could be armed with a whistle, become a signalman or buffet waiter. You could even learn how to drive a train; everyone's childhood dream.

And best of all, you don't need any previous experience.

"We've got people from all sorts of backgrounds, because the main thing is dealing with people," says Glen. "There are weathermen, here, tax inspectors and vicars. Well, they of all people know what's truly important in life ... trains."

Volunteers come from all over the world to spend their summer holiday on the North York Moors Railway. Not that this is an easy option. No nine to five here and the hours can be long. But boy are they rewarding.

Peter Townsend decided it was the booking office for him.

"It's reminiscent of the British Railways I joined in the 1960s," he says. "A bit of nostalgia and being retired, I missed being a railwayman, so it's nice to be among kindred spirits.

"I do this because I enjoy it. I come in one day a week here, so I don't get stale and I look forward to coming."

There's the rub, really. Volunteers are just like people in any other company. It's just that they look forward to going to work.

Take Frances and Chris Thompson. They retired to Pickering in May last year and decided to help out at Beck Isle Museum as a way of integrating with their new community.

"When we first visited the museum we were so impressed that we applied straight away," says Frances. "If anyone is unsure about volunteering here, I would say just give it a go. Every day is different, you get a lot of satisfaction and you meet lots of different people."

More people like Frances and Chris are badly needed. The only full time staff at Beck Isle are the Kelly Metcalfe, the manager and her cleaner. Kelly says without volunteers the museum could only function at a minimum level.

They also add another dimension to the whole visitor experience. Boards telling us what's on display are all well and good, but what we really want is someone to tell us a story.

"It allows us to discuss history in a different way," says Chris. "We have a print shop where youngsters are taught how the past links to the present and future. They can simply see the machine but on its own that's not much good. Telling them the story of printing enhances their visit."

Kelly says the museum is now making some changes to move towards greater interpretation and new ways of managing the collections. So what better time for you to apply?

Ryedale Folk Museum in Hutton le Hole wouldn't even exist if not for volunteers, because this place was built and set up by the community.

Manager, Jennifer Smith says historically getting people to help out has been fairly easy, but with public sector cuts, volunteer labour is now in demand elsewhere. And some pay expenses.

"We're in a competitive market," says Jennifer. "That's a challenge for us and will be for many years. We want the legacy to live on and we need volunteers to do that."

An interesting point. But the beauty of Ryedale Folk Museum is that unlike a stately home. You have the whole history of the whole area to play with.

You can help deliver education sessions, take part in craft demonstrations, work front of house, or how about becoming a volunteer trustee?

Emma Colclough coordinates visits and activities and says with summer term, she's coming up to the busiest time of the year,

"Normally we do four activities with schools and there are only two of us, so we're always looking for more people to help. It's always great fun, the activities range from very hands craft-based pottery and weaving to dressing up."

Paul Styles and Elisa O'Loughlin come in once a week to help digitise the photographic archive. And they need more people to help them. There are about 8,000 images here. But on a good day they're pushed to get through a dozen an hour.

"I think it's important that these photos are not locked away, but become accessible," says Paul. "Also I moved into a historic house and wanted to know more about this area. It's fascinating and at my stage of life, nice to get some job satisfaction."

Which perhaps sums up volunteering. You might not get paid, but money can't buy the rewards.

It's also a very sociable thing to do. Lunch together seems to figure quite prominently.

"When we moved back to Yorkshire I came to the Folk Museum and this is such a special place," says Elisa. "It weaves its spell and when I found out there were volunteering opportunities, I decided to get involved."

For Paul and Elisa, there is a wonderfully tangible link to their work. Some of the images they have digitised were taken by York's William Hayes whose photographic studio is at Ryedale Folk Museum. When he moved to Hutton-le-Hole in, 1911, Hayes dismantled the studio and brought it with him. The museum added it to their collection of buildings 80 years later.

The main qualification for any volunteer is passion. And you don't need to worry about having the wrong skill sets, because full training is given. Yes electricians are always welcome, accountants too for their expertise, but at all the museums, many people start off with one thing and end up doing something completely different.

For some that's the whole point. After many years in a certain trade or profession, it's great to try something else.

And no two days are the same. Every day the volunteers go home having learned something new. Take the little bike that was donated last week. The owners said it's from the 1930s and has Lines Brothers on the tyre. Turns out the company later became known as Tri-ang, because there are three lines to a triangle

Don't let age be an obstacle either. The oldest volunteer at Ryedale is 85 and he's been coming for 50 years. The previous one carried on until he was 103.

I find it amazing and astonishing what my volunteers do," says Jennifer. "Talk about above and beyond and it's not as if this is a job."

l Ryedale's four accredited museums, Beck Isle, the Folk Museum, North York Moors Railway and Malton are all looking for volunteers. If you would like to apply