Iain Jack has a life-long passion for steam locomotives, first volunteering in the loco dept of the Keighley & Worth Valley Rly at the age of 15, spending 6 years as a fitter/cleaner and assisting in the restoration of ex-Barry locomotives, in particular the BR Standards.

After gaining a diploma in Chemical Engineering from Teesside Polytechnic in 1975, he moved south to commence a career in R&D with Courtaulds Ltd, becoming involved in a wide variety of projects, including the modernisation a wood-fired power station in Swaziland and the optimisation of power houses and steam distribution systems at a number of UK sites.

After the company was sold, Iain took voluntary redundancy in 2000, and worked as a freelance consultant through his own company including project work in the pharmaceutical, foods and petrochemical industries, before retiring in 2010.

Retirement has provided Iain with the opportunity to become practically involved with his passion once more, and he is currently a regular volunteer at the Churnet Valley Railway and an A1 Trust covenanter and support crew member whenever the loco is stabled in the Midlands area (photo below).

Iain has long been a supporter of the 5AT project, and is looking forward to bringing his experience in the fields of combustion and thermodynamics to benefit the work that the 5AT Group is doing.  All those years spent breathing new life into obsolete equipment on minimal budgets should stand him and the group in good stead.

Iain lives in Warwickshire, England.