Ray, just lovely pics!! Another few hours wasted drooling and ignoring 'er indoors wanting to work on the new house!
But, Oh for the simplicity of Steam! Light a bit of a fire, brew a mug of tea, get 150 psi plus in the boiler, [ polish the brass and sup tha' tea while tha' waits ]. Fat bloke, [in a proper uniform with an official hat], waves a green flag, open the regulator and were off with the delightful fragrance of steam, machine-oil and fire!
Forget the clouds of acrid smoke, the fogs, the pollution, the carcinogens, the appalling efficiency, the blackened cities, the ash, the embankment fires and the poor bugger shovelling 20 tons of coal into its maw every shift for a quid, it was simple, it worked and it was romantic! Diesel? Bah! Electric? interesting, but it ain't the same, is it now?
