News

News archive - October 2004

Well, after what at times seemed like never-ending months of planning and waiting, the house move has finally happened, we have left behind frenetic life in the M4 corridor and are now happily esconced back in Lincolnshire from whence we came twenty years ago. The boys have settled into the new school – we can hear them in the playground from our back garden – and Mrs P is starting to exert the disciplined organisation on my office that only an ex-teacher can provide! She is fast learning the difference between a 3 inch Burrell and a stapler, we’ll move on to the more difficult stuff later. You may well get her on the phone if you call during the day – do say hello.

After a couple of somewhat unexpected visitors during our first couple of weeks here, could I repeat something that I have brought up before. I very much enjoy meeting you all – it’s always interesting to talk steam engines and more often than not I learn something along the way. However, there are a couple of things that you must bear in mind. First, this is my home – it’s not a shop or warehouse, most of the engines here are my own collection. There are no “opening hours” as such, invitations to visit are strictly by appointment - no ifs, no buts, no exceptions. There are two reasons for this – firstly I value my spare time and privacy but secondly, and rather more importantly, I am often not in a position to offer the casual visitor the time and attention they deserve. If you want to come over and have a look at an engine, talk about steam, lay track (see below) or simply drink tea I would love to see you but please, call or email first to make arrangements that are convenient to both of us.

Click for more pictures of the proposed route

The garden at this house has much potential for a railway (why else do you think we moved here?) and I hope to get a start with track laying over the winter months. There is an old stone-built pigsty with pantile roof and arched door which will just allow the Tinkerbell through, with about two inches clearance either side and three inches over the chimney. At ten feet long the shed will accommodate several 7 1/4 engines, but there is insufficent room inside for manoeuvring without some kind of traverser, so first job is to dig out the floor and concrete in some rails for the purpose - I think I can get at least two and possibly three roads in with some juggling about.

October 2004

Mike@StationRoadSteam.com
Telephone 0118 971 3739
International +44 118 971 3739