Thomas the Tank Engine... sorta

Another sunny day gave us the courage to make an 80+ mile round-trip drive to an antique railway museum on the other side of Oxford. I'm really beginning to feel about 90% comfortable with the whole driving thing- most of the time. The left side of the road is fine, sitting on the right is fine and even the roundabouts are fine. I STILL don't like the narrow 1.5-lane village roads with no shoulder but I'm gaining confidence with each new outing. Jane however, remains petrified hanging out there on the left hand side next to hedgerows, stone walls, horseback riders, bicylists and parked cars!

An unexpected treat was the opportunity to actually OPERATE a working steam locomotive. I got to be the engineer for 10 minutes or so while Jane snapped photos. And it only cost 10 pounds sterling (about $17.50) all of which went to a local charity!! So that proves SOMETHING, right? If I can drive a steam locomotive and a 5-car train from the right side, I can SURELY drive a car!! Here I have my left hand on the throttle and my right hand on the reverser. 

Watching the steam pressure gauge closely as we wait for steam pressure to build up.

Now I'm releasing the brake with my left hand as we get underway.

Plenty of heat in the firebox as the fireman (NOT Jane!) shovels coal. She was busily taking photos.

One of many steam engines on display.

Another engine under steam. This is a "tank engine" like Thomas. Note the water 'tanks' along either side of the boiler rather than a tender being towed behind to haul water. Hence the name.

A bit of lunch at the depot. This is a very traditional English/Welsh lunch- which isn't necessarily a good thing. This is "faggot" which is (wait for it!) according to Wikipedia: "Made from meat off-cuts and offal, especially pork. A faggot is traditionally made from pig's heart, liver and fatty belly meat or bacon minced together, with herbs added for flavoring and sometimes bread crumbs." Served with 'chips' and baked beans or peas. JANE ate this and actually enjoyed it. I passed on this dish! Jane said it tasted kind of like 'liver meatloaf but then she LOVES liver! (shudder)

Another steamer being operated today. (Also a tank engine!)

At the depot (this was an actual depot with regular freight and passenger service going on to either side of the older museum area the whole time we were there) was this actual bomb shelter left over from World War II. It was just a reinforced bunker with benches for sitting and they were playing a recording of the sounds of bombs exploding nearby. On the left is a photo of a steam engine that was bombed during the war. The V2's and the bombing of London are still a BIG deal here with lots of books and museums devoted to remembering those difficult times for the English people.

Now THIS looks more like Thomas the Tank Engine, doesn't it? (Note- this would technically be called a saddle-tank engine as the entire water tank is curved OVER the boiler- like a saddle on a horse.) Again- no tender to haul water behind.

There were several engines in the large engine house. Note that above the engines is a long metal trough turned upside down to capture all the smoke and steam and vent it up and out of the building.

These next two photos are of the locomotive and train I got to operate, coming back up the grade toward the platform with someone else operating it. This locomotive (Number 5322) had just been newly built in 1917 when it was appropriated by the military and shipped to France for wartime use in WWI. Interesting!

A more modern (1958) diesel switch engine on display.

So I count it a successful outing- nearly two hours of driving with no close calls including several VERY busy roundabouts in Oxford, some freeway driving and some country lanes near Kingham. Jane actually enjoyed the rail museum and it was a once-in-a-lifetime treat for me to get to drive a steam locomotive. Add that to my having gotten to drive one of A.J. Foyt's Indy 500 cars several years ago on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and it's a memory I'll enjoy for a long time.