Last year, whilst running a small demo track of 7.25" NG trains at a local air show, I was approached by a police officer who told me that a pal of his was mad on trains, but had never seen anything like the stuff he saw on Youtube - NG live steam. To cut a story short, we finally met up, only t ofidn that he lives less than 100 yards from me, and we spent this afternoon driving live-steam trains around my little backyard layout - in fact, we’ve just stopped now because it’s dark.
A former technician for Lola Racing, now working for McClaren Racing, he is very conscious of the work that goes into making one of these little steamers, and he was fulsome in his admiration of my little collection of American, Canadian, German, British and African locos, especially the couple with r/c. I almost had to use a wrecking bar to prise him off the transmitter.
He is, as they say, totally hooked, and has gone away with a bunch of pics, books, burnt fingers and ambitions.
All in all - a VERY successful afternoon.
tac
