Ornament closer to reality in lockdown

IN the Covid- 19 lockdown, a railway enthusiast's garden ornament is closer to reality than he'd like- with steam nowhere to be found. However, that hasn't stopped reader Steve Lloyd of Camborne, Cornwall from looking forward to the future and making the most of his delightful display.

He writes:" Reading your request in issue 267 for any railway- related quirky photographs, I thought you might be interested in this shot of my 14XX 0- 4- 2T stone garden engine and two painted wagons. The signal is homemade and the locomotive is named Phyllis after my wife.

"There is coal in the bunker, but as is unfortunately currently the case nationwide, there is no steam. However, we all hope as soon as possible that all signals on our heritage railways will be in a similar position, meaning steam trains will be running again.

"Incidentally, very often we see a little mouse running between the engine and wagons picking up birdseed. I tried to get my' Cuned shot with the mouse in picture, but it wouldn't cooperate.

"The' Trains Cross Here' sign in the photograph was rescued from Fa I mouth Docks when the railway system there ceased operations in the 1980s:'

Stephen adds:" Also of particular interest to me was your editor's walk on the trackbed of the old Bourne & Essendine Railway in issue 267.1 used to live at Witham- on- the- Hill, near Thurlby and Bourne, and trainspotted at Essendine regularly when steam was still in command on the East Coast Main Line just before the Deities started infiltrating. I still remember copping Mallard speeding through on an Up train in my teens. I jumped with joy at seeing it for the first time!"

➔ Ast his issue went to press, Steve succeeded in photographing his four- legged garden resident next to his ornamental locomotive.