<a href="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/stevetrain.jpg"><img class="alignleft wp-image-4339 size-thumbnail" src="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/stevetrain-150x200.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="200" /></a>Okay, the title isn't exactly my description of a day driving a steam train but that's how some people viewed it.

It was a great experience and there were strong similarities to flying a hot-air balloon because there's a delay between the action you take on the controls and what happens - this is true for the regulator and the brake.

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This event was a gift from Richard and Nicola and it was made all the better because they shared it with me. Here we are about to undertake our endeavour along the 8 mile track from <a href="http://www.gcrailway.co.uk" target="_blank">Loughborough to Leicester</a> North. We managed to stop the train at every station and was aligned on the platform with a degree of skill.

Lunch (all day breakfast) in the dining car afterwards whilst we travelled the route again was delightful in such good company.

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Two happy boys having played with their over grown toys with our ever patient train driver in the background.