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.
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 Loughborough to Leicester 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.
Two happy boys having played with their over grown toys with our ever patient train driver in the background.
And to finish with a short video of me doing a hands-free bit of driving.
So.. Steve , “The slim, fit controller!”
Everyone’s dream as a kid.
Skydiving next?
Ian & Sue xx
(back home in brizzie for a few months to catch up.)
I so want to say that driving the Lotus should have well prepared you for driving a steam train….but only because I am deeply jealous!
The hierarchy of driving experiences therefore has to be:
No 1 : MX5
No 2 : Steam train
.
.
.
No 32 : Lotus Elise
(In case you were wondering, driving a ride-on lawnmower is at 31).
Phil Morris from NCC used to volunteer on a heritage steam railway line, I think at one point he was training to be a fireman.
Hi Gary – and in second place is steam train driving? Well I didn’t know that and somewhere between number 2 and number 32 is probably a Chieftain tank. Obviously you’re not interested in speed or acceleration as the Lotus will out perform everything ahead of it.
Hmmm, well yes, I suppose the Lotus is faster than the MX5 and some might say handles better, but is it as good?
Interesting review at http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-reviews/used-cars/icon-buyer-new-mazda-mx-5-vs-used-lotus-elise-car-november-2015-/
I like the summary:
It’s a dilemma best solved thus: only car? MX-5. Weekend toy? Elise.
So I made the right choice then ;-). Especially as I bought the Toyota engined rather than the K series. Mine only has 18k miles on the clock but I take on board the statement that a car that isn’t used frequently can build up it’s own problems.
It does have all the rattles mentioned in the review but that’s part of the charm and the contrast between the CX5 and the Lotus is something I enjoy.