h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Just thought your article lacked one thing, references to the huge number of steam locomotive classes that predated the diesels and electrics of today. The First steam loco to move under it's on power was built by Mr Trevithic in the REALLY early years of the 19th century, the last BR built steam engine was 9F Class 'Evening Star'. the last steam loco's that BR operated were sold nto privitisation in 1989 they were the two foot gauge Vale of Rheidol loco's originally built by the Great Western Railway.

The article itself contributes nothing at all to the superb, harmless hobby of generations of energetic kids who were the original anoraks of the Golden Age of steam age from which the great Fred Dibna and many other true enthusiasts evolved.

The finest steam loco in Britain which unfortunately Fred never even saw, was the Princess Ann, 6202.

It was powered with two marine steam turbines and ran like a Swiss watch, it was obviously a passenger engine but with a full load of freight attached she came up out of Yorkshire with power to spare.

How do I know so much? the answer is simple, I was the fireman in the 1950's who had the privilege of working the very rare trip from Todmorden to Moston.

Unfortunately this fantastic machine was destroyed in the head on crash involving two Scots expresses at Harrow and Wealdstone a few years later.

Cheers H.