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

Entry: 'Calbourne' – the Isle of Wight Steam Railway's Flagship Tank Engine - A87885571
Author: Bluebottle - U43530

The sort of entry I don't expect anyone other than me to enjoy

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Nice Entry - I enjoy reading about railways and engines. The introduction is excellent - really sets the scene for the story and made me happy to read on

Some of the details you delight in are a bit too much for me but the Entry is a good length so I didn't get lost in a siding

"however this would require a lot of time and money to come." - is this sentence finished?

"The O2 had small 4'10" wheels and 60 were built from 1889-1895, numbered 177-236" - the wheels seem a bit out of place here...

Do we know who the boy was?

" With no company on the Island able to carry the locomotive, various Island firms were contacted for quotations to no avail" - what does this mean?

The August 1969 paragraph is a bit heavy going, as it is dense with detail - perhaps make a new paragraph about Newport and break up long sentences.

Someone actually read this!

I've tweaked it - hopefully it makes more sense now. I've managed to narrow the boy down to one of three, not sure who it was who thought of the idea first, though.

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Hi Bluebottle,

Just got a couple of suggestions/amendments for you.

Suggestion for rewording: "In 1903 the Isle of Wight Central Railway enquired if they could purchase her," I would reword this to" In 1903 the Isle of Wight Central Railway enquired to see if they could purchase her,"

"Calbourne was named after the West Wight village of Calbourne, which is known to have existed in 826AD when King Egbert of Wessex granted 30 hides of land there to the see of Winchester" Needs a final period.

"1½miles outside Calbourne" - needs a space after "1½".

"1½tons to 3¼tons" - these too need spaces after the numbers.

"number two coal road" - does this need to be capitalised?

"Calbourne took pride of place both in the inaugural year and 1972, but it was apparent that Calbourne was in need of an overhaul," -> Should this be"Calbourne took pride of place both in the inaugural year and in 1972, but it was apparent that Calbourne was in need of an overhaul,".

Thanks for your thorough read-through - have you considered re-volunteering as a Scout?

Those changes have been made.

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I have considered it and I enjoyed being a Scout previously. I'll hang fire for the moment, as I have stuff going on in my life that may mean I can't give it the time it deserves at the moment. Are there vacancies, though?

Volunteers are always welcome, both Scouting and Subbing and I see you've done both (you've successfully managed avoided subbing my rubbish – the closest collaboration we've had is we're both credited on A1232632 - A Brief History of Winchester).

Of course what's really needed is more people writing for Peer Review.

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Yes, I particularly enjoyed subbing, as it gave me a feeling of achievement, mastering the technical aspects and helping bring the entries to fruition. I hadn't deliberately avoided your entries, though - Subs do what they're given. I always thought it was a bit of a shame that I couldn't get my dad interested in getting and using a computer. He would really have enjoyed your Isle of Wight entries, including the ones on the IOW Railway, although his eyesight was an issue in later years.

You're definitely right about needing more entries - in the old days we had pages and pages of entries in Peer Review. I have a couple of ideas and hope to submit some stuff in future that haven't been previously covered.

Nah – I suspect you were probably at your busiest when I was at my quietest Thanks for the flattery though

But yes, I look forward hopefully to seeing an entry or so in Peer Review soon.

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I spoke with Little Fish about doing one on Historia Normannis - his historical re-enactment group and link it to the generic one. He has a project to finish first for his apprenticeship which is due soon, so I'll aim to put some work in for this after he's submitted that.

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!

Hurray! I'm chuff-chuff-chuffed.

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Congratulations!

I saw a photo of this engine in Llangollen Railway Station Shop last weekend, coincidentally, so I'm pleased to see this Entry heading off into the Edited Guide

Well done you can let off a little steam now

They were selling photos of it in the shop there? I'd've thought they'd concentrate on Great Western locos instead – saddle tanks, not side tanks - but I can't say I blame them, it is a great tank engine. Had Calbourne been for a visit? I've seen great photos of it on the picturesque Swanage Railway.

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Yes it was a surprise to see the photo there! It may well have been for a visit - I'm not sure as I didn't look at the photo closely enough... If not I wonder if it was there just because it sounds a bit like Thomas the Tank Engine...

Calbourne is an 0-4-4T whereas Thomas is an 0-6-0T, so vaguely but not overly similar... If they wanted an engine to impersonate Thomas, there are a few of them around that are closer.

Hang on - Llangollen - is that where the Ladies were?

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Yes, they do have an engine at Llangollen that impersonates Thomas - I need to learn more about her for the Entry wot I'm writing

Yes indeed that is where the Ladies were

I would ask if their house is still there, and, if so, whether you went and if it is far from the station – but you might be planning on mentioning it in your entry.

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I would answer that their house is still there, but we didn't get chance to go. I don't know how far the house is from the station, and it won't be mentioned in the Entry about Llangollen Railway, but it is definitely somewhere I would like to visit somewhen if I can