I hesitate to call this the inaugural train, since it’s obviously completely the wrong scale (but crucially, the right gauge) and it’s a butt-ugly American outline loco to boot. (I try to embrace all creeds and colours of the world, but I’m afraid I’m a hopeless xenophobe when it comes to foreign engines - all those pipes showing, bleah.) Nevertheless, this breakneck run round the track laid so far at least shows that what we have works. Unfortunately, the “real steam” doesn’t show in the video (but the JRAs loved it).

In the meantime, I have an IP Engineering Rapier diesel on standby, but it currently looks like this. Not sure when I’ll get round to building this - beginning to realise that there’s a lot to be said for buying pre-built at extra expense when you’re short of time.