What a truly wonderful idea!

The little beach town in which I live was originally started as a railway town serving NZ's North Island Main Trunk line, which had its 100th anniversary recently. The railway still plays a big part in the life of the town and runs in a cutting at the back of my house. Every now and then the local steam preservation societies - one of which has its home in Paekakariki, and one a few miles away - run excursions on the main line and we hear the whistles blowing.

The thought of seeing a *new* steam engine on Britain's main lines on my next trip to Europe is very exciting.