El Tee

I'm on a week's holiday with the family near York, which, of course, necessitates a visit to the NRM to see dear old Livingston Thompson.

This is the FR engine which as always intrigued me most.

Whilst I've long dreamed about seeing Welsh Pony and Princess steam again (which is going to be 50% fulfilled very soon) LT has been something of an enigma.

Books about the early years of the FR revival are stuffed with pictures of the engine, more so than any other I reckon, and yet it was only in use for 15 years between 1956 and its withdrawal 1971, and not continuously either.

So here we have a loco which would seem to be synonymous with the 'preserved' FR but hasn't worked for getting on for half a century now.

It last steamed two years before I was born, and, in fact, the first time I ever saw it was only a few years ago when it was removed from the NRM for a short stay back in Wales, during which time it was the centerpiece at the Warley show at the NEC right behind our layout.

I then saw it a second time at the railway for the unprecendented '5 Fairlies' line up, but those are the only times I have clapped eyes on it.

I think my strongest impressions of it are still of the images I saw occasionally in the FR magazine in the mid-80's of the superstructure stored in the furthest recesses of Minffordd yard.

I still intend to make a model of it in this condition.

There is a Langley kit lying in my drawer earmarked for this project.

Himself has always said we should use it as an opportunity for him to instruct me in the dark art of soldering white metal.

Perhaps in the next couple of years we will get a chance to try that out.