ODDS & ENDS (some VERY odd!)

One rather odd vehicle which turned up at the East Midlands Group AGM on 14th November 2004 was this airscrew-propelled vehicle. It goes very well, but as the prop is more efficient in "pull" mode than in "push" mode, it stops better than it goes - perhaps not such a bad thing. The prop does make an extremely effective "strimmer" - at least one plant got a very effective shredding, but the line's owner said he wouldn't mind that as it takes some time to trim back the lineside vegetation before a running session! Construction is a spruce frame with thin ply covering, a la model aircraft.
(picture by Doug Mobley)

Evening at Lathkill Dale. The last up train of the day, the milk empties, awaits the right of way, with No 8 "BRUCE" in charge. The station master has lit the oil lamp which casts a feeble glow over the platform, but this is totally swamped by the loco's headlight, whilst at the rear of the train the MDLR's perpetually miserable Guard is bemoaning the fact that he's copped the late shift - again!

Keith Vernon produced this wind-powered vehicle (complete with "wind")