…was the end of standard-gauge steam on Britain’s railways. It would probably have been bad taste to have worn my DEMU “No Kettles” t-shirt into work today. But this evening my N-gauge Restormel has witnessed “Clun Castle” on the St.Erth to West Ealing milk train. The rake of Chocolate and Cream Mk1s is stored somewhere upstairs, so the “Cornish Riviera” will have to await another day, probably when I get my hands on a Farish Warship diesel to pull it 
The Guardian’s Andrew Martin wistfully wonders if a new generation of higher-efficiency steam trains could return to Britain’s rails - personally I think that’s sentimental nonsense; it’s perfectly possible to restore the ‘romance of railways’ with well-designed modern trains that don’t try to pretend to be aircraft or buses.
Cold Spring Shops notes that a great many steam locomotives have survived into preservation, but neglects to mention one reason for their survival is the huge number of locomotives purchased by Dai Woodhams of Barry, who lacked the resources to cut them up, his scrapmen spending the next decade breaking up goods wagons instead. Pictures from the early 70s show hundreds of rusting hulks of Bullied pacifics, 9F 2-10-0s and assorted GWR classes. Almost every single one was eventually bought for preservation.
I shall refrain from rising to the bait when it comes to the subject of GM Grey Squrrels.