Starting the 90 inch

It didn't half rain today! Luckily we had arranged to meet Buthalezi Bird, E and G at the Kew Steam Museum ( which has recently reopened as is now called the Kew Water and Steam Museum or something like that). It was a day when they steamed a lot of the engines. This is the biggest, a huge beam engine, and this is at quite a late stage in the start up process. It really a a fantastic beast of an engine, quite awe-inspiring, and all the volunteers who keep these engines on working order and play with them from time to time are complete enthusiasts who will happily answer any question, and talk for hours if you give them half a chance. The 5 of us arrived at opening time and had to be thrown out at the end of the day. A brilliant way to spend a wet Sunday (or a dry one). If you're passing it's well worth visiting. Try to choose a steam day - it's marvellous to see, hear and smell these engines doing their thing...