Here we are at Catcott Crossing again, for back in olden times very few of the level crossing cottages had running water. So to avoid drinking water from puddles, catching rain, drinking bog water or simply drinking, cooking and washing in cider, fresh water was regularly delivered in milk churns and delivered by passing engine crews.  Pete and Dud wait for arthritic Arthur to swap an empty churn for a full one, but sadly he doesn’t have the strength he used to. Pete & Dud have offered to perform the task for him, they being a fraction of his age, but Arthur won’t have any of it as h ..read more

On Saturday mornings, Rufus Hound loves to play pranks with members of the inch high. For they think they’re in charge of Rufus, but in fact it’s the other way around.  But whilst Rufus is a bit full of himself, George, twin brother of George knows that Rufus loves a carrot, of which there are plenty here in the crossing keeper’s vegetable patch.  Identical twins, George & George were both given the same name because they are so similar. The thought being that there was little point in giving them different names, for that would only cause more confusion. So in the event they ar ..read more

 Where has all the colour gone Wednesday.  Andrew and his Barclay loco potter around the sidings at Fountain Colliery, something that happens most days, unless Peter and his Peckett are on duty. Peckett is a make of engine, not a euphemism by the way, but if you want to imagine it as such, that’s fine of course.  Deliberation Dave is on shunting duty, so will push and pull point levers and fiddle with 3 link couplings as required. Anyone who uses 3 link couplings will know that ‘fiddle’ is the official term, frequently followed by bouts of swearing from even the most mild-mann ..read more

Monochrome Monday, and Deliberation Dave opens the engine shed door and out rolls a USA tank in full steam rather than the more regular Peckett or Andrew and his Barclay.  Pub landlord and part time doctor Shamus O’Shandy arrives to see if he can help, for Dave struggles with change however small it might be. A tot of moonshine should sort things out, but he won’t be able to do anything worthwhile for the rest of his day. However, begrudgingly Miserable Mel who is on standby shift has been called in at the last moment, so there will be no round golf today for him by the look of things.&n ..read more

It’s a bit dull and gloomy outside in 12 inch to the foot Little England today. So here’s a bit of colour and the warm glow of morning sunlight as it cuts through the gloom at Fountain Colliery.  A class 25 arrives with a short rake of ballast hopper wagons from one of the many local quarries. The colliery sidings providing a suitable run around before the train heads down to Lydney and beyond ..read more

It’s Christmas Eve down at the canal wharf. And of course it’s snowing, for that’s been the law, especially in Christmas films and photos since 1883, even though it hardly ever snows in real life in the southerly part of Little England.  Neil who’s been fixing point motors under his trainset has again become stuck in a crouched kneeling position having done his back, unlike his kneeling twin half brother Neil who is simply a submissive snivelling little tick who will kneel at any opportunity.  Barry Bullhead from The Ministry of Madness (formerly Ministry of Misery) is talking to Ma ..read more

It’s a blustery but sunny Sunday in the land of the inch high, as an engineering train arrives with a load of ballast. But as usual no weed killer, however the weeds hold everything together a bit like ivy covering a time expired rotten wooden fence panel.  Double Denim Dancing Dando is at the helm as Waving Wally directs where the loco and wagons need to go. But of course that’s decided by which way the points are set. He’s actually called Waymond, but has the loveable nickname of Wally for not being the brightest of his waving brothers.   Meanwhile over to the right next to The Mi ..read more

Snivelling little tick Neil takes the knee in awe of what appears to be time-tunnel, black-hole pan-galactic-gargle-blaster thingamajig that he hopes can take him to a different scale, in a different time, in a different Little England. For he’s often fantasised about about being on an N gauge model railway, or even better T gauge, though he’s aware that spiders that often live on model railways are the same size irrespective of the scale of the layout.  Clive however, is more worried about the crate of moonshine wedged underneath to stop it falling over, whilst wondering how what appear ..read more

Andrew and his Barclay locomotive simmer in the colliery yard. It turns out that his loco has a wonky rear 3 link coupling. It would appear that the steel one has been replaced with one made from rubber. ‘Experts’ Bob Geeza Cat, Barry Bullhead and Fireman Frank investigate, for a rubber 3 link coupling is about as useful as a chocolate tea pot.  Driver Andrew then suggests that they swap it with the one off the front. Andrew never did that well at school, and only managed to be an engine driver because he has an identical twin brother who took all the exams for him.  Bob Geeza Cat t ..read more

On Tuesdays, Waving Willy and Bob Geeza cat love to take their vintage ‘Locomotion’ out for a spin. But it’s quite high maintenance, so Gary the Greaser is ready with a brush and bucket full of gunk which he has to apply every 7 minutes to all moving parts. And that’s before he starts on the locomotive ..read more