Steam Engines that Follow the Party Line

A story of utter nonsense to entertain and delight young and old alike.

The Party Line is inspired by the Heart of Wales Railway that runs across the centre of Wales from Shrewsbury to Swansea, where even today, if you want to board the train, you have to put out your arm to indicate to the driver you want him to stop.

A friendly bunch of seven nineteenth-century steam engines travel from various parts of the country and meet up at the Sugar Loaf station and goods yard to celebrate Rosebud's birthday. All except one: Puffing Billy. He's the first-ever steam engine in the world and worked for fifty years at a coal mine. Unfortunately, his railway track was straight and it had no bends, so he never learnt to go round corners. Poor Billy.

All the engines except Rosebud were built in the nineteenth century and hauled passenger and goods trains around the country and can still be seen in various museums. (Puffing Billy is in the Science Museum, London.)