The Joy Of Railways Is Shared By Millions | Letters

Although a not a full-on Thomas nan Tank Engine fan, I person for 65 years been an out-there and unashamed enthusiast for anything running connected rails (‘Thomas nan Tank Engine clung to maine for illustration a disease’: nan movie astir nan choo-choo’s world grownup superfans, 22 July).

My woman and I sometimes do front-of-house astatine a practice railway and tin corroborate nan attraction of railways for those pinch autism, peculiarly young people. There is simply a predictability astir railways, timetables, signals and all the different paraphernalia that is very attractive.

Also, location is endless scope for studying minutiae and collecting overseas bits of information. Numbers and names connected nan engines, liveries (colours of trains to you), capacity records and endless different statistics. And, as honoured by Brannon Carty’s film, discussed successful your article, you don’t have to beryllium a loner if you don’t want to: location are millions of others to stock your passion.

The study of Thomas’s creator, nan Anglican cleric Wilbert Awdry, is recreated astatine nan Narrow Gauge Railway Museum successful Tywyn: a mini postulation of theological texts connected 1 side, a joyful postulation of railway books connected nan other, pinch a exemplary railway dispersed crossed his desk. Wonderful!
Rev David Gibson
Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire