Re: NNG - Flying coal breaks a leg in freak steam engine accident ...

dougvv Wrote:
========================================
> ...  "A trainspotter suffered a broken leg when a
> piece of coal flew from a steam engine and hit him.
>
> "Peter Leach was watching the train being pulled
> by a diesel locomotive when it hit a dip in the
> tracks and the lump was thrown out."


Interesting, Doug -

At first I thought maybe a diseasel was running as a helper to a steam engine, but judging from the photo there was only the steam engine pulling the train.   I'm not surprised at the reporter's ignorance, though, as that's quite a nice looking semi-streamlined loco and it's probably hard to believe it was built well over half a century ago.  Even back in the 'olden days' of 1975-76 when serving "sore throat duty" in the cab of #4449 when the stairs were set up to allow visitors to look into the cab while on display with the Freedom Train, we got the question "Is this a diesel?" several times a day.*  I don't remember anyone ever asking the that question of #2472, or anywhere around the C&TS.

- Rússo

* Even worse, every once in a while we heard a facetious "Where's the worm gear?"    

p.s. Was the trainspotter by any chance an off-duty actor living up to his fellow performers' admonition, "Break a leg!"?