Don't tell Sid
FORGET Railtrack. Here comes the rail sale I have been waiting for. At long last Offrails (or whatever its acronym is) is offering the franchise to operate its railway on the Isle of Wight. This charming line starts at the end of Ryde Pier, makes its way to Shanklin and is now operated with old tube trains. Incongruous as they appear, they have a style of their own and I would not discard them. I would add steam. Boat trains with dining cars, whitebait sup- per trains, the Wight Pullman — just the thing for the island, with its vast population of visitors and holidaymakers. You may remember my plan to breed shrimps in the water-troughs and steam them in the boil- ers. By a happy chance, our line connects (at Smallbrook Junction) to a short stretch of preserved railway with its own steam traction. How synergic can you get? All this and a franchise with a subsidy. Fill your boots, and don't tell Sid.
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