Stories Of The Railway

by Victor Lorenzo Whitechurch

OK. Last issue I didn’t turn into the editor of this fine publication a “review” of anything that I’ve read. Let’s just say I missed the deadline. And I’ll blame it on my Mother-In-Law. For she had rescued from the library a book that they were throwing out called Stories Of The Railway, by Victor Lorenzo Whitechurch. [PS: There are no more issues. I’m writing just my website now.] There were clues warning me not to get involved with this dog, but I ignored them. The author’s day job is a church Canon, a clergyman, kinda like a Deacon. It was written in 1912 in London. And this sentence, a direct quote out of the forward, should have sent up a huge, bright, red, warning flare, “But one need not be a Freudian to note how often those with superabundant creative energy are less philoprogenitive (Note to the editor: this word is not in spell check.) than the world’s dullards.” Oy! The book is actually a collection of 15 short stories in the Sherlock Holmes style mystery genre. They all take place in and around trains during turn of the century London featuring the brilliant Thorpe Hazell. …“Oh, railways!” exclaimed Hazell in a disappointed tone of voice. “They’re just a hobby of mine, that’s all. Is that why you’ve come?” “Exactly.” replied Mostyn Cotterell… Now, after five off-and-on agonizing months with “wild yells of execrations” I’ve finished this pathetic excuse for bound paper and I’m determined to finish the job that the library started. Sorry Mom. In case you missed it, Tony Koester in a commentary in Model Railroader hit upon a thought that put me to thinkin’. The basement of my house is a mess and I’ve got junk all over the area where the trains should be. I didn’t realize it before, but do now. For Tony said, “…if the [model] railroad isn’t a place where you enjoy working, you’ll watch TV instead.” There have been times where I have fallen into that trap. Have you? Onto more funlike things of better importance…There is something new forming as an offshoot of the Soo Line Historical and Technical Society called the Green Bay & Western Preservation Group. It is run by John Strenski of Watertown, WI. You can get more information at www.sooline.org/gbw. I’m going to try it and let cha’ll know.

There used to be a Japanese review of this book, independent of mine, but it is no longer available on the web. I don’t know if it agreed with mine because I don’t read Japanese.