Arthur Penhale had been a signalman on the North Western Railway for forty-seven years. He had watched steam give way to diesel, watched engines come and go, and watched generations of children press their noses against the cold glass of the booking office, hoping to glimpse a flash of blue or red on the main line. But his truest companions were the books.
“Why don’t you have them all, Granddad?” Leo asked one rainy afternoon, pointing to a gap on the shelf where Gallant Old Engine should have been. The Railway Series Complete Collection Pdf
As remembered by Arthur Penhale
He had drawn the illustrations himself with coloured pencils: Thomas pulling Annie and Clarabel through a snowstorm; Gordon, proud and gleaming, on the repaired viaduct; and a final picture of a signalman, waving from a box, as an engine whistled its thanks. Arthur Penhale had been a signalman on the
Arthur’s smile was gentle. “That one got lost in the post during the strike of ‘72. Never did find another copy.” “Why don’t you have them all, Granddad
Then, on the last day of the summer holidays, Arthur called Leo to the signal box. His hands, gnarled as old track ties, held a thick binder. On the cover, handwritten in careful black ink, were the words:
Leo held the binder like it was made of gold leaf.