The secret world of hobbyists

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The secret world of hobbyists

Phil Parker is the editor of Garden Rail magazine. He’s a passionate man — especially on the subject of steam engines. “The steam engine is the nearest anybody has come to building a living thing,” he says. “It may be a machine, but it’s a living machine.” He talks about the joy of seeing them in action. The smells, the hiss and chuff, the weight of them on the line. It’s a joy that many people want to recreate at home. “You know that film, The …