'Austerity Tank Engine Week' Tickets sell out in record time.

The rush for tickets far out weighed anticipated response.

Websites crashed under the strain, more teacakes were buttered to reach the demand weighed upon them. The mighty release of tickets for Events has tended to become part of the Event itself. As nervous as stood by that Bridge for 14 hours with RealTime Trains on constant refresh anxiously hoping the sun doesn't go behind that cloud when that blue Class 37 comes storming under your Bridge. 

The seemingly rush and splashes of 'Sold Out' within days of ticket release for major events such as 'That A3' and 'That Pig' now have us poised on the starting line with our overpriced Credit Cards in hand waiting to beat that family of 4 to a ticket on a Mark 1. We can almost smell the crushing of dreams as they are unsuccessful and book tickets to Thomas Land instead.

Our previous ranting on Galas gained a response, pitchforks is always a given, but did get everyone thinking on what the 'Star Attractions' at our Steam Galas now may be. Who is big enough and tough enough to headline a week at Peak Rail? 

We can be rest assured there are enough 'star' engines in the mix to give Heritage Railways a boost for many years to come. The predicament comes when those are exhausted. Everyone sat a year ago saying the 'A3 Fever' would die off in time. It hasn't. But for those railways that can't afford such a green machine?

The answer seems to lie in clever ideas, marketing what railways already have. Is an Austerity Tank at Peak Rail such a bad thing? Or is it something that you will get nowhere else except Peak Rail?

The stars of the recent Great Central Diesel Gala were the 08 shunters having a Gronkfest that everyone loved. 'New and original' is always difficult territory as it has to capture imaginations too, some imaginative ideas can leave us scratching our heads. We love Daleks and Ghostbusters, but we're not sure how it fits in with a Heritage Railway. Could the Railway become a sideshow in a theme park event.

There's a magical place. We're on our way there. With toys in their millions. All under one roof. It's Called NRM.

Our SD cards couldn't wipe themselves quickly enough on the news a T3 was heading to the Swanage Railway. After the bounding success of the imaginative Strictly Bulleid this was a real coup to get the iconic T3 steaming again.

Now we love checking facts as much as the rest of you before jumping on the bandwagon, but an Internet Group told us it wouldn't be steaming. SD Card is slotted back into the folder marked 'Visit to Brigg 2014' and we calm ourselves.

It does pose the question as more of the NRM exhibits are dished out around the country of whether the stars under the roof will become the next stars of your nearest Heritage Railway. Is one of the wisest investments after all those Millions that went into that A3 now making millions for Heritage Railways (Charities)? 

Should the next wisest investments of our national collection be more of the stars released to boost up the numbers and bring on young enthusiasts to this mad world?