Our Steam Boat
What does a steam boat have to do with our locomotive? Well it just happened that on our first
expedition to Alexandra Palace, where we first met the Polly team, there was a
chap from Blennerhasset Mill selling pop-pop steam boats. Unable to buy a
locomotive then and there, but wanting something steam as a souvenir of the trip, we bought a boat.
Somewhere to Run the Boat
The boat is rather small, but just sending it round and round a washing up bowl gets tedious very
quickly. However, it has no rudder so it can only be guided round its course by collision with
the banks of its container. While shopping for a new down pipe, I noticed one can buy 135°
corners for guttering. The result is an octagonal canal.
The canal needs considerable levelling on our lawn. We used lots of plant-pot saucers.
As you can see, it is a very small boat, but it is live steam.
Here is a link to the pop-pop pages where
you can read more about these toys.
© M.J.R.Orton, 5th May 2008.