Come Railway Engine, workhorse of the past, to Quainton Railway Surgery
We'll rebuild your damaged carcass and for you there'll be no fee
Pleasure is reward to give to our operating team
Of dedicated enthusiasts, the most unselfish there has been

Let our Railway Surgeons check your every bolt and nut
And the tremendous length of your tubed metallic gut
Then they will inspect your great fire consuming throat
And free your tonsils from their firmly clinkered coat

Your asthmatic wheezings will certainly be stopped
When your elephantine bronchial tubes are tenderly unblocked
And when the water flows where the choking fur has been
We'll expect some piston movement from your energising steam

Your wheels, like reflexed kneecaps, will be expertly tapped
To ensure that within its joints no castings there are cracked
The lubricating boxes will all be filled with grease
To make your white bronze bearings roll around with ease

Whatever would the vandals think if they could see the way
The Men who love your craftsmanship are tending you today
I doubt if they would dare now to meet you face to face
And if they did they'd crawl back to their jungle of disgrace

The painting of your body, in gold and green and red
Will be applied as would a dressing to a baby's damaged head
When the operation is over and the Railway Surgeons have won
The Poet and the Public offer thanks for all they've done

Notes:
The text in this Quainton Railway Society publication was written in 1978 and so does not reflect events in the 36+ years since publication. The text and photographs are repeated verbatim from the original publication, with only a few minor grammar changes but some clarifying notes are added if deemed necessary. The photos from the original publication are provided as scans in this internet version of this long out of print publication.

Reference:
Wightwick Hall - Ted Rolfe - Quainton News No. 37 - Winter 1978 / 9