STAMP VAPOUR

I was given a few stamps. They are all of steam locomotives. That is why I was given them, because I like steam locomotives. One set is from Cuba. In it, there are three stamps. The locomotives are called ‘Locomotoras de Vapor’, a wonderful phrase. The stamps depict fin de siècle American locomotives, perhaps built by Baldwin. The next comprises a trio from ‘Le Republique Togolaise.’ Is that Togo? They’re all in French currency: 100, 150 and 500 francs. These may be Baldwin-built locomotives of the same period, too. Then there is a pair from the ‘Republique du Benin’ – wherever that is. Is it in my ‘Times World Atlas?’ I must look. One of the stamps depicts a ‘locomotive anciens’ 0-6-0 goods, the other a prehistoric machine with a vertical boiler set above a four-wheel bogie that looks as though it was dreamed up by Heath Robinson after several glasses of Chardonnay. It has a single vertical cylinder at the front and drive is by means of toothed cogs. The whole contraption makes ‘Puffing Billy’ look advanced. Finally, there is a pair of ‘Magyar Posta’ Hungarian stamps, one, incredibly, showing a picture of Stephenson’s ‘Rocket,’ the other a solid-wheeled traction engine-type locomotive on rails with a tall and spindly chimney, a square-ish boiler and huge, cast-iron wheels in primitive 0-4-0 formation. A strange collection indeed. Now I need to go up to the loft to dig out my old stamp album and start sticking in this motley collection. You never know, one of these philatelic beauties might be worth a fortune one day. However, I need to find out where one can buy stamp hinges, because I ran out of them in 1964.