Tower Transit Three

Wrong Again!

Hornby did market a red-box 2-rail version of the Shell Lubrication tank wagon as seen above as part of a display by a collector. His obsesion appears to be a collection of every Dublo 2-rail wagon; amd all with their boxes. 

Strange things are done by enthusiasts in the name of their hobby!

And So To Guernsey ...

..which had steam hauled trams; then electric trams ...

... but they called it a railway!

One delight is/was a bus built to look like a tram ...

... and a preserved tram that IS a tram!

Later two bus companies emerged; being Guernsey Bus ...

... which also operated an open top service.

Then there was Island Coachways ...

... which had its own "area" - there was no competition!

Like its Bailiewick neighbour, buses were franchised and, again as in Jersey, they ended up with CTPlus, part of the doomed HCT group a k a Hackney Community Transport. The livery was now a very bright and attractive yellow and green.

Later, again in a neighbourly copy, this became trendy but far less attractive squiggles ...

Then, after HCT's demise, guess who won the franchise. Yes, indeedy, twas the Ozzy conglomerate Tower Transit. Although you would never know. 

The only logo appeared on their excellent timetable book.

So anonymous was the operator name, that the BBC, bastion of all that is reliable in newsgathering, reported that from April 2025 a new operator would be taking over from CTPlus!

WRONG! The taking over was from Tower Transit. So these buses are now operated by Stagecoach and managed as an outstation of their depot in Plymouth; a long way to go for a replacement floggle-toggle!

Before we leave the Bailiwick of Guernsey we should remind our readers of the Underground service on Alderney (top of map below).

And here is a train pictured on an open section before plunging into the tunnel.

OK, there is no tunnel. It is a short tourist line and the two-car set is hauled by a diesel.

Such ignomiy!

The train is from the Northern Line, 1959 stock, trundling along a 2 mile track which used to be for freight ...

... serving the Braye Quarry.

Sandstone trains used to run out on the breakwater for transferring rocks to to ships.

So Tower Transit was not too strong in the UK; just running buses in Jersey once London came to and end. Such is the might of global transport corporate growth.

But never mind, eh? Liverpool calls!

  Next Towei Transit blog : Thurs 20th Nov 

Tower Transit Two

The Same : But Not The Same

The bobby looks normal; the post box is standard ...

... although George lacks a regnal number!

The stamps look strangely familiar, but not quite.

Many of the street names are in French - Zut alors!

Its railway is now closed ...

... but the Island's buses had a distinct look of Southdown about them.

Many readers will have already guessed that we are exploring something of the Island of Jersey's bus service history; part of the British Isles with a typically British anomalous existence!

Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is an autonomous and self-governing island territory of the British Islands. Although as a British Crown Dependency it is not a sovereign state, it has its own distinguishing civil and government institutions; on that basis, it is regarded as a small nation or island country.

Its buses, run by Jersey Motor Transport, did indeed look very like those of the Southdown company ...

... although some of the fleet was very different!

fbb has tried to dredge from the cobweb encrusted recesses of what purports to be his memory something of the link between Southdown and JMT. It was minor, but did involve a copycat colour scheme.

Sadly for some, Jersey buses turned blue and cream ...

... much to the disappointment of the bus enthusiasts.

The, horror of horrors, the whole network was franchised by 'The States of Jersey" and the first winner was Connex ...

... and we remember what happened to them."

A new franchisee brought a new livery and a new name, Liberty Bus. The new incumbent was ...

... HCT a k a Hackney Community Transport ...

... and we know what happened to them. As the HCT group declined into ultimate extinction, a new operator was chosen, tada ...

The Liberty Bus name and livery was, however, retained. Tower Transit was just the operator of the franchised network.

fbb thinks that the coloured splodges are the sails of expensive yachts that fill the Island's harbours together with their expensive non bus using owners.

In recent developments, the Oz conglomerate has won an extended franchise contract for a further ten years. Needless to say the company has promised to improve services. 

Electric buses have begun to appear ...

... complete with the Tower Transit logo ...

... there above the driver's cab window.

Meanwhile, across the water in Guernsey ...

====================

fbb And Lubrication

Remember these?

Both were repainted and preserved as yellow Shell wagons as used in the UK, but, oddly, without the Shell logo. Their use is self explanatory.

Here is a Hornby Dublo model, which, albeit in different liveries, existed from 1938 until the company collapsed in 1964.

The model was all metal, although this one has been fitted with plastic wheels so that it can run on two rail track. fbb does not think it was ever an official Dublo two rail product. As with all Dublo wagons, the underframe was crude.

Triang had a better underframe, but with ugly oversize couplings. The basic model appeared in the late 1950s ...

... and had a metal chassis and coupling, plus metal rods as axles. The filler cap was hugely huge and made the model too tall! The yellow tank and black cradle were each one-piece plastic mouldings.

But some modellers have improved their Triang tankers with addit0ional wire anchorage, new couplings and a dob of red paint.

Painting the black plastic "cradle" in matching yellow was also a good upgrade. The owner should have added ladders, surely? For the record in this case, his chassis was newer, better and made of plastic.

That just leaves an ugly filler cap to sort out.

Interesting beasts, these tank wagons.

=====================

 Next Tower Transit blog : Weds 19th Nov 

World Travel : Huyton, Guernsey, Neath?

It Began in London ...

... mainly in the East.

But in the West as well ...

... and the North ...

... and even running amok in the middle, but carrying few passengers.

The RV1 was pretty much a high profile disastrous waste of public money! But the operator was still paid handsomely; some would say too handsomely!.

That operator was ...

... based in Australia. The company stormed into London, Sport, in 2013 and stormed out of London in 2021 and 2022.  The Eastern bits were effectively taken over by RATP Dev (that's Paris Corporation Transport to you and me) and recently sold on to First Bus. The West London operations went to Stagecoach.

Perhaps the operation did not make enough dosh?

So where did Tower Transit come from?

The answer, me old Cobber, is from Australia.

Tower Transit is part of the giant Kelsian Group which has fingers in many a global pie.

The group's business is big business.

So lets have quick global tour to explore its operations.

There are numerous operating companies in Australia ...

... which need a further look from the inquisitive but slightly dodgy eyes of fbb.

Bridj

Swan Transit

Territory Transit

Torrens Transit

Transit Systems NSW

Transit Systems QLD

Transit Systems Victoria

There are no pictures of anything that looks like a double decker in Oz!

Then there is Sealink, a ferry operator in Australia ...

... and New Zealand.

This company has absolutely no connection with a name familiar in UK waters; either as part of the nationalised railways ...

... or later in its privatised form.

Then this vehicle pops up on line, working for DOT.

DOT? Certainly not the 'dot' of Copenhagen!

It is the Department Of Transportstion for New Mexico State.

The Kelsian company in the USA, "All Aboard America" offers private hire coach services ...

... plus the New Mexico DOT services which are multiple Park and Ride routes.

And we mustn't forget Singapore ...

... also a big operation with very big buses.

So, what has this sad looking bus ...

... got to do with Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the USA?

More tomorrow.

 Next Tower Transit blog : Tues 18th Nov