Sunday Variety

Huddersfield Station Retiree

It is always sad to say goodbye to a senior member of staff but things move on and one familiar face at Huddersfield station has left for a happy retirement. For a number of  years the station has been punctiliously looked after by Felix ...

... and Bolt.

Now the time has come for Bolt to say miaow-bye to the platforms. He will be leaving at the same time as the human station manager, for some years his valued assistant, who is also hanging up her ticket clippers for good.

So it's goodbye from Angela Hunte and goodbye from him!

Portishead And Clevedon

Herewith a picture of the proposed new station at Portishead, omitted from yesterday's posting ...

... although after so many years of delay and broken promises, we can be forgiven for being a little cynical about the promised re-opening.

Just down the coast from Portishead, is another railway that, according to the locals, should reopen. It is in Salthouse Park, a delightful oasis on the coast of the Bristol Channel at Clevedon.

It once had a 9 inch gauge miniature railway ...

... later matching its national big brother by running a diesel!

It was rebuilt as a 15 inch gauge lime and equipped with bigger motive power and bigger carriages ...

... running round a simple "oval" (beloved of railway modellers) from its one station ...

...where there was a small siding and a loco shed.

Above, we look back towards the station by the bouncy castle as the track curves round the park.

This little Clevedon delight has closed recently and people are keen to see it re-instated. You would guess that money is the problem - too much to pay for its operation and upkeep but not enough from fares.

Just like the full sized railway, in fact!

Let's hope its return doesn't take as long as the Portishead branch.

PO41 Progress

Readers may remember that part of the refurb of Ryde Esplanade station has been a new cafe which has remained finished but unopened for well over a year. Our IoW correspondent (I have to call him "senior" or he gets sulky!) has sent some photos of progress.

This is the "old" Esplanade station with the way to the trains through an entrance above and beyond the post bix.

It is the area to the left of that entrance (which has been engineered) that is the new PO41 cafe as sed by Alan.

Below is the view back through the cafe to those double doors ...

... and a view in the other direction towards the door that lead out to the pier walkway.

Opening is still some time away but not quite as delayed as the Portishead branch. Doubtless correspondent Alan will be testing the service once it is open. fbb awaits his report in due course!

The Crazy Craze Continues

In recent years we have seen the big bus groups buying up smaller coach companies like they were going out of fashion!

McGills, the Scottish group that has expanded hugely, has joined much the same craze. McGills already has a coach and holidays division called Loch Lomond Coaches ...

... with a smart blue livery ...

... complementing the gorgeous Scottish scenery.

McGills have now bought another coach operator ...

... with a good solid existing business. 

The Prentice Westwood company runs some school contracts and a couple of service bus routes.

... in addition to a conventional coach hire business.

It should fit well with McGills existing portfolio of operations.

Puzzle Pictures

What is fbb up to now?

It is connected with OO gauge tank wagons.

All will be revealed when (a) the weather get cooler and (b) when the project is sort of finished. The two are linked!

Observation Oddity

fbb really doesn't like to offer the slightest word of criticism of the work of other railway modellers who show far greater skill than your bodging blogger. But the above model does show a common mistake made by many otherwise dedicated enthusiasts.

The same mistake appears on this superb model presented as an up to date version of Hornby Dublo three rail modelling.

Answers later this week.

Tomorrow we go to Paris.

 Next "Magenta via Magenta" blog : Mon 14 July 

Sarurday Variety

Talking Of Articulated Buses ...

... in a previous blog we saw an experimental artic bus on service 56 to Wybourn (Sheffield). The bus service was labelled "Clipper", the brand of the very busy and very successful city centre shoppers service.

The free service was killed off by the politics of Margaret Thatcher and the buses were deployed elsewhere, notably on services to the new and exciting (YAWN) Meadowhell shopping centre.

Later a "standard" Mainline livery emerged whilst ..

... buses ran cross city to Batemoor.

But fbb was surprised to come across one such that went south to London town, where it temporarily joined the fleet of SelKent, then one of the London Buses' geographically branded companies.

Then route 180 terminated at Abbey Wood ...

... but now is extended to Erith ...

... somewhat further east than Abbey Wood.

Perhaps London passengers might not have been worried by a "funny" livery as the South Yorkshire PTE  moquette looks a bit like that of London Transport.

Oddly, Ian Armstrong does not mention the bendibus - although, as a try-out, it maybe doesn't qualify for a mention in his eyes? 

What does qualify is the somewhat brief appearance of Harris Bus on the 180.

Mr Harris' venture collapsed quite quickly!

Transport Policy?

What Transport Policy?

Any business needs to develop longer term policies for the future; and a big business, like the Railways of Britain, needs a long term strategy to give stability and purpose to its staff and its finances.

So what is Heidi up to?

A "hold" on the fragile coast route via Dawlish; and nothing has been said recently about the back-up inland route via Oakhampton.

The idea of completing the Sheffield electrification ...

... is paused yet again.

Then there's York!

And, obviously, we have the daftest mess of HS2.

Meanwhile the opening of the line from Bristol to Portishead is back on.

Plus a nice picture of the new station at Pill.

This tale seems to have been rumbling on (and off) for almost ever.

And the new station at Haxby (north of York) is back on.

And it has beem years of campaigning!

Then Andy Birnham has just announced more massive expenditure in Manchester, as usual with no idea where the money is coming from.

The plan is for two underground lines, one running north to south and one east to west ...

... both intersecting with a new and massive re-jig of Manchester Piccadilly Station. If the diagram is anything like real (it won't be) there will be a whole range of Underground stuff built at vast expense. And it will be at very very vast expense.

It seems unlikely that fbb will live to see it; if it ever happens. 

Both "Victoria Line" design trains underground ...

... or a "proper" full-size train link ...

... never materialised despite hype and promises in the past.

At least it gives something for the headline writers to enjoy ...

... even if the chances of success are "limited". 

Incredible is the right word.

Talking of Andy ...

In a recent soundbite, young Andy is quoted as follows, "Some people say that all we have done is paint the buses yellow." (factually correct - fbb) "But we have done much more. What is important is that we have taken control of the buses and trams."

Below is an example of "taking control of the buses and trams".

Well controlled, Andy!

 Next Variety blog : Sunday 13 July