Sunday Oddments

Over-running Engineering Work

Just like the real big railway, fbb's feeble little outdoor model has been beset by weather and inadequate staffing (fbb doing other things) over the winter period. Now spring has sprung it is time to return to the work that was abandoned last autumn. 

The double track main line is, at last, complete and a new piece of track leads direct from the station "throat" to the carriage shed. This means that stock can trundle from shed to platform without venturing out onto the main line. More realistic.

But that creates a snag. The convention is that you only feed electricity from the "toe" end of a set of points. 

So here, red and black wires run to the toe of the turnout on the main line and pink (was red but it has faded) and black wires run to the toe of the turnout leading to the carriage shed.

But that creates another snag. Depending on how you set the points, you could send "red" electricity up the same piece of metal rail while "black" electricity is approaching from the opposite direction. An instant complete short circuit, spirals of acrid black smoke and nothing works!

So, to prevent that, you put insulating (plastic) rail joiners in place (called fishplates on the real big railway) to prevent red and black electricity ever meeting.

But that creates another snag. To stop trains starting when you want them to stay stopped, you need to put switches into the feeds going to the track.

But that creates another snag. You really need some sort of control panel to keep everything tidy and reliable. That is easy in the loft or the spare room, but outside in the rain, snow, hail and gales it is not quite so straightforward.

Until that control panel is in operation, fbb has joined all the sections together (green and yellow wires - temporary) to allow him to play with his toys!

Thus it was that last Friday Thomas with an LNER coach  and Toby, all lonesome, were trundling up and down the rewired layout to test that all was well.

Amazingly, considering the winter's neglect and fbb's stubby fingered electrical non-skills, all was almost hunky and completely dory.

And, Talking Of Delays ...

Dedicated blog readers may remember a piece about a new App based minibus service running between Luton Airport and London (read again here).

After some delay it started at the end of February. Initially branded "Blue Bus" with a supposed fleet of five vehicles ...

... it has now become B-Bus because "another operator" objected to its registered name being used. An effusive article in one of the advertorial trade magazines shows three blue buses with the new name ...

... but quotes a fleet list of six!

The article suggests that MD Tazio is "bringing Italian flair" to the UK bus scene.

Flair maybe, but will the business succeed?

Apparently Taz is "positive" about the launch.

Roger French (former boss of Brighton and Hove buses) has the time and money to travel widely, enjoying (?) the UK's public transport systems. He has "downloaded the App" and is aiming to try the service out.

In reply to fbb's email informing him of of Taz's emergence from his preparatory obscurity, Roger replied:-

I’ll give it a try in the next few days.

I’ve downloaded the app (yet another one) but it only seems to let me book a ride ‘from’ the airport not ‘to’.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

It's A Gas, Man!
fbb gathers that the above phrase was common in the Swinging Sixties. Worry not, fbb never swung!

First Bristol's staff "weekly" reports that the company is investing in a fleet of gas buses plus a filling station at their Lawrence Hill bus depot.

The news panel can be enlarged with a mouse-click, but to save all that effort (!) James Freeman tell us that the order is for 77 vehicles, ten physically similar to those running on Mertrobus routes and the rest similar to the trial vehicle that been on routes 1 an 2 for some time.

It will be 2020 before the operation kicks off. Maybe fbb will get an invite to the launch (possibly) and a lavish lunch with First Bus "biggies", the men from the Ministry and other omnibological glitterati (very unlikely!).

In Celebration Of Non-Brexit Day?
A chum sent this picture of an ancient VR adorned in a swish livery promoting a music festival in Lille, France. Neither chum nor fbb can identify it. Can blog readers help the old man out?

And yet more shock news from the Eurozone!

After at least two years of rumours, Deutsche Bahn has finally announced ...

... that it wants to sell Arriva.

Who might want to buy? Presumably, for competition regulation reasons, none of the UK big three bus barons will be interested. National Express?

And rail is regarded as a financial and regulatory millstone these days. Offers on a postcard to DB HQ, please.

Et "Vive La Différerence." Hein? - Pas De Différerence!

Meanwhile in France ...

Perhaps British railways (as opposed to British Railways!) ain't doing so bad?

K4 Located
A few days ago fbb included Northampton Alan's picture of a rare telephone kiosk; a mini post office, in effect.

It is at Cranmore station on the East Somerset Railway.

Come and meet our friendly staff and take a relaxing ride on our heritage steam train through the beautiful Mendip countryside. The train journey is approximately 40 minutes over our 5 mile round trip. Ride as many times as you like on your visit!

We are one of very few steam railways where you can visit our engine shed and workshop, as well as enjoying our small museum, signal box, miniature railway, shop and café serving delicious home-made meals each day we are in steam.

Alan was there on a through excursion from the National Rail system!

As well as "proper" trains, they have a miniature railway with several locos including a scaled down Toby!

Tomorrow, as our well-read readers will know, is April 1st. Will fbb have a "canard" or two for his excited clientele?

 Next foolish blog : Monday 1st April