Ments - Some Odd, Some Less So (2)

Tanks For The Memory - Continued

At about 0345 on Saturday morning fbb had a sudden revelation!

He clearly remembered buying a Hornby green BP Monobloc tank wagon ...

... and he wondered if IT came with ladders. Sadly, the purchase was actually of a silver Fina tank wagon ...

... by Bachmann which, as we already know, DOES have ladders. A comparison of the two models shows finer Fina detail but most non-picky modellers wouldn't notice too much difference.

Here is a close up of the finer Fina lattering.

Maybe, following the trend of other real sized heritage railways, Peterville might start operating a petrochemicals freight train to amuse and entertain its 4mm to the foot visitors. The original plan for the Texaco wagon was to cut windows and a door in the tank and add it to the "fun train".

Maybe fbb will do that with the green one he hasn't bought!

On-Line Oddment

This twit appeared recently from c2c Railway (Fenchurch Street to Southend).

This begs loads of questions.

Since when did freight trains run between Fenchurch Street and Barking?

Why was the train allowed to run early?

How did it manage to disrupt services in and out of the terminus for a nearly 40 minutes at evening peak?

Arriva Northern Trains Improvements

At last! After a very sorry time, things are beginning to happen. Some of the highlights from the timetable change in a week's time.

A new six days a week service from Sheffield to Gainsborough Central.

This allows the Sheffield Lincoln service to be speeded up.

A third Monday to Saturday train each hour between Leeds and Harrogate, running limited stop.

The extension of existing "part way" trains to give two trains an hour between Newcastle and Carlisle.

There are many more detailed changes.

Also London North Western is doing its stuff between Euston, Northampton and Birmingham and beyond. Details coming up this week.

Let's hope they've got enough trains, enough staff, enough trained staff, and enough tracks to make it all work.

A Zoomer Or Azuma to Leeds

Friend and First Bus boss Fearnley emailed to report that he was ensconced to the 1103 from Kings Cross to Leeds on Friday and it was (slightly unexpectedly) a shiny new Azuma from London North Eastern Railway ...

... (Virgin i.e. Stagecoach as was) ...

... now a state-run nationalised railway. Unusually for the UK, it is a British nationalised railway company; not Dutch, French, Italian, German, Chinese or Japanese.

fbb assume that he got there!

And from the Good Old Days

A nostalgic picture from Glasgow Central station, taken (co-incidentally) on fbb's 13th Birthday.

Clearly there were problems with trains up to 10½ hours late. Perhaps it was due to horrid weather. Never mind eh? If this were the modern railway, management would simply close the line!

All Scots Love Irn Bru ...

... which used to be "made in Scotland frae girders!". But in those really good old days ...

... it was Iron Brew and a "Tonic Beverage". Nanny state advertising rules have robbed us all of many delights; and we are the worse for it. Bring back "Dragon Sausages"!

And, Talking of Detail

Here is one of Hornby's "Dublo Dinkies", a Ford Consul for OO gauge, 1/76 scale.

To get some sense of its size, it was a little under 5cm long - that's two inches in real money. It has no interior, no "glass" in the windows and nasty axle stubs in the wheels.

And here is one of the latest 1/76 models from Oxford Diecast. It is an Austin 1800, just a little longer than the Consul.

In addition to the items missing from the Consul, it has windscreen wipers ...

... a legible number plate and coloured direction indicators ...

... silvered door handles and boot lock, plus a representation of the "Austin 1800" plate on the boot lid. And fbb has just spotted the tank filler cover!

At £5.95 somewhat more expensive then even an "inflated" Dublo Dinky (1/11d?) but an excellent model.

No Doors at Dore - But a Shelter

The remaining station building at Sheffield's Dore and Totley is no longer in railway use.

It used to be a much more substantial facility ...

... but now is nothing more than an "open access" platform on the Hope Valley line.

But along comes loveable First Transpennine to add a passenger shelter to the building.

It is not clear whether this is a replacement for, or in addition to the existing lavish waiting facilities.

Transpennine text says it will provide shelter for people AND the ticket machine.

What ticket machine?

And whatever happened to this project?

Running a little late?

fbb is awaiting some dramatic bus news (?) which has not yet arrived, so tomorrows blog contents  are, at the time this posting was composed, uncertain. In essence the rumour is that First Bus will soon start competing in Edinburgh City in response to Lothian Transport's incursion into First's West Lothain business.

Details/confirmation are eagerly awaited!

 Next "exciting development" blog : Monday 20th May