Reliance Reveals Re-Vamp ...
The company has always produced adequate publicity and the clutch of leaflets pictured above has been readily available in and around its services running north from York to Easingwold and the like. But, unusually for a small company, Reliance has recently turned to the Bike-riding Bearded Bus Beautifier from the Bush for publicity aimed at giving the best impression.
The new timetable booklet is OUT!
It certainly has the Stenning "blue period" look. The above was pictured in one of the local shops distributing the pleasing publicity pulchritude. Copies are also available on the buses.
Three rousing cheers for Reliance; Stagecoach, First and Arriva, take note.
fbb hopes to review book and company in detail in a few days.
Half a Cheer For More Bus
More, formerly Wilts and Dorset, formerly Hants and Dorset, operates out of Poole. Now owned by Go Ahead and part of their South Coast Division, the company has a reputation for smart buses and frequent services. The wasteful competition with Bournemouth's Yellow Buses has been somewhat mitigated in recent years.
More has a seasonal fares offer which, at a distance looks wowsers.
How many groups of five travel, together, by bus is uncertain - but it looks a stunning offer which can only encourage more travel, surely?
It doesn't look quite as stunning when you read the small print.
The offer is only available on Thursdays and Sundays in the run up to Christmas.
Disappointing.
Would making the offer for every day lose more revenue than it gains? Maybe, to quote Sir Humphrey Appleby ...
... such a policy would be very courageous, More Bus.
Go Goodwins: Go Into Gloom!
The Manchester company is well known for its unusual and dramatic livery - very swirly. Sadly there is also a trend to earn extra revenue by plastering vehicles with all over advertising.
Very black! The registration plate for the above bus has been transferred to another - WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY AWFUL.
Contravision, giving a spotty measles view of the world outside, covers almost all of the windows including the top deck front. Thankfully the disgusting spots were later removed ...
... but the whole thing is simply insulting to passengers. The windows are there for a purpose, so see out of from. (flippant over use of prepositions to end a sentence up with!).
Northampton Memorial
In December 1946 Northampton Corporation Transport received ten new buses with bodywork by Roe on Crossley DD42 chassis (Fleet numbers 140 -149, VV9140 – 9149). On Wednesday December 1st surviving restored 146 is planned to do 75th birthday trips on routes –
7 – To Gloucester Avenue
12 to Dallington Green and
Boot and shoe workers’ service 20 to Military Road.
The first journey should leave Bay 18 in Drapery at 1015.
The table below is for route 20, crossed out in timetable books after its withdrawal.
Thanks to Alan (Northampton) for the info and for a picture of 146 on a previous visit to Dallington Green (now unserved), but a delightful unspoilt former village of golden sandstone cottages.
Good News For UK, Bad News For Gronks
Gronks?
The pre-nationalisation LMS developed a diesel shunter ...
... whilst the more adventurous Southern Railway built a diesel electric shunter.
The LMS concept became the ubiquitous 0-6-0 outside-framed class 08 diesel shunter built in their hundreds to replace steam locos on humble wagon bashing duties.
Many still remain on the National network and more on the privatised heritage railways.
But up comes a BRITISH new-design new-build loco to replace the Gronks. (nicknamed by spotters, probably because of the clunky start-up noises that emanated from the engine compartment).
This is a hybrid. It has batteries which can be charged e.g. overnight, and a small diesel engine which also charges up the large battery pack.
This video is actually for an OO model of the new loco, but explains things very well for the beginner in shunter design.Want one for your layout?
Ahem! Of course you can have DCC and a sound chip - in which case...
The big ones are being built at a modest factory in Burton on Trent.
Mind Blowing! No, Really!
This optical illusion is hyper weird. The main part of each of these these two shapes IS THE SAME SHADE OF GREY. Really!
Here is a screen shot from the top "block" ...
... and from the bottom block.
Honest, no trickery; try it for yourself. OR you can cover up the join between the two blocks with a large thumb or a strip of cardboard.
Weird!
Less weirdly ...
Next Sunderland blog ; Tuesday 30th November
A SECOND CHEER FOR MOREBUS
ReplyDeleteSunday, saw the start of a new hourly (seven days a week) route 23 linking Burton, Christchurch & Somerford. It is supported by BCP Council.
At the same time route 24 has been revised and Yellow Buses route 21 reverts to a schools only service.
One question why do some of the 23 services also serve nearby Bransgore replacing the dropped 21 services?
Is it because Bransgore is in Hampshire.
This should have read - One question why do NOT some of the 23 services also serve nearby Bransgore replacing the dropped 21 services?
ReplyDeleteHmmm ... thinking of shunters, I think the first LMS diesel-electric shunters beat the first Southern ones by a year. However the Southern shunters (or more accurately Bulleid's development of Maunsell's original batch) did become BR Class 12 while the very similar later LMS ones became Class 11. I suspect that the ubiquitous Class 08 was derived from both.
ReplyDeleteThe morebus £5 offers started many years back as five for a fiver when I was driving for them and I left in 2005. Its for UP TO five people travelling together and for zone A is only a modest amount more than a single adult dayrider, so even two people save. It's aimed at couples, families or small groups that want to go shopping together and don't want to sit in a queue for a car park that would cost more than £5 if you're parked long enough.
ReplyDeleteThe Morebus £5 offer this year though, in what only the most cynical could see as anything other than an astounding coincidence, just happens to be running on the exact same days the council in providing free car parking in town centre car parks.
ReplyDeleteAgree with anon at 8.50, looks like morebus and BCP council have absolutely stitched up Yellows with the route 23. Council subsidy used to restrict competition and reduce services, and once again the poor people of Bransgore miss out.