This Is A Beaver - Note The Tail
The similarities are obvious (??). There were two built for the original LNER and they were added to crack Scottish expresses in the summer. But there was a snag with the observation coach approach. You couldn't observe much out of the back.
So they were rebuilt with bigger windows, but lacking in any castor canadensian compatibiliity.
But oner has been re-rebult back to its original form ...
... and it looks superb.
fbb cannot discover (extra expertise needed!) whether it/they ever ran with beaver tail in maroon, but they were used on the West Highland line as on this poster.
The train is seen crossing the Lochy Viaduct just approaching Fort William from the north. The artist appears to have quietly forgotten the footbridge!
The footbridge was closed when Streetview last passed. 
Sadly, the trees on the left obscure the view of the mountain from this point.
And, talking of beaver tail coaches, Hornby have announced a OO gauge model as part of their 2022 range. No pictures of the model yet, so fbb will have to contain himself and his readers by showing an O gauge version.
Costs about £700! Hornby's will be a bit cheaper!
Happy Birthday Uno
Only it isn't! Uno wasn't formed until 2005.
'Tis but a trivial detail!
And the pink is better than boring white and grey!
As well as Hertfordshire, it now have unit serving the University of Northampton and Cranfield University in Bedfordshire.
The Kyiv Map
Diagramatic maps are a good idea but the concept breaks down if they become too complex. There is no one central "bus terminal area" in Kyiv.
But many routes seem to come together at the station. Like the funicular (yesterday's blog) the original buildings are on a grand scale, seen below floodlit in happier times.
We have all seen the recent tragic pictures ...
... and we weep with these desperate folk.
A batch of routes call at a bus station right outside the opulent station buildings ...
... this is Voksal'na Square.
The a bit further on, to your right as you face the station, is the tram terminus ...
... for routes 3, 1, 15 and 18.
There is a substantial turning circle ...
... or, more correctly, turning circles ...
... allowing trams access to their particular stand.
It is not a high quality public transport experience. The route from tram to station and tram to bus is a right shambles and very "Eastern Europe" ...
And there is more to the "big" railway than meets the obvious eye.
... where you follow the yellow brick road pedestrian walkways as shown on the street map above. (trams too centre, buses bottom right, station in part bottom left)
There is plenty of fast food!
There seem to be several buildings marked вокзал!
Kit Krisis!
Nothing to do with Mr Tubbles.
The next part of the ancient Airfix Schools locomotive kit for fbb to attempt wast the tender. HORRORS!
The tender consists of two sides which also hold the wheels (three sets of axles) a back and two bits that make up the front, i.e. the bit where the fireman shovels his coal from out of! These bits do not CLIP together in any way. They butt up with the help(?) of tiny pimples.
So you need one hand to hold one side, one hand to hold the back, two hands to hold the front, another hand to support the other side and several assorted fingers to wangle the axles into place. And it all has to be square! HORRORS!
The above represents its best side. fbb will reveal the worst side next time - and worst it is. Hopefully it may be recoverable. At least the whole thing is beginning to look like a proper locomotive ...
Next Variety blog : Monday 21st March
Uno WAS formed in 1992 . . . as University Bus.
ReplyDeleteFactually almost correct, just a bit economical with words.
"Voksal" means station, so the half-translated Voksal'na Square is actually Station Square (a bit like the peculiar UK labelling of a southern German football team in half-German, half-English).
ReplyDeleteIn an interesting linguistic twist 'Voksal' is derived from the English name Vauxhall. It is the standard Russian word for a railway station.
ReplyDelete