Sunday Variety

An Old Fake Tank Wagon

The significant thing about the non-fake Hornby Dublo tank wagon is that it carries the "Hand" logo for Power Ethyl (i.e. Petrol). The original was one of three design introduced by Hornby in 1939 with original couplings ...

... and re-introduced post WW2 with Peco-style couplings. But as production at Binns Road was ramped up, the design was changed to mirror the removal of "The Hand" from full sized Power items.

fbb does not have a wagon with "The Hand" in his collection - but a cheap "place holder" would suffice until one turned up at a reasonable price. Even better would be "The Hand" plus original pre-war couplings. Even better but ludicrously expensive and well beyond fbb's pay grade!

fbb had bought (foolishly) from this supplier before, namely a very poor effort at creating a Coca Cola Hornby Dublo wagon by sticking bits of cheaply home-printed paper over the tank body.

You can see the join.

fbb was under no illusion that his Power fake would be similarly adorned with what the seller called "home made decals". But this time the join is less perceptible, being a rather inelegant hole for the filler cap.,

And if you look closely you can seen the white edges of the so-called "decal" on the underbelly of the tank itself.

What is even more silly is that the seller has over-painted the cast tank ends in a colour that matches the poor quality printout!

This is the correct colour!

But, as has been said, it is a place holder!

The orange box contents will follow in due course.

Sent To Coventry

Correspondent Alan (of the Northampton variety) has visited the new Coventry station and surveyed the opportunities for bus/rail interchange as part of the "rebuild".

Once upon a time, Coventry station looked like this ...

... with a tram into town right outside the "porte cochere" - an excellent intermodal connection. But in 1962 as part of the West Coast electrification, the station was rebuilt and looked like this:-

A teenaged fbb visited (with Alan!) soon after opening, and found it a wonder of the age.

He even visited the buffet on Platform 1, now demoted to a waiting room, where he bravely purchased a "Steakwich" to sustain his bodily needs. It was some sort of bun containing a thin-ish slice of steak - cooked to order no less - and was delicious!

Because the 1962 station is a listed building it has NOT been rebuilt! An extra chunk has been added along side. Here, towards the end of the construction phase is a view eastwards overlooking the Warwick Road.

The new bit is coloured red.

But since 1962 and until recently, buses could approach the station via Eaton Road and stop near the main entrance.

If you know the secret, you could also find buses on the Warwick Road bridge, accessed by a rather creepy footpath and steps as shown below in instruction for an event using bus 539.

So how is bus/rail interchange as a result of the "rebuild"?

Of course it is worse!

The bus stops outside the station building(s) have gone ...

.. to make way for taxis and car park access. (Of course, what else would you expect). It is clear from the plan where the bus stops have moved to.

Isn't it?

Oh yes, there it is in small print - and exit to Warwick Road and to the stops that have always been there.

But hold on, we hear our reader cry, was not there a super smashing bus terminal included in the plans for the "rebuild" of the station?

Yes, there it is on the opposite side of Warwick Road and thus further away from the old station building but, maybe close enough to the new bit, accessed via a tunnel under the busy main road ...

... except it doesn't look like the artist's impression picture! Here is Alan's photo recently snapped.

Well, there is the tunnel, but ...

... no super smashing bus station facilities!

Alan takes up the story. with a list of routes that stop on the Warwick Road bridge.

Then there is the new facility!

Alan continues:-

But you COULD look on-line (National Rail Station Information) to prepare yourself for the ordeal. But don't bother ...

... the diagram IS UTTERLY OUT OF DATE!

Yet another example of bus improvements that aren't - well done all concerned.

Guernsey - A P.S.

Correspondent Richard has send his personal experiences.

Below an over-enlarged Google view of bus stops painted on road or pavement at Vazon Bay.

There is no Streetview on Guernsey so the above is the best fbb can do!

And remember the "round the island" bus routes where your flat fare was not acceptable? You had to buy a day rover instead. fbb came across an on-line advert for these services from the recent past (2012?).

A full round the Island bus trip for £1.

Bargain!

 Next Variety blog : Monday 30th May