Go-Op The Co-Op ...

 ... So Cop A Load Of This (mini blog)

Running a railway is no easy matter and the worst bit is getting started. Ian Yeowart (boss of Grand Union) is a keen upstart; but a good offer from First seems to have persuaded him to give up.

His South Wales project is also struggling ...

... after initial optimism.

The problem here is obtaining suitable trains. It takes a long, long time to buy new,  costs loadsamoney and, apparently, no acceptable deal could be done for ex East Coast coaches and locos.

So up pops a co-op called Go-Op.

Unlike all the rest, this upstart startup is not looking to muscle in on a lucrative main line "intercity" business. Go-Op aims to run a rural service which will be partly in competition with First's GWR, but on what are very much secondary routes.

The biggest place it will serve is Swindon!

And then only "some" journeys ...

... on top of the core.

The launch map seems to show more stops.

In granting access rights DaFT (or whoever does the granting) seems to be doing a bit of bet hedging!

Finding suitable trains looks like the same old problem at a slightly reduced financial level. The company seems to know what it is doing ...

... but they could hardly say anything else.

To use the honourable phrase from Yes Prime Minster's Sir Humphrey, the project seems very courageous.

Bluntly, can you carry enough people in a well loaded class 153 ...

... to pay the huge bills. And would the trains be well loaded?

The co-operating "partners" would be ill-advised to hope for a bag of pennies from either HMG or the cash-strapped local authorities.

Very courageous, indeed!

For comparison, we can see an extract from the First GWR network map showing the existing routes.

The Go-Op route stretches from Swindon (upper right) via Chippenham and Westbury to Taunton, then a reverse to get to Weston super Mud.

Will Go-Op hurt First GWR?

A bit, but not much.

PTO -Peterville Terraforming Operation

The Bill Bodge and Fred Fudge Quick Guide to Scenery

The fence certainly looks better in grey!

But painting it sent the railings all wibbly and wobbly as the wet paint softened the card.

Maybe paint it before planting it?

It still went wibbly and wobbly and worryingly weird! It was less than straight even after detaching the lengths of fence from their card frame.

But, hooray and hurrah, after leaving to dry out completely overnight, the wibbles and wobbles are gone and flat fences are finally fantastically formed.

Time for a bit more fence.

Note the diddy drops of No More Nails supporting the "Grow More Rails" installation.

Nearly finished.

 Next Middlebrook blog : Friday 29th Nov