To Seaview With A Sea View (1)

Southern Vectis' NEW Open Topper

Seview sits happily on the North Eastern facet of the diamond that is the Isle of Wight. fbb first visited there in 1958, then almost every year until he and the family moveed there to work at the Westbrook Crusader holiday centre. He then ran his own small bus company ...

... later working full time for Southern Vectis as editor of the Great Britain Bus Timetable and chief honcho of the unsuccessful electric information system, Xephos. After 30 years on the Island he retired to Seaton, Devon.

Historically, his local buses on the Island were route 8 via Nettlestone and Bembridge ...

... route 7 to Seaview village ...

... and Seaview Services via a bit of the coast, also to Seaview.

Seaview Services was mainly a coach operator with its depot plumb in the centre of the village.

Its two iconic service buses were the decker ...

... and the Bedford VAL ...

... both of which fbb travelled on, usually in the company of an overload of boys making for said holiday centre, having arrived by train and ferry at Ryde.

With deregulation, Seaview Services expanded in competition with Southern Vectis and their traditional route became Redlynx service 12 continuing to Bembridge and Sandown.

This development did not go down a bundle with the bosses at Southern Vectis and led to some "interesting" encounters, and one near pugilistic propensity, at the annual Coach Owners dinner!

In terms of frequency, Seaview Services and Vectis' route 7 never ran more frequently than hourly; but at one time the 8 was offering a 15 minute headway in the peak summer timetable.

For the record, the modern equivalent of the past's up to 6 buses an hour serving various bits of this part of the Island has been progressively reduced to a portmanteau hourly route 8, now diverted to serve Seaview village. There is now no No 7 and no Seaview Services.

Also in recent years, the Downs Explorer has run via a circular anti clockwise route from Ryde, but diverting from Brading to run via a bigger loop and Bembridge, shown on the maps below as a PALE BLUE thin line.

fbb will return to this route and the thin BROWN line in a later blog.

But, almost lost in the dark and creaky recesses of fbb's memory, is that route 7 to Seaview was, for a couple of seasons, operated by open top buses. There are no pictures of this allocation on-line.

There are pictures, however, of its inaccurate recreation by the Isle of Wight Bus Museum.

The Vectis historic open top 7 followed that route's normal trajectory inland via Nettlestone with only a glimpse of the sea from Ryde Esplanade.

The Museum re-creations ...

... followed the coastal road as formerly used by the Seaview Services route. Pictures are available of open top Lodekka journeys which, although Museum promoted, were equally false. OT Lodekkas never ran to Seaview!

Southern Vectis buses have not used the sea view route to Seaview in normal service recently ...

... until this year, that is.

In a surprise move, the open top to Seaview returns for this season c. 60 years since the OT 7 referred to above.

After leaving Ryde Interchange (that's the bus station in a cunning disguise - it hasn't changed in function!) the "Sea Breezer" does a quick one way tour of the boating lake ...

... by veering left off the Esplanade and doing a U turn at the far end.

There are gorgeous beach and sea views (more sea when the tide is in!) together with a distant panorama of Portsmouth - brief but pleasant.

Then the route goes inland to follow the old sea side route to the village.

Again, the broad sweep of Spithead is joyous.

The route ends in a loop via the exisyiting service 8 round the estate at Nettlestone, passing close by the fbb's former residence. This is just a very ordinary housing estate and has little of interest to excite the tourist. The route does not actually pass the fbb's former residence, which is in a cul-de-sac, and, sadly, the blue plaque has yet to be installed on the property anyway.

Tomorrow we will look at the publicity for this brand new open top route and make a note of the fares.

Unbelievable!!

Just for the record, Vectis" route 7 was usually a cross-town service coninuing south of Ryde to Haylands.

From memory, that Haylands section used to be every half hour.

Some readers may recognise that the Rydabus name, used for the towns local routes, has been resurrected for a bus running day.

Sadly, you have missed this year's event!

 Next sea view blog : Thurs 29 May 

Half-Hearted Nationalisation Event

Heidi Says Hi-De-Hi With Hype (mini blog)

fbb was less than enthusiastic about featuring the dynamic launch of "Great British Railways" which took place, technically at 0159 on Sunday morning.

Several things contributed to the dubious  dynamism of the event.

Firstly, Great British Railways does not yet exist! The necessary enactments may happen in 2026, but 2027 is more likely. Sunday's event came under interim "enabling" legislation.

So no rush then?

Several other companies have already been nationaliosed, viz. LNER, Northern, Transport for Wales, Southeastern, Scotrail, Trans Pennine and Caledonian Sleepers. Two of the operations have been nationalised and then re-privatised and now re-nationalised.

Fun innit?

Brian Souter's Stagecoach was he first company to win a franchise which became known as South West Trains. There were one or two bludners on the way, notably making so many staff redundant that they did not have enough staff to run the trains.

Whoops.

There was a subtle early livery change from this ...

... to this ...

... with a darker richer blue and no orange.  Then came new trains with white as a main colour for long distance stock ...

... blue for "outer" suburban ...

... and red for the busy inner suburbs.

Then Stagecoach lost the franchise and First Rail took over with the worst livery imaginable.

How are your new suburban trains doing, First? Oh? Still parked up and not in use? Good management eh and nearly three years late ...

... and counting!

Anyway, Heidi hosted a launch event in full view of a few staff in well polished orange work gear ...

... at Bournemouth depot, that hot spot of the South Western Railway business! (Oh no, it isn't).

So what can the public expect from this major change to the UK's railway network since ...

... the last major change to the Uk's rail network.

Answer - ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

fbb's aged 159 units will still chunter happily between Exeter, Axminster and Waterloo; driven by the same drivers. guarded by the same guards, maintained by the same grease monkeys, and with tickets sold by the same helpful ticket office staff. The fares will rise annually, as usual. Even "the management" will stay the same.

The only difference will be hidden from the passenger. Instead of profits going to First Group shareholders, the bags of pennies "will be re-invested in the railways".

Why does fbb doubt that even that the small re-investment prize dangled before the faces of disappointed passengers will be noticed at the ticket window?

fbb will not be rushing to Axminster station to photograph the changes.

This is what the unchanged SWR web site said about the change.

From today, Sunday 25th May 2025 the operation of all SWR services has transferred into public ownership and is being managed by DFTO (DfT Operator Ltd).

The transfer does not impact on your planned journeys, tickets or timetables and all current tickets remain valid.

For any questions relating to your journey, please get in touch with our customer service centre on 0345 6000 650.

DFTO is the Government’s rail Owning Group and delivery partner for its flagship Public Ownership Programme. It was given a mandate by the Government to bring all currently privately-owned train operators into public ownership, contributing to the government’s long term plan to reform Britain’s railways.

The Government’s vision is to provide a railway that works better for both passengers and taxpayers across Great Britain.

Ultimately, all train operators across the country will operate under one banner – Great British Railways – delivering a single, integrated railway, making train travel better value for passengers and simpler to everyone.

As Victor Meldrew might say, "I don't belieeeve it!"

For media queries relating to the Department for Transport’s Public Ownership Programme please contact the press office on 0300 7777 878.

There is lots more philosophical prattle on the SWR web site; do feel free to look it up and ...

... enjoy!

Once upon a time ...

... Axminster soon after the last nationalisation.

But back in the real world ...

 Next sea view blog : Weds 28 May 

Bank Holiday Variety

 (Re)Building Bridges

Remember the £7.8 million being spent to rebuuild the station footbridge at Harlington (Beds) but without lifts? Seems utterly daft!

But there are occasions when Notwotk Rail does do things sensibly, and probably for large amounts of gold bullion or its equivalent in specie.

We go to Crawshaw Woods for the headline.

It is claimed that this is the oldest cast iron bridge anywhere on the current UK rail network. It needs some re-fettling, and whilst this work is being implemented, the bridge will be raised to give clearance for possible electrification of the line.

So where is Crawshaw Woods?

Above, we are due east of Leeds city centre between Cross Gates and Garforth stations. There is the BLUE M1 curving round to junct with the A1 and the GREEN road is part of a sort-of outer rung road, numbered A6120. It is RED on the map below

Follow the green dots on the enlarged map above from near Barrowby Hall, over the M1 on a footbridge (FB) and over the railway on an unacknowledged bridge. Although the "woods" are seemingly sparse, that is th Crawshaw Woods bridge in question.

Basically, it carries a farm track cum "bridle" road. It looks very ordinary from the road, but from the embankment you can see its architectural qualities.

The solid tin fence extends the original cast railungs to give the extra height required by today's regulations.

So the bridge has to be raised by about 1.5 metres, therefore the abutments have to be raised as well. Big job!

The site plan shows two access roads and two work areas.

fbb is amused that the compilers of the above have seen fit to add a road sign to the bridge - even though it is not a "hump backed" crossing!

Anyway, work is scheduled to start "soon" but various web sites have been able to give us a picture of the finished job.

The above shows overhead wiring in place, which is not part of the project; but it also shows the raised abutments built in a similar style to those existing. The next picture is not labelled as an "artist's impression".

But it is!

It shows the raised bridge itself and new creamy raised abutments but it has no overhead wiring. There is, however, one solitary gantry with nothing attached. Google maps shows no such gantry.

Astounding Invention has clearly been used.

Along the same lines (GROAN) here is a picture of a new footbridge ...

This magnificent pile will be located at Barrowby Lane, a liitle nearer to Garforth. Currently, there is an "at grade" foot crossing.

Of course, a foot crossing is "accessible"! But you do wonder why very rural and little used Barrowby Lane gets slopes and Harlington (Beds) doesn't get lifts.

Exciting Tank Wagon (?)

fbb has previously commented on the trend to produce model railway wagons that advertise something - and often these have no equivalent in the real world. These two date from the current Hornby oeuvre.

The brewery in question exists but the wagons have never existed and never will!

fbb does not know the history of the Pepsi wagon in detail, but the model reprsents  the last in a long line of "shortie" tankers made by Triang from th mid fifties right through and well into the Hornby era. Indeed there is a wagon of the same contruction still on sale but branded CocaCola.

The Pepsi wagon is about the same shape and size as the original Triang wagon ...

...which had a crude metal chassis and a simplified plastic body. The wheels where plastic running on metal axles which poked out through the axle boxes. The brake shoes were nowhere near the wheel treads that they should have been pressing upon slow and stop the train!

The Pepsi version has a black plastic chassis with near correctly orientated brake shoes ...

... and a good attempt at underframe detail.

The wheels and axles are all metal with plastic bushes to ensure insulation one from the other. The only other metal is the coupling hook. 

The diagonal strapping which, in a real wagon, holds the tank on to its "saddle",  is made of flexible red plastic with a distinctive translucent look. That strapping is a weakness in tthe design. It breaks easily ...

... and is well-nigh impossible to replace. fbb was thrilled that all his strapping appeared to be complete, but, sadly, it wasn't.

There is a tiny break to the right of the filler cap on one side. fbb has made one attempt at glueing it, but failed. The nylon type of plastic is impervious to polystyreme cement.

Other glues will be tried in due course but the old man may have to be satisfied with the slight fault. It is better than some and you can only see one side at a time.

All in all, it is a nice but inaccurate model.

Surprising News - NOT!

Remember Arriva Click?

Above we see the launch of the Watford scheme over five years ago. It didn't last long. Indeed none of the schemes had much longevity especially after the Government (local or national) grant-aid ran out.

The news is that the very last Arriva Click has ended.

This was a very limited one bus service in Speke, Liverpool.

In a splendid "back to the future" move the Arriva Click minibus has been replaced by bus route 211 ...

... which had previously been replaced by ...

... Arriva Click!

Well, ot seemed a good idea at the time!

Good New For IoW - Maybe Not

After what seems years and years, the Island Line train service is now fully operational between Shanklin and Ryde Pier Head. In fact the section from Esplanade o Pier Head opened early!

Wowsers!

Actually, when correspendent Alan was there, trains were running but repairs were still in progress.

This picture of the first train up the pier since whenever was published locally.

Now Islanders will have the benefit of the full service.

Did fbb say "benefit".

Remember that, for countless generations, Island residents have had an hourly service between Ventnor, Shanklin, Ryde, Portsmouth and London, seven days a week with extra services in the summer season. Everything connected.

Now, after millions of pounds of expenditure, long periods of closure and the commissioning of new trains (ex Londin Undergound commuter stock!), what do we have now?

Tada.

We have the same old useless pe-improvement timetable of ...

... three trains every two hours at uneven times - which don't actually connect with anything very well.

Money well spent chaps.

But there is some good news, possibly?

A peep through the window of the new cafe at Ryde Esplanade suggests that it may actually open - some time in the near or medium future.

The caff should have opened a year ago in time for the summer season 2024.

It didn't. Nothing happened.

Island residents are not holding their breath for summer 2025.

 GBR hype blog : Tues 27 May