The Search Begins
fbb, you may choose to remember, has expanded the scope of his world famous (?) tank wagon collection by adding examples of yellow Shell tank wagons from other furrin parts. The above is a Pre WW2 model by Trix and versions are available on line. They are not drastically expensive, but the post and packing can almost double the cost.
That is a bit too much for fbb's relatively shallow OAP pocket!
If any of our readers, UK or world wide, ever spots one, please get in touch via fbb@xephos.com
Italian Invasion Imminent?
Every one imaginable wants to run trains through the Channel Tunnel. Deutsche Bahn began the trend by parking one of their trains at St Pancras ...
... c/w a fake destination sign!
... Italians State Railways are on the Chunnel trail ...
... sometime next year???
All operators have the problem of getting trains that are compatible with the huge variety of systems in use across Europe. That's what caused Deutsche Bahn to retreat.
Tricky Dickie wants to join the fun; and now ...
No Surprise Here!
The idea of a National Grid is that electric can be whizzed all over the country to bolster supply when there is heavy demand. This tends to be a failure as the UK is a small country. So when it's cold in Glasgow, it is likely to be cold in Seaton. Getting a system that is snappy enough to do the switching quickly and for short periods is technically tricky and expensive to install.
So fbb, cynic that he is, is waiting for Power Cuts when the juice sucking AI data warehouses come on stream to confuse us all with Artificial Incompetence.
So when the old bloke saw this headline ...
... he leapt nearly a quarter of an inch off his armchair and whooped in delight - silently so as not to disturb the cat.
Then he read the article. It's in Nigeria.
STOP PRESS
But, any time now!
Too late to re-arrange the page, fbb has just realised that he posted this item last week. As it is somewhat prophetic, maybe his readers would do to wonder when the same headline will apply to the UK. It won't be long!
Sense At Last!
It appears that the huge level of subsidy to cover the huge level of costs to run these fo a very small number of passengers is now being recognised as a waste of money.
Yes, that IS a surprise!
Another Surprise
The often ignorant writers of these news snippets can imagine some terrestrial anomalies in promoting their dotty ideas.
The point is that the longest daytime train of old no longer runs ...
... leaving the Sleeper to Inverness to replace it with a substantially inferior journey length, But the author of the piece knows something that fbb doesn't
Is the train fitted with extremely powerful on-board floodlights to illumine the scenery? If not the view os something like this ...
... from the Playschool-style square window far left in the above cabin p[picture.
It's night time, innit? It's dark, innit? You cannot see much of the spectacular views innit?
fbb has sleepered from London to inverness but that was later in the year. If you wake up early there is some great scenery as you get much further north. But, at this time of year ...
But you could take a daytime train from London Kings Cross to Inverness, same distance but achieved in a much quicker time and with views (some even spectacular) all the way!
Daytime is generally a lot cheaper!
fbb recommends LNER class 800 bi-mode Azuma stock, seen here at Inverness ...
And it is NOT 500 miles but 581 miles! (That's nearly 600).
What a privilege it is to have the accuracy of Internet news items!
Yet Another MP ...
... reckons his mission is to "improve the buses".
All the best mate. 
You do realise, Mr Fox, that almost all your buses are run as a business and you have no control or authority over them at all. Neither does the Council unless it wants to take them over and run them itself It is called "The Economics of the Market"!
Coming To A Nearby Railway
More to follow in due course!
And A Puzzle Picture?
What is happening here; and where else in the UK is a similar activity necessary?
Answer tomorrow.
Next Thames Valley blog : Monday 5th Jan
I don't think there's anything wrong with our elected representatives taking an interest in the bus services we rely on! They can be a useful link between the user, tendering authorities and bus operators to relay where the demand is, whether that demand is being catered for and where they are with customer satisfaction. The disappointment is when MPs and councillors don't really understand the subject.
ReplyDeleteAnd many folk still seem to think that the Council runs (or, at least, controls) the buses ...
ReplyDelete