First, A Correction.
fbb wrote, correctly but incorrectly, that there was no railway station at Otterton. There most definitely was a station at Otterton ...
It was called "East Budleigh"! As you enter Otterton, you cross the track of the railway ....
.... and, back in the day, you could have observed the sweet little station from the bridge.
The station is now a private dwelling, still with a working railway ...
... which holds public open days from time to time.
The Rotten One
At Otterton
(At Last)
The fbbs were going to Otterton Mill, but decided to take a trip through the picturesque village ...
... enjoy the reverse turn at Ottery Street on the back road to Sidmouth ...
... where the bus reverses into the side road.
The fbbs would alight at the mill stop (Otterton Green) on the return.
As they approached the stop as marked above, the driver, somewhat grumpily, advised that the stop (clearly marked on the above map!) did not exist. "You should have got off in the other side," she explained.
And indeed, there was a stop on the eastbound side.
Fortunately Ms driver agreed to allow the fbbs to alight.
But fbb's unuttered question was, "How were two elderly visitors to Otterton supposed to know about the selective stop situation."
The incident was doubly (or triply or quadruply?) worse. fbb, always aware of the problems that oft beset the brave but mildly ignorant bus-bound explorer, had checked Google Maps - and there ...
... were stops in both directions (above, far right).
fbb also checked the all stops version of the 357 timetable and ...
... there were stops at "Green (E-bound)" followed by "Green (W-bound")!
So logic, Google Maps and Traveline all said there was a stop where Stagecoach said there wasn't. But Google Maps gets its data from Traveline whilst Traveline gets its data from ...
... Stagecoach; as the company that has registered the service. Failure to operate a registered service is a serious matter which could lead to a fine from The Traffic Commissioners.
To pour salt on the wound, exactly opposite the "Green" eastbound shelter; (remember?) ...
... was (fanfare of trumpets) ...
... the "Green" westbound shelter!
There was absolutely no reason why this shelter and its stop should not be used; as it has been since Sir Walter Raleigh took a weekly ride to Sidmouth for a pensioners' lunch at The White Horse.
fbb guesses that somebody has been putting theoretical "health and safety" before common sense and service to the public. Very likely the proponent of this secretive stupidity has never been to Otterton.
Perhaps the pedantic pen-pusher (these days, a kommitted keyboard klonker and a sedentary screen scrutineer) wants to reduce his company's passenger numbers. Passengers are such a nuisance and really do make running a bus service so, so troublesome.
Talking Of Troublesome
The far end of fbbs layout, just beyond the castle, will eventually become a two siding halt, called, with significant fbb originality, 'Peterville Castle Halt'.
But it really needs a bit of baseboard creation. Currently it is bodged! So fbb decided to fettle up a temporary bit of a base by making a stout box from stout corrugated card, stoutly ...
This could be fixed to the wall and existing base, temporarily, with sticky pads; and would surely take the weight of a short OO gauge train.
... plus half a tube of 'No More Nails'. fbb created a sort of "girder" construction for strength - or maybe for slightly less weakness.
It fell off the wall, unprovoked, as fbb was settling down for beddy-byes.
Gaffer tape has added an extra bodge, plus a second sticky fixer bearing on the frame of the under-the-eaves access door.
Track laying to follow.
And ballasting!
The bodged existing base plus cardboad unfill will then form a template for No 1 son to see what to saw. He is more skilled than fbb at carpentry being less destructive of domestic furniture and elderly digits than a wobbly handed, macular degenerate fbb!
His skills are booked for his next visit to fbb mansions.
Next Phone Box blog : Friday 14 Aug
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