Monday Variety

Temple Meads Troubles Metrobus

The decision to turn the perfectly workable Long Ashton Park and Ride (Bristol) into Metrobus M2 involved huge expense, almost no reduction in journey time and an increase in fares. Needless to say, the decision was not at all popular. Some critics said that The City Council was so desperate for a guided busway that their corporate sanity evaporated.

Its odd bits of guided road ...

... only on straight sections, were seen as ludicrous. Indeed some "men from the ministry" paying a visit to see how well their investment was going were overheard expressing wonder at their foolhardy investment in such poor value infrastructure. But it was there and folk have been using it ...

... but probably not as many as the planners and the operator (First Bus) had hoped!

Having spent much money on the "track" some asked why it (and the other Metrobus routes) couldn't be a tram.

Could M2 have been (could it yet be) Bristol Tram T2?

The answer is, yes, of course it could ... BUT ... it would be easy using the new infrastructure from the park and ride site and over the River Avon "New Cut".

The bridge over the cut is shared with cycles and pedestrians ...

... a one way lane ontrolled by lights. The exclusive track curvers round to join Cumberland Road.

This is a relatively quiet road (by Bristol standards!). It was paralleled by an old and disused bit of railway track which has been turned into a waterside pathway.

Suirely tram tracks could be made to fit, perhaps with a slightly narrower walk and cycleway.

Do we really need a footpath on one side of the fence and the new walkway on the other?

The M2 then turns left into Redcliffe Hill where there would be plenty of room for tram tracks combined with the existing bus lanes.

At the foot of Redcliffe Hill the M2 begins its anti-clockwise loop round the city centre. (see map below, A38 and A4044)

Its first stop on the loop is Temple Meads station - actually a significant walk from Temple Meads station. But if you are joining the M2 from your train you have the delight of a full circular tour of the centre before you make any progress back to your car. It is very tedious and very few use the M2 as a railway Park and Ride.

Would it be possible to route the M2 (and the M1 which joins it on Redcliffe Hill) via the approach road to the station.

That would be the A370 and the A4 on the above map.

Bath Road past the station is very busy and often clogged but, without a shadow of doubt, if this were Angers in France, a sensible pro-public-transport way would be found. 

If there were the political will to make this drastic change it would take M2 and M1 past Temple Meads in both directions - and it would do the same for our tentative tram.

Then comes the rest of the M2 loop; and that involves tickling the whole problem of the so-called city centre ring road; otherwise known as the city centre traffic jam!

More tomorrow.

The Surprising Shelter Saga

Remember this picture from the Isle of Wight?

Four mysterious bus shelters were lined up at Fishbourne ferry terminal as photographed by Isle of Wight Alan. Nobody seemed to know where they were to be installed.

Well, they have turned up!

Here they are on the new walkway on Ryde Pier.

They are not quite the same as thr overall roof we were promised, but better than nothing.

The original pier shelters are on the opposite side of the vehicle only roadway and those that remain were fitted with barriers to prevent access to the sea side of the shelter. They no longer have seats!

Nobody ever uses them.

Back in the day when very few vehicles were given access to the "wet end", the old shelters were  a popular place for a rest on the lengthy perambulation up and down the mainly pedestrian pier.

Oh Yes They Do!

No soon had fbb prodded the keys on his laptop into reporting that the new traffic light controlled exit from Ryde bus station to George Street was still closed off ...

... than the very next day it opened.

Red lights hold up he traffic ...

... to allow the buses to nip straight across.

It is a really helpful bit of bus priority.

How Much? (Part 2)

fbb could have bought a brand new non-Nissen hit for about £18 including postage. Direct fom Hornby it would have been nearly £23. But, as we are oft told, everything is so much cheaper on EBay. Just for fun, fbb collected all the prices available for an EBay purchase plus a few other private on-line sales.

The vast majority were significantly more expensive than buying new! Here is just a selection, note that some are "post free", some add extra.

But the real cracker was this:-

Why would anyone even consider such a price? The model is widely available - not at all rare.

fbb's (also from Ebay) was £11 plus £2.99 postage.

And much of the painting has been done.

Terraforming the extra bit of tunnel is due this week which will add fir trees, fences and assorted clumps of undergrowth. No doubt the tenants will also require a footpath to get to their holiday let?

And maybe somewhere to park their car. There is a lot to think about when you are busy with this modelling lark!

People do rebuild them for real!

Although, in the above, they don't have the undercroft!

Puzzle Picture

The vehicle is unique and shown here running on a heritage railway. What vehicle and where? It's raining so it must be Scotland!

Guess The Operator

Obvious clues have been removed! It was not on home turf when photographed but may have a link with turf accountancy.

 Next Traffic, Towns & Trams blog : Tuesday 18th July  

Sunday Variety

Come Along Mrs Peel, We Are Needed!

The Avengers TV series was utterly bonkers and, as the series progressed with a variety of bright young things assisting Patrick McNee to save the world, the story lines became more and more bonkers.

But fun!

In one episode, one of the chase scenes happens on a miniature railway.

Stapleford Miniature Railway is an historic steam locomotive-hauled 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) gauge railway at Stapleford Park, Stapleford near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, England.

Considered one of the finest examples of its type, the railway is now private but still attracts thousands of visitors from the UK and abroad during its two public charity events each year.

The promo pictures saw the demure Mrs P (Diana Rigg) strapped across the track with Steed affecting a rescue in front of an obviously stationary and unstaffed train!

The broadcast scenes were somewhat different.

In fact the delectable Emma (without a tremor) was rescued when Steed raced ahead of the train and moved a very fake point lever to divert the train away from the obvious siding where our heroine lay bound and facing a horrible demise. Note that she was tied parallel to the rails not across them.

The reason for this blog is that the TV company presented the railway with a blue plaque to commemorate the event!

The incorrect PR shot is displayed below the casting. It was quite a small plaque as befits a small railway!

Well not quite right. There is no pointwork and no siding near the plaque!

The reason this is featured in this blog is that some person (an inappropriate designation!) has stolen the plaque. The people at Stapleford are, naturally, anxious to recover it and have requested all railway fans and all Avengers fans to assist in reporting if they see or hear of it.

Sadly Steed and Mrs Peel are no longer available to track it down!

Maybe whoever finds the missing memorial should be treated in the same way that many episodes ended; with a smile and champagne!

And a serving for the blog writer, please!

Publicity DOES Matter

TrentBarton was one of the very early pioneers of route branding on a large scale under the tutelage of Brian King. 

News comes of a "refresh" of some of its well known routes in the form of bus stop posters.

The posters are bright, replicate the brand and its colours and, to put it simply, attract the eye of customers and potential customers.

Of course, these are obviously the work of the Bearded Bus Beautifier from the Bush and more than adequately reinforce his own oft-stated brand. 

Creating Delight

Creating Demand

Creating Double-Takes

Creating Discussion

Creating Debate

Creating Design

Nope. fbb can't quite remember!

Some other operators should look, learn and see their passenger numbers grow!

And Publicity in Sheffield

Two weeks from TODAY, there will be massive changes for bus passengers in Sheffield and South Yorkshire with a likely 25% reduction in services overall. With two weeks to go not a single timetable has so far appeared.

So likely it will be chaos.

A correspondent has forwarded a dramatic piece of advance publicity. It is a poster for First Bus staff.

Sorry about the poor quality picture. But what it says is the First Bus will no longer be operating 16 services after next weekend and there may be more.

Clearly, from a passenger's point of view, the list is meaningless because First have no interest in who will be operating these services - or indeed, IF they will continue at all.

In amongst tendered bits and pieces (.g 25, 86) there are some weak services part of which may be tendered (e.g. 135, 137 and 138).

But there are some significant bits of the network in Rotherham, for example, where First is dropping the whole caboodle. Of the routes to and via Swallownest, First will only operate the X5/X55 to Sheffield. So massive changes are certain for Swallownest, Kiveton Park and Harthill.

Cross city 83 from Ecclesfield ...

... through the city centre to Greystones ...

... will be abandoned by the ailing First Bus. The 83 is currently in "partnership" with Stagecoach 83a but we have, as yet, no idea what will happen to either service or both.

What we DO know is that, when (IF?) we are told, the publicity will be atrocious.

Happier News For fbb

The wherewithall to build his new baseboards has been prepared to measure (fbb hopes to correct measure) at Peterville Quarry Railway workshops in Wantage. No 1 son will be transporting the bits to assemble them on Saturday 24th inst.

Exciting, eh?

Another "Place-Holder"

Readers may remember the development, in the late 50s, of a Prestwin cement wagon ...

... modelled initially as an Airfix kit. fbb's "token" model from Hornby (after being absorbed by Triang) arrived on Friday last.

The packaging was first inspected by Mr Tubbles as part of his health and safety remit. (That is, of course, health and safety for Mr Tubbles!).

Somewhere inside a plastic frozen meal tub, loads bubble wrap and approx four miles of parcel tape (it was a private sale!) was the wagon.

Nice!

A little bit about the model's history may well feature in a later blog. And if it seems familiar to the older generation, here is it's predecessor as an Airfix kit!

Snippet

Maybe something like this will help the potential customer to remember where they saw it; then go in and spend money.

Thus it will be Creating Desire. Now there is a potentially good slogan for something!

Tomorrow - a special journey?

 Next Go Direect blog : Monday 19th September