China Clay Childhood Crisis

Poultice Protest!

A childhood fbb remembers with horror having acquired a swollen knee via some short trousered interaction with something very hard. "What you need," said a doting and concerned mother, "is a kaolin poultice!" 

Whereupon a bowl of hot stinking cement arrived to be spread on the unfortunate joint. The traumatic memory remains of himself protesting with screams and tears and, after several attempts the gunge was not applied.

The swelling went down overnight and normal service was happily resumed poultice-less the next day. The idea was, it transpired, that the hot polyfilla would "draw out" the cause of the swelling. 

The child never found out if it might have worked! It probably never did.

Carrying Creamy Clay.

Kaolin is also known as  china clay.

It is used in the production of paper.

China Clay is dug up in Cornwall and there are some big paper mills in Scotland. So china clay slurry (the thickness of double cream?) needs to be transported from clay pit to paper factory. 

Once the tanks wer quite small ...

... and Hornby sold a reasonable model.

In recent years they have growed! Those nicknamed "silver bullet" were shiny stainless steel bodied.

But they rapidly became dirty ...

... and then utterly filthy!

fbb's model was of the shiny version ...

... so shiny that it was difficult to photograph.

They also come "weathered", thus losing the bling!

Dapol's delightful detail is drop dead delicious. There are lots of coloured wheels and bits ...

... including that microscopic green-yellow-red filler gauge ...

... and the shiny pipes below the solebar. Exquisite. The access to the filler atop the tank is beautifully formed ...

... as are the intricate platform at one end ...

... and the steps and handrail at the other.

As with the TEA wagon, also recently bought, the lettering is minute but legible if you are carrying your portable microscope.

The name on the tank side is neither the quarry company nor the paper company!

NACCO Industries, Inc. is an American publicly traded holding company, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. Through a portfolio of mining and natural resources businesses, the company operates under three business segments: Coal Mining, North American Mining, and Minerals Management.

Originally the North American Coal Corporation, the bit of the business named on the side of the tanks refers to their "minerals Management" operation. If you want your minerals digging up, processing or transporting, NACCO will do it for you - all you have to do is pay!

fbb is well chuffed with his wagon and eagerly awaits a modelling company's version of the later parallel sided kaolin slurry tanker ...

... also usually utterly unkempt!

London Cutbacks - A P.S.

Blogger "The London List" confirms the threat to many historic London bus routes.

Note the eclipsed night services as well! fbb reckons that there is no chance whatsoever of getting this "carnage" through "the consultations process" by the end of 2023.

Puzzle Picture

The setting is the GWR main line along the sea front at Dawlish ...

... but AFTER the major rebuilt now pretty much complete.

The train is the First Rail Night Riviera from Paddington to Penzance.

The sleeper does not stop at Dawlish (it's between Exeter and Newton Abbot), so this passing shot was taken at about 0420.

Thanks whoever twittered it!

Pentecostal Progress.

A lame man begging ...

... with a response from Peter, one of those who experienced the Holy Spirit's empowerment.

There is a so-called children's song, equally entertaining for adults, which tells the story with Biblical accuracy.

This event was recorded by Luke, a doctor, who would know the difference between a malingerer and the genuinely disabled!

Then there is another question. Would this "gift" of the "Holy Spirit" have an effect on the disciple's lifestyle?

 Next Mini-blog : Tuesday 7th June 

Sunday Variety

Please take note!

Busy week. Christian Fellowship meetings today and tomorrow; routine doctor's appointment Wednesday morning; car for pre-expedition service Wednesday afternoon; Thursday to Isle of Wight; Friday lunch with correspondent Alan and his Mrs; ride on the new Island Line train(s); Saturday friend's daughter's wedding; Sunday morning taking service at former church in East Cowes; Monday returning home. Somewhere very soon need to prepare said service!

So a quiet week ahead!

Unless anything REALLY DRAMATIC happens in the world of Public Transport, mini-blogs will apply from today until Tuesday 15th June inclusive.

Please take note 2!

fbb apologies unreservedly for some pretty gruesome errors in recent blogs. Some have been spotted by correspondents, others have been politely ignored. Put it down to old age and incompetence - too little time to do homework! Must try harder!

More Purple Platinum

G B Railfreight class 66 Jubilee-ised. And on the North Norfolk Railway ...

... a more minimalist treatment of their class 47; a Union Flag ...

... a purple buffer beam and ...

... purple nameplate!

Talking of Purple ...

London Buses seem to think that the Elizabeth Line line has opened. Sadly there has been very little publicity for the timetable changes on many bus routes that serve Purple stations!

The Bidding Room ...

... is yet another daytime TV antiques programme. Punters bring along their valued items, present them to a team of extrovert dealers who bid for them! All is overseen by smoothie thespian Nigel Havers (who must be desperate for work!). In a recent episode a seller turned up with a Jouef train set.

Jouef is a French model railway company, now owned by Hornby but, in the past, trading at the toy train set end of the market. The set on offer came with transformer and controller, three wagons, a juddery tank engine and a simple circle of track. It came in a very dilapidated box.

Briefly, Jouef entered the UK market with a poor selection of rolling stock under the Playcraft name.

But the Pierrefitte wagon was definitely French with french couplings ...

... so utterly incompatible with UK models. Amazingly, the chubby jolly one bid £50 and his bid was accepted.

Even fbb in his most enthusiastic desire for a modelling bargain would consider £50 about £45 too much!

The Silver Bullet (OO Version) Arrives ...

... but not one of the Lone Ranger's

fbb will complete the unboxing tomorrow!

Note Mrs fbb's beslippered foot, top right.

Which reminds fbb that his lovely wife is beginning her slow but successful return from hip replacement to domesticity by tackling the occasional kitchen task. A highlight has been the creation of three fruit loaves for our Sunday and Monday fellowship meetings.

Observant readers will notice that rigorous testing has been in progress to ensure that cake is of the highest quality for our "congregations".

It is - especially with a good dollop of butter on each slice!

Information Is Power

Or so they used to say. Has any of our readers read the notices as displayed at the front of a typical bus?

Thought not. 

Here is a part display from Arriva ...

... and part two on the same bus as recently twittered.

Waste of time and space!

Are You Wearing Your White Clothes?

In the UK we call it Whitsun, a shortening of White Clothing Sunday and thus a name that has very little to do with the reason for the special day. The idea was that white apparel signified the purity of God's gifts.

The "correct" name for the Festival is "Pentecost" - except that even that name is less than accurate.

For a non-believer or cynic the whole narrative is a bit spooky - it even is for some Christians! But before the risen Jesus paid his final farewell to his disappointed band of followers, he offered them a new deal.

"Stay in Jerusalem", he told them, "and I will send God's Spirit to help you." So, they were gathered together, behind closed doors, afraid for their lives, but waiting.

When the day of Pentecost came, all the believers were gathered together in one place.

Suddenly there was a noise from the sky which sounded like a strong wind blowing, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire which spread out and touched each person there.

They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.

Weird or was it weird?

Hard to believe? Probably - but, any time an eternal God steps into our puny little world to make things happen, it will always be hard to believe unless you are open minded and want to understand.

Maybe the best way to understand what happened is to look at the consequences.

And A Puzzle Picture

The "where" should be easy ...

... but what train is it?

Answer in tomorrow's mini-post.

 Next Variety Blog : Monday 6th June 

Let's Change Things - It Will Cause Chaos! (2)

North London Changes

Transport for London's (TfL) cunning plan seems to be based on this concept. There are main corridors (e.g. Edgware Road) served by multiple bus routes - so there are plenty of buses and (possibly according to TfL) these key corridors have too many buses for the total number of passengers using them.

So, to save money, and keep the Government blissfully happy, all TfL has to do is to reduce the frequency along these key corridors. This COULD be achieved by simply cutting back every route by a notch or two, say from every 8 to every 10, from every 10 to every 12 or from every 12 to every 15. That would thin things out a bit on the common sections of route and upset a few people at the extremities of the services concerned.

But TfL doesn't want to do that!

To try to understand, fbb is chopping one of the TfL maps into manageable chunks, (possibly). We start with a complete withdrawal.

The 24 (BROWN) currently runs from Hampstead Heath ...

... via Camden, Hampspead Road, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall and Victoria to Pimlico on the banks of the Thames. It is often called the £1.65 sightseeing bus! This excellent ride for visitors and locals alike (including the proto Mrs fbb when she worked in London!) is withdrawn completely.

The 88 (PUCE) starts at Parliament Hill Fields then runs via Camden, Regents Park, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, Marsham Street and onwards south to Clapham Common.

The 214 (PURPLE) starts at Highgate Village, then via Camden Town and veers off east to Finsbury Square.

Here is what is proposed.

The 88 (PUCE) now starts from Hampstead Heath (was 24 - withdrawn), now runs via Hampstead Road (was via Regents Park) and Whitehall before rejoining its original trajectory to Clapham Common.

Meanwhile the 214 (PURPLE) runs as before from Highgate Village to Camden then via Regents Park (was 88) to Whitehall and on via Victoria to Pimlico (was 24).

Parliament Hill Fields (was 88) becomes the 205 (RED) which also serves Camden and then veers off eastwards to just miss Finsbury Square (was 214).

And another complete withdrawal.

The 16 (BLUE GREEN) from Crickletwood via Edgware Road to Victoria is withdrawn completely. 

Then, reading from left to right, we have the 113 (ORANGE) from Edgware via Swiss Cottage to Marble Arch; the 189 (DARK GREEN) from Brent Cross via Lisson Grove to Marble Arch.

The 98 (YELLOW) from Willesden also runs via Edgware Road to Marble Arch then off east to Holborn; whereas the 6 (DARK BLUE) also serves Willesden then wiggles a bit before passing Marble Arch and setting off east to Aldwych.

Here the proposals are massive!

The 113 is normal to Swiss Cottage then runs to White City, picking up up the former 31 (PINK) which is withdrawn.

The 189 now turns east to Swiss Cottage and Camden Town replacing the rest of the 31. The routes to Marble Arch previously covered by the 113 and the 189 are covered - we presume - by other services that have not changed.

The 98 now runs to Victoria and not Holborn. The 6 will run to Holborn and not Aldwych. 

Now, if you wondered about Aldwych (don't we all?) this is now served by the 23 (LIGHT BROWN) which turns LEFT at Hyde Park Corner instead of turning RIGHT and running to Hammersmith.

IF you have followed all this (IF?) there is just a bit more.

We have the 254 (GREEN) from Aldwych via Hackney and round to Holloway and the 259 (GOLD) coming south from Edmonton and on to Kings Cross also via Holloway.

The 279 (DULL BLUE) approaches south from Waltham Cross to terminate at Manor House. The 349 (DEEP PINK) also approaches from the north, from Ponders End to finished at Stamford Hill.

The revision is somewhat more straightforward than the other "blocks" fbb has looked at.

The 254 and the 259 are both shortened; the 279 goes to Stamford Hill in place of the 349 which is withdrawn.

It is well known that TfL's "consultation" process is slower than a geriatric snail in a paper bag. If some the these changes cause a kerfuffle (which they will) it could be several years before these revisions, or something like them) are introduced.

This is hardly the slickest way to deal with TfLs acute financial problems.

As there are no timetables (not even frequencies) quoted in this mega plan, there will be more aggro when they are fully revealed.

TfL produce no network map, and the reasonably useful PDFs in this consultation document will long have evaporated.

So when the changes come in, there will be chaos.

Almost inevitably these complex network changes (there are three other areas to grapple with!) can so easily result in a further loss of passengers, less viability financially than more, followed by more incisions a few months later.

The mistakenly admired London-style franchise system is set for "a steady decline" to the detriment of London folk; and creating more car journeys, more pollution and, possibly, yet higher costs.

For the benefit of bus passengers in Manchester, Liverpool, Brighton and Hartlepool (as in yesterday's blog) fbb hopes that London-style operations are NOT brought in elsewhere.

 Next Variety blog : Sunday 5th June