Saturday Variety

Bargain Basement By Bus?

The Bus Bargain item will now appear as part of Monday's blog.

Or Train?

More, please!

Funding is questioned again. 

Unfortunately it is not quite what it seems according to Gareth from The Telegraph. You and me might expect an offer like this from all the Nationalised railway companies. After all, we are all Great British Railways.

Heidi says so!

And it will get better ...

... even the barriers will be branded!

Corporate identity rules!

So what about this offer of a £1 fare for the kiddies.

So it looks like all the nationalised train companies are behaving like the privatised train companies they used to be ...

... and doing their own thing!

As usual!

       Great       

      British      

 Fragmented 

     Railways   

Good, innit!

If GBR is to succeed, it needs to be more of a "proper" nationally owned and operated network, not just a collection of the old operating companies answerable to H M Government rather than shareholders - and painted in a garish livery!

Opportunity missed?

Great British Horse Tram

Most readers will be familiar with the only Horse Tram service in the British Isles. It is at Douglas on the Isle of Man.

But in 2019 part if the line was closed to facilitate improvements to the esplanade.

The section, from a "temporary" terminus at Villa Marina ...

... to Sea Terminal, ceased operation.

The good news is that the politicians of Man have found the funding to rebuild and reopen the missing bit.

Well done Tim Crookall, infrastructure minister.

Docklands Development

This was Thames Wharf.

Due east of 'The Dome' and just across the Thames we see a scar of cleared land that was once riverside docklands.

The docks are long gone and the blasted heath will become something like this ...

... lookimg west towards The Dome.

Here is what Wikipedia tells us:-

As part of the construction of the London City Airport extension in the mid 2000s, a gap in the viaduct due west of the western end of Royal Victoria Dock, between Canning Town and West Silvertown stations - was passively safeguarded for a future station. Development was restricted by safeguarding for the future river crossing, and the area is surrounded by brownfield and industrial sites.

In the 2010s, a new Thames river crossing was announced - the Silvertown Tunnel. Following the completion of the tunnel in 2025, around 5,000 homes will be built on the site, and a new DLR station would be constructed. As part of the 2018 budget, the Chancellor announced funding for the DLR to support this and other development in the Royal Docks. Funding for the station was put on hold in June 2021.

So a potential new station for the Docklands Light Railway is planned.

More tomorrow.

Say It With Flowers

Any train "launch" in India seems to involve decorating the front end of the rolling stock with extensive floral garlands.

No doubt the UK Health and Safety spoil sports would find some spurious reason why it couldn't be done here. 

How about a display of red, white and blue roses ...

... to adorn the next GBR EMU PR "do".

Maybe Heidi could dress appropriately?

Maybe just a smidgen too much?

How Much?

Check the spec!

And Emma Chizzit?

And here is the actual preserved 'Blackmore Vale'.

But the model is too pricey for most and probably too valuably to actually run on a layout. Perhaps most of these Black Label models will sit, unused, in a posh display cabinet?

fbb prefers cheap and cheerful, then it doesn't matter too much if it falls on the floor and bits break off!

 Next Variety blog : Sunday 26th July 

Burnham's Bargain Basement

 Other Bargains Are Available

Andy's first cost of living announcement caused both excitement and eager anticipation, as did his carrot help out for the hospitality trade.

Bus watchers are pleased that the £3 cap in fares will revert to a £2 cap.

Despite the hype from King Burnham and his chums, these goodies will not compensate for the fuel price increases caused by Mr Trump's bellicose bombardment of Iran.

fbb is not a party political animal, recognising that his lifetime (so far) has seen a steady parade of postulating politicos who have made very little difference to your elderly blogger's lengthy lifeline.

In the UK we tend to go for middle-of-the-road politics, celebrating each election with a nice cup of tea and very little in the way of aspiration.

Political commentators and opposition parties are generally dismissive of Andy's approbation-anticipating announcements. Comments usually begin with "how is it to be funded?".

"Re-prioritising" seems to mean "spending other money on this rather than something else". Isn't that blindingly obvious, Andy?

In fact Burnham's bonus beneficence is small change in the big-number realm of G B Limited's finances.

Non Burnham Bargains (1)

Mr Khan Spends Money He Hasn't Got!

As ever, Mr Khan has wrapped a bus in sticky-backed plastic!

The London Press is excited but a bit too voluble in its circumlocutory explanation.

Sounds interesting?

Explain, please?

Thankfully, Transport for London does explain.

So, weekends and Bank Holidays.

As usual, it is not valid on Underground, Overground or Network Rail. But, at £1.75,  excellent value for a bus and tram nurdle.

Equally Interestung?

Hmmm?

Age reduction for the summer? Or, perhaps, full availability at peak times Monday to Friday.

Tell us more.

FREE buses for the Summer? Wow!

Unfortunately for most people ...

... it is for the kiddies only!

Despite the headline and picture ...

... and its potentially misleading text, it will NOT apply to London ...

... where kiddies already go free.

But the deal will make a measurable difference to hard pressed families seeking to entertain their offspring during the seemingly never-ending summer hols.

Tomorrow, we look at a forthcoming 'bargain' long distance coach service.

Remember Invuctaway?

Well, our featured service is different in many ways!

Remember This?

A busted ladder for a Hornby 100 ton TEA tank wagon. fbb tried to glue the bits together ...

... and failed! The ladder is in tension as fitted, and tension was not good for the join. So it unjoined!

The bodge became messy glue-wise ...

... and a bit of a clean-up is needed. The other end is fine.

Fortunately, large tank wagons are displayed end-on at a slight angle in fbb's burgeining collectioh, so you won't see the messy bit!

Here, all three Hornby varieties sit comfortably in fbb's display.

The horror is that the shiny year 2000 wagon shows a horribly distorted picture of fbb taking the picture! Not nice!

 Next Bargain blog : Saturday 25th July 

Gipsy Hill By The "New" 322

 But First ...

The block of flats, Pear Tree House, looks innocuous enough, but if you peered over the hedge you might espy an unusual base to the block.

It was planned as a nuclear war control room. By the time the building was finished, Government Policy had changed several times and the secret nuclear war control room was never used. It became a Local Authority store and is now disused. 

Presumably Gipsy Hill is no longer considered a worthwhile target by Mr Putin and his chums.

And Second ...

Another example of the identity crisis of the step-free access to part of the station. What's wrong with Salisbury Road, fbb wonders. People with reduced mobility will surely enjoy the extra and unnecessary few yards taken to avoid the direct route.

And So To The 322 ...

... which replaced route 2 with some extra wiggles. The N2 still follows the direct route from West Norwood to Gipsy Hill.

The 2A variant served a bit of Rosendale (via Robson Road) usually on the 172 route.

It now forms part of the 322 wiggles.

Once upon a time the Mayor of Manchester, one Andy Burnham, (whatever happened to him?) was proud to announce that he wanted his buses to be "just like in London". They turned out yellow instead or red!

Whilst the route of the 322 around Gipsy Hill has been stable since it arrived in 1992, there have been many changes of operator. 

Here they are, listed courtesy if the superb Ian Armstrong London Buses web site.

1992 - Arriva

Branded Connexions.

2000 - Connex - as ill-fated in bus as in rail!

2005 - London Central

2010 - Abellio (Dutch State Railways)

2015 - GoAhead

2022 - Abellio, playing swapsies!

2023 - Transport UK, Management buy out of Abellio!

2026 - GoAhead - more swapsies!

That is SEVEN changes of operator during the relatively short life of this service.

How much has that cost the operators concerned?

Who pays, ultimately?

Surely the cost ultimately falls in the Council Tax payers of London.

Is that extra operator change cost a good use of Municipal Money?

Is that how the former Mayor of Manchester wanted to serve his voters?

The predecessor of the 322, namely route 2, was run by an organisation called "London Transport" for all of its life (most of its life) from 1934 to 1992.

That is getting on for sixty years of stability ...

... with sone impressive innovation mixed in.

Which system is best for the passengers?

For the record, and courtesy of Robert Munster, here us a sample from the 322 timetable.

The Monday to Saturday daytime frequency is every 15 minutes.

 Next Bargain Basement blog : Friday 24th July