Sunday 16 October 2016

Weekend Quiz - The Answers [Part 1]

In each case, fbb has reproduced the original "question" picture, followed by the answer and an occasional comment. There is no prize!

The vehicle has its origins in Harry Blundred's Devon General and the "minibus revolution"; but here it is working for Red Admiral (Hence "Lepdopterus" - Groan), the privatised brand of the former Portsmouth Corporation Transport. It is on route 17, then the Eastney circular. (?)

When route branding was in its infancy, Southern Vectis used this name for its local service between SANDown and ShankLIN. The central part of the route was vua Green Lane, now served by route 2.

West Midlands Travel (a k a West Midlands PTE) ran "bread vans" for a while.

Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV), Garde de Lyon, Paris. This was the original livery whuich was replaced by the more borong but currently more popular grey.

At 6.30am on Sunday 27 September 1981, an unusually large crowd streamed into Paris’ Gare de Lyon, converging on the platform next to the first commercially operated train à grande vitesse (TGV). At 7.15am train number 807 departed ceremoniously for Lyon’s Perrache station: along the way, its 300 passengers would travel at 260km/h for the first time.

Whitby - the reference to Jet being the semi-precious black stone beloved by the Victorians for which the town in renowned. It is a lift, not a cable car, approached at the base by what was a dark and spooky tunnel, now much improved.
It is not cheap!

Gunnislake. In many ways an odd survivor of Cornwall's excised branch line network,
Gunnislake was on the branch from Bere Alston to Callington. The station is at Drakewalls and atop a steep hill and thus a substantial walk from the community whose name it bears.
The terminus was moved south of the main road to allow for the demolition of a low bridge.
The line is visually and operationally fascinating and well worth a visit.

Dungeness. Two lines terminate nearby. British Rail's line closed to passengers in 1937 ...
... with the "main" branch to New Romney lingering until 1953. The line remains to serve the needs of the nuclear power station and has been popular with rail tours. In 1922 there were three trains a day arriving at 7.42am, 2.25pm and 8.1pm supplemented on Saturdays with an arrival at 1012pm.

The station was never busy!

The other terminus, of course, is for the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch "miniature" line. Here is the terminal loop pictured from the "old" lighthouse ..,
... and here a picture of a typical RHDR train with the "new" lighthouse in the background.
When fbb and family visited many moons ago, he felt that the whole area was decidedly weird and spooky and was very glad to take the train back to normality. Some people love it enough to live there!

"Sunspot" on the market with RightMove at £305,000!

The rest of the answers tomorrow.

 Next Quizzy blog : Monday 17th October 

5 comments:

  1. I am sure the New Romney branch lasted into the early to mid 1960's. Have memories of seeing a passenger train there.

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  2. Correct Clive - 1967! Where my addled brain dragged 1953 from is as much a mystery to me as to you. Thank you.

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  3. Been to Whitby a few times. Never knew there was a lift! I'll have to try it next time I'm there.

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  4. Harry Blundred supplemented his Red Admiral fleet with identical minibuses painted blue. Your picture is actually a Blue Admiral vehicle.

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  5. Was nice to see a picture of my local station at Gunnislake, before it got moved, with what looks like the tamar valley community minibus in the picture to, of course that site is now a housing estate. Still with the occasional mine shaft making an appearance.

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