Sunday 2 September 2018

Some Sunday Stuff

Heeley, a P S.
A little further away from city and past Ponsford's long-established furniture store ...
... and opposite the new wall featured in yesterday's blog, is "Rails of Sheffield".
A new showroom has just been opened which looks rather posh for Heeley ...
... where the seats for weary shopper are real, full sized ...
... railway buffers - ideal for the old buffers who go in to spend their wads of cash.

In common with a number of large retailers, "Rails" has started "manufacturing" its own models. Manufacturing is a dubious word, because the shop doesn't manufacture anything. The actual model making is done in China and the design work is outsourced to specialists. But the shop has commissioned the work and takes the financial risk so, in that sense, it is the "manufacturer".

Model enthusiasts were astounded when Rails announced that it was to offer a model of the London and North Eastern Railway "dynamometer" car.

Yer what?

Such vehicles contained a whole range of equipment to measure the performance of locomotive and track. Nowadays you have sensors in the works and peer excitedly at laptop screens. The LNER car was totally mechanical with a bit of electric (hence "dynamo") thrown in.

This particular car acquired its eternal fame by being marshalled behind Mallard as she made her world record speed run of 126mph - a record for a steam locomotive made in 1938 that still stands today.
It happened on the downward slope of Stoke Bank ...

Stoke Bank has a gradient of between 1:178 and 1:200. Mallard, pulling a dynamometer car and six coaches, topped Stoke Summit at 75 mph and accelerated downhill. The speeds at the end of each mile from the summit were recorded as: 87½, 96½, 104, 107, 111½, 116 and 119 mph; half-mile readings after that gave 120¾, 122½, 123, 124¼ and finally 125 mph The speed recorded by instruments in the dynamometer car reached a momentary maximum of 126 mph.

The event is recorded alongside the track ...
... and in the name of the village pub at Little Bytham.
The pub ...
... closed in 2002 but the building has taken an appropriate name!
The designers of the Rails model were the good (and eccentric?) folk at Rapido Trains and the result is stunning.
It has mind boggling detail inside ...
... and out.
The actual measuring wheel is faithfully recreated ...
... but it is non working!

If you want a working model, an American firm produced one with a little meter which whizzed round as the train moved along.
Sweet!

A older UK version of the model ...
... was recently advertised for auction at an estimate £250 to £300.

The Rails model retails at £125. The real thing is on display in York Railway Museum.
The latest Rails advert implies that stocks are "running out fast" and we should buy quickly to avoid disappointment. fbb will not be buying one.

Metrobus M2 - Bristol
Tomorrow, fbb sets off early for Bristol to try out the second of the City's super-duper Metrobus routes, operated by First. This replaces the 903, Long Ashton Park and Ride, service and takes the buses on guided sections of road, over a former rail bridge and a new-build flyover.
There was a formal launch last week ...
... and the service kicks off for real tomorrow morning.

Also starting today is the revised South Gloucestershire network serving Yate.
This ramps up to its full glory tomorrow. For the record, fbb's schedule is below.

0737 Axminster
0821 Exeter St Davids

0842 Exeter St Davids
0957 Bristol Temple Meads

1006 Temple Meads M2
1036 Long Ashton P&R

1048 Long Ashton P&R
1118 Bristol The Centre

1140 Bristol Colston Street Y1
1236 Chipping Sodbury

The takes fbb via the Rodford estate in Yate, mate - great!

This has become a family joke from the time that the old man (then less old but still f) organised school residential trips to the Isle of Wight. One of those was from the school at Rodford, now closed.

A post-it note stuck to the shelf of fbb's office with the enigmatic word "Rodford" scribbled upon it intrigued and amused No 1 son. Why, we will never know! But every so often the lad would shout "Rodford" for no apparent reason.

How we laughed! (?)

fbb has selected "The Hamptons" deli at Chipping Sodbury for a leisurely lunch ...
... before continuing his trek.

The Y5 runs via a dog leg route into Bristol ...
... and fbb chose this run because he cannot resist a ride via the delightfully named Pucklehurch and Mangotsfield!

1349 Chipping Sodbury Y5
1456 Bristol Bus Station

Photo opportunity; leaflet collection,  then 8, 9 or 72 from nearby to the station.

1544 Bristol Temple Meads
1640 Exeter St Davids

That lengthy wait at Exeter is really tedious, but it does cover the possibility of a late running Cross Country train.

1725 Exeter St Davids
1805 Axminster

Kiss and ride facilities will be provided at both ends of the day by a long-suffering Mrs fbb.

Tomorrow's blog will look at the publicity for these changes and a report in detail will follow thereafter.

Clacton - A Result
fbb is pleased to report that the wrong Clacton network map has been removed from First's Essex web site, but oddly not replaced with the new Clacton Network map.

For that you have to go to "routes" where the PDF leaflet for the new networks ...
... including the correct map, is fully displayed. Only a month late - so not too bad for the modern bus industry.

A Puzzle Picture
Just received from a correspondent is this; a picture of the front cover of a timetable book (remember when we used to have those?)

It will feature later in the week, but, in the meantime look at the title tag-line.
Unusual?

Answers, linguistically please, not on a postcard, but keep them to yourself until the blog appears. 

It is unique!

 Next Bristol blog : Monday 3rd September 

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