fbb was (rightly) enthusiastic in yesterday's blog about the new Hope Valley Explorer service. But the publicity was coy about the fares structure and now, thanks to an anonymous, we know why. This comment was added to yesterdays adulatory blog.
That means that if a passenger arrives at Bamford Station ...
... espies an H1 or H2, and wishes to travel the short distance to the delightful Bamford Village ...
... he will be fleeced of £6. Of course he won't be - he will not travel, thus depriving the service of valuable local revenue. What he will do is curse the money grabbing bus company and vow to take the car next time!
Clearly this policy has been designed by accountancy bean-counters who never travel by bus!
Let's hope that "the management" puts this right before the service is slated as yet another noble failure.
Thank You Roy
Roy of Sheffield (not Roy of the Rovers) has sent to appropriate pictures of Hope Valley Explorer stuff. First we have a bus, grazing peacefully in Chesterfield ...
... and its bus stop that doesn't mention H1 or H2.
Things are better at Bamford Station a k a Bamford bus tunround.
The poster (left) mirrors the style of the on-line publicity but gives little useful information. But on the right is a full timetable, an enlargement of the Derbyshire version.
Shock horror! A proper timetable at a bus stop; so much more helpful than a computer generated departure list.
The purple panel lists the fares but does not mention that these are the ONLY ones available - there are, apparently, no local fares at all.
And it would be good to have a map on display. Mr Derbyshire, Mr Peak Park, please let fbb know if you would like his diagrammatic, erm, diagram.
The centre poster is a wrinkly copy promoting Hulley's "Rover" ...
... although wrinklies are allowed to enjoy the Peak District's delights c/o Hulleys for free. "Your adventure starts here" but not such a financially attractive adventure on the H1 or H2 where you must pay half fare.
Roy has also posted a printed leaflet (First Colchester, South Yorkshire PTE and Arriva Leicester PLEASE NOTE) which arrived First Class this morning. (Or will arrive this morning if you are reading this before about 1145!).
If it contains anything not covered in these recent blogs, fbb will include it tomorrow.
Roy of Sheffield (not Roy of the Rovers) has sent to appropriate pictures of Hope Valley Explorer stuff. First we have a bus, grazing peacefully in Chesterfield ...
The purple panel lists the fares but does not mention that these are the ONLY ones available - there are, apparently, no local fares at all.
And it would be good to have a map on display. Mr Derbyshire, Mr Peak Park, please let fbb know if you would like his diagrammatic, erm, diagram.
Roy has also posted a printed leaflet (First Colchester, South Yorkshire PTE and Arriva Leicester PLEASE NOTE) which arrived First Class this morning. (Or will arrive this morning if you are reading this before about 1145!).
If it contains anything not covered in these recent blogs, fbb will include it tomorrow.
Political Headline
Bojo has appointed a new Transport Minister to replace Fayling Grayling.
fbb has undertaken a thorough survey of bus managers (well, asked one anyway) as to Mr Shapps' qualification for his new post.
"To the best of my knowledge," came the reply "he has never been sighted on a bus".
Being MP for Welwyn, he must have considerable experience of the repeated failure of the electric string on the East Coast Main Line.
A couple of days ago the knitting wrapped itself around a class 180 with the usual effect on the whole of the route from Kings Cross to Edinburgh.
Weeeell ... it's a start!
Takes you Back A Bit
Northampton correspondent Alan sent this delightful piccy of a green "country" Rt at Potters Bar garage open day.
And here is KGK 758 awaiting its fate at Chiswick some years ago.
Alan reminds your author that his local bus company, York Brothers, bought two similar vehicles for use on its local service. these were KGK 736 and KGK 747. fbb does, indeed remember the occasional ride home from Northampton Grammar School to Billing Church on a green bus rather than a dark blue one.
They we quickly repainted into fleet colours.
Ensign regularly brings out RT1499 for heritage runs.
Once upon a time it was red.
As all good bus spotters know it is a Cravens bodied "roof box" RT, a somewhat unusual marque for London.
fbb Brings You Yet Another Bargain.
Here is just the thing to help you start a small O gauge layout.
Long term modelling business executive Richard Webster set up Lionheart Trains in 2007 with the aim to produce O Gauge Locomotives and rolling stock built to the finest standards and during this time produced the 64xx and 74xx GWR panniers and the GWR Autocoach, amongst many others. In September 2013, Richard joined Dapol Ltd acting in a consultation role and was responsible for the development of the award winning O Gauge Terrier and 08 Diesel Shunter.
This relationship was formalised in 2016 when Dapol and Lionheart trains merged and as the saying goes both firms have never looked back since. Lionheart Trains has benefited from Dapol’s marketing expertise and dealer network, however, still retains its autonomy to produce innovative O Gauge items with its uncompromising stance on quality and value for money.
"Value for Money" is a subjective phrase - fbb would prefer "expensive" but the products are certainly high quality.
Rails of Sheffield is famed for its discount prices and here is an offer for a Lionheart GWR tank plus autocoach.
The two together form the most basic prototypical railway train, operating for many years on some of the GWR's quieter branch lines. Recommended retail price for the two, an ouch making £630.
But Rail's offer mitigates the pain.
You have to smile at "Save over £230" - you actually save £230.50.
Bright Bus Bulletin
How's it going, you may ask. Apparently First Bus competitive Edinburgh tours have made a good start. With fine weather and cheaper fares than the incumbent, there is ever the chance of success.
Initial "corny" advertising ...
... was enhanced by even cornier goody bags!
Buses have been spotted with full top deck loads.
Of course, Lothian Transport's tours business runs all year round. It will be interesting to see if First Bus hangs on throughout the winter when Edinburgh is not always quite so sunny.
More tomorrow.
Next Sunday Stuff blog : Sunday 28th July
In the photo you have of RT1499 at Chiswick it is far from awaiting its fate. It is earning revenue for its owner by being hired to LT as a trainer. In the summer of 1978 there was a shortage of suitable buses at Chiswick and a number of preserved buses were hired to fill the gap. Full details of the life of RT1499, and its siblings, may be found at http://www.countrybus.org/RT/RTa14.htm#fleet
ReplyDeleteFares conditions appear to have been set by the Peak District National Park Authority, rather than any transport organisation:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/visiting/publictransport/hope-valley-explorer/hope-valley-explorer-faqs
Reverting to yesterday's blog I think Mitch is right to say that there has never been competition on the 272 between Sheffield and Castleton (the service has latterly been renumbered 271 to reflect the diversion via the Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield. Amazingly Hulleys' timings today are recognisable as those which North Western operated when joint operation began some 90 years ago, with the service then numbered 72 and shared with the Sheffield Joint Omnibus Committee (its origins actually go back a little further). For many years some North Western journeys ran beyond Castleton to/from Manchester via Chapel-en-le-Frith as service X72.
ReplyDeleteThe original JOC workings have successively passed via Sheffield Corporation, South Yorkshire PTE, South Yorkshire Transport and Mainline to First, while the North Western workings have gone via Trent to Hulleys - as Mitch says. The various parties have always worked together even if the service isn't technically 'joint', and since deregulation other operators have run tendered journeys outside core periods - Stagecoach and TM Travel spring to mind but there may have been others.
Bog off, spammer
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid in the early 80s there was massive competition to Castleton with queues of buses at weekends heading there.
ReplyDeleteMassive demand, undoubtedly, but no competition between operators to cater for it (this was before deregulation after all). SYPTE certainly provided duplicates on their departures as required but I'm not sure that Trent had the capability to do with theirs.
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