Monday Bits

Buxton Bewilderment Banished

Needless to say, the ether has been buzzin' with information about the current operations, or lack of it, of Stagecoach 65 between Sheffield and Buxton.

Well, two people have been in touch. Roy, from Sheffield, complained that fbb had opened a "reet can 'o' worms" (actually, in Sheffieldese, a "rate" can 'o' worms") but offers the result of his extensive enquiries.

So the Travel South Yorkshire note was correct for 30th March - but rapidly became incorrect and remains so to this day.

What very few people seem to have grasped is the withdrawal completely after service on Friday 8th April. The fact the Stageacoach itself just treats the service as non-existent does not really help.

It should say "suspended from 8th April.

But this latter date is confirmed by correspondent Gary.

Well done O S Midland Branch and much gratitude to Gary for what now appears to be a definitive answer!

Also, by email at 1600 yesterday came this from correspondent John who posed the question originally.

The "officially" comes from the fact that john young is a manager at Stagecoach! so there is a faint chance that he might get bit right.

GoTimrtable Sheffield now tells the truth ...

... after foolishly believing Travel South Yorkshire!

From The Twitterati

A message to Transdev's Burnley Bus ...

... and a reply from boss Alex.

To which fbb would add, "and journalists who only see what is happening in London"!

And a positive view (much better) from GoAhead North West.

The End Of An Era
Farewell Class 90, saying goodbye to Norwich Crown Point depot.

As part of the National Express East Anglia franchise bid, National Express provided a fleet plan to replace the ageing Class 86 locomotives on the Great Eastern Main Line with the more powerful and newer Class 90 locomotives. The Class 90s became available due to Virgin Trains' introduction of Class 390 Pendolino units.

The National Express franchise came to an end in February 2012, with the replacement franchisee Abellio Greater Anglia taking over and continuing to operate the locos.

The Greater Anglia fleet was replaced by a set of Class 745s.

Thirteen 90a move to Freightliner, while the other two will go to Locomotive Services Limited. Following the introduction of these units, the loco-hauled sets have all been withdrawn from service, with the last set running its last services on 24 March 2020.

A Big Surprise - NOT

Yet another "ride sharing" (so-called "Uber" style) bus service bits the dust or hits the gutter. They come, they go; they don't work and can never work, at least not commercially.

fbb thinks that only Stagecoach TeesFlex ...

... and ArrivaClick in Leicester ...

... are currently operating with Arriva in Liverpool "suspended" and the new Arriva Watford scheme "delayed".

Anyone want a few high quality minibuses?

Sad News Grips Peterville Railway
Following on from the headline news of the demise of hugely popular TV personaluity, Nigel (earlier last week) ...

... comes the equal tragedy of the near total collapse of fbb's modelling pride and joy, the carriage shed.

It come apart in me hands ducks!

As fbb was awaiting delivery of more stuff and, impatiently, waiting for Peco to re-open so he could buy lots of little bits and bobs, he decided that it was time for a good wash and brush up for the magnificent edifice ...

... that, just two years ago, seemed in good nick.

Five whole years ago, it was made of five Dapol (former.y Airfuix) platform canopy kits and some bits of really old plywood provided by a chum from church.

"It is not good quality," he opined as he handed over the goodies/ And it wasn't; yet it has sat outside through rain and shine, sheltering some of fbb's passenger vehciles from the occasional shower during operating sessions.

Two very wet winters have done their worst and the walls just disnitigrated!

But, there is nothing gained by crying over spilt carriage shed walls and orders have zoomed through the airwaves to Slaters Plastikard for a pantechnicon lorry full of plastic sheet, stone plating etc. to build new walls under the roof - a technique not often replicated in real life!

It is a big job and will involve a technique little used in fbb's model railway career, namely measuring. fbb has, happily, found the necessary equipment!

After a few YouTube videos, the old man will have cracked this "measuring".

The aim is to re-create the old shed as it appeared in its better days,

Hmmm ...

Tomorrow we take a trip to the land of Beatles, Ken Dodd, scouse and the Liver Birds!

 Next Lime Street bog : Tuesday 19th May