Mind Boggling at Marfleet and Burstwick!
You will certainly need to enlarge the above (click on the graphic), possibly even download it and dig out that magnifying glass. But the good folk at Go Ahead East Yorkshire have twittered a puzzle picture.
Apparently only TWO of the above X7 bus artworks are exactly alike.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, Mr Phelps, is to identify which two they are!
fbb failed miserably at the first, second and third attempt. And then Sunday lunch was ready.
Sewer Sink-hole Scuppers Seaside Strolls
Above is a Google Earth view of the area to the east of Ryde town centre. Lower right is the boating lake and top centre is marked Appley Tower.
For a while, Southern Vectis ran several "Road Trains" on the Isle of Wight under contract to the Council. They were painted in the same orange as the open toppers of the day and were not included in the Island's Rover Tickets. (Boo).
One ran from Ryde bus station along the sea front, past the boating lake ...
... to Appley Park. Here it ceased to be a road train and became a footpath train. It passed in front of the caff, taking the upper inland path rather than along the sea wall - sensible.
Near Appley Tower, the Council built a sweet little turning circle.
It was a popular ride for the kiddies and the aged, but obviously not popular enough because the orange trains soon disappeared. But it is on this upper pathway ...
... that a crisis involving human waste disposal has manifested itself, thus:-
By way of background, you should know that in the park, behind the caff is one of these.
Known locally as the sewage masher, it is reputedly like a large food processor that reduces "solid matter" to a very fine tilth of filth; which is then pumped miles out to see where very nice bacteria digest it all and contribute enormously and positively to the marine food chain.
So to find the main pipe busted is not good for the Islanders' poo disposal!
First task, then is to send in a fleet of tankers ...
... to take "fluids" from the masher and off to "somewhere else". You wouldn't want a blockage in your masher; and you certainly do not want even mashed "grey water" spilling out over the beach!
Meanwhile Southern Water is building a by-pass pipe so that they can mend the biggie but keep effluent fluent. But there is a snag. Also next to the caff is this ...
... which, from time to time, needs to get this ...
... to do the noble work of rescuing windsurfers; yes, even in Winter!
... from here ...
... across the glorious golden sands of Appley and into the chilly grey-blue seas of the Solent ...
And it is across that gap that Southern Water wishes to build (indeed is building) its by-pass pipe. So, adapting a phrase well used by the late great Eddie Waring, it needs to be an "up and over"!!
But, even worse, in order that the "contents" can go "up and over", they will have to be pumped. Hence pumps!
Once the by-pass pipe is in place and a pumping, work can start "dahn the 'ole!"
Had it still existed, and had it been the summer season, the Road Train would have been cancelled!!
And A Significant "Whoops"
A gorgeous and atmospheric picture of London in the snow, complete with Big Ben, a red phone box, a black taxi and three Routemaster buses. What could be more evocative of all that is splendid about our noble Capital City.
The picture is, of course, fake; there is nowhere which would produce this view, but that is not all that is not as it should be.
So, if we expand the shot to show the rest of the bus on the left ...
... oh deary me!
Maybe it is one of a batch designed for use with offside loading on one-way streets?
Topless Tow Trek
A while back, fbb reported that a couple of First's Edinburgh Tour buses were travelling south, all the way to Cornwall, to be part of Kernow's topless fleet. The old man had visions of drivers collapsing from exposure as wind, rain and snow whistled down the stairs and into the drivers' cabs!
But, all is well; the buses were towed by very nice men cosy in their comfy tow wagons.
What's That Cat At?
Readers will remember that fbb and Mrs are dedicated members of staff loyally serving Mr Tubbles; furthermore that Mr T is always alert and ready for feline action at all times of day and night.
But a recent Twitter was of particular interest to the fbbs' cat and his staff.
Spot the moggy!
Mr Tubbles sleeps in the bottom of the wardrobe where no one would ever find him!
Glenfinnan Viaduct Again!
Comment unnecessary,
Next Weekday Variety blog : Tuesday 9th February
When London trolley-buses were sold for further service in Spain, the entrances were moved to the other side (don't know what they did with the stairs!). Perhaps this us an experimental undocumented "export" Routemaster that somehow slipped out into passenger service?
ReplyDeleteRovers were definitely valid on all three SV road trains when I visited c2007!
ReplyDelete