Mind Games in Manchester
The dispute between Go Ahead North West (purchasers of the Queens Road Depot and business from ailing First Bus) and the Unite Union is moving into the "winning hearts and minds" phase. The Union is narked that Go Ahead have contracted other operators to run services at a reduced fare of £1 but ensuring that buses run much as normal.
So the Union is having a go at Go Ahead's contractors' apparently flouting Covid regulations.
Meanwhile, company GM Nigel Featham has instigated a twitter campaign to win hearts and minds and to show all concerned that his aim is to preserve jobs. If the company really is losing £1.8 million a year then it is not just preserving jobs, but preserving the company that is his aim.
So Nige asks in tweet-speak, "Are we stuck in the 1970s?", reiterating one of the potty pratices that are causing him and his Finance Director much grief.
Who will win the war of words? Nigel's total offer to the lads (and lasses) looks very reasonable from the outside and his threat of closure must be real.
One things is certain. Go Ahead's purchase looks considerably less rosy then they hoped it would be.
Those Edinburgh Open Toppers
Readers may well remember the two First Bus open toppers were hauled all the way from their Bright Bus life in Edinburgh to Camborne to be used by First Kernow. But bus watchers were not sure what their role would be. We have already had a rebrand of open tops to Lands End, a new topless transit from Minehead to Lynmouth and closed tops touring Dartmoor.
What else?
Answer; City Tours in Exeter right in the heart of Stagecoach Devon territory. These expansions have become practicable as a result of First's winning a number of college contracts in Devon, well outside the First Kernow territory.
fbb awaits full details with interest!
Pre-War Clockwork Tanks
Some time ago, and before fbb started his collection, Bachmann produced a set of three "retro" liveried tank wagons. They were the liveries chosen by Hornby Dublo for their very first OO tinplate tanks introduced in 1939.
A while back, fbb spotted a video (on-line of course) from a guy who has a very different Hornby Dublo layout.
There are the three wagons; but some who are less familiar with model railway history might miss what is missing.
There is no centre rail because the collection is of Hornby Dublo Clockwork trains, a range which did not re-appear post WW2, and so is very rare. Whilst the rolling stock is the same is the electric sets, the locos only turn up very occasionally at specialist auctions and are eye-wateringly expensive.
The 0-6-2 above was estimated by Vectis Auctions at £400 to £500. Track is more reasonable (less unreasonable) and this lot ...
... sold for a modest (???) £61.
fbb will NOT be starting a collection.
HS2 Heralds Heated Harguments
HS2's Water Orton viaducts (East of Birmingham) have aroused a fresh outbreak of appallingly vindictive debate on line - not just vindictive but openly blasphemous. the Green Party, which really ought to be pleased to see passengers and freight transferred off road and on to rail, seems to bring mixed messages to the discussion.
There can surely be no doubt that the environment would benefit enormously from the decarbonisation of ALL out railway lines; but extra capacity would be needed to ensure that the real benefits could be obtained.
If you hate HS2 you really out to despise road building with a far more red-necked zeal. 
Sadly, you might find that tricky if you were sat in your Chelsea Tractor in a queue on the M25.
And its not just the Greens that are ambivalent on the rail expansion versus roads controversy. Labour and Conservative parties want it both ways while the Liberal Democrats are more rail- and environment- positive - but stand little chance of achieving anything.
Every road scheme, every house build, every industrial estate destroys some of our precious countryside. We even pave our front gardens so we can park the car - a double whammy.
The answer has to be a fully worked-out long-term national transport policy that is protected from the political vacillations of the ballot box.
There go the Gloucester Old Spots again.
OK, not Old Spots but possibly young and small "Large White".
Gorgeous Railway Pictures
What a magnificent shot of the three Forth Bridges. It makes you want to go and see them straight away,
Isn't Technology Wonderful?
fbb's plan for yesterday was to make a start on opening up the model railway for the "Summer" season - a project which involves cleaning the rail heads (easy) and the point bladed (frustratingly difficult).
But rain was forecast, was delivered and little was achieved on the layout!
Thursday would have been a better day, but there was undergrowth to clear from the cherished parking space to the rear of fbb mansions. The weather on Thursday was fine if a bit chilly; except, according to the BBC at 1500 ...
... when there was no weather at all. thanks a bunch Beeb!
In fact, by 1500, it was still fine and cold but too late to start the railhead treatment work, sadly without the benefit of Notwork Rail's train ...
... or Hattons model thereof.
For fbb it is the ubiquitous Peco rail cleaning block ...
... plus cotton buds and WD40 for the delicate little wrinkles around the point blades, plus a significant amount of fatty deposits emanating from the joint between radius, ulna and humerus.**
STOP PRESS : RTA Suez Canal
The aerial view shows that it doesn't take much to create a River Traffic Accident in the confines of the Suez Canal. But our readers may forgive fbb for a couple of smiles. There is the headline in that bastion of even-handed and thought provoking news, The Daily Star ...
... which does illustrate the size of the problem. The size in another way is ably indicated by this tweet.
Next Variety blog : Sunday 28th March
No Accident
"What is my purpose?" asks the robot in an oft repeated TV advertisement for Xero business accountancy software.
Mark's Gospel reports THREE occasions when Jesus spelled out His purpose to his gang. Not surprisingly, they struggled to understand. They had travelled and lived alongside the ex-carpenter from Nazareth for nearly three years, watching him bring a revolutionary and dynamic Godly message to the people, accompanied by a powerful selection of miracles.
But, they still didn't get it!
Jesus and his disciples were now on the road going up to Jerusalem. Jesus was going ahead of the disciples, who were filled with alarm; the people who followed behind were afraid. Once again Jesus took the twelve disciples aside and spoke of the things that were going to happen to him.
“Listen,” he told them, “we are going up to Jerusalem where the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. They will condemn him to death and then hand him over to the Gentiles, who will make fun of him, spit on him, whip him, and kill him; but three days later he will rise to life.”
Luke's Gospel uses a strange but powerful phrase:-
"Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem." - sometimes translated as "Jesus was utterly determined to go to Jerusalem" despite knowing what would happen.
Easter - it was His purpose.
====================================
** Elbow Grease!
It is strange to see First expanding across Devon again... deep into Stagecoach turf of Plymouth and Exeter and also to some point Go Ahead turf too What next for First SW?
ReplyDelete