Sunday Variety

CHURCH LINK

SERVICE STARTS AT 1030

Today's service is live and ON-LINE
back in the Church.

 Click on this link (here),

which will take you to the YouTube page.

Then click on the icon for today's date.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o 

Cornwall Continuation

The aim is to encourage visitors to Cornwall to undertake "day trips", but by bus. This is in addition to the increased number of open top and tour bus routes. On the rear end of this very obvious liveried vehicle is some clue as to where such day trips might take the excited holidaymaker.

It is so good to see First Kernow selling itself in a very positive way. And see below from Go Ahead.

Also in the clever Kernow commercial counterpoint to the County's "one bus network for Cornwall" is a determination to develop the Truronian coaching business. First bought out the Truronian bus company that had been a competitive thorn in its side; but then used the name for oddments of coach operation.

This is becoming something more serious ...

... with a black coach liveried for the Cornish Pirates rugby union team.

The design looks no better in close-up ...

... but is, presumably, designed to encourage the opposing team to meekly accept defeat. 

fbb was obliged to "do" rugger at Northampton Grammar School. Alas he drew no delight or satisfaction from beating the opposing team into a muddy pulp and even less satisfaction from having them pile on top of his delicate body (?) for no apparent reason. If they really wanted the ball, your author was always happy to hand it over if it meant so much to them!

Also arriving in Truronian territory is this beast ...

... as enthusiastically twittered!

Seaside Saunter to Scarborough

Go Ahead North East has launched its day trip bus taking the residents of Newcastle and points south ...

... to either Whitby or Scarborough.

Geography means that you get a longer day in Whitby, where there is, arguably, less to enjoy ...

... and nowhere near enough time to "do" Scarborough fully ...

... especially if you take the FREE ride on the open topper.

Whitby, fbb opines, undoubtedly offers the very best fish and chips.

But please do not succumb to the "sit down". 

The ONLY way to enjoy Whitby fish and chips (and Scarborough as well) is on a sea front bench with the wind howling around and through your trusty not-terribly-waterproof anorak.

And you can buy the above picture on a set of coasters to remind you how good it all was.

The leaflet includes maps, although the Peterlee stops are not that easy to access ...

... as it is on the on or off ramps of a busy junction with the A19. Arriva route 22 and 24 stop on Burnhope Way and Shotton Road, so maybe not as fearful as it looks.

But, jesting aside, this leaflet is EXCELLENT. It deserves to attract business and should be an example to other operators, many of which seem to think that the passengers should flock just because they have graciously provided a bus.

Oh, fbb forgot. Who needs leaflets when ...

It's All On-Line

Good News For Yorkshire Modellers

To join the 'Endisons box van, recently introduced, Rails of Sheffield are now offering a Yorkshire Pudding salt wagon.

Rails tell us that the first "batch" has already sold out and a "reprint" has been ordered.

Can we have a "Devon Cream Tea" set of two tank wagons (one for the cream and one for the jam) please?

And Three Teas, Please

fbb never ceases to be amazed (the old man is often amazed by almost anything these days!) by the way the model railway trade has changed. Here is the first TEA ...

... a model of a 100 ton tank wagon from Hornby. TEA is the code for this sort and size of wagon. 

Or you could buy a Bachmann version ...

... with more intricate detail.

The third version is from Danish manufacturer Heljan, commissioned by Olivia's Trains Sheffield, and is the most lavishly detailed model of all.

There are all sorts of fragile bits to glue on yourself, like the large white handbrake wheel. All of these will be easy to break off in the event of a 4mm crash! Originally the Heljan model sold for £99!

None of them is currently in production so the second-hand market is the only source for Hornby and Bachmann. The Heljan model is still available new, but both Olivia and other retailers are selling at a reduced price - so shop around. fbb did.

The problem with these wagons is that they are very long and too ungainly for a small layout with sharp corners. 

fbb has all three in his world famous tank wagon collection, but it is unlikely that they will ever run on the Peterville Quarry railway. They would just look silly!

The Trouble With Modelling ...

... is that things fall off the back of the fbb workbench (a k a dining table) and instead of falling obediently on the floor, they are scooped up into some time warp vortex only to vanish ftom this universe and re-appear a few weeks later in some arbitrary box elsewhere in the property.

It is a real mystery.

But note that two more of those "things" have arrived, middle right.

Talking Of Orange ...

Diesel shunters didn't look like that when fbb were a lad.

The orange is the new colour of Freightliner, recently taken over by Genesee and Wyoming.

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. is an American short line railroad holding company, that owns or maintains an interest in 122 railroads in the United States, Canada, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland and the United Kingdom. It operates more than 1,300 miles of owned and leased track. The company had its roots in the Class III Genesee and Wyoming Railroad, which began in 1899.

 Next delayed Durham blog : Monday 19th April