Sunday Variety

Electric Open Top

Open top bus tours of Glasgow have been part of he City Sightseeing franchise for a number of years with the current operator being West Coast Motors. The picture above shows a tour passing the Art Galleries, one of the most impressive "visits" in the city. The bus passes the "back door" with the original front entrance on the banks of the River Kelvin being even more imposing.

Bus tours began in 1975 as part of the city's 800th birthday celebrations ...

... with two standard Corporation double deckers, one in silver grey and one in yellow.

fbb took the tour and well remembers the live commentary announcing "The Glasgow School of Architectural Studios" which made no sense. "Jimmy" should have read "Architectural Studies! But he was reading from a mistyped script.

The following year fbb went again, this time with father-in-law who enjoyed the trip immensely. The commentator still announced "The Glasgow School of Architectural Studios".

The modern tour is extensive ...

... shown in two bits for blogging purposes.

The bus runs every 30 minute (off peak), takes 80 minutes and costs a whopping lot!

And you only get a recorded commentary, so no Architecture Studios!

lol

With a bit of ingenuity, a guide book and some advance planning you can see almost everything from a First Bus service bus for a bit less.

But the point of this blog is to report that the whole fleet is about to be replaced ...

... with all electric vehicles!

No, fbb won't repeat what he wrote last time!

Christmas Is Coming!

And Hornby are selling their "seasonal" wagons. Two are from last year's stock ...

... with the rather dull "Reindeer Inside" but with no reindeer!

In addition there is the usual dated Christmas Presents wagon, this year in a fetching blue.

But now Peco are on to the Christmas money-making racket.

"A 2nd" wagon (Lynton and Barnstaple narrow gauge)? fbb has no recollection of ever seeing the first!

Indoor Layout; Indoor Paint

Just arrived for updating the scenery. Younger readers will remember similar from their schooldays. When fbb was ruining his scholastic "art" it was powder paint served in jam tart baking trays.

Your author will be exercising his lack of artistic ability next week; the first task being to "lighten up" and vary the uniformity of the dark green patio plastic grass that covers most of the layout. Messy but fun!"

A Present for Jeremy ...

... assuming that he is still Chancellor by the time you read this!

Apparently he is looking to make massive budget savings!

Roger French has enjoyed yet another Demand Responsive App-Booked minibus service, this time in Gloucestershire. (YAWN). 

The yawn is not for Rog:s epistolary style or factual content; it is a yawn for yet another DRT service

It is called "The Robin" and operates in two rural areas of the county. 

Note the lavish and detailed maps. It is all on line, you know!

There is no printed material and no roadside information at any of the official stops, even if there is a timetable frame still extant.

So it comes as no surprise to read what Roger has just written about his visit.

So with three passengers in a fortnight it all seems an appalling waste of money.

So, Jeremy, don't spend any more on these ludicrously expensive and ill-used services. They will never, ever, break even and they will always cost the tax payer a bucket of pennies.

Free taxis anyone?

Or a proper timetabled bus service?

There isn't even a robin on The Robin ...

... either of them!

So here's one for free.

Aaaargh! Try again.

Sweet tweet!

Snippet

Another old London poster.

Many towns an cities had trams with relatively  comfortable seating, especially compared with the buses that replaced them. But many of London's "cars" were remarkably luxurious ...

... even if the leg room at the front (and back!) was poor.

Nice!

Tomorrow we travel here ...

... from where these did NOT oiginate!

And they don't come from india either as they used to think in France. (dinde - i.e. d'Inde)

 Next new railway blog : Monday 14th November