Saturday Variety

 Glorious Glasgow

Lest enraged Glaswegians are, at this moment, marching towards fbb mansions armed to the teeth to wreak vengeance for the comments of yesterdays blog ...

... fbb is anxious to point out that many places in and near the city were richly glorious in the early 70s; as in the Art Galleries (top). 

As well as enjoying some of the "tired" transport infrastructure", fbb and Mrs-to-be also enjoyed some of the glorious scenery that surrounds the city.

The Bracklin Falls at Callander ...

... The Trossachs and Loch Lomond ...

... The Kibble Palace Glasgow ...

... Helensburgh ...

... and Colpi's ice cream shop in Milngavie.

It wasn't as poshed up as it is today.

And we first met in March 1971 not 1970. Yet another fbb brain failure!

The Clyde foot tunnel is now replaced by the "Squinty Bridge".

Squinty?

Only "squinty" because it crosses the river at an angle. It doesn't swing lift or roll. Note the two repurposed circular towers which once gave access to the foot tunnel.

And fbb has to admit that he bridge is more attractive than the tunnel.

Remember When (1) ...

fbb installed lighting in the station buildings and platform canopy for Peterville model railway. Remember also that, in attempting to rewire the LEDs, fbb blew them up! 

What you cannot remember, because he has never told you, is that the old man parked the station upside down on the sofa, forgot it was there and dropped a heap of photocopying paper on its "legs" and busted several.

Having finished Mr K's maps, work has restarted on putting things right. Legs needed gluing, and a new leg was constructed (unpainted) and cross bracing replaced where it had fallen off.

Note the use of Mrs fbb's clothes pegs to hold stuff together until the glue sets.

The lights are difficult to fix as the wires are stiff  and you get one bit glued down and the previous bit pings apart and refuses to stick. Little gutters of plastic rod now hold the wires firmly.

It looks a right mess! Fortunately the mess is hidden under the overall roof, So the results look promising.

Polystyrene goes brittle in sunlight, so the "glass" in the canopy needed renewing completely.

Next job, then, is a trip to Peco's shop in Beer to buy a sheet of plastic glass.

Remember When (2)

In the real world, work is progressing on the Ryde Pier improvements.

Readers may remember the covered walkway and cycle track alongside. But, says whoever is paying the bills, "We don't want to give you that!"

So all those using feet to get from Esplanade to ferry are only getting a walkway without shelter and no cycleway.

But fence and planking are progressing. Also progressing is the new windbreak at Pier Head station.

Remember When (3)

Bus companies used to encourage passengers to travel? Remember when you would visit an enquiry office and attain a printed timetable? Well, in the Summer at least, you can still find both together on Weymouth sea front.

Maybe other bus companies might try this revolutionary idea?

First Bus is actually making an effort to sell you bus rides ... It will probably never catch on.

Bank Holiday Quiz Answers

Banking loco on the Lickey Incline, the steepest hill on mainline UK railways. It's south of Birmingham,

City Red was the Southampton brand. First Bus withdrew completely, leaving the whole city to GoAhead's BlueStar; formerly Solent Blue Line, formerly Hampshire Bus, formerly Hants and Dorset.

Bristol Brabazon, built at Filton airfield Bristol. The Hangars are being repurposed as a trendy "place to go" - the airfield is no nore.

A brand new tram (or is it a train?) in Zurich.

From Warsash to Hamble-le-Rice; near Southampton.

Class 06 diesel shunter.

From Skelmersdale ("Skem") to Kirkby, the Newtown of Z Cars!

Installing the first electric tram for Ryde Pier, Isle of Wight.

The Luton Dart, driverless tram/train from the Airport to Parkway station.

This is the new TT120 scale (2.8mm to the foot) introduced by Peco and being developed with boundless (and possibly misplaced) enthusiasm by Hornby.

The answers to questions 11 to 20 will appear tomorrow.

Another Repair (1)

But what?

Answer tomorrow.

Another Repair (2)

Nuneham Bridge is falling down

Falling down, falling down.

Can't get trains through to town.

Oh poor railway!

Fill the cracks with lots of glue,

Lots of glue, lots of glue,

That is all we have to do.

Oh poor railway!

Lots of glue, it does not work,

Does not work, does not work.

Cynics look and simply smirk.

Oh poor railway!

Now 't'will be a bigger task,

Bigger task, bigger task.

Closed till June we'll have to ask.

Oh poor railway!

Build a new retaining wall,

'taining wall, 'taining wall.

Build it strong so it won''t fall.

Oh poor railway!

Hope it won't fall down again

Down again, down again.

Its great fun to go by train.

Oh poor railway!

So you know to moan and cus

Moan and cus, moan and cus.

Hours of tedium on a bus.

Oh poor railway!

Nuneham Bridge takes the line between Oxford and Didcot across the Thames near Abingdon.

It appears to be a substantial structure ...

..., but the media has got hold of the idea that it is "wobbly". Pictures suggest that it is the embankment "wing walls" that are falling down, not the bridge itself! 

According to Paul Clifton, respected BBC South transport correspondent, Notwork Rail injected some clever stabiliser into the cracked brickwork ...

... which made it worse!

Anniversary Arrival 

As well as a fine selection of cards, e-mails and phone calls, the celebratory fbbs received a splendid bouquet of flowers.

It came from chums Penny and Geoff who emigrated, a while back, to Australia from the Isle of Wight, to be near their families.

How kind of them to remember; and how remarkable that the flowers came all the way from Cairns Queensland with no damage and deterioration!

Amazing this modern technology!

Sorry, you said? Ah, they actually came from the florists in Seaton.

Amazing this modern technology!

 Next Variety blog : Sunday 16th April