Sunday Variety

On Fait Ce Qui Est Necessaire

Of course it helps to have a tradition of (a) spending money on transport projects and (b) having a tradition of building wide roads.

Just over a week ago, the Paris region opened tram T10 filling a gap in the first 13 tram routes that serve the greater Paris area. Tram T12 is still under construction but due to open soon.

To be pedantic, there should be a box for tram T3b - the T3 is one route but operated in two halves.

However you look at it, T10 is the newest. fbb will look a bit more closely in a future blog because you would have to something of a Parisian geographical expert to understand the route from its place in the Paris city tram and train diagram. It just pokes in at the very bottom ...

... there, connecting with RER B and Tram T6.

The terminus at La Croix De Berny is not far from Orly Airport.

The line opened on June 23rd and a more detailed blog will follow. But first a few pictures by way of a taster.

Lots of plastic grass ...

... but real flowers!

Seven segment trams ...

... on busy suburban roads ...

... and a bit of pleasant woodland.

More later in the week.

Poacher's Cottage Progress

fbb did the other side of the roof yesterday needing a bit more of a patchwork of sandpaper. But the joins were hidden by an extra sprinkling of very fine N gauge track ballast!

fbb is not sure whether the insurers would tolerate open fires at the foot of those chimney stacks these days. But fear not; Torquil Forbes-Masterson, a very successful currency trader based in Canary Wharf, uses the cottage for occasional weekends away from the stress of the trading floor.

He has pots of money (actually barrels of money) so can afford underfloor electric heating. The chimney stacks have been withdrawn from operation.

fbb hardly dare do the painting in case he bodges it good and proper!

The Real Bodger

The bodger usually worked outside, protected, in the event of precipitation, by his crudely constructed "hovel" (another technical term). The branch passing through the fabric of his workplace was part of a simple  string powered lathe.

The Bodger made chair legs.

An Island Oddity

fbb is always impressed with the Southern Vectis printed timetable. It is a must-have for visitors to the Island enjoying their summer fun.

But when fbb took a look on-line to find an illustration of the 2023 summer cover he found something unexpected.

Five services are aimed particularly at the tourist. But on-line a sixth such service springs surprisingly into Summer.

Sandhopper is an oddity.

It runs on Sundays only, locally in Sandown. Equally in its oddity offering, it runs on Sundays only and sponsored by South Western Railway.

It does not start until 23rd July (so it's school sumer holidays only) which might explain why our senior Isle of Wight correspondent knows nothing about it.

But he will be asking searching questions of his various contacts.

But it is all on line.

More Metropolitan Mayhem

Birmingham joins the ranks of former PTE areas that want a publicly owned network just like London.

Be careful what you wish for, Jasper!

Breaking The Tenth Commandment

In Authorised Version language, "Thou shalt not covet." "Covet" is tricky to pin down in modern english but, Biblically speaking, it means "Do not desire what you can never afford or should never have." A teenage fbb always covetted one of these.

The boy was not bellicose by nature, but this Dinky Supertoy was massive and doubly massive if it carried a load.

Today, on-line prices vary enormously; but a top of the range gift set in original box ...

... and including a tank, would set a keen collector back about £130.

Not within fbb's budget back then and certainly not now.

Coming Soon:-

Fastrack B Reviewed

Missing P C A Found In Widnes

From Here To There By Coach

A Trip To A Parisian Garden

 Next Fastrack blog : Monday 3rd July