Sunday Variety

Priodas Yng Nghymru

fbb has always been fascinated by Love Spoons, especially the ones with marbles carved into the design ...

 ... marbles that you cannot extricate to play with! You would guess that the intricacy of the carving is symbolic of the beauty and "intricacy" of the recipients' life together.

Note also the spelling of the Welsh words.

Cymru (pronounced Cumri with the "i" as in ink) becomes Nghymru (pronounces something like Gumri) in certain linguistic circumstances. It is, of course, the Welsh for "Wales".

But our wedding is not between personages but between two heritage railway companies. And it should probably be called a re-marriage and they were married once before!

The groom is the Vale of Rheidol (VoR) railway.

A few years ago, fbb rode this delightful line which runs between Aberystwyth and Devil's Bridge. He was chauffeured by Mrs fbb from Abergynolwyn to Twywn (station "cop") the on by train to Dovey Junction (station "cop") change to train for Aberystwyth (station "cop"). The by VoR to Deyvls Bridge (station "cop"). The return journey involved a change at Machynlleth (station "cop").

A station "cop" is a station visited by fbb as part of a journey or from the street - but just passing through on a train does not count! Five stations visited in one trip was a good total even if it poured with rain in Aberystwyth and all the way to pDevils Bridge.

fbb did peer into the gulch to observe the bridge, but as the rain was now trickling liberally down his neck, (he travelled mac-less, foolishly), he retreated to the caff for tea and a bun. The return trip to Aberystwyth was in glorious sunshine!

The VoT was built by the Cambrian Railway Company. It was built to carry lead to the harbour at Aberystwyth but, by the time the line opened in 1902, the lead industry was in terminal decline. So very quickly the VoR became a tourist line.

Much to the aghastness of enthusiasts, the stock received rail blue livery!

The locos look much better in GWR green!

The line was bought from BR by a partnership with one of the partners looking after the VoR and the other developing the Brecon Mountain Railway (BMR) - the first marriage! The partnership was dissolved and the two projects went their separate ways.

The bride, the BMR ...

... has some very un-Welsh locos ...

... and runs on the track bed of a former BR standard gauge branch.

Anyway, after some years of friendly divorce, the two operations have re-married and will come under the same management. As if to celebrate this re-union, the VoR has acquired a weird furrin loco as well.

fbb wishes Bride and Groom every happiness in their ongoing life of matrimonial and ferroequinological bliss!

And here ...

... we see the closest the fbbs get to a Love Spoon!

If In Doubt - Change The  Logo

And the current logo as above.

Remember those red ex London buses that were trundling around on the Island as temporary replacements for NEW motors for service 1, Newport to Cowes? Well the new buses have arrived (?? are arriving??) and last week the Company had a launch.

A few people gathered around ...

... but fbb would guess that Islanders would barely notice .any difference from the existing double deck fleet. 

One big disappointment is the interior decoration. The seats, although they look more comfy than previously, were BLUE! Shock Horror! Surely thy should be green?

But GoAhead More Bus has a video and their seats are the same design, also blue - but the blue matches the bus livery.

Bit it really doesn't for Vectis. The two colours shriek at one another.

Surely white writing on a light green background is not as legible as is should be?

But probably nobody reads it anyway.

Niggles aside, it is good to see the Vectis fleet being kept up to date.

And everybody is saying how comfy the new seats are. The fbbs will be visiting the Island in December and, if per is granted, the old bloke intends to try the new seats by lowering his ample posterior into one of them for a ride to Cowes.

Expect a full user report in due course.

But they have got a new logo. It's a bit pallid on the light green of the buses ...

... but much more visible on the darker green of printed material.

Passenger numbers will surely increase dramatically now the company has a new logo.

Won't they?

It's Not Realistic!

Thus goes the cry of the dedicated railway modeller with hours to spend on his pride and joy accompanied by a substantial bank balance, something akin to the national debt of an emerging African nation.

Our pointwork is far too curved, as is our track ...

... especially if we have a tail chasing "oval" layout.

You would never see the above cornering on a real railway!

Well it does depend on the railway. Here is the Chicago "El" (for "elevated") at a spectacular junction with tight curves.

Best not take the corner too fast, buddy!

Talking Of Pointwork

Remember fbb's point (turnout) in the tunnel. Remember he was fixing his track to a ply base so the whole lot could slide out for maintenance and repair? Remember his frustration that the hidden point would not work?

Yesterday all the stuff was brought down from on high to the workshop. The track was glued to the base and fbb spent a merry afternoon trying to get the point to change electrically. Here is the track section resting on part of the repair shop a k a the fbb's sofa!

By fitting the motor (solenoid type) on the wrong side of the point, at the wrong angle and tilted slightly - IT WORKS!!

A flock of doves was released from fbb mansions, six goats were sacrificed in the back yard, fbb ran round the living room whooping with glee and he made a celebratory cup of tea.

(Please note : not all the above are 100% true!)

It should be fun putting it all together again. Will it still work?

The Joys of Contravision On Trains

Not a video, a screenshot thereof - but you get the point! Why not just paint all the windows black?

Tomorrow, we go abroad again.

 Next Sverige blog : Monday 13th November