Sunday Variety

 Mostly, Things Go Wrong ...

... like when you use a screwdriver to  stab a right hand Hornby point, aiming to clean off over enthusiastically added ballast plus glue and thus ruin the point completely. 

That is very much fbb's style.

The new second hand point is now installed and all is working almost perfectly.

The engine shed, however, was losing windows. Not only were they falling out ...

... but some had evaporated, being transported to the planet Zog, despite being etched metal and reasonably large. The model was an old Bachmann Scenecraft product ...

... and spares are  (and always were) unobtainable.

At least one retailer is offering the model today at £47. fbb paid about £30.

But as fbb was searching for something else, he found some plastic windows (example below) ...

... which, with a minor trim with Mrs fbb's kitchen scissors, fitted exactly!

Bodging does sometimes work.

Mrs fbb has recently bought a new set of scissors, accepting as inevitable the regular borrowing habit of her chubby hubby.

Bodging did not work, however, when the shed doors were shed - but that's another story!

Cornwall's Cost Cutting Cheap ...

... Fares Policy ...

... introduced a few years ago.

Little has been written about the success (or failure?) of this policy, introduced at considerable cost to the government; i.e. to cash-strapped taxpayers.

Results would have been skewed by the £2 post covid fare cap, so any conclusions would have been debatable. Had the reduction brought the massive increase in passenger numbers needed to "balance the books", you can be sure that any of the recent transient tenants of No 11 would be claiming credit.

They didn't so there wasn't!

In fact, fares increases have been high and many since July 2024.

It seemed like a good idea at the time?

Lemon Squeezed

Brighton and Bristol based bus company The Big Lemon was once the Darling of Brighton and Hove with its environmental and community projects being second to none.

Recently it has had problems, unspecified but, at their heart, probably financial.

There have been missing buses and, notably, a reversion to diesel on several services.

Local paper, The Argus, reports that Lemon has now been squeezed out of tendered journeys by the council.

The Argus only has one picture of a Big Lemon bus!!

The boss is far from happy.

And so ...

Maybe a problem with fruit?

Metro Magnifique!
RATP has recently revealed the designs for its next "standard" train set for the Paris Metro.

Yet again, the front end is distinctive but it would appear that the most recent (and very neat and tidy) standard blue, white and grey livery ...

... is being abandoned for messy wiggly lines!

But one thing does remain from times past. Instead of the old uncomfortable wooden seats without cushion for the posterior ...

... the new trains will have uncomfortable plastic seats with no cushion for the posterior.

Hmmm?

Entry into service is planned as below.

More bits and pieces tomorrow.

 Next Variety blog : Mon 24 Feb