Midweek Variety

Some Leftovers from the Weekend

The fbbs try to eat up their leftovers, although at least 50% of lhe  gruesome twosome can usually do the right thing and have "seconds". It's for avoiding waste, of course, although the waist can be an ongoing problem!

Today's blogging leftovers are less likely to contribute to corpulance.

Problems with Power in Poznan, Poland

Poznan has a growing fleet of hydrogen fuel cell buses as you can tell from the H2 emblazoned on the side. But a few days ago something very odd happened.

Every single vehicle in the H2 fleet wouldn't start. These sleek environmentally superb people carriers just refused to save the planet!

Apparently, the engineers THINK that the problem was sub-standard hydrogen; and we all know that fuel cells are very fussy. They HAVE to be fed with the most pure and perfect hydrogen that mankind can make. Only it looks like mankind cannot make stuff that is good enough.

Meanwhile ...

Flemings say Forget the Failing Fuel

Bus and tram company De Lijn (The Line, neat name eh?) has officially decided to give up on Hydrogen fuel cells.

Vlaamse Vervoersmaatschappij De Lijn, (English: "Flemish transport company 'The Line'"), known as De Lijn ...

... is a state-owned enterprise run by the Flemish government in Belgium to provide public transportation with about 2240 buses and 399 trams. De Lijn was founded in 1991 after the public transportation companies of Antwerp and Ghent fused with the Flemish part of the NMVB (Nationale Maatschappij van Buurtspoorwegen, or the "National Company of Neighborhood Railways").

Another snippet about De Lijn also appeared with an astoundingly bad illustration.

At least the creator of this item was gracious enough to admit that the picture was crested using ChatGPT. Enthusiasts claim that the "GPT" in the name of the supposed AI technology uys Generative Pre-trained Transformer but fbb prefers the acronym Ghastly Pointless Technology.

fbb used to own a coach like that! But his was kept cleaner and in better repair.

No Filip to Fill Up

The future for Hydrogen filling stations is beginning to look bleak.

The stated "State" is California. 

Meanwhile in Germany ...

The phrase "no longer meet economic and technical requirements" looks like a euphemism for "we can't make any money".

Plane Project Plunges

Another company collapse!

Maybe an alternative power is the answer?

Surprising Steam Suggestion

It does appear that someone is proposing to fit a BR class 60 diesel loco with a steam engine. We await details of the technology, the cost and what exactly creates the steam. Will it be hydrogen (to burn this time), biomass, coal, oil, gas, or used chip fat.

And it is three weeks until April 1st!

Who Pays The Ferryman?

It was a BBC TV series in 1977, set somewhere in the Greek Islands.

The title of the series alludes to the ancient religious belief and mythology surrounding Charon, the ferryman to Hades. In antiquity, it was customary to place coins in or on the mouth of the deceased before cremation, symbolizing payment for the ferryman's service to transport them to Hades.

But it's not Hades; instead it is Hythe, Hants!

Long term readers may remember articles by fbb on the delightful ferry that runs from Souhampton across the water to Hythe.

Over the years the future of this link has been regularly in doubt with financial failure every few years, followed by subsidy or takeover. The most recent takeover has been by much bigger boats company Red Funnel.

Click on the graphic above for an enlargement.

As you may read above, the latest problem is the pier upon which runs the ancient and almost ludicrous tramway.

It is falling down. And, like Hades it is a Hell of a Problem.

Bluestar runs four buses every hour (Mon to Sat) between Southampton and Hythe ...

... and maybe one day the village will get its trains back. Nasty Government has rejected the idea, but what about a private "open access" operator?

Another one of these?

 Next Stagecoach Sussex blog : Wed 12 Mar