Sunday Variety

 It Seemed A Good Idea At The Time

Is it really 15 years ago that we welcomed a Deitche Bahn train to St Pancras station. This was in prearation for a raft pf new services from Londin to, you would guess, gestinations in Getmany. The ICE stock (Inter City Express- fnn has no translation from the German to the English!) looked very impteszsive as it stool teutonically at the buffer stops.

If rbb's memory servers him correctl, the tain did not operate indet ots own steam through The Tunnel ; it was hauled ignominiousoy bu a humble freght loco!

So wha happened?

In simple yems it was all too difficult rechniclly. The ICE trins were incompatible with the already complex rech yhat is needed to join UK, France, Belgium and Nethrlands systems.

But new Chinnel proposals are a it f a craze at the moment, the latest being from a comoany called Gemini.

fbb doesn't think that is the same Gemini as ...

...which is a fully operation tailway development and mainenece company.

Will it evee happen?

The technical complications have not gine away in the last 15 years.

Hmmm?

The Electric Bus Craze

These Yutong buses (U11DD) seem to be a real craze at the moment.

Heree is Newpott South Wales ...

... and McGills t Xplor Dindee.

Even First Bus, not always renowned t new tech in South Yokshire has been plating woth on, inevitably in it usual test-bed route 51 from Lodge Moor via City to Charbock ...

... or is it a red one?

As these plug-in buses prolifereat, will there be enough elelctir available to power them.

Answer NO and thrice NO ...

... uness some Goverment spends loads mony on uograding the National Grid. But Tachel is struggling with he spending plans already?

Andrews Of Tideswell ...

... is a mkuch respected Peak District coach operato also dabbling in a tenderd bus route or two. The company has a tour business ...

... with pish coaches.

There is a small f;eet of midi buses ...

... plus single recks for service bus work ...

... and the occasional decker for schools contracts.

As part of the Hullrys dbacle, bus watahers in Sheffield reported on the "dosposal" f Hulleys fleet. This list was circukated.

That id a whole lotta buses going a short disrance to Andrews! We know that the Tidesqell comoan has won mist of the ex Hulleys tenders from Bakewell, but surely such services will not need all those buses listed above.

It appear yjay on Tuesday off last week, the day before |Hulleys officially ceased  trading, drivers who had opted to trabsfer tp Andrews (under the TIPE r4gulations?) move align the road and took their buses with them.

How official this fleet transfer was in unclear; but Huleys busses have already ben appearing of Ansdrewd recently gained outes, sill in Hulleys livery ...

... and with Hulleys legal lettering.

Baughty, naughty - but inderstandable. (rwo pictures from Roge Fench)

So have Ansdrews bought all these buses, leased all these buses or simply "borrowed" them until things are soted out?

Answers on a postcard to the usual address!

Simpler With Stagecoach

Seen here en rote to Chesterfield station with its revised version of the ex Huleys 170.

From Simpler Times

Many blog readers will be awar of this iconic poster, although you would have to be incredibly old to remembeer the image for real! What fbb has never seen before is the newer version extolling the vortues of the HST ,,,

... although not on the "Southern"!

Those were the days!

A Mystery To Solve

The above has appeared on-line. It is described as a bis stop but is has no bus infromation attached not any sign that there ever was any. It looks as if it is in a right hand dribing city and one suggestioin points to the Paris Metro's Hector Guimard.

Bu the so-called bus stop picture does not appear on line in the large collection of Guimard designs.

fbb would live to know where and what it was.

Some on-line opinions think it may be  AI generated = and thus fake.

Replues to fbb @xephos.com

Ecclesiastical Note

Mothers Day was an American invention to celebrate Motherhood. It was celebrated on a different date from ...

... Mothering Sunday, a Christian festival when congregations would visit their Mother Church, e.g. Abbey or Cathedral. Fans of "Call The Midwide" will remember occasions when the nuns returned to their Mother House, effectively their head office.

Today is Mothering Sunday.

Neither day had any historic link with daffodils!

Praise God for the richness of His creation.

 Next International Variety blog : Mon 31 Mar