Another Big Surprise
Many moons ago, fbb sallied forth with his boss from Southern Vectis in an ultimately failed attempt to get the bus industry to save money and adopt Xephos. Being astoundingly risk averse, the industry adopted Traveline which costs a fortune and isn't very good!
David Leeder was then something very important at First Group, possibly boss of the bus business thereof. The visit failed totally but an astute fbb spotted some "body language" and actual language. As expected (by fbb at least) David left First a few weeks (months?) later to work in Germany.
He later returned to become a consultant.
In a reminder of the rather unkind epithet, "those who can, do; those who cannot, become teachers", fbb in cynical mood, postulates an alternative. In the bus business, those who can, do; those who cannot, become consultants!".
So be it!
The above article refers to some prognostications from Mr Leeder wearing his consultancy hat.
Just to re-iterate. Our David has calculated that the Bee Network has cost £200 million to set up and will be costing £200 million a year to run, that is £100 million a year more than the good old Greater Manchester PTE cost.
These figures look a little too "neat" to be reliable, but, in principle, we the tax payer will be paying a very high price for Andy Burnham's yellow buses and trams.
And remember, dear reader, that apart from yellow paint and a few tinkerings with ticket prices, nothing has changed. The Bee Network is almost exactly the same as its PTE predecessor.
Frightening isn't it?.jpg)
Equally Frightening But Smaller
What may well be a cause for concern is that most bus watchers were very well aware of the route that Hulleys was taking ....jpg)
... so why wasn't something done earlier?
.jpg)
Equally Frightening But Smaller
.jpg)
Surely the financially astut0 would have seen the signals?
And Different Signals
This is Oulton Broad station on the railway line west from Lowestoft.
The "flavour" of the line can be gleaned from the preponderance of in-track vegetation! Here is the station's signal box, once controlling semaphore signals and the level crossing.
With the commissioning of new signalling on the route and the half-barrierisation of the crossing, the box became redundant. So it had to go!
So, unceremoniously under cover of darkness, it went! It was sawn from its relay room base and loaded by crane on a low-loader and off it trundled.
It eventually arrived at the East Anglia Transport Museum at Carlton Colville ...
... where it will be displayed.
The museum looks like a spiffing place to visit.More signal boxes in due course!
And, Talking of East Anglia
Coming soon; fbb goes "up the pole in Norwich".
Down The Tube In London
Down The Tube In London
An old Isle of Wight church chum, name of Vic, kindly sends fbb copies of "Trackside" magazine a lavish glossy periodical for the lovers of Railway Preservation. The photography is sumptuous.
A recent edition has an article about London Underground's preserved 1938 four car unit. But this picture is puzzling.
By the look of the crowds on the platform, it is a heritage run. But where? The platform sign says ...
... District and Piccadilly Lines! The other track, not in fbb's cropped image, looks almost disused.
So where are we and/or when are we? fbb cannot work it out. Answers to
fbb@xephos.com
But this reminder, that 1938 stock still exists, take fbb to a model of a similar four car unit,
It Is Hot Down The Tube!
Next Variety blog : Sunday 22 June
It would be interesting to see an itemised breakdown of the “costs” of setting up franchised networks and the continuing costs of running them, alongside the costs the relevant authorities would have incurred to maintain the current systems.
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