Public Transport Experience: Sunday Variety

Red Funnel ~~Losing~~ Saving Money

There has been quite a bit on-line recently about Red Funnel and a new all-electric passenger ferry. The vessel looks very small, money-saving small in fact ...

... possibly carrying about a dozen passengers.

?????

But it does have "revolutionary technology" as indicated by the picture below.

????

Secret weapon?

The very first fast boat from Southampton to Cowes was called Shearwater ...

... and just like the "new revolutionary" vessel, it rode on "wings" (foils) which "flew" through the water.

Shearwater vessels began service in 1969.

What the current crop of articles do not make clear is that the small white boat is a "proof of concept" vessel.

But in terms of maritime architecture, it is not a new concept.

Electrical power is "revolutionary" if there is enough electric to "fill up"; currently doubtful.

This is what Red Funnel have ordered (intend to order?) for approx £12 million!

Yikes.

P.S. Red Funnel is in "Schtum" financially, and is seeking "new investors" to pay for it!

fbb does not have a spare £12 million in his bank account as he chose not to monetise his blog! Any one fancy making a donation?

Bright Bus Fades?

First Bus started Bright Bus as a poke in the eye for Lothian Transport (Edinburgh Corporation Transport but at arms length) which has held the monopoly of Edinburgh city tours for an absolute age. The company has maintained its domination by simply buying out any operator that tried to pinch a chunk of its very lucrative business.

First's offering was distinctive, cheaper and orange!

Recently a competing express service from city to airport has been added, also cheaper, also orange.

How successful this Bright operation might be can be gleaned from the next fact.

When First sold its Stirling-based network to McGills, it also disposed of Bright Bus to the same! Bus watchers may have thought that, if Bright was doing right with good profits in sight, First might have held on to its money spinner very tight!

But Bright Bus went to McGills.

Now comes news of a fade-out for the brightness of orange.

We know "Big Bus" from the London open topper competitive scene ...

... so it looks as if the more muted maroon will soon grace the streets of Auld Reekie.

Pity. The Bright Orange had potential, thinks fbb, for going national.

A Matter Of Opinion

A trial of the VLR (Very Light Rail) tram in Coventry has been under way with a short stretch on very reserved track going from nowhere to nowhere. The VLR enthusiasts are being enthusiastic about the future.

The too small, too slow trams will, as the council and the manufacturers say, soon be successfully plying the streets of Coventry.

But what of Public Opinion?

The press (that's the internet press of Coventry Live) seems unimpressed.

Remember; you are going to need not just VLR but VHF (Very High Frequency!)) to replace a normal bus route.

Very doubtful!

Not Much Sea But Plenty Of Breeze

When fbb reviewed Southern Vectis' latest open top route to his former habitat of Seaview, he expressed concern on two fronts.

Firstly, the amount of sea views was quite limited with a chunk on Ryde Esplanade and a shortish section along the coast on the approaches to Seaview village itself.

But you pays your money and makes your choice.

fbb's other concern was that the advance publicity and the various timetable books only offered an Island wide day rover as the means of payment. It is not a bus service, so OAP passes amd normal fares are not valid.

Our ever observant Island correspondent spotted this poster at a bus stop on the Seaview housing estate. (nice sea views - NOT).

It shows that a local tour fare on the Sea Breezer is available - although, apparently only publicised at bus stops.

For some mysterious reason, there is no "group" fare unless you want to enjoy the sea views for two whole days.

Might £20 for the "group" (of five of any age!) be cheaper than two days' bus fares on the "normal" route 8? Clearly that cheapo option is why the day ticket is not available for a group!

Meanie!

Truth Or Consequences?
The Woolwich Ferry from Woolwich to North Woolwich ...

... is FREE for both foot passengers and vehicles. Not surprisingly it is popular with lorry drivers and car owners. It always has been.

An alternative was the Blackwall Tunnel, also free and also popular!

But free no more. Since the new Silvertown Tunnel opened next door both have been tolled as Mr Khan told is all in advance.

Under the law od unforeseen consequences we now read this:

What a surprise.

It Is All (Un)Reliably On Line
There are web sites which purport to show film of near misses and embarrassing crunches on the world's public transport. They specialise in having horrific pictures on their title page which never seem to get a mention later on. Remember the left-to-right reverse train crash fixture a few blogs ago?

So how about this?

The derailment looks real enough, possibly with an airbrushed cloud of smoke to imply immediacy; but ....

What is the scantily clad woman doing, about to fall over? Why is she and she only fleeing from the crunch? And why is the hi-viz-vest man standing and looking on?

Surely it cannot be a false picture? Well, even it is was right (it isn't). look at this more ludicrous offering.

There, again, is a scantily clad woman fleeing from the disaster so fast her feet do not touch the ground.

Is there some "extreme sport" that fbb has never heard of whereby scantily clad women play chicken at railway accidents. If so, how do they know the mishap is about to mis happen?

And is the man in black in the process of delivering parcels for Amazon?

We should be told!

Correcting A Bodge ...

... with More Bodges!

You have to be impressed with the masons who worked on the tower of The Temple Church Redcliffe Bristol. When it started sinking, they simply adjusted their building and straightened the tower back to near vertical.

And thus it stayed.

fbb has already written about his bodge for the entrance of the Peterville carriage shed; but reported that it needed more work.

That work is progressing.

In passing, note the bodge at the right hand roof corner improved in the "progressing" picture.

But the rear of the building was a disaster darling! In its outside location the disaster was mitigated by a low relief workshop section plonked at the back.

But the indoor carriage shed was not against a wall, so the low relief lump had to go. It was a bodge anyway. But its removal reveal how bad a bodge it was!

One wall of the building was shorter than the other, a challenge for the masons of Peterville. A new bodge was needed. So build an extra wedge of roof ...

... and glue it to the old end.

Add some texture to the gable?

Who needs to measure accurately when you can trim to shape on site! Bodge and Fudge come to the fore yet again.

Now add some thin plastic sheet to hide the mess that is the roof end and cover the bodged join ...

Painting is to follow!

Happy Childhood Memories?

Soon To Evaporate!

fbb was convulsed with excitement when he opened a Christmas gift from an aunt about 74 years ago! It was one of these.

fbb was initially thrilled, but his joy began to evaporate when he reaised that a real car carrier could not carry a large tinplate ramp around. His disappointment advanced when he noted the Corgi car carrier.