Weekend Variety (Sunday)

fbb Gets It Right! (unusually!)

The mystery tank wagon arrived yesterday and it was, indeed in a bashed Hornby box with a label for R227.

But, as your genius blogger modestly surmised, the wagon in the  box was not a Hornby model! Shock horror! Again as surmised, a Hornby R227 looks like this ...

... and even looks like that inside its original box!

What the seller had selled and the buyer had buyed was one of these; an Italian made Lima HO Shell tank wagon ...

... but fitted with Triang Hornby couplings for sale in the UK market.

Ironically Lima was later bought by Hornby and it's original Italian made UK models still find their way into the current Hornby production; but NOT the continental HO products.

This was a private sale sent with real genuine stamps as postage ...

... and fbb suspects that the seller did not know what was in his box!

Puzzle Picture 1

These were collector shoes that drew 12 volts current from the central rail of a Hornby Dublo 3-rail train set.

Puzzle Picture 2

Two young actors, Spencer Banks and Cheryl Burfield, were the stars of an ITV Science Fiction series called Timeslip, broadcast in the early 1970s.

They also appeared in the blog, pictured in year 2000 and the present day. 

A newly married fbb did not consider it appropriate to watch a children's TV series; although,  perversely, he always watched Dr Who!

The Way To Worry Waymo

Waymo s a brand of autonomous car, running as expensive Taxis in 'Frisco. 

So what happened?

It will have cost them plenty, but illustrates how easy it would be to disrupt a city's traffic using a flock of  confused "idiot waymos" as bait! The taxis turned up together, blocked the dead end and could not turn round!

And DDOS?

In essence, the techies at Waymo base had to disable the technology in the area and, probably, manually rescue their cars.

Criminal acts are not to be condoned, but Mr Walz's "prank" does illustrate the vulnerability of the technology. 

There are plenty of on-line posting about Waymo passengers being unable to get out of the car, and cars gong round in circles or just stopping in the middle of a road junction. As they said of the first "horseless carriages" ...

... "They will never catch on!"

Surely A Coincidence?

It is hard to see how the criminal element in our fractured society should decide that a nationalised SWR was easier to rob, vandalise or scam just because it was nominally in the thrall of UK government. This is especially true as the state ownership is currently a financial nicety - nothing has changed. 

fbb suspects that some back office clerk, anxious to preserve his/her employment, has been over-punctilious with his crime statistical analysis.

Conspiracy theory, anyone? Maybe an aggrieved deputy assistant to an under manager's deputy is angered at nationalisation and seeks to disrupt the process?

Cross About The Crossing

Since 1882, a chain ferry (a k a floating bridge) has carried Vectensians and their vehicular transport across the River Medina between East and West Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

The most recent ferry was hooked to its chains in 2017 and has been an utter disaster since. The ramps did not lower properly at high tide, leaving drivers stranded on board and brave passengers removing shoes and socks and paddling to shore!

Local comment is that the island's newspaper should headline when the service IS running rather than the more frequent occasions when it isn't. In 2022 signs on the approach roads were installed that could be illuminated remotely, so frequent were the closures.

But now this headline appears.

Since the current new-build arrived, there have been accusations, counter accusations and counter counter accusations.  It was the builders'fault; it was the designers' fault, it was the Council's fault for not specifying correctly, it was the Council's fault for not checking build progress; it was Mr Putin's fault; even it was the passengers' and drivers' fault for being so lazy when they could go by bus or drive both taking the long way round via Newport!

Now all the Council has to do is find the money to buy a new one.

Good luck with that, folks!

Tomorrow, hopefully, we seek some sanity in Denmark.

But maybe not?

 Next København blog : Monday 3rd Nov 

Weekend Variety (Saturday)

 Problems With Spiders

fbb has been taken to task by regular correspondent Richard who ppints out that Spider Maps are dated, correcting fbb's contention that they aren't. Graciously, Richard - surely a nice bloke - allows fbb to escape slightly from the hook by suggesting the problem might have been the old man's ARMD eyesight problems. That was not the problem at all; fbb did not check because in all his cartographic observations he had not spotted the dateline minutely hidden at the bottom.

Here it is on the on-lime current Spider ...

... enlarged to 300% of the original. The version on the South Eastern Railway site is a PDF of the station poster, as explained in the blogs. This is actual size ...

... and fbb challenges anyone to read that in the poor light of a station booking area.

Clearly, the South Eastern version, at seven years out-of-date, should not be in use and, certainly, should not be relied upon.

And yes, to other comment writers, TfL does allow a geographical map of sorts by clicking on the line diagram. This extract, from the blog, shows the relationship between Grove Park Station and Stop N ...

... but it is only legible because it maps the remote departure point. On mid route, even if enlarged, the red line simply obscures the road names and, whilst the route is shown correctly, there is simply too much clutter for easy comprehension.

An outsider, a potential passenger  trying to place his destination clearly against reality would struggle mightily with the above. As is often the case with public transport information, it is a lot easier when you know the answer.

For comparison, fbb hopes to pay an on-line visit to Copenhagen (København) where a recent transport development is of interest. Will fbb be able to cope with a web site in Danish? Will he have to resort to the English version.

Will it be easier or harder than London to  where and when the buses etc go?

Another Tank Wagon Mystery

This appeared for sale on Ebay.

Hornby? Well, it looks like a Hornby box, and it has Triang type huge couplings later used by early Triang Hornby and Hornby models. (Still used actually for some models using the old mouldings and construction!). But the model is of a European tank wagon, never made under the Hornby name.

fbb guesses Lima, but has ordered it all the same.

Branson The Bearded Bids ...

... again! After leaving the UK rail business in a bit  of a sulk a few years ago; and after a recent legal challenge, Richard B's bid to compete with Eurostar seems to be happening. Well, it will happen in 2030, so don't rush to buy tickets just yet.

In a typically restrained and self-effacing manner, Tricky Dicky is pictured at St Pancras station in modest mood on the steps to the Eurostar platforms.

Can't Wait!

Lumo Looks Lively

The above extract from the recent quiz reminds us that Lumo will soon Hi be running trains from Euston to Stirling. But more is being planned.

Somehow, this expansion of Open Access services looks odd alongside the Great British Railways nationalisation!

There was never any competition in the days of the good old British Rail(ways).

Talking Of British Rail(ways).

These are nice looking coach models and the price is very reasonable. 

Or you might consider buying on of these.

They look the same ... but ...

... there is one big difference!

It is quite hard to remember when many suburban trains were not diesel or electric multiple units.

A Model Railway Puzzle  Picture

What are they?

Answer tomorrow.

And Another Set of Puzzle Pictures

Who are these people, pictured recently?

As far as fbb is aware, they have nothing at all to do with Public Transport. 

Here they are in year 2000.

And here they are as fbb remembers them.

Who are they (possibly difficult)? And what journey did they undertake as teenagers?

Journey? Of course there is a transport link!

New Buses For Who?

Eileann Vannin, of course!

All Hallows Day

Today is better known as All Saints Day in Church Circles. But we know "Hallows", not from the well known Potty Potter film franchise, but from All Hallows Evening (or Eve). The evening before All Saints Day was, traditionally, spent in Praising God and removing all that is evil from everyday life. 

That aim was probably where scary pumpkins came in; they were to scare away the devil's taunts, not treat the whole thing as a bit of fun.

Nor was All Hallows Eve an excuse for salesmanship as here with an ad for a serious and respected transport periodical|!

fbb would ever buy anything from a trader's "spooky" advert!

Considering all the evil that permeates modern life, it seems daft to treat "the devil" as a light hearted entertainment.

A Psalm (from the Bible) is often read at Church Services for All Hallows (Saints) Day. This is an updated version because the original Prayer Book has a bit too much "religious" jargon?

Praise the Lord. 

Sing to the Lord a new song,

and we praise with all of the saints.

Let us rejoice in God that made us: 

Let the children be joyful in their King.

Let them praise his name in the dance: 

Let them sing praises to him with

loud music.

For the Lord takes pleasure in his people:

he will give the humble his salvation.

Let the saints be joyful in glory:

Let them sing aloud upon their beds.

Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,

and the sword of truth be in their hand;

To bind evil with chains, and 

Overcome worries with God's strength;

Praise the Lord.

Far more meaningful and powerful than extolling the "delights" of spooky nastiness.

 Next Variety blog : Sunday 2nd November