A Puzzle And An Answer

A Web Of Coinfusion

The above is Napoleon III and this is a decisive battle he won.

This man is Fracois-Emmanuel Verguin, a French chemist ...

... and the year is 1859. So this has a link to a railway station in Paris.

The link comes via a cartridge of printer ink ...

... and a colour that is NOT part of the rainbow or the spectrum!

And there was fbb, thinking that ALL colours appeared in a rainbow - they don't.

The answer is this.

... or this ...

... or even this!

The tortuous links will make sense tomorrow, honest!

For the time being, Napoleon III won a decisive battle against the Austrians thus kicking them out of northern Italy. The battle took place at a small town that is now part of the Milan conurbation.

Monsieur Verguin had developed a bright pink dye which he called Fuchsine (after the flower Fuchsia after Mr Fuchs who developed the plant! He decided to change its name to Magenta in recognition of Nap III's glorious routing of the Austrians.

We return to sanity tomorrow to sort put the Paris end of the conundrum.

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They Got It Right On Saturday

Transport to Friday's concert by Oasis (it's a popular music group of two, m'lud!) ...

... did not go well. So Sheffield correspondent Roy toddled over the Pennines to Manchester for Saturday's reprise to see it all happen.

There were plenty of trams and signs guided music (?) lovers ...

... plenty of signs. 

Andy Burnham, possibly a little anxious after Friday, was able to relax and see a good job well done on Saturday. His team had assembled a mixed fleet from Manchester ...

... c/o Stagecoach and Diamond and ...

... from the remotest corners of Lancashire.

Roy reports that it all looked impressive and efficient.

Just think what fbb is missing by living in Seaton!

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And Those Footbridges!

In both cases, modellers have used footbridge models designed to be built at ground level. When placed on a platform, they are too high above the loading gauge.

Here is one on Sams Trains layout which is used correctly.

So here are a couple of 12 inches to the foot bridges showing a distinct lack of too much height above the trains.

And before readers complain, fbb is well aware that footbridges have to be higher to allow room for overhead electrification.

Also note that the Airfix/Dapol footbridge at Peterville station has one end at ground level and the other on the platform. For the platform end, a chunk was removed from the kit!

So tomorrow we really will go to Paris! Or will we?

 Next Greek God railway blog : Tues 15 July 

Sunday Variety

Huddersfield Station Retiree

It is always sad to say goodbye to a senior member of staff but things move on and one familiar face at Huddersfield station has left for a happy retirement. For a number of  years the station has been punctiliously looked after by Felix ...

... and Bolt.

Now the time has come for Bolt to say miaow-bye to the platforms. He will be leaving at the same time as the human station manager, for some years his valued assistant, who is also hanging up her ticket clippers for good.

So it's goodbye from Angela Hunte and goodbye from him!

Portishead And Clevedon

Herewith a picture of the proposed new station at Portishead, omitted from yesterday's posting ...

... although after so many years of delay and broken promises, we can be forgiven for being a little cynical about the promised re-opening.

Just down the coast from Portishead, is another railway that, according to the locals, should reopen. It is in Salthouse Park, a delightful oasis on the coast of the Bristol Channel at Clevedon.

It once had a 9 inch gauge miniature railway ...

... later matching its national big brother by running a diesel!

It was rebuilt as a 15 inch gauge lime and equipped with bigger motive power and bigger carriages ...

... running round a simple "oval" (beloved of railway modellers) from its one station ...

...where there was a small siding and a loco shed.

Above, we look back towards the station by the bouncy castle as the track curves round the park.

This little Clevedon delight has closed recently and people are keen to see it re-instated. You would guess that money is the problem - too much to pay for its operation and upkeep but not enough from fares.

Just like the full sized railway, in fact!

Let's hope its return doesn't take as long as the Portishead branch.

PO41 Progress

Readers may remember that part of the refurb of Ryde Esplanade station has been a new cafe which has remained finished but unopened for well over a year. Our IoW correspondent (I have to call him "senior" or he gets sulky!) has sent some photos of progress.

This is the "old" Esplanade station with the way to the trains through an entrance above and beyond the post bix.

It is the area to the left of that entrance (which has been engineered) that is the new PO41 cafe as sed by Alan.

Below is the view back through the cafe to those double doors ...

... and a view in the other direction towards the door that lead out to the pier walkway.

Opening is still some time away but not quite as delayed as the Portishead branch. Doubtless correspondent Alan will be testing the service once it is open. fbb awaits his report in due course!

The Crazy Craze Continues

In recent years we have seen the big bus groups buying up smaller coach companies like they were going out of fashion!

McGills, the Scottish group that has expanded hugely, has joined much the same craze. McGills already has a coach and holidays division called Loch Lomond Coaches ...

... with a smart blue livery ...

... complementing the gorgeous Scottish scenery.

McGills have now bought another coach operator ...

... with a good solid existing business. 

The Prentice Westwood company runs some school contracts and a couple of service bus routes.

... in addition to a conventional coach hire business.

It should fit well with McGills existing portfolio of operations.

Puzzle Pictures

What is fbb up to now?

It is connected with OO gauge tank wagons.

All will be revealed when (a) the weather get cooler and (b) when the project is sort of finished. The two are linked!

Observation Oddity

fbb really doesn't like to offer the slightest word of criticism of the work of other railway modellers who show far greater skill than your bodging blogger. But the above model does show a common mistake made by many otherwise dedicated enthusiasts.

The same mistake appears on this superb model presented as an up to date version of Hornby Dublo three rail modelling.

Answers later this week.

Tomorrow we go to Paris.

 Next "Magenta via Magenta" blog : Mon 14 July