Wednesday, 28 January 2026

Confusion At Cummer-Nodd (1)

It Lies North West of Glasgow...

... and tends to be spelled inaccurately on maps! 

If you continue further, you come to places like Stirling (north) and Falkirk (east).
There was a Roman settlement between Croy and Castlecary ...
... in the form of a fort called Westerwood on the Antonine Wall; perhaps a lesser known effort to keep the Roman Empire safe from the marauding and violent Scots.

A village later developed initially being a base for the cottage industry of the wool trade.
Life revolved round the Kirk ...
.... and the school.
Motor cars were rare on the main street!
There was once a castle ...
... but there is not much of it left.

The village developed at or near the junction of what became the A80 and the A73 and was a candidate for an early by-pass!
Some if the original housing still stands ...
... but you have to know where to look.

Then in 1955 it was decided to build a Glasgow overspill town at Cumbernauld! Development continued until the 1990s and look at it now.
"Now" is around 1990 for the picture above.

When fbb was a-courting his future Mrs, he requested a trip from her Milgavie home to Cumbernauld. Mrs fbb-to-be was uncertain of her future hubby's sanity for actually wanting to go there!   

Back then, in the 1970s, there were still plenty of buses like this ...
... but the lovers by train, changing from blue electric to mucky green diesel at Springburn.
Such were the joys of Glasgow suburban travel before the mass extension of the electric!

Sadly, fbb's detailed knowledge of the history of buses to Cumbernauld is, again sadly, far from detailed.

Alexander Midland (as above) begat Midland Scottish ...
... which, in turn, begat Kelvin Central in Glasgow
First bought both Glasgow companies and Cumbernauld was provided with new coach-type vehicles to enhance routes to the north east from the city. 
The X5 ran to Kilsyth (usual caveat re fbb's memory!) with X3 ...
... and X4 doing the Cumbernauld run. You would call these 'X' services Glasgow outer suburban routes and we still have an X3 today.
But before we look at the "locals" we need to see what else links Cumbernauld with Glasgow, having got there from further afield.
You will not be surprised to know that it is all on line.

fbb should also note, in passing, that Stagecoach also runs buses from Glasgow to Cumbernauld ...
... remembering Stagecoach's deregulatory onslaught on the city with MagicBus!
Later, when Magicbus had become a national low cost low fare "spoiler", there was an X25. But did it run to Cumbernauld?

  Next Cummer-Nodd blog : Thurs 29 Jan 

Tuesday, 27 January 2026

Back To The 80s (Part 2)

First's Last Gasp To Newquay

Looking for the current timetable for First's 87 between Newquay and Truro offers something of a challenge for the unwary potential bus user. Above is an extract from the Corwall comprehensive timetable index.

It is not there.

But the good news is that there is a very tidy PDF timetable posted by First ...
... showing hourly departures from Newquay. Elsewhere First also provides their truly awful on-line garbage timetable which, encouragingly (?) offers the same timings.
They so show the same information but, sadly, they are both wrong.

Below is the correct current schedule for journeys from Newquay. First also have an on-line current version!

It shows an improvement in frequency from and easily remembered every hour (so good on yer, First) ...


... to a difficult to remember every 40 minutes. So not good on yer, First. The more recent timetable adds 9 minutes to the running time which seems a huge deterioration. Unless fbb is missing something.

There are plenty of pictures of buses with route 87 on the blinds but fbb cannot be 100% sure that we are looking at the same 87. There have been numerous route number rejigs over the years - but, whether right or nay, the illustrations may encourage the nostalgia juices to flow.

A typically feeble National Bus Company Brand for golfers ...
... Cornish Fairways.

Privatisation provoked Cornish Busways ....
... and it is certainly an 87 going to Newquay.

In 2018 Roger French wrote a positive blog entitled "Turnaround Cornwall" in which he extolled better vehicles and positive branding. He appended an 87 picture in what was a smart generic livery for services which did not get full route branding.
The "First" name had disappeared in favour of just "Kernow" - such a vast improvement on fade-out Barbie ...
... proper Barbie ...
... and son of Barbie or was it daughter of Barbie?.
So what nowbhappens to the very wiggly 87 ...

... from February 15th. 

Here is what GoAhead says about its new 87.
So a cut back from every 40 to hourly.
But the overall service between Truro and Newquay is further cut back.
Here is what GoAhead says about its own 86.
It used to run to Newquay via Holywell Bay, but now goes no further than Perranporth where connections are available with the 87.

There are now no links between Perranporth and Holywell Bay,

The new 86 timetable is shown with the 85 ...
... and there is no mention of connections with the 87!

All in all everyone on the 86 and 87 gets a worse service.

So well done Cornwall Council (which is penniless) and Hooray for the joys of less buses from GoAhead (who might well be struggling financially with their whole Cornwall network).

It's this sort of bonus that is promised with local authority franchising.

Be careful what you wish for, folks!

  Next blog (content pending) : Weds 28th Jan 

Monday, 26 January 2026

Back To The 80s (And 90s)

Multiple Mystery Truro Travels

You could strike out west and join the A3075 as a  "corridor". Or, you could join the A38 and travel northbound.
... then find your way across to Newquay from there. This second option is the direction of bus routes 91 ...
... and 93 ...
... now both in the hands of GoAhead. 

For a brief while ...
... the 91 sort of became the short-lived T3.
... but whatever the political or financial reason, GoAhead now 'owns' both that set of routes.

But this blog concerns the eighties.
In no particular order; the 88 ...
... mostly uses the aforementioned A3056 with a diversion via the Monkey Tree Holiday Park.
That pool will be popular for winter bookings!

The 85, also GoAhead ...
... uses a bit of the mega road, the A30, nips off to Zelah (exciting, eh?) ...
... before joining other routes via Holwell Bay and a bit of the coast.

Another GoAhead route is the 86 ...
... via Perranporth famed for its amazing beach.
Which leaves the 87. We have met a derivative of the 87 before. This was incorporated into the extended U1/U1A.
The U1 on this section became the 86 (see above) while journeys via St Agnes (U1A) ...
... reverted to being the ONLY First Bus route between Truro and Newquay. It showed route 87!

Of which more tomorrow.

Meanwhile : At The Castle
Things are looking better. Now the broad structure is in place, fbb can get on with adding some more detailed parts (from the kit) to enhance the model.

Andy Banned, Will Not Stand
So no yellow door in Downing Street!

Not yet, anyway!

Don't you just LOVE the democratic process.

  Next GoAhead blog : Tues 27th Jan