Surprised At Stourbridge (2)

 National Express Tells Us ...

... about "new" services that are not new at all. But the company does admit, later in its publicity, that the "new" 25 will replace an existing 25A.

Then the "new" 142 and 142A ...

... will replace a previous 142 and 142A.

So Diamond Tells Us ...

... that the contract for the 25 and 25A has ended and we need to look elsewhere for a replacement. We read the same for the 142 and 142A.

Quite what Diamond achieves by not simply providing a link to the "new" services, other than a corporate sulk at losing the tender, is unclear.

The Local Press Tells Us ...

... that the "new" 25 will replace Diamond's 25A, but fails to explain what will happen to Diamond's 25!

Then, what about the 142 and 142A?

We now know that the "new" 142 will replace Diamond's 142, but we are not told who will run the 142A.

In fact, there is no major change to the route or frequency of any of the four services in question.

There may be changes to the detailed timings; which excitement we shall explore tomorrow.

But, before we delve into factual detail, we need to ask, " Where do the buses actually go?"

A Diamond Route Map?

There isn't one in a conventional cartographic format!

But, joy of mysterious joys, here is Diamond's 25 from Dudley to Stourbridge. 

And their 25A from Dudley to Kidderminster.

Yes, the 25A does run via Stourbridge; the town is buried under blobs almost in the centre of the 25A map.  

In fact, it appears from the 'maps', that the 25 is simply a short working of the 25A with no change of route.

We have the 142..

... and the 142A.

Look at the squiggles between Stourbridge and Halesowen, the latter being hidden under a pointless word  Start . Although both routes are part of a combined service (with two local variations) we need to refer to two 'maps', for want if a better word.

The computer is unable to merge the two. 

It would be nice if the quality improved when the frustrated user enlarged the map; but this is what you get for the 142 (and the separate 142A) at Merry Hell!

So that is crystal clear, then; as clear as ...

... expensive technology can manage.

Or A PTE Route Map?

An example of good cartography can be found in the West Midlands PTE network map for the Dudley area. As the servIces are, largely, unchanged, the PTE map will still be valid from 26th July.

Here we see the 142 and 142A variants in the Stournridge area ...

... and continuing westbound to Halesowen ...

... where the routes approach the Town Centre differently.

But we probably need the timetables to be completely sure.

Our exploration of these services which are "new", but very much NOT new, will conclude tomorrow.

 Next Stourbridge blog : Fri 17th July 

Surprised At Stourbridge (1)

 I've Been Everywhere, Man ...

... to Dudley bus station when it was partly on a steep slope. And yes, buses did occasionally run away down the hill. 

fbb has also been to Merry Hell shopping centre but long after the Monorail had been exported to Australia. 

Y

The Retail Therapy Temple has had numerous owners who have bought the business out of bankruptcy!

Slightly more delightful was a brief pop in to Stourbridge Interchange ...

... but not just for the buses. It was that building over the wall which was special.

Thence the joy was a ride from Stourbridge Town railway station ...

... up the hill to Stourbridge Junction station on the main line.

It was, and still is, home to the unique Parry People Mover driven by energy stored in a huge underfloor flywheel boosted by a bit of electric at the terminus.

Another destination in the area that is etched painfully into fbb's psyche. Himself and Mrs fbb booked in to the Travelodge at Halesowen.

It was in the central reservation of a dual carriageway!

Nuff said!

So why have these locations in the western reaches of the West Midlands excited the omnibological juices that dribble through the old man's persona?

Because of two "new" bus services, that's why!

National Express West Midlands made the stunning (?) Announcement on-line a few days ago.

West Bromwich Corporation used to run a service 25 ...

... as did Birmingham City Transport.

Midland Red once ran a route 142 to Redditch ...

... seen here with the most awful National Bus Company local branding ever invented!

None of these examples helps us with the National Express "new" services as revealed above.

Because the 25, 142 and 142A are not, in the slightest, new!

More tomorrow.

======================

Another Tank Wagon?

After buying two "special edition" Hornby 100 ton tankers recently, fbb realised that he did not have the basic "un-special" model in his collection.

This version (one of many over the years) was unboxed and thus cheap! The walkway across the top if the tank was black plastic and the eagle-eyed can just spot the access ladder at the right hand end. There would be a ladder at the other end.

But when fbb's model arrived, the walkway was grey ...

 

... and of ladders there were none.

Another on-line EBay offer also has a grey walkway and black ladders.

Had fbb bought a pig in a poke? [poke - a Scottish word for a paper bag].

As the model was otherwise in excellent condition, and was a lot cheaper than several portions of chips, fbb decided to buy two replacement ladders.

As this blog is published, these are speeding through the EBay delivery system.

As fbb often says ..

It's All On-Line!

A Collectors' P S

According to the Hornby Collectors web site, this particular wagon was manufactured by Hornby in the UK for just two years,

So fbb's recent purchase is actually at least 43 years old.

But it was home made!

 Next Stourbridge Surprise blog : Thurs 16th July 

158 / 159. Northern P.S.

Ex Northern!

Some Northern Trains Sprinters found their way into the fleets of other operators who crudely bodged a new livery. Above, First managed to afford some sticky-backed plastic below the windows, leaving an obvious 'N' above.

East Midland created a similar mess ...

... but with purples that almost matched. The 'N' is gold rather than white, BUT, is that a Central Trains nested 'C' logo? If so, why?

Very Variety!

With apologies for fraying memory, fraying more than usual in the hot weather, fbb is sure (hesitantly sure!) that the first Northern Livery was blue plus gold star ...

... which was impressively unimoressive. Then along came purple plus 'N' in gold ...

... followed by red with 'N' in grey.

The black squiggles are not an arty livery nicety, but shadows of the girder roof!

fbb can find no documentation for this variant ...

... which obviously did not find favour!

Then a very cluttered and messy squadge appeared ...

... with some units appearing to show a darker purple.

OK, it may haven been a "photographer's variation" as a result of lighting conditions. Or maybe the purple fades quickly in the blistering Northern sun? Or maybe it dissolves in the well documented Mancunian meteorological monsoons.

But now we are simplified blue and white ...

... including the aged sprinters.

Of course, Northern could go retro with dark chocolate and white for North Western routes ...

... as made available to QV! Over the Pennines, it would have to be North Eastern polished teak, simulated of course because of restrictions on the sale of real teak.

Oh, fbb forgot. He hoped retro livery was a very bad dream.

Soon we will all be Great British Railways and all with the same unattractive and cluttered livery.

Hmmm?

Maybe better on a class 700 (above)? But definitely cluttered in the 'artists impression' 800s.

We have whitevletterung, two blues, two reds, one white and a yellow nose. How about a majroty of bright blue, white window surround with a string red border?

Best forgotten on a Northern sprinter was this paint job.

As you can see clearly (?), it celebrated the visit of the "Tour de France" to Northern England. There was also a special livery for Rail 200.

Great Western celebrated Ginsters pasties ...

... a much more worthy cause.

Sprinters P P S!

fbb forgot! Network SouthEast began with a slightly washed-out mid blue around the windows ...

... but soon changed to a richer, darker blue that looked much better.

Narrow & Not Northern

But where?

 Next West Midlands blog : Weds 15th July