Dawlish Drenching
A few years back (it was in 2014!) the Great Western main line was breached at Dawlish. It was a bad 'un, to be sure! So it was that a huge amount of money was spent on a mammoth rebuild of the whole of the sea wall.
The problem is, apparently, the expanse of wet stuff on the right in the above picture. When it us windy, the water gets "lumpy", to use a technical term.
It has ever been thus, as in the halcyon days of steam ...
... the 'Western' class diesel hydraulics ...
... and the much lamented HST.
In more recent times, we have the humble DMU ...
... the cramped Voyager ...
... and the slick but uncomfortable 800s.
The trains may change but the sea remains; when the wind blows, the big wave flows and the track goes!!
The latest interruption is minor compared with 2014. The big slab of seawall remained strong, but the boundary wall of the track bed ...
... like Jericho in 1200BC, when the Israelite pounded round the walls, succumbed to the pounding of the sea.
And, in case you didn't notice ...
It does pound.
Notwork Rail wants to make the route resilient!
Didn't the orange army do that in 2014?
Notwork Rail wants to make the route resilient!
But fear not dear GWR passenger ...
... the local MPs are on the job.
So that's all right then?
It's a wonder previous MPs haven't though of that?
Apparently they have, every time a storm hits. So no hurry then.
Two solutions have come and gone; and come and gone ... etc.
Ludicrously expensive would be to build a new line further in land - certainly not a new idea.
Not quite so expensive would be to reinstate the route fron Exeter to Plymouth via Okehampton. Most of it is still in operation ...
The argument here is that you would still need the coast route because there are plenty of customers needing the line - but if you sent Cornwall trains via Okehampton, you could make the battered bit into single track and thus a bit further back from the pounding.
... just Okehampton to Tavistock to sort out.
The sad fact is that the little man with the big cigar and silly hat ... 
... probably built the line in the wrong place!
Playbus in Place ...
They might be a bit big!
Some of the flowers were N gauge ballast plus pink paint ...
... creating floral 'clumps', surprisingly effective from a normal viewing distance.
Some astute blog readers will also be surprised by the lack of detritus, spilled paint and ugly gaps in the scenery of the 'installed' picture.
That is courtesy of the "Magic Eraser" utility on fbb's 'tablet'.
Here is how it works.
Take this picture of the much missed Goodwin Fountain outside the Town Hall in Sheffield.
But say that you don't like Bert as he waits for the 'City Clipper' bus.
Speak nicely to the computer and it will outline Bert ...
... and with the tap of a button, there he is ...
... GONE!!
fbb could have obliterated Enid, far right, but he left her in situ in case you thought the old bloke had simply used a different picture!
Yet another good reason to treat anything on-line with a huge bucket of suspicion.
And Fake News On-Line
To be fair (although the author of the above doesn't deserve fairness) the impression is that a train operating company has gone bust. Even if that were to happen the great and glorious UK Government would step in to maintain the service!
To be fair (halfheartedly) the actual news is utterly different from the picture.
Phew, what a relief!
The Latest Peterville Purchase
What for? Why? How Much?
Answer tomorrow.
Next Variety blog : Sunday 15th March
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