Saturday Variety

 Impractical Interchange?

• The 33 Hereford–Ross-on-Wye–Gloucester;
• The 39A Hereford–Hay-on-Wye;
• The 66 Hereford–Monmouth;
• The 76A Hereford–Bartonsham circular;
• The 444 Hereford–Madley–Bredwardine;
• The 449 Hereford–Clehonger–Madley

• The 461 Hereford–Kington–Llandrindod Wells;
• The 492 Hereford–Leominster via Wellington;
• The 501 Hereford–Leominster via Ivington;
• The 502 and 504 Hereford–Leominster via Dilwyn;
• The 861 Hereford–Kington–Llandrindod Wells;
• The X15 and X44 Hereford–Hay-on-Wye–Brecon.

• Existing Hereford local services

• The B circular service to Holmer and Bobblestock;
• The D service to Bobblestock via Whitecross;
• The Z Hereford City Zipper.

The above is a list of services scheduled to use the new transport "hub" at Hereford railway station.

According to Traveline, below is a full list of routes that currently terminate at the Country Bus Station.

233, 33, 66, 91, 413, 420, 437,440, 441, 449, 453,  454, 45,6, 457, 477, 498, X15.

Again, according to Traveline, the following services currently terminate at the railway station.

39A, 76A, 444, 449, 461, 462, 492, 501,  604  X15,  X44

Some of these may be school services or operating only on certain days and, yes, there are TWO X15 routes.

To these must be added current City services which call at the station:

B, D, Z as listed above.

A few out of town routes run to the city centre and use a mini terminus at Shire Hall; presumably, for whatever reason, they will remain there!

405, 426, 436, 478

Here (centre) is Shire Hall c/o Google Earth ...

... and here is a reminder of the juxtaposition of all the terminal locations.

So, what infrastructure is to be provided for users at the railway station hub? Here is the published "artists impression".

Assuming the "artist" knows how big a bus is, and how big the new bus station actually is, there are five (maybe six at a pinch) head-in stands and three roadside stands. The various lists show 31 "country" routes and 3 city routes using the new facility.

The design nay look pretty but, if the fbb assumptions are generally correct ...

... it ain't gonna work! It's just too small!

Lets hope, for the benefit of Hereford's bus passengers, that fbb's analysis is wrong!

Toning Up : Hoovering Up

Actually Dysoning Up!

Cardboard base:

Ballast toned down from dark grey; but too white, not right ...

... but a straighter edge added.

Toned up, darker and better:

First pass with the Dyson:

Getting there!

Pulchritudinous Preservation

A picture appeared in an on-line item, of a preserved Southdown "Queen Mary". This is the bus in service but not the best picture for colour correctness.

This version turned up in "Pinterest'.

Sacrilege of the highest order.

But all was put right as per this picture of the same bus, up-fettled and preserved for all to enjoy.

Gorgeous!

Less Bus More Coach

In 2022 Johnson's, based in Henley in Arden (south of Coventry) sold its much respected bus operation ...

... to Rotala a k a Diamond Bus ...

... but the X20 is now run by Stahecoach, sadly using an X18 branded bus in the picture below!

The Johnsons coach business continues.

Now comes the news of preparation for expansion.

Isn't Technology Wonderful?

Train watchers have been promoting their pessimistic predictions for some time. Regional "control centres" may be "cost effective" but, if they go wrong, the consequences will be horrendous.

The above departure board is at London Euston and shows four Avanti West Coast trains cancelled.

That was because if a 90 second power failure in Manchester.

Here is one on-line report with a very worrying conclusion.

Something going wrong is bad enough, but, according to the final paragraph above, NOT KNOWING WHY it went wrong is much worse.

Even the BBC reported that such a failure was more far reaching than when there were lots if signal boxes,

Back in the day it would have been impossible for a large signal box to fail completely, unless physically damaged, e.g. in times of war! Here at Rugby No 1 box ...

... everything was mechanical.

This was Maidstone West signal box after a WW2 raid. 

Despite structural damage to the building much of the "interlocking" would have survived.

Failures could be covered by positioning "human beings" at signals with coloured lamps and hand written "authorisation to pass" tickets. Passing would be slow but safe.

And there were more trains on more routes back then.

fbb occasionally did trainspotting at Rugby and there were far more train movements in and past the station area than there are now.

Let's hope Not work Rail can work out why it all went belly-up and then make sure it cannot happen again.

 More Bits & Pieces blog : Sunday 9th Aug