80th Anniversary P. S. Waverley ...
... or is it?It all depends.
She was launched on 2nd October 1946 by the wife of the Chairman of the London and North Eastern Railway Company.
Her Maiden Voyage was not until June 16th 1947.
Soon afterwards, under nationalisation she became a British Railways vessel.
Anniversaries of ships are usually dated from launch, but next year we can enjoy another 80th celebration of her Maiden Voyage.
Each year she has a very busy season shown below in summary for 2026.
Clyde Spring: Friday 8th – Sunday 10th May
Oban & Inner Hebrides: Tuesday 12th – Tuesday 19th May
South West (South Cornwall & South Devon): Friday 22nd – Monday 25th May
Bristol Channel & South West Wales: Tuesday 26th May – Wednesday 17th June
North Wales & the Mersey: Friday 19th – Monday 22nd June
Northern Ireland: Tuesday 23rd & Wednesday 24th June
Clyde Summer: Friday 26th June – Sunday 30th August
South Coast & Isle of Wight: Thursday 3rd – Tuesday 22nd September
London & Thames Estuary: Thursday 24th September – Sunday 11th October
Clyde Autumn: Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th October
Special events are planned for the October launch celebration.
And an fbb family snippet ...
The vessel was saved for preservation by a lavish donation from Mrs fbb's father, Jack Stewart. He sent £2.
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By far the best bit of a Waverley cruise is to stand and watch the original engines at work.
Not at all bad for an 80 year old! If only fbb were as smooth running!
The scenery is spectacular, particularly for the Clyde cruises!
Sprat and Winkle?
The name refers to a type of coupling used by more 'serious' modellers in OO gauge. The hook engages with a wire bar on the adjoining vehicle ...
Design: They consist of a thin, inverted metal hook and a bar configuration that retains a realistic cosmetic appearance (such as simulated 3-link chains).
Operation: Hooks stay locked together while pulling under tension. When pushed into compression over a hidden magnet placed beneath the track, a small counterbalanced metal arm (dropper chain) is pulled down, releasing the hook.
Delayed Action: Moving the locomotive back allows the uncoupled wagon to be left behind deliberately anywhere along a siding.
The name is taken from a branch line in Hampshire but no one seems at all sure how it got its unusual label.
For approximately 65 years of his interest in railway modelling, fbb had always thought that the name was derived from Mr Sprat and Mr Winkke who developed the couplings for their American modelling chums.
You learn something new every day!
Herewith a map of the Sprat and Winkle line, long closed! For the record, today's most used OO couplings are based on a similar principle but use a raised or sprung ramp to do the unhooking.Mr Sprat and Mr Winkle's hook is pulled DOWN using a magnet, whereas, with the more usual type (above) the hook is pushed UP by the ramp. The strange-lookimg 'swallow' tail (above right) fits into a socket on the rolling stock. Fascinating, isn't it?
Ironing Boards : More Excitementfbb was not entirely sure that he could tell the difference between Thameslink's old, hard, thinly covered and uncomfortable seats. 'Old' is on the left, 'new' in the right. Certainly the Thameslink hero on the right ...... doesn't look significantly more "at comfort" than the Thameslink heroine on the left. fbb remembered the good old days riding on seats with interior springing.First Class seats were particularly luxurious!What fbb had failed to grasp is that the new Thameslink seats do have interior springing. Compared with the above, it is fairly weedy springiness - but springs they are ...... in a thin sandwich between cushion and seat base. As far as fbb knows from his very limited knowledge of ironing boards, they do not usually have springs!
GWR Not Happy With TfWFirst GWR has acquired some cast-offs from Wales, presumably freed by Valley Lines electrification (?).
What are GWR complaining about? The trains at fbb's local, Axminster, were first introduced by British Railways (not "Great' back then!) in 1990 - creeping very close to 37 years old!
Puzzle PictureAn historic map, but if what?
Answer tomorrow!
The Power Of AdvertisingReaders may remember a recent intervention by Andy Burnham in the snack trade. He opined publicly that his favourite Greggs product was a sausage, bean and cheese "thing" - a slogan taken up with enthusiasm by Greggs PR people.
Well, lured by both politics and advertising, Mrs fbb brought back to fbb mansions the bake at home version, albeit wrongly named.
fbb will report fully on a
taste test in tomorrow's blog. Next Variety blog : Sunday 20th Sept
The historic map appears to show navigable waterways. (Stoke Bruerne is the giveaway.)
ReplyDeleteThe main problems with the 175s is that the leasing company left them rotting in a moist field for two years. Maintenance towards the end of their time at TfW also left a lot to be desired
ReplyDelete... and the mugs at GWR took on a new lease?
DeleteThe Sprat and Winkle name was once suggested to be because the line followed the River Test but with the river not being home to those fish and shellfish this was discounted by an article in the Railway Magazine in 1910. The line did have a traffic in fish from Southhampton however and the title was probably jocular.
ReplyDeleteAlan JS