Sunday Variety

Stagecoach Stockport Switch Suspended

The cunning plan was to add all 170 electric buses to the Stagecoach fleet operated for Manchester's Bee Network. But it simply isn't going to happen for a good few years. The headline (above) quotes a "depot difficulty".

Here is the Stagecoach depot at Stockport, sheltering under the shadow of the famous railway viaduct.

A peep though the door reveals plenty of space.

Indeed, it appears that there is more than enough room for the depot to be used as a staff car park.

There are cars all around!

And there is still plenty of room. The depot has been rebuilt and is very good condition ...

... you couldn't even use the word "tired"!

GROAN!

So what is wrong with the depot?

Answer, nothing!

Those vehicles are being part-funded by the first round of the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas scheme via a successful bid led by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Most recently it had been envisaged that the depot work in Stockport would be complete by Q3 2025. However, a report to go before the GMCA Joint Clean Air Scrutiny Committee on 26 September notes that “challenges to site availability” have pushed that back by at least a further three years.

In an indication of the scope of difficulty in finding a suitable location for large-scale battery-electric bus operation in Stockport, the report says that TfGM continues to work with Stockport Council to source one and that the new depot is expected to be operational no sooner than late 2028.

No sooner, so could be later, much later

The Volvo BZL fleet intended for Stockport will instead be deployed from depots including Middleton – which Stagecoach operates under the second tranche of bus franchising in the city region – and Hyde Road and Ashton-under-Lyne. The latter two are currently outside the Bee Network but will move from Stagecoach to Metroline in early 2025 under the third tranche.

But there is still no explanation of the "problem" at Stockport depot.

One of fbb's correspondents has hinted (expertly) at the depot difficulty.

There is not enough electricity. The pipes delivering the electric to that part of Stockport are far too small to fill up 170 batteries overnight. The only way it could be done is to switch off the whole of the rest of Stockport overnight.

This would not be the most popular decision.

It will take at least until 2028 to upgrade the supply and, it seems, the National Grid is uneasy about spending the money.

Blog readers may remember a relatively recent BBC documentary which revealed that the UK has a shortage of generating capability and, even it extra power stations could be built in time, the National Grid would need massive investment to deliver said juice to where the chargers would need to be charging.

And that means more and bigger pylons ...

... and we know how popular they will be - and very expensive!

It's all going terribly well - as confidently predicted in this blog.

First Has Another Trainset ...

... with second-hand rolling stock!

The story so far:-

ORR will allow Grand Union Trains to run four return services a day between Stirling and London Euston, starting in 2025.

The trains would call at Larbert, Greenfaulds (for Cumbernauld), Whifflet (for Coatbridge and Airdrie), Motherwell and Lockerbie, and in England at Carlisle, Preston, Crewe, Nuneaton and Milton Keynes Central. 

Larbert, Greenfaulds and Whifflet would all gain their first direct services to London.

The company said it will use former Virgin Class 220/221 trains that are stored off-lease. 

Some publicity shows 225s from the East Coast main line ...

... but, pre take-over, Grand Union has said that it would use diesels because of, guess what, "power supply problems on the West Coast main line"!

First has not, so far, revealed what trains it will operate.

In the longer term, Grand Union aims to use electric or bi-mode trains, but added that “with current power supply being an issue on the WCML” it would use diesel power throughout the electrified route.

Grand Union was also planning to run from Carmarthen to London but this project appears to be stalled and is not included in the First Rail take-over.

More New Old Trains

Strange things continue to happen in the OO gauge model railway world. 

In the good old days, you either started with a Triang set ...

... or, if your parents were indulgent, you had Hornby Dublo ...

... and you grew the model from there.

Now it is much more toys for very old boys! 

Recently there has been an outbreak of real nostalgia models, dating from before the current crop of wealthy old biys were alive.

First Hattons announced their "Genesis" range of generic four and six wheel coaches in a plethora of ancient liveries.

These coaches were not models of any specific type, but acceptable examples which would pass muster for all but the most pedantic and specialist of modellers.

Then Hornby did the same.

fbb had intended to get samples of both, but Hattons sold out so quickly that he missed out! But Hattons ordered a second batch from the factories way out East. Then Hattons closed down but the "second batch" was taken over by Rails of Sheffield from whom fbb has ordered a sample due for delivery very soon. Well, the old miser has paid for it!

Both companies offered a huge range of liveries all available with optional internal lighting.

But fbb suspects that no more will be produced from either stable,

So expect a very belated contrast and compare in a future blog.

Then Rapido, well known for its eclectic range of very accurate (and very expensive) old-style models, announced something out of character.

They would be offering a truly huge range of "generic" bogie non corridor (suburban) coaches in oodles of different liveries. And they would come with lighting as standard.

Their video explains.

In a rush of financial resource from the pocket and blood to the head, fbb has ordered one. He will have to wait until later in 2025 for it to materialise, by which time he will probably have forgotten that he ordered it.

He doesn't pay for it until the model is in stock.

For comparison, here is the very first clerestory coach (pronounced "clear story" being the extra "storey" on the roof with clear glass to allow more light into the carriage) offered by Triang in the very early 1960s.

Back then we thought it was wonderful!

Two New UK Platforms ...

... but not yet open. A Puzzle Picture.

But where are they. A clue?

The bus is on route 395 to Stony Stratford.

 4 Days to Go 

 Next Ashley Down blog : Mon 30th Sept 

Alstom Anxious : Hitachi Hopeful (2)

Good News For the North East

There was dancing in the streets of Newton Aycliffe when it was announced that a brand new train building factory was to be built on a brown field site just outside the town.

The Newton Aycliffe facility was created as a result of the Agility Trains consortium being selected to produce high speed trains for the Intercity Express Programme in 2009. During 2011, Hitachi announced its selection of the site and construction work commenced two years later. The 43,000 m2 (460,000 sq ft) factory, which was officially opened on 3 September 2015, was completed at a cost of £82 million. Initially, the facility only performed assembly, using components that were produced elsewhere to complete trains, and no actual manufacturing operations took place. However, some manufacturing activities have been performed at Newton Aycliffe for later-built trains.

The factory is notable as the source of the 800 series of trains.

Originally, the factory assembled the Class 800 and Class 802 trainsets for the IEP. However, Hitachi subsequently secured further orders, such as to produce Class 385 EMUs for the Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Programme, Class 802s for TransPennine Express, and a fleet of 165 vehicles for East Midlands Railway. By 2020, the plant reportedly employed around 700 people, and was engaged in building the Classes 803, 805, 807 and 810 trainsets. 

Bad News For the North East?

All was looking hunky and dory for Hitachi after it secured a share in the project to build the trains or the High Speed 2 line. But as we know, Rishi has scuppered most of that and Keir won't reverse the policy.

Not good news ... BUT!

Faced with the "black hole" in the Government's finances (isn't there always a black hole when a change of government happens?) you do wonder how the lovely Louise (this week's Transport Minister) is going to manage it.

Meanwhile down souh at Derby ...

Alstom looked like joining the Closure Club which, if both "go under" would mean that there would be no train building left in the UK. 

The press are, as expected, full of doom and gloom.

Bad News For Derby?

With the end of production of the Aventras of assorted hues, there is no work for the lads and lasses of Litchurch Lane.

Illustrated above are the Aventras now trundling up and down the Elizabeth Line line in London.

... and there's more.

Good News For Derby - For Now

Hooray! The very nice people at Transport for London have worked out that passenger numbers on the purple lines have grown so much that they need more trains.  Thy need ten more trains.

Presumably the original contract for the main fleet included some complex add-on deal which has now been switched on.

A £370 million should keep things going at Litchurch Lane for a week or so.

Huge sighs of relief.

The North East Awaits

Will the lovely Louise pull the wiggly rabbit train orders out of the government finances empty hat?

The Labour Party might not want to risk losing votes once again from its "red wall" heartland; so expect the bunnies to start gamboling all over Newton Aycliffe in the very near future.

Meanwhile, many pensioners will be shivering this winer.

Thankfully, the fbb's finances, combined with a brand new boiler ...

... will ensure that they manage, despite young Rachel's efforts to ensure otherwise. And the fbbs have got "Hive" - whatever that may be.

 Next Variety blog : Saturday 7th Sept 

Sydney Monorail (2)

Particular Problem with Parking

Most readers will be familiar with how a model railway "point" (a k a "turnout") ensures that a train can move from one line to another. Essentially the two blades slide across creating (in the above example) a curved route instead of a straight route.

But it is not so easy with a monorail where there is only one girder to support the train.

In this case a whole girder has to move. Here is an example of such a contrivance on a Japanese monorail

A chunk of track has to move to connect with the turnout route. Here it is in video.

The Sydney system was just one "circle" of track but with no junctions. Nevertheless it was necessary to remove trains from the "circle" for maintenance or to tuck them up for the night.

Here is a train passing the depot ...

... and a view out of the back window having passed the depot.

The complex engineering beneath the "rail" is a traverser.

That stretch of trackway, one train in length (apologies for the foreshortening), can trundle sideways ...

... and the train posed thereupon can then park in a siding alongside all the others.

Clever, eh?

Magnificent Maintainance Machine

To allow for maintainance when trains were asleep in their sidings, the monorail operated a couple of special vehicles.

No doubt they did their job well despite their crude appearance.

Evacuation Escapology Equipment

Another problem is what to do if a train conks out. Failing in a station would be not too bad, but failing whilst out on plain line would be a tad troublesome. If the rail is reasonably low ...

... then a ladder would do. But some of the sections were higher to pass over road junctions. Here a so-called "cherry picker" was called in.

It does appear that the reliability of the system was less than would have been expected.

Expectations?

Also less than expected was the number of passengers. Some accounts say only half the projected totals were ever carried and certainly not enough to make the monorail commercially viable.

After 25 years of operation, the challenge of stock renewal loomed.

To add to all this gloom and doom, there were plans for further development of the Darling Quays area which would have entailed major (and expensive) rebuilding of the track.

Sadly it always was a commercial failure!

Demolition Came Quickly

Steelwork was cut up using oxyacetylene torches ...

... then the metalwork was lowered to the ground.

This left some stunning and obscure street art in place until the last bits were removed.

Some looked quite spooky!

Stations were left suspended in mid air and served by nothingness.

Indeed, the stations were the last to go!

And before ...

... and after!

Soon, Sydney's splendid above the floor but fatally flawed monorail was no more.

But not quite.

Parts of it live on.

Remember those girders, removed by flame and crane? Above we see them in a warehouse ready for recycling.

A road junction was being widened ...

... and the monorail girders formed an ideal basis for an extended bridge.

The bridge, appropriately, is over part of the Sydney Metro!

Should you be touring New South Wales, you might visit the Inverell Transport Museum. It is a smidgen over 300 miles from Sydney (remember Australia is, to use an important geographical term, BIG!

Here you will find just one third of a Monorail car serving, ignominiously, as a welcome icon outside the museum.

Sigh!

The content of tomorrow's blog will depend entirely on the progress of preparation for our Fellowship Meetings due on 2nd and 3rd September. This progress hadn't started yesterday because of the weekend visit by No 1 and No 3 sons.

 Next Undecided blog : Weds 28th August