Yearly Archives: 2023

From Old High German for “Twisted”.

The use of the word “queer” for homosexual dates from as recently 1922 when it was a perjorative insult. For most of fbb’s life “queer” was simply a synonym for “unusual” and it is in this sense that it finds its way into today’s blog. All fbb’s readers will immediately recognise the splendid actor John de Lancie as the recurring…

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Look, The Tea Wagon Is Coming!

  But Not This Sort? The above appears as a Tea CART on the sainted Wikipedia, sometimes called a tea WAGON in the U S of A. It is not to be confused with a tea TROLLEY … … or even a tea TROLLEY! And this might well be referred to as a tea WAGON!  P owerfully  P ulling  P etroleum P roducts Those…

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Friday Reads – 15 December 2023

• New Subway fleet enters passenger service in Glasgow (SPT) • Limit reached in the UK train baggage area (RailTech) • Biden to invest $8B for nationwide expansion of passenger rail (Route Fifty) • Evolyn to launch Paris – London trains in competition with Eurostar (Railway Gazette) • Daylighting is a Cheap Street Fix that Saves Lives. Why Don’t More…

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Nestlé Cuts Ocean Transport Emissions with Maersk’s ECO Delivery Solution by Over 80%

Nestlé, the world’s largest food and beverage company, is cutting its ocean logistics greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by using Maersk’s ECO Delivery solution for 100% of its ocean containers shipped by Maersk in 2023, with an option to extend this agreement into 2024 and beyond. The seaborne emissions of these transports are being reduced by over 80% compared to the…

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An Unusual Livery?

  … Normally (?) Red, Green or Blue Livery is a very subjective thing but originally paint was applied to protect the structure, A single colour gave identity and mostly it was red, green or, more rarely, blue. There were some unusual colours. Alexander Northern and Newcastle Corporation were yellow; West Bridgford and Maidstone councils used brown. One colour that was…

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Using a car frame, boat hull, or phone case as a supercapacitor (Anthropocene)

Using a clever combination of materials and design, engineers have made a battery-like device that is strong enough to provide mechanical support. A new battery-like energy-storing device is also tough enough to provide protection and mechanical support. The device could lead to extra power stored in structures such as phone cases, electric vehicle frames and ship hulls. That would mean…

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Out now: Issue 303 of Passenger Transport

Issue 303 of Passenger Transport is published on December 15. Contents include:    LEAD STORY Christmas cheer!London’s buoyant retail and hospitality sectors has spurred public transport recovery in the capital. Outside of London, bus groups reveal ‘very encouraging’ year-on-year passenger growth of 5-10%  NEWS RATP Dev writes off London bus businessFrench transport group makes move as losses mount at struggling…

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Grand Union applies to run non-London trains

Open access operator plans Edinburgh-Cardiff service  GUT’s Cardiff to Edinburgh services could use Class 222s   Grand Union Trains is seeking access rights to run the first open access passenger services which would exclude London. It says its proposed services between Cardiff and Edinburgh via Birmingham would provide a much-needed uplift in capacity and cheaper fares. All current open access…

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