Yearly Archives: 2024

Is It A Fable, This Timetable?

  It is odd how word meanings change over the centuries. A “fable” was always a pleasant but totally false tale, perhaps with a hidden meaning. Somehow, the falseness becomes lost and the hidden meaning changes to “something very special” when we use the word “fabulous” meaning “like a fable”. South Yorkshire PTE’s route 18 in Sheffield … … could…

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Satirday Variety

Diesel Electric? Gas Turbine Electric! Above is a turbine. A turbine  (from the Greek τύρβη, tyrbē, or Latin turbo, meaning vortex) is a rotary mechanical device that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful work. The work produced can be used for generating electrical power when combined with a generator. A turbine is a turbo machine…

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Sunday Variety

 Race For The Smallest Now fbb in his elderly naivety, always thought that a “shunting tractor” was a tractor used for shunting, as above or in model form below. It is true that such vehicles were often used at industrial premises where the occasional movement of wagons did not justify a “proper” rail mounted locomotive. But in full sized railway…

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99 At Sarfend; Twice?

Incredinly Italian! Rothesay – and yes, that’s Lena’s Family! Brora – and Peter and Lewis’ family. And if you don’t know where Brora is (fbb had to look it up!) here’s a map. It is in the traditional county of Sutherland which. of course, means Land of the South – hence its location in the far North of Scotland! Largs…

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Interestng Ipswich Information

Ipswich Has Two Bus Stations Tower Ramparts was the home of Ipswich Corporation buses, still Local authority owned today. Old Cattle Market bus station was the home of Eastern National buses, later First Bus. Since privatisation and following both competition and First cutbacks, other operators, including Ipswich Buses, will appear as it is the home of the “out of town”…

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fbb Has Tried But Is He Right? (1)

Who Knows? It is reported that the children of Shiregreen estate in Sheffield have learned a new “nursery rhyme” which they sing enthusiastically as they play their street games outside their homes on the estate. The words vary,  but are something like this. Buses, Buses See what the fuss is! Where does the new route go? Weird bus stop names,…

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fbb Has Tried But Is He Right? (2)

The Other Shiregreen Half? Yesterday, in amongst an attack of the screaming abdabs courtesy First Bus and Travel South Yorkshire, fbb managed to work out that the the current 75 (anti clockwise) round the Shiregreen estate “circle” was being unhooked and diverted elsewhere. See above for long term traditional (left) and upcoming revision (right). As a minor aside, from September…

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Who Was Sydney Anyway?

 Whoopsadaisy!  Yesterday’s blog [fbb Has Tried But Is He Right? (2)] was published in the afternoon due to gross incompetence on fbb’s part. For some weird and unfathomable reason the old man failed to press the “go” button before beddybyes on Wednesday. The blog is reprinted below, after today’s offering. ========================= It Might Have Been Called Townshend! “Sinny”, as the…

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Friday Reads – 9 August 2024

• TfL to push forward with DLR Thamesmead extension after consultation (Rail Magazine) • Elizabeth line: Toiletless trains blamed for forced door openings (BBC) • Holborn’s Secret Platforms (BusAndTrainUser) • Cockfosters station – an appraisal (London Rail) • Inside the Blackheath railway tunnel: Battling water damage & the weather (IanVisits) • America’s Most Exciting Transit Project (The Urban Condition) •…

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Monday’s Friday Reads – 12 August 2024

• Paris 2024 Olympic Games a Transit success, except in Accessibility (Slate) • No-car Games: Los Angeles Olympic venues will only be accessible by public transportation (AP News) • North End, London Underground’s Unfinished, Bomb-Proof Station: Video (Jago Hazzard) • Travel by train (or bus): Denver’s renewed Union Station (Sean Marshall) • The City That Might Be the US’s Transit…

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