Yesterday’s blog was published later in the morning. It was, as usual, fbb incompetence. The blog is republished below today’s offering for those that missed all the excitement.
Maybe we could copy the idea.
Of course, such a vehicle would need to be built for UK platform height rather than the French flat earth policy. But a nice rural green livery would look good on the more remote branch lines. Some embellishment would be needed livery-wise, perhaps just a modicum of decoration on the ends.
Would we call is “Draisy”?
I suspect Great British Railways would go for something more staid and solid. As it is like a bus on rails, how about “Rail Bus”.
Here is a mock-up of the idea – an excellent artist’s impression that looks almost real …
It’s a wonder nobody has thought of it before!
There they are; with screen easy to read from the pathway, as ever NOT (!). But look closely at those displays.
… and here’s another..
Mt K is mystified. He confesses the he can identify the left hand column, namely the route number (5C, T2, T10, 4A and X4); the right hand column is the time which is certainly NOT “real”.
However, in true Arriva crackpot style all through journeys between Bangor and Holyhead involve a change of bus in Llangefni; so, delving into possible electronic argot, 8262 might be Llangefni OT Holyhead. fbb votes for Llangefni!
And, in case you were trying to be clever and double-guess Gwynedd’s timetable database …
… it doesn’t appear under 4 or any of the other multiple variations either.
Corail (Confort plus Rail) brought new standards of luxury to S N C F InterCity routes.
Initially loco hauled …
… some trains ran later in push-pull mode with a driving trailer.
With the expansion of TGV, various Corail upgrades of stock and brand were implemented …
… in an attempt to maintain that 1975 aura of quality which, way back then, was supported by extensive publicity.
… but now, much like most of the UK, all you get is a trolley.
Because of the larger loading gauge compared with UK, even 2nd class seats were roomy …
… and first class even more so!
Eat your heard out poky Pendolino …
… and even the 800 series.
Cattle trucks by comparison. And before you shout “loading gauge” at high volume, what about an original HST?
… but with an utterly boring exterior livery. Inside looks posh in 2nd class …
… and super-posh in First!
There’s plenty of room to hang up your bike …
… and one of these in the vestibule in the middle of the train.
“un comble lacune”?
So now you know! Literally a “fill-gap“!
More Stunning Engineering
In passing we met two old aqueducts, one at Kirkintilloch and one at Stockingfield.
Before we complete the job with more stunnings between Stockingfield and Bowling, just take a look at this, between Stockingfield and Port Dundas.
This is the ancient Firhill Basin, labelled “Timber Basin” …
And here is today’s Google Earth view …
… with a cream coloured line all the way round the bend.
… which take walkers and cyclists safely and dry-footed on the site of the minimalistic bank that separated “basin” from canal.
You can see the old “timber basin” and the footy ground beyond the canal.
… and here it is with a tram on its way to Milngavie.
And here it is on a map.
Just a quick puff on a puffer and you are at Maryhill Basin(s) with a long pond …
… which was once Maryhill dry dock, used for ship repair.
And a small bit further on again we have this.
Now that’s what you call an aqueduct. Its four arches carry the canal over the valley through which flows the River Kelvin.
But that is another story.
Top level is a predecessor of the present Kelvin Bridge carrying the main Great Western Road over the valley of the Kelvin River. Middle level is the old road at this point. Bottom level, and very dark, is the river.
… and Kelvinbridge station (also on the Glasgow Central Railway) has appeared …
The line ran into a tunnel top left of the above picture. Most of the goods yard is now a car park for the Kelvinbridge Underground station (aka the ‘Subway”) which lies below and right on the above picture.
… Kelvin Bridge is bottom right. There is no canal at Kelvin Bridge!
The A814 Dumbarton Road was one of the main routes out of Glasgow serving the various communities that drew their wealth and their trade from the river Clyde. As is obvious from the map above, Dumbarton Road was crossed by the canal at Dalmuir.
Along came trams and more road traffic and something bigger was needed. Say hello to Dalmuir swing bridge complete with tram.
And here it is swung; showing the girder structure that ensured electrical continuity for the overhead cable which could be too low for some boats and thus had to be moved out of the way.
And then the trams were gone, but the bridge still swung!
But when the canal was closed in 1963, the City set about widening the road at this bottleneck point. And to widen the road …
… you simply fill in the canal, leaving just a culvert (big pipe) to maintain water flow.
The principle is simple. You build a large tank under the road with a lock gate at each end. The bridge deck is too low to let boats through, so, once a boat is in the lock, you close the gates and pump out the water. After the boat has sunk low and passed under the bridge, you refill the tank, open the other gates and off you go, bowling along to Bowling. (or vice versa_
A simple solution to an apparently intractable problem.
… and here is the new bridge.
There are many such!
It is a chippy! Wikipedia reveals the owners’ innermost thoughts.
McMonagle’s Boat, docked in the Fourth & Clyde Canal in the heart of Clydebank, is a world class fish & chip restaurant and Scottish tourist attraction. With both formal dinning upstairs and casual seating outside, McMonagle’s Restaurant provides a catering experience to suit everyone.
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