The Heart of Wales Line
By Ken Jones taken 9 April 2011
Ken Jones travelled on the Heart of Wales Line on Sat 9th April. It takes 4 hours to travel the 121 miles from Shrewsbury to Swansea either
in a single class 153 unit or a 2 car class 150 unit. Ken spent his four hours in a single car unit which was going onto Cardiff from Swansea.
With only 4 trains a day each way [2 on Sundays] you don't see many other units - despite the passing places Ken passed only one unit in the
entire trip. It was done as another of the Arriva Trains Wales 55 club starting from Birmingham International. More information about
the line on their website
HERE.
1. Map of the route.
2. 158822 has arrived from Shrewsbury and will take me from Birmingham International to Shrewsbury. This unit will continue to
Holyhead - see on this website
HERE.
3. Sign for the line at bay platforms at Shrewsbury - the logo is meant to be a Red Kite [I think].
4. Shrewsbury signal box - one of the best known in the UK.
5. 153320 arrives into Shrewsbury to form the service to Swansea via The Heart of Wales Line - see on this website
HERE
where this unit was working the Pembroke Dock branch.
6. Knucklas viaduct is one of 2 viaducts on the line and several tunnels.
7. 153320 rests at Swansea before going onto Cardiff.
8. I photograph a sprinter at Swansea - good way to advertise the Olympic Games!
9. 158831 arriving at Swansea will take me back to Shrewsbury via Cardiff and Hereford - still a journey around 3 hours.
10. Busy time for 158 fans at Shrewsbury. Unit 158826 will take me to Birmingham International.
See Ken Jones' railway website
HERE
Ken Jones. Added to website 12 April 2011.
Railways in Kent
By Ken Jones taken 21 to 24 March 2011
1. In East Kent the new high speed trains continue on slow commuter lines to places like Margate and Dover Priory enabling Ken to try them out
for comfort between Dover Priory and Folkestone. Here's a 395 unit passing through Wye station where the level crossing gates are still opened
by hand.
2. Unit 466035 on the Isle of Sheppey shuttle seen leaving Sheerness for the mainland.
3. Unit 375829 at Ramsgate looking like all the other units seen in South Eastern livery.
4. Ramsgate signal box still saying Southern Region - we also found NSE signs for 4 / 6 / 8 car stop at other stations.
5. At Whitstable. Note how the canopy has been cut to accommodate the footbridge.
6. Two slam door units can be found in sidings at the back of the now closed Chart Leacon depot near Ashford.
See Ken Jones' railway website
HERE
Ken Jones. Added to website 30 March 2011.
Two more shots of Gateshead
By David Gambles (25 March 2011)
David Gambles. Added to website 26 March 2011.
Bendy-bus on trial in Newcastle and Gateshead
By David Gambles
Mercedes Citaro BD57 WCY is being trialled by Go North East on Cross Tyne route 58 which runs from Heworth Transport Interchange, east of
Gateshead, through Gateshead and Newcastle and on to Hadrian Park, east of the city of Newcastle. The bus (MAL 95 in the London General fleet)
retains its London fleet livery and decals. As the bus stop infrastructure is not designed for bendy-buses a second crew member is on board
to guide alighting passengers to the appropriate exit door. If the trial is deemed to have been a success and some of the buses are permanently
transferred north, a considerable amount of work will have be carried out by the various councils involved to make the bus stops safe to use
by the articulated buses.
Also decisions will need to be taken about whether the wheelchair ramp, which is currently situated in the centre door, will need to
be re-located in the forward door. However, looking at the restricted width of the entrance gangway on this particular model of Citaro,
work will be required to widen the gangway by reducing the size of the front seat step and footrest areas on either side of the gangway.
If the buses come to Go North East at a knockdown price then the cost of modifying the buses would be worthwhile and provided the local
councils can be persuaded to carry out the work required at many of the bus stops, the idea could be workable.
Go North East already operate a small fleet of bendy-buses on the X66 Centre Link service which is a short, non stop route between Gateshead
Interchange and the Metro Centre, one of Europe's largest shopping centres, using Wright bodied Scania L94UA's with 51 registrations.
Speculation is that some of the current London vehicles will replace the Scanias.
One thing is certain about MAL 95 and her sisters, Boris Johnson will keep to his word and banish them from the streets of London and Go
Ahead will make great efforts to re-home them in other large conurbations such as the Newcastle Gateshead area.
MAL95 far away from its normal home in the London General fleet, pauses at Hadrian Park in the spring sunshine before setting off back to
the centres of Newcastle and Gateshead. © David Gambles
A small group of passengers board the bus en route for Newcastle at a bus stop bordering the main A1058 Coast Road which links Newcastle
with Tynemouth and Whitley Bay. © David Gambles
The bus moves off and prepares to join the three lane Coast Road, these vehicles seem to have a good turn of speed when required and on the
outbound run kept pace with the fast moving traffic. © David Gambles
One of the few bus stops which are suitable for use by the three door vehicles, in this case the driver having placed his bus
exactly parallel to the kerb. © David Gambles
The Citaro picking its way through the congested streets of Newcastle on its way to Gateshead. Maybe the Gypsy fortune teller can tell us
whether MAL 95 and her sisters will be a permanent feature of the north east bus scene? © David Gambles
Approaching Gateshead Interchange, en route to the Tyne Bridge and Newcastle © David Gambles
The interiors are pleasant but most seats are situated on plinths, OK for the able bodied but difficult for those less agile. Noise levels
at the rear were OK and in the front section engine and transmission noises were almost imperceptible. RIGHT:
The restricted width at the front section of the gangway would mean lots of work required to make the entrance suitable for wheelchair access. © David Gambles
One of the current fleet of Go North East Scanias. © David Gambles
David Gambles. Added to website 25 March 2011.
New Route For Cumbria Classic Coaches
By David Gambles and Tony Wilson
Commencing Easter 2011 Cumbria Classic Coaches will be operating a new Tuesdays only circular service between Hawes and the village of
Hardraw. The scenic ride from Hawes takes about ten minutes and passengers can choose to alight in Hardraw village centre or stay on the
bus whilst it completes the circular route back to Hawes. The village takes its name from the nearby Hardraw Force Waterfall
(England's highest unbroken waterfall) and the Pennine Way runs through the centre of the village close to the Green Dragon pub.
Three round trips from Hawes will depart from the Countryside Museum near the Rope Works at 12.20, 13.50 and 14.30 also picking up in
Hawes town centre outside the Market Hall. Concessionary passes will be accepted on the service which will be operated by one of
Cumbria Classic Coaches 1940's / 50's vehicles complete with conductor, giving passengers an opportunity to step back in time and enjoy a
leisurely journey.
Cumbria Classic Coaches run market day services from Kirkby Stephen to Hawes on Tuesdays and Barnard Castle on Wednesdays.
For more information telephone 015396-23254
Tony Wilson writes: One could almost be forgiven for thinking that Cumbria Classic Coaches are steadfastly stuck in the past. But that could not be further from the
truth especially in the light of current upheaval within the passenger transport industry, particularly out in the Provinces. For example the
whole fleet is now operated on completely carbon free bio-diesel and in many cases is run on a Demand Responsive basis.
The picture below shows one of the fleet, their 1949 vintage Leyland Tiger CWG 286 with handsome Alexander bodywork as it trundled down the
Mallerstang on way to Hawes emitting little but the odd whiff of reconstituted cooking fats. On this particular occasion it ran as a duplicate
in order to collect a larger number of passengers than the morning’s outward journey had carried. The manner in which the company is run allows
for this kind of occasion to be dealt with in such a way.
Regular passengers on this and other routes operated are audibly treated to the roar of the company’s two Tigers and visually uplifted by
the intensity of the surrounding sylvan setting and beauty of the Cumbrian and Yorkshire countryside. On this particular route one runs
parallel for several miles alongside the famous and picturesque Settle & Carlisle railway line, and may on occasion be rewarded by the fine
sight of steam hauled specials as they chuff, puff and rattle their way up and down the line.
David Gambles & Tony Wilson. Added to website 25 February 2011.
Norfolk play bus
By David Mobbs
Below are 2 photos I took when my good wife and I were having a walk starting near Briggate which is near North Walsham, Norfolk.
Does this bus have a history?
Also I thought your readers may be interested in the following link to the blog of a bus enthusiast who reports on the X1 First service from
Lowestoft to Peterborough. Click
HERE.
Neville Whitmore writes (15 February 2011):
560 BPW is indeed a rare survivor! There were 5,217 Bristol Lodekkas built but only 45 were of this FL variety, of which Eastern Counties had 6.
Similar 557 BNG is preserved.
David Mobbs. Added to website 14 February 2011. Neville Whitmore comment added 17 February 2011
Solihull buses: testing a compact camera
By Ken Jones
Whilst I'm happy with my Nikon DSLR camera I don't take it everywhere with me and so I've bought a Samsung PL200 compact camera and here are
some outdoor shots of buses outside Solihull Railway Station this afternoon (Saturday 12 February 2011), including one in negative mode.
Ken Jones. Added to website 14 February 2011.
Coupling a Pendolino
By David Gambles
I enjoyed seeing Ken Jones photos of his trip to Holyhead (on this website
HERE).
The close up of the class 57 coupled to a Pendolino made me wonder what happens to the cowling from the front of the Pendolino and here's
the answer - there are videos on YouTube showing the retractable Pendolino cowling.
David Gambles. Added to website 8 February 2011.
Birmingham Maglev
By Daniel Sellers
I found these items of interest regarding the Birmingham Airport Maglev, to transport people around the Station to the Airport.
First some information / pictures of the new funicular system here - the cars look like two Optare Solos joined together!
More informations on the Hows website
HERE
and on Wikipedia
HERE.
I have seen the Air Rail Link in operation at Birmingham Airport but never went there when the previous Maglev system was operating. I also
recall seeing the other Maglev car at Peterborough Railworld back in 2003, although I didn't photograph it.
Here is the old Maglev on YouTube:
. . . and news of the old carriage to be sold on the BBC website
HERE.
Unfortunately, the sale did not go to plan. See the news item on this website
HERE.
Dan Sellers. Added to website 22 January 2011.
Stoke on Trent Station
By Ken Jones (Photographs taken on 9 January 2011):
1. Quite a lot of original architecture remains at the station including this sign.
2. Picture from tiles at entrance to down platform from subway.
3. Cross Country Voyager unit 221 124 showing station roof and brickwork detail.
4. 390 035 has already arrived from Euston while 390 046 is just arriving from the NW.
5. Overall roof seen in this picture of 390 035 & 390 046.
6. Picture from tiles at entrance to up platform from subway.
7. 350 129 arriving from Liverpool.
Ken Jones. Added to website 20 January 2011.
Cambridge Busway update
By Tony Wilson (15 December 2010):
The Cambridge Busway's costs continue to climb ever upward and have now reached £181million and still the structure continues to remain resolutely closed and unused
by bus services. More information on cambridge-news website
HERE.
The fleet of buses that were acquired by Stagecoach in the Fens and Whippet remain unable to access the busway, a couple from Stagecoach
illustrated here. The double-decker being one of several Scania / Alexander Dennis Enviro 400s and seen here at the 2009 Showbus event at
Duxford, hence their 09-registration. This and the Volvo B7RLE / Wright seen here at the Fenstanton depot along with the remaining vehicles,
fortunately are able to be re-deployed on other duties until when (or even if), the busway is opened for use.
Tony Wilson. Added to website 16 December 2010.
Special Solo
By Oliver Foreman. Photographs James Foreman (14 December 2010):
Some may recall an autumn quiz on this website where your webmaster expressed disappointment at not getting the photograph he wanted
because the service was temporarily suspended due to roadworks in the narrow streets. (Quiz
HERE.)
The City was Durham and the unobtainable shot was a bus in front of the ancient Cathedral. The good news is that the roadworks are now complete and the shot
has been taken by James Foreman, nephew of the webmaster. I am grateful to James for putting aside . . . well, whatever it is students do all day . . . to provide
the photographs for us. No doubt
James was just trying to keep happy his crazy old uncle, but as he is reading physics he should find this bus extremely interesting.
No, it is not just another Optare Solo, but different from just about every other Solo because it is powered by electricity (not a
hybrid, by just electricity). The bus of the future? We will have to wait and see. It is interesting that these vehicles are used on such a hilly
route when the soon-to-be-launched Nissan Leaf electric car will only run 100 miles before requiring a charge (on this website
HERE).
We are in exciting times. We have looked at hybrid buses on this website before
(HERE and
HERE and
HERE).
Some early hybrid buses were not successful. Those on the Newcastle Quaylink service had to have a fleet of diesel powered buses standing by for when they broke down,
though now they have been given a new lease of life on a less hilly route. (See
HERE and
HERE.)
Other fuels are being considered such as hydrogen. Despite difficult times, the government is giving out millions of pounds
to those who are developing and testing these various forms of new technology.
Durham Cathedral may be ancient, but what is under the bonnet (or rather inside the boot) of the buses climbing to it is most definitely bang up to date!
The words on the back reveal all . . . but will these buses prove up to the task? The tendered service is run by Veolia.
It seems the experiments are not confined to buses. See this article on the Telegraph website (found by Colin Sellers)
HERE.
Text Oliver Foreman. photographs James Foreman. Added to website 15 December 2010.
Ex Trent in Hull
By John Moore (11 December 2010):
Ex Trent vehicles with Ellie Rose of Hull.Pics taken 11/12/2010.
John Moore. Added to website 12 December 2010.
Essex buses in the snow!
By Paul Smith (2 December 2010):
I realise you've been having it pretty bad 'up north' but we're getting our fair share of snow here in Essex as well, having had three days
of steady snowfall - and it's still coming as I write...
I've been out and about today, looking at how some of our local operators are struggling to keep services going in and around Colchester
so here's a selection of images taken this morning. The bus station scenes are interesting as the station is normally almost deserted of
buses on weekdays. Owned and operated by First Essex it is used as a storage area for overnight marshalling of buses and gets quite crowded.
A few other independents from outside town terminate here but, apart from one service, the buses of main rival Network Colchester are
not normally seen in the bus station. Today however, a number of NC buses were using the bus station to turn and change drivers in order
to relieve the lay-bys in nearby streets of congestion during the snow - a gesture no doubt taken by First in view of the conditions!
Paul Smith. Added to website 3 December 2010.