Gwiwer

53 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

I've heard it said that criticising Tim tams is al.ost as bad as criticising meat pies😲🤣

It is.  And in some states it remains a capital offence.  Same as barracking for supporting Collingwood 😉🤣

1 hour ago, Mike_Walker said:

"tvagot" is the Thames Valley & Great Western Omnibus Trust headed up by Colin Billington and based near Maidenhead.  He has loads of connections in the south west and much of his collection is based down there.  The group also organises the Kingsbridge running day in addition to that at Penzance.

 

Clearly they do need to work on the publicity side of things.

I have now received the program and can report that far from what has been said locally and what is suggested on the CBPG and PVBRD social media / web pages there does seem to be a good selection of vehicles and a comprehensive timetable.  

Colin Billington is a name I know as we have crossed paths before.  I also know Mel(vyl) Williams who is the main mover at the Penzance end of things having been WN's number one man on the ground there for many years.  

I would say there is need to improve on the advance publicity whilst acknowledging that this is an entirely volunteer-run event.  One can only expect so much from folk in their spare time.  

By way of illustration the CBPG lists their vehicles but does not refer to any others; many of their own are VoR with only a small number on the road.  This has led to local expectations of the event being very small and only a few public trips running.  The local media has stated, for example that "two trips will run to St. Just".  In fact the timetable shows a bus every 20 minutes all day out to St. Just covering all three of the route variants WN operated over the years and with a good variety of vehicles.  

"tvagot" is not a search term I would have come up with in a million years.  I only found the link by accident whilst trawling through the depths and links on other sites.  The event is well-known locally but I know of no-one else who bought the program and has timetables / vehicle duties in advance.

28 minutes ago, polybear said:

12 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

I've got one already. I call it the wife 😂.

 

Dave

 

Rumour has it that certain models can be (a) very expensive, (b) temperamental, (c) liable to play up at a moment's notice - or indeed any combination of the above

Confused of Clapham here.  

Well not Clapham any more but hey.  

Models that are very expensive, play up and are temperamental can be of more than one species.  I jettisoned the good-looking one with curves, moods and an on-off love affair with anyone who might pay her some attention.  I retained the one which says "Lima" stamped on its bottom, looks good but has always been temperamental and liable to play up.  Just to avoid confusion the one with curves etc. did not have "Lima" stamped on her bottom although she did have a pretty picture stamped beneath the wrappers on the front and it wasn't tampo-printed! 

In honour of the day being a good ‘un. Those of a nervous musical disposition may wish to avert their ears 

I have made further enquiries regarding comments made above.  And I have found a link to order programs.  Not in adequate time for them to reach me before Sunday however.  

Who knew that for something under the banner of Cornwall Bus Preservation Group a/k/a Penzance Vintage Bus Running Day I would have to search the internet for "Thames Valley"???  A body many miles away but somehow linked - probably through individuals - with the Penzance event.  

The various pages and FB sources for the event do not obviously direct anyone to the Thames Valley link and are silent as regards timetables, routes and vehicles.  Indeed the FB page for the PVBRT has an "events" link which directs you to nowhere at all.  

On Facebook there is an obscure link to something called "tvagwot" which of course does not come up in search results for the more logical enquiries.  

So if anyone connected with the event is watching I do know that there are programs available but it has taken so long to find the information, and it is so obscure, that I shall still not be attending.  Simply because I don't known what is happening when and where, I don't have the whole day to spend waiting for buses and I don't really want to ride around on something I drove for a living relatively few years ago.  

Evening all,

Dr. SWMBO has been delivered safely to London once more c/o the Go When Ready Railway.  14 minutes late tonight meaning she is unable (by less than 60 seconds) to lodge a claim for Delay Repay but it sounds like an interesting ride was had by those aboard.  

One engine cut out at Truro causing 15 minutes delay.  It appears that the driver was able to re-start it as time was steadily regained only to be lost once more facing a red signal at Taunton.  That was due to a broken-down train at Bruton so hers was sent, after leaving the Somerset town 17 minutes late, via Bristol.  Not via Bath through - they sent her the very long way round via Badminton.  Which did have the positive aspect of allowing the train to swap to electric power at Bristol Parkway and cruise at 125mph without a single signal check all the way to Paddington  Home Signal.  Where it was, as tradition requires, held briefly to allow something suburban out first.  

But to actually regain three minutes on schedule  when sent a much longer way round was as heroic as modern-day railway operation gets.  She has been that way once or twice before with the delay blowing out to around 40 minutes.  I almost wish I had been aboard with the stopwatch.  But any enthusiasm I had for train-timing has long since vanished.  I last engaged in that pastime when the trains to and from Cornwall were hauled by large blue boxes and you opened the door by turning the handle and pulling it towards you before finding a nice comfortable seat.  Every train now has data recorders ("black boxes" or "cab spies") and over-speed protection so even touching 126mph on a 125mph train would have brought the brakes on.   Those who still record train times do so now by GPS which is another ball-game altogether and not what I would choose.  

In other news the book goes off to the printer tomorrow for their first draft.  Still on target for 1st June publication.  Book the Second will be commenced once this hits the streets.

This coming Sunday sees the annual Western National Bus Preservation Group "Vintage Bus Running Day" based on Penzance.

I might have been interested had they thought to offer a timetable - or even a simple departure list - of what's happening and when.  The vehicles available are largely those types I was driving not many years ago and not what I wold call "vintage".  The nice older ones are VoR for the time being.  Mostly VRTs and LHSs.  No Lodekkas.  No SUS nor MW types.  And I have no idea of what and when will turn up out here but we are on the list of places to be visited.  

In fairness it's never easy running these things and certainly not cheap but a little more than "just turn up at Penzance bus station if you want a ride" might be very helpful.  

7 hours ago, John M Upton said:

They have changed the plan a little from the original proposals.

A marginal improvement in parts.  

Do the Victoria - Littlehamtons still get Hove shuttle connections or does Brighton - Littlehampton become another even more difficult option.  

One day the DafT might realise even they cannot get blood from a stone.  Machines can only work so hard.  They break.  They need maintenance.  They cannot be in two places at once.   Travel patterns post-Covid have shifted (often away from Central London working) but in truth since the train service has not been restored to anything like where it was before the operator and the DafT cannot reliably ascertain what demand patterns really exist now.  The 313s have gone but there is a little slack in the 387 fleet hence their deployment along the coast.  They have been familiar visitors to East Sussex for some time.  

Other omissions of note include the continuing absence of any direct service between Arundel / stations to Crawley and Littlehampton.  Empty trains arrive at Bognor several times an hour.  I have corresponded with Southern before on this and suggested one could usefully be diverted to Littlehampton.  They replied "Thank you for your correspondence".  End of.  

The timetable change appears on paper to be disastrous for most passengers and benefits no-one.  Bognor retains through trains to London for example but not to neighbouring Littlehampton.  Brighton loses its long-standing direct trains to Portsmouth.  There are still only two trains an hour along the west Coastway to and from Brighton despite sometimes serious overcrowding and folks from Shoreham eastwards having to abandon the railway as they simply cannot get on.  Among other things.  

29 minutes ago, Sidecar Racer said:

 

 

 Can happen to anyone .       😂

 

Falling like ..... errrr ........ 

Good Morning all. Welcome to Moan-day where the wind is moaning through trees and wires in empathy. 
 

The Little Red Driving Box is a 997cc Corsa. Not the most powerful of beasts. But after the first couple of trips I quickly adapted to the required technique to get the best out of it. 
 

With five speeds (six including backwards) gear selection is often matched to speed limit; 2nd for 20, 3rd for 30 and so on.  The A3071 Penzance road is neither flat nor straight with blind summits and deceptively sharp bends; it has no safe overtaking spots in eight miles. It is National Speed Limit throughout except for a half-mile at 30mph through Newbridge mid-way. The safe speed along most of it is 40-50mph. A classic case of the limit being “default” rather than “safe”. 
 

You can, should you wish, whizz past Tremethick Cross at 60mph having zero visibility of anything entering from the side turns until disaster is inevitable. The same is true for them - they cannot see you and have to go when they can. 
 

The LRDB takes this all in her stride. Second off the A30 roundabout and up Mount Misery. Up to fourth for the most part. Ease the speed passing Newbridge farm in the wiggly narrows and let her roll down to 30 for the village. Power up the hill beyond comfortably reaching 50 before more wiggles enforce easing to 40. Then 50 over the moors despite the twists and turns. Ease to 40 above blue pool’s s-bends then power through the dip touching 60 before the rise into town brings the speed down to the posted 40 then 30 for the town. 
 

I can do that without touching the brakes.  
 

Going into town is similar with a nice roll down Newbridge hill from 40 at the top to passing the limit sign spot on 30. 
 

Load her up with passengers though and it’s harder work. That’s when having the smaller engine makes a difference. 

Day 2. A busy show. A lot of interest. And another play-nice day. None of the annoying little glitches which frustrated me on its previous outing. 
 

Typical comments included “amazing attention to detail”, “so realistic” and “love the different levels”. 
 

Visitors from an 8 year-old girl to a 84 year-old veteran admitted to being inspired and our young friend asked her mum in front of me “Can I do that?”  
 

Yes. You can. I look forward to seeing you exhibiting your own work in due course. 
 

Porthgarrow is expected to appear at three more events this year one of which is by invitation only. 
 

Quite busy today.  It's on again tomorrow.  Plenty of interest in my modest offering which, for the record, is OO and OO-9 but not N-gauge.  

7 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Breath in here please sir?

Definitely one possibility.  

Others (not mutually exclusive, of course) include "Licence and Insurance, please, driver" and "Why are we not displaying an L-plate - and why are we carrying more passengers than permitted for a Learner?" 

The occupants appeared to be very young and three-up.  The manner of driving suggested to me either or both of inexperience / substance-affected.  Possibly even a non-driver at the controls having been goaded into driving their inebriated mates home.  

Day one of the event and the layout played nice. 
 

The lighting is a bit uneven and can be improved upon.
 

Porthgarrow has been invited to attend another event later this year; more details as the time gets nearer.
 

The mermaid who has appeared on all my OO layouts to date, and whom I thought had been lost in the house-move, turned up the other day in a rolling stock box. She disported herself today on Porthgarrow beach

Tail-swinger:

Bulleid luxury

The lighting is uneven but there were many very positive comments 

And look who’s back ….. 

11 hours ago, Barry O said:

drivers who stop at a roundabout which is empty.. its a Barnsley thing..

Perhaps the driver of the car I was following was from Barnsley. But likely not. 
 

Returning from a successful day’s exhibiting I drew up at the St Erth roundabout where the A30, Hayle Causeway and St Ives roads meet. The car ahead did not move off when the way was clear (i.e. empty roundabout) twice. I observed the passenger apparently prodding the driver who then pulled out into the path of an approaching HGV. 
 

As I followed the car onto the A30 I was then obliged to maintain a steady 19mph in the 30 limit as they seemed reluctant to go any faster. They also seemed reluctant to drive in a straight line preferring to occasionally cross the centre markings or veer towards the ditch.  
 

Behind me was ……. a police patrol car. So I pulled in at a bus stop and allowed them to become the following vehicle. 
 

That left me around six back in the traffic but close enough to see that one was clearly following the other. And in due course pulled them over for a few words. 
 

I shall never know the end of that story. 

22 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

Great Western to us is a motel chain

Best Western here. Because the “Great” has been appropriated for another industry. 
 

Just as Australians know the burgers are better at Hungry Jack’s. Because an Adelaide business was “The Burger King” and David beat Goliath in court when it came to a stoush over the branding. 
 

In other news Dr SWMBO arrived on time for a change. Which means her tally of Delay Repay claims is now 36 out of 42 trips. That’s 36 which did not arrive within 15 minutes of the advertised time. A few have been over 60 minutes late and two have been over 2 hours late. 
 

Not-so-Great Western Railway, then.