cary hill

Too much time on my hands, and probably Saturday if I can make myself a badge or two before then.

I've found another bus which couldn't have appeared at Brent without bending history, but I thought it worth investigating because it looked familiar. I was gobsmacked to discover that there is a very good chance that I may have travelled on this particular bus 50 years ago as a school pupil, because Leicester City Transport swopped six double decker buses for 6 ex-Devon General 1946 built AEC Regal single deckers in 1952, and they served out their last days in Leicester as school buses circa 1963-65. Seen here restored in the attractive Devon General livery at Kingsbridge in 2013, and as it would have looked in Leicester faded deep maroon livery in the early 1960's at Abbey Lane Bus Depot (it's actually one of the other five ex-Devon General buses). And to get back on topic here is the only known picture of the Finchings in Leicester. They are seen on the 48 Inner Circle Service, travelling to either Leicester Central or Leicester London Road Station to catch a train back to the South Hams, having caught the daily train from Grantham to Leicester Belgrave Road Station. I can date the photograph with great confidence to the Summer of 1953, as the Grantham service ceased in September 1953, and the fact that, apart from the Finchings, there appear to be no other passengers on the bus strongly suggests it was taken during the Leicester Bus Boycott of August 1953, a passenger protest against fare stage increases imposed immediately after the Industrial Fortnight holidays.

This is the best action from last night's match - ITV's Chiles and co getting a well deserved soaking. Pity Townsend, the master of the utterly banal and blindingly obvious, wasn't there too.

No idea what you are talking about .....not these I hope.... These are better: Two Kings and Two Western National Buses. One of buses is Service 177 for BRENT and the buses are at KINGSbridge. So nearly on topic as well.

I'm not surprised they weren't asked, as one of the Finchings took part in a "Strictly Come Dancing" pilot in 1949, which was never aired. Seen here in some stills, with Anton du Beke Senior, the South African hero of The Fall of Tobruk, although some people said he was an imposter and was really the son of an Hungarian emigre: A BBC Programme Controller, questioned many years later, recalled: "Ah yes, Miss Finching ....she drank prodigous quantities of gin before going onto the dance floor and was barely able to stand, let alone dance, and had to be dragged off at the end of the routine" "The progamme never aired because, on reflection, I couldn't conceive of a situation where intelligent BBC viewers would have the slightest interest in the antics of minor celebrities and "has beens" cavorting on the dance floor week after week. Not wishing to pander to the cult of celebrity we settled on the more egalitarian "Come Dancing" as a suitable format for a dancing programme. I felt sorry at the time for the compere of the "Strictly" pilot, he was a promising young tap dancer called Bruce ....can't recall his surname ........I wonder what happened to him......

If it was something like this Duke it would be good: http://www.modelmaker.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/gallery/Duke.jpg

Captain, I think the Finchings are usually marooned (sans footbridge) on the island platform , sharing a bench with some dodgy bloke, and sitting in front of the station running in board. I think they are allowed to visit the Ladies Room using the barrow crossing when traffic permits. Mind you they aren't there at the moment, as they are recovering in a Plymouth hospital after suffering a delayed allergic reaction to the "Spam" diet of a couple of weeks ago. The doctors will let them out next weekend as long as Bleakhouse Road is a Spam free zone.

I hope not as I was hoping to get away from football next weekend ......perhaps Sunday would be a better bet after all. Mind you the match ticket prices make me realise how lucky I am to be getting Premiership football up the road for £19 per match - admittedly not sitting with the Club Directors.

But they are not being displayed correctly - will you tell it or shall I?

Request for the week-end: Something doubleheaded with the locomotives working quite hard : http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2454334 or something less ardous near Tigley: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2439251 or drifting into Brent (presumably over the River Avon bridge?) http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2505540

According to Pannier Papers No4: by Sixsmith: "The condensing 97XX series were very different to look at, if that's not too obvious a statement to make. Tank capacity was increased by 30 gallons to 1230 gallons but coal capacity was down to 2 tons 16 cwt, from 3 tonnes 6 cwt. Other obvious changes are the condensing pipe and feed pump, the exposed smoke box and the tool box moved forward, let alone the curious circular vent in front of the dome. Their introduction saw the debut of the familiar and distinctive cabs with their rounded corners, cathedral like windows and closing shutter for the cabside. The 'spare' lamp brackets and toolbox are set further forward on the running plate because of the extended tanks and the water filler on the tank is set further back than on a conventional 57XX. There is a wheel under the bunker for the "dump valve" to get rid of water that was too hot for the injectors to work properly."

Now is this Rob getting more footplate experience on the West Somerset Railway, or has he been camping overnight outside the Ricoh to snap up some tickets for RMWeb Live or the return of the Sky Blues?

Integrated transport network failure in Watchet but I have got a bus on a bridge.

To compliment the video above, a couple of shots of "Waverley" from about 2 years ago. "Waverley" berthed for a brief time in Minehead harbour: Reverse paddling out of Minehead harbour a few minutes later.

More excitement to be had in a packed Great Britiish Bake Off tent than at a half-empty Wembley last night. Apparently TV viewers agreed too.

I knew Stephen Gerrard and Frank Lampard had retired from International Football, but I was rather hoping Andy Townsend had retired from International Football as well....... No luck there.... ....And whatever happened to Andy's brother Andros? - has he retired from International Football ?. At one time I thought he was going to win us the World Cup in Brazil singlehandedly with his wonder goals and then I remembered he plays for Spurs.

That's cheating! As students boarding the bus for our Lake District rambles in the University underpass was often the only "dry" bit of the day, common sense never really came into the equation.

Here's another view of 270 KTA before it set off for Brent. The destination "Brent Rly Stn" is (much) clearer on this one and it does have something in GWR colours next to it.

Don't be deceived - it's not quite so good when excessively moist and misty. When I was at Lancaster University we used to ramble in the Lake District virtually every week and I can count the number of times when the weather was excellent on one hand and a bit. Mind you we were rambling in the rainy season which seemed to last from October to May, unless it only rained on Sundays. Nevertheless spectacular when the weather is right.

I'm not disagreeing. I think my original Airfix one had solid pony wheels and had no grasp whatsoever of the concept of slow running.

Never mind a duplicate King, I wish they would attend to their Large Prairie and 14xx, as they've never really made their own just re-worked the old Airfix versions to death.

Somebody seems to think there's some CAD on Hornby's Faecesbook page that might be part of a King bogie - 20 years too late if it is. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/89870-Hornby-king/

That looks like a proper "design clever" spec unlike some other pale imitations available elsewhere.

Couldn't you be even greedier and include a visting OOC King or two

The layout is p*ss poor, but as you say a lot of stuff ......after a quick glance and tot-up: 16 DCC fitted locos including 3 sound fitted.- £400 (bit low?) 60 plus wagons - some stinkers included - £250 31 coaches - mostly Bachmann - £400 37 points and 3 slips, 35 yds of track and 2 controllers - £200 43 various Skaledale and Bachmann RTP items, although I can't see many silly money items immediately - £200 Looks to be a lot of boxed stuff Say £1400 - might be a bit mean? Pity the layout is only worth £6 rather £600......and the lead photo shouldn't be the layout, but that doesn't seem to stop 12 people an hour viewing it, although they may all be from this thread. But then a Devon Belle Set plus additional 3 Pullmans has just sold for £330 on eBay and some other loony recently paid £237 for a Sound Kidwelly Castle - so that's my loco estimate covered already. Late news re Flying Scotsman USA Tour Edition - a third eBay lunatic has recently paid £200 for one of those. eBay is so confusing these days