On Saturday I travelled to Peterborough in the hope of meeting an acquaintance who was down for a Diesel Gala on the nearby Nene Vallley Railway. Alas the meeting never materialised, and let's face it after sitting in the cab of D6757 the other night I had no need of a Diesel Gala at a railway that actively publicises its dislike of people just coming to take pictures. I'm not a rich man so sod them!
Anyhow I had decided to split the day into two, first half trains and second half buses. However I'll concentrate on the buses this post as there is precious little happening in the bus world at the moment.
Unfortunately Peterborough is also in the bus world, and frankly it makes Ipswich look interesting. If E200's and E400's are your favourite - old models mind you as MMC's have yet to find their way there - then you will be in mundane Heaven. However I had chosen the right day to go for something totally unexpected and very welcome. I had seen from the railway station some bright yellow Olympians frequently crossing the bridge over the tracks and when I had finished my business on the station one of them was parked outside the station on a free shuttle service to I presumed the NVR for the Diesel Gala. I was wrong. It was further than that so I had a much longer than anticipated ride on Decker Bus of Whittlesey M18 WAL which turns out to not be an Olympian but a DAF DB250 with Northern Counties Palatine body. New to Walls of Sharston, hence the registration, this Olympian lookalike, soundalike and ridealike took me on a mystery tour ending up at the East of England Showground where the horror of all horrors was taking place.
Decker Bus DAF DB250 M18 WAL at East of England showground
I confess I am not into models of any description. I prefer the real article, and if I was to ever have a model railway it would have to be life size. You can probably work out the obstacles in that aspiration yourselves. So to stumble on this was the stuff of nightmares, even more so to see it cost a tenner to get in!
I'm a full size train enthusiast - get me out of here!
I had to get out of there fast and luckily within a few minutes a genuine Olympian had arrived, and one of my favourite types too. With Christmas looming I may as well do some hinting - if anyone would like to buy me an ex Dublin Bus Olympian I'd really be very grateful! T570 EGB was new to Dublinbus as 99-D-539 and those Alexander RH bodies are just superb, silent and strong as Alexander bodies used to be before molded plastic infected them. Add a friendly chatty driver and a perfect combination was formed.
Decker Bus Olympian T570 EGB at East of England Showground
Back to Peterborough and the bus station in what had turned into a very dreary afternoon. First spot was Great Yarmouth, or is it Lowestoft these days - never know where the X1 Enviros are actually allocated to these days - 33821 which is on loan to Kings Lynn as a lot of the E400's are now showing the strain of being on a route totally unsuited for them and breaking down with monotonous regularity. Pretty sure someone predicted that around 3 years ago.
33821 heading for Wisbeach
Delaine provide the only bright spot in Peterborough these days now Emblings have gone, and their uniquely liveried Geminis always look impressive. AD15 DBL is a Volvo B9tl Gemini2
Delaine Volvo B9tl AD15 DBL
And here's the matching pair - AD14 DBL, also a Volvo B9tl
Delaine AD!$ DBL on break at Peterborough Bus Station
In case you're wondering no there doesn't appear to be an AD16 DBL! Anyhow apart from that it was all Stagecoach E200's and E400's. Even the Stagecoach Gold service X4 to Milton Keynes was operated by 61 reg E400's. So I gave that up as a lesson learned and headed back to the station. Sorry Peterborough wasn't more interesting but you live and learn. Might have to try and get to Reading for a better bus & train day. In Part Two my rail activities will be reported, including some old friends of mine.
The year is 1971, the location New Hythe Station in Kent. A double decker Leyland Atlantean is waiting its time before commencing its journey. A friendly driver is entertaining an inquisitive 5yo boy, letting him sit in the drivers seat, close the doors and start the engine. The kindness of that driver was never lost on that little boy, and 45 years later I remember it as if it was yesterday. Maybe that was the day I decided bus drivers were ok and I wanted to be one. What it most definitely did was mould my own attitude to those people interested in what I drove or guarded. You wouldn't see me stick fingers up at photographers, if anyone had questions I would answer them, if kids waved goodbye at the train I'd wave back, or if in the back cab give them a toot and watch the parents jump out of their skin! It costs absolutely nothing. And yes, I got told off many times for having people standing up front taking to me!
Why have I just related all that? Well last night I was back at Lowestoft for yet another test train with yet another loco to die for. I had known that D6757, also known as 37057 was part of the test train. This particular 37 is in BR green and quite frankly looks amazing. I was praying it would be at the country end of the train so to be under Lowestoft's superb lighting, and indeed it should have been, but due to a late start Norwich was bypassed instead of visited and so was on the wrong end for me. Or so I thought. 37219 looking great in Colas colours brought the train into Lowestoft.
Tim had ventured to Yarmouth earlier to capture D6757 and this is the result - makes a change to see them in daylight!
D6757 at Great Yarmouth yesterday pic (c) Tim Miller
Now a little about our subject. D6757 was built, or rather completed on 5th October 1962 as I guess it took more than a day to build. Spending most of her life in the Northern half of the country at tourist hotspots like Immingham and Gateshead 6757 has spent most of her working career pulling freight. The odd sojurn onto cross country work must have made a pleasant break. Twice named "Vulcan" she went into storage in 2004 before being bought by Harry Needle and restored. Now owned by Colas and in full time employment once again this mighty machine is pulling test trains around the country as well as charter trains and railtours. She also looks really nostalgic in the gloom - does this really look like 2016?
D6757 at Lowestoft
Just after taking this picture the driver came strolling up, and I was pleased to see it was the same chap who had been so friendly with myself and Tim a few weeks ago. He recognised me and we started chatting. In fact we didn't stop chatting for his entire break and I discovered he came from the "keep people interested mode". He talked with pride about a young Essex enthusiast who he had got to know on Facebook who had told him where he and his Mum would be waiting for the test train the previous evening, and requests for toots/clag that he'd been only too happy to oblige. He'd even taken the boy's picture for him sitting in the cab of a 37. One nice, decent bloke who said "We have to keep them interested, and it's no expense to make their day by letting them see the cab or opening the throttle as I pass". Quality, and the sort of bloke who is worth his weight in gold for the public image of the railways. And that's before he invited me to take a look in the cab. My first 37 cab visit and I'll be honest, I felt as though I was sitting in a working museum. I've been in hundreds of driving cabs but this was something else, almost a shrine to the sheer brilliance of the English Electrics and their longevity.
The builders plate on D6757
It was time to go, and as well as my usual video at Darsham I wanted something else, so I left Lowestoft before the train and waited at Oulton Broad crossing. I just love the way she looms out of the gloom. Must be said 37219 doesn't look too bad on the back either.
One of the quirks of the East Suffolk Line is that at night the car is quicker than the train and so I made it to Darsham in plenty of time to wait for the spectacular. The driver had promised me a show, and I think you'll agree he delivered. Once again I recommend listening to this over headphones - nothing like it!
What an evening. I'm not going to name the driver as there's always one Moaning Milly who will object to someone being nice, but quite simply he made my day, just as that bus driver did 45 years ago. Another test train in 4 weeks time and if he's on it again I'll be there. An iconic loco being driven by a legend. Nice combination.
I'm off to Peterborough for a double header trip - half at the rail station and half at the bus station or near to it anyway. There's also a diesel gala taking place nearby but who needs that! It won't get close to last night. I will though have something about buses to post for once - it is so quiet on the bus front right now I just don't have anything to post. Hope it picks up soon.
First of all just to reaffirm that the strike planned for Monday 10th October on Ipswich Buses has been cancelled. Agreement has been reached, however, there will still be some services operated by Suffolk County Council - the 111/173/174 - so some odd workings will still be in evidence. Thanks to all those who commented and updated the previous post - welcome back Smurf!
Now to today's topic. Who can forget this line up at Caister Rd a couple of years ago
This line up was arranged for us in December 2014, and shows the afternoon run out for Bernard Matthews, which is obviously at its peak in November and December. The revenue helps maintain several of the lesser used services in Yarmouth and Lowestoft. However, as you may know Bernard Matthews ha recently been sold to the Two Sisters Group. What isn't so widely known is that BM was in administration before being sold, and only the business was sold, not the debts. This mean many local businesses are going to lose out. It has also been revealed that currently the two BM plants are operating at very low capacity, with only a skeleton workforce needed. The ripple effect of this could be on a tsunami scale
This is worrying. At this time of year the factories should be buzzing with pre Christmas production. Many buses should be needed to ferry the workers to and from the sites. The fact it's not could have serious repercussions for the travelling public of the region. My investigations have discovered that First were paid just before BM went into administration so it's not the fact they are owed much, but the demand for buses is so low for the time of year. Without this revenue First could be forced to axe services in Yarmouth and Lowestoft and who knows where else to spread the cost. We all need to keep fingers crossed that Two Sisters realise Christmas is coming and the great British public will be wanting their traditional fayre. If they don't this Christmas could prove to be a right turkey lasting far longer than the sandwiches do.
It is officially leaf fall season, where the trees of the land take revenge on everyone and aim their tired leaves directly onto the rail network, forming mulch that even the most costly of new trains can't handle. And so Network Rail's fleet of Rail Head Treatment Trains can be seen at all hours of day and night, mainly night, spraying the rails with anti leaf antifreeze materials as well as blasting the mulch from the line. In the past the class 20's and 57's have been used for this task, but this year looks a little more mundane. Ubiquitous Class 66 "Sheds" have been spotted, all be they rarer DRS examples, but intriguingly a couple of extra Class 68's have been seen at Norwich this weekend. There isn't a 66 in the world that would force me out of bed in the dead of night to picture them doing RHTT work, but a couple of 68's might just do that, so watch this space. UPDATE: it seems 68's won't be operating RHTT trains but 37's might, and you all know about my love of 37's.....
One little piece of trivia - I was at Southwold on Friday when something rather unusual honed into view. What had escaped everyone's radar is that First Lowestoft currently have on loan Ipswich B7rle 66850. According to the extremely friendly and jovial Lowestoft driver (yes I know what you're thinking) it had been there over a week. No idea how long it's there for but it would appear the Lowestoft drivers are getting rather bored of being asked if they're going to Ipswich!
First Ipswich 66850 at Southwold on the 99 to Lowestoft
And that is about it, a really slow news week. Hopefully this week will be a bit more newsworthy. Take care everyone.
It was announced yesterday that Ipswich Buses drivers are to stage a one day strike this coming Monday, 10th October. The reason cited is wages for new drivers, which is some 25% lower than that of established drivers. However I have been aware for sometime of unrest at Ipswich Buses and I'm sad but not surprised that relationships between management and unions have reached this low point.
However some of the figures are quite startling. According to the Ipswich Star two thirds of drivers have accepted an offer of £11.00 an hour, but it is the new driver rate of £8.66 which is the main bone of contention. The company has offered £8.81 an hour but the union wants £10ph.
Now it must be said that I would want a pretty high hourly rate to be persuaded to drive around Ipswich day in day out. But it's also worth comparing the rate Ipswich Buses drivers get compared to other operators. Rates around the region vary, I'm not going to name operators but I know of rates of £9ph, £10ph, £10.50ph, even an exceptionally low £8.08ph. I'm reliably informed that down in Kent the big operators pay between £10 - £11ph (I was on £3.31ph in 1987) and even in London where everything is so much more expensive and pressurised you'll be lucky to get £14ph. One Commercial Director I spoke to this afternoon confirmed it's fairly standard practice for new drivers to be on a lower rate for the first year or so. I couldn't be more against that practice. It should never be forgotten that bus drivers carry the most precious cargo there is - us! Our children, parents, grandmas, friends, spouses all entrust their lives to the skilled chaps and chapesses behind the wheel and the responsibility of that cargo doesn't change regardless of how long a driver has been on the company. Ironic that HGV drivers get considerably more than bus drivers yet who has the more valuable cargo?
Considering that the starter rate on Ipswich Buses is higher than some operators pay their established staff, and their enhanced rate is the highest in the region I can discover, then I am more and more convinced this dispute is about far more than just money. Having said that Ipswich Buses, like Hedingham are cancelling services on a daily basis due to "driver shortages".A starter rate that far below the enhanced rate isn't going to do much to attract new drivers to the firm.
I would suggest that something has to be done to settle this dispute and quick. Unions are flexing muscles at the moment in many areas and we don't want this dispute to become another Southern Trains dispute, which is now so far down the line (sorry couldn't resist that) neither side can afford to give in now without losing a whole lot of credibility.
Ipswich Buses say they will run a skeleton service on Monday but cannot guarantee any one service. If there are any further developments I will of course publish them here, but keep an eye on Twitter as I will also retweet anything coming out of Ipswich Buses - which has been strangely quiet on the subject thus far. Follow me @busandtrainpage
I will never get invited by Frank Skinner to appear on Room 101. This s a shame as it means I'll never get the chance to vent my spleen on national TV about one of my pet hates that has festered inside me from a very early age - advertising and in particular advert actors and/or adverts that treat us as complete idiots. Just who are these people meant to be who you see in posters and leaflets with their perfect nuclear family, with their ridiculously perfect white teeth, in their spotless kitchen at 0730, in solitude on a deserted beach or having the immaculate hotel pool to themselves without a German towel or beer bellied tattooed ignorant Brit in sight.
Anyway before I burst a blood vessel let me get to the point. Transport advertising is no better. Tell me honestly have you ever seen anyone in a bus/train advert within a country mile of a bus stop or rail station? Me neither so who exactly are the companies aiming at? This is the sort of thing I'm talking about.
Just No!!!
That is just unrealistic and we all know it. For a start those kids can't see out of the window and they're not arguing over who sits in the inside. I admit to be rather scathing over ads like that, and also ads that make outrageous claims. Only the other day Stagecoach Norfolk tweeted this, although I suspect it's a national campaign as I seem to remember choking over it somewhere before.
Never enough hours in a day? Buy your ticket online & buy yourself a little extra 'me' time! http://stge.co/sZiX304ItEP
Excuse me? Can anyone explain this? So you spend at least 15 mins buying a ticket online by time you've registered, logged in, got past the intrusive advertising, attempted to buy the wrong ticket, gone back and found the right ticket, entered your card number six times, gone through bank clearance etc etc etc. So let's enjoy all the extra "me" time you're going to get. Do you have to leave home the same time. Yes, as the fact you bought your ticket online won't change the bus timetable so it will still turn up (hopefully) at the same time. So no time gained there. Paying the driver takes around 10 - 15 seconds but that can hardly be regarded as "me" time. So where is this time you speak of O Stagecoach. Was that tweet/ad really thought out? Anyway the downside with smart ticketing is if your phone malfunctions, or you forget it, lose it, have it stolen or just run out of battery then you have no proof you have a ticket, and a couple of hours overtime could make the difference. Prepaid smart card fine, but they have been around for decades - I was accepting them on buses in 1994.
First are not immune either. Earlier in the year I stopped following all but one of First's Twitter accounts as they seemed far more interested in updating their customers on the activities of a plastic garden gnome called Norman than they were in updating customers on how the buses were running, which for your information, First, is why people follow the accounts. Even various First people I spoke to agreed with me, so where that idea came from beats me. Someone who drives to and from work no doubt. So now the only First account I follow is for some bizarre reason First East Scotland, and today they tweeted something worth tweeting, linking to a piece connected to Customer Service Week.
Something that has been highlighted this year, with the cuts in disability benefits is the issue of "hidden disability". If someone is missing a leg, has a guide dog, a second head etc everyone can see it and make allowances. However can you tell if someone is deaf by looking at them? Epileptic? Dementia? Of course not, and nether can bus drivers, so First have come up with what I think is an admirable initiative. This is actually a re-launch as the original launch did well but First want to encourage more to take it up. Quite simply, and it is so simple, the passenger has a card telling the driver what their hidden problem is so he/she knows to make the appropriate allowances. I'm going to reproduce the majority of the press release as I think it is such a good idea. Now this sort of advertising I'm all for, and no unrealistic characters or claims involved.
The
UK’s leading bus operator, First Bus, is helping celebrate National
Customer Service Week (3-7 October) by relaunching its industry leading
‘Safe Journey Cards’ and ‘Better Journey Cards’, which are designed to
help customers use the bus.
Their introduction has helped many
people use public transport where previously they have faced
difficulties. The cards allow the passenger to discreetly communicate a
specific message to the driver. This can include:
‘Please scan my pass for me’
‘Please count out my change with me’
‘Please speak slowly, I am hard of hearing’
‘Please wait for me to sit down’
‘Please be patient, I have a hidden disability’, which can include the effects of Alzheimer’s for instance.
‘Please tell me when we reach my destination’ – the passenger can fill this in with the appropriate location.
There are also sections where the customer can customise his/her own message to the driver.
The cards have proven to be so
successful that they have been adopted by much of the UK Bus industry.
First Bus has relaunched them this week to encourage more people to use
and benefit from them.
Managing Director of First Bus,
Giles Fearnley, said: “Customer Service Week is a much celebrated event
and a good opportunity to re-launch our Safe Journey Cards and Better
Journey Cards.
“These cards offer our customers a
way of discreetly communicating with our drivers. Quite often people
want to ask for assistance, but they’re unsure how best to do it. While
customers can, of course, just ask for any help they need, not everyone
finds this easy, or is able to speak clearly. In these instances, these
cards give people a way of asking for assistance in a simple, easy and
discreet way.
“The feedback we’ve received from
those that use them has been exclusively positive. We want to remind
customers of their availability, so if a passenger chooses to use them,
they can travel by bus with more confidence. I’m really pleased to be
re-launching them this week.”
So in a world full of misleading, patronising, unrealisitc advertising well done First. I think this is a brilliant scheme, and I look forward to other operators following suit and really pubicising it.. In the meantime I'll work on my other picks for Room 101. Window hangers watch out.....
