My apologies for lack of posts over the last few days - this being mobile again is taking some getting used to. In fact I've clocked up close to a thousand miles this week with a hospital visit in West Sussex and taking a friend up to Cleethorpes on Friday, together with general buzzing around all over Suffolk, which I'm only just realising is so vast and spread out. "Nipping" from Beccles to Woodbridge, as I did on Wednesday would have taken at least 3 days planning for the equivalent journey down in Kent!
However, I have not been idle, and have managed to fit in a few things to post about as well, so here goes. Tuesday saw my little Fiat brave the journey to West Sussex for my latest appointment at the eye hospital. The journey went so well I had time to pop in somewhere I have been meaning to for quite some time now, but have never quite got round to. In 2013 the Bluebell Railway re-opened its station at East Grinstead to provide an easy link from Southern's terminus station and also to allow much easier access for visiting locos.
Bluebell Railway's East Grinstead Station
Demonstrating just how close Bluebell are to the Southern station
While I was there I was lucky enough to see one of Bluebell's eye catching steam locomotives. Camelot is a preserved BR Standard Class 5 4-6-0, originally built in 1955, working on Southern Region, then withdrawn in 1966. After languishing at Barry docks for 10 years she was purchased by the 73082 Camelot Locomotive Society and moved to the Bluebell Railway. Returning to service in 1995 Camelot worked on the Bluebell Railway until 2005 when she was withdrawn for a 10 year overhaul. Returning once again to service last year she looks rather impressive, and that's coming from a self certified non steam enthusiast!
73082 Camelot
Now a little teaser for you. If you were to be transported back to Kent in 1980 what did all these places have in common? Borough Green, Maidstone, Hawkhurst, Tenterden, Sittingbourne, Sheerness, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Edenbridge, Luton (Chatham) and Gillingham? Answer - they all had bus depots operated by Maidstone & District. 36 years later only Gillingham, Maidstone, Sheerness and Tunbridge Wells remain, and now it has been announced that Tunbridge Wells is soon to close too. So after a very positive hospital visit I took the opportunity to drive home via Tunbridge Wells to take what could be my last pictures of a depot I will remember with fondness, as Tunbridge Wells was one of my old stamping grounds as a teen, and I travelled on a lot of the TW fleet regularly. Now under Arriva management it still looks the same as it did all those years ago. The town won't be the same without it.
Tunbridge Wells bus depot
A mix of vehicles inside the depot
Thursday was a frustrating day. The majority of it spent watching the car have a new rear bush fitted, which sounds simple but took the best part of 9 hours. As such I was unable to get to Norwich to see Network Rail's observation coach "Caroline" with BR liveried 37401. Extremely frustrating, but this frustration was somewhat tempered later in the evening when another test train, topped and tailed by two more 37's took a trip up and down the East Suffolk line. This is where being mobile again comes into its own, as I worked out where the location for the best "clag" would be, and so ended up at Darsham station, and took the following video of 37608 and 37611. Headphones on and volume to 11.
I have a few things planned this week so hopefully it won't be as long before the next post. Enjoy the sun.
Thank you for your concern, whoever you are. A few years ago I regarded my sight as too poor to drive and voluntarily surrendered my licence. Surgery improved my vision to the extent I passed the required standard to regain my licence. there were still day.s however, where I would not have been able to drive. But hopefully these drops, which reduce the size of the pupil in my bad eye and thus the distortion, should solve that.
Incidentally you may not be aware but it t perfectly legal to drive with only one eye. Having spent 4 years with my left eye blacked out (and not driving) I can tell you the lack of field of depth having sight out of only one eye produces would scare the bejezus out of me if I were to attempt to drive in that condition.
But if you think you know the state of my vision better than my consultant or myself perhaps you could identify yourself so I can arrange my next consultation with you.
What your post does sadly indicate I that in the East of England a car is essential to get anywhere realistically unless you have a day to spare to do a 30 mile journey and don't mind the risk of getting stranded when buses do not connect.
It's complex. Fifty years ago, my family did day-out bus trip. Why? We didn't have a car. I think it's still the same today, as I found last year when I didn't drive. You can cope with the cost and inconvenience, if you want to. If you don't, you won't.
I've noticed that when I go to leisure events, more people seem to be turning up by bus, when it's possible to do so. A sign of hope? I don't know. But it's no good providing buses, to anywhere, if no-one uses them.
Ah, but it is by train. And if we're talking need the mode doesn't matter. Nor does the cost (within reason). I might like a Rolls Royce (actually I don't, so an MX5, then), but I don't need one - a geriatric's runabout suffices.
Duh! Mind you I'm the world's worst example having bought an old little sports car (as well as the geriatric runabout), just for the sheer devilment of it, and fun (if that's the word). FEx: compete with that!!! That should be enough to get me banned from every public transport blog in the world!!!
I would add though it is a whole lot easier to cut a bus service than it is a train service. Maybe it shouldn't be. Maybe the Traffic Commissioner shouldn't accept cancellations until he/she is satisfied every possible avenue has been explored to encourage patronage on the route concerned.
Jeez mate, you're twice as maniacal as me, in a not-to-disimiliar a situation, I think! I've had a mate who drove with one good eye, and he was a better driver than the rest of us. The Consultants know their stuff, and as I have experience really don't take risks when it comes to driving advice, and rightly so. Nature isn't stupid, giving us a back up. If only we learned.
Which brings us back to buses. The twin tragedies of recent years is the way that both hospitals and public transport were handed lock stock and barrel to the property speculators. We wasted a lot of money (which I suppose equates to kept some people in non-jobs and enabled a few to make a load of easy money) and lost a lot of our best C20 built heritage into the bargain. (To some the question may be so what, that's progress: I quote the old adage "we shape the things we build, thereafter they shape us"). My personal tragedy was a lot of the old LTB garages that really were (now lost) architectural gems (unlike it has to be said TW bus garage): my home town of St. Albans comes to mind. The bus services (and patients) were almost incidental. To their credit, to me Arriva always seem rather more conscious of the heritage (or just lazy, perhaps). I could never work out though how the decent garages always seemed to have the worst services, when it came to trying to use them! (Though I did hear that SA still had its original 1930s equipment until well into the 1970s!).
Disneyland heritage has its place of course, but it's not a substitute for the real thing, though the best we can get, perhaps.
I used to kno St Albans quite well and back then it had a pretty good bus service at least frequecy wise and also had pretty god services to most adjacent towns. but now the bus service for a city are a total joke
Many of us will remember that 1950s/60s cars seemed to need a lot more attention than modern ones, at least on a day-to-day basis (things like greasing come to mind). Equally I know that the 1930s tube trains required much more routine servicing than modern ones. Even though modern ones are vastly more complex, I suspect they are better designed with modules which can easily be replaced.
Now, is the same true for buses? In other words, do they simply require less on-going maintenance and therefore less "workshop" rather than stabling" facility? I don't know; and of course that is saying nothing about passenger needs and convenience, nor things such as internal cleaning. But does it mean that bus garages are less necessary than they once were?
I'm only asking ... perhaps someone from inside the industry can either confirm or shoot me down in flames!
Buses parked in the open suffer more from the waether and in winter will be freezing cold and unless they get someone in early to warm them up many may not start or will have doors that will not open or close on cold winters morning
Kentish clarification - the depots at Sheerness and Maidstone are not the same ones as the 1980 sites (Power Station Road and Knightrider Street respectively). Similarly, Tunbridge Wells is moving rather than closing completely.
@Andrew Kleissner Broadly correct. Tends to be component exchange rather than repair in situ these days.
If you have poor eyes you shouldn't be driving!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your concern, whoever you are. A few years ago I regarded my sight as too poor to drive and voluntarily surrendered my licence. Surgery improved my vision to the extent I passed the required standard to regain my licence. there were still day.s however, where I would not have been able to drive. But hopefully these drops, which reduce the size of the pupil in my bad eye and thus the distortion, should solve that.
DeleteIncidentally you may not be aware but it t perfectly legal to drive with only one eye. Having spent 4 years with my left eye blacked out (and not driving) I can tell you the lack of field of depth having sight out of only one eye produces would scare the bejezus out of me if I were to attempt to drive in that condition.
But if you think you know the state of my vision better than my consultant or myself perhaps you could identify yourself so I can arrange my next consultation with you.
What your post does sadly indicate I that in the East of England a car is essential to get anywhere realistically unless you have a day to spare to do a 30 mile journey and don't mind the risk of getting stranded when buses do not connect.
ReplyDeleteIt's complex. Fifty years ago, my family did day-out bus trip. Why? We didn't have a car. I think it's still the same today, as I found last year when I didn't drive. You can cope with the cost and inconvenience, if you want to. If you don't, you won't.
DeleteI've noticed that when I go to leisure events, more people seem to be turning up by bus, when it's possible to do so. A sign of hope? I don't know. But it's no good providing buses, to anywhere, if no-one uses them.
Will work out if Woodbridge - Beccles return is possible by bus - I'll report back.
DeleteAh, but it is by train. And if we're talking need the mode doesn't matter. Nor does the cost (within reason). I might like a Rolls Royce (actually I don't, so an MX5, then), but I don't need one - a geriatric's runabout suffices.
DeleteDuh! Mind you I'm the world's worst example having bought an old little sports car (as well as the geriatric runabout), just for the sheer devilment of it, and fun (if that's the word). FEx: compete with that!!! That should be enough to get me banned from every public transport blog in the world!!!
Trust me it's tempting.
DeleteI would add though it is a whole lot easier to cut a bus service than it is a train service. Maybe it shouldn't be. Maybe the Traffic Commissioner shouldn't accept cancellations until he/she is satisfied every possible avenue has been explored to encourage patronage on the route concerned.
The mode does matter if you're a holder of a free bus pass. Woodbridge-Beccles by train is £14.80 cheap day return.
DeleteWhich, of course, brings us back to that old chestnut: if "free" bus passes were adequately renumerated . . .
DeleteJeez mate, you're twice as maniacal as me, in a not-to-disimiliar a situation, I think! I've had a mate who drove with one good eye, and he was a better driver than the rest of us. The Consultants know their stuff, and as I have experience really don't take risks when it comes to driving advice, and rightly so. Nature isn't stupid, giving us a back up. If only we learned.
ReplyDeleteWhich brings us back to buses. The twin tragedies of recent years is the way that both hospitals and public transport were handed lock stock and barrel to the property speculators. We wasted a lot of money (which I suppose equates to kept some people in non-jobs and enabled a few to make a load of easy money) and lost a lot of our best C20 built heritage into the bargain. (To some the question may be so what, that's progress: I quote the old adage "we shape the things we build, thereafter they shape us"). My personal tragedy was a lot of the old LTB garages that really were (now lost) architectural gems (unlike it has to be said TW bus garage): my home town of St. Albans comes to mind. The bus services (and patients) were almost incidental. To their credit, to me Arriva always seem rather more conscious of the heritage (or just lazy, perhaps). I could never work out though how the decent garages always seemed to have the worst services, when it came to trying to use them! (Though I did hear that SA still had its original 1930s equipment until well into the 1970s!).
Disneyland heritage has its place of course, but it's not a substitute for the real thing, though the best we can get, perhaps.
I used to kno St Albans quite well and back then it had a pretty good bus service at least frequecy wise and also had pretty god services to most adjacent towns. but now the bus service for a city are a total joke
DeleteTo think along a different line ...
ReplyDeleteMany of us will remember that 1950s/60s cars seemed to need a lot more attention than modern ones, at least on a day-to-day basis (things like greasing come to mind). Equally I know that the 1930s tube trains required much more routine servicing than modern ones. Even though modern ones are vastly more complex, I suspect they are better designed with modules which can easily be replaced.
Now, is the same true for buses? In other words, do they simply require less on-going maintenance and therefore less "workshop" rather than stabling" facility? I don't know; and of course that is saying nothing about passenger needs and convenience, nor things such as internal cleaning. But does it mean that bus garages are less necessary than they once were?
I'm only asking ... perhaps someone from inside the industry can either confirm or shoot me down in flames!
Buses parked in the open suffer more from the waether and in winter will be freezing cold and unless they get someone in early to warm them up many may not start or will have doors that will not open or close on cold winters morning
DeleteKentish clarification - the depots at Sheerness and Maidstone are not the same ones as the 1980 sites (Power Station Road and Knightrider Street respectively). Similarly, Tunbridge Wells is moving rather than closing completely.
ReplyDelete@Andrew Kleissner
Broadly correct. Tends to be component exchange rather than repair in situ these days.
Never said they were the same ones, and said TW depot was closing, as it is. Doesn't matter where they are going, the current depot is still closing.
Delete