Public and Commercial Transport

This is the place for posts that don't fit into any other category.

Moderator: RichardW

Post Reply
User avatar
Michel
(Donor 2022)
Posts: 2207
Joined: 29 May 2017, 13:50
Location: Nothanks
My Cars: Some cars and a motorbike
x 659

Re: Public Transport

Post by Michel »

Mandrake wrote: 04 Dec 2019, 11:20
NewcastleFalcon wrote: 04 Dec 2019, 10:17 Another observation on my little trip, a diesel hauled freight train slowly trundled through Manchester Oxford road station as I was waiting. The clag coming out of its exhaust was unbelievable.

Not quite as bad as this but not far off :-D
Now that you have spent a bit of time driving an EV, have you found your nose more attuned to the smell of petrol and diesel cars ? I certainly have... :twisted:

On the infrequent occasions that I use the Xantia the smell of a rich running cold engine with cold catalytic converter when I get out to de-ice the windows is obvious and pungent, as is the smell of any diesel vehicles, which I really notice on foot as they pass me...
Oh, the difference between commuting in an air conditioned/filtered car and being on a motorcycle is amazing. Modern diesels smell horrid, petrols aren't too bad but still make the old nose twitch. Older diesels are amazingly foul, to the point I really don't like using the old Picasso HDi we've got (not mine, kind of dumped on me) unless really necessary.

My old ZZR-1100 Kawasaki is a 1994 model. No emissions control at all. Goes like and smells like stink. I've replaced it today with a much cleaner 2013 bike..
User avatar
van ordinaire
(Donor 2017)
Posts: 2537
Joined: 23 Jun 2015, 14:45
Location: Live & work in London but weekend in Devon (or do I now live in Torbay & work in London?)
My Cars: Citroens:-
'81 2CV Club (quietly sleeping in a parallel universe)
'05 (yes, really) C15
'97 Xantia Exclusive estate
others:-
'96 Jeep Cherokee Limited - the "donor"
'99 Jeep Cherokee Orvis - the green one
'97 Jeep Cherokee Limited - the red one
'99 Cadillac Seville STS
'96 Cadillac Eldorado ETC
& numerous what might be described as abandoned projects!
x 405

Re: Public Transport

Post by van ordinaire »

Nothing will be done about diesel locomotives (although their days are numbered, in any event) - or aircraft, or ships because it's easier, cheaper & makes better press to hit the motorist. Governments will always go for the soft target & motorists don't really have anyone looking after their interests; not that the once powerful RHA have had any luck with the most recent developments.

Now public transport; apart from commuting (which I've been doing since I was 11) I have recently been forced back on the train for my weekly long distance journeys, which has brought back to me why I'd rather drive: it's the blissful solitude; yes, the real problem with public transport is - people!
Citroens:-
'81 2CV Club :cry:
'05 C15 :!:
'97 Xantia Exclusive estate [-o<
others:-
Jeep XJ Cherokees x 3 :?
'96 Cadillac Eldorado
'99 Cadillac STS :|
& the numerous "abandoned projects" #-o
User avatar
NewcastleFalcon
Posts: 24562
Joined: 25 Feb 2009, 10:40
Location:
My Cars:
x 6866

Re: Public Transport

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

NewcastleFalcon wrote: 04 Dec 2019, 08:32 Other threads have picked up opinions on the subject as an aside, but heres a thread to mop up whinges, problems, solutions and developments.

My recent journey home from Manchester gave me a little first-hand update to the state of play on public transport within the boundaries of the "Northern Powerhouse".
Well today on the News we have the "rail price increases story". There's the BBC reporter standing in "London Bridge Station".....very nice......very expensive......nice glass lifts.....all very pretty.

Thinking back to my journey through the "Northern Powerhouse" from Manchester to Leeds are fancy stations at the end/start of your journey a priority, or are they better served to be places designed with function as the top priority getting people into and off trains in safety and with the minimum of barriers to flow. Think archaic ticketing and checking too.....get rid and improve flow.

The priority on the railways is surely the rolling stock and infrastructure to meet existing over-demand, and to plan for future demand. They should have shoved the microphone in front of a few passengers on the trans-pennine service...probably only the ones crammed next to the doorways I suppose, and asked them how pleased they were with the nice refurb of London Bridge Station the BBC's preferred location for the piece.

Oh I forgot of course Grant Shapps would have had to take a train to Manchester for the Manchester based news team to do his marvelous couple of seconds of VT.......

REgards Neil
Only One AA Box left
687 Trinity, Jersey
User avatar
myglaren
Forum Admin Team
Posts: 25364
Joined: 02 Mar 2008, 13:30
Location: Washington
My Cars: Mazda 6
Ooops.
Previously:
2009 Honda Civic :(
C5, C5, Xantia, BX, GS, Visa.
R4, R11TXE, R14, R30TX
x 4888

Re: Public Transport

Post by myglaren »

Have to concur Neil, although my last train journey was in 1979 form Middlesbrough to Whitby, which was the only remaining service at the time, apart from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
The service in this country is risible and the High Speed Train dream a complete waste of money to save 20 minutes on a journey unlikely to be of much interest t most of the country and put to shame by the Chinese, Japanese and French alternatives. Hay wain in comparison.
User avatar
NewcastleFalcon
Posts: 24562
Joined: 25 Feb 2009, 10:40
Location:
My Cars:
x 6866

Re: Public Transport

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Heres the other side of public transport....the Newcastle to Carlisle line at Wylam.
nf own work
nf own work
Yes its a Saturday afternoon in January, but what you might call under-demand, plenty of room on the ancient evil-smelling rolling stock, which I didnt manage to get a pic of. Of course in the Summer perfect for a rail pub crawl.....The Boathouse is right next to the line.
nf own work
nf own work
Regards Neil
Only One AA Box left
687 Trinity, Jersey
Peter.N.
Moderating Team
Posts: 11563
Joined: 02 Apr 2005, 16:11
Location: Charmouth,Dorset
My Cars: Currently:

C5 X7 VTR + Satnav Hdi estate Silver
C5 X7 VTR + Hdi Estate 2008 Red

In the past: 3, CX td Safaris and about 7, XM td estates. Lovely cars.
x 1199

Re: Public Transport

Post by Peter.N. »

The fares have certainly increased since I were a lad. I used to travel from Petts Wood to Chelsfield on the train to school, two stations for 4d return. When I started work it was around 2/- return to London and sometimes I would be able to get a ride home on a steam train. 8-)

Peter
User avatar
myglaren
Forum Admin Team
Posts: 25364
Joined: 02 Mar 2008, 13:30
Location: Washington
My Cars: Mazda 6
Ooops.
Previously:
2009 Honda Civic :(
C5, C5, Xantia, BX, GS, Visa.
R4, R11TXE, R14, R30TX
x 4888

Re: Public Transport

Post by myglaren »

Our family used to travel free on the rattlers - father and grandfather worked for the locomotive design and construction department in Doncaster :)
Peter.N.
Moderating Team
Posts: 11563
Joined: 02 Apr 2005, 16:11
Location: Charmouth,Dorset
My Cars: Currently:

C5 X7 VTR + Satnav Hdi estate Silver
C5 X7 VTR + Hdi Estate 2008 Red

In the past: 3, CX td Safaris and about 7, XM td estates. Lovely cars.
x 1199

Re: Public Transport

Post by Peter.N. »

The puffing billy would that have been? :wink:

Peter
User avatar
myglaren
Forum Admin Team
Posts: 25364
Joined: 02 Mar 2008, 13:30
Location: Washington
My Cars: Mazda 6
Ooops.
Previously:
2009 Honda Civic :(
C5, C5, Xantia, BX, GS, Visa.
R4, R11TXE, R14, R30TX
x 4888

Re: Public Transport

Post by myglaren »

The 'Rocket'
Peter.N.
Moderating Team
Posts: 11563
Joined: 02 Apr 2005, 16:11
Location: Charmouth,Dorset
My Cars: Currently:

C5 X7 VTR + Satnav Hdi estate Silver
C5 X7 VTR + Hdi Estate 2008 Red

In the past: 3, CX td Safaris and about 7, XM td estates. Lovely cars.
x 1199

Re: Public Transport

Post by Peter.N. »

You can still do that, they have them at Beamish. 8-)

Peter
User avatar
NewcastleFalcon
Posts: 24562
Joined: 25 Feb 2009, 10:40
Location:
My Cars:
x 6866

Re: Public Transport

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Peter.N. wrote: 05 Jan 2020, 08:05 You can still do that, they have them at Beamish. 8-)
Peter
..and the trams and trolley buses...from the FCF archives but worth digging up :-D
NewcastleFalcon wrote: 02 Mar 2015, 22:46 While electrical infrastructures on our road network are in their infancy, Many of our cities and regions were pioneers in developing the necessary infrastructure and vehicles to run public transport services on electricity. Newcastle being a good example.

In the early 1900's Newcastle developed an network of tramlines to serve the city and its suburbs. The Newcastle Corporation even built a dedicated power station at Manors to power the system. This is a 1901 Tram built by Hurst Nelson and Co. Motherwell for Newcastle Corporation Tramways, and you can still have a ride on it today at Beamish Open Air Museum in County Durham.

Image

In the mid 1930's A trolley Bus network for the City and its suburbs was established and gradually replaced the tramways. This is a Sunbeam S7 three-axle trolleybus, and was delivered on 27 July 1948. Newcastle replaced its trolleybus services by motor buses in stages over the period 1963 to 1966, and the network of overhead wires was removed. An ageing infrastructure and the greater convenience and speed of motor buses brought an end to the trolley buses as it had done for the trams before them. For those who like me enjoy the odd moment wallowing in nostalgia, Beamish Museum lets you step back in time and ride on the trolley buses again!

Image

Newcastle was also pioneering in establishing one of the first city and suburban electric rail networks in the early 1900's. The network was based on the 3rd Rail system although the short freight only Quayside Branch had both overhead wires and the 3rd rail system in tunnels. Locomotives which could work on both operated the line, like this one preserved in the National Railway Museum at Shildon County Durham.

Image

The "Electric Trains" were replaced by diesel and the lines de-electrified between 1963 and 1967. The network itself was re-electrified in the early 1980's to form the Tyne and Wear Metro System but not using the 3rd Rail system but overhead wires.

Not sure if any parallels can be drawn with the current stage of development of electric road transport. Overhead wires and power stations on motorways? probably not...

regards Neil
Only One AA Box left
687 Trinity, Jersey
Gibbo2286
(Donor 2020)
Posts: 7171
Joined: 08 Jun 2011, 18:04
Location: GL15***
My Cars: 2006 C5 2.0 Litre HDI VTR Automatic Estate.(now sold on)
Currently Renault Zoe 2014 ZE
x 2500

Re: Public Transport

Post by Gibbo2286 »

If you're interested in the trams there's a couple of long threads on the Birmingham history forum that are worth a look. You might have to join but it's free.

Here's a recent example:

https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/ ... 19.50367/

And here:

https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/ ... ue.50368/
Man is, by nature, a lazy beast, he does not need twice encouraging to do nothing.
User avatar
NewcastleFalcon
Posts: 24562
Joined: 25 Feb 2009, 10:40
Location:
My Cars:
x 6866

Re: Public Transport

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Interesting little comment from one of those links on speed of development.......
The Victorians built the railways at the average rate of 270 miles a year EVERY year for 64 years! That included having to build a few viaducts on the way.

Lumpammer said:
It took 3 years to lay 3/4 mile of track from Snow Hill to New Street. How long to reach the airport?
REgards Neil
Only One AA Box left
687 Trinity, Jersey
User avatar
Paul-R
Donor 2023
Posts: 6916
Joined: 07 May 2009, 16:24
Location: Wirral, NW England; Vaucluse 84, France
Lexia Available: Yes
My Cars: 2015 1.6 Blue HDi 120 Peugeot 308 Active SW
2013 2.0 HDi 163 C5 Exclusive Tourer
2003 2.0 HDi 110 C5 Exclusive Estate (Gone)
2001 2.0 HDi 90 Xsara Estate (Gone)
x 1369

Re: Public Transport

Post by Paul-R »

Eee, I remember when I were a lad and West Kirby were on't DC mains...
As I get older I think a lot about the hereafter - I go into a room and then wonder what I'm here after.

Inside every old person is a young person wondering what the hell happened.

"Trying is the first step towards failure" ~ Homer J Simpson​
Peter.N.
Moderating Team
Posts: 11563
Joined: 02 Apr 2005, 16:11
Location: Charmouth,Dorset
My Cars: Currently:

C5 X7 VTR + Satnav Hdi estate Silver
C5 X7 VTR + Hdi Estate 2008 Red

In the past: 3, CX td Safaris and about 7, XM td estates. Lovely cars.
x 1199

Re: Public Transport

Post by Peter.N. »

They are building a 1950's town at Beamish now - been there - done that. :-D Should be interesting though. We still have our last years tickets so will probably going up there before long.

Peter
Post Reply