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Recent content by ian1944

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    Lothian Group discussion (Lothian City, Lothian Country Bus and East Coast Buses)

    Good news. Just poles on Wednesday, now fully flagged on both sides adjacent to the QMU turning circle. Not exactly a couple of weeks, but proportionately less delay than HS2.
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    Trivia: Scenic Bus Stations

    I've always liked Glenrothes. Lots of room, trees, proper shelters at the stands, JBW 3 minutes walk away.
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    Most beautiful stations

    I've always liked Dumfries and Lockerbie, maybe not beautiful (as many of those cited are not), but as I see it perfect of their kind.
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    Cowboy Operators a thing of the past?

    One that seems to have been between categories is Bankfoot Buses, banned by the Traffic Commissioner about 15 years ago for a whole series of transgressions but liked by the passengers. After the ban they continued running free for a while, but I assume now long gone.
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    Cowboy Operators a thing of the past?

    Has anyone mentioned Pilkington of Accrington?
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    [Trivia] Smallest Stations in the Biggest Towns (or Cities)?

    I've long since decided that it's impossible to make meaningful population comparisons by place because of the difference between historical local authority boundaries, current ditto, and surrounding built-up area. For example, Bolton is now a metropolitan borough with the grab of such as...
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    TRIVIA: Most circuitous shortest route by rail

    How about the many places with two stations on different lines, e.g. Burscough, Canterbury, Maidstone, Newark, Shotton?
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    Britain's Most Scenic Bus routes

    If it's not been mentioned before, possibly the most scenic of all in their own way are the services between Edinburgh and Fife, e.g. Stagecoach X55. Crossing the Forth on the FRB, with views up and down river with the rail bridge on one side and the new crossing on the other, is the only...
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    Britain's Most Scenic Bus routes

    Re. Borders Buses X95, I find the Selkirk - Hawick section particularly scenic, with one stretch having views over distant rolling hills. If it's not been mentioned yet, add the X74 Jedburgh - Newcastle via Carter Bar. I took it recently, vaguely wondering why a low key, three return trips a...
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    Britain's Most Scenic Bus routes

    A long-ago service between Hanley and Sheffield had a very scenic bit on the Leek-Buxton section. If there is still anything running it would be worth taking.
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    Ember: Electric coach service

    I think Paisley is a misnomer, it seems to be just off the M8 and a good walk to the centre, like the McGill Flyers.
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    Covered Bus Stations

    With ubiquitous front entrances and, usually, forward in and reverse out, some weather protection over the front half is desirable but the rest doesn't matter. The logic of full covering is that a central location is more likely to be economical if combined with something above, retail or...
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    Covered Bus Stations

    I suspect that for the passenger experience there was little to choose between it and the Bull Ring. The phrases poisonous hellhole and dystopian concrete nightmare were attached to a 1982 pic of that which I came across - looked horrible, smelt horrible and sounded horrible. The old Manchester...
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    Covered Bus Stations

    A link upthread about Newcastle's Marlborough Crescent BS mentioned that it was bought by the "Tyne Wear Development Corporation". Was this T. Dan Smith's crooked enterprise? One I don't recall being mentioned was the previous Digbeth coach station in Brum, completely undercover as it was part...
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    Martijn Gilbert leaves FirstGroup with immediate effect

    He may have a forename spelt unusually, but it's not hard to get it right.
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