Whilst returning back from Cambridge and travelling up the A1 to Doncaster a chance to have a look at the Nene Valley Railway was not be missed even though it was not a running day there was some good opportunities to take some photographs and have a cuppa in their café. Above left we see the station building awaiting funding for restoration at Wansford, whilst the award winning beautifully restored Swedish Railcar makes for a good photograph in the spring sunshine on the 13 May 2013. 

The steam LMS Fowler 4F Class 0-6-0 locomotive 44422 stands silent following the previous operating day whilst the signals are firmly at stop. For more information about the railway click here   

Myself at Keithley station at the side of the Keithley Worth Valley Railway wartime locomotive on Sunday 19th May as part of their 40's Event.   The steam LMS Fowler 4F Class 0-6-0 locomotive 43924 stands in the station at Keithley awaiting to depart to Oxenhope

. Whilst in Haworth the 40's Event is underway with plenty of music, food  fashions of that period of tome being displayed. By mid-afternoon the event was absolutely packed.

Amidst changing windows at home I had chance to visit two locations both within a mile of each other. Left we see one of the last trains of the day at the Stockholes Farm Railway. To the right are two trolleybuses at The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft  in the service trolleybus parking area. Heading the line up is the preserved trolleybus No 72 that was Maidstone' Last Trolleybus on the 15 April 1967. Behind is London trolleybus 1348 that entered service at Sandtoft last year. Nearly 50 years ago London Transport  K2 class trolleybus no 1348 was donated to the Transport Museum Society of Ireland. In 2010 agreement was reached  for a long loan to the Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft where the vehicle was fully restored back to working condition.

A few years on?  Really!!!  A slightly more youthful probably being too kind yours truly having just passed the trolleybus driving test at The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft in 1973. Some years later in 2013 not holding an L plate this time but a photograph of Doncaster trolleybus No 375 for which I am helping to raise funds and also help to restore the vehicle which was Doncaster's Last Trolleybus in 1963. You can follow the vehicles progress on my Facebook Album about the vehicle. Just go to Robert Ashton on Facebook and look for the file The Restoration of Doncaster's last Trolleybus or just click onto the Facebook page to the right

For a while I have been reading and hearing about an alternative to constructing a Light Rail System or tramway as at Sheffield, Blackpool  or Nottingham etc. A visit to see the Cambridge Busway on the 8th/9th May 2013  that operates on sections of former railway line was made. I think the above two photographs quickly explain what it is about. Instead of railway tracks strips of concrete provide a surface for the bus to be driven on. What you need next is something that we have seen in Leeds and Bradford for some years on their sections of

When on the guided section the bus is then steered by the guide wheels on either side of the bus, the driver can let go of the steering

Beware a guided bus way is NOT for cars or anything else otherwise the car trap awaits your wrong move at the entrance to the Busway. The car above had a lucky escape as the driver just stopped before wrecking his engine sump cover in the trap. At the entrance to several of the Busway sections there was evidence of scrapes and oil from those less lucky motorists.   

The car trap that awaits those that make the fatal turn onto a the Busway. Where the buses do not run on the Busways as in Cambridge, St Ives, and Huntington the guided buses still face all the normal traffic problems, delays, many traffic lights and I say traffic lights Cambridge in a rush hour as we found out is a frustrating place. Many passengers we spoke to expressed a sadness that the railway line between Cambridge and Huntington should have never closed instead modern electric trains should be providing the service. If you would like more information about the Guided Busway just click here One final thought it is a pity that sections of the busway are not electrified using vehicles that can operate using electric from overhead wires or where not practicable a system similar to the Hybrid Electric vehicles like I have reviewed on last month's news page. 

The now called Thorne Railway photographs from the "Digital Archives" of May  26th 2010  and  10th May  2008. David is driving in suitable attire for being a driver in the right photograph.