On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 02:15:46 -0800 (PST), Mizter T
wrote:

[x68]

A word of caution - perhaps I've painted too rosy a picture of it, I
only went on it once and I've never knowingly met anyone who commutes
on it. When I do seem it passing by it always seems well loaded though.

I don't think you did. The direct service and links to areas around
Norwood not well connected to rail stations are all factors in its
success. I have not seen it very often but when I have it clearly has
its regulars waiting at stops and has been well loaded.

I believe it was considered for withdrawal when the 68 / 468 was last
tendered out. When this was rumoured a minor riot broke out amongst
regular users whose ire was directed towards a building in the Victoria
area!

--
Paul C

Graeme Wall wrote:

Doesn't help if the dispenser is not delivering properly. That was the
problem with the beer meters, they were fine when they worked but were very
prone to packing up or not delivering the right amount at the slightest
provocation. For a start they had to be kept scrupulously clean

They should have used the type used in the Nottingham area in the
1970s/80s. These had a half pint glass cylinder with a piston that
moved across when the operating lever was moved. They seemed very
reliable in the pubs around Nottingham.

--
Jeremy Double {real address, include nospam}
Rail and transport photos at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmdoubl...7603834894248/

In message
Jeremy Double wrote:

Graeme Wall wrote:

Doesn't help if the dispenser is not delivering properly. That was the
problem with the beer meters, they were fine when they worked but were
very prone to packing up or not delivering the right amount at the
slightest provocation. For a start they had to be kept scrupulously
clean

They should have used the type used in the Nottingham area in the
1970s/80s. These had a half pint glass cylinder with a piston that
moved across when the operating lever was moved. They seemed very
reliable in the pubs around Nottingham.


Pubs around Nottingham generally don't lurch about at 70mph :-)

There's a reason pubs don't use them anymore, they were fiddly to maintain
and expensive to buy. Handpumps and gas dispensers are quicker and cheaper
generally.

I haven't seen electric dispense in years.

--
Graeme Wall
This address is not read, substitute trains for rail.
Transport Miscellany at http://www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail/index.html

On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:12:27 +0000, Graeme Wall wrote

They should have used the type used in the Nottingham area in the
1970s/80s. These had a half pint glass cylinder with a piston that
moved across when the operating lever was moved. They seemed very
reliable in the pubs around Nottingham.

Pubs around Nottingham generally don't lurch about at 70mph :-)

There's a reason pubs don't use them anymore, they were fiddly to maintain
and expensive to buy.

Banks's pubs used them in the 1970s - you couldn't buy a half-of-shandy as
the minimum they could dispense was a measured half-pint.

Paul Corfield wrote:
I thought they were super speedy Scania N113s with Alexander bodywork?

They were indeed. Lovely machines.

Mizter T wrote:
John Rowland wrote:


I note the West London Transport Strategy is alive and well, having
been updated in 2005 - it is a 'key programme' of the West London
Alliance, which is a joint initiative of six London Boroughs that
exists to promote West London. See:
http://www.westlondonalliance.org/Page/Transport
http://www.westlondonalliance.org/Page/AboutWLA

2005 is a long time ago in politics - Hounslow (the 'lead borough' there
has changed hands and Hammersmith and Fulham are run by car-mad
slash-and-burn Thatcherites of the old school. Their recent attitude to
the WEZ 'consultation' rather shows their colours on transport, which is
roughly 'someone else can pay' and 'don't lets be beastly to the
motorist'. I can't see them being too keen on express bus clearways
carving up the streets. I'll not say it's definitely dead, but I
haven't seen it twitch recently.

However, if non-TfL west London transport initiatives are your bag, this
bunch have an update from December 08, which is recent enough to be
classed as alive, although obviously without TfL and Mayoral buy-in it
Ain't Gonna Happen (tm).

http://www.westlondon.com/

Executive summary: more walking and cycling, travel plans for businesses
and schools, cycle hire schemes in suburban centres, orbital bus/rail
routes (e.g. the 'West London Orbital' mini-Tube/DLR thing. This is
probably where the WLTS now resides), better bus/rail interchanges,
better bus services to attract people out of cars, better night
services, Heathrow third runway, Crossrail,

Keen readers will note that most of these were the policy of the
previous Mayor, a few are the policy of the current one and one is
firmly opposed by both.

Tom

In message
wrote:

[snip]

We are getting off topic from Rail but a lot on here like industrial
history generally so I'll throw in this snippet.
Those who follow ships will be familiar with the name Chadburns who
manufactured Engine room Telegraphs etc. As the ship building in the
UK shrunk one of the markets they diversified into was beer dispense
equipment. A lot of the keg taps on the bar in the 1970's were
supplied by them.


I hadn't realised it was the same company, thanks for that snippet.

--
Graeme Wall
This address is not read, substitute trains for rail.
Transport Miscellany at http://www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail/index.html

On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:12:27 +0000, Graeme Wall
wrote:

I haven't seen electric dispense in years.

Only place I've seen them is gigs and theatres where serving large
numbers of people in small amounts of time is important. And
bizarrely a pub in Mansfield once.

Neil

--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the at to reply.