Great Western Coffee Shop

I've been researching various subjects today - mostly transport and local history ... and have got sidetracked a couple of times.   Can you identify any of these sets?

1. Railless, Cedes-Stoll, Bremen and Filovia
2. Tom, Nellie, Denny and Endurance
3. Powell, Sweeny, Butt and Bryan
4. South, West, North, Bridge, Town, Central and  Main Line
5. 15:17, 15:30, 16:30, and 16:37

4. Acton?

Yep, record speed there!

No 1, Different Trolleybus systems

Correct - something I learned at http://www.petergould.co.uk/local_transport_history/generalhistories/general/trolleybus.htm

No.2 appears to be a family of greyhounds who all had 'Melksham' as part of their names.

Indeed - anyone familiar with my quizzes knows that Melksham is always the answer to at least one question  ;D

Three years ago, if asked "cat or dog" I would have replied "cat", but then we adopted Gypsy who's a lurcher (i.e. half greyhound, half something else).  And about a month ago we adopted Billy too.   He's said to be lurcher too, but we're not sure - he may actually be pure greyhound, but not tattooed as apparently most greyhounds are.   He stands a full shoulder above Gypsy, and we thought she was tall.  And he runs very fast indeed when he's off lead, and we thought she ran very fast.  Both were "cruelty cases" who had been nursed back to health by groups that specialise in that sort of thing, and both are now very much part of the family.

That - err - is the question in the quiz was the one that I hinted at by saying that the quiz was "mostly transport".   But it *is* local history related, as the family of Greyhounds in question were bred / reared / trained here in Melksham - see http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/LotDetailsPrintable.aspx?intObjectID=995316 and http://thedogs.co.uk/index.php?m=aid&id=64

Filling in on these (the last two being rather tricky as a Google search won't reveal them  ;) )

3. Powell, Sweeny, Butt and Bryan

List of those hospitalised after the accident at Thingley Junction
see http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/BoT_Thingley1907.pdf

5. 15:17, 15:30, 16:30, and 16:37

The only four times on a Monday to Friday that buses leave Chippenham station for Lacock, Melksham, Semington, Trowbridge Town, Trowbridge Station, Beckington and Frome.   There are later services at 17:23, 17:35, 18:42, 19:24, 20:44, and 22:10 but they are all short workings, terminating before they reach Trowbridge station.  There are no earlier services - if you want to travel to Lacock and beyond from Chippenham station before 15:17, you have to walk across Chippenham, or get another bus to make a connection at the Bridge or the Bus station.

... on 16 January 1907 - how remiss of me, not to have remembered that!  :o ::) ;D

Interestingly, though: the Board of Trade's formal report on that incident was published on 13 February 1907 - within a month!  These days, and with all the modern facilities and equipment at their disposal, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch aim to publish their reports within a year!  :-X