Many Model Comparisons

13082 picks up at Canada Water. (© Jacek)

London's spree of many B5LH orders continues with a new lot of 21 buses (13082-13102) for route 47 at TL. Previously the route has used any of the 55/06reg Tridents in the garage, that replaced a previous batch of 51reg Tridents, that replaced a previous batch of V-reg ones. TL were meant to get B5LHs with the Gemini 3 body in 2014 for the 54/75 but they were diverted to PD and got E40Hs instead.

13097 turns into Canada Water. (© Jacek)

These MMCs ride very well with comfortable seats. They're quiet internally bar the usual loud forced air system and accelerate probably even more briskly than the 177's batch, one will easily have speed cameras quaking in fear after one gearchange.

13083 on the first day of MMCs on the 47, the 25th of January. (© Jacek)

These buses look quite good as well, albeit slightly difficult to snap in direct sunlight thanks to glare and reflections.

13086 approaches Canada Water. (© Jacek)

Temperatures inside aren't a problem at this time of year even with the unusually warm winter but they aren't expected to become ovens during the summer if the 177's batch are anything to go by.

The old order on the route, 18493 at Surrey Quays in 2014. (© Jacek)

One of the Trident cascades fitted with white blinds, 18485 in Bexleyheath. (© Jacek)

The MMCs were originally said to mark the end of regular Trident operation in TL as the previous batch are being cascaded to BK and TB, where some have already seen service on the 5, 208, 269 and 638. But expect to see a few Tridents out on TL routes anyway as there were 26 of them before the MMCs came.

Some 51reg stragglers survived until a year before the MMCs, as represented by 17478 at Surrey Quays here. (© Jacek)

  As is traditional with TL allocations, MMCs have already strayed within one day on the 199, two days on the 136 and three for school route 621. Overall they are very good buses and will likely live up to the high standards of the Tridents before them, as well as likely being the best batch of MMCs in TfL service at the moment. Although comparisons have been made in this post to the 177's batch, so try those as well if you haven't yet.