Picture Archive Post 44

Metrobus 893 on Route 75, Elmers End, 17/11/13 (© Aubrey)

Ordered for the 54/75 contract changeover to Metrobus back in April 2009, this batch of Scania N230UD/Optare Olympuses arrived slightly late so Tridents on loan from Selkent (ELBG) stayed on the route initially. These buses aren't exactly the most popular, with similar buses (they are East Lancs Olympuses) of small batches at Metroline and London United. The London United ones had leather seats and ran on the 148 only for a few years. The Metroline ones, well, yeah... Not as good as the rest of them. Not at all. Back to better things, the Metrobus Olympuses lead a normal life on the 54/75, usually straying at times to other routes. This bus is weirdly seen on the 75, yet at Elmers End. This is because at that time, the 75 was diverted to Elmers End due to roadworks further along the route. The buses stayed at Go-Ahead London when the 54/75 returned to Stagecoach London, and after a few more weeks at Metrobus, the bus moved over to Blue Triangle Rainham (BE) in March 2014 for the various school contracts and the 498, occasionally straying to Docklands Buses for the 474. When the 498 was lost, it stayed on school contracts and still is as of prior to the start of the spring half term.

Route 75 has always run at least through Catford and Penge East since 1934, being introduced as a Caterham-Woolwich service from Catford and Croydon (TL/TC) garages. It wound up getting shorter and shorter until it became a Blackheath-Croydon route with a predominately Catford based operation throughout its life.Throughout that time, the route had STs, STLs, RTs, RMs, DMSs, and Ts. Also, as sectorisation occurred in LRT, the route became under Selkent operation. In November 1991, the route was diverted at Catford to run to Lewisham, diverted in Sydenham, extended to Surrey Quays on Saturdays and Sunday service going to minibus operation (as was the trend during the early 90s). In July 1993, larger single deckers were introduced onto the 75 on Sundays (LA/LVs). It was withdrawn from Surrey Quays in 1994, leaving it as the route it roughly is today. In October 1995, the route settled to be solely L/T operation (Olympian, Titan). Then in November 1997, Volvo Olympians took over and in 2002, Tridents (LV52 batch) took over and made the route low-floor. Also, a night service was introduced. The night service, and the Tridents lasted until 2009 when the 75, along with the 54, moved to Metrobus. The Tridents initially went on loan to Metrobus for a few months, but afterwards, things settled with the day only 75 with Metrobus with Scania N230UD/Optare Olympuses from Croydon (C). Then Stagecoach won the route back (even though it wasn't them that lost it, it was ELBG-Selkent), with new Enviro 400 Hybrids in April 2014. It is also back at its home in Catford Garage (TL).