Picture Archive Post 46

Blue Triangle LDP205 on Route W19, Walthamstow Central, 24/03/12 (© Aubrey)

This bus started out as part of a batch for Sutton Garage in early 2002, running on routes such as the 151. It was transferred in May 2006 for the 200 at Merton, when Centra London failed in running the route. It went back to Sutton in March 2007. In November 2011, the bus was transferred to Blue Triangle's Rainham Garage (BE) for routes such as this W19. It had since moved as a spare for many garages, including Stockwell, New Cross (working only 225), Bexleyheath, Merton (again, for the 200, 163 and 164), Metrobus Green Street Green, Rainham (again) and finally by November 2015, it is where it is currently - at Camberwell Garage as a spare for routes such as the 355, 360, P5.

Route W19 started out as a Ilford-Walthamstow Central service run by First Thamesway on the 8th May 2000. It only ran Monday-Saturday except evenings. It was temporarily at First Thamesway, as it was moved to First Capital at Dagenham from September 2000. It was extended to Waltham Forest Council Depot in December 2001. In March 2002, it moved garage to Rainham (R), and in September 2003, the route was extended to Walthamstow, Argall Avenue Industrial Estate. A new contract with Docklands Buses from 25th November 2006 saw the introduction of a curtailed evening and Sunday service between Ilford and St James' Street. New ADL Dart/MCV Evolutions were used. After the Go-Ahead takeover, bus routes between Docklands Buses and Blue Triangle were swapped. One such swap was the W19, moving to Blue Triangle at Rainham (BE), where it is still today. The allocation for the W19 currently is any single decker that can fit around the route, but mainly the allocated MCV Evolutions that have mostly been refurbished/re-painted and are still at Rainham for the route.