Bedfont Lakes Enviro 200s

Courtney Buses YJ10 MBV on Route BL1, Feltham Station (CC Aubrey)

This was the prior mainstray of the Bedfont Lakes services BL1 and 2. However, Courtney decided to introduce new buses direct from Dawson's Rentals (again). This time, it's Euro 6 Enviro 200s, which are supposed to be in silver. Well, they aren't.


Courtney Buses KX64 AEJ on Route BL1, Feltham Station (CC Aubrey)

Yeah, your bog standard Enviro 200.


Courtney Buses KX64 AEL on Route BL1, Feltham Station (© Aubrey)

These buses are for employees only, as far as I know, and are used to shuttle Bedfont Lakes workers between there and Feltham (BL1), Hatton Cross-T4 (BL2), Hayes & Harlington (BL3) and Staines (irregular BL4)


Rear of Courtney Buses KX64 AEL on Route BL1, Feltham Station (© Aubrey)

Bog standard here again. Dealership generic moquette.


Courtney Buses KX64 AEK on Route BL1, Feltham Station (CC Aubrey)


Courtney Buses KX64 AEF on Route BL1, Feltham Station (CC Aubrey)

These buses also run the BL2. I am unsure what runs the BL3, BL4 is run with Optare SoloSRs.


Courtney Buses KX64 AEJ on Route BL2, Hatton Cross (© Aubrey) (offside)


Courtney Buses KX64 AEJ on Route BL2, Hatton Cross (© Aubrey) (nearside)

As per typical Courtney style, these buses are well presented, even with non-DDA compliant LED displays. The batch is KX64 AEF, G, J, K, L. They will eventually be done into Bedfont Lakes livery, as seen with the Optare Solo above. Courtney are well known for operating other corporate services as seen, so this sort of  presentation is predictable.

Baking Borismasters - Route 55 LT Conversion

To explain the title, these buses go to Leyton, Baker's Arms. Also, in the summer, these buses are well known for being very hot inside, like an oven almost!


Stagecoach London LT371 on Route 55, Clapton Pond (CC Aubrey)

Route 55 is well known for having three spells of crewed operation. Firstly between 1969 and 1972 with RTs, then 1981-1987 with RMs, and finally 2001-2003 with Dennis Tridents (yes, doored crewed operation) as a trial under Ken Livingstone to introduce more widespread crewed operation across London. The conversion to LT, a bus designed for both crewed operation and OPO has predictably placed this conversion firmly into the OPO side, which is the opposite situation in the early 2000s when the Tridents, designed for OPO operation, was used as a crewed bus!


Stagecoach London LT379 on Route 55, Clapton Pond (CC Aubrey)

The batch of LT312-316, 357-390 for Route 55 has been known for two (LT312, 313) of the batch being used, and failing badly in Scotland on the 73 (Dundee-Arbroath) before being moved southwards for London used.


Stagecoach London LT384 on Route 55, Clapton Pond (© Aubrey)

This scene shows how busy Clapton-Hackney is with Borismasters, with 38, 55, N38 and N55 all having them thus a constant day and night presence of these buses.


Stagecoach London LT369 on Route 55, Shoreditch Church (CC Aubrey)
A short ride on these was fruitless, as the driver was regulating time throughout the journey.
Route 55 is another "staggered" conversion, gradually converting until recently becoming fully LT.


Stagecoach London LT364 on Route 55, Oxford Street (CC Aubrey)

This conversion has been another uneventful conversion, as most are getting, due to the rate and normality of conversions. Next LT conversion is the 15, which has already started.

Very Green (Route 488 28/02/15)

A perfect description of the floor and poles of the new Enviro 200 (Euro 6) for Route 488:

Tower Transit DMV45110 on Route 488, Dalston Junction (© Aubrey)

These buses are the predictable Enviro 200s with Allison gearboxes, and the interior is green:

Interior of Tower Transit DMV45108 on Route 488, Dalston Junction (CC Aubrey)
Very green. Then it was predicted as green is the main colour of the Tower Transit logo.


Interior of Tower Transit DMV45108 on Route 488, Dalston Junction (CC Aubrey)
Some people even have said it resembles older buses when green was deemed the standard colour for poles, and some buses had a combination of grey-green as an interior.


Tower Transit DMV45108 on Route 488, Dalston Junction (© Aubrey)


Tower Transit DMV45109 on Route 488, Bromley-By-Bow (CC Aubrey)
Curtailments were as per expected, due to the "first day syndrome" Jacek likes to coin, but over gradual days, the route will run smoothly. Until the Blackwall Tunnel messes up again.


Tower Transit DMV45107 on Route 488, Bromley By-Bow/Hancock Road (CC Aubrey)

These are fitted with white blinds with a newer Mobitec system that proved to be a problem for some drivers.


Tower Transit DMV45107 on Route 488, Bromley By-Bow/Hancock Road (CC Aubrey)

Even with instructions on a sheet to change the blinds, some drivers took at least six goes (well, this one did) to turn the blind to 488 with destination. That is what I attribute to the Mobitec system and lack of training of drivers on blinds. This sort of thing happened on the E10 (so much so that Lewis had to help a driver with his blinds!).


Tower Transit DMV45111 on Route 488, Hackney Wick (© Aubrey)
The batch for the 488 is DMV45101-111 (retrospectively YY64 YKL-P,R-W).


Tower Transit DMV45103 on Route 488, Hackney Wick (© Aubrey)
Driver changes are at the 30 stand at Hackney Wick/Chapman Road, where toilet facilities are literally a container with a portaloo inside it!


Tower Transit DMV45101 curtailed on Route 488 to Clapton Pond whilst DMV45103 waits for driver change at Hackney Wick (© Aubrey)
Common curtailments on the first day were including Bow Church and Clapton Pond, both shown by DMV45111!:


Tower Transit DMV45111 on Route 488, Clapton Pond (© Aubrey)
(oddly, this bus ran Bow Church-Clapton Pond on that trip!)

During the day, I saw no service disruptions on the route, and there were some quick drivers on the route. The Euro 6 E20D scream is there, very notably on some, as the screams can be heard over A12 traffic! Buses are presentable, and on the second day, an ex-First DMV ended up on the 488 as a predictable working (with I assume full blinds due to new blinds being installed in them).