Routemasters make special November appearances

Iconic red London Routemaster buses returned to the streets of London during November marking a string of special events.

On Friday 9th November RML903, owned and maintained by Metroline, undertook a series of trips over Metroline's Route 24 between Hampstead Heath and Pimlico, raising money for the Royal British Legion charity on Poppy Day. This event raised £360 for the charity.

RML903 at Pimlico on the 24.
© Tommy Cooling

RML903 at Hampstead Heath.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/45118867124/in/photostream/
© Tommy Cooling

A similar event took place the following Friday on November 16th for Children in Need, with Metroline's RML903 working special trips over Route 4 between Archway and Waterloo, raising £500 for the Children in Need charity. This occasion was also likely to be the last time RML903 would run to Waterloo on the 4 with its impending cutback to Blackfriars Station, due in 2019 as a result of TfL's Central London bus consultation.


RML903 at Waterloo on the 4, for the last time?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/45857560492/in/photostream/
© Tommy Cooling

A day out with Pudsey on RML903.
© Tommy Cooling



Pudsey even came along to help out!
© Tommy Cooling

Finchley bus garage (FY) closed on November 25th 1993, and on Sunday 25th November 2018, a special event was organised to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the closure of the garage in North Finchley. The site is now a B&Q store, which retains a original wall from the former bus garage. Finchley garage was home to the early "RML" series, also known as "ERs", Extended Routemasters. Nine of the former allocated RMLs were brought together to run trips over the old 104 and 104A routes; Route 104 operating between Moorgate - Archway (via Islington Angel) - North Finchley - Barnet, and Route 104A operating Golders Green - North Finchley - Barnet. In the event, RMLs from Ensign, The London Bus Company and Metroline were used; ER880, ER882, RML893, RML897, RML898, RML899, RML900, RML902 & RML903.

Ensignbus ER882 at North Finchley.
© Tommy Cooling

RML900 in North Finchley.
© Tommy Cooling

RML902 in Whetstone.
© Tommy Cooling

London Bus Company's RML893 in Whetstone.
© Tommy Cooling

Metroline's RML903 in Barnet.
© Tommy Cooling

RML903 in Archway.
© Tommy Cooling

RML903 at Moorgate Finsbury Square.
© Tommy Cooling

Post by Tommy Cooling
Some of these images and more can be found on my Flickr page:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/

Please do not reproduce any of my images without permission

Picture Archive Post 77

Tower Transit VNW32374 on Route 23, St Paul's, 13/06/2016
© Aubrey Morandarte

Route 23 started as a route to replace the western end of Route 15 as part of the major Central London changes in 1992. Ironically, most of the route was covered by a previous iteration of Route 23 from 1981 to 1985. Running between Westbourne Park (Mon-Sat)/Ladbroke Grove (Sun) and Aldwych (weekends)/Liverpool Street (weekdays), it used Routemasters from Westbourne Park (X) in the Centrewest sector. Sundays were one person operated with MCW Metrobuses. The one person operated part was increased to evenings too in 1993, and converted to low-floor operation in 1999 when the 18 was converted to low-floor with Dennis Trident/Plaxton Presidents. 15th January 2003 saw the route converted to full low-floor operation with Transbus Trident/ALX400s, with the whole route being operated daily. The night service was integrated into the 23 in 2004. 2008 saw new Enviro 400s introduced to the route, although they were soon off in 2012 by newer Enviro 400s and hybrid Enviro 400Hs, as the older buses became part of the allocation of the 607.
22nd June 2013 saw the route transfer to Tower Transit as this part of First Centrewest was sold to Transit Systems.

30th September 2017 saw the route withdrawn between Aldwych and Liverpool Street due to the first stage of Central London cuts. 24th November 2018 will see the route withdrawn further to Marble Arch, instead rerouted to "replace" the western end of Route 10. However, as the western end of the 10 is mostly paralleled by the 9, it has led to the 23 being relegated to a linking route, as the 27 and 295 covers a more direct routing of where the 23 goes. This means it is an awkward C shaped route which only covers shorter links, and being the link to Marble Arch to Kensington & Hammersmith.

VNW32374 was ordered for the 28, 31 and 328 as part of their double decker conversion in 2004, allocated to Westbourne Park (X). It moved to Atlas Road (AS) in 2011 along with the routes due to the temporary shrinking of Westbourne Park for Crossrail works. It returned back to Westbourne Park in May and June 2016 for its final days in London service. The bus was then retired from London service, moving within the Transit Systems group to Whippet in Cambridgeshire.

Post by Aubrey Morandarte

All rights reserved © WLTMTB 2018

Released: 31/12/2018

Excellence...eventually.

After multiple months of anticipation, the high specification BCI Excellence for Go-Ahead London Central finally entered service on the 6th November 2018. It is a high specification bus, with many interior features which are very new to Transport for London services, even though they are already prolific on some buses outside London.

TA1 standing at Oxford Circus awaiting the next journey to Dulwich
© Aubrey Morandarte

Following various mechanical mishaps it ran into, as well as fitting of some new allegedly high-tech axles, it finally was deemed ready to go out on the road.

Initially tipped to work route X68 from Camberwell [Q] garage, the plans were changed after it transpired it would disrupt certain crosslinks involving school routes which it would not fit around. It was also rumoured it might struggle to get round West Croydon bus station, but that is unconfirmed. Therefore a change was made for it to be used on the route 12 between Oxford Circus and Dulwich Library instead. Normally worked by the notorious BorisBuses, as a somewhat more conventional vehicle with front single-door boarding, it was only a matter of time to witness some custom try to board through the back and be told off by the driver. This route also was one of the articulated bus routes in the 2000s.

Apart from the obvious fact that the bus is a 12.5m long tri-axle vehicle, unusually for TfL conditions they are also equipped with high-back Lazzerini seats, 5V USB ports, phone holders [pictured], LED displays (same as 6 of the micro-hybrid MMCs at WH), proper air conditioning units as opposed to usual air-cooling ones used in London, personal 'Stop' buttons due to a noticeable lack of grab poles on the upper deck, and upstairs available seats counter on the lower deck.


A demonstration of the phone rack equipled at the rear of the high-backed seats - given the lower quality plastic nature, how long till one is broken??
(© Alisha Juszczyk)

In addition to that, it also carries some feature branding on the side, and attracted enough attention that even some non-enthusiast people were spotted taking pictures!

Now time will tell how this bus gets on… Let's hope all precautions were taken so that it does not break down again anytime soon - especially that the track record of previous Vantage hybrids in TfL service was not so good. It would also be interesting if more routes were to trialled, especially ones that do not use LTs. 25 anyone?


The journey sampled was one where it curtailed at Peckham Rye, hence the display. The short notice curtailment does show the speed which a destination can be changed on an electronic LED display as opposed to blinds.
(© Aubrey Morandarte)


The display can be difficult to photograph at times, as shown here. TA1 shown stopping in Regent Street, by Oxford Circus at the end of a journey from Dulwich Library.
(© Alisha Juszczyk)

TA1 circles St. George's Circus after dark heading towards Dulwich Library.
The new LED screen has come out well here despite being shot at 1/200.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/44842275175/in/dateposted/
© Tommy Cooling

With the advent of Transport for London's ever decreasing demand for buses, as well as the various cuts to service, this bus could be a catalyst for a higher-quality revival. Other than the electronic screens for iBus displays, USB ports and LED displays, the features shown are very new to London service.

Post by Aubrey Morandarte, Alisha Juszczyk
Photos by Aubrey Morandarte, Alisha Juszczyk and Tommy Cooling

All rights reserved © WLTMTB 2018
Please do not reproduce any images without permission