Route 208 new buses 25/07/12

Au may be on holiday but I'm still here (well, sort of) to do some more blog posts.

The 208 is a route that links Orpington and Lewisham and has recently recieved new Enviro 400s. I took a ride on them and they "smelled of rubber" (Quoting from Matt)

Stagecoach London 10145 (LX12 DGO) at Lewisham Station

Upper deck of 10145

Stagecoach 10139 (LX12 DFU) at Lewisham Market

iBus and CCTV Screen of 10145

Lower deck of 10145

Rear of 10145. Note the rear cover is different (i.e. no Enviro 400 logo)

iBus of 10145

 There are still some ALX400s still operating on the route, however:

Stagecoach 17864 ( LX03 NFJ) on route 208. Taken from a 54 bus

Observations 12/07/12-18/07/12

My final blog post before the summer. Due to many projects, holiday homework and summer holidays, I cannot post until September. Here are the observations made during the 12th to 18th July 2012.

 Metroline OTH972 (LK58 CTZ) and TP424 (LK03 CGE) on Route E8, Hanwell Broadway, 12/07/12

 London United ADE5 on Route 120, Southall North, Ascot Gardens, 12/07/12

 London United ADE4 on Route 120, Southall North, 12/07/12

 I don't know how to explain this....  London United ADE5 blinded for the 27 at Hounslow West, 13/07/12...

 London United SC01 on Route 27 at Ravenscourt Park, 14/07/12

 London United SLE47 on Route 27, Turnham Green. Showing Olympic sponsors... 15/07/12

 London United DLE23 on Route 222, Hounslow, 15/07/12

 Metroline VW1070 on Route 237, Hounslow, 15/07/12. Curtailments on Route 237 was likely on that day

 Metroline VW1036 on Route 237, Kew, 15/07/12. Curtailed to Hounslow Bus Station

 London United OV10 on Route 391, Turnham Green, 15/07/12, Curtailed to Kew Gardens Station

London United OV5 on Route 391, Turnham Green, 15/07/12, Curtailed to North End Rd/Lille Road

Metroline TP413 on Route E8, Brentford, 18/07/12

 First WN35004 on Route 295, Hammersmith, 18/07/12

  First VN37952 on Route 295, Hammersmith, 18/07/12

First VN37956 on Route 295, Hammersmith, 18/07/12

There will be a gap between this post and the next (by me) due to that all what makes up WLTM Bus Blog will be on holiday during summer, so we will return on September. However, as Jake Nibhall is not on holiday until next week, he might sneak a post in...

And also, I am supposed to also show a 95 curtailment to East Acton, but reporter Matt still needs to send that picture to me.

Have a happy summer.

S7 Stock 18/07/12

After an early finish to school, I went with fellow blogger James Panaligan to Hammersmith to get the S7 Stock train. After a very helpful station assistant at Hammersmith (H&C Station) radioed the controller to tell us that the train would arrive at 1440, we got on and, well, it smelt fresh (I only started to notice smells of trains/buses since reporter Matt told me of ADE scents...) and new...

 S7 at Hammersmith. Train No. 700. Fitting, really...

 The train end to end...

 Short Platforms at Baker Street...

 District Line route diagram

 Circle and Hammersmith & City line route diagram

S7 with people 

 Air conditioning poster

 Indeed, the front doors don't open at Baker Street...

 Front doors open at King's Cross St Pancras 

 Sidings of Farringdon

S7 leaving Farringdon

Brentford/Hounslow/Southall Trip 06/07/12

I had work experience during the week 02-06/07/12, so I decided to bring my camera to the last day. These are the observations:

Metroline TP417 (LK03 CFN) on Route E8, Boston Manor Road*

First London DML44179 (YX11 AEU) on Route 195, Boston Manor. Curtailed to Brentford/Great West Road due to volume of traffic on Boston Manor Road southbound Hanwell-Brentford :)

London United/RATP ADE2 (YX12 FNH) on Route 120, Hounslow Central Station

iBus on 8110

Abellio London 8110 (SN04 EGD) on Route H20, Hounslow Bell

The VP lingers on. London United VP107 (W451 BCW) on Route 81, Hounslow

The VA also lingers on. London United VA104 (W141 EON) on Route 222, Hounslow Bell.

London United/RATP SP23 (YN08 DHJ) on Route 120, Hounslow Bell. I prefer the ADE to the SP on the 120...

After work experience, I joined up with reporter Matt to Southall, just for observations. He reported seeing a Dennis Dart/Marshall on Route 195 (which I thought were nearly all gone at Hayes, but I was wrong!) Here are the observations after work experience:

Metroline VW1054 (LK10 BXZ) on Route E8, Boston Manor. This is the Elthorne Park pm starter, which is annoying, and it is normally empty at Elthorne/Hanwell anyway.

After work experience, an older bus. Metroline TP (LK03 CGV) on Route E8, Boston Manor*. The E8 has gradually become double deck with TPs, again, due to heavy loadings, which I complained about once when it was single deck...

Inside the TP. Sorry about lighting issues, and please ignore the people inside it...*

TP ticket machine

Metroline VW1190 (LK11 CYA) on Route 105, Southall Broadway

London United/RATP ADE4 (YX12 FHK) on Route 120, North Southall, near Cornwall Ave

First London DML44133 (YX10 BDE) on Route 195, Southall Broadway. Viewed from 120 ADE. Short to Ealing Hospital, just like the route used to be...

London United ADE2 on Route 120, Southall Station. Short to Southall Town Hall, oddly...

Emirates Air-Line 30/06/12

I know the cable car is not related to buses, but it does need to be covered...
I went with Jake Nibhall to Greenwich in order to get on the cable car (after some queuing). But, it is worth the wait, but I recommend to take it from Royal Docks to North Greenwich car park, as there is less queuing.

Emirates Greenwich Peninsula Station

Cable car leaving the station

Two cable cars going in different directions

Control Panel

Stats at Greenwich Peninsula Station

Interior of cable car.

What is in that box? Life-jackets?

Looking from a cable car towards Royal Docks

Leaving Greenwich Peninsula Station

Views from Cable Car

Map of progress on trip

Moquette of the seats on the cable car.

The doors from the inside

Stratford/Olympic Park viewed from cable car

'Whatever you do, look down!'. Imagine if the cable cars had glass bottoms!

Approaching Royal Docks

Go-Ahead WVL on Route 474 viewed from cable car

The cable car I went in with Jake

Emirates Royal Docks sign. Top of Jake's head shown...

Fares

Emirates Air-Line Logo

Inside Royal Docks Station

Emirates Greenwich Peninsula sign

Two standby cars in the 'depot' totally disconnected from the network...

Afterwards, we went to Hammersmith, where we split ways - me covering the 211 and Jake covering the 70.