Hanwell/Southall Observations 2011-2012 (1st Year Post 3)

The Blog is one year old. And two days.

Also the 82nd post, although this isn't celebrated. This is post three of three.

Finally to the third place, and post. Now, some may be wondering why Hanwell and Southall are so important to demand a post like this? Well, you may know since last year, we had three members over the year. However, as most people know, Matt left. However, seeming as this would lead to a third post, I decided to go to a place that I have commonly been, and that is Hanwell and Southall. Southall is where Matt was first involved in the blog, so it was a tiny bit fitting. However, I have many observations from Hanwell too, which led to this third post.

This one is long too, so read along:

First TNL33138 on Route 607, 30/04/11

I remember the 607 when it had Olympians, but I didn't get a photo then, so here it is. The 607 had since then got the buses from the 207 for a low floor conversion. They were okay, but starting to age by this time.

First TNL33072 on Route 607, 30/04/11
The 607 has grown so much, most buses are overcrowded east of here in the peaks. Hanwell Broadway was a common bus photo opportunity back in 2011 for me.


First VN37786 on Route 83, 30/04/11
The VNs back then were only a year old or so, and older VNW/VNZs were still running some services at the time.


First VNZ32352 on Route 92, 30/04/11
These VNZs were the workforce for the 92 until recently, when DNs came to the route (as covered by the blog). The coding for First continues where the N denotes a double decker...


First EA11064 on Route 207, 30/04/11
This proved to be killed for Boris to win an election. I didn't like that. 207 was one of the few routes where bendy buses suited the route. The 207 suffered and suffers overcrowding.


First EA11040 on Route 207, 30/04/11
The EAs were soon mixed with the ones from the 18 (and even from other routes before the end of bendy buses)


Metroline DM970 on Route E8, 21/07/11
The E8 is deemed to be quite short, and some may want it extended in either/both ends. I'd personally like it to go to Hounslow. Anyway, this exact bus seems to later on be quite well known in my head as a certain timed bus. Also, these DMs aren't allocated to the E8 anyway, meaning that this must be a rare working. Rare but regular...


Metroline OTH973 on Route E8, 21/07/11
The short route split from the E1 some years ago. These are the Optare Tempo Hybrids that are running only on the E8, as a trial. These have a system which I can't strap around or understand, as I don't know fully how this works...


Metroline DP1014 on Route E8, 21/07/11
These buses were originally with the route, although came for the 117. It has since intermixed with the E2/E8 batch of DPs. These had then moved on to PB and since, I don't know where they are. These have been repainted from Armchair to Metroline with skirt, to just plain red here.


First DN33606 on Route E3, 21/07/11
The DNs are as seen in the Chiswick post, where it is fully explained there. But, this is Hanwell Station, soon home to Crossrail, where many trains just race past, leaving 2tph for it. And the station is Grade Listed...


Metroline  DE1011 on Route E8, 22/09/11
This is what is rarely, yet supposed to be on the E8. The DE should really be on the E8, but it is mostly instead run by OTH (allocated also) and TPs, with the occasional DM, but the DEs are returning nowadays back to the E8...


The picture that inspired me to do the (one of the) flagship photos of the blog.
First DML44131 on Route 195, 22/09/11
The 195 was run by DMLs, then by ECT and returned to First afterwards. It was extended to Brentford some years ago, and it is now quite long, but it works. Still. With DMLs (E200), it seems to run strong from Hayes Garage.


Wharncliffe Viaduct. Not many places where you get to see Brunel's masterpiece.


A Class 332 of Heathrow Express passes on the Wharncliffe Viaduct. Well done Brunel.


This is about the third time this has been on the blog, after the 50th post and the background, but it is still my best photo till this day.
First EA11052 on Route 207, 22/09/11
This bus had its wheelchair ramp down, meaning I had just enough time to do two shots of the bus. This was my best one, obviously. The other, mostly not seen one (until now) shot of the bus is below:

See the old Countdown display? Those were the days...


Hanwell Station in the rain. Wet, isn't it. Didn't get it dead centre, though. 26/10/11


First DN33519, on Route 607, 23/03/12
This has been on the blog before. However, this shows about the then new order for the 607 - old DNs from the 23. This picture was one of my early blog photos. I had gotten off with Matt from the 207 or 195 behind me to get on a 607.  This was before Matt joined the blog. I didn't want to catch Matt in this photo, but he is in there anyway, and I like the shot, so I've kept it uncropped. By that time, I had barely known James for less than a month and knew Matt for a month, so I never knew that a few months later, I'd allow them to join the WLTM Bus Blog. James has stayed since. How coincidences fall into place, I wonder...


First DML44118 on Route 95, 23/03/12
This shows the buses originally ordered for the E routes on the 95. These are slightly older than the ones ordered for the 95. The 95 are usually having 11reg DMLs. The 95 was just a formalised split of the 105 Shepherd's Bush-Southall section.


London United VP109 on Route 120, 23/03/12
These VPs were ruling the route at this time, along with VAs. These were so old, they had central staircases.  I grew up with these on the 111, 120 and H32 (Heston, if anyone guessed correctly). These were the ones I'd rather want on the 120 as I normally preferred VAs


London United VA74 on Route 120, 23/03/12
This bus was ordered for the 220. There is a short working to Lampton Corner, which usually means Lampton Corner, then non-stop to Hounslow Bus Station via Kingsley Road. These I liked on the 111.


London United SP20 on Route 482, 10/06/12
This was taken from a 105, after the long Night Buses at Dawn post. Route 482 morphed from Route 805 operated by Bharat Travel, which I still remember went to Terminal 5. It then became 435 via the 105 route before becoming 482 via the H32 route. 482 had ADH1/ADH2 allocated originally to it as well, before it was sent via H91 and 94 to the 27.


First DMS44409 on Route E5, 10/06/12
The E5 is a residential route along the back streets of Southall, Southall North/Dormer's Wells and Greenford before going to Perivale, terminating at the Hoover Building there, now a Tesco. It demands small buses, and small it will get. The standard Enviro 200 shows, although Marshalls used to dominate too...


Metroline VW1179 on Route 105, 10/06/12, Southall North
The 105 was gained by Metroline in 2011, leading to these buses. I've ridden on these on the 237, 105 and E2 and I'd say that these aren't that bad, but better than the TNs they replaced. It used to go to Shepherd's Bush, but the split worked..


London United ADE5 on Route 120, 29/06/12
The day Matt officially joined the blog. Without him in sight. But a Facebook message about these buses being introduced led me to Southall on my own to cover this. Matt told me about the 'fresh' smell of these. This turned out to be rubber. In any case, from then on, James and I started to notice smells of buses. I had always wished 111 would've gotten these instead, but never mind...


London United SP187 on Route H32, 29/06/12
The H32 originally came from the 232, with 120 getting the northern part. These back breaking SPs came in 2009-ish, with this exact bus from the 111 (yay!) batch.


Metroline VW1190 on Route 105, 06/06/12
Behind me is Matt. Anyway, I remember the 105 when it had TNs and was with First. I do have a (poor) photo of it, but the newer VWs seem a bit better, and was where I had many conversations and travels... Both here and on the 237.


First TN33167 on Route 105, 24/07/09
This bus is, yes, I know in Heathrow, but is relevant here. This photo is zoomed from the original, and was taken from a van. First used to operate the 105, from Greenford until 2011, when Metroline took over. I could definitely recall the old 105 when I used to visit Heathrow when I was very young. Ahead of it is a TA on the 111. These TAs also ran on the 120, periodically. These TNs had worn out by the time it was due to contract renewal, so it wasn't a large surprise that Metroline won the route.


Metroline OTH972 and TP424 on Route E8, 12/07/12
The OTH and TP are frequenters to the E8, as E8 can get double decker workings (which suit the route well). This is a rare sight, as there is a short working, a non-allocated working all in the same picture. Many people who use the Boston Manor corridor regularly, including Matt and I, would like to see the E8 double decked permanently, to justify heavy loads at times.


London United/RATP ADE5 on Route 120, 12/07/12, Southall North.
I was with James at the time. This shows the heavy loads on the 120 at times. 120 have a partial allocation of these ADEs, leaving the rest to a sea of SPs.


First DN33585 on Route 282, 08/09/12
The 282 is originally allocated TNs, but sometimes, DNs do occasionally appear from time to time, as these are also based in Greenford. This rare working is captured at the former terminus of the 195, Ealing Hospital.


Metroline VW1182 on Route 105, 08/09/12, Southall North/Cornwall Avenue
This photography spot seems to be promising, where I am standing at that time. The residential side of the 105 slows the end of the route down (or start, depending on direction) and is parallel with the 95:


First DML44182 on Route 95, 08/09/12, Southall North/Cornwall Avenue
This shot of the 95 shows the other severed half of the 105, and on its short-ish overlap area around Southall North and Greenford. These are the buses intended for the 95 anyway. I could've ended there, but there is a bit more.


First DN33775 on Route 92, 13/10/12
After the intra-blog feud, this was one of the first few posts after this, and business continued as normal. These new buses replaced the VNZs on the 92. These would probably to the WTA standard now.

First London VNW32412 on Route 607, 27/04/12

This in itself is a rare working as an operational spare. This was taken whilst I was with Matt.

First VNW32668 on Route 607, 12/07/12

The other bus allocated to 607 is the VNWs. Originally from the 150, when Dagenham lost that, they were refurbished and shoved onto the 607, where they, along with the ex-23 DNs, operate the route.

So, thank you from James and Au to those who read this blog for one year of operation. And a thank you to Matt, for helping the blog with your efforts over the course of a few months in 2012. The WLTM Bus Blog will now enter 2013 awake, and ready for action.

From the WLTM Bus Blog team :)