Route 9 NBfL Conversion Part 1 26/10/13

Route 9 was the next route to be converted to the Borismaster. Again, I (Au) decided to go out first and cover the first bus. Again, it was the 9, therefore, it was later than normal starts. Yet again, in true Borismaster style, the first journey was late. However, unlike Metroline (24) and London General (11), it was eventually fixed as soon as they could. Due to the sheer amount of photos, and the fact that all of us are covering it separately-ish, the post is split into three parts. The first part covers only the morning of the first bus round trip, and the 9 other buses that followed LT80 to Aldwych and back... (The second post covers the rest of the day, including the whole allocation except LT75 and the third post will cover crewed journeys).

At 06:40, two minutes late, LT80, the first journey arrived at Hammersmith Bus Station, after being lined up earlier at V. I'd think it was late due to the fast that it takes 15mins to check the NBfL, when usually it should take 10mins:


London United LT80 on Route 9, Hammersmith

I took the bus to Aldwych:


The view just before the bus started its very quick journey to Aldywch

9 to Aldwych iBus on LT80

After a very short, fast and uneventful journey there, even with a tiny fault with the iBus, it arrived at Aldwych, one bus late:


London United LT80 on Route 9, Aldwych

LT72 was just moments behind:


London United LT72 on Route 9, Aldwych

Again, I was the first person to get back on the bus, thus I was also the first person to get on the first eastbound OPO journey of an NBfL on 9. I took it to Hammersmith. En-route, it sorta competed with LT72 up to Kensington, where LT72 backed out a bit, and LT80 became the first LT on OPO 9 to arrive back at Hammersmith. Yet LT72 still was the first one to go to stand!:

9 to Hammersmith iBus on LT80

London United LT72, LT80 on Route 9, Hammersmith


London United LT72 on Route 9, Hammersmith


London United LT80 on Route 9, Hammersmith
Yes, the destination is from 148 :P


London United LT72 on Route 9, Hammersmith
This is to show that the LTs do not sometimes fit on the stop at the bus station due to turning circle and length


London United LT72 on Route 9, Hammersmith


London United LT80 was soon curtailed to Trafalgar Square to make up time.
Meanwhile, in order, the other 7 LTs that went out after LT80, before it came back, started to come in. They were LT91, 89, 83, 70, 93, 87, 74 (in that order). I got LT80 to Brook Green:


London United LT80 on Route 9, Hammersmith Brook Green


London United LT91 on Route 9, Hammersmith Latymer Court


London United LT89 on Route 9, Hammersmith


London United LT76 on Route 9, Hammersmith (the second curtailed 9).


London United LT83 on Route 9, Hammersmith


London United LT70 on Route 9, Hammersmith


London United LT86 on Route 9, Hammersmith


London United LT93 on Route 9, Hammersmith


London United LT87 on Route 9, Hammersmith

I then went on LT91 to Charing Cross, which entered service after LT80 arrived at Hammersmith AGAIN (before LT74):


London United LT71, Route 9, Charing Cross


London United LT74 on Route 9, Trafalgar Square


London United LT73 (9), Stagecoach RM652 (15H), Charing Cross


London United LT89 on Route 9, Trafalgar Square

I then took DN33780 (Poppy Appeal all over livery) to Aldwych:


The Ultimate Comparison? A triple whammy, that's for sure!
 London United LT79 (Route 9), London General LT67 (Route 11), Metroline (Poppy Appeal) TE906 (Route 91), all at Strand/Aldwych.

And this is where I'll leave part 1, as I then went to Canning Town, before returning on the 9 for a little. Or rather, the whole allocation of that day!