Bank Holiday 9H & 15H Running Day

Au, Lewis and Josh Sammons covered the 9H and 15H Running Day, which always brings some older buses. And First Berkshire. Initially, Au went to Canning Town to catch the SRM3 going to Becontree Heath Bus Park, much like the Sunday 9 service between 1940 and 1968.

Tower Transit SRM3 on Route 9, Canning Town (Au)

It went to Becontree Heath bus stand:


Tower Transit SRM3 on Route 9, Becontree Heath (Au)

Yes, it is facing the wrong way, but it's for pictures. All bus routes that used to serve this 'Bus Station' now serve a stop on the main road. It is still used as a turnaround point.

We then purposefully went through Barking Garage, albeit without a complete kerfuffle!


Stagecoach 25306 and 34372, Barking Garage (Au)
It was, again, for photos of it going through the exit of the garage, after we entered the proper garage.
We headed to Central London, eventually...


Sullivan RML2272 on Route 15H, St Paul's (Au)


Ensignbus RT3251 on Route 9H, Kensington (Au)


A Line of Nines!
London United LT87 on Route 9, Ensignbus RT3251, RTW467 Group RTW467 on Route 9H, Kensington Holland Road (Au)


Then a line of the silver RMs!
Tower Transit SRM3, Timebus SRM7 on Route 9H, Kensington Holland Road (Au)

We met Lewis there, just in time for the 7900.


First Beeline VSH69934 on Route 9H, Kensington Holland Road (Au)


Like most buses, it ran through to Tower Hill
First Beeline VSH69934 on Route 15H, Tower Hill (Au)


First Beeline VSH69934 on Route 9H, Trafalgar Square (Lewis)

Even then, it's entirely still possible to get cyclists to ruin shots!


Timebus SRM7 on Route 15H, Charing Cross Station (Au)

Then a wonderful blurred background shot by Lewis!


First Beeline VSH69934 on Route 15H, Aldwych (Lewis)


First Beeline VSH69934 on Route 9H, Kensington Holland Road (Lewis)

Then, a bold claim by the Volvo 7900.

First Beeline VSH69934 makes the 33% less fuel statement, whilst a Borismaster (London United LT69 on Route 9) looks on, unimpressed. (Au)

Overall, it was a good day, with buses running early/on time after timetables were severely slackened in order as last time, nearly everything was running late. Now drivers were running a tad early this time round! The SRM3 journey, even with the Barking Garage kerfuffle, was still early!

Trunk 136 Elephant Extension - 17/05/14

Route 136 has recently been extended to Elephant & Castle via the 343 route due to overcrowding on the 343 route.

Stagecoach London 10124 on Route 136, Elephant & Castle


Stagecoach 18455 on Route 136, Elephant & Castle

The extension has attracted quite a few punters, but some think the route goes via Camberwell Green or Old Kent Road, much like the rest of the routes to Peckham (12, 171) or New Cross (53, 453). It is also noted from observations that the 343 and 136 do appear quite close to each other at times arriving at Elephant where one has more passengers than the other - a case of punching each other?


Stagecoach 19839 on Route 136, Elephant & Castle

and just behind...

Abellio London 9020 on Route 343, Elephant & Castle

Luckily, this was taken off-peak, so the effect was less seen. The extension has been noted to be well used in its early days. The effect is shown as 343 no longer needs an AM peak extra bus.


Stagecoach 18455 on Route 136, Elephant & Castle


Stagecoach London 18490 on Route 136, Elephant & Castle

My Picture Archive Post 23: Ealing End of Era

An end of an era, for three routes at least. Since their introductions, E10, E1 and E3 have all been with Centrewest (and their successors of First Centrewest and Metroline West) since privatisation, but expectedly, Metroline West had lost these three routes, decimating Greenford Garage greatly with a loss of a PVR of 40. At least it gives Metroline West a lot of spare buses!


First London DMS44420 on Route E10, Greenford (24/03/13)

Route E10 contributed a PVR of 7 to Greenford Garage. It was created in 1997 to replace the Smith's Farm spur of Route E9, and part of Route E4. The old route is now mainly the route E11, after it was chopped and changed to its present extent of Northolt, Islip Manor to Ealing Broadway, via a more direct route between Ealing and Greenford. This route is quite busy, and the only reason why it has such short buses is due to the Islip Manor terminus in Northolt, where the turning circle is only small enough for a 8.9m bus, which is a problem for such a busy route. Plans were/are afoot for the route to be extended via Gunnersbury Avenue (A406/Ringway 2), Gunnersbury Lane and Bollo Lane to Chiswick Business Park. This extension is pending on the petty problem of trying to turn right from Gunnersbury Lane to Gunnersbury Avenue - the different parties cannot decide how to implement a 'bus only turn' at that busy intersection, seeming as they do not want to use Gunnersbury Drive, used each summer for Route 65X anyway!
Thanks to long delays, Route 70 instead might be extended via the E3 and Bollo Lane instead to Chiswick Business Park.

The route will pass on to Arriva/Tellings Golden-Miller (controlled by Arriva Southern Counties) on the 31st May 2014 with a base at Hatton Cross (Heathrow).


Metroline West TE1727* (SN09 CEX) on Route E1, Hanwell (23/08/13)

Route E1 contributed a PVR of 7 to Greenford Garage. It was one of the original 'Ealing Flat Fare' routes, and a victim of needless minibus conversion (not as bad as the 28/31!). It replaced the 211 between Greenford and Ealing, and the 83 between Brentford and Ealing, which meant it practically backed up on itself at Hanwell due to the double run of Ealing either side of the Great Western Mainline. From 1990, there was sense to split the route into the E1 and the E8, leaving it the current route it is today. It was also converted to minibus operation (apart from peak hour journeys, logically), before it being restored to double decker operation in 1997.

The route will pass on to Abellio London West on the 31st May 2014 with hybrid E40H from Hayes Garage.


Metroline West TE1729 on Route E3, Acton (24/06/13)

Yeah, that route...
Route E3 is the largest loss out of Greenford Garage, taking a PVR of 26 away. The route has evolved to become a mammoth of an operation, even though the route has become more simplified from introduction due to the sheer demand for the route. It started off as Route 55, before in 1968, it was split into the E3 and the 274. It was one of the original 'Ealing Flat Fare' routes, and a victim of needless minibus conversion, which was done in 1990, before being converted to low-floor single deckers in 1997, and double deckers in 2002. It runs the same route that it ran in 1968, between Chiswick Swimming Pools (Edensor Road) and Greenford Red Lion (now a pile of rubble). It also had runs to Chiswick, Grove Park, before that was replaced by Route E4 (then H40, 272).


Metroline West TE1738 on Route E3, Gunnersbury Park (24/10/13)

For regular peak users, the route is also well known for curtailing at virtually any point. The reliability problems caused by a large demand for the route means it is almost impossible to not have a peak curtailment of a crowded bus! Buses are subject to curtailment to nearly anywhere other than the official curtailments! Commonly they curtail at Gunnersbury Avenue before running dead via Bollo Lane to line of route at Chiswick, dumping usually a large crowd at a small stop. Another curtailment is Turnham Green Station, where the bus runs dead via Chiswick High Road and Stamford Brook to get back on route at Turnham Green Station. On one journey to Chiswick from Northfields (another unofficial curtailment point), three buses were needed due to two curtailments at the aforementioned points.


Metroline West TE1750 on Route E3, Chiswick (17/10/13)

Another, less common curtailment is Chiswick, Barrowgate Road, where the bus afterwards goes via the A4, Hogarth Roundabout and A316 to Edensor Road, which takes about the same time as doing the rest of the route in service when there is sufficient traffic! Punctuality over mileage.

The route is also well known for having many secondary schools on/near the route (in order northbound, Chiswick School, Twyford, Acton High, Gunnersbury, Elthone Park, Drayton Manor, Brentside, Cardinal Wiseman). This does lead to abuse of the treatment of the buses, leading to them looking worn out and littered with anything food-related (or even half-eaten post-it notes, but let's gloss over that!), meaning that when Route E3 was awarded, it was rumoured that it didn't get new buses due to the 10 NBfL conversion, and that new buses would be worn out by this vigourous treatment by school children fairly quickly. So it will get refurbished SPs, which will be ruined by next year, presumably from that treatment!:


The future. London United SP150 on route training of E3, Chiswick Town Hall (12/05/14)

The route will pass on to London United on the 31st May 2014 with Scania Omnicities from Stamford Brook Garage. History full circle, as it started with a part V allocation!

Ugly Duckling? - Eton Junipers

The initial reaction of the unveiling of the Class 458/5 was a negative reaction, 'possibly the worst looking train ever' one quotes. However, since the initial unveiling of the 458/5, with Desiro corridor for emergencies (and Dellner coupler), the look has taken some used to it. The first 458/5s in service are ex-Class 460 units, known only for shuttling between Gatwick Airport, London Victoria and Stewarts Lane TMD on Gatwick Express services. These trains, as well as native Class 458s will be refurbished/transformed into 458/5s, which are five coach trains, at Doncaster (Wabtec) and Loughbrough (Brush Traction). The 460s will turn to 458531-36, whilst the 458/0s will be renumbered 458501-30. These trains are running on the 'Windsor' line services towards Hounslow Loop and Windsor & Eton Riverside.

On an aforementioned Windsor service, 458531 does the 1558 ex-Waterloo service to Windsor & Eton Riverside. This journey is scheduled to be 458/5 operated. (20/03/14)


To provide a comparison, here is a 458/0 - 458023 on a Reading service just minutes later (20/03/14)


South West Trains 458534, Feltham on another 1558 ex-Waterloo service to Windsor & Eton Riverside. (16/05/14)


Interior of 'Coach A' of the train. There are less seats in order to accommodate more standing passengers.
Notably, the air conditioning works well. (16/05/14)

With the timetable changes, and a reported sighting of them in service on the Hounslow Loop already, there will be more of these in service soon, no matter how they look.

These trains also have the 'correct' outer suburban SWT livery, as the lines that they travel on are 'outer suburban' commuter routes. The 458/0s had mainline SWT livery, which was not reflecting on the route that they usually ran on (Reading-Waterloo).

Tube Strike Round 2 Part 2

Tube Strike Day 2, here it goes, again!:

As a result of the Metropolitan line being shut thanks to the strike, Lewis gathered some Sullivan Buses Enviros on the H11:


Sullivan Buses AE5 on Route H11, Harrow (LJN)


Sullivan Buses AE5 on Route H11, Harrow (LJN) (taken on Day 1)

Meanwhile, in Central London, I hit the blues!:


...or rather, Amber. Or is it white?
Ambus (Amber-Lee) Y202 NLK on Route 26 'Gaffer Tape', St Paul's (Au)
Amber-Lee Coaches extras can only go on the 26 because the buses have blinds for the 265 and some gaffer tape ready for the strike. The tape is even done on the outside! It's still a bus though, which is always good!


But we can all learn from the excellent presentation Seaford & District did with some of their buses! Proper displays (in colour too!), and neat bus.
Seaford and District TA10 on Route 26, St Paul's (Au)


..or Ensign with nearly all their extras! Buses with full blinds on the 15.
Ensignbus DM2646 on Route 15, St Paul's (Au)


Ensignbus being the main contributor of extras (Routes 8, 15, 25, 38), including these two buses
Ensignbus RTL453 and RMC1485 on Route 15, St Paul's


Seaford and District TA9 (unrefurbished) on Route 26, St Paul's (Au)


Tower Transit TN33198 on Route 23, St Paul's (Au)
Some routes had extras from within their bus companies.


Boris, that did hit hard! Yes, a full bendy coach!
Ensignbus 401 on Route 25, St Paul's (Au)


Also full was this bus with free wi-fi, kind passengers and music.
Travelmasters EY07 AXJ on Route 25, St Paul's (Au)


Travelmasters EY07 AXJ on Route 25, Aldgate (Au)


As typical with any tube strike, all 25s were full at the western end!
Tower Transit VN36111 on Route 25, Aldgate (Au)


Tower Transit VN36118 on Route 25, Aldgate (Au)
That bus behind in the distance is yet another 25, it had already terminated and turned around to Ilford.


Ensignbus RT3251 on Route 15, Aldgate (Au)


Ensignbus M1 (THX 101S) on Route 15, Aldgate (Au)


Tower Transit VN36156 on Route 25, Aldgate (Au)
Clearly full, the driver rejects more passengers, as per usual on the 25!


Stagecoach 12147 on Route 15, Aldgate (Au)


Ensignbus RT4421, Aldgate (Au)
This bus was earlier on the 38, as the blinds show


Southern Transit TA1 on Route 205, Aldgate (Au)
Southern Transit also helped on the 205 with L1 on the 205.


London Bus Company RML2231 on Route 29, Trafalgar Square (Au)


Arriva London LT208 on Route 38, Green Park (Au)


A dying breed.
Arriva London DW235 on Route 38, Piccadilly (Au)

I did leave Central London earlier than usual, for no reason.


London United LT144 on Route 148, Shepherd's Bush Station (Au)