Trams on the Streets (of Birmingham)

On the 6th December 2015 (yeah, this is late), the Midland Metro opened its extension from St Paul's, the first extension since its opening on 31st May 1999.

NX-Midland Metro 33, Birmingham Snow Hill (© Aubrey)

This shows the dark depths of Snow Hill, the extension is on the ex-road to the right of the tram in the photo. This section closed on the 25th October 2015 to allow work to occur to divert the trams instead via the new Snow Hill Metro Station which is on the bridge approach to Snow Hill to Bull Street.


NX Midland Metro 24, Bull Street (© Aubrey)

On the 6th December, the new extension opened to some fanfare. This is the first time since 1953 that trams are on the streets of Birmingham.


Midland Metro Route Map (© Aubrey)

Bull Street already shows the Grand Central-New Street Station and Corporation Street Stations, still under construction. The platforms at New Street are definitely close to finishing, but asphalt keeps on being put on top of the tram tracks at the moment for a ramp to the pavement.


Tracks to New Street (CC Aubrey)

Yeah, it looks like a load of cones at the moment, but in a few months time, this will be trams running to New Street.


NX Midland Metro 27, Bull Street (© Aubrey)

Here is more of the road running, with the traffic lights behind showing the start of the road running of the trams. Traffic is stopped (or trams) to let the other thing go through.

This video from the first day (by Anthony Gumm) shows the operations of the first day, including that junction and a view of the then still under construction Snow Hill station:



(The Snow Hill shots are an editing error.)

Yeah, it's the same trams as in the photos.


NX Midland Metro 18, Bull Street (© Aubrey)

Don't ask what's standing by the door. Anyhow, the station is just like most Midland Metro stations, with no ticket selling facilities (all done by a ticket seller on the tram)

The Midland Metro is a protracted scheme from what was supposed to be many more lines than this one, hence this is called Line One of the Midland Metro. Line 2 (Birmingham-Airport (and possibly Coventry)) and Line 3 (Wolverhampton-Walsall) still are not built after being planned by Centro when the Midland Metro was in planning.

Go-Angular General.

This post could be classified as late. Or not.

Over late 2015 into early 2016, Go-Ahead retained quite a few routes with Volvo B5LH/ Wright Gemini 3 buses, with the hybrids penetrating deeper into the suburbs.

The first route to be converted was the 202 with Metrobus in August-September 2015:


Metrobus WHV43 on Route 202, Blackheath Royal Standard (© Aubrey)

Route 202 was the first of the lot to convert, as part of a contract renewal, as well as the double decking of this fairly busy route.


Metrobus WHV46 on Route 202, Maze Hill (© Aubrey)

Then the 119 converted at around the same time:


Metrobus WHV46 on Route 119, East Croydon (© Aubrey)

No, it's not the same photo. Or taken on the same day either. Coincidentally, 119N has moved to Croydon Garage as part of the new contract.


Metrobus WHV49 on Route 119, East Croydon (© Aubrey)

This also showed that any new buses for Metrobus will gain GAL codes and the numbered codes are to be phased out with the integration of Metrobus into GAL.

Then, London General in early December 2015, the 155 and 93 gained their examples. Initially, the 155 with 93 peak hour journeys were where the buses were used:


London General WHV101 on Route 155, Tooting (© Aubrey)

They were gradually introduced, cascading double deckers across Go-Ahead London to help remove the last Euro 2 PVLs.


London General WHV82 on Route 155, Tooting (CC Aubrey)

Route 93 also gained these buses, initially peak hour journeys from the 155, but it started to gain its own allocation from Sutton Garage. As well as the N155.
(Photos are by Anthony Gumm, who has kindly allowed for them to be used.)


London General WHV107 on Route 93, Wimbledon (© Anthony Gumm)

These buses will eventually take over from the DOEs, which are currently still going strong on the 93 as well.


London General WHV106 on Route 93, Wimbledon (© Anthony Gumm)

This seems to be the new standard for Go-Ahead London new bus orders if they are hybrid double deckers, at this moment in time.

Some of the buses have strayed from their allocated routes. The Metrobus WHVs have strayed frequently onto nearly all double decker routes at Croydon Garage:


Metrobus WHV50 on Route 64, East Croydon (© Aubrey)

Also, the Merton WHVs have strayed onto the 44 and 270, with the 270 shown here:


London General WHV90 on Route 270, Putney Bridge (© Anthony Gumm)

Overall, the buses seem to be just like the usual B5LH, with the Gemini 3 body being the angular thing it is. Being on the upper deck of a few of them now means that the smaller windows are starting to feel more normal.

Picture Archive Post 43

Normal posting will resume shortly. Well, it sorta has already with the Picture Archive Series!

London General VP7 on Route 185, Lewisham Station, 23/02/13 (© Aubrey)

These buses (including this example, X158 FBB) were ordered by Durham Travel Services, more known as London Easylink for the win of the 185 in January 2001. Based at Old Kent Road, they were paraded for a year in full London Easylink livery with 185 route branding, with where the route went on the sides and vertically on the rear, weirdly. They also had way too many London Easylink logos on them! In August 2002, Durham Travel Services liquidate, and the buses have no effective operator (and the 185 has no operator). Whilst other buses from, erm... practically everywhere cover the 185, the buses awaited their new owner in East Thames Buses - the TfL-owned operator that tried to prove to the private operators that it is possible to cheaply run bus routes well. Formally, the route transferred in April 2003 to ETB at Belvedere and eventually Mandela Way as well. The bus also gained the fleet number VP7 at ETB. East Thames Buses were bought by Go-Ahead London (thanks to Boris) in October 2009, and the bus moved to Go-Ahead, still on the 185. The route (and this bus) moved to Camberwell Garage in May 2010. The bus stayed on Route 185 until the 4th November 2013 when it was withdrawn from London service. The bus then was bought by EOS for the 66/66A route launched in September 2014. The bus ran as usual on those routes until it hit a low bridge out of service in early 2015. And that's the end of that, at the moment.

Route 185 started as a tram replacement route back in October 1951 running between Victoria and Blackwall Tunnel (where North Greenwich is now), initially based at Camberwell and Walworth with RTLs. Camberwell lost the allocation on the route in 1952, with Catford Garage gaining part of the route in 1972, by that time the RTLs had been replaced by RTs. The RTs were then replaced by DMSs and the route turned OPO in 1973. In 1978, the route was partly retracted from Blackwall Tunnel to Lewisham and was completely retracted up to Greenwich Church in 1982. The route became its Victoria-Lewisham state in 1987. A Camberwell allocation was reintroduced in 1985 with Walworth closing. Titans were also introduced at that time. That went in 1991 as 185 turned to Selkent (and later Stagecoach Selkent) with Titans from Catford Garage. London Easylink won the route in January 2001 with those Volvo B7TL/Plaxton Presidents. The company liquidated in 2002, and buses from all sorts of places contracted by Blue Triangle covered the 185. TfL took over under East Thames Buses in 2004, with the B7TLs returning. A politically motivated move came next as the contract was novated to Go-Ahead London General in 2009 as ETB was sold to Go-Ahead. The route moved to Camberwell (London Central) in May 2010, where it is now, albeit with newer B7TLs with Wright Gemini I body and nearly any other double decker from Camberwell Garage.

After The Apocalypse - the 94 and the lion

Yes, this post is a few months late. Really late. Oh, well. University, computer problems, exams and the odd difficulty in organising a trip to Reading until December means this post is severely delayed. Have fun reading it!

Reading Buses 805 on Route 90 via John Nike
Stagecoach South 34531 on Route 94
Both seen, with a Courtney Versa on the 194 at Bracknell Bus Station (© Aubrey)

That is all that's left at Bracknell. Reading Buses, Stagecoach and Courtney. And the latter two are in a bus war on the Bracknell-Camberley corridor, so I'll speak about the 94 first:


Stagecoach South 34531 on Route 94, Bracknell Bus Station (© Aubrey)

Stagecoach South 94 is the direct descendant of First Berkshire 94, running every 20 minutes between Bracknell and Camberley running more direct that Courtney's 194.


Stagecoach South 34634 on Route 94, Bracknell (© Aubrey)

Initially, Darts from spares were used on the 94, but as Stagecoach settled in on the route, newer Enviro 200s from Winchester were transferred to be route branded for the 94. Could it get an even bigger, more executive upgrade in a few years? Probably not.


Reading Buses 1211 on Route 90 and Stagecoach South 34637, Bracknell (© Aubrey)

Both the 94 and the 194 has had its fair share of double deckers (Tridents for the 94, the ex-coffee/chocolate 189 deckers for the 194), but even Courtney are starting to up the quality.


Courtney Buses YJ62 FLD on Route 194, Bracknell (© Aubrey)

This is what the 194 allocation will partially be, albeit new Versas (YJ65 EVM/N) with wi-fi, USB chargers and branded in British Racing Green. There are also Enviro 300s for the route too, which will get the same treatment.

Meanwhile, the buses for the 4/X4 started out as:


Reading Buses 214 on Route 21, Reading Station (© Aubrey)

Then they were refurbished with new seat covers and USB seat chargers, and went out initially partially branded on the 90 as more buses were being refurbished:


Reading Buses 217 on Route 90 via Southern Estates, Friar Street (© Aubrey)

Then, as the 4/X4 launch was getting closer, most of the 90 buses started to become the fully branded Lions:


Reading Buses 212 on Route 90 via Southern Estates, Bracknell (CC Aubrey)

Then, on Bank Holiday 31st August 2015, the 90 was finally renumbered 4/X4. And it still was numbered 4/X4 by the time I got it covered, finally. In December.


Reading Buses 214 on Route 4, Reading Station (© Aubrey)

Yep, that's the same bus as that Claret one seen above. At nearly the same spot.
The hybrids were initially used on the 21a, but older Scanias from the 5/6 were refurbished as the "Claret Spritzer" buses with the interesting set up on the upper deck. The hybrids were then sent to more used pastures on the 4/X4.


Reading Buses 217 on Route X4 ahead of 429 on Route 3, St Mary's Butts (© Aubrey)

Notably, the Wokingham services are of the same two colours, just reversed for the 4/X4 from the 3. Both are branded after animals (leopard 3 and lion 4/X4). Both go to Wokingham. Not a coincidence at all. This was planned all along.


Reading Buses 1210 on Route X4, St Mary's Butts (CC Aubrey)

There are also two ex-University of Portsmouth Enviro 400 diesels that were refurbished too for the 4/X4. And they had arrived at Reading in all over white.


Reading Buses 213 on Route 4, Reading St Mary's Butts (© Aubrey)

Overall, for the 4/X4, Reading Buses have done a predictably great job, along with the predictable styling from Ray Stenning. Again. No wonder Reading Buses are award-winning! I suspect the wild cat theme has migrated from Yorkshire Tiger onto the Leopard and Lion...

Two Gradual LT Conversions

Routes 149 and 168 converted in November and December 2015 to the political weapon recently, gradually.

Arriva London LT587 on Route 149, London Bridge, (© Aubrey)

It's got the new set of blinds with the skinny numbers.'


Arriva London LT575 on Route 149, Dalston Junction (© Aubrey)

LT513-516, 564-601 are the batches for the 149, based at Tottenham Garage. Coincidentially, route 149 was a route which had Ken's political weapon - the Mercedes-Benz Citaro G. That was withdrawn under Boris for the replacement Volvo B5LHs and DB300s to be replaced by Boris's political weapon. What will the upcoming mayoral election bring in transport political weapons?


Arriva London LT567 on Route 149, London Bridge (© Aubrey)

Meanwhile, Metroline's slightly awaited and very predictable LT conversion of the 168 went ahead in December 2015:


Metroline LT656 on Route 168, Waterloo Bridge (© Aubrey)

It had only gotten TEHs for a short tad, before the buses were needed to move over to other routes so the 307 could have buses for it moving from Arriva to Metroline, pretty much like the 168.


Metroline LT561 on Route 168, Bricklayer's Arms (© Aubrey)

The 168 batch is LT641-663, albeit in practice the 168 and 16 batches are intermixed as both are at Cricklewood Garage. It turns out the Hampstead Heath stand has been fixed for LTs on the 168 in some way or another. Yay, more political weapons(!)

At least 68 will get LT666. Yay!