Devil's Conversion

Route 68's batch of LTs include LT666. Yay.


London Central LT666 on Route 68, Waterloo Bridge (© Aubrey)

The LTs on the 68 is part of a large spate of recent LT conversions of South London which include the 68 and 3 now, with the 59 to convert soon. Along with the 159 going to Abellio, it is a huge amount of LTs recently being concentrated to the south of London.


London Central LT680 on Route 68, Waterloo (CC Aubrey)

The 68 is the second LT conversion of Camberwell Garage, so the 12 and 68 will start sharing buses sooner or later. The N68 is also partly converting to LT, very slowly with a few going out on some nights.


London Central WVL244 on Route 68, Camberwell Green (© Aubrey)

The buses that the LTs are replacing are mainly the Volvo B7TL/Wright Eclipse Geminis that were ordered for the 68 back in 2006 when the route moved from Arriva to London Central. They are to be cascaded around the Go-Ahead London portfolio.


London Central LT679 on Route 68, Waterloo Bridge (© Aubrey)

Notably with some N68 journeys going to LT, that means LTs at Old Coulsdon. That is practically very close to the border of Greater London. LTs are now fanning as far out as Hainault (N8) and now Old Coulsdon (N68). The N3 also brings LTs into Bromley North.


London Central LT670 on Route 68, Aldwych (© Anthony)

The normal new standard blinds are on the 68. The batch of LTs are 665-683, 685-686 for the 68/N68. The 68 conversion is still ongoing as of post release. They still don't have opening windows.
Notably, practically all the mayoral candidates don't want the LT to continue. So yeah...

Wrong Route, Right Extension

Tower Transit DML44321 on Route 70, Chiswick Business Park (© Aubrey)

The long awaited extension of a bus route to approach Chiswick Business Park from the north had finally happened on the 30th January 2016. The 70 was the selected route, but it was initially a different story.


First London DMS44420 on Route E10, Greenford (© Aubrey)

It was supposed to be Route E10 that was to be extended from Ealing Broadway to Chiswick Business Park. This would've brought many new links from Chiswick to North West London (especially Ealing), and an (arguably) quicker alternative from Chiswick to Greenford than the E3. However, due to Ealing and Hounslow Councils continuously disagreeing how to execute a right only bus turn at Gunnerbury Avenue (A406), those were scrapped and thus we don't have a bus route to the North Korean Embassy. Even these Enviro 200s had blinds ready for Chiswick Business Park! Yeah...


Tower Transit DML44328 on Route 70, Chiswick Business Park (© Aubrey)

Instead, a short extension from Acton to Chiswick was deemed sufficient by TfL, which basically only gives a link to Acton Town Station, thus a very limited set of improvements to the current set of links. It crosses the 27 twice, (at the terminus and at Notting Hill Gate), so there aren't as many benefits to extending the 70 in terms of links. The E10 extension would reach the E3 twice, but it would be quicker than the E3 (when the A406 doesn't mess up).


Tower Transit DML44323 on Route 70, Chiswick Business Park (© Aubrey)

Well, an extension of any route from the north was heavily overdue, and even this extension was actually postponed. Chiswick Business Park extensions seem to have had a history of being delayed, as even the 27 one was delayed. The "Bus stop not in use" covers were not removed on the first day of the extension.


Tower Transit DML44317 on Route 70, Chiswick Business Park (© Aubrey)

On the first day, running seemed alright, considering it was the first day of the extension. There were some confusion as to a certain bus stop (Steyne Road) being served by the 70 due to a lack of e-plate, but that should be solved by now. LVF says it stops there!


Tower Transit DML44321 on Route 70, Chiswick Business Park (© Aubrey)

I assume that the route extension will get busier as it is a quicker way to get to the tube instead of walking to Chiswick Park. However Gunnersbury is still the station of choice to commute to for workers at Chiswick Business Park. No matter how much it may not be the right route to do it, it's a good extension. Finally.

And to the driver who I gave the blog address to: sorry that the post is a tad late!

Night Buses at (Night) 9

More NBAD/N photos from the night are shown here (Aubrey) and here (Anthony).

Yes, the first all-nighter. But not really all the way to 8am, interestingly. Also, this NBA(N) was different, as it was a full on one albeit in January (hence only the last N9s are at dawn), in the pouring rain, with Anthony!

London United SP8 on Route N9, Hammersmith (© Aubrey)

Customarily started with a photo of an N9 albeit 2350 of the Friday, but not actually started until 0019 when the N97 appeared.


London United TLA28 on Route N97, Hammersmith (© Anthony)

This is the first proper NBAD(and N) photos since September 2015, as following photos of night buses had been at Hammersmith Bus Station for a short while at the tail end of a day out or trip down from Coventry.


London United TLA28 on Route N97, Piccadilly (© Aubrey)

First thing to do was the N97, which will transfer in March to Tower Transit using Enviro 400/Hs from Westbourne Park ex-23 allocation. Therefore, it's one of the last times to ride the pretty good TLAs which can shift pretty well on the N97!


Abellio London 2491 on Route N109 and London United SP170 on Route N9, Trafalgar Square (© Aubrey)

One route towards the start of its journey, another towards its end. The newest generation of double deckers (i.e. the Enviro 400MMC, Gemini 3, Streetdeck) haven't really shown during the night in Central London, Only Metroline and Abellio London have an abundance of these allocated to the N7, N98 and the N109. However, with the 47N getting B5LH/E400MMCs, and the N155 gradually gaining some B5LH/Gemini 3 workings, they are slowing gaining inside London.


Tower Transit DN33621 on Route N26, Charing Cross Station/Trafalgar Square (© Aubrey)

One other thing that will change before the next NBAD/N is the operator of the N26. The contract of the N26 is changing over early, like the 69/N did earlier in February. The N26, along with its day counterpart 26, will move to CT Plus initially with existing Enviro 400s, before the Enviro 400H City enters service with CT Plus's new fleet numbering system.


London Central E168 on Route N44, Charing Cross Station (© Aubrey)

An interesting bus on Route N44 was a Camberwell based London Central bus on the London General route N44. It was only on the N44/N155 apparently just this one night. It harks back LT days to when there used to be a few spare buses in Central London based for night buses needed. Including the flip-dot display fitted Titan.


London General EH27 on Route N87, Charing Cross Station (© Anthony)

Route N87 is Anthony's local night (Central London) bus route, but he didn't take that to start NBAN, but went with me on the N97.


Tower Transit VN36114 on Route N26, Charing Cross Station (© Aubrey)

This working is about to go, as the loaned buses will be Enviro 400s which are the main allocation on the N/26.


London General LT512 on Route N11, Charing Cross Station (© Aubrey)

The latest LT night conversion at the time of taking photos was the N11. However, since then, the N3 and N68 has gotten partial conversions of the LT, with new blinds where the N is smaller (like old night bus blinds) but aligned with the top, not the bottom like old blinds!


London General E176 on Route N11, Charing Cross (© Aubrey)

However, there are still some conventional strays on the N11, like this example.


Stagecoach London 10131 on Route N199, Charing Cross Station (© Anthony)

The newest night route, the N199, is currently allocated these Enviro 400s, however the Volvo B5LH/ADL E400MMCs from the 47 are starting to stray on the N199.


Metroline VWH2098 on Route N98, Tottenham Court Road (© Aubrey)

Route N98 temporarily terminates at Russell Square in place of the N7, however there was a consultation recently to make this arrangement permanent. This is also one of the few routes where the newest generation of buses being released are being used on night bus routes.


Metroline West VW1843 on Route N18, Trafalgar Square (© Aubrey)

Route N18 is a route which is a long corridor. It is also the reason why the new 483 (split of 83) will not have a night service. The corresponding day route is one of many rumoured to get LTs, and this route could also have strays of Volvo B5LH/Gemini 3s from the 295(N).


London Central E186 on Route N68, Waterloo (© Aubrey)

Route N68 is one route that has usually evaded my camera lens, but this time it hasn't, just in time before the very slow introduction of a few LTs on the route.


London Central WVL295 on Route N171, Waterloo (© Aubrey)

Another route to evade my camera lens until now was the N171.


London Central WVL308 on Route N63, Waterloo (© Aubrey)

And for the first time, I got an N63 at the weird place of Waterloo, where it doesn't serve. It was probably on diversion or something during that night.


London Central WVL318 on Route N63, King's Cross (© Aubrey)

What was most annoying (and the most cold) was that the weather was raining throughout until that photo was taken. Conditions were terrible, so we got a rest at St Pancras International - where there are free toilets! This means that all-nighters are way more feasible now I know that's there. After a Starbucks warm drink, we headed to do the N9 full route.


London United SP187 on Route N9, Heathrow Terminal 5 (© Aubrey)

And then waited for the last N9 to Heathrow, which arrived stating it was Not In Service already!


London United SP183 on Route N9, Heathrow Terminal 5 (© Aubrey)

Obviously this isn't the last night bus of the night, so we went to Hounslow to get photos of the last few N9s.

This was the first time I had done NBAD/NBAN with a fellow enthusiast, who turned out to be my mate, Anthony. I hadn't had done a all-nighter, so doing that, then going to Reading and covering the 70 afterwards proved to be quite tiring. Overall, this was actually the most productive NBAD/N ever. Yay :)

Picture Archive Post 44

Metrobus 893 on Route 75, Elmers End, 17/11/13 (© Aubrey)

Ordered for the 54/75 contract changeover to Metrobus back in April 2009, this batch of Scania N230UD/Optare Olympuses arrived slightly late so Tridents on loan from Selkent (ELBG) stayed on the route initially. These buses aren't exactly the most popular, with similar buses (they are East Lancs Olympuses) of small batches at Metroline and London United. The London United ones had leather seats and ran on the 148 only for a few years. The Metroline ones, well, yeah... Not as good as the rest of them. Not at all. Back to better things, the Metrobus Olympuses lead a normal life on the 54/75, usually straying at times to other routes. This bus is weirdly seen on the 75, yet at Elmers End. This is because at that time, the 75 was diverted to Elmers End due to roadworks further along the route. The buses stayed at Go-Ahead London when the 54/75 returned to Stagecoach London, and after a few more weeks at Metrobus, the bus moved over to Blue Triangle Rainham (BE) in March 2014 for the various school contracts and the 498, occasionally straying to Docklands Buses for the 474. When the 498 was lost, it stayed on school contracts and still is as of prior to the start of the spring half term.

Route 75 has always run at least through Catford and Penge East since 1934, being introduced as a Caterham-Woolwich service from Catford and Croydon (TL/TC) garages. It wound up getting shorter and shorter until it became a Blackheath-Croydon route with a predominately Catford based operation throughout its life.Throughout that time, the route had STs, STLs, RTs, RMs, DMSs, and Ts. Also, as sectorisation occurred in LRT, the route became under Selkent operation. In November 1991, the route was diverted at Catford to run to Lewisham, diverted in Sydenham, extended to Surrey Quays on Saturdays and Sunday service going to minibus operation (as was the trend during the early 90s). In July 1993, larger single deckers were introduced onto the 75 on Sundays (LA/LVs). It was withdrawn from Surrey Quays in 1994, leaving it as the route it roughly is today. In October 1995, the route settled to be solely L/T operation (Olympian, Titan). Then in November 1997, Volvo Olympians took over and in 2002, Tridents (LV52 batch) took over and made the route low-floor. Also, a night service was introduced. The night service, and the Tridents lasted until 2009 when the 75, along with the 54, moved to Metrobus. The Tridents initially went on loan to Metrobus for a few months, but afterwards, things settled with the day only 75 with Metrobus with Scania N230UD/Optare Olympuses from Croydon (C). Then Stagecoach won the route back (even though it wasn't them that lost it, it was ELBG-Selkent), with new Enviro 400 Hybrids in April 2014. It is also back at its home in Catford Garage (TL).

4th Year Post - London's Electric Buses

As WLTMTB enters its fourth year of existence, we obviously have a focus thingy. However, as well as we have new technologies entering the bus world in London, we also have a new member (yay), but more into the latter at the other end of the post.

Electric buses are a way to make TfL look like they are doing something with the environment. With a green leaf livery like the one that used to be applied to hybrid buses when they were a new thing, they are trying to emphasise that they do not emit emissions. Transport for London are actually fairly late in the game, as even Travel de Courcey at Coventry has had electric buses earlier than TfL (2012)! At the vehicle, they don't, but other things like the batteries, the importing of buses and parts all still cost a lot in terms of emissions. Also, electricity is mainly not from renewable sources in the UK, so really, this just means the emissions are being made elsewhere, by coal power plants, or producing dangerous waste with spent nuclear fuel rods and contaminated water (yes, A Level Physics there). Electric buses aren't exactly harmless to the environment. But better than diesel buses? Probably.

Transport for London has seemed to have an interesting relationship with the Chinese. A very good one. Especially where, for some apparent reasons, you can build your dreams. That's where the first electric buses came from. Not Optare, who already had electric buses around before BYD.

London General EB1 on Route 507, Victoria (CC Aubrey)

Still in service are the first electric buses for London, arrived from being shipped from China with incorrect LED displays and wear from the long journey. After a sprucing up, the buses were sent out on limited service on the 507 in December 2013, this photo being on the first day, on the first time it had gone out on that day.


London General EB2, Waterloo Depot (CC Aubrey)

Two buses were initially ordered, coded EB1 and EB2. They are both BYD ebuses, marketed as the BYD K9 in China.


Interior of London General EB1 on Route 507, Victoria (CC Aubrey)

The buses have the batteries in the saloon as seen, a design feature not seen on the rest of the electric bus types seen in this post. These have run on the 507 and 521 for a few years now, with their odd door alarm sounds and poorly translated safety signs.

The next electric bus, introduced in June 2014 just turns out to be the most successful example in London:


London United OCE1 on Route H98, Hounslow Garage (CC Aubrey)

London United gained 4 new Optare Metrocity Electric Buses, presumably gained from the Government's Green Bus Fund. Post shown here.


Interior of London United OCE2 on Route H98, Hounslow (CC Aubrey)

The buses actually look inside like a normal Optare bus, not with two massive battery packs either side of an aisle. Also, it's built in Britain, so yay?!


London United OCE4 on Route H98, Hounslow West (© Aubrey)

The buses have since continued service on the H98, and are all seeming to work well on the fairly busy H98 route.

This led to two more of these being introduced on the 312 route between South Croydon and Norwood Junction:


Arriva London EMC1 on Route 312, Norwood Junction (CC Aubrey)

Coded EMC1 and EMC² (no, just EMC2), these two buses run on the 312 as the older two Metrocitys on the route. Route 312 was later awarded as a fully electric bus route contract, making it the first ever London bus route to be allocated electric buses fully.


Arriva London EMC7 on Route 312, East Croydon (© Aubrey)

EMC3-8 arrived for the 312 later on in 2015, and except for many, many strays of diesel buses at times, the 312 has had these buses running on the route.

Another route to temporarily gain a Metrocity during December 2015 was the very busy Route 108, which was only used for peak journeys only:


London Central OE1 on Route 108, Stratford (© Aubrey)

This bus ran for a few journeys each morning and night on weekdays, and would obviously be busy. It's the 108!


London Central OE1 on Route 108, Stratford (© Aubrey)

This bus was later moved to Arriva to join its fellow Metrocities on the 312. But it is still called OE1, with paper fleet number 01 on the windscreen.

Meanwhile, also during 2015, Irizar released their i2e to London's 507 and 521:


London General EI1 on Route 507, Lambeth Bridge (© Aubrey)

The bus, under my (Aubrey's) opinion, seems to just as good as the BYDs, albeit with very slow rear doors. The two (EI1/EI2) are in service on the 507/521, also based at Waterloo Garage (RA).


London General EI1 on Route 507, Waterloo (© Aubrey)

However it wasn't Irizar that got the contract for the Citaro replacement on the 507/521. It was BYD, with their partnership with Alexander Dennis bringing a BYD ebus/ADL Enviro 200. Now that'll be interesting.

Notably, every single electric bus has this so far:


(CC Aubrey)

Yeah, that's one way to put that point across... Why are we humanising buses now, TfL?!

Something that hasn't been covered are the double deckers, as they don't exist in service yet! The ADL "Virtual Electrics" on the 69 do not count as electric buses, as they are E400Hs, hence they are hybrids, albeit using more electric than diesel power. However, the double decker BYD electric bus is fully electric, built for Metroline, and still not in service. It is earmarked for Willesden Garage. Photos of BYD1472 has been circulating the internet, and it is part of a batch of 5 presumed to be for the 98 at that garage. They are still, possibly, at Willesden Garage or Perivale CELF.

And another thing that's new, albeit new in a very interesting way - we have a new member, and a small bit from Anthony!

Uhhh... I think I’m lost... anyway. Hello! I'm Anthony Gumm (A.K.A King of Transport (Youtube) & Your Average Transport Enthusiast (Flickr). I cover the majority of London, at least.I go anywhere except Essex, me no go there… But where I do go, I get trains, buses, trams & whatever else is there. Funnily enough, I got into transport in the same year the blog was born, aaaaaand... I share the same birthday as the blog... by within 10 minutes.


South West Trains 450101 + 450004, Wimbledon (© Anthony)

Expect more like this from me, although I've already contributed to two posts already before I joined.

So yeah, happy birthday to the WLTMTB and Anthony!

Thanks for yet another year of the WLTMTB. Four years pass so quickly. It's been harder this year due to more educational stress, but things are only getting better and better!
From: Aubrey, Lewis, Josh, Jacek and Anthony - the 5 strong WLTMTB team.

Many Model Comparisons

13082 picks up at Canada Water. (© Jacek)

London's spree of many B5LH orders continues with a new lot of 21 buses (13082-13102) for route 47 at TL. Previously the route has used any of the 55/06reg Tridents in the garage, that replaced a previous batch of 51reg Tridents, that replaced a previous batch of V-reg ones. TL were meant to get B5LHs with the Gemini 3 body in 2014 for the 54/75 but they were diverted to PD and got E40Hs instead.

13097 turns into Canada Water. (© Jacek)

These MMCs ride very well with comfortable seats. They're quiet internally bar the usual loud forced air system and accelerate probably even more briskly than the 177's batch, one will easily have speed cameras quaking in fear after one gearchange.

13083 on the first day of MMCs on the 47, the 25th of January. (© Jacek)

These buses look quite good as well, albeit slightly difficult to snap in direct sunlight thanks to glare and reflections.

13086 approaches Canada Water. (© Jacek)

Temperatures inside aren't a problem at this time of year even with the unusually warm winter but they aren't expected to become ovens during the summer if the 177's batch are anything to go by.

The old order on the route, 18493 at Surrey Quays in 2014. (© Jacek)

One of the Trident cascades fitted with white blinds, 18485 in Bexleyheath. (© Jacek)

The MMCs were originally said to mark the end of regular Trident operation in TL as the previous batch are being cascaded to BK and TB, where some have already seen service on the 5, 208, 269 and 638. But expect to see a few Tridents out on TL routes anyway as there were 26 of them before the MMCs came.

Some 51reg stragglers survived until a year before the MMCs, as represented by 17478 at Surrey Quays here. (© Jacek)

  As is traditional with TL allocations, MMCs have already strayed within one day on the 199, two days on the 136 and three for school route 621. Overall they are very good buses and will likely live up to the high standards of the Tridents before them, as well as likely being the best batch of MMCs in TfL service at the moment. Although comparisons have been made in this post to the 177's batch, so try those as well if you haven't yet.