Picture Archive Post 58

Metroline TP447 on Route 82, Victoria Station, 17/03/13 (© Aubrey)

Route 82 started out in 1986 as a route to replace Route 2B, running between Victoria and Golders Green, with garage journeys to North Finchley and the Sunday service going to Barnet, Chesterfield Road with MCW Metrobuses. Under sectorisation, Route 82 passed to London Northern, as it was at Finchley Garage. Leyland Titans were also introduced to the route. In February 1991, the Barnet journeys were cut to Golders Green. May 1991 saw the route being extended on Monday-Saturdays (except evenings) to North Finchley. The Sunday service was extended in November 1991, and the full service was extended to North Finchley in December 1993 as Finchley Garage closed. The route moved to Potters Bar, where it would stay until the route was withdrawn. London Northern then was bought out by MTL in 1994, and then Metroline in July 1998. New Volvo B7TL/Plaxton Presidents were bought onto the route in late 2001, before the allocated Trident/Plaxton Presidents arrived in 2002. These buses were replaced in March 2012 with ADL E40D/Enviro 400s.
The Enviros stayed allocated on the 82 before the route was withdrawn on the 31st March 2017, as part of the Finchley Road corridor cutbacks. Route 134 took those Enviro 400s, and the 82 was renumbered to 13. The "new" 13 is now run by Tower Transit using Volvo B5LH/MCV EvoSetis from Westbourne Park Garage.

TP447 was ordered for Routes 217, 231 and W8 back in 2003 at Potters Bar Garage. For most of its life, it has spent time on most Potters Bar routes. After withdrawal on January 2014, the bus passed to Watts Coaches in Wales, where it is still to this day.