On Saturday 9th June, Routes 268, H2, H3 & 631 returned back to Metroline having spent over a decade based out at Arriva London's Garston in Hertfordshire, having been won by Arriva the Shires in 2006.
Arriva ran Wrightbus Cadets over the route for most of its life however these were joined by E200 ENLs and Pointer darts PDLs in later years. Occasional rare workings of the Arriva OSs have been seen.
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| Arriva Cadet DWL89 at Swiss Cottage, February 2018 © Tommy Cooling https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/25609287597/in/dateposted/ |
The "new" Metroline service sees existing E200s used from recent frequency cuts off routes 187 and C11, and is being based at Cricklewood garage.
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| Metroline DEs ready for the 268 prior to the route transferring, May 2018 © Tommy Cooling https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/42451658401/in/dateposted/ |
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| Metroline DE1030 outside the Finchley Road O2 Centre, June 2018 © Tommy Cooling https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/28866157718/in/album-72157657904784250/ |
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| Metroline DE1015 having climbed the gradient up to the Finchley Road, June 2018. © Aubrey https://www.flickr.com/photos/wltmauc/43463882631/ |
Route H2
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| Arriva London OS71 at Meadway Gate on the H2 in the Hampstead Garden Suburb, June 2018. © Tommy Cooling |
As put in the photo caption, spot the difference! Due to on-going delays in getting the specially built 7.6m Optare Solo SRs, the existing Arriva fleet of Hampstead Solos have been hired in to continue the service. Interestingly the fleet names and numbers still retain those of the previous operator though company legals have been updated to show Metroline Travel. Each of the 5 OSs from Garston have "vehicle on hire to Metroline" cards visible in the front windscreen.
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| Spot the difference! OS69 in Golders Green on the H2 whilst on hire to Metroline, July 2018. © Tommy Cooling |
Route H3/ 631
The H3, which is cross-linked with the 631 school route, originally numbered H1, requires 1 vehicle and only runs during Monday to Saturday shopping hours with one early morning journey.
A white Optare Solo SR demonstrator had been hired in from Ellenvale for type training and route learning at Metroline. Originally only on a two week hire, this has seemingly been extensively extended, and due to the on-going mechanical issues with the Arriva loanees, this demonstrator vehicle has been brought back and adapted for TfL service with an assault screen and Oyster reader fitted. As this is only due to be a temporary arrangement, presumably until schools break up, iBus equipment has not been fitted.
This vehicle also carries LED displays in a set up that will be similar to the vehicles on order so this has been a good exercise to test the LED displays ahead of the new vehicles arriving later on.
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| Prior to LED displays being programmed, it used A3 displays drawn up by Tommy, as seen in Golders Green. July 2018. © Aubrey https://www.flickr.com/photos/wltmauc/42633372624/in/dateposted/ |
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| Ellenvale Optare Solo SR on hire to Metroline at Golders Green on the H3, July 2018. © Tommy Cooling https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/42662371354 |
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| And the same vehicle having cross-linked at Golders Green onto the 631 school service, July 2018. © Tommy Cooling https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/42662371394/in/photostream/ |
Post by Tommy Cooling
Some of these images and more can be found on my Flickr page:
Some of these images and more can be found on my Flickr page:
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