Downgrade Max

On the 22nd of June (yep, we're on time as ever!) Go-Ahead London took the 227 from Stagecoach, running it from Orpington using new Wright Streetlites. It is the second time that the WLTM Transport Blog has covered the 227, with a prior post back in 2012 for the Citaros. There's a lot to write about these vehicles - but we'll leave that for later.


WS121 departing Crystal Palace
© Alisha Juszczyk

The takeover itself went much more smoothly than I (and I think most people) expected. Sure, the first day got off to the usual rocky start, with curtailments (Penge was a popular one) and all but it honestly wasn't that bad. Especially if you compare it to the last day under Stagecoach.


Both the 227 and 358 had Citaros of different generations, as seen here in Crystal Palace
© Aubrey Morandarte

Oh, the last day was an experience. It was going fine until the afternoon, then things started to go a bit pear-shaped. It wasn't even their fault - between temporary traffic lights in Penge, a bus breaking down (with me on it), then the journey behind it not running because a driver got assaulted, the 227 briefly had no westbound service over the entire route. Fortunately, this happened off-peak, so loads weren't that bad on the next bus that actually ran.

Regular passengers were taking notice of the change - I overheard a few people chatting with the drivers about it. And, of course, the enthusiasts... Lots of them made the trip to Bromley for the last bus - I think most of the load on that journey was comprised of enthusiasts!


23103 at Beckenham back in 2015
© Aubrey Morandarte

Coming back to GAL - one of the more minor (and amusing) hitches that happened in the first weeks was the iBus messing up. Someone must have typed something wrong, as the screens were proudly displaying "227 to Crystal Parade" on all of them. It's close... Crystal Palace Parade is where it terminates, after all. The actual announcement refused to acknowledge that the bus goes anywhere at all, as it just said "227 to..."


WS123 passing under the reason why the route has single deckers at Shortlands
© Aubrey Morandarte

Now that it's been a bit more than a month, it's possible to compare how the route itself operates. It was pretty bad during the first week, but GAL seem to have gotten used to it pretty quickly. The 227's always been a difficult route to operate, as despite being so short it's very busy and prone to traffic. Large bunchings of buses are the norm, with either operator. There's slightly more of them happening under GAL, but then they have their work cut out as the new buses can't carry as many people as the old ones.

It's not just been Streetlites on the route either - Mercedes Citaro K demonstrator MBK1 has been on the route, as have several of Orpington's 13 plate long E200s. The irony, when your Citaro replacement is... a Citaro. One that's been on the 227 before, when Stagecoach had it:


The 2016 version of MBK1 (80030 under Stagecoach) on Route 227
© Jacek Herominski


The 2019 version of MBK1 on Route 227 under Metrobus
© Alisha Juszczyk

The WSs have started to stray as well, making a few brief appearances on route 358. They don't seem to stay on it for very long, though.


Stray WS118 lumbering on the 358
© Alisha Juszczyk

The 227's buses seem to be the last new single deckers in London without USB charging ports. From the 232's contract onwards, all new buses will have them fitted.


WS118 heading out of Bromley Town Centre
© Aubrey Morandarte

Speaking of which, we have to compare the old and new types on the 227. Normally this would be done in a paragraph or two, but we're going really in depth here:

Space - The WSs aren't exactly spacious. I feel cramped at the back and I'm not particularly tall at 5'5". More importantly, they can't carry nearly as many people, despite only being half a metre shorter. The Citaros were allowed to squeeze over 100 people on, with ample legroom, cavernous standing areas and a double-sized wheelchair/buggy space. This worked very well - sometimes you even actually got 100 real human beings on!

The Streetlites can carry about 70 people. The wheelchair space is half the size, and has seats intruding into it. This is a problem - the 227 gets lots of parents with prams on it. I've personally seen 4 at once on the same bus. On a Citaro this is fine - on the WSs you can't get two in without blocking the aisle. It honestly feels like they've just taken a bus, stretched it, and crammed as many seats as possible into it.

That capacity reduction is a problem, too. Okay, it's not that bad off-peak, but the 227 gets very busy in the peaks. The WSs are crammed full where the Citaros had just a bit more space left. MBK1, despite being a full metre shorter than a WS, and already being very busy, was still able to fit people on at Shortlands thanks to its interior layout - people who had been left behind by the WS in front.


The clear size difference between the Citaro and the Streetlite Max is clearly shown. The Citaro on the 358 is the full sized bus, whilst the Streetlite on the 227 is the stretched midibus, which clearly shows.
© Aubrey Morandarte

Reliability - we don't know yet, it's too early. Streetlites don't have a reputation for being the most reliable of buses. Personally, I've already heard the 227's ones making unhealthy noises - stuff like cooling fans, vibrations and such. Plus, MB have had to put other buses on the route in the first week of service. But all that could be down to a multitude of things, and doesn't say anything about the reliability of the WSs. None of MB's ones have spent weeks off the road yet... which, admittedly, is more than can be said for the similar ones on the 286 at MG. At any rate it's too early to tell, they've not been in service long enough.

This is the Achilles heel of the old Citaros - they weren't always available. As previously mentioned, one broke down on me on the last day. Some of them (like 23103) spent months at a time off the road, being covered for by E200s. It was rare for the 227 to go through an entire day without an E200 appearing on it. When they worked, they worked great, but after 7 years the Citaros weren't always working.


WS120 passing under the bridge at Shortlands
© Aubrey Morandarte

That turning circle - The 11.5m long Streetlites can't go round corners as fast as the 12m long Citaros could. I don't mean like an F1 racer, going round corners at 100mph. I mean, crawling around the corner at 3mph trying not to hit street furniture. Their turning circle is terrible - the most recent one I rode hit the kerb twice (with a massive jolt) in Beckenham despite swinging round the corner as wide as possible... and at a snail's pace.

In fact, the turning circle is so bad that they have trouble navigating the stand at Bromley North! The Citaros could steer round it in one go. So could the old Super Darts... despite them effectively being stretched from a smaller bus like a WS. But the WSs have to do things differently. They have to do a three point turn... or plod round it at 1mph.


A comparison between buses turning at the Bromley North turnaround.
© Aubrey Morandarte

Performance - Despite the Streetlite's reputation, the new WSs don't feel too slow on a normal, flat, 30mph road. They get up to speed fine... sort of. As long as you don't want to go faster than 25mph they're okay. It might be time for a video or two:


First journey on the first day, on WS124
© Jacek Herominski

There's a problem though - the 227 has hills. Steep hills. Whether the bus is nearly empty or fully loaded doesn't seem to make much difference in how it climbs hills - badly. The nearly empty WS124 on the first trip (linked above) was losing speed up Crystal Palace Park Road. And as for what they're like fully loaded, here's a clip of WS121 going up the hill into Bromley:


© Jacek Herominski

Honestly, it starts off quite well. It puts power down, and gains speed. Unfortunately, that is short lived, as it seems to lose all the speed it has very quickly. The Voith gearbox won't downshift, so before you know it, the bus is almost stationary before it decides to shift into first gear and set off again.

The Citaros, on the other hand, have the exact opposite reputation of what the Streetlites have. After a brief lag on pull away, they go flying into the distance - regardless of what sort of incline the bus happens to be on at the time. Which means that enthusiasts (such as me) liked them. The average passenger won't be bothered about all that, but for those enthusiasts who have suffered through all the videos of Streetlites, here's a bit of relief for you:


© Jacek Herominski

Smoothness - oh dear. This is another department where the Streetlite doesn't have a good reputation, and the 227's ones live up to that. They're not great on acceleration, as the gearbox is seemingly incapable of delivering smooth shifts regardless of driving style. Drive like a granny, drive like Lewis Hamilton, or anything in between, they will not deliver a smooth ride.

These WSs also have a habit of having massive panic attacks, where the gearbox will clunk, change down, and rev the hell out of the engine, at low speeds and seemingly at random. This is not a very smooth experience, although it is extremely entertaining!

The ride and suspension aren't too bad for a Streetlite. It's not nearly as bad as one I once rode in Essex, which launched me out of my seat as the bus went over a bump in the road at 40mph. The WSs aren't very comfortable over large bumps, but they're tolerable on a normal road.


WS122 lumbering up the hill from Shortlands to Bromley
© Aubrey Morandarte

And then the brakes. We've saved the worst for last - the brakes are actually dreadful. Under a full load, going down a hill, it takes ages to stop the bus, and it spends the entire time shuddering and jerking, much to the dissatisfaction of my spine. To pull into a bus stop takes about 15 seconds of slowly, carefully bleeding off speed so that the bus doesn't just decide to break your neck. You'd have to ride one to see what I mean - but trust me, the brakes on the WSs are the only thing about them that I'd say I actively hate.

In contrast with all that, the Citaros. Yes, they give you a big kick up the backside when the power comes in. But apart from that, they were fine - the ride, braking, cornering, all that was perfectly smooth. Which is important when dealing with a route that has so many standing passengers.


The old, preferred allocation of Citaros on the 227
(Also, compare 23103 from the prior photograph of it in 2015 earlier in the post!)
© Aubrey Morandarte

But my conclusion? Yeah, you guessed it, I'd take the Citaro over the Streetlite any day - it was never going to be any other way. The Streetlite will take people from A to B like any other bus (well, assuming they can get on it), it just won't do a very good job of it. So, if you'll excuse me, I need to get from Bromley to Crystal Palace - I'll get on a 358. Bye now.

Oh, and 232 users - stay calm. Your post about your (better) Streetlites is coming soon.

Post written by Jacek Herominski
Photos and videos by Jacek Herominski, Aubrey Morandarte, Alisha Juszczyk

All rights reserved © WLTMTB 2019

Reduced, Flying Borismasters

In the early hours of the 26th January 2019, the LT class of buses have been made the allocation of yet another route. One of the longest night bus routes in London, the N9, has been moved from its allocation at Hounslow (AV) to its new home at Stamford Brook (V).


LT159 starts its journey at Heathrow Terminal 5, on the first LT operated journey from Heathrow.
(© Alisha Juszczyk)

This scheduling change fixes a oddity which has existed since 2012, and definitely prior to the LT conversion of Route 9. The night and day versions of the route did not have a schedule which had crosslinks as per normal protocol with other routes.

Prior to the conversion of Route 9 to OPO, the evening service was run by Hounslow (AV), and even in the 2007 schedule, there were some early morning/late evening journeys run by Hounslow. However, those journeys were turned into N9 journeys, as the buses ran not in service to Hounslow along the same route in any case.


LT87 midway through an eastbound journey towards Aldwych.
(© Aubrey Morandarte)

However, since the loss of various routes at Hounslow, as well as the recent night tube introduction causing a decrease in PVR for the N9, it has become more lucrative to run the N9 from Stamford Brook (V), along with the 9. This would allow the night/day transitions to be easier, as well as saving money by not running the late evening and early morning journeys.

It also removes the oddity of a night bus finishing at 0815hrs on weekend mornings, and 0730hrs on weekday mornings. However, this does mean that buses do run dead to Heathrow Terminal 5 and Hounslow to start work, as early westbound journeys at 0025 and 0045 run from Hounslow every night still. The eastbound service now starts with the 2355 departure from Heathrow Terminal 5, rather than the notably early starts from Hounslow that the route used to have (2223 on Sunday nights, for example).


LT168 on the now earlier last journey from Aldwych towards Heathrow Terminal 5.
(© Aubrey Morandarte)

The earlier finish of the service means that the last bus leaves Aldwych a full 90 minutes earlier (and 1 hour 45 minutes earlier than the latest journey pre-Night Tube timetable reduction) on weekend nights. This does mean no more post-0700 finishes for the route. On weekday nights, the final westbound journey is ten minutes earlier than in the previous timetable, and cuts out the later Hounslow short journeys. The last eastbound journey on weekends is now at 0455, rather than 0525. The route has also been retimed for reliability, thus buses being late should be less of an issue.


LT74 speeds through Turnham Green in the early hours of the morning.
(© Aubrey Morandarte)

The section of the route shown in the photograph above is currently shared with another LT route from Stamford Brook, the 27(N). However, the 27 has been mooted a retreat to Hammersmith Grove by TfL, reducing this area's night services by 30%. Overall, the changes to the N9 should save London United and TfL a few pounds, and a few miles.


The reduction of the N9 also means the oddity of catching a night bus at 8am since 2005 is no longer possible. SP188 is seen on a last weekend westbound N9 journey back in 2016. The last journey to Heathrow would still be en-route to Terminal 5.
(© Aubrey Morandarte)

Post by Aubrey Morandarte
Photos by Aubrey Morandarte and Alisha Juszczyk

All rights reserved © WLTMTB 2019

Excellence...eventually.

After multiple months of anticipation, the high specification BCI Excellence for Go-Ahead London Central finally entered service on the 6th November 2018. It is a high specification bus, with many interior features which are very new to Transport for London services, even though they are already prolific on some buses outside London.

TA1 standing at Oxford Circus awaiting the next journey to Dulwich
© Aubrey Morandarte

Following various mechanical mishaps it ran into, as well as fitting of some new allegedly high-tech axles, it finally was deemed ready to go out on the road.

Initially tipped to work route X68 from Camberwell [Q] garage, the plans were changed after it transpired it would disrupt certain crosslinks involving school routes which it would not fit around. It was also rumoured it might struggle to get round West Croydon bus station, but that is unconfirmed. Therefore a change was made for it to be used on the route 12 between Oxford Circus and Dulwich Library instead. Normally worked by the notorious BorisBuses, as a somewhat more conventional vehicle with front single-door boarding, it was only a matter of time to witness some custom try to board through the back and be told off by the driver. This route also was one of the articulated bus routes in the 2000s.

Apart from the obvious fact that the bus is a 12.5m long tri-axle vehicle, unusually for TfL conditions they are also equipped with high-back Lazzerini seats, 5V USB ports, phone holders [pictured], LED displays (same as 6 of the micro-hybrid MMCs at WH), proper air conditioning units as opposed to usual air-cooling ones used in London, personal 'Stop' buttons due to a noticeable lack of grab poles on the upper deck, and upstairs available seats counter on the lower deck.


A demonstration of the phone rack equipled at the rear of the high-backed seats - given the lower quality plastic nature, how long till one is broken??
(© Alisha Juszczyk)

In addition to that, it also carries some feature branding on the side, and attracted enough attention that even some non-enthusiast people were spotted taking pictures!

Now time will tell how this bus gets on… Let's hope all precautions were taken so that it does not break down again anytime soon - especially that the track record of previous Vantage hybrids in TfL service was not so good. It would also be interesting if more routes were to trialled, especially ones that do not use LTs. 25 anyone?


The journey sampled was one where it curtailed at Peckham Rye, hence the display. The short notice curtailment does show the speed which a destination can be changed on an electronic LED display as opposed to blinds.
(© Aubrey Morandarte)


The display can be difficult to photograph at times, as shown here. TA1 shown stopping in Regent Street, by Oxford Circus at the end of a journey from Dulwich Library.
(© Alisha Juszczyk)

TA1 circles St. George's Circus after dark heading towards Dulwich Library.
The new LED screen has come out well here despite being shot at 1/200.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/44842275175/in/dateposted/
© Tommy Cooling

With the advent of Transport for London's ever decreasing demand for buses, as well as the various cuts to service, this bus could be a catalyst for a higher-quality revival. Other than the electronic screens for iBus displays, USB ports and LED displays, the features shown are very new to London service.

Post by Aubrey Morandarte, Alisha Juszczyk
Photos by Aubrey Morandarte, Alisha Juszczyk and Tommy Cooling

All rights reserved © WLTMTB 2018
Please do not reproduce any images without permission

Tempo-rary Quality

OT30210 seen at Lower Morden on the first day of RATP service enroute to Epsom.
(© Alisha Juszczyk)

After an absence of nearly 10 years, Quality Line has returned to running Route 293. However the formerly independent Quality Line operation is now part of the RATP Group, and integrated into the RATP London operations. As before, the route is run from their sole base in Epsom, with the award including one hybrid Enviro 400 for the school journey.


ADH45006 approaching the end of the school journey at Morden.
(© Aubrey Morandarte)

The hybrid Enviro 400 comes from Route 94, made free after the 94 was reduced in frequency. This will be the oddball in the Epsom fleet at the moment, being the sole hybrid bus there. At time of writing, the bus was one of the few that were transferred to Stamford Brook for the 27, then moved in August 2018 to Epsom in preparation for the 293. As this is the only double decker with 293 blinds, this bus has been the rigid allocation for the school journeys.


OT30234 shows its London United pedigree with its logos, at the end of the route at Morden.
(© Aubrey Morandarte)

Currrently, the 293 is borrowing Optare Tempos from Route H37, with Scania Omnicities replacing the Citaros on the 203, allowing the H37 to have Enviro 200s, Citaros and the remaining Optare Tempos. All these buses have had their legals changed, and their logos are mostly changed.


OT30212 starts a journey to Epsom General Hospital at Morden.
(© Aubrey Morandarte)

New 11.3m Enviro 200MMCs are currently delayed for the route, and will be introduced once prepared for service. They will replace these Optare Tempos. This delay is part of a larger delay of Alexander-Dennis buses for RATP's new gains (including 288, 303, H18, H19).

Hopefully, Quality Line will run a quality service on their 293, even if their buses may not be to the highest quality.

Post by Aubrey Morandarte
Photos by Alisha Juszczyk and Aubrey Morandarte

All rights reserved © WLTMTB 2018
Please do not reproduce any images without permission

Going west but not West

Saturday 28th April 2018 saw West London route 31, and associated night route N31 transfer operation from Tower Transit at Westbourne Park (X) to Metroline at West Perivale (PA).

This change of operator was the first for the 31 since privatisation of London Buses, and the change also saw all bar 5 of the VNW class at Tower Transit (formerly of First London) withdrawn. Metroline VW1560-1570 at Uxbridge will be the last surviving examples of First London's once vast fleet of VNWs left in London.

Tower Transit VNW32411 rises above the WCML's South Hampstead tunnel in February 2018
© Tommy Cooling
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/25609286917/in/dateposted/

VNW32385 on the Swiss Cottage gyratory, February 2018
© Tommy Cooling
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/25609287607/in/photostream/

VNW32424 at a foggy Notting Hill Gate, March 2018
© Aubrey
https://www.flickr.com/photos/wltmauc/39825966425/

The operation of the route by Metroline was originally supposed to be out of Willesden Junction under Metroline West conditions, however continued uncertainty over the future of the Network Rail owned land at Willesden Junction meant that an alternative site for the 31/N31 was needed. Metroline Travel garage West Perivale was the best available site that suited the route perfectly. Garage runs along the A40 Western Avenue, and driver travel to/from White City via Central Line.

Due to the delayed arrival of the new eVoSetis, a number of spare VW class vehicles from Holloway and Willesden were drafted in to run on the route as a temporary measure. When the 105 transfers to RATP London United at the end of June 18, the 105s VWs are expected to become the 31s permanent allocation. The VMHs destined for the 31 will instead be diverted to Holloway to convert the 43 to hybrid prior to the Central London ULEZ roll out from early next year. As the 31 does not enter this zone, the route can operate the VWs, although in time they will also be upgraded to emissions friendly Euro VI standards.

The Metroline takeover of the 31/N31 began in the very early hours of Saturday 28th April with the N31 service.

VW1407 on the first Metroline N31 in Camden Town, April 2018
The first N31 journey was quite notable, as the driver got lost twice, including at Earl's Court. After a three-point turn, the bus made it to Clapham Junction. A makeshift route pilot ended up being required.
© Alisha Juszczyk
https://www.flickr.com/photos/randombusesgirl/41708472162

Metroline VW1400 in Clapham Junction, May 2018
An ex-Willesden machine now at Perivale West for the 31/N31, at the second to last stop. Since the first night, all subsequent nights have been as to schedule, with drivers knowing where to go.
© Aubrey
https://www.flickr.com/photos/wltmauc/42276308052

Metroline VW1380 in Notting Hill Gate, April 2018
© Alisha Juszczyk
https://www.flickr.com/photos/randombusesgirl/27892480328/

Metroline VW1388 on Kilburn High Road, May 2018
This is one of the VWs transferred in for the route. Some of these will return once the 105s VWs become available.
© Tommy Cooling
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/27953215528/in/photostream/

VW1178 on Belsize Road in Kilburn, May 2018
© Tommy Cooling
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/27953217648/in/photostream/

VW1277 on Route 207 alongside VW1404 on Route 31 at Shepherd's Bush Station, May 2018
Both routes used to be run by First London until the sale of their operations. Now, both routes are run with native Metroline B9TLs.
© Aubrey
https://www.flickr.com/photos/wltmauc/42312873682

Post by Tommy
Photos by Tommy, Aubrey & Alisha

All rights reserved © WLTMTB 2018

Please do not reproduce any images without permission

6th Year Post

Somehow, we've gotten to our sixth year of blogging and as traditionally so, we put a post out on the birthday of the blog. This year, the blog members are going to say what our favourite bus type are, and why.

Aubrey:


London United VP111 on Route 111, Kingston Cromwell Road, 2013
(© Aubrey Morandarte)

Firstly, it's of course the sod whom made the blog in the first place. As we are a bunch of similarly aged sods, we'll most likely pick buses we grew up with. For my bunch, I've chosen the Euro II Volvo B7TL, with the Plaxton President body. From 2000 to 2013, the Volvo B7TL was the mainstay for Hounslow based double decker bus routes. These Euro 2 examples were ordered for the 120/H32 (the VAs were ordered for the 111).


VP118 back in 2007 at Heathrow Central Bus Station on Route 111
(© Aubrey Morandarte)

These buses were the then new buses that were on the 111 at the time that I used to go to Heathrow to spot planes. As these buses were the buses which partly helped me get into buses, this is why they are good. They are also powerful enough when required, and the President body in itself was decent. The interior was basic, but good nevertheless. Without these buses, I wouldn't be into buses. Most first generation low floor deckers, in my opinion, were pretty good anyway, but as these buses were the ones that got me into buses, they have to be the favourite.


Lewis:


Yorkshire Coastliner 3637 at Goathland on a Whitby 840 service.
(© Lewis Nagle)

Next it's the sod who used to live in London but now studies up north. Having up till now mainly been on commercial bus services in the Home Counties (see my previous posts on services in Bucks & Berks) and then to the south of the capital in Crawley & Brighton, I naturally made it my task to go on more exploratory journeys and where better to start with the nationally famous Transdev Blazefield empire across the north? Last summer I was able to try out the Coastliner 843 to Scarborough, a tremendous high-pace ride through the Yorkshire countryside as well as the famous #the36, the WitchWay X43 and what is now the Aireline 60. Transdev pride themselves in high-quality services with a classy bus spec, friendly drivers and fantastic routes.
The latest in my adventures across the north saw me finally doing the best of the Yorkshire Coastliner services: the 840 to Whitby. A single Transdev DayTripperPlus is all one needs to bus it from Manchester to Whitby although it's a long journey, around the 5 hour mark.
The 840 is well worth it though, a superb scenic journey starting in Leeds and ploughing through the countryside to Tadcaster (with its bridge now reinstated since last year), the beautiful city of York, Malton and then out to Pickering, Thornton-le-Dale and Whitby. It's worth noting that on my journey, because it was a Sunday, the Leeds-Malton bit was a connecting 843. The scenery through the Yorkshire Moors is nothing short of stunning and the route even has to negotiate 25% inclines around Goathland, where the above picture was taken.


The same bus as above, now returning to York & Leeds on a small break at Malton.
Note the countdown on the destination display; a superb feature which I'm hoping we'll see more of in the future.
(© Lewis Nagle)

A little something about the buses: they're Volvo B5TL based Wright Gemini 3 double deckers new last December. Whatever your opinion is on the new face styling, it certainly suits the two-tone blue livery here. Inside the blue theme continues, with standard seating downstairs and high-backed coach-style seats upstairs. Tables, USB charging points and free wi-fi are available. The vehicles are even double-glazed so all of my journeys were remarkably toasty! The 5-litre Volvo engine copes fantastically on flats and downhill, regularly hitting its speed limiter at 56 mph, however as soon as you're going uphill it's much less happy. The bodywork by Wright has a real classy finish to it - and is very quiet on the move - but as ever rattles and squeaks still present a problem. It's an insult to the hours of thought gone into designing this spec for the bus to then rattle.
I don't wish to end on a negative note so I won't; I've been very happy working alongside the blog team for the last 6 years and hoping to many more! Lots of exciting things coming in 2018 too...


Jacek:


17564 on Route 177
(© Jacek Herominski)

Well, this is an obvious one. My favourite buses are what I grew up with. Even if one company ordered the same type back then, every batch always had its own character, its own sound, as a result of the varied specs everyone had. Nowadays I like all the first gen low floor deckers equally, but back then I was a Trident person. Which is why I've chosen my two favourite batches of Tridents.
The 52 plate is a Euro3 3-speed one, which were always my favourite ones for their musical Voith and the amount they thrashed up hills. Second place is represented by that Y reg. These Euro2 ZFs replaced a batch I didn't like, and came after my 52reg were cascaded away so basically took their place in my heart. That sounded overly romantic. Oh well, it is Valentine's Day soon.... (No)


17441 on Route 136
(© Jacek Herominski)


Omar:

First Aberdeen 62166/Y631RSA | Route 3G | Mastrick Terminus | 14/02/2017
© Mohammad-Omar Diab El-Arab

Now, the resident crazy traveller. I'm the sort of person that loves a bit of everything, be it the cityscapes offered by routes down in London, the sea views of the Brighton & Hove Coasters or the weaving in and out of hills on West Yorkshire bus routes. In short, I love the variety you get from travelling on buses. Now, some buses suit this sort of variety better than others, ranging from being completely adaptable to being horrible to travel on! My personal favourite is the Mercedes-Benz O405N2, yet I don't actually have any photos of them. However, my second option isn't really all too bad, and that's the Wright Renown-bodied Volvo B10BLE, coupled to a ZF box of course.

Transdev Burnley & Pendle 1057/Y157HRN | Route M4 | Colne, Market Street
© Mohammad-Omar Diab El-Arab

A 5-speed ZF box coupled to Volvo's throaty 9.6 litre D10A engine churning out 245bhp not only sits happy in cities and calmer environments. It also provides a reliable and powerful base for country routes such as the Mainline M4, which was run by a mix of B7RLEs and B10BLEs when I rode it. The ride quality is usually very smooth and comfortable, and the bodywork is incredibly sturdy and largely rattle-free, a far cry from the current range of Wrightbus products. Sadly, a large number of them saw the end of the line before 2016 as the DDA rules kicked in to withdraw all non-compliant single decks from service. The ones that are DDA compliant, as well as the ones that have received modifications to become compliant, still soldier on to this day, some being as old as 18 years old this year! Since their introduction in 1997, as a low floor version of the already popular B10B, they have become the backbone of many towns and cities, and helped to kick-start the low-floor revolution, all while being generally reliable and loved by drivers, engineers, enthusiasts and passengers alike.


Alisha:


DOE38 passing through in Roundshaw in May 2017, sporting the iconic, sadly now lost livery
(© Alisha Juszczyk)

My favourite London bus type has got to be the Olympus - be it East Lancs, Darwen or Optare - doesn't matter. A top class double-decker body, and no wonder also a popular choice for tour buses thanks to their giant front glass upstairs. Out of all the chassis available for it, good old Dennis Trident 2 proves the ultimate fit. Shame only 55 ever ended up in London - the DOE class under Go-Ahead, and the singleton EO1 under CT+ which has since left the city and moved north. All of which had comfortable seating provided, alongside with spacious layout, and subdued lighting that creates a relaxing atmosphere.


The same DOE standing at Morden about to start its journey on N155, a great route to test their abilities - taken February 2017
(© Alisha Juszczyk)

The low blind-box provides an acceptable means to rest your legs, and even something as trivial as the side windows that slant down to maximise the view out - it all shows what a great bodywork design this one is. Another clever feature I've always liked is the curved windshield on the upper deck which yields the following effect - at night you don't get any unnecessary reflections of the bus' interior when facing forward, unless you look up that is - and being able to inspect what's behind you without having to physically turn around is very handy. They are also mechanically sound, fast buses, and fortunately with kickdown enabled to make scaling of the numerous hills on their usual routes efficient. Their scarcity makes them even more precious and valued!

Tommy:

 

The bus type I had planned to talk about was the Plaxton President bodied bus, the type being local to me in Harrow since the early 2000s, TP/Ls then latterly VP/Ls at Harrow Weald with a batch of 17 still in use (what will be the last VPs left in the Metroline fleet, VP612-628!).  This would have been the perfect excuse to repeat my picture of TP446 from the 'Fifth Year' blog post, however, the President type has already been covered so to save repetition, I thought I'd do this piece about my next favourite bus type.

Now this is the ALX400 bodied vehicle that in London can be found with either an AD Trident or Volvo B7TL engine, my preference being the Trident version but both types I rate equally.  I cannot quite put my finger on why I rate ALX400s as much as I do bar it being an all-round pleasant bus.  The past three years have seen me use both the Trident and Volvo examples in North West London on a fairly regular basis which has cemented these vehicles' place on my preference list.  But, the ALX400 has also been mentioned in this post, and for the same reasons as above I do not feel it worth while that I discuss the same vehicle twice.
 

So, I shall move onto my next choice, and it's onto a bus that I have not really thought much about, but it's one that has dominated the London scene, but like the other types mentioned above, is fast becoming an endangered species in London.  The type is the Plaxton Pointer Dennis Dart SLF.  In its prime, the Dennis Dart was one of the most popular single deck buses from the late 1990s through to the mid 2000s.  They were just as popular as the Enviro 200 (and MMC "upgrade") has become since.
For me the Dart is aesthetically pleasing on the eye, and always had seats with generous leg room and decent amounts of seat padding.  I found the Darts rattled less than the E200s which replaced them meaning the Darts' fabulously whiny engine could be easily heard!  The lack of interior refurbishment in later years have also given the Darts a good nostalgia feel too, though that is not to everyone's taste!

 

London Sovereign DPS636 and Metroline DP1012 in Harrow.  March 2017
© Tommy Cooling
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/33241614882/in/album-72157677403851741/

  

When I think of a proper single deck bus, there aren't many types that come to mind, but it is the Dart that comes to mind first.  My exposure to Darts has been nowhere near that to the President or ALX400, but enough for me to rate it as high as third on my list.  The majority of my exposure had been the 02 plated London Sovereign Darts at Harrow (SO) on the H9/10.  Latterly I got very well acquainted with the Armchair imports at West Perivale, DP1009-1013, that made numerous appearances on the 395 in 2016 and 2017 after the E6 moved garages from West Perivale to Greenford.  Arriva Garston also has a small fleet of Darts (PDLs) that have transferred in from other London garages.  These have made very rare visits to the 258 and 340, with many other outings on the Harrow circular routes H18/19.

 

Arriva London PDL117 in Harrow.  February 2016
© Tommy Cooling
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/24674218834/in/album-72157665994971606/

 

There are more Darts still kicking around in London than the President class (and many many more with provincial operators), but these will all sadly be bowing out of service within the next year or so if not before when London's new ULEZ emission zones comes into effect.

 

RATP's Real Play

On Saturday 11th November London United RATP took over trunk route 18 from Metroline, and on the Friday night beforehand, RATP ran the associated night route N18.

Both routes had been run by Metroline West from Willesden Junction, since the split up of First London. Metroline inherited 50-odd Volvo Gemini 2s (VW1841-1894); vehicles which First London leased to replace the bendy buses on the route in 2010. Most of these buses have since returned to the leasing company.

The VWs on the 18 survive from First London days, and were ordered to replace the bendy buses on the route.
VW1879 waits time at Euston.
© Tommy Cooling

The 18 occasionally saw some of the 295s buses, shown by VWH2132 at Warren Street on a short working to Harlesden.
© Tommy Cooling

VW1894 shows the state of the buses on the last days on Route 18, repainted to red, prepared to return off-lease.
(© Aubrey)

To cope with the loss of the N16 operation at Harrow Weald, part of the N18 allocation was drafted in as a replacement, and VWH2218 demonstrates this here with the last N18 bus at Harrow Bus Station.
© Tommy Cooling

London United's operation of the route began in the very late hours of Friday 10th with the night bus service, N18.


On a wet Saturday morning, the first bus, VH45219 arrived from Harrow Weald at Trafalgar Square. This is one of the new buses for the contract gain.
(© Aubrey)

The first departures from Trafalgar Square were to Sudbury, as timetabled. The night route started off with no qualms, with buses running roughly as scheduled. Most drivers were still in their Metroline uniforms, as expected with transferred drivers.


At a drenched Oxford Circus, VH45242 is seen at Oxford Circus enroute to Harrow Weald.
(© Aubrey)

However, as the night drew on, bunching started to happen, which was not too dissimilar to the nights under Metroline West. Most of this bunching was however due to road closures in the Central London area, thus many buses were stuck at the southern end of the route.


VH45227 at Oxford Circus is curtailed to Harrow after a fairly lengthy gap between buses.
(© Aubrey)

Most of the route runs to Sudbury, and only buses every 30 minutes run to Harrow Weald. It is a fairly busy night route, as it is the only Central London-Wembley night bus route, and does not parallel a night tube line throughout.



VH45240 on the N18 night service in Harrow, showing off the new Harrow Weald, Bus Garage display.
© Tommy Cooling

18/N18 runs from London United's new Atlas Road garage (RP), the same site that Tower Transit held until just before they lost the 266 to Metroline. A 10 year lease was signed for the site. All other routes formerly at Park Royal (PK), as well as the night 220 service moved into the new site around the corner at Atlas Road. It is not yet known whether RATP will keep the smaller, existing Park Royal garage site.

VH45241 demonstrates the new RATP chapter for Route 18 at Euston Station.
© Tommy Cooling

VH45216 on the first day of Route 18 with London United at Great Portland Street.
(© Aubrey)

The majority of the 18 route uses new 67-reg B5LH Gemini3s (VH45216-VH45251), with a top-up of a few older 65, 16 and 66-regs of the same model from various RATP garages. At the time of writing, a few spare E400 ADEs were used to cover the late arrival of some of the new VHs.


VH45157, from London Sovereign's Edgware Garage passes ADE40412 from London United's Hounslow Garage at Sudbury & Harrow Road Station, the northern terminus of the 18.
(© Alisha)

The ADEs are from Hounslow (mainly), and are being used temporarily, albeit very few are actually used on the route daily. These buses were made free from the loss of the 120 and 222 to Metroline, ironically. These buses will later form the bulk of the 142 and 642 allocation when they move to Edgware (BT) in January from Arriva London North.

VH45159 (65-reg) was brought into Atlas Road for the 18 from London Sovereign's Edgware Garage.
© Tommy Cooling

VHs from the 65-reg batches are usually from the batch used to initially top up the 13 (and thus 139) at Edgware (BT), and these form part of the permanent allocation. VH45153-VH45162 and VH45184 (16-reg) are the ones that have transferred from Edgware.


VH45162 (16 reg) was brought in from the 85 allocation at Tolworth, and forms part of the permanent allocation.
(© Aubrey)

VH45162 is the sole member of the 85 allocation to move to RP. Other 16 reg buses include VH45185 and VH45186 transferred from Fulwell's extra allocation for the 65.


VH45202 is one of two Shepherd's Bush VHs to move to Atlas Road, with this bus seen at Oxford Circus. The other bus transferred was VH45201.
(© Aubrey)


VH45241 is seen at Euston at the end of a journey from Sudbury, which I had travelled on.
(© Omar)

I (Omar) sampled them on the first day of service. Compared to the B9TLs that ran the route previously, they’re a bit more cramped at the lower deck rear, although that’s due to the bodywork and chassis combination. The ride itself was largely rattle-free and ticked all the boxes for me. Fast, smooth and comfortable. The 18 was on diversion on the day as well via Wembley Hill Road, currently served only by the 483. The VH I had(45241/BF67GMV) effortlessly tackled its steep incline, a quality that Volvo haven’t let go of just yet. It’s the first time I’ve had a B5LH on a hill that steep, and it certainly warrants merit. The result of that: Sudbury - Euston in 53 minutes in the morning. Not a bad way to kick it off!


The first day was not without hitch however, with some gaps appearing throughout the day. Along with the diversion, bedding in of the route with new contract and operator, as well as the sheer frequency of the 18 in any case, bunching was inevitable, as seen here with VH45161 and VH45241 at Warren Street.
(© Aubrey)

The transfer of the N18 to London United meant that Harrow Weald Garage would be over capacity again at night. Therefore, the Edgware allocation of the N98 (similar amount of work as Harrow Weald's N18 allocation) was given to Harrow Weald to "solve" the overcrowding. The N98 is Harrow Weald's third Central London night route is two years, having had the N16, then N18 and now N98.

Displaying Holborn RED LION SQUARE, a destination that the N98 within a year may not serve, VWH2209 drives past Oxford Circus on the first night of Harrow Weald operation on the N98.
(© Aubrey)

As this is the largest day route that London United has ever operated with a PVR of 44 during weekdays, this will be their largest operation challenge to date. The 18 is one of the most frequent bus routes in London, with buses every 3-4 minutes during the peaks. The buses seem to handle the route well, and overall, this is a big positive move for RATP London.


Also a positive move is the introduction of our newest member of the blog, Alisha Juszczyk:


DMN4, rare on Route W19, back in July 2016 at Leytonstone Station
(© Alisha)

Well helloes. I'm Alisha, the Random Buses Girl. This nickname comes from the fact I started off in this hobby by getting on board of random buses that turned up, regardless where they were going. Officially this was back in 2014, but I always had an inner bus enthusiast in me, first coming to light when I used to take the long way home from school on 308's epic Marshall Capitals.
Today the London bus scene is major part of my life, having done all routes end-to-end. Currently you got me roaming around the city, doing whatever my heart desires, or what I'm reputable for - catching rare workings. Favourite ones got to be double decker on single deck routes, the views are where it's at!
I am also (slowly) getting into trains and trying to expand my horizons outside London. Grateful to join this blog, start of another epic journey methinks!

Post by Alisha, Aubrey, Tommy and Omar.
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