My Picture Archive Post 26

Metroline DP1014 on Route E8, Hanwell, 21/07/11

This bus was ordered for the 190 in 2002, plying the streets of West London under Armchair, until the ever growing Metroline took over in 2004. Initially, Metroline intended to keep the Armchair (and Thorpes) names, but over time, these buses ended up being painted red and blue skirt with Metroline names, removing in a master-stroke many years of the name of a well known local independent. Local names keep on disappearing, another victim of capitalism. In 2011, the bus had the blue skirt painted all red, and later on in the year, it was moved to Potters Bar for Route 234. It ran there until it unfortunately had an accident and was withdrawn. It was transferred to Central Engineering, and was eventually scrapped by October 2013.

Route E8 started out as trolleybus route 655, before turning into Route 255, which oddly ran daily between Hanwell and Brentford, but with a confusing service pattern on all other places on the route!
Route 255 was initially Acton Vale-Clapham Junction, but only the full route on Mon-Fri peaks. It ran Acton Vale-Hammersmith during Mon-Fri daytime, Acton Vale-Brentford during Mon-Fri evenings, Hanwell-Hammersmith during Saturday, and Hanwell-Brentford on Sundays. Complicated, isn't it? It ended up being Chiswick Roundabout-Clapham Junction during Mon-Fri peaks, Turnham Green-Clapham Junction Mon-Fri daytime, and Hammersmith-Clapham Junction Mon-Fri evenings and Saturday, before being withdrawn  in 1972.

The Hanwell-Brentford corridor was replaced by service on Route 83 from 1965 to 1968. Route E1 replaced that, running Greenford to Brentford via Ealing Broadway, practically doubling back onto itself at Hanwell, taking the E3 would be more practical to Hanwell Broadway, then taking an E1 would be quicker than going on an E1 direct between Greenford and Brentford due to the Ealing Broadway run. Route E1 was then split at Ealing Broadway, and Route E8 was born in 1990. It was initially run by Centrewest with Renault van-derived buses, before converting to Dennis Dart SLF in 1997, going along with Route E2 to Armchair, where the Darts have since been replaced by newer 2002 examples, and since been replaced by Enviro 200s. The route also had a spell of hybrid Optare Tempos. It is now operated by any bus from Brentford garage, double or single decker, although in more recent times, the buses intended for the route (and 209) are more or less on the route.

Reading Leopard & Chocolate Courtney

Thames Travel withdraw their services from Wokingham and Reading (except X39/X40), including Route 144 (Reading-Wokingham via Arborfield), replaced mostly by Courtney Optare SoloSRs.

Thames Travel 912 on Route 144, Reading St Mary's Butts

Reading Buses operate over the Route 144, renumbered the 3, and running with gas buses branded 'The Leopard', called so because they 'ran out of colours'!


Reading Buses 424 on Leopard 3 in front of First Beeline TN on Route 190, both heading for Reading, whilst at Wokingham Broad Street
Every third bus of an every 20 minute schedule go to Wokingham, thus an hourly service from Wokingham to Reading 'the long way'.


Reading Buses 423 on Route 3, Reading Station
As per always, there is a generic bus that is part of the batch, 423 being the one on the 3.


Reading Buses 426 on Route 3, Reading Station
The rest of the buses go only up to Arborfield Garrison.
The PVR to Wokingham is 2, but there is one more bus that runs Reading-Arborfield.


Reading Buses 424 on Route 3, Reading Station
What would the next set of brands Reading Buses would introduce, seeming as they have resorted to animals. The leopard print on the bus seems a very interesting selection for a route branding.

Courtney Buses have taken over the Wokingham locals and the 127-129 group of routes, under the 'chocolate and cream' brand:


Courtney Buses 'Latte' (YJ14 BGY) on Route 122, Wokingham Broad Street
This is the only bus named.


Courtney Buses YJ14 BGZ on Route 121, Wokingham Broad Street


Courtney Buses 'Latte' (YJ14 BGY) on Route 122, Wokingham Broad Street


Courtney Buses KX07 HFB on Route 128, Wokingham Broad Street
This bus is on loan to Courtney until the final SoloSR arrives.


Courtney Buses 'Latte' (YJ14 BGY) on Route 124, Wokingham


Courtney Buses YD63 VBN on Route 128, Reading Station

This withdrawal has allowed the Enviro200 and Solo buses to pass to Carousel Buses for their services, to replace Primos.

Steam + Electric on the H&C 02/08/14

Been a long time since I've done a train-related post, but oh well!

To celebrate the 150th year of the Hammersmith & City Line, which was part of the Metropolitan Railway/Line until 1990. The route was initially jointly operated by Great Western Railway and Metropolitan Railway, called the Hammersmith & City Railway. It was electrified in 1906, the curve for Kensington Addison Road (Olympia) stopped after it was bombed in 1940 and in 1970, the C Stock replaced the CO/CP stocks, which was in service on the line until this year, where they were replaced by the current S7 stock. Experimentally, at one point, the service was supplemented by a 'panhandle' service, running Hammersmith-Liverpool Street-Tower Hill-High Street Kensington-Edgware Road-Liverpool Street (again)-Whitechapel-Barking. A shorter version, running Hammersmith-Liverpool Street-Tower Hill-High Street Kensington-Edgware Road is today's Circle Line!

Back to the steam and electric loco:


Sarah Siddons heading the heritage train, formed of the 'Chesham Set' and Carriage 353...


...with Met 1 bringing up the rear (or front, when it reverses).
The oddity of heritage stock compared to the new station is clear to see.


Sarah Siddons at the rear at Hammersmith.


Met 1 now being the front of the train.


The consist at Ladbroke Grove, this was followed by many rail enthusiasts, like myself, as it is a rare opportunity to catch a photo/video of this, and I joined a group of them for the rest of the trip.


The rear slipboard had changed to Moorgate for the second trip back.


Paddington NR, 2014. Modernisation has changed Paddington H&C to the modern station it is and will be in the future, especially with Crossrail coming soon.


Getting the best photo spots could be interesting, but travelling along the same parts of the same line could be conceived as tedious yet rewarding!


S7 Stocks sometimes did however stop at stations when the train got past, and this shot is a cropped version, here it is approaching Wood Lane.


Shepherd's Bush Market -  Thanks to the S7 Stock driver who held his train outside Shepherd's Bush Market Station so people could get photos of this train!


As seen. The driver got a personal thanks when we got to Hammersmith on that train.


Sarah Siddons heads towards Northfields Depot to end the railtour, seen here at Chiswick Park!

The train also ran on the 9th August as well, and did a few Chesham-Rickmansworth runs on the weekend of the 16/17th.