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LT2 is the only green one, echoing RM2 which was also green when new in the 50s. They're all still hybrid but as to what they're like to drive... no idea. We don't have any at Barking and I never got type trained on them at Bow! They go well for their size and I'm told they drive pretty well too, probably aided by the long wheelbase. They're really well screwed together too but not the most reliable in their "old age".

... and a quick end of year photodump.

Quiet 🤣 That said by the time I'd picked up 37486 yesterday the two X19s in front of me were missing so I got absolutely slaughtered - left Easterhouse with 59 on board, more or less unheard of but shows at least that people are willing to wait for us. I suppose as we're now into the new year it's time for another London update. Returned to London on Sunday 10th of December for a run of ten shifts; 62 on the 11th, 462 on the 12th, 145 on the 13th, 179 on the 14th, 167 on the 15th & 16th, 145 on the 17th, 462 on the 18th, 62 on the 19th and finished with a 2204 finish on the 462 on the 20th, after which I drove home overnight. My time in the capital has been largely uneventful; no blameworthy accidents, no broken windows, bugger all... until Friday 15th December. 1147 sign on, 1217 pick up on duty 0309 - for most shifts on the 167, 179 and 462 you travel passenger on a 145 into Ilford to pick your bus up at Hainault Street stances - where 36660 awaited me on allocation 155/167. Departed on time looking forward to a decent shift. The 167 is a pretty well timed run and it's a nice route to drive, possibly with the exception of Buckhurst Hill station at busy times. Stopped at the first bus stop on Barkingside High Street heading to Loughton on my first run, set down passengers, picked up and went to pull into a gap in traffic and a pedestrian took a seizure and fell off the pavement in front of the bus... and ended up under the platform. Red button emergency call, police, fire and ambulance out, thankfully I didn't go right over him but major shitting of my pants did occur. By the time the mobile controller had made it out to me I'd missed three trips and I was shaking like a shitting dog, so he drove the bus back to the garage where I had to fill in a mountain of reports before being accosted by the union man. "Andy? Come with me." We walked into the shed. "10325. Get in, we're going for a drive." And drive we did. A "comfort drive" as Steve called it. Getting straight back in the saddle is definitely the right thing to do and after a drive up through Becontree to Chadwell Heath and back, I was given the option to finish my shift... so I did. 36660 was locked down until it had been safety checked and had another rolling road brake test, so 36657 was my second steed on 167s. For three trips. As I broke down on the fourth at Loughton and had to limp the bus back out of service with a burst levelling valve... 3 completed journeys out of eight. An updated tally... Current score at Barking, ones with asterisks are since the last update Enviro 400MMC 10310, 10312, 10313, *10314*, 10315, 10319, 10320, 10321, 10324, *10325*, 10326, 10328, *10331*, *10332*, 10350 Enviro 400MMC Hybrid 12399, 12400, 12403, 12404 Enviro 400 'Classic' 10174, 10175, *10176*, 10178, 10179, 10181, 19764, 19773, 19774, 19775, 19776, *19781*, 19783, 19784, *19839*, 19852, 19854 Enviro 200MMC 36632, *36633*, 36636, 36637, 36638, 36639, 36640, *36657*, 36658, *36659*, *36660*, 36661, 36663, *36668*, 36669 Enviro 200 'Classic' 36363 I started back at Cumbernauld on December 29th with an 0500 spare in which I did a single X25 journey on 10918, 309 duty on the 30th saw two trips on the X19 with 37494 and 37495 (another one ticked off) and a 10am spare on the 31st in which I did absolutely nothing. Was off the 1st and 2nd but did 20 duty yesterday with 37484, 37486 and 10516 (another other one ticked off - and what a belter it was too!). 20 duty tomorrow, spare on Saturday and next week's shifts... who knows? My garage are expecting me to be back in London but London are steadfastly stating the 14th so who knows. Next update... whenever.

Today's steeds - both defected for a lack of passenger doors and not being red...

It's an Alexander AYS-bodied Leyland Leopard - GLS 286N I think? The AYS was effectively the "service" spec Y-type - bus seats and short bay windows rather than the panoramic windows that the AY featured.

There were a few of these plated in Renfrewshire but I think the draconian licensing rules on age have seen them off more than anything; there were at least half a dozen plying here. Not been in Greenock for a while, Inverclyde still had an R-reg Mondeo on their books not that long ago and there was an old boy ran an N-reg Cavalier past it's 20th birthday, so if there's a 6 anywhere it'll be there.

Finally managed to turn up a Saga (or 3... and half a dozen Matchbox 240s... ) at The Entertainer in Buchanan Galleries!!!

NEVER MIND ALL OF THIS SHIT WHERE ARE THE FUCKING VOLVOS MAN

On my week's holiday so doing my tallies. Current score at Barking, ones with asterisks are since the last update Enviro 400MMC *10310*, *10312*, *10313*, *10315*, 10319, *10320*, 10321, 10324, 10326, 10328, *10350* Enviro 400MMC Hybrid 12399, *12400*, *12403*, *12404* Enviro 400 'Classic' 10174, *10175*, *10178*, *10179*, *10181*, *19764*, 19773, *19774*, 19775, *19776*, 19783, *19784*, *19852*, *19854* Enviro 200MMC 36632, *36636*, *36637*, 36638, *36639*, *36640*, *36658*, *36663*, *36661*, *36669* Enviro 200 'Classic' *36363* Two more weeks in London (10th-23rd officially, though I'll be home on the 21st) then north of the border to drive for the first time since August...

If you're going to lie, you need to make sure you do it right. Was the downfall of one local bus operator in these parts who got his MOT buses mixed up and sent a 21 seat Fiat Daily for test with the plates off a 25 seater...

A fine performer. Would have passed for a 10 year old coach never mind 40 (!). Merc V8/Allison. Grunty.

A handful from yesterday's Ensignbus running day at Lakeside.

For the benefit of @Yoss and others who may have missed it, some photos from the running day at North Finchley on the 19th... naturally M1014 was the highlight for me (and what a beautifully set up Metrobus it is) but an honourable mention for RM2023 which had several of the assembled frothing contingent literally furious.

Just now I'm not sure! I should be in Glasgow (not best pleased... though as the comment on the screen grab is me, that may have been noticed!!) but my London schedule has shunted forward a week after new year so god only knows... If I'm at home I'm planning to take the Friday/Saturday off and travel down for it. Sadly I don't think us plebs'll be trusted with an RT, would assume the museum will use their own drivers.

If anyone is about in That London at a loose end tomorrow, another vintage running day.

I'm the last bus to Loughton tonight; this has been a decent night and a thoroughly pleasant run.

The 362 shares the 62 route between Chadwell Heath and Marks Gate; it runs Grange Hill to King George Hospital. The 462 only shares about 300 yards with the 362, running Ilford to Limes Farm Estate. Both 362 and 462 are minibus only. London route numbering isn't what it used to be 😆

That would have been Marks Gate I think; not done a 62 yet but I did take a photo at the terminus when I went out to learn it.

We can't have been far apart! Accomodation isn't too bad, I'm in the Holiday Inn Express in Canning Town with the Bow, Plumstead, Lea Interchange and West Ham drivers, the rest of the Barking contingent are at the Travelodge in Barking; not sure where Ash Grove's drivers are, or what other garages have been hit with us out of town types. Stagecoach pay us London wage (£18.85/hr) for a ten hour day, plus £36 for every day we're away from home, plus a tenner a week for laundry, our travel to and from home for each trip, accomodation, oyster, the lot. Theres probably around 150 drivers on loan or on split contracts from other Stagecoach companies at present but this may well increase; TFL have allegedly stipulated that from the end of the financial year no contractor will be permitted to use agency drivers. No bad thing from what I've seen in my time here, and we have been told by local management that we are considered a medium to long term solution. At present there are drivers from Aberdeen, Aberhill, Glenrothes, Dunfermline, Cumbernauld, Ardrossan, Kilmarnock, Ayr, Dumfries, Stranraer, Newcastle Hull, Grimsby and Lincoln at least on either loan or split contracts. The 62 isn't that rural when you've done the 167... Loughton is so far out the Arriva buses are blue again 😂 I do like to research routes and whatnot - the 62 was converted to RM operation after the RTs in 1979, but only for eight months before Ts took over which I *think* makes it the shortest duration of full allocation of RMs on any route in London?

Suppose I should update this... Cumbernauld had no work, so I have ended up doing a nine week straight spell in London; I return north on December 3rd for a week's holiday, then back down until New Years eve; this is likely to change as London don't want us down here over the festives. Bow continued along the no shifts line, but I got a start date at Barking on October 30th for induction and type training; this left a gap of a week or so. I asked Barking if they had a preference for routes to learn, and was told 62s and 145s. I utilised this week well, and learned the 62, 145, 167, 179, 362 and 462, then reported for induction and type training at 0830 on Monday morning. "Transfer from Bow?" "Yeah" "Interesting. You've done mirrorless Enviro 400MMCs?" "That's all I drove at Bow" "Well they trump everything so no type training required; if you can drive a 400 you can drive a 200. Did you manage to do any route learning?" I handed over my six learned routes. "Fuck, you've been busy! Fancy a shift today?" And so it began... Enviro 400MMC 10321 became my first steed at Barking, 222 duty on the 145. The week continued; 145 Mon-Wed, 179 Thurs, 145 Fri and 462 Sat; took today off for the Chalk Farm running day. This coming week is 179 tomorrow, 167 Tues/Weds, 62 Thurs, 362 Fri, 167 Sat and 462 Sun. On my last report from Bow I had 26 Enviro 400s outstanding to tick off; I managed to do 11352, 11358, 11359, 11360, 11366, 11369, 11371, 11382, 11396, 11398 and 11399 before leaving Bow, meaning I managed all bar fifteen - 344, 348, 350, 354, 356, 361, 363, 364, 376, 379, 380, 383-5 and 391. Barking is a better fit for me as a driver - better routes for a start - so fingers crossed it works out! My first week at Barking's ticklist is as follows... Enviro 400MMC 10319, 10321, 10324, 10326, 10328 Enviro 400MMC Hybrid 12399 Enviro 400 'Classic' 10174, 19773, 19775, 19783 Enviro 200MMC 36632, 36638 Not got a laptop down here so another (small) phone camera dump is all I can offer! Next update... whenever, if anyone is still interested in the London split saga?

One of the (four man!) crew manning the Titan said it had just undergone a brake rebuild... I think I'd have roasted the arse off the brakes to bed them in before running it in service, but to each their own. Was a decent day! I'm (still) in London for the Ensign running day in December so that'll nicely round off the year.

We were on that on it's first run of the day... it was driven *very* enthusiastically! Beautiful. We're on T567 just now.

London update: this all turned to shit. I am on a more or less day to day basis at Bow for the time being as my new garage are awaiting a gap in their training schedule to squeeze me in for vehicle familliarisation. My home garage today made contact and stated that they have too many drivers now, so would I mind terribly just not coming home? After a bit of a mad scramble I now have accomodation sorted out but at the minute I have no garage to work from; this will be tomorrow's quandry. My next scheduled shift north of the border? January.

NT1494 of course designating an Ardrossan-based Bristol single decker. Because AB1494 was too easy (and Ayr was A, B was... something else). Almost as clear as Eastern Scottish, where Bristol was A and AEC was B. Scottish Bus Group fleet numbering codes as a whole was just a clusterfuck, with Western offering MR as a Thornliebank (M) allocated Daimler, the former Alexander companies designating all Leyland Leopards as PE, and Eastern's frankly outstanding XCMM147A, a fleet number longer than it's sodding registration.

I've always been a bit of a never meet your heros type, and it has always stood me in good stead; was bitterly disappointed by the Maestro, the Datsun Cherry, the Triumph Acclaim and most disturbingly Skizzer's gorgeous manual SD1 V8 among others, but the FSO Polonez pleasantly surprised me about how not entirely shit it was. I quite liked it. The other two examples in the "met my hero and was not disappointed" were the Ford Cargo and the Duple 425, which probably says a lot about my largely questionable tastes.