Bus Shite

[cms206]

I have arrivalled.

[artdjones]

1 hour ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

A 1967 AEC imported from the UK has come up for sale here in Norway. And thought it was worth sharing as some may know it or where it came from.

Old UK pictures of it according to the seller but the registration number is different?

 

Now in Norway

https://www.finn.no/b2b/bus/ad.html?finnkode=118916106

Not a Route master or a London bus. An East Kent AEC Regent V, looking awful in that livery and without its front wheel trim/step rings. 

[Yoss]

41 minutes ago, cms206 said:

I have arrivalled.

Excellent. Looking forward to pictures and tales of your adventures.

[Six-cylinder]

44 minutes ago, cms206 said:

I have arrivalled.

I was hoping you were going to treat us to inside a London Bus depot, thank you. 

[cms206]

27 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

I was hoping you were going to treat us to inside a London Bus depot, thank you. 

It's pretty outside too; opened in 1908 as a tram depot and converted to trolleybus operation in the 1930s.

34 minutes ago, Yoss said:

Excellent. Looking forward to pictures and tales of your adventures.

Today was first report and type training; time got away from us so we never covered the new Routemaster things but had a decent drive in Enviro 400 hybrids and MMCs; we have MMCs at Cumbernauld but this was my first experience with dual doors, power wheelchair ramps, hybrids and - in the MMCs case - mirrorless vehicles.

Route learning starts tomorrow; we were told we were likely to go onto the 25/425 rota but the allocators want us mixed so likely be 205s as well; can't do the 8 as we're not NRM type trained.

Today's steeds for the diary were 11345 and 12332.

[LightBulbFun]

4 hours ago, cms206 said:

I have arrivalled.

Blimey Bow is bigger then I remember it being! 

I remember it being quite the cozy  place, having to thread myself between buses to get to the back office where some Routemaster and Trident ALX400 blinds where being held for me  

ahh memories! sadly I dont have those blinds anymore I gave them to another bus and lighting enthusiast who then fell on hard times and I think they have been lost since, stuck in a loft of a council flat he got kicked out

thats gonna be fun for someone to discover in 50 years! 

 

but memories and lost bus blinds aside, awesome to hear things have started

3 hours ago, cms206 said:

It's pretty outside too; opened in 1908 as a tram depot and converted to trolleybus operation in the 1930s.

Today was first report and type training; time got away from us so we never covered the new Routemaster things but had a decent drive in Enviro 400 hybrids and MMCs; we have MMCs at Cumbernauld but this was my first experience with dual doors, power wheelchair ramps, hybrids and - in the MMCs case - mirrorless vehicles.

Route learning starts tomorrow; we were told we were likely to go onto the 25/425 rota but the allocators want us mixed so likely be 205s as well; can't do the 8 as we're not NRM type trained.

Today's steeds for the diary were 11345 and 12332.

none of those are routes that I use with any "regularity", but when the Northern line goes to shit, the 205 is how i get to Euston station for the FoD, so there is still a small chance we could run into each other LOL

 

if you manage to get type trained on the Boris Buses (Sorry not calling them Routemasters of any kind! LOL) I am curious to know what they are like from a driver perspective, are they any better or worse then any other modern bus?

[egg]

[cms206]

Still here!

Monday type training, Tuesday & Wednesday route learning, out tonight backshift; 11342 is my first London bus driven in service, a mirrorless Enviro 400MMC.

Lots of fairly major differences to bus life outside London but it's a nice change.

Interesting that I have lived in Glasgow my entire life and had ten full days training up there, five days out driving with a mentor. Down here? Fuck all. Go play 😂

[NorthernMonkey]

On 7/24/2023 at 4:28 PM, cms206 said:

I have arrivalled.

Fairfield rd if I’m not mistaken?

Delivered a Citaro artic into there one day…jumped out of the cab to check with a manager where he wanted it parked. He refused my offer to reverse it into place for him around the roof supports with much indignation then proceeded to hit one with the arse end much to mine and all the onlooking driver’s amusement.

[cms206]

7 hours ago, NorthernMonkey said:

Fairfield rd if I’m not mistaken?

Delivered a Citaro artic into there one day…jumped out of the cab to check with a manager where he wanted it parked. He refused my offer to reverse it into place for him around the roof supports with much indignation then proceeded to hit one with the arse end much to mine and all the onlooking driver’s amusement.

It is indeed Fairfield Road, bad enough depot with a decker never mind a bendi 😂

[cms206]

Well, seven days have passed since I arrived in London, like the Fresh Prince of Cumbernauld or something.

I'm on my fourth solo shift as we speak (425s until about 1am) and things are... yeah.

It is fucking *lonely*. Like really, really lonely. This is something I need to remedy before it breaks me.

The three of us who have arrived laat week - plus another two are due a week today - have also been stung surprisingly badly.

The majority of drivers on this work are based at West Ham or Barking. At both of those garages there is a large spread of routes and therefore a overwhelming surplus of overtime, to the point the drivers there aren't getting peace from controllers to do 13 days on.

Our small clump are at Bow, a garage with an alleged sixty driver shortage.

How many overtime shifts were available for next week, as of last Tuesday? One.

We are here to work and are physically unable to. I'm even posted a depot spare next Thursday. Four routes (8, 25, 205 & 425) and we can only learn three of those as we're not being type trained on NRMs for the 8.

Will see how the land lies then be sniffing for a transfer if it keeps up.

[warch]

Sorry for the shite photo but the Australia women’s football team coach this morning.

 

[SunnySouth]

Been to Cyprus recently for a wedding, we were treated to a surprise trip atop this ‘exclusive’ Metrobus. I’m not sure if the “Congratulations” relate to the wedding couple, or to anyone riding on the thing in 35 degree heat who manages to reach their destination.

[busmansholiday]

Nice, and doesn't match any lists I have for Cyprus and Mk II Metrobuses.  

 

[Inspector Morose]

A107WVP I believe.

[cms206]

A handful more pics - had to sort a new phone down here as the old one unceremoniously gave up the ghost.

Last shift of my first three week stint tomorrow, I fucked up the trains so off Saturday home Sunday afternoon then back to Cumbernauld 0700 Monday morning - that'll be a culture shock!

 

Next stint already booked - September 3rd-24th back at Bow.

[cms206]

Day, done. Trip, done. 11362 and 11341 are the last chariots for this trip, bringing the tally to...

11341/42/43/45/47, 11353/7, 11362/67/68, 11370(twice)/72/73, 11381/81/86(three times)/87/89, 11392/93/94/97 and 12332.

 

[Remspoor]

40 minutes ago, cms206 said:

Day, done. Trip, done. 11362 and 11341 are the last chariots for this trip, bringing the tally to...

11341/42/43/45/47, 11353/7, 11362/67/68, 11370(twice)/72/73, 11381/81/86(three times)/87/89, 11392/93/94/97 and 12332.

 

Ok it has been many many years since I left Ilford and many years since I have returned. So I did not know about the  425 route. Looked it up on TfL website. It says the route starts in Ilford along the High road a the General Havelock. Question is how does that work? I suppose you must drop off passengers and run empty to the first stop?

https://tfl.gov.uk/bus/stop/490007657V/hainault-street?lineId=425

As a side note. When the High Road was a through road and took all of the traffic I saw an accident. A Transit was towing a Mk3 Cortina with a  long rope. They were turning onto Hainault St. Crossing the carriage the van miss judged something. He started to move the Cortina had barely moved and  a car coming from the west caught the tow rope and there was a 3 car pile up. Funny how things like that stick in one's head. It must have been 40 to 45 years ago.

[High Jetter]

Ooh, up there this w/e, Oyster cards at the ready. 

[cms206]

1 hour ago, Remspoor said:

Ok it has been many many years since I left Ilford and many years since I have returned. So I did not know about the  425 route. Looked it up on TfL website. It says the route starts in Ilford along the High road a the General Havelock. Question is how does that work? I suppose you must drop off passengers and run empty to the first stop?

https://tfl.gov.uk/bus/stop/490007657V/hainault-street?lineId=425

The 425 was extended to Ilford from Stratford a few years back to replace short workings on the 25; they share a common route as far as Mile End Station where the 425 turns right to Clapton via Homerton and the 25 continues to the city via Whitechapel.

At the Ilford end the official line of route is Ilford Hill, Chapel Rd, Winston Way, Handforth Rd, Clements Rd to the stop on High Road where the service terminates; after that we run empty to the bus stands on Hainault St for layover.

Journeys to City Thameslink/Clapton leave the bus park and operate empty Ley St & Hainault St back to High Rd to start service. From High Rd both run Clements Rd, High Rd, Chapel Rd back to Ilford Hill, then a straight line to Stratford.

 

As an aside the multistorey car park on Ley St at the side of the bus stands is more or less gone now, demolition continues apace.

[SunnySouth]

On 8/9/2023 at 8:33 PM, busmansholiday said:

Nice, and doesn't match any lists I have for Cyprus and Mk II Metrobuses.  

 

Several out there, their website has plenty of pics! Various Olympians knocking about, and an Alexander bodied Scania open topper of some description too!

[MiniMinorMk3]

Some random old pics of London Transport stock.

 

[MiniMinorMk3]

[MiniMinorMk3]

[busmansholiday]

On 09/08/2023 at 23:19, Inspector Morose said:

A107WVP I believe.

Have that as MHN582.

[SunnySouth]

2 hours ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

What’s going on with that grille?

[MiniMinorMk3]

10 minutes ago, SunnySouth said:

What’s going on with that grille?

Winter grille cover with opening flaps?

[Remspoor]

16 hours ago, cms206 said:

The 425 was extended to Ilford from Stratford a few years back to replace short workings on the 25;

When I was there the 25 ran from Becontree Heath into Aldgate. Crew change at Seven Kings garage.  Such a long route and today's traffic would mean a lot of turn arounds.

I do not remember the bus terminus at Ley street. There was one (of sorts)  at York Rd. Officially Ilford Station.

 

[Remspoor]

1 hour ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Winter grille cover with opening flaps?

 

[busmansholiday]

1 hour ago, SunnySouth said:

What’s going on with that grille?

The odd shaped grill of this bus was part of an experiment in noise reduction. Also the inside of the engine compartment was lined with a foam type substance. RM 738 stayed like this until about mid 1970 when a driver crashed the bus and broke the grill. It was then replaced with a regular grill.