London United with Gemini 3 buses for routes 116 and 285! Part 2 - London Bus Route 116

The 116 has been converted to double decker operation from single deckers. If you want my previous post, "London United with Gemini 3 buses for routes 116 and 285! Part 1 - London Bus Route 116", click here.

©LilNetworker
One of the new buses for route 116 and 285 with an "LJ" reg
London United VH35 (LJ15JZM) at Kingston terminus.

Hello and welcome to this post about routes 116 and 285 gaining Volvo B5LH Wright Eclipse Gemini 3 hybrid integrals with London United's moquette and interior.

Let's start with the previous fleetlists of route 116 and the new buses intermixed with 285's batch.

DPS707 SN55HKK - VH24 LJ15JYY

DPS708 SN55HKL - VH25 LJ15JYZ

DPS709 SN55HKM - VH26 LJ15JZA

DPS710 SN55HKO - VH27 LJ15JZC

DPS711 SN55HKP - VH28 LJ15JZD

DPS712 SN55HKT - VH29 LJ15JZE

DPS713 SN55HKU - VH30 LJ15JZF

DPS714 SN55HKV - VH31 LJ15JZG

DPS715 SN55HKW - VH32 LJ15JZH

DPS716 SN55HKX - VH33 LJ15JZK

DPS717 SN55HKY - VH34 LJ15JZL
DPS718 SN55HSD - VH35 LJ15JZM

London United with Gemini 3 buses for routes 116 and 285! Part 1 - London Bus Route 285

The first part being about 285, why not start with a few glimpses of it's current...

Like this:

©LilNetworker
One of the new buses for route 116 and 285 with an "LJ" reg
London United VH35 (LJ15JZM) at Kingston terminus.

Okay, back to business. Hello readers of my blog, and welcome to part two of my London United with Gemini 3 buses for routes 116 and 285! Route 285 converted to double deckers, Euro6 12-speed Volvo i-Shift gearbox mounted on a Volvo B5LH 10.5m chassis implanted on a Wright Eclipse Gemini 3 body.

Aubrey Morandarte
London United VH24 (LJ15JYY) in Hatton Cross curtailed to Harlington Corner

Moar Major Models!

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After the 109/N109 and 415 which gained MMCs, we have more routes that have received Enviro400MMCs and 499 with expected Enviro200MMCs..

ADL E20D 10.4m Enviro200MMC:

Stagecoach East London, London Bus Route 499:

The batch numbers are 36601-8. There are also no public photos I can find of them online. These buses are delayed and yet to be in service for route 499, the route will temporarily be using a mix of 62 and 296's Enviro200s for the time being.

Metroline West, London Bus Routes 331 and U10:

There are no news of the buses for 331 and U10 except their numbers will be DEL2122-2132.

Yet again, there are no publich photos I can find of them online.

ADL E40D 10.3m Enviro400 MMC [Diesel]:

Stagecoach East London, London Bus Route 498:

Even though 10301-7 were ordered for Stagecoach East London route 498, they are late for service and Tridents from 175 fitted with white-on-black-blinds had a rush in. They have still not entered service yet.

The only registrations that are found on London Vehicle Finder (LVF) are:

10301 YY15OYS

10302 YY15OYT

10303 YY15OYU

10304 YY15OYW

These buses are inside of North Street, Romford (NS) and are yet to begin service. Whereabouts of the rest are not known for the time being.

Abellio London, London Bus Route 415:

However, we have Abellio London 2400 (YY64GXG), a Enviro400 MMC bodied Euro6 E40D 10.3m demonstrator with only red paint, no garage code, no operator logo and is assumed it will be with 415 until the end of the contract since the speculated two extra E40H MMCs that were supposed to be ordered did not arrive, so 2400 and 2515 (YY64TZO), a 407 bus for the SDO journey on weekdays are the cover for the extension of 415 to Old Kent Road Tesco.

These diesel versions of the E400MMC look like the hybrid version (E40H chassis of course), but the vents for the rear are ontop of the blinds, or in other words the blindbox is on the bottom of the vents.

ADL E40H 10.3m Enviro400 MMC [Hybrid]:
After 109/N109 and 415, the 350 being the third route with MMCs, and the third Abellio route with MMCs as well as the third batch to have entered service as opposed to Metroline's ones being in the garage and late to be out in service.

Abellio London, London Bus Route 350:
Previously allocated Euro4 Enviro200 Darts, then converted to Euro3 Trident 9.9m Alexander ALX400 spared from the 3, which converted to Euro5 ADL E40H 10.2m Enviro400 hybrid (standard model) in 2012.

A whole rennovation, 322, 415, 432 and G1 receive newer buses.

This post will mention 415, 432, 322 and G1, which had their service changes in the February-May corridor.

Let's start with the earliest of changes.

Route 415:

DLA227 (X427FGP) by Brixton Police Station

DLA273 (Y473UGC) also passing Brixton Police Station
but towards Elephant & Castle

Created on 3rd March 2008 to reroute 333 to Stockwell as residents on the Brixton Hill corridor desperately needed one and replaced the 333 between Brixton to Kennington via Brixton Road aswell as create a new link to Elephant & Castle from Tulse Hill estate which would increase the amount of buses passing along the Tulse Hill section which was from 12.5bph offpeak and 17.5bph peak to 17.5bph offpeak and 20bph peak.

VLA22 (LJ53BFL) by Tulse Hill Tavern

Abellio 2404 (SN61DFU) used on 415's first day with Abelliobecause there were only 2 MMCs ready for service.

Arriva lost the contract of this route for bidding the route with existing Euro2 DLAs.

Route 432:

  

Arriva London VLA2 (LJ03MYR) nearby the old West Norwood Fire Station

VLA75 (LJ54BEO) by West Norwood Library

Created on 15th February 2003 to replace the congested section of route 2 between West Norwood Bus Garage and Crystal Palace. By 26 July 2003, it got extended to Anerley to open up some links and free some space at Crystal Palace Bus Station. By 2nd April 2005, the route was given low floor buses in the form of a mixture of Alexander ALX400 bodied Volvo B7TL 10m/10.6m (VLA) and DAF DB250LF 10.2m (DLA) buses, formerly allocated Leyland Titans (L). In 2014, it was announced Arriva have lost the route, and were rumours about it being bidded with existing VLAs (by Arriva), however the successful bidder of the route was Go-Ahead London General with existing 60/61reg Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodied Volvo B9TL (WVL380-4/435-9) from route 12 which received New Routemasters.

Abellio's new flagship - 109

Arriva's economical flagship route turned to become Abellio's flagship. Now we see the newest of bus types around on the 19th busiest London Bus Route, the Enviro400 MMC Hybrids on the 109. Around 28 of them have been ordered with some Tridents and Volvos in Beddington Cross (BC) reblinded for 109.

Once upon a time, 8 April 1951 to be precise, tram routes 16 (Purley circular via Westminster Bridge and Blackfriars) and 18 (Purley circular via Blackfriars and Westminster Bridge) were replaced by a bus route numbered 109 born with a massive PVR of 88, 52 from Brixton (BN) and 36 from Thornton Heath (TH), that is on Mondays to Fridays, you then have Saturday's allocation total of 65, Brixton (BN) giving out 41 and Thornton Heath (TH) giving the remainder (24). Sunday's allocation forms of 28, 12 from BN and 16 from TH, this is quite astonishing since Monday to Friday allocation is 88 and Sundays is 28, a massive difference of 60 buses, don't you think?

By October 1957, it was decided the route's Westminster loop on Sundays to be withdrawn, and Blackfriars loops left how it is. Have I forgot to tell you the allocation of buses? It was RTs. Oh and one more thing to the change, Brixton (BN)'s Sunday allocation was withdrawn too. The PVR of 28 decreased to Thornton Heath's 12. Mon-Fri was decreased by 8 buses and Saturday's shortened to 58. Quite a change.

Seven months later (April 1958), BN took back some of TH's Sunday allocation, though still staying 12 in total. You also have Mon-Fri decreasing, by another two making 78 and the Saturday allocation changed to 53. At this rate it's gonna continue decreasing right?

Brixton (BN) loses it's Sunday allocation once again, this time, the Sunday Blackfriars' loop is withdrawn too! Mon-Fri allocation decreased by two buses again. Saturday/Sunday PVRs stay the same.

Saturday Sightseeing

This is my first observations post. so it may be a little off.

First, I'll start with the ultra rare working on one of the most unreliable bus routes in London: the 322.

Here's the ultra rare working of 322:

8204 (YY64GVU) on the large and spacious Hail & Ride section of the route

These beasts are obviously a rare working; they're 64reg, they've been on it twice so far and on the same day (17th, where 8204 (pictured) and 8205 did a race on 322), they sound like Euro6 Enviro400 hybrids from the exterior, but overrevving Volvo B5LHs from the interior. This is also the third Enviro200 on the route, first being 8109 and second being 8521 which appeared in June 2014 with 8497 in May.

Next we have the 3 which was just cut temporarily to Regent Street Conduit Street due to roadworks in the Central London area. The route will come back to Oxford Circus soon.

Shift QB301 as bus 2470 (SN64OEU) to Regent Street, notice the Piccadilly Circus blinds. Read below for information.

Of course, the route would end at Regent Street, but would start at Piccadilly Circus. I guess if the buses had Regent Street in them for the C2, Regent Street would be used, like how 53/N2 do, end at Whitehall but start at Trafalgar Square, am I wrong?

New Years Special - Sayonara, 2014

As you and I all know, it's now New Years Eve (31/12/14), first of all, I would like to mention a happy new year, and all that goes well. Enjoy 2015!

As for this post, I want to summarise as much I can about what changed since the start if 2014.

I'll summarise what has changed throughout the year.

January 2014:

Routes 228, 428, 601. 602, 603 and B15 retained with existing buses (with 228s and B15s being refurbished and 428 having one extra from 256's old Arriva allocation).

@Au Morandarte

New school route 662 introduced between Surbiton Station and Holy Cross School via Tolworth and New Malden. Awarded to London United using existing Volvo B7TL 10.6m East Lancs Mylennium buses from 57(/131 now). Operated from Tolworth (TV).

Routes 96, 319 and 472 receiving new buses. 96/472 with Enviro400Hybrids for their contract and 319 received the last Volvo B5LH 10.4m Wright Gemini 2 vehicles London will see.

@Au Morandarte

Route 308 rerouted to serve Stratford City via Temple Mills Lane instead of via Leyton Station and Leyton Road.

February:

Route 122 retained with new Enviro400Hybrid buses

Route 148 converted to New Routemaster operation.

Routes 200 and 486 retained with existing buses to be refurbished.

March:

Route 159 withdrawn between Paddington Basin and Marble Arch with no replacement. PVR set to 34.

Routes 283, 393, 396 retained with existing buses (393 gaining two extra buses for the contract)

Routes 262/473 retained with existing Enviro400 diesel and Scania OmniCity from Plumstead (PD)

Route 317 retained with new buses from 2015.

Route 372 retained with existing Enviro400 diesels transferred from 53 (delayed)

April:

Route 10 converted to New Routemaster operation

@Au Morandarte

Route 75 awarded to Stagecoach Selkent with new Volvo B5LH Wright Gemini 3 Alexander Dennis Enviro400Hybrid buses from Catford (TL) plus one journey from route 208 [Bromley (TB)].

New School Route 689 introduced between The Glade and Croydon via Shirley and Addiscombe relieving the 367. Awarded to Arriva London from Thornton Heath (TH).

Two-oh-one to Abellio!

This post should have the title of the 'London Bus Route Series' of mine, as the route just had a service change, I'd like to give the title a little more of a kick to it.

As we all know today, this route is won to Abellio London from Beddington Cross (BC) with Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart buses until the Enviro200s with flywheel fitted arrive, which is to be expected early 2015. Go-Ahead London (London General) were operating the route beforehand from their Merton (AL) base using Volvo Merit Wright Cadet 9.2m buses ex-East Thames Buses.

Abellio's 8525 (YX59BYT) as BC #210 arriving West Dulwich Station

The route first started in 17th March 1995, between Tulse Hill Station and Mitcham Cricketers, funnily enough, it replaced the 200 between Tulse Hill and Mitcham although the 201 was a new route! 201's Plaxton Pointer Darts were late, the 200 was temporarily extended until the Darts arrived. Contract was awarded to London General, operating from Merton (AL) with a rather small PVR of 6 during Mondays to Saturdays and 4 on Sundays with running numbers AL241+

The routeing was Tulse Hill - Upper Tulse Hill - Streatham Hill - Streatham St Leonard's Church - Mitcham Lane - Streatham Road - Mitcham Fair Green -Mitcham Cricketers

Not much has changed to the route in almost 20 years except for extensions on both sides (from Tulse Hill to Herne Hill and Mitcham to Morden).

Five years has passed, and on the first of December 2001, London General lost the 201 to Mitcham Belle, a new operator from those years which later had some of it's operations taken over by Connex. There was an increase in PVR from 8 (M-F), 7 (Saturdays) and 6 (Sundays). If I happen to be correct, long Plaxton Pointer II Darts (10.2m) were used.

Eventually, Centra London purchased Mitcham Belle's London Bus operations by the end of August 2004,

By May 2006, East Thames London (which happened to be Transport for London's own bus company by the time) took over the 201, they ordered Volvo Merit Wright Cadets, 10.8m if I'm correct. Running numbers started from MA121+

The 201 pretty much bumped into randomn defunct bus operators, like Mitcham Belle, which was taken over by Centra London, which then eventually got defunct itself, and then to East Thames Buses.