Zipped Ostreoidea

It's 1st of October 2019. Nothing interesting, nothing new. As far as me writing on this blog, it's a disaster. Admittedly the only thing I do is keep track of B9TLs and E400s heading over to their new lives. Perhaps I was busy, perhaps I was lazy. All I know is, I like VLAs...

70-capacity, to 100-capacity, to square 1

23108 and 23107, Crystal Palace Parade

The 293 and H37 faced this issue but this is a new first for us all. The StreetLite Max...

In any case, barring the 5 year tenure with Kentish Bus from 1992, the route has always been home with Bromley (TB). Go-Ahead's win marks the second time Selkent lost the route.

Central again, with a twist

R.I.P. the third 48, (London Bridge - Walthamstow)
07/09/1968 - 11/10/2019

Remember when I gave my unpopular opinions with a hint of sarcastic salt when the consultation of Central London was up? Now we have them...actually happening.

Free One Five

LT712 (LTZ1712), Brixton, towards Tulse Hill

At first it was nothing but a trial or so it seemed, given the route has some form of New Bus for London route where it goes. Starting bottom from Tulse Hill, the 68. Effra Road (Brixton), the 3. Brixton, the 59 and 159. Elephant & Castle, the 12, 453. Old Kent Road, the 21 and 168. A total of 8 LT routes it meets with on the same roads. Thus with the mind that existing users of those routes would already know how the LT functions...correct, for the most part. In any case, the 415 became the first route to convert re-using LTs from existing routes, albeit partially. The 27 did it fully first with the loss of the 10 plus curtail. Again with 87/176(partial)'s conversion from 88. The 267 may have been the last to receive brand new LTs but it won't stop other conversions.

Parliamentary

The 88 picks up C2's torch.

Not a pun, but to make use of it, Parliament Square has been disrupted ever since Brexit was looming closer and even closer to night the roads still had issues. In short, I'm not into news in the government so make that of what you will. Though route disruptions are route disruptions. Pratt Street in Camden Town was also closed.

The route that's disrupted in this mess is as you can guess, the 88. Even on it's first day of reroute.

Au Revoir 2018

It's been a while since I've done this, the last years I  skipped over was due to lack of keeping up with with what happened I admit. Now I've come back and prepared for this adventure. Enjoy this structure-lacking writing.

Before I start.
Note: Usage of any photos on this blog isn't permitted where no name is present (meaning it's mine, ©Unorm), or an All Rights Reserved symbol © is present. If you desire to use a photo, you must contact the original author. In my case, you should contact my Flickr.

“For last year's words belong to last year's language 

And next year's words await another voice.”

- T.S. Eliot

I will cover 2018's changes month by month, going through operator changes and certain retains. For example, the 300 switching it's Enviro200s with D6's longer Enviro200s. Don't worry, there's better examples below.

January:

6th January:

ADE40402 (YX12FNH), Brent Cross

The first change of the month was 142/258, lost from Arriva the Shires to London Sovereign of RATP. Except Arriva surrendered 258 early in September 2017. Anyhow, the end of Garston (GR) come closer, with the loss of their closest routes only slightly off Watford Junction. The end of the LJ55-reg B7TL ALX400s and the transfer of now-T199 sole Enviro400 (former 5458) and DB300s DW190/1 (6100/1) to Croydon (TC). Without a doubt the loss was anticipated, yet was a sad loss. With this, Arriva have moved one step closer to closing off their north west career.

The change itself brought RATP into Watford, certainly an adventure in uncharted territory. The buses brought in were Enviro400s released from the loss of 120 and 222 to Metroline, some refurbished in time for 142's arrival. Four new E40H MMCs were ordered as top-ups, but were late, extra Hounslow (AV) ADEs from 81 filled in the space of these late ADHs in the meantime.
Operation wasn't quite perfect as you'd expect, with 642s being lost thinking they were school 142s which isn't exactly the case if you look up the route. Back to 142, the changeover was pretty smooth nonetheless, with it remaining so for the coming new weeks of operation.

The Ten to Tend to

LT82 (LTZ1082), Hammersmith

King's Cross to Hammersmith as we know it was the replacement of 73 which ran from Stoke Newington through to Hammersmith, then rerouted at Hyde Park to Victoria on 13 August 1988.

The year later it was extended to Archway via a then predecessor of  390, of which newborn-390 permanently replaced in 2003.

TA1, LX18DGF

"Nigel Road"
Peckham Rye

Tri-axles from abroad, specifically Hong Kong, have made their way into London and tested on few main routes such as 5 or 29, buses in question being Enviro500s. Though it was until April 2018 when we had a set in stone official news of a TfL approved hybrid for London. The BCI Enterprise 2HD, designed with a total capacity of 130 with 78 seats. Of 12.5m length. Includes phone holders and USB ports.

Initially it was to run on the Russell Square to West Croydon express X68, but issues with it's routeing deemed it infeasible at the time, so the other option was fellow garage member 12. The one that runs from the lesser heart of Dulwich through residential Barry Road, to Peckham, Camberwell, run-down Elephant and into Central London via Big Ben and Trafalgar Square to where it terminates at Oxford Circus.