The 173 Bus Route - under the old day out (part 2)

Welcome to Autumn! Let me finish off part 2 of the trip that I did on the London Bus Route 173 on the 11th October 2020 - pretty much a year ago as of publishing this. Time files!

As a heads up may I recommend reading part 1 so that you, the reader have an idea of the journey. Of course you can read part 2 before part 1 if you want to, I am not forcing you. Anyways let me get into it, I don't want to waste your time. 

Disclaimer: The journey was ridden a few weeks before Lockdown #2 was in place.

In Beckton

Beckton Bus Station

After having lunch in Beckton, I walked back over to the bus station to decide how to go on my way back. I missed a 173 but I saw another one at the bus stand so I waited... for 14 minutes. Well it is a Sunday after all and buses take alot longer than on a weekday, so as annoying as it was I had to do it. Even if it was 12C in this British weather. During that time I saw a few routes pass by this included; 101 (in both directions), 262, 366 and 474.  

Here they are:

Two 101s heading to Wanstead and Gallions Reach Shopping Park. Nice horses too.
WVL479 (LJ61NWN) and WVL480 (LJ61NWO).

(WH31113) SK19FDD on route 262 towards East Beckton Sainsburys.

That was a 366, the roadworks blocked the shot.

11026 (YX68UKL) on route 474 towards Manor Park.

Heading Back

(T182) LJ60AUL, the bus I waited 14mins for is seen on stand.

As more people came along from small shopping centre, the bus finally arrives. It became partly full leaving the bus station but we must return back regardless of the load. We joined the A13 heading towards Dagenham where we managed to go quick on this occasion. No traffic thankfully as the A13 can sometimes halt to a standstill. Anyway we were briefly still in Beckton before speeding along towards Barking Bus Garage (DX), where the driver didn't changeover but we waited at the stop regardless because bus drivers are supposed to keep on schedule. Returning to Merrleands Retail Park in Dagenham a few people boarded and alighted - the weather cloudy as ever.

 

T199 (SN08AAE) 
at Dagenham Heathway on route 173 towards 
Beckton Station.

With the fastest section of the route over with we stayed residential for bit. Taking left heading towards Dagenham Heathway, routes 174 and 175 passed in the other direction. Approaching Dagenham Heathway now and I managed to see (T199) SN08AAE in it's older "Arriva serving London" livery heading towards Beckton Station which was something I wasn't really expecting to see
since it was a Sunday but yeah. Continuing down the straight road with endless houses known as Heathway, Becontree Heath would be the next area we would pass. In this instance we took a right past the Morrisons and I saw another 173 heading in the other direction. Staying straight onto Whalebone Lane South and there was traffic as I expected when I did it towards Beckton in the other post. Entering Chadwell Heath the sun shined bright on this Sunday afternoon - in the meantime I wondered whether to alight and take a bus home or continue on.... I decided to stay to the end it didn't matter either way. Coming back we had to take a left and loop around to serve the Chadwell Heath Lane bus stop which I mentioned before in part 1 (if you can remember).  

Onto Chadwell Heath Lane, pretty much the final stretch of the route. At this point we were pretty much near the end and I was the only one upstairs past Little Heath and King George Hospital. As I alighted it felt cold (being mid-October this is to be expected) and I saw another 173 on stand so I decided to take a picture of both of them together. 

I took the one behind - both are seen on stand here. 
T189 (LJ60ATO) and T182 (LJ60AUL).

Start time: 2:37pm

End time: 3:29pm

Went at a good time for both journeys, and drivers didn't do too bad on both occasions. My general experiences of the 173 bus route has been alright. Arriva did a decent operation on the route, of course there were times that it went a bit rocky but it's inevitable anyways. It is my favourite route in London as it goes on A13 and the buses I got on that day really went for it but that said it's time for a change - nothing can stay the same forever.

The route changed operators to Stagecoach London on the 18th October 2020 as of typing. I wish them well for the next 5 or if possible 7 years of operation. 

And that my friends brings another blog post to a close. Thanks for reading!

Take care, stay safe and happy riding! :)

Bonus pictures

All leaving Beckton. 101 (towards Wanstead), 173 (towards King George Hospital), 474 (towards Canning Town, Barking Road) and 300 (towards Canning Town).

Seen on stand after I alighted.

    Arriva London - London Bus Route 173

1993-2020.

Part 1 link (incase you missed the other link): https://transportunited.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-173-bus-route-under-old-day-out.html

Station Reviews: Goodmayes

Happy July! I know. 7 months into 2021 already. Would you believe it? Feels quick. Thought I should do a station reviews post to keep the blog going.

Goodmayes Station. Based in East London and in Zone 4 of the tube map. One of many stations on the heavily used Great Eastern Main Line, operated by TFL Rail which does the London Liverpool Street to Shenfield service. 

The station itself requires a walk to get there. There are 5 routes that could be used to reach the station  (86, 128, 150, 364 and EL3) - 3 of those routes (86, 128 and 150) require a few-minutes walk to get to the station from the bus stop. Previously the station was operated by Abellio Greater Anglia and there were no barriers but, since the TFL Rail takeover in May 2015, it has been added to the station entrances. 

There's 4 platforms when you enter Goodmayes. 2 for the slow lines (Platform 3 and 4) and other for the fast lines. The slow line platforms will be the ones nearest to you. Platform 1 and 3 are the London-bound while Platform 2 and 4 are Shenfield bound. The fast platforms (Platform 1 and 2) on the right are not really used, unless there is engineering works taking place. To access Platform 2 you would need to go down the stairs (the same one that goes to Platform 3) via the gate on the right, which again has been put in use. The signage is pretty simple here anyway so you should not get lost.

Platforms 3 and 4 are currently being extended to accommodate 9-car in preparation for Crossrail. As of typing, the platforms can fit 8-cars. Usually a mix between the Class 315s and Class 345s. The 315s are in single digits and probably will be replaced by the time you are reading this. I would like to mention that the walkthrough layout on the 315s is quite tight with the 3 and 2 seating being separate to each other. Meanwhile the 345s are walkthrough so you can go from one end of the train to the other.

The frequency is between 7-8 mins within each service, so that helps alot. On weekends it's a bit longer. While that's great there is a problem. On a number of occasions, I have missed the train literally by a second because the train arrives than the earlier expected time - though luckily I also managed to get onto the train before the doors shut. Thankfully the trains stop right near the stairs. 

What I am saying now might sound silly - give yourself enough time to get to the station. Get there early. Even if it's 10 mins just do it, the last thing you want to see while going down the stairs is to see that the train, arrived earlier than you thought and it departs without you.  

On a busyness scale, I wouldn't say it's that busy compared to other stations on the route, but not quiet either. On Platform 3 (towards London) there is a shelter which used to have sliding doors when you clicked a button, though these have been taken out as of today. The shelter still exists (as of typing) seen in the 315 picture below.

Overall yeah. There are a few bus routes serving the station and decent amount of shops around including a Tesco - if you are willing to walk it around the corner. That's pretty much it really.

Used to be very common sight on this line until they were restricted to weekday appearances in 2019 I believe. 

The replacement for the 315s since 2017 - though it
has taken quite sometime to do so! The new face on this line and for Crossrail. 

And that brings another blog post to a close. Expect to see more of the 345s appearing as the 315s will become (or is already) a distant memory on the route.

Thanks so much for reading and happy riding! :)

The sunset was really nice on this day so I thought I should include it.

The Class 365 "Networker Express"

Hey there! Great Northern had to say farewell to one their trains on the East Coast Main Line during mid-May 2021 (Saturday 15th of May 2021), so in this post today we will go through the history and services that they operated. 

Ready to dive in?

Let's go then!

Recent History

 365515 on loan at the time to Connex Southeastern seen at Wandsworth Road. Note this is how the 365s originally looked like.
Photo taken by Steve Jones

Built in: York
Constructed between: 1994-1995
Entered public service from: 1996-2021 (25 years)
Stock replaced: N/A

Replaced by: Class 387
Manufacturer: ABB
Maximum speed: 100mph
Lines served: Connex Southeastern, Network Southeast, WAGN, First Capital Connect and Great Northern (part of GTR)
Last refurbishment: 2013-16
Total built: 41

Capacity: 239 seats
Formed of: 4 coaches
Type: Stopping, Semi-fast and fast services

365319 seen in Cambridge on a service to Kings Cross under Network Southeast. 
Photo taken by Ryan Taylor

The Class 365 was made between 1994-1995, being built at Holgate Road carriage works in York. These were the last trains to be constructed until it closed down. Quite something isn't it? They are part of the Networker family of trains with the manufacturer being ABB. Over 41 units were built with one being scrapped after the Potters Bar rail crash in 2002. Maximum speed of 100mph these trains contain a total capacity of 239 seats. 

365539 seen in Brookmans Park on a service on Kings Cross under First Capital Connect.
Note the changed front cab which smiles. Photo taken by Hugh Llewelyn

In 1996, 16 entered service under Connex South Eastern which were on loan from West Anglia Great Northern (WAGN). This was short-lived as they were replaced in 2004 by Class 375 Electrostars. Upon transfer to NSE went under a repaint to Network Southeast livery, pantographs at the top was being fitted and also a change to the front of the train in able to give air conditioning to the driver - hence the
nickname "Happy Train" because it smiles right back at you. What a genius. In 2006, all 40 365s went to First Capital Connect and was repainted to their colours. By 2014 a brand new company called Govia Thameslink Railway took over to become part of Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern. The trains were renamed to Great Northern being under that company since then. 

Class 365 refurbished interior under Great Northern.
Photo taken by Hugh Llewelyn

Anyways, 2014-16 was good news as the 365s went under heavy refurbishment and another repaint. This included: seat covers, new flooring, grab handles, wheelchair bays and a passenger information system (as well as station announcements for the next stop). These all being complete at Bombardier Ilford depot. With a lot of people using the route daily, it had to be done ensuring that it met with disability regulations. A nice refurbishment in my opinion. One of the disadvantages compared to the Class 387s, is that it didn't contain any plug sockets or a good-sized table. Still at least the seats had more padding unlike some trains. Yes Class 700 I am looking at you. In 2018, Scotrail had to borrow some 365s while modifications had to be made the 385s - this lasted months. We are talking about... 8-9 months? Yeah. Since August 2019 the Government owned 40 365s, though 21 were actually in service while 19 were being stored. 

Services

365511 seen at Kings Cross under the roof. 
Photo taken by Daniel Wright

Serving on the East Coast Main Line, the trains operated services from London Kings Cross to destinations such as Cambridge, Kings Lynn and Peterborough. These would be stopping services from Finsbury Park and other stations within London such as Alexandra Palace, Harringay and Hornsey. In 2017 Class 387s/700s had started to arrive so in May 2018, as part of the new timetable Govia Thameslink Railway introduced, they were moved to peak-hour services so as a result they could not call at stations inside London (except for Finsbury Park). As a result the 387s replaced the 365s which previously used to do Kings Lynn workings, meanwhile the 365s went strong on the rush hour services being in force on weekdays. I will list the services they operated here;

Off peak/peak time services before the May 2018 timetable came into play

London Kings Cross - Kings Lynn (before the May 2018 timetable change)

London Kings Cross - Cambridge (Stopping/Semifast) (before the May 2018 timetable change)

Off peak time services since the May 2018 timetable came into play

London Kings Cross - Peterborough (Semifast) 

London Kings Cross - Ely (Semifast) 

London Kings Cross - Cambridge* (Semifast /Fast) 

*There was this one time in January 2019 where a 4-car Class 365 stopped at Welwyn Garden City, on a Cambridge service which was pretty rare at the time since they don't usually stop there.

Peak time services since the May 2018 timetable came into play

Peterborough - London Kings Cross (Semifast)

Baldock - London Kings Cross  (Semifast)

Royston - London Kings Cross  (Semifast)

[I realised this is a long post but hopefully you don't mind right? Cool.]

All 3 Networkers seen here in Kings Cross featuring new and old liveries. 
Photo taken by Can Pac Swire

Even after the December 2018 timetable change, Ely and Cambridge still got some semi-fast trains (during Saturdays I believe) which is pretty good going.  In late 2019, another timetable change brought an end to services stopping at Finsbury Park meaning that journeys from Kings Cross could not be done by Oyster. This did however continue into 2021 for some services during the morning and evening. Forgot to mention, most of the services were operated by 8-car though some services during rush-hour managed 12-car since it was the peak. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic the Networkers was still in daily use but in March 2021, GTR announced they would be retiring them in May 2021 due to a reduction in passenger usage which is understandable. These are to be replaced by Class 387s from Gatwick Express. The only service remaining at that point was the London Kings Cross-Peterborough service which managed to not call at Finsbury Park or St Neots in May 2021, meaning the first stop was Biggleswade. The Networkers during this time was at single digits as their appearances managed to decrease.

The last services on Saturday 15th May 2021 for the Networkers was 08:11 and 09:10 from Peterborough to Kings Cross.  

25 years of hard work on the East Coast Main Line. Whatever happens next for these units I am glad to have taken a ride on one when they worked during First Capital Connect times. They will be a missed sight on the ECML but nothing lasts forever as they say.

I quite enjoyed writing this post so thanks alot for reading. :) It's a long one but thanks for sticking around.

Take care, stay safe and happy riding! :)

365535 seen passing Hatfield station. Photo taken by Can Pac Swire

Class 365 Networker Express 1996-2021

The 173 Bus Route - under the old day out (part 1)

Hello there - hope you are well. First off Happy New Year. It's been a while since I have last posted and I apologise for that, with me being busy (at the time) I am struggling to write posts. I originally started writing this post back in October.

Disclaimer: The journey was ridden a few weeks before Lockdown #2 was in place.

Anyway, today I would like to write on a particular route that I've used for a while. Before that, let's get into the vehicle background allocation.

Some History and Route Allocations

 King George Hospital

The 173 bus route goes from King George Hospital to Beckton Station, and has been with Arriva London since 1987. 9 miles in length, vehicle types such as Dart Pointers were used, but I first encountered the route with Alexander Dennis Enviro 200s, which were still a couple of years old when I boarded in 2013. They were great buses back then and had alot of speed, but sadly due to lack of maintenance these days has led them to become very unreliable. During my school days it would often get really packed, people already standing when I boarded the bus. The route was managed at Barking (DX) depot. 

These are the Enviro 200s that were allocated:

ENL49 - LJ10CSF

ENL50 - LJ10CSO

ENL51 - LJ10CSU

ENL52 - LJ59LVL

ENL53 - LJ59LVM

ENL54 - LJ59LVN

ENL55 - LJ10CSV

ENL56 - LJ10CSX

ENL57 - LJ10CSY

ENL58 - LJ10CSZ

ENL59 - LJ10CTE

ENL60 - LJ10CTF

ENL61 - LJ10CTK

ENL62 - LJ60ATY

ENL63 - LJ60AYF

ENL64 - LJ60AYG

ENL65 - LJ60AYH

ENL66 - LJ60AYK

ENL67 - LJ60AYL

ENL68 - LJ60AYM

ENL69 - LJ60AYN

ENL70 - LJ60AYO

ENL71 - LJ60AYP

ENL72 - LJ60AYS

ENL73 - LJ60AXV

ENL74 - LJ60AXW

In September 2015, there was a consultation to make the route double deck. On top of that, increasing the frequency. A much needed one, I was happy that it went ahead - as the buses would carry more passengers. The change happened on the 17th October 2015. It received 59-reg ADL Enviro 400s (LJ59), that previously worked Central London routes 78 and 168. Those 59-reg as of typing have moved elsewhere. Some buses from route 150's allocation (LJ60) was also added into the mix. As a result, the 59/10-reg went to Thornton Heath (TH) for route 255 replacing the Wright Cadets. The 60-reg stayed for route 325, which is in need of new buses right about now as I'm typing this. My suggestion would be converting it to double deck operation, in order to cater more passengers as it can get very busy.

©LondonBuses72 - don't use without permission.

One of the more interesting vehicle types was the Volvo B7TL ALX400s. Arriva London coded these VLAs in short. I liked them, always used to provide kickdown and good acceleration. I didn't really ride any Volvo B7TL Plaxton Presidents at all in London, so these were the closest I was going to get in terms of Volvo B7TL. Some of them, managed to cling on after the 128 was lost to Stagecoach in October 2019; however in April 2020 their time came to an end, due to a reduction in services and were withdrawn from service. VLA57 and VLA131 were preserved thankfully. As for the VDL DB300 Wright Pulsar Gemini 2s - I will discuss later.

So it begins...

T184 (LJ60AUN) is approaching the first stop.

I wanted to go on the 4th October, however the weather was letting out it's emotions (raining) - so I waited another week. Sunday 11th October, sunny skies predicted with temperature being 12C. This turned out to be true, so I took the opportunity to treat it like a last day sort of thing. I still did have a few days but it was the last weekend at the time - so I made my way to King George Hospital. Was pretty chilly I have to say. When I arrived, there was no 173s on stand so I immediately went to the first stop. Two minutes later the bus arrives, I assume the driver was late since he only stood for a minute. I boarded and sat upstairs on the left hand side, noticing that it was one of the refurbished buses. 

Interior

Upper deck

Lower deck

The AC fans were on for the duration of this journey, noting the time we departed. After navigating our way out through the hospital, we took a left onto Barley Lane - the point of interest here being Little Heath. Only one route terminates here (EL3), and the A12 can be seen ahead but we had to turn right (a bit sharp!). Chadwell Heath Lane, pretty much houses and some shops really - also a few speed bumps. A little bit of traffic on the end of this road, Chadwell Heath High Road (A118) is seen. Very busy during weekday rush hour! Turned left and instead of going ahead, we took an immediate right - for some people it can be very annoying; "Why can't this go straight on?" There is a reason for that. It has to serve the bus stop closest to the station, which is Herbert Gardens and this is where we say "hello" to routes 62, 86 and 368. The bus was still empty at this point, though we picked up a few passengers after looping around to the Chadwell Heath Lane bus stop. Staying on the A118, one can see shops on both sides including a Sainsburys until we reach Whalebone Lane. 

Stuck in traffic, passing over the Great Eastern Main Line. 

We turned right at the junction onto Whalebone Lane South, approaching Chadwell Heath High Road bus stop. The bus started to fill up a little bit here, maybe people want to go shopping. Now, we were heading towards Becontree Heath after passing over the GEML (Great Eastern Main Line), 499 joins us from Crow Lane having served Queens Hospital. A bit of traffic, the driver moved along stopping at Stanley Avenue opposite McDonalds and Asda.

There was a man sitting on the other side talking on the phone, though the fans made it bearable at least. Now at Becontree Heath, we meet up with routes 5, 175 and EL2. As well as passing over Green Lane which routes 128 and 150 stay on. The huge building in front of you is Becontree Heath Leisure Centre, a good place to be fit and healthy! Near the traffic lights we stop at Morris Road - which is next to a Morrisons. Wow. Why am I not surprised? After staying on Wood Lane for a short while, we turn left onto the straightest road that this route has to follow; Heathway. One word. Houses. If you like looking at houses, this bit has it all. Oxlow Lane, the point where 174 joins us and 175 heading towards Dagenham. 

Becontree Heath and Oxlow Lane

A Wright Pulsar Gemini 2 is seen at Becontree Heath, one of other workings that this route received from June 2017.

DW325 (LJ60AYE) is seen at Oxlow Lane on route 175 towards Hillrise Estate.

Dagenham

Busy Dagenham Heathway!

Ahead I could see some shops - that meant we were in Dagenham Heathway! That's right we're officially in Dagenham now, and the road made sense. It wouldn't be called Heathway for nothing would it? The road was a bit busy here, and it reminded me a bit of Barking in the way that it was laid out. Dagenham Heathway station is served by the District Line, which goes up to Upminster from Central London - it seemed closed today though so maybe there's rail replacement. Some people got off here and a few boarded. 

Leaving Dagenham...

Merrlelands Retail Park 

We met with the 145 temporarily at the next junction. It goes from Leytonstone to Dagenham Asda, via Wanstead, Redbridge, Ilford, Becontree, and Dagenham. I have done the route in this direction quite a few times in the past; ALX400s, Enviro 400s and MMCs. Gives me memories every time I see it. More housing after this - until we reach Merrlelands Retail Park. Alot of people got off here so I guess I was

The A13.

right...  Going onto the A13 which is the quickest part of the route - our bus was really squealing along this section! 

The bus was picking up at a decent speed, almost hitting 40 but I could tell it was a bit worn out. Part of me hoped that I got T199. Barking (DX) garage. A depot that has been talked about alot more over these past few years for it's vehicles and service. Our bus went past it so no need for any driver changeovers. 

Barking Bus Garage (DX) in October 2020.

Their newest vehicles they have are the ADL Enviro 400s and the Wright Pulsar Gemini 2s which are over 10 years old. The Wright Pulsar Gemini 2s are okay but are a bit sluggish. Would prefer an Enviro 400 even they are worn out.  So um... yeah, no hybrid vehicles or anything in the depot. Part of me wonders if they are going to get any new vehicles at all. That discussion is for another day. If they do then that's news to me. After we reached Lodge Avenue, the 287 goes it's own into Barking while we stay on the A13. We were pretty much going fast until we reached the River Road Junction. I saw some traffic ahead and a Wright Eclipse B9TL Gemini 2 which seems to have come from River Road (RR) to start it's shift. 

Staying on the A13 (until Beckton)...

East Beckton

Sulivan Buses E77 on rail replacement duties.

Moving slowly, we approached North Circular Road (A406) which from that point meant the journey was almost coming an end. Entering another borough (London Borough of Newham) Beckton Triangle Retail Park. Unlike routes 262, 325 and 366 which stop nearby the shops, we actually stop just outside.  It has a nice little bus stop next to the bridge - barely any cars pass through here. Could be a good photography spot... well if you are chasing 173s! Coming out of the bus stop, there was traffic into the approach of Beckton. While waiting to exit the A13 among the traffic, I saw a Sullivan Buses ADL 
Enviro 400 MMC heading to Canning Town and a Scania N230UD Omnicity to Barking. Guess there was rail replacement after all. Taking the exit left onto the A117 and past the roundabout Beckton Station managed to be in sight. 

Beckton Station - about to turn right into the bus station.

Start time: 12:32

End time: 13:37

Not a bad run. 

T184 (LJ60AUN) heads to the stand having completed the journey from King George Hospital.

I hanged around in Beckton for a bit before deciding what to do next. I hope you enjoyed this one, part 2 may take a bit of time but I will try my best.

 Thank you for your time, stay safe out there and happy 2021. :)

Noglastic bus models I took in London

Hey! Remember when London was buzzing with great bus types back in the day? Well I feel like it's time bring some of that back - in this post anyway. Before I start, I would like say thanks to LondonBuses72 (part of London Connected Blog) allowing permission for his photos to be used in this post.

Where should I start....

The Dennis Dart - fast, nice sounding and great Allison Gearbox

Name: Plaxton Pointer 2

Production: 1995-2006

Manufacturer: Transbus International (later Alexander Dennis)

Bulit in: Guildford, England

Chassis: Dennis Dart SLF

Engine: CumminsISBe4.5, CumminsISBe4 and Cummins6BT

Gearbox: 5-speed and 4-speed

Tranmission: Allison1000/2100/AT545 and Voith

Popularity: High

Length: 9.3m to 11.3m 

The Plaxton Pointer 2 was a revamped product of the original 1st gen Plaxton. This included changes to front, rear and more. It is a low-floor bus giving disabled people easy access while boarding. The product managed to be a success, with many orders being made due to the various lengths that could be chosen. 

Go-Ahead London

©LondonBuses72 - don't use without permission.

These Dennis Darts were on my former local route as you can see above. The company was known as Blue Triangle, before Go-Ahead decided to join in on their mini subsidiaries much later. Eventhough 364 is not really a thrashy route, the gearbox definitely sounded nice. What I really liked though was the original Blue Triangle lettering and fleet number. During that time it was the last bus to hold these which is great. This one is a 56-reg and was built by Alexander Dennis before production then ceased. Notably, the destination blinds for 364 used to be "Ilford High Road" and "Dagenham East, The Bull" though today it's been shorted to "Ilford" and "Dagenham East". The route as a whole is residential, mainly houses, parks and a few shops. Nevertheless, I remember also seeing some 51-reg Darts making some appearances too - this was the start of me getting familiar with the bus type. The seat moquette for this bus is quite interesting, grey with some little lines going across. Both of these 56-reg operated on 66 too, another memory I realised. After their stint on 364, they were transferred to South London for work on route 170. The 07-reg ADL Enviro 200s allocated to the route (SE18-36) soldiered on until October 2019, when the route got Enviro 200 MMCS.

Darts that served the route:

DP208 - SN56AYC (Blue Triangle)
DP209 - SN56AYD (Blue Triangle)
LDP191 - SN51UAD (London General skirt)
LDP193 - SN51UAF (London General skirt)
LDP194 - SN51UAG (London General skirt)
LDP198 - SN51UAL (London General skirt)
LDP203 - SN51UAS (London General skirt)

Note that this is from memory, and some information may be wrong! Just a heads up.

Stagecoach London

©LondonBuses72 - don't use without permission.

Where was I? Oh yes - Stagecoach. As boxy as they look from the outside, it contains a different gearbox from the rest. It has the Allison 1000 gearbox, which sounds tunier (to me anyway). Excuse my "bus enthusiast" language, this is technical stuff we're getting into. So bare with, okay? Whenever we hear the word Stagecoach, there are quite a few bus types that pop-up; Plaxton Pointers, ALX200s, ALX400s. All these formed the Stagecoach fleet in the early days from 2000 to around about 2011 or 2012. I used to take a few rides on P4 in South London, running from Brixton to Lewisham. Usually I would alight at Brockley Rise near the Overground station, which goes towards West Croydon if I am not mistaken. The bus in total has 31 seats, though if you went inside it felt really small! Sitting down was a bit tight. I won't forget the "Stopping" sign coming up in orange whenever you press the bell, and those back doors that swing open. Allocation consisted of LX03/53 and LV52 regs. I don't really want to list all of them as to be honest, I could be mixing the allocation up with another batch so I'm not taking any chances.


I did some rides on G1 too which used one of the shorter 05-reg Dennis Darts - these can be found mainly in Plymouth.

The MCV Evolution - Once common, now unique (in London anyway)

Name: MCV Evolution

Production: 2003-2017

Manufacturer: MCV

Bulit in: Egypt

Chassis (Various but I will include the London ones only): Dennis Dart SLF, ADL Enviro 200, MAN (A66 - 14.220/14.240) (A76 - 12.220/12.240), and VDL SB120/180.

Engine: MAN D 836 LOH and CumminsISBe4.5

Gearbox: 6-speed (ZF Ecomat) 5-speed (Allison) and 4-speed (Voith)

Tranmission: ZF Ecomat, Allison2100 and Voith

Popularity: Medium (for London)

Length: 8.5m to 12.1m

The MCV Evolution was built by Manufacturing Commercial Vehicles (MCV) and came in a number of chassis's when it launched. In London it was mostly the Dennis Dart SLF and ADL Enviro 200s, though there were a few 12.240s and 14.240s. The latter was with Go-Ahead, while Metroline decided to take hold of the other ones. A unique VDL SB180 chassis came to London, presumably a demonstrator of some sort and worked on routes 347 and 549. I will talk about more this below.

©LondonBuses72 - don't use without permission.

So the Evolutions I got on were mainly the EDs like this one. I saw them on 167 and W19 though it made appearances onto other routes at the time. There are also longer versions I got on route 108 and they came with a Dennis Dart SLF chassis as opposed to the normal sounding Enviro 200s. I have to admit that the bell sounds were funny but a bit repetitive after a while. One thing I regret though is sitting at the back - on the left hand side. That side has no room at all. You were better off sitting on the right hand side or the other seats for this reason. Trust me on this, I've fallen for it many times. There is still some Evolutions under Metroline that operate on 190 which seem to be sticking around for a while. I'm surprised but the more variety the better - they have an Enviro 200 gearbox by the way. I liked the Docklands Buses logo.

Evolutions that served (Dennis Dart SLFs) route 108:

ED1 - AE06HCA
ED2 - AE06HCC
ED3 - AE06HCD
ED4 - AE06HCF
ED5 - AE06HCG
ED6 - AE06HCH
ED7 - AE06HCJ
ED8 - AE06HCK


Evolutions (ADL Enviro 200s) that served route 167 and W19 as well as other routes:

167

ED18 - LX07BYJ
ED19 - LX07BYK
ED20 - LX07BYL
ED21 - LX07BYM
ED22 - LX07BYN
ED23 - LX07BYO
ED24 - LX07BYP
ED25 - LX07BYR
ED26 - LX07BYS
ED27 - LX07BYT
ED28 - LX07BYU

W19

ED9 - AE56OUH
ED10 - AE56OUJ
ED11 - AE56OUK
ED12 - AE56OUL
ED13 - AE56OUM
ED14 - AE56OUN
ED15 - AE56OUO
ED16 - AE56OUP
ED17 - AE56OUS


MDL1, The Unique Evolution
Now this bus was slightly different to all the other Evolutions. The length was longer (10.3m) with a large air conditioning unit at the top near the driver. The number of seats still stayed as 29 but no emergency door was seen on the offside, instead it was at the back. What made the bus stand out more is the chassis; VDL SB180. This makes it sound like a Wright Pulsar 2 (double decker - mainly with Arriva) and shares rattling problems too. Lol. It uses a Voith gearbox which is all too common nowdays... After being with Arriva for routes 233, Go-Ahead managed to gain it in September 2013 for 347 but worked the 549. The bus has joined Go-Ahead's commercial fleet now with a charcoal and gold skirt.

©LondonBuses72 - don't use without permission.

Wright Cadet - The Dennis Dart Competitor

Name: Wright Cadet

Production: 2000-2006

Manufacturer: DAF/VAL

Bulit in: Ballymena, Northern Ireland

Chassis:  VDL SB120

Engine: CumminsISBe4.5

Gearbox: 5-speed 

Tranmission: Allison2100 

Popularity: Medium (in London)

Length: 9.4m to 10.8m

The Wright Cadet was competing against the Dennis Dart SLF which was selling well at the time. Arriva unsurprisingly got quite a few orders of this type, already having models under the DAF/VDL chassis. Go-Ahead (East Thames Buses at the time) also purchased some too. The Euro 2 ones got withdrawn early, while some of the Euro 3s from Arriva survived until September 2018.

Go-Ahead London

©LondonBuses72 - don't use without permission.

These things. I've had quite a lot of rides on the 108 and it consisted of full route journeys. The route goes from Lewisham to Stratford International. However, before the reroute in October 2016 it went to Stratford Bus Station via Bromley-by-Bow. That meant opportunities for thrash! Drivers would often go fast along the A12 and in the Blackwall Tunnel. I really loved the sound of the engine. That said, this route gets busy and the Cadets are small (has 30 seats) meaning that they're not really suitable. It's replacement (thankfully) consisted of Mercedes Benz Citaros. I liked the skirt though. While I sort of miss these I actually prefer the Citaros, due to it's ability to accelerate off the mark and at the same time give a comfortable ride. At the time of post, they are the only Euro 4 Citaros left in London. I recommend to catch one if you can before their departure. The last Cadets were with Arriva the Shires for routes 288, 303 and 305 but was no more after the 1st September 2018. Garston depot also came to end and is now defunct. Otherwise yeah. Good route. Better allocation to suit the passengers. Happy days.

Wright Cadets that served the route:

DWL17 - FJ54ZDR
DWL18 - FJ54ZDP
DWL19 - FJ54ZDT
DWL20 - FJ54ZDU
DWL21 - FJ54ZDV
DWL22 - FJ54ZDW
DWL23 - FJ54ZDX
DWL24 - FJ54ZDY
DWL25 - FJ54ZDZ
DWL26 - FJ54ZFA
DWL27 - FJ54ZTV
DWL28 - FJ54ZTW
DWL29 - FJ54ZTX
DWL30 - FJ54ZTY
DWL31 - FJ54ZTZ
DWL32 - FJ54ZUA
DWL33 - FJ54ZUC
DWL34 - FJ54ZUD
DWL35 - FJ54ZVA
DWL36 - FJ54ZVB
DWL37 - FJ54ZDC

The Wright Eclipse B7TL Gemini - "Wright" for the job. Noglastia included.

Name: Wright Eclipse Gemini

Production: 2001-2007

Manufacturer: Wrightbus

Bulit in: Ballymena, Northern Ireland

Chassis:  Volvo B7TL

Engine: Volvo D7C

Gearbox: 6-speed and 3/4-speed

Tranmission: ZF Ecomat and Voith 

Popularity: High

Length: 9.4m to 10.8m

The Wright Gemini was a fairly popular product, with Go-Ahead, Arriva and First taking many orders with the Volvo B7TL chassis. Other companies such as Abellio London and London United made a few too. A facelift to the model was done in 2006, mainly to the rear. This lead to the Wright Gemini 2 being made in 2008 - it's replacement.

Go-Ahead London

©LondonBuses72 - don't use without permission.

Wright Geminis are pretty good vehicles - the reason being it's gearbox. I have only ever experienced rides on 257 and 333, both of which in the past was operated by Go-Ahead London. Most of the batch consisted of a Voith gearbox, essentially making it sound like the Plaxton Presidents. You can say that it was one of the flagship vehicles for Go-Ahead London, as I always used to see these around in Stratford and Central London. On one bus I got (route 257 an LX05 reg), I was sitting on the upper deck and I looked at the CCTV camera at the front - it showed a first person view of the road! I'm not sure what happened, but it remained that way for the whole journey which was funny. Don't ask me for the fleet number I don't have it. All I know is the 05-reg were originally from Putney depot for London Bus Route 85. As for the 333 batch, a fairly younger batch consisting of 02-reg from Stockwell depot. Most buses survived into 2016 and some even going into 2018! Therefore I refer to them as strong vehicles. The First London examples operated on route 150 and 179, (55-reg) and became the first examples of Wright Geminis that I saw. I didn't ride them but I'm glad I saw it whilst I could. Good job Wrightbus - you definitely did something "wright!" (I had to sorry XD)


Marshall Capital - that AT545 whine.

Name: Marshall Capital 

Production: 1996-2003

Manufacturer: Marshall Bus

Bulit in: Cambridge, England

Chassis: Dennis Dart SLF

Engine: CumminsISBe4.5

Gearbox: 4-speed 

Tranmission: Allison AT545

Popularity: High 

Length: 8.9m to 10.2m

The Marshall Capital has been very popular in with First Group in London and around the UK, with the Dennis Dart SLF chassis. Dual and single door variants were available to purchase with the product.

First London (then Go-Ahead London)

©LondonBuses72 - don't use without permission.

Let me tell you if it wasn't for that AT545 whine, these buses probably wouldn't have been liked that much. Anyway, these Marshall Capitals stood strong in London from beginning to end. Arguably they did seem a bit worn out, after it's stretch which is understandable - it's an old vehicle after all. The 193 bus route had quite a few of these, and that's where I discovered why people loved them. In all honesty the gear changes are a bit fast and confusing, but you don't even need to go fast for the whine to kick in. I quite liked them and the ex-First interior too - none of them got a refurbished interior. Maintenance was questionable, they were managed at River Road depot in Barking - we will leave it at that. Pressing the bell also gives you a touch of noglastia. The drivers were nice and kind when I alighted, so overall a great bus that will be remembered for sure!

Interior:

©LondonBuses72 - don't use without permission.

Transbus ALX400 - Favorite. Double. Decker. Bus. Ever. Built.

Name: Transbus ALX400 

Production: 1997-2006

Manufacturer: Transbus International

Bulit in: Guildford, England

Chassis: Dennis Trident

Engine: CumminsISCe

Gearbox: 4-speed 

Tranmission: Voith

Popularity: High 

Length: 9.9m to 11.0m

The ALX400 was a popular model which was facing the Plaxton President - it's rival. Most companies in London made orders for this type, but Stagecoach London orders proved to be very popular mainly going with Voith and a few ZF Ecomats. Arriva had a fair few too!

Stagecoach London

©LondonBuses72 - don't use without permission.

Listen, this bus right here is what got me into transport. All of those journeys in East London I made on many routes, with the lovely sounding Voith gearbox. I adjusted to the LX03s, LX53s, LX04s, LX55s, LX05s - each one was different (in terms of engine). Hearing the roars and kickdowns really made them sound like a beast. A proper one. It was pretty refreshing to be on a bus you liked, just makes your day so much better. I loved everything about this bus from the bodywork, seats, blinds - yeah you probably get what I mean. I've had some pretty fast rides on route 247 which runs from Barkingside - Romford Station. This thing even had a mirror. A mirror? On the top deck? You could basically pretend to be driving the bus, that's what I used to do back then. If I'm honest, I didn't expect them to go into 2019, that's pretty impressive given their age. Speaking about that, these didn't receive much refurbishment at all. I like the Stagecoach interior though. I mean I could ramble about this for ages but considering that this post is long, I better cut it short.

Here is my personal favourite reg for the ALX400S:

17791 - LX03BWE
17858 - LX03NFC
18201 - LX04FWL
18451 - LX05LLO
18478 - LX55ESG

Interior (Upper deck):

©LondonBuses72 - don't use without permission.

Interior (Lower deck):

©LondonBuses72 - don't use without permission.

Bus models missed out on:

Plaxton President (Metroline and Go-Ahead)
ADL Enviro 400s 1st generation (Metroline and Go-Ahead)
MAN MCV Evolutions (Metroline and Go-Ahead)
Optare Tempos (London United)
Optare Olympus (Metroline)

Other bus models ridden on but not included here:

ALX200s (Stagecoach)
Mercedes Benz Citaro G (Stagecoach)
ALX400s (Arriva and Abellio)
Caetano Nimbus (Abellio)
Optare Olympus (Go-Ahead)

Thought it would be a nice post for once - something that I will look back over for many years to come. I had great journeys on amazing bus types over the past decade. Maybe you have (or will) too in the years to come! I hope this post passed the time and if you're bored read it again if you want - I don't mind, as long as I have done my job 😂

Thanks for reading!

Take care and happy riding! :)

By the way, if you want to check out London Connected Blog and LondonBuses72's photos, here are the links if you are interested:

Link: https://thewestlondonbusblog.blogspot.com/

LondonBuses72

Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/londonbuses72/