|
Post by redbus on Jun 3, 2022 20:42:13 GMT
I remember making my first bus trip all by myself to Golders Green on either buses 2, 13 or 26 from where my Uncle would pick me up. The route numbers say it all, only the 13 remains today. Those were the days when the 26 ran from New Barnet - Victoria (Mondays to Saturdays only) in two overlapping sections New Barnet - Golders Green and North Finchley - Victoria (that second section being today's 13!). All buses were standard Routemasters on all these routes. Later I started to take the 102 onwards from Golders Green and in those days that used RTs. If you travelled in peak hours you could also take the 244 from Golders Green using SMS buses and there were also garage journeys on the 13 (using RMs) to Muswell Hill.
The 102 / 244 (and 26 to New Barnet) stood not in the Golders Green main bus station but in the semi circle where the H2 stands today. In those days the direction of travel in the semi circle was the other way so the bus stops for the routes were on the 'offside so you boarded the bus 'roadside'. There was no other traffic in the semi circle except these buses, but the offside boarding is no doubt why they reversed the direction of travel in the semi circle.
|
|
|
Post by Volvo on Jun 3, 2022 21:37:23 GMT
20 years ago transport was much more interesting, buses were more fun to ride on and more characterful. Everything is pretty boring now. 100% Routes and most buses are boring and slow in London. 💯
|
|
|
Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Jun 4, 2022 1:50:04 GMT
I feel priveleged to have got to know London buses a few years before route tendering, yet alone the split and privatisation. I feel I therefore understand much better why routes are with certain operators according to how LBL was carved up in 1988-94.
I was quite upset about LBL being split, and before then by the arrival of second-hand buses to London. However, as services are more reliable than in the days of London Transport running the whole network, I would never want to go back to what we had then. Plus I welcome operators being allowed to choose their own moquette etc. It even helps give different areas of London more of a distinct character accordingly.
|
|
|
Post by VWH1413 on Jun 4, 2022 16:07:03 GMT
My earliest memories were London buses in my area managed by different operators when Metroline had less of an tight grip outside Cricklewood Garage. I had Armchair (260), MTL London(C11), Challenger (226) and Cowie (102). There were quite an few substantial differences route wise. Had 245 on single deckers, 102 actually turning into Golders Green Station, 82 being an great backup into Golders Green/North Finchley and of course 260 an long route before the 460 split. This was also an time Tally Ho had it's bus station outside where its building is now and had an market. (memory hazy as was not in double digit age)
Bus allocation wise, was always fixated with two variants of Alexander bodied Leyland Olympians on 260, not only riding them but also seeing them pass my area on an daily basis. And MCW Metrobuses, esp the yellow stripped MCW Metrobuses on 102 and 221. 232 was also an fun route with MCW Metrobuses under MTL and my first experience of motorway thrash.
From 1998 onwards, things gradually changing. Sometime on an wet June 1998, I remember seeing my local 260 suddenly having MCW Metrobuses on the route operated by Metroline. This was my earliest memory of an tender change, if my memory is correct. Not too long was 245 having nice Plaxton Pointers and C11 having Marshall Capital bodied Dennis Dart SLFs. Those were and still are my favourite single decker buses. You than fairly rapidly had First take over 266, Arriva and Metroline take over C11 and 102, still operated by today.
(takes breath). Pardon the long post.
|
|
|
Post by capitalomnibus on Jun 5, 2022 20:07:44 GMT
Seen many changes over the years! For a short time I live in the Sidcup area around 1990 and had to use the 51 bus to Woolwich as still went to school in east London. The sheer variety of buses used by Kentish Bus was amazing you could almost guarantee a different bus every day. Also in the early 90s I remember Docklands Mini Buses when they started running D routes but this was not successful and folded not long after. And finally the early 90s again was great for the variety Capital City Bus and Grey Green provided. Used to hate the Eastern Counties bodied buses Grey Green used on the 20 & 275,they looked horrible & always smelt of damp. I hated them as well with a passion. They seemed like crap trap pieces of poop.
|
|
|
Post by thesquirrels on Jun 5, 2022 20:48:11 GMT
My early memories are Leaside Ms ruling the roost in Tottenham on the 279, 259 (being a through route from Ponders End to Holborn Circus), 149, 67, 243, 171A, 29, 41.. it was pretty uniform. Occasionally sighted a GG Volvo on Green Lanes working the 141. Occasional oddities appeared with London Siberian* Ts on the 41 and the later encroachment of Capital Citybus on routes west of the Lea such as the 67 with their droning Voith gearboxed Olympians, and Stagecoach bringing bona-fide East London Titans across on the 230. Trips across into Walthamstow from the late 90s onwards were an education, I'll never forget needing to pull a rope cord draped along the saloon ceiling on an ex-Stephensons Metrobus on the 158 in order to ring the stopping bell! I'd say the mid-late 1990s was probably the snapshot with the most interesting variety in London, with ex-LT garages rubbing up against independents and the the low floor era starting to show promise. As the tendering system has matured and rules have tightened up a lot of those very obvious signifiers of variety have been weeded out.
The old Leaside garages continue to hold sway in and around Haringey and Enfield, through Cowie and later Arriva. The routes themselves haven't changed a huge amount, with the 349 (temporarily, it turns out) taking some of the weight from the 149, the ends of the 149/259/279 being fiddled with but the core Tottenham sections remaining as they were. Go-Ahead have a keen toehold too as a legacy of Capital's incursions, of course, with the late 1990s awarding of the 76 and 259 to First Capital with ELC Pyoneers bringing the first real signs of how the tendering system might alter the Tottenham landscape. There was also the little yellow Optare Metrorider Haringey Council funded on the then-hourly 318! Capital took a garage site near the LU depot at Northumberland Park; I'd often walk from secondary school at lunchtime to peer through the gates at the yellow and red oddities found within.
* A mis-label by a young me which sort of stuck in our household
|
|
|
Post by capitalomnibus on Jun 5, 2022 21:16:50 GMT
A thread for people to remember London Buses when they were growing up.I grew up in Walthamstow I can remember Walthamstow being a trolleybus depot,there was also a trolleybus depot in Lea Bridge Rd.The local bus garage(Leyton)had allocations on the following routes 10,38,144(all RT)210 & 236 (RFs).After the trolleybus conversion the 144 moved to Walthamstow but for a time Leyton still had an allocation on Sundays & Bank Holidays,also to replace the 696 trolleybus route to Aldgate Leyton got route 26 Leyton(Gloucester Rd)to Aldgate,this was later superseded by the 262 Chingford to V & A Docks. My bus memories for me start in Leyton back in the early 1980's when virtually everything was Routemaster, Leyland National and Titan. I cannot remember the DMS then as many had been phased out by Titans. Seeing buses like the MCW Metrobus that infiltrated the area at Bakers Arms on the 34 seemed alien. Although were more a sight when I visited Hackney/Clapton area. I remeber when it was ll red, bar when we started to get green & yellow buses in the area with Eastern National's Citybus division for London tenders. I remember the 251 in Walthamstow when it was all green in the NBC livery. Also the striking livery in the late 80's of the coach based ECW Olympian on route 400 from Victoria to Southend. Going to other parts of London and seeing the Metrobus dominate was something else. I did not mind when other non LT operators came to the scene in the area with the 179 Grey Green, W13, W14 Eastern National etc. When I got angery was the collapse of London Forest which virtually made Walthamstow into a minority LT area and not much red buses. Chingford area was sickening with virtually no red buses. This to me was a kick in the teeth especially after the splendid grey skirt livery LT had introduced in the late 80's. I also hated the so much single door buses where we had so much dual door buses within the area which made easier boarding and alighting. Back then I remember a lot of services did not run on the weekend and some especially on Sundays. There were still a few services that did not run after 8pm. Smoking was common, especially on the top deck of the bus. I would never forget 14th February 1991 was the date they were to ban smoking on buses. I remember going home from school and other older teens or adults complaining about it as that is was a place they could smoke easily and could not do it at home. I remember it was 5 pence for the bus when I was able to start paying as a child. There was no assault screen then for OPO drivers. The exterior of buses were very ropey and no way repainted as they were now. I remember Routemasters with bashed up roof domes from tree damage etc. My sadest moments in the bus scene was Walthamstow [WW] closing, it felt as though I lost a friend and also the Metroriders disappearing from Walthamstow area prematurely because of this. Then next biggest nightmare was the sell off of London Buses Ltd in 1994 for privatisation and disappearance of the roundel. Some things that I welcomed back over the years in the 2000's was the red livery coming back (80% red was ok enough as a compromise), the roundel on the side of buses, dual doors being the normal standard
|
|
|
Post by towerman on Jun 6, 2022 9:53:31 GMT
A thread for people to remember London Buses when they were growing up.I grew up in Walthamstow I can remember Walthamstow being a trolleybus depot,there was also a trolleybus depot in Lea Bridge Rd.The local bus garage(Leyton)had allocations on the following routes 10,38,144(all RT)210 & 236 (RFs).After the trolleybus conversion the 144 moved to Walthamstow but for a time Leyton still had an allocation on Sundays & Bank Holidays,also to replace the 696 trolleybus route to Aldgate Leyton got route 26 Leyton(Gloucester Rd)to Aldgate,this was later superseded by the 262 Chingford to V & A Docks. My bus memories for me start in Leyton back in the early 1980's when virtually everything was Routemaster, Leyland National and Titan. I cannot remember the DMS then as many had been phased out by Titans. Seeing buses like the MCW Metrobus that infiltrated the area at Bakers Arms on the 34 seemed alien. Although were more a sight when I visited Hackney/Clapton area. I remeber when it was ll red, bar when we started to get green & yellow buses in the area with Eastern National's Citybus division for London tenders. I remember the 251 in Walthamstow when it was all green in the NBC livery. Also the striking livery in the late 80's of the coach based ECW Olympian on route 400 from Victoria to Southend. Going to other parts of London and seeing the Metrobus dominate was something else. I did not mind when other non LT operators came to the scene in the area with the 179 Grey Green, W13, W14 Eastern National etc. When I got angery was the collapse of London Forest which virtually made Walthamstow into a minority LT area and not much red buses. Chingford area was sickening with virtually no red buses. This to me was a kick in the teeth especially after the splendid grey skirt livery LT had introduced in the late 80's. I also hated the so much single door buses where we had so much dual door buses within the area which made easier boarding and alighting. Back then I remember a lot of services did not run on the weekend and some especially on Sundays. There were still a few services that did not run after 8pm. Smoking was common, especially on the top deck of the bus. I would never forget 14th February 1991 was the date they were to ban smoking on buses. I remember going home from school and other older teens or adults complaining about it as that is was a place they could smoke easily and could not do it at home. I remember it was 5 pence for the bus when I was able to start paying as a child. There was no assault screen then for OPO drivers. The exterior of buses were very ropey and no way repainted as they were now. I remember Routemasters with bashed up roof domes from tree damage etc. My sadest moments in the bus scene was Walthamstow [WW] closing, it felt as though I lost a friend and also the Metroriders disappearing from Walthamstow area prematurely because of this. Then next biggest nightmare was the sell off of London Buses Ltd in 1994 for privatisation and disappearance of the roundel. Some things that I welcomed back over the years in the 2000's was the red livery coming back (80% red was ok enough as a compromise), the roundel on the side of buses, dual doors being the normal standard When I was courting my wife she lived off Burdett Rd near Limehouse.Used to catch the 106 back to Mile End tube station.Ash Grove used to operate both MCWs &. Titans on the route which was quite unusual.
|
|
|
Post by Catford94 on Jun 6, 2022 21:56:41 GMT
My memories of London buses start round 1975/6.
As my user name might suggest, many of my local routes were still RT operated then, Lewisham routes terminating at an offside stand on the one-way system round the sides of the Odeon Cinema. Catching a 94 home was a bit of a lottery, as there was no way of knowing which bus would go first, or whether a Catford bus on the 94 was waiting for a relief crew that had been delayed or wasn't going to come.
Rennell Street terminus had a regular LT inspector, he had an arrangement for his supply of tea from the attendant at the council ladies' convenience on Rennell Street (if it was raining heavily, he would run the operation from the attendant's room. (I don't know if he had fallen out with the attendant at the gents' or whether she just made better tea.)
Many of the crews at Bromley were quite long service, and at Catford, the 94 tended to be the senior crews' rota, so there were quite a few who had gone on the buses after war service or post-war national service, a few women conductors who had gone on the buses during the 1939 war and stayed put, and there must have been a few who had started before 1939. This generation would probably have learned their trade from men who had started before London Transport was formed. Buses still had 'on top' and 'inside' as far as the conductors were concerned, about 40 years after open top buses disappeared. I don't remember seeing any women bus drivers until quite a bit later.
Most journeys (apart from concession passes) still involved a cash fare - think the shortest hop was 3p for adults, 2p for children. Smoking was of course still allowed upstairs on buses, some conductors would smoke on the platform and many drivers would in the cab. (I remember being impressed by the skill involved in constructing and lighting a roll-up with one hand while driving.)
RMs seemed a bit dull by comparison, although they generally went to much more distant places on the 1, 21, 36 group and 47. There were a few DMS routes which weren't very interesting, and relatively infrequent SMs on the 160. The RMs on the 36 group were replaced by MDs (the only type of bus to make me travel sick as a child), and one or two silver SRMs appeared on route 1 in 1977. RFs were no longer scheduled on 704 / 705 through Lewisham or the 725 in Bromley, but were fairly common still. Bromley also had a few FS minibuses on route B1, and AFs from Godstone on the 410.
Rennell Street terminus was replaced by the (first) Lewisham Bus Station and most of the RTs went in April 1978, with the 94 hanging on until much decorated buses from Bromley and Catford garages did the last day in August. The Lewisham inspector got an office with desk and chair, and a small staffed canteen next door to provide him (and crews) with tea.
In Woolwich, buses still ran through the market, over the cobbles and tram tracks in Beresford Square. Crossing the ferry for occasional visits to the other side of the river meant a journey either past what was left of the docks and Beckton gas works on the 101, or up to Silvertown on the 69, along a route which still had almost all the trolleybus traction poles in place. Occasional visits to the Dartford patch would involve seeing green RMLs on the 480 and the occasional journey on an RMC.
National Travel had a depot / coach station in Catford, the former Timpsons depot. Coach operators in the area included Brentons, Crown, Ebdons, Bexleyheath Transport, Lewis's. The Inner London Education Authority had a fleet of fairly basic Bedford buses in very pale blue livery.
It's a bit alarming to think that even 1980 is closer now to the end of the war than it is to today...
|
|
|
Post by towerman on Jun 8, 2022 8:36:27 GMT
My bus memories for me start in Leyton back in the early 1980's when virtually everything was Routemaster, Leyland National and Titan. I cannot remember the DMS then as many had been phased out by Titans. Seeing buses like the MCW Metrobus that infiltrated the area at Bakers Arms on the 34 seemed alien. Although were more a sight when I visited Hackney/Clapton area. I remeber when it was ll red, bar when we started to get green & yellow buses in the area with Eastern National's Citybus division for London tenders. I remember the 251 in Walthamstow when it was all green in the NBC livery. Also the striking livery in the late 80's of the coach based ECW Olympian on route 400 from Victoria to Southend. Going to other parts of London and seeing the Metrobus dominate was something else. I did not mind when other non LT operators came to the scene in the area with the 179 Grey Green, W13, W14 Eastern National etc. When I got angery was the collapse of London Forest which virtually made Walthamstow into a minority LT area and not much red buses. Chingford area was sickening with virtually no red buses. This to me was a kick in the teeth especially after the splendid grey skirt livery LT had introduced in the late 80's. I also hated the so much single door buses where we had so much dual door buses within the area which made easier boarding and alighting. Back then I remember a lot of services did not run on the weekend and some especially on Sundays. There were still a few services that did not run after 8pm. Smoking was common, especially on the top deck of the bus. I would never forget 14th February 1991 was the date they were to ban smoking on buses. I remember going home from school and other older teens or adults complaining about it as that is was a place they could smoke easily and could not do it at home. I remember it was 5 pence for the bus when I was able to start paying as a child. There was no assault screen then for OPO drivers. The exterior of buses were very ropey and no way repainted as they were now. I remember Routemasters with bashed up roof domes from tree damage etc. My sadest moments in the bus scene was Walthamstow [WW] closing, it felt as though I lost a friend and also the Metroriders disappearing from Walthamstow area prematurely because of this. Then next biggest nightmare was the sell off of London Buses Ltd in 1994 for privatisation and disappearance of the roundel. Some things that I welcomed back over the years in the 2000's was the red livery coming back (80% red was ok enough as a compromise), the roundel on the side of buses, dual doors being the normal standard When I was courting my wife she lived off Burdett Rd near Limehouse.Used to catch the 106 back to Mile End tube station.Ash Grove used to operate both MCWs &. Titans on the route which was quite unusual. [/quoteCan remember back in the 50s & 60s some routes had summer Sunday extensions 38 from Chingford Royal Forest Hotel to Epping Wake Arms,and ]73 from Victoria to Richmond.Is anyone on here old enough to remember the old country bus single decker that was converted to a staff canteen at The Royal Forest Hotel?This was the terminating point for the 38,102 & 242 before they built a bus station at Chingford railway station.
|
|
|
Post by bottomless on Jun 8, 2022 11:15:14 GMT
My memories of London buses start from 1978 when my mum married and we moved to Surbiton from Hampshire. Buses before London were a mixture of Bristol RE’s and Marshall bodied Fords on Hants and Dorset. My local routes were the 218 and 219 along the Portsmouth Road, which at that time were mainly RF with the very occasional BL. Through the main part of Surbiton was mainly RM, supported by BL and various single decks on London Country. After a year the RF’s were returned and replaced by LS vehicles, and the first Metrobuses started to appear in Kingston. On moving to secondary school in Kingston there were DMS types on 57, 131 and 85 along with the occasional Green Line coaches. These included all 5 Rolls Royce engined DMS’s on route 85, and the noisiest doors I’ve ever heard on the 213, DMS 727 I remember as being particularly loud. These then started to be replaced by the ubiquitous West London Metrobus. Moving Forward I also remember Armchair taking over route 65, mainly with Olympians, but unable to get their buses delivered on time for around 4 months this route was operated by London & Country, mainly with Atlanteans but with rare workings by Olympians, Volvo B10M double decks and even Dennis Dominators. I was lucky enough to drive route 65 during this time, out of Leatherhead Garage, having also driven route 131 between Clapham Common Old Town (Sunday extension) and Weybridge Station (evening extension). Times have certainly changed since then, especially as route 65 is now mainly electric.
|
|
|
Post by redbus on Jun 8, 2022 12:15:24 GMT
I feel priveleged to have got to know London buses a few years before route tendering, yet alone the split and privatisation. I feel I therefore understand much better why routes are with certain operators according to how LBL was carved up in 1988-94. I was quite upset about LBL being split, and before then by the arrival of second-hand buses to London. However, as services are more reliable than in the days of London Transport running the whole network, I would never want to go back to what we had then. Plus I welcome operators being allowed to choose their own moquette etc. It even helps give different areas of London more of a distinct character accordingly. Be careful what you wish for, as I am not sure that today's 13 is more reliable than its predecessor prior to tendering!
|
|
|
Post by greenboy on Jun 8, 2022 13:29:35 GMT
My earliest childhood memory is of the seemingly endless row of buses on Crystal Palace parade, various types going to a wide variety of destinations. There were the RT's on the 154 and 157 stood around the corner and the conductor had to put a choc (a lump of concrete on a pole) under the back wheel before the driver got out of the cab to prevent any chance of a bus rolling away down Anerley Hill.
In later years the old West Croydon bus station was always interesting with both red and green buses, the lovely London County RCL's really were something special. There was FRM1 to be seen on the old 233 route to Roundshaw.
Bromley, Catford and Lewisham were other regular haunts with plenty to be seen including the fantastic MD's on the 36 group.
|
|
|
Post by wirewiper on Jun 8, 2022 15:49:56 GMT
My earliest childhood memory is of the seemingly endless row of buses on Crystal Palace parade, various types going to a wide variety of destinations. There were the RT's on the 154 and 157 stood around the corner and the conductor had to put a choc (a lump of concrete on a pole) under the back wheel before the driver got out of the cab to prevent any chance of a bus rolling away down Anerley Hill. In later years the old West Croydon bus station was always interesting with both red and green buses, the lovely London County RCL's really were something special. There was FRM1 to be seen on the old 233 route to Roundshaw. Bromley, Catford and Lewisham were other regular haunts with plenty to be seen including the fantastic MD's on the 36 group. I remember a story from a TB driver on the 227. One one night during the 1981 riots, he heard a load of "Code Red" calls over the radio from drivers on different routes in South London. When he got to Crystal Palace Parade, his bus was the only one there. When the inspector told him about the rioting, he said "If they come round the corner, I'm getting the hell out of here". The inspector replied "No you're not. You pick me up first - then you get the hell out of here."
|
|