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Post by LT 20181 on Dec 9, 2019 8:32:38 GMT
Judging by how ridiculously busy the 183 is today I bet when it got converted to single deckers the route just imploded. How long was it until they converted back to DDs again? Couldn’t have been long lol 2 years. It was single-decked in 1999 and converted back to double decks in 2001 I never did understand why it was single decker when it was first won. Was it for some cheaper bidding strategy? I don’t know
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Post by southlondonbus on Dec 9, 2019 8:48:05 GMT
Seemed to be part of that craze to increase the freq offset by using SDs. Same with the 49, 257, 319, 344, 345 and others.
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Post by rj131 on Dec 9, 2019 8:56:19 GMT
Seemed to be part of that craze to increase the freq offset by using SDs. Same with the 49, 257, 319, 344, 345 and others. LOL could you imagine the 257 with single deckers today! Not saying the others aren’t busy as they are, but the 257 is on another level. Apart from the obvious 25s, 86s and 425s, the 257 is probably the most overcrowded route leaving Stratford Bus Station, always seems to leave people behind. Peaks that is obviously.
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Post by southlondonbus on Dec 9, 2019 9:21:58 GMT
Even the 319 would really struggle with SDs.
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Post by wirewiper on Dec 9, 2019 10:38:59 GMT
Seemed to be part of that craze to increase the freq offset by using SDs. Same with the 49, 257, 319, 344, 345 and others. That was exactly it. The late 1990s was a time of burgeoning passenger growth anyway, and some routes that were converted to SD at higher frequencies were so successful in attracting passengers that they were converted back to DD, often retaining the higher frequency.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2019 11:20:15 GMT
I spent time on the 266 as a driver myself years ago. it’s always sad to see the route go. It wasn’t my best route to drive but it’s always odd seeing it in other colours. I think it will be back. It’s one of those routes that flirt with the Metroline garages along the route every time it’s up for renewal! I have a feeling the 24 and 266 will both be back in 5 years time, along with the 232. The 24 and 266 never seem to leave Metroline very long at all - would also be nice to see the 251 come back after 10 years with LS (By the time the contract ends it would've been 10 years). 183 could also return just like the 114 and 292 already have. The trio were run for a 5 year contract back in the 90s with Ms before going to London Sovereigns predecessor BTS and staying there ever since - but are slowly coming back one by one. There seems little point in attaching too much , almost emotion, to expressing a desire for a particular route to "return". These are just contracts to make money from and this applies to all the bus operating companies.
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Post by VWH1414 on Dec 9, 2019 16:43:12 GMT
I have a feeling the 24 and 266 will both be back in 5 years time, along with the 232. The 24 and 266 never seem to leave Metroline very long at all - would also be nice to see the 251 come back after 10 years with LS (By the time the contract ends it would've been 10 years). 183 could also return just like the 114 and 292 already have. The trio were run for a 5 year contract back in the 90s with Ms before going to London Sovereigns predecessor BTS and staying there ever since - but are slowly coming back one by one. There seems little point in attaching too much , almost emotion, to expressing a desire for a particular route to "return". These are just contracts to make money from and this applies to all the bus operating companies. I haven't attached anything, let alone emotion, to these contracts... And have never stated in that post to have done so. Believe me I know its all about the money from contracts, but this is a bus forum, so talk about operators is going to happen!!! Like I've see you speculating about RATP winning routes before, I've done the same. The reason I stated they could return is because of their past tendencies - Look at the 24 it was won previously in 2002 before being lost in 2007 and being won again in 2012, and because of the nature of the route (going near so many garages) tends to bounce around, same with the 266 which has moved about a decent little bit. I don't see the problem with saying they may return upon next tender...
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Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2019 16:46:37 GMT
There seems little point in attaching too much , almost emotion, to expressing a desire for a particular route to "return". These are just contracts to make money from and this applies to all the bus operating companies. I haven't attached anything, let alone emotion, to these contracts... And have never stated in that post to have done so. Believe me I know its all about the money from contracts, but this is a bus forum, so talk about operators is going to happen!!! Like I've see you speculating about RATP winning routes before, I've done the same. The reason I stated they could return is because of their past tendencies - Look at the 24 it was won previously in 2002 before being lost in 2007 and being won again in 2012, and because of the nature of the route (going near so many garages) tends to bounce around, same with the 266 which has moved about a decent little bit. I don't see the problem with saying they may return upon next tender... No indeed I have, but prefer not to endulge anymore as they have a habit of proving disappointing! No problem at all in saying what you (or I ! ) have said in past.
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Post by rj131 on Dec 9, 2019 16:50:04 GMT
There seems little point in attaching too much , almost emotion, to expressing a desire for a particular route to "return". These are just contracts to make money from and this applies to all the bus operating companies. I haven't attached anything, let alone emotion, to these contracts... And have never stated in that post to have done so. Believe me I know its all about the money from contracts, but this is a bus forum, so talk about operators is going to happen!!! Like I've see you speculating about RATP winning routes before, I've done the same. The reason I stated they could return is because of their past tendencies - Look at the 24 it was won previously in 2002 before being lost in 2007 and being won again in 2012, and because of the nature of the route (going near so many garages) tends to bounce around, same with the 266 which has moved about a decent little bit. I don't see the problem with saying they may return upon next tender... The 266 is a really funny one. It’s always been bouncing around ever since it was created, just that up until 2011 it was bouncing around the same company, it did the rounds at all of Metroline’s garages lol. This decade alone it’s been ran by FOUR different operators, and even one of those in two distinct periods. Metroline, then First, then Tower Transit, then Metroline again, now RATP!
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Post by LondonNorthern on Dec 10, 2019 18:51:21 GMT
A bit of a weird one - the DE18s are going out of service but why aren't the DE9s going to UX? 1117 and 1167 transferred but I thought it was 955 & 993-999 of which only 993, 995, 999 made it. And I wouldn't presume it's refurb cover because I think they are all refurbished.
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Post by E279 on Dec 10, 2019 18:52:09 GMT
A bit of a weird one - the DE18s are going out of service but why aren't the DE9s going to UX? 1117 and 1167 transferred but I thought it was 955 & 993-999 of which only 993, 995, 999 made it. And I wouldn't presume it's refurb cover because I think they are all refurbished. YX10s are going off lease.
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Post by foxhat on Dec 11, 2019 13:51:42 GMT
BDE2640 has just entered service only leaving the first of the batch, BDE2613 left
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Post by WSD3 on Dec 11, 2019 15:55:45 GMT
BDE2640 has just entered service only leaving the first of the batch, BDE2613 left maybe we might see a start of a conversion for the night service.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2019 18:16:48 GMT
The early LK61's at EW really struggle up the hills on the 240 and 107, let's hope that TEH's are not the permanent allocation for the 240 and that it gets its VWs instead!
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Post by VWH1414 on Dec 11, 2019 18:56:02 GMT
The early LK61's at EW really struggle up the hills on the 240 and 107, let's hope that TEH's are not the permanent allocation for the 240 and that it gets its VWs instead! The 11 reg VWs aren't much better tbh. They have not done well on the 292 on the motorway and Metroline tend to use whatever else on 292 when they can with VW1204/1205 having left already. Its a shame those 10 VMHs didn't come for the 240. I don't think anything can beat those beastly TEs on the 240 - got on TE845 on the 240 from Golders Green to Mill Hill Broadway the other day and it was flying over those hills with ease - will be a sad day when they leave. I do notice that a few TEs (TE844/879) have been reblinded (so now include the 292), so perhaps the TEs are here to stay for now, so perhaps have a plan in the future.
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