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Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2019 8:39:59 GMT
Blackwall tunnel was interesting today, to say the least. After getting on my 115 at Aldgate Bus station I realised the driver was going on a set down only basis stopping only at Watney Market and Stepney Methodist Church. Once we got to SMC our driver, with permission from the controller, diverted via Limehouse Link Tunnel,Lower Lea Crossing and Silvertown Way. Things must have really been bad as when I was on Commercial road, I saw a passenger carrying 108 heading towards the city. I thought such diversions were out of favour nowadays, but I suppose drivers hours regs means something has to be done to shift buses if drivers are approaching their limits or the end of their shift. Probably the best way to maintain the service on the eastern end of the route though, otherwise all the buses would pile up on East India Dock Road.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2019 8:42:17 GMT
Blackwall tunnel was interesting today, to say the least. After getting on my 115 at Aldgate Bus station I realised the driver was going on a set down only basis stopping only at Watney Market and Stepney Methodist Church. Once we got to SMC our driver, with permission from the controller, diverted via Limehouse Link Tunnel,Lower Lea Crossing and Silvertown Way. Things must have really been bad as when I was on Commercial road, I saw a passenger carrying 108 heading towards the city. 108 would more than likely be a changeover so would have diverted via Tower Bridge to get to the relief point. Think the rest of them were running a split service.
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Post by capitalomnibus on Nov 18, 2019 12:06:55 GMT
A pity but it doesn't work on the Ecolife variants as it would have been interesting to hear a B9TL thrashed in the lower gears. Trust me, there is no way to get a B9TL to do anything interesting other than by setting traction control off but even then it will only hold the current gear it’s in for a short amount of time I agree, the B9TL seems very boring and slow.
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Post by busaholic on Nov 18, 2019 12:10:29 GMT
I thought such diversions were out of favour nowadays, but I suppose drivers hours regs means something has to be done to shift buses if drivers are approaching their limits or the end of their shift. Probably the best way to maintain the service on the eastern end of the route though, otherwise all the buses would pile up on East India Dock Road. That does seem a commonsense way of helping to alleviate the problem.
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Post by Frenzie on Nov 18, 2019 12:28:27 GMT
Trust me, there is no way to get a B9TL to do anything interesting other than by setting traction control off but even then it will only hold the current gear it’s in for a short amount of time I agree, the B9TL seems very boring and slow. I actually really like the B9TL. They are really smooth, comfy, has large windows and the ones on the X26 don’t seem that boring and can actually be fairly quick. The Metroline ones seem to be different though.
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Post by vjaska on Nov 18, 2019 13:12:37 GMT
I agree, the B9TL seems very boring and slow. I actually really like the B9TL. They are really smooth, comfy, has large windows and the ones on the X26 don’t seem that boring and can actually be fairly quick. The Metroline ones seem to be different though. Agree, in the beginning, I found them boring and slow until a journey on the 89 completely changed my mind when the driver drove it in high revs and treated Shooters Hill like it was a flat road. I've also had this experience on other routes such as the 432 with WVL's shooting up Anerley Hill.
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Post by vjaska on Nov 18, 2019 13:13:33 GMT
Trust me, there is no way to get a B9TL to do anything interesting other than by setting traction control off but even then it will only hold the current gear it’s in for a short amount of time I agree, the B9TL seems very boring and slow. Drive one in high revs and you'll see the power and speed come through.
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Post by Hassaan on Nov 18, 2019 13:23:36 GMT
I agree, the B9TL seems very boring and slow. I actually really like the B9TL. They are really smooth, comfy, has large windows and the ones on the X26 don’t seem that boring and can actually be fairly quick. The Metroline ones seem to be different though. Pedantic alert: The large windows are a Wrightbus Gemini 2 thing rather than a B9TL thing, as the DWs have them too the VEs at Go Ahead are B9TLs too but have standard E400-sized windows. Regarding Metroline, a lot of theirs are crap, especially at certain garages. Many are in derate mode due to high emissions or have some other problem (e.g. turbo) that makes them very low on power. Had VW1187 this month which really hated the small gradient on the canal bridge in Norwood Green while on the 120 (despite the driver trying), and sadly there are many in PA that are like that. Nearby AH also have some slow ones but I've been lucky recently (indeed I actually had one this month that appeared to be performing better than usual).
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Post by george on Nov 18, 2019 15:11:35 GMT
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Post by M1104 on Nov 18, 2019 15:30:30 GMT
I actually really like the B9TL. They are really smooth, comfy, has large windows and the ones on the X26 don’t seem that boring and can actually be fairly quick. The Metroline ones seem to be different though. Pedantic alert: The large windows are a Wrightbus Gemini 2 thing rather than a B9TL thing, as the DWs have them too the VEs at Go Ahead are B9TLs too but have standard E400-sized windows. Actually it's more to do with the way the engines are fitted. The older B7TL Geminis have their engines fitted sideways, which is why their rear windows are smaller.
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Post by M1104 on Nov 18, 2019 16:13:49 GMT
Trust me, there is no way to get a B9TL to do anything interesting other than by setting traction control off but even then it will only hold the current gear it’s in for a short amount of time I agree, the B9TL seems very boring and slow. Depends on how they've been set up and/or maintained. A number of the Yorkshire examples are allowed to breath better...so to speak. youtu.be/yp4etfOmVTU
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Post by vjaska on Nov 18, 2019 16:44:18 GMT
Whilst there are some candidates in London, it would be much more difficult to achieve in London due to how dense & busy it is. Birmingham may be the 2nd biggest city in the country but it's still no London and as mentioned in the article, TWM/NXWM inherited a mish mash of stops which were plonked in all sorts of odd places whereas TfL have altered many locations of stops over the years for various reasons.
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Post by cl54 on Nov 18, 2019 17:29:04 GMT
Wanting to get on a 486 at the Charlton Retail Park a short while ago.
Somebody next to me in the queue had been waiting for 25 minutes. LVF suggested a bus was due in 5 minutes. This became 10 with another bus a minute behind.
The driver told me there were 2 more buses at North Greenwich.
The first bus arrived fully loaded with people from North Greenwich, the leisure park/Ikea stops and school kids from the new 1600 pupil school on the peninsular.
Not sure if a bus had been turned at Charlton Station or one had been cut.
The route needs a review and the controllers to understand the changes in the area..
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Post by rugbyref on Nov 18, 2019 19:00:28 GMT
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Post by Eastlondoner62 on Nov 18, 2019 19:15:13 GMT
and what about the school children?
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