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Post by snoggle on Oct 19, 2016 16:13:04 GMT
VLA16 on the 123 - horrendous vibration when at a stand which was rather a lot as it was 2 mins behind VLA106 that was going slower and slower and slower. Greater Anglia - 12 people got on at Lea Bridge sb and 2 got off. Not bad for a mid afternoon trip. Jubilee Line 486 - yes I caught up with OM1. Had a ride on it to QE Hospital. Very nice and airy upstairs although the ceiling height feels a little squat. Ventilation going full whack but it was really quite warm inside. Decent legroom too and I thought the seats were fine. Decent older lady driver at the helm who managed to shuffle it along pretty well. She was also good at waiting for "runners" and letting them on. Climbed up to Charlton Village with no noticeable difficulty. Some of the interior finish by the window supports looked a little rough but it is an evaluation vehicle not a production one. I got off at QE Hospital as I didn't fancy getting caught in the post school mayhem in Welling / Bexleyheath. Overall I thought it was a decent enough bus - simple design but effective. London Central OM1 486 QE Hospital Woolwich by plcd1, on Flickr 161 DLR - this was really rather busy too. A lot of people going Woolwich - Stratford as I did. Plenty of intermediate traffic between Canning Town and Stratford too which is good to see. I was quite surprised how badly the train was "hunting" when moving at speed in a straight line. The side to side swaying transmitted into the car body was not pleasant. Not sure if the wheels are worn or the track is or the damping on the cars is all to pot but it's not nice. Greater Anglia - 4 got on at Lea Bridge and 13 or so got off. Pretty respectable for a new station outside the peaks. 123 - shock horror this (VLA10) turned up almost immediately.
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Post by twobellstogo on Oct 19, 2016 16:43:26 GMT
Oh brilliant : glad you finally caught up with OM1, snoggle. Haven't been on a bus yet today - two Southeastern trains so far, both 465s. Will get just the one bus - an 89 - later this evening, but it won't be as interesting as OM1!
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Post by towertransit70 on Oct 20, 2016 6:19:22 GMT
Good morning all. I am on the 70 YX12DJE. I am getting off at East Acton station. ]Is the 70 on diversion? Because the 70 done a left into A40 towards gypsy Corner. The driver did not say anything and instead just done a left. I would have continued on, but no time . Not a good driver today🙁
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Post by Gary on Oct 26, 2016 3:29:20 GMT
After a stressful day at work yesterday, I jumped on the U3 at Central to head home. Just after Newport Road stop, as the driver was pulling out onto Bath Road, he hit something - either a high curb or a pothole - and that was the end of the day for that bus. It limped its way to the next stop before being taken out of service. No good luck for me yesterday!
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Post by Dillon95 on Oct 29, 2016 9:54:44 GMT
I did a loop last Friday, I find that riding buses helps me think. 269 - Sidcup to Bromley 227 - Bromley to Crystal Palace 3 - Crystal Palace to Brixton 133 - Brixton to Elephant & Castle 53 - Elephant & Castle to New Cross 321 - New Cross to Sidcup
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Oct 30, 2016 19:07:18 GMT
Yesterday, Saturday 29th October, I stopped off in Woolwich & Bexleyheath on the way to friends in Orpington. So, after my Virgin Train to Euston, my itin was as follows:-
Northern Line Bank - 1995 stock DLR Woolwich Arsenal - DLR 22 53 Plumstead Stn - Stagecoach 12398 96 Welling - Stagecoach 13029 486 Queen Elizabeth Hospital - Go-Ahead WVL456 469 Woolwich - Arriva ENX28 386 Queen Elizabeth Hospital - Stagecoach 36333 291 Plumstead Common - Stagecoach 34377 51 Welling - Stagecoach 15065 B16 Eltham - Go-Ahead SE74 161 Chislehurst - Go-Ahead WVL217 160 New Eltham - Arriva T322 B13 Bexleyheath - Arriva ENR4 B14 Orpington - Go-Ahead 148
My 160 & 486 rides were in a sense in lieu of route 229. 2016 is the 1st time since 2012 and the 2nd time since 2000 that I have had 4 London bus trips during the year!
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Post by ServerKing on Oct 30, 2016 19:17:25 GMT
VLA16 on the 123 - horrendous vibration when at a stand which was rather a lot as it was 2 mins behind VLA106 that was going slower and slower and slower. Greater Anglia - 12 people got on at Lea Bridge sb and 2 got off. Not bad for a mid afternoon trip. Jubilee Line 486 - yes I caught up with OM1. Had a ride on it to QE Hospital. Very nice and airy upstairs although the ceiling height feels a little squat. Ventilation going full whack but it was really quite warm inside. Decent legroom too and I thought the seats were fine. Decent older lady driver at the helm who managed to shuffle it along pretty well. She was also good at waiting for "runners" and letting them on. Climbed up to Charlton Village with no noticeable difficulty. Some of the interior finish by the window supports looked a little rough but it is an evaluation vehicle not a production one. I got off at QE Hospital as I didn't fancy getting caught in the post school mayhem in Welling / Bexleyheath. Overall I thought it was a decent enough bus - simple design but effective. London Central OM1 486 QE Hospital Woolwich by plcd1, on Flickr 161 DLR - this was really rather busy too. A lot of people going Woolwich - Stratford as I did. Plenty of intermediate traffic between Canning Town and Stratford too which is good to see. I was quite surprised how badly the train was "hunting" when moving at speed in a straight line. The side to side swaying transmitted into the car body was not pleasant. Not sure if the wheels are worn or the track is or the damping on the cars is all to pot but it's not nice. Greater Anglia - 4 got on at Lea Bridge and 13 or so got off. Pretty respectable for a new station outside the peaks. 123 - shock horror this (VLA10) turned up almost immediately. Nice picture of OM1 - surprised this didn't inherit the new style blinds Was VLA10 roaring as usual?
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Post by YY13VKP on Nov 2, 2016 21:49:18 GMT
Today Walked from College to the 65 stand in Kingston 65 to Warwick Road/University of West London ( SP127) - The driver must have been suprised to see 45 college students (me included) board the bus at the first stop! Anyway, it's a really nice and scenic route, especially passing through the Ham area. Reminds me a bit of the ponds in Carshalton where the 127 passes and the Orpington area. The load increased when we got to Richmond Town Centre. Passing over Kew Bridge was also very nice and lots of people were taking photos passing over the river. The bus was in a pretty good condition itself. Walked to the University of West London 65 to Ealing Broadway Station (SP117) - Continued on the 65 to Ealing Broadway station to get the train after my college visit. I'm pretty sure that the 65 along with the E3 are the only LU routes in the Ealing Broadway area, which is dominated by Abellio and Metroline with the odd Arriva London bus on the E10 (EN27,still with old fleetnumbers ). The bus reminded me of T44 with a dodgy sounding door alarm Train to London Paddington (Class 165) Circle Line to Victoria (S7 Stock)- Had to wait an awful long time for this to turn up! Train to Purley (Class 377). There were delays and cancellations due to a power supply problem in the Purley area. I was originally on a Caterham train, but was cancelled due to the delays and we all had to get off. Eventually I boarded a Horsham train and decided to get the 434 home. 434 to Kenley Station (192)- Still whining away. However, the diversion on the Godstone Road meant that I got to Kenley Station quicker than usual, as there was surprisingly not a lot of traffic on the Godstone Road.
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Post by snoggle on Nov 2, 2016 23:42:45 GMT
I'm pretty sure that the 65 along with the E3 are the only LU routes in the Ealing Broadway area, which is dominated by Abellio and Metroline with the odd Arriva London bus on the E10 (EN27,still with old fleetnumbers ). The E11 is also run by London United.
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Post by stubag on Nov 3, 2016 7:45:17 GMT
[quote author=" YY13VKP" (EN27,still with old fleetnumbers ). [/quote] All the E10 buses still have old fleet numbers except PDL 138
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Post by astock5000 on Nov 4, 2016 0:34:59 GMT
Today (3rd November)
324 from Garston to Watford Junction: Cadet 4515. This one has operated in the Watford area since it was new around 15 years ago, its age is showing now as it never had an interior refurb. 142 to Edgware: VLA166. I had quite a long wait at Watford Junction. Two buses, DW134 and a 2nd generation DW, were on the 142's stand in the bus station however both had come out of service around 20 minutes before I arrived - DW134 had actually been on the 258. The next 142 departure didn't run and three arrived before the first headed back south. Meanwhile I overheard part of a phone conversation about whether it was worth subbing a bus (presumably DW134) as it was only supposed to go to South Harrow and then back to the garage, shortly after which it departed towards Garston. However I also noticed a short turn while checking LVF at the time so it probably isn't best to assume the gap was a result of a vehicle failure. Northern line to Golders Green 13 to Trafalgar Square: VH45160. This was the bus following the SRM so I would have been able to catch it there if not for the delay at Watford. Walked to Aldwych 13 to Lower Regent Street: VHR45203. Surprisingly not too much to say about the bus as it looked and performed just how I'd expect for what it is. I found the differences to the staircase, panelling, etc compared to an LT (these are similar to a Gemini 3) quite noticeable. I only travelled that far as LT50 was due to pass south through Piccadilly Circus a few minutes later, so after getting a short video clip of that I walked to the northbound stops in Regent Street 88 to Mornington Crescent: LT478 Filmed some buses, walked to Euston, then filmed more buses 18 to Baker Street: VW1863 113 to Edgware: TE983 142 to Watford Junction: DW142 324 to Garston: Cadet 4536 (ex-London DWL65). Buses on these routes are now carrying a piece of paper in a nearside window stating "on loan to Southern Counties".
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Post by YY13VKP on Nov 8, 2016 22:37:59 GMT
Today, I had an overdose of route 434's beautiful E200's !! What a great way to spend a day off from college! 434 to Purley Tesco ( 191)- Lovely bus, with no issues whatsoever! The driver was even thrashing it going down Oaks Way 412 to Purley Downlands Precint (T52) - I was too lazy to walk to Purley High Street, so I decided to wait for a 412 to see if i could grab a quick ride on a DW, but instead boring old T52 showed up . The doors were quite slow to open, but one thing I did notice is that it has received a new stop bell! It sounds like the kind which are on the 2nd Gen DW's. Walked to the bank 407 to The Kenley Hotel/Kenley Station (8837) - I would usually wait for a 434, however there wasn't one for 16 minutes by the time 8837 turned up. This bus used to be one of the best of the Euro VI Enviro 200 batch, however its condition has deteriorated. It sounds like a motorbike when stationary and clatters whenever it pulls away from bus stops. It over-revved once after stopping at Legion House. Walked home Later on..... Walked to Kenley Station Train to East Croydon (Class 377/4 (377 448)). Took the opportunity to sit in First Class as it was declassified - as always! 64 to Queenhill Road (T12). East Croydon bus station was being dug up, so I had to go to Dingwall Road to catch this. Firstly, 8779 showed up on route 433, but I avoided it as I don't like that bus. I then had a look at Boxpark while waiting for the 64. I was hoping to get one of the Enviro 400's allocated to the route. Then, one of route 64's E400's showed up (T159), but it was on route 198. I then saw another refurbished E400's turning round the roundabout near Dingwall Road, but my face sank when it edged closer as it was T12 which had showed up. I'm bored of Arriva's Euro IV Enviro 400's, even though I've been on all of TC's (Including T65, which has moved to DX). The thing is, they're not as "special" as the DW's and 189-192. The bus itself was very sluggish, and this was easily noticeable as it struggled to keep up with T159 in front of it after crossing the tram lines near Cherry Orchard Road and going up the hill at Manor Way. Roadworks outside the Old Whitgiftians Cricket Ground didn't help either. Walked to Costa 359 to Purley High Street ( 192) - So pleased to see this show up. It still whines though. I decided to film the journey when the load started to decrease, and here is the video! 434 to Kenley Station (190) JUST made this bus! My third 434 Enviro200 of the day! Again, lovely bus as always, and it was very quick up the hill at Higher Drive. Shame I didn't get 189 today, but I did see it after I got off. Otherwise I would have been on all four of route 434's Enviro 200's in one day! But three in one day is good enough Walked home.
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Post by YY13VKP on Nov 15, 2016 21:41:23 GMT
Today: Walked to Kenley Station Train to East Croydon (377 415 and 377 413) - Another 377/4 appeared on my service, so sat in first class as always 64 to Old Farleigh Road ( T162) - I had the SAME DRIVER I had last week, the one who uses the PA system to greet passengers! First on T24, then T12 then he's followed me to T162. Must have been given the rota to drive bus TH2 every Tuesday! The bus though was very poorly, it sounded like it had a cold when trying to release gas, similar to what T285 had in 2015. It was also pretty sluggish. Are there any TH E400's which are actually decent ? 412 to Purley Tesco (DW43) - When I saw this was coming, I thought "Oh Dear, its going to sound awful and it will be severely restricted up Mitchley Hill." But i was completely wrong. The bus actually sounded healthy and was really quick up Mitchley Hill. Sounds to me like Arriva finally showed it some love and fixed its ailments that it had, so it seems. The driver was also thrashing it quite a bit. Hopefully I won't be seeing it on the back of a tow truck again! I also decided to film it, and the video can be found below: 434 to Kenley Station (191) - Back on the 434's buses again! However this bus was actually packed, but I got a seat. My sister met some of her friends from her old school onboard, so she was happy talking to them whilst I stared out of the window. The bus itself sounds fine, as always! Walked home.
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Post by ibus246 on Nov 15, 2016 22:08:10 GMT
Today: Walked to Kenley Station Train to East Croydon (377 415 and 377 413) - Another 377/4 appeared on my service, so sat in first class as always 64 to Old Farleigh Road ( T162) - I had the SAME DRIVER I had last week, the one who uses the PA system to greet passengers! First on T24, then T12 then he's followed me to T162. Must have been given the rota to drive bus TH2 every Tuesday! The bus though was very poorly, it sounded like it had a cold when trying to release gas, similar to what T285 had in 2015. It was also pretty sluggish. Are there any TH E400's which are actually decent ? 412 to Purley Tesco (DW43) - When I saw this was coming, I thought "Oh Dear, its going to sound awful and it will be severely restricted up Mitchley Hill." But i was completely wrong. The bus actually sounded healthy and was really quick up Mitchley Hill. Sounds to me like Arriva finally showed it some love and fixed its ailments that it had, so it seems. The driver was also thrashing it quite a bit. Hopefully I won't be seeing it on the back of a tow truck again! I also decided to film it, and the video can be found below: 434 to Kenley Station (191) - Back on the 434's buses again! However this bus was actually packed, but I got a seat. My sister met some of her friends from her old school onboard, so she was happy talking to them whilst I stared out of the window. The bus itself sounds fine, as always! Walked home. Packed..... But you got a seat!
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Post by YY13VKP on Nov 15, 2016 22:30:21 GMT
Today: Walked to Kenley Station Train to East Croydon (377 415 and 377 413) - Another 377/4 appeared on my service, so sat in first class as always 64 to Old Farleigh Road ( T162) - I had the SAME DRIVER I had last week, the one who uses the PA system to greet passengers! First on T24, then T12 then he's followed me to T162. Must have been given the rota to drive bus TH2 every Tuesday! The bus though was very poorly, it sounded like it had a cold when trying to release gas, similar to what T285 had in 2015. It was also pretty sluggish. Are there any TH E400's which are actually decent ? 412 to Purley Tesco (DW43) - When I saw this was coming, I thought "Oh Dear, its going to sound awful and it will be severely restricted up Mitchley Hill." But i was completely wrong. The bus actually sounded healthy and was really quick up Mitchley Hill. Sounds to me like Arriva finally showed it some love and fixed its ailments that it had, so it seems. The driver was also thrashing it quite a bit. Hopefully I won't be seeing it on the back of a tow truck again! I also decided to film it, and the video can be found below: 434 to Kenley Station (191) - Back on the 434's buses again! However this bus was actually packed, but I got a seat. My sister met some of her friends from her old school onboard, so she was happy talking to them whilst I stared out of the window. The bus itself sounds fine, as always! Walked home. Packed..... But you got a seat! Yeah, I was pretty lucky actually, as there was about 4 seats left and me and my sister were the first to board at Purley Tesco. As they say, first come, first serve!! Loads of others boarded at Purley Tesco and that, along with all the passengers that had already boarded (most of them were school kids) was what made the bus packed.
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