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Post by Eastlondoner62 on Mar 16, 2019 21:17:12 GMT
Nothing special today. Had a slow painful journey to Walthamstow on a 69 - What on earth has happened at Stratford? I used the new two way layout several times after it changed but now its just gridlock! see lots of turns on the 241 (Really seems to be affecting this route)
When I got to Leyton garage I spotted a 20 so quickly changed buses to grab a last ride on GAL bus. Boarded a unrefurbished WVN (Assume the only First interior ones are the route 357 batch). Was a quick run for a change along Hoe Street! Also spotted WVL 111 on the 20 with a side blind as the main front blind (Probably been like this since the bus moved to NP)
Was very strange seeing Arriva in Stratford on the 158 The issue at Stratford seems to be a mix of the lights by Stratford High Street and the lights by Morrisons. They now have to allow for another direction of traffic to flow and that causes much more traffic building up and the intervals aren't nearly as long as they should be. The issue is if the intervals are increased the traffic in return will back up from another direction. Oh well, one way systems are dangerous and inefficient so this is clearly an improvement for everyone there I try not to use the bus into Stratford these days, the traffic that backs down West Ham Lane is ridiculous and it can take ages to just get through. Then after that you have to deal with another set of lights and then another. It's slightly more bearable heading out of Stratford but still far worse than before the gyratory was tampered with. Talking of things that move really slowly, I was at City Thameslink yesterday and needed to get to Aldgate. I had the option of walking to St Paul's, descending the escalators, changing all the way from one end of Bank/Monument Station then getting the Circle/District or getting the 25 which had just pulled up at the stop and where Aldgate was 8 stops away. Needless to say I should have gone through all the faff of getting the tube. There was very little traffic yet the bus took 25 minutes to get to Aldgate, it was pathetic the speed the driver was travelling at. Especially since I was chasing down that RM and had to be there before it departed.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2019 21:09:59 GMT
What should have been a simple trip to Ilford was hard work today.
Board a 147 around 1.30pm and 90 mins later finally made it to Ilford. The closure of Barking Road for two months is causing very lengthy diversion from Plaistow Green Gate via Plaistow High Street then same as 325 route to Portway / Plashet Grove, Green Street then Barking Road. Took me around 20 mins today dread to think what its like on a weekday and how it must be affecting long route route 5. My bus driver then had words with another bus driver (Route 5 in Plashet Grove who wouldn't give way)Then was back to normal until we got to Gladstone Avenue in East Ham there was a ambulance badly parked which made the road very tight my driver wouldn't risk squeezing pass despite a bus towards Canning Town managing. This really frustrated passengers and was slightly amused at the 1970s sexism shown towards my female driver from other females moaning at her that a man managed it so she should go but she wouldn't budge until the road was clear. She finally snapped in Ilford after a few passengers rang the bell too many times! I did feel for her it was a nightmare trip
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Post by Eastlondoner62 on Mar 23, 2019 21:22:44 GMT
What should have been a simple trip to Ilford was hard work today.
Board a 147 around 1.30pm and 90 mins later finally made it to Ilford. The closure of Barking Road for two months is causing very lengthy diversion from Plaistow Green Gate via Plaistow High Street then same as 325 route to Portway / Plashet Grove, Green Street then Barking Road. Took me around 20 mins today dread to think what its like on a weekday and how it must be affecting long route route 5. My bus driver then had words with another bus driver (Route 5 in Plashet Grove who wouldn't give way)Then was back to normal until we got to Gladstone Avenue in East Ham there was a ambulance badly parked which made the road very tight my driver wouldn't risk squeezing pass despite a bus towards Canning Town managing. This really frustrated passengers and was slightly amused at the 1970s sexism shown towards my female driver from other females moaning at her that a man managed it so she should go but she wouldn't budge until the road was clear. She finally snapped in Ilford after a few passengers rang the bell too many times! I did feel for her it was a nightmare trip
The 5 doesn't actually seem to be managing badly, probably helped by the fact it has far too much running time in its timetable.
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Post by ronnie on Mar 27, 2019 16:46:21 GMT
Did the C10 and 185 end to end yesterday
Quite like the 185 route - it’s pretty fast most of the time!
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Post by londonbuschannel on Mar 30, 2019 20:10:00 GMT
Quite a long day today: Walk to Dagenham Heathway District Line to Barking C2C to West Ham Jubilee to Stratford Central to Leytonstone 257 to Stratford DLR to West Ham C2C to Barking 62 (RT) to River Road Garage 106 (RT) to Barking Bus Garage 5 to Barking Station C2C to West Ham Jubilee to North Greenwich 472 to Penninsular Park Road 472 to North Greenwich 132 to Shooters Hill Road Walk to St Germans Place 89 to Blackheath Station Southeastern to London Bridge Thameslink to Blackriars District to Sloane Square District to Dagenham Heathway Walk to Home
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Post by LBOTG on Mar 31, 2019 11:05:31 GMT
Haven't done this for ages, but I do feel the need to process such an exhausting yet enjoyable day. Thanking Go-Ahead, Stagecoach, London Bus Museum and TfL for organising such a spectacular, meticulously planned day out in East London and one of my most rewarding trips ever taken. - E2 to St Faith's Church (VW1053): my usual Saturday morning occupation was necessary before my trip on the buses could start properly, although even this usually mundane local journey was quite bizarre because the bus was actually really busy with school children - clearly one of the schools in the area felt like inflicting punishment on their students by making them turn up on a weekend...
- H91 to Lampton Corner (VH-----): One benefit of these Gemini 3 B5LHs is that they are infinitely faster than the previous SPs, providing noticeably quicker journey times along the Great West Road.
- Piccadilly Line to Green Park (1973 stock): I absolutely loathe using this line for long distances, but going via Waterloo would get me to Barking far too late. Despite a long wait at Hounslow East, the journey wasn't too cumbersome or even crowded. Interestingly, a 1996 stock was undergoing brake testing between Northfields and South Ealing, covered in graffiti.
- Jubilee Line to West Ham (1996 stock): Somehow this was way worse than the previous tube journey - a 7 minute gap on an intensely used underground line in Central London can never end well. The journey was slow as people tried to squeeze on and stepping out into fresh air at my destination certainly was a relief.
- c2c to Barking (Class 357): I was slightly worried when the dot matrix screen announced that this would be a 4-car service, but luckily the trains via Rainham don't seem to get particularly busy apart from during rush hour.
- 23C to River Road Bus Garage (RT4779): It's been ages since I last rode an RT, so this was a pleasant and fairly popular trip down to River Road - certainly much nicer than the New Routemasters on the regular bus services. The frequency of heritage specials on the 62 and 23C combined was quite amazing, whilst using the 'ELT only' road by Vicarage Field was a surprising but greatly appreciated move.
- 62 to Creekmouth Power Station (RT3933): Only a 15 minute ride, but certainly the most enjoyable. Travelling down the length of River Road itself was superb, just surrounded by ongoing industry, huge factories, lorries and concrete. Having an RT floored was through here was also brilliant, even if it struggled a bit with the poor road surface! A film crew were also present and there was a little bit of conflict between one member and our driver - suppose they didn't think bus services went to this part of London anymore. The industrial surroundings were then juxtaposed by the newly developed Barking Riverside, which our bus entered in order to head back to the garage. Apartment buildings are surrounded by green communal spaces and water, whilst the Rivergate Centre was thriving on a Saturday afternoon. We also got to head down a half-finished Handley Page Road, which even has bus stop markings in preparation for when the EL3 can physically make it down here!
A spotting session at River Road turned out to be my most productive, with the layout being very photography friendly. I even managed to catch RT1 here!
- 291 to Barking Garage (RF354): I had to wait for quite some time until an RF arrived, but having never sampled one before I was determined to catch one. It was pretty busy again ; prior to its arrival there hadn't been a single bus to Barking Garage for around 15 minutes, so an enormous queue had begun to snake its way around the modest display at River Road. Nonetheless, the arrival of around six RTs simultaneously managed to mop up most of the crowds and I was able to enjoy these wonderful vehicles once and for all. They really do have a beautiful engine and I look forward to trying out some more at future running days.
- 62 to Little Heath (RT1784): Barking Garage had a much more extensive display of buses available, although my first visit was brief seeing as the only 62 departures to Little Heath were about to leave. These ones only had a few passengers, but it was nice to travel through Goodmayes on a 'proper bus' and the end destination allowed a couple of photographs of the 396 to be taken, seeing as Go-Ahead commenced its operation on the same day.
- EL3 to Barking Garage (LT---): Unfortunately, waiting to snap E207 meant that I missed the RT departures back to Barking Garage, but this ride did at least allow some sustenance.
BK was even busier this time, with RTs from the 62 gradually filling up the yard in preparation for the procession. Some lucky enthusiasts managed to obtain an aerial view from the top of a Mega Sightseeing ALX400, although my main focus was finding a good photography spot for the cavalcade, so I left prematurely to hunt one down. Even this was slightly too late, but I managed to squeeze in between a lamp post and crossing, which surprisingly paid off despite the sea of surrounding enthusiasts. After this, despite my prior knowledge that the procession would be returning, I jumped on an EL3 to Barking Station on the off-chance that another shot would be possible. The timing worked out perfectly and a few other tactical enthusiasts managed to obtain their 'money shots' here too. A slight social detour to Vicarage Field was brief but enjoyable, alas I could not stay given the large volume of service changes to also cover! - Hammersmith & City Line to Plaistow (S stock): I don't actually know why I took this out of Barking rather than the faster c2c, but a last-minute decision to snap the 262/473 at Plaistow did actually pay off an allowed these changes to be covered much faster than anticipated, regardless of my non-existent preparation.
- District Line to West Ham (S stock): It was one stop, pretty uneventful.
- c2c to Fenchurch Street (Class 357): The last part of the day had been quite relentless, so it was nice to have a relaxing ride into the City just as the sun was beginning to set. This train was surprisingly quiet too, which was a bonus.
- 25 to St Paul's (WH): After having obtained a photograph of a new Streetdeck heading East, I'm glad that I was given the opportunity to ride one for a few stops. They are bizarre vehicles, being pretty noisy for alleged hybrids. They make high-pitched squealing noises on top of a growl, especially at the high speeds that my driver wasn't afraid of achieving up King William Street. The suspension is pretty shoddy for a new vehicle, whilst one of the poles already had blue tape on it.
As if this day wasn't complex enough, CT Plus decided to throw out some single deckers on the 20 and 388 since they ran out of doubles, having sent loads away for rail replacement work. Unfortunately, this was the only element of the day that didn't work out, since the E200 MMC didn't stop at New Change so my photo is a blurred mess. I even tried racing it to Liverpool Street on the Central Line, but Bishopsgate being closed Northbound put an end to that... - 11 to Trafalgar Square (LT67): Somehow until yesterday I hadn't taken this route for years, but during the golden hour it was a rather pleasant ride through zone 1. A cycling tour in front of the vehicle meant progress was slow, but I wasn't in any particular rush at this point.
Charing Cross was certainly a lively place to be yesterday, with Sunderland fans taking up the entire of Trafalgar Square and being as rowdy as ever. I managed to tick off the 87 and 176 LT workings along the Strand, which meant there was only one thing left to snap. Annoyingly, whilst waiting at Bedford Street for the latter working I saw OM1 in the distance gliding past on the 26 - if only I had checked LVF! - 6 to Piccadilly Circus (VWH): I honestly forgot that this doesn't go down Regent Street anymore, which was slightly annoying given my plans to snap along there. Luckily, only a short walk was required from Piccadilly and the first 88 shot to Parliament Hill Fields, a conventional Enviro 400H, actually turned out okay despite the darkness.
Usually, I like to go home via Paddington and Great Western Railway, but from Regent Street taking one bus there isn't possible anymore and I really couldn't be bothered to walk back for a 6 or up for a 7. I chose to suffer on the Piccadilly, again, but at least it was one of the only units with the barman moquette.
All in all, a superb trip out which will definitely encourage my attendance at future running days!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2019 14:54:39 GMT
Fastrack A to Bluewater 96 to Dartford 477 to Orpington 431 to Sevenoaks ...what a great bus this was. Good number of passengers too. 401 to Westerham...again, credit to Go Coach. Was nice listening to Radio 1 over the bus speakers. 246 to Hayes 353 to Orpington R11 to Crittals Corner. The nice drivers of this bus and the 51 behind it waited so passengers could transfer ( roadworks meaning R11 is going direct to QMH via A20) 51 to Sidcup 492 to Dartford Fastrack A home
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Post by ronnie on Apr 9, 2019 19:35:01 GMT
Did the 176 end to end today
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Post by rif153 on Apr 10, 2019 20:59:44 GMT
Did the 176 end to end today Did you get an LT?
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Post by ronnie on Apr 10, 2019 22:38:50 GMT
Did the 176 end to end today Did you get an LT? No - saw 3 going the other way though. Annoyingly 1 of them had Penge on the blinds while heading towards TCR! Was my 90th end to end route so felt good Interestingly this was the first time I passed through the route in daylight - all other routes (185, 40, 42, 484) were done after dark!
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Post by YY13VKP on Apr 13, 2019 13:07:49 GMT
Since I'd been back from uni a week and had only been on one bus during that time (from Euston to St Pancras on LT718), I went on a little journey around my new secondary local area of Orpington to explore it a little. The original plan was to try out the R8 which is now a local route of mine, go on one of the ex 64 Scania's which had recently transferred back to Metrobus and hunt down ex 434 bus 8108 which had made a return to service, but unfortunately it wasn't in action yesterday so here's what happened: R8 to Orpington Station ( 162) - Finally managed to try out the R8 for the first time and 162 was my ride. Kinda hoped for an MB E200 that I hadn't had before, since I've had 162 before on route 162 and 138. Once we went past Downe Village, I was shocked to see how narrow the roads were! I remember some of the controllers at Croydon telling me that the R8 is one of the most difficult routes to control and it is for that reason. Any delay or blockage can cause a huge delay for the route and in some cases it can force it to be suspended entirely! I was amazed that the Enviro 200 could just about fit but took up the entire road. Was also very rare for me to be on a London bus in the middle of the countryside with just fields around but we soon reached Farnborough Hill and had a peek into MB on the way before reaching Orpington. All in all the R8 is a very nice route but I do think it could be rather pointless considering that it runs around the countryside where there's nobody about for most of the route. The surprising thing is that the R8 runs longer time wise than the 434, it finishing at 21:50 whereas the 434 only run until 20:30. Had a look round Orpington Bus Station 353 to Orpington, Walnuts Centre ( EN32) - Since 969 wasn't due for a while yet, I decided to head for the High Street and tried one of the ex First E400's at MB. The bus wasn't in a great mechanical condition though 353 to Hayes Station Approach ( 969) - Eventually 969 turned up and it was great to see a Scania again on route 353 considering they had just got rid of the ex 405 OmniDekka's. I wonder how long 968 and 969 will last though before they are finally replaced. Was a good ride and way better than the Enviro 400's that now serve it. 138 to Bromley North ( 188) - Was good to get the bus that came before the 434's Enviro 200's again, albeit now refurbished. The bus had a slight turbo whine however, and we were diverted once we reached Bromley Town Centre. Not quite sure why the town centre is completely blocked. 146 to Downe ( 36618) - Another rural route but not as rural as the R8! This trip however was filled with diversions galore as we were diverted upon leaving Bromley North and then had a massive diversion between Keston and Downe which saw us miss out Hayes completely. Walked home
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Post by ronnie on Apr 13, 2019 13:21:38 GMT
Finally did the 104 end to end on Thursday
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Post by rif153 on Apr 13, 2019 13:22:47 GMT
Finally did the 104 end to end on Thursday Would you reccomend it?
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Post by vjaska on Apr 13, 2019 13:29:22 GMT
Finally did the 104 end to end on Thursday Would you reccomend it? It’s a very busy route and gets caught in traffic particularly in East Ham - I’d only recommend doing it just to say you done it before the 104 split happens.
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Post by ronnie on Apr 13, 2019 13:37:00 GMT
Finally did the 104 end to end on Thursday Would you reccomend it? It’s a bit circuitous (Stratford to manor park!) I had done most portions of it before (through the 474 and 238) so only the unique portion on Lonsdale Avenue was new. Overall a useful route but unless you are on an end-to-end completion spree (like me) can probably skip it. Plus there was something wrong with the tfl countdown as the next bus was 10 min away so I popped into a store to grab a bite only to see the bus “after 10 min” sail past me at manor park
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