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Post by vjaska on Jan 10, 2020 2:15:27 GMT
Utter joke, what kind of a route is that! I was hoping journey planner may at leas thave the sense to suggesting getting the 205 to Old Street then the 55 which to me seems reasonable enough althought not optimal but that route suggested is crazy, what are TfL thinking. I know! Annoyingly I forgot to screenshot it, but then I changed the search to end at TCR instead of Oxo, the theory going that most people would be able to walk the short extra distance, but it still came up with this nonsense! Luckily I remembered to screenshot this one. Suggested route from Mile End Station to Tottenham Court Road Station: View AttachmentWhats its obsession with sending you completely the wrong way on the 277 when like you said the 205 and change at Old Street is far more direct? I honestly have no words... The TfL planner has always been absolutely hopeless, stick with something like Google which is bound to be more reliable
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Post by Hassaan on Jan 13, 2020 23:47:42 GMT
Very long time since I last posted in this thread! Recently I started a new job in Willesden, which has put me back into regular commuting after a while. Preferred route is TfL Rail from Southall to Acton Main Line (as timings work out perfectly for the 2tph), then 260 or 266 to Willesden. On the way back I have a higher chance of needing Central line from North Acton to Ealing Broadway. Didn't realise that the 260 only served Acton Main Line in one direction. All 3 morning commutes this week went without drama. However, the evening ones have been a bit crap due to poor choice of moves and some bad luck! Avoiding Z1 saves about £4 per day with only a 10-20 Mon time penalty, so I don't use trains via Z1. On Monday I thought I'd try using buses only. I couldn't be bothered to wait 7+ minutes for the 260 or 266 in the cold wind, so I got the 297 with VW1190. That took about 65 minutes to Perivale after Wembley traffic was taken into account (it was also diverted via Wembley Stadium Station). Luckily the E5 (8151) then 120 connections were excellent, but the whole thing took almost 2 hours. I was expecting that anyway but it confirmed that avoiding trains wasn't worth it. On Tuesday my 266 was narrowly going to miss the 2tph at Acton Main Line which was a bit unlucky, so I had to use North Acton. At least that was the only issue. On Wednesday however, traffic messed me up. I ignored VWH2323 on the 260 in favour of ADE40471 on the 266, which turned out to be a huge mistake. The temporary traffic light on Victoria Road had failed, and that caused traffic all the way back to Harlesden town centre. The 260 missed most of the traffic so I should have switched to that, but instead I decided to stay on. Eventually got to North Acton over an hour after I boarded, more than double the usual journey time. Meanwhile, the 260 that I ignored had arrived there much earlier. In total it took over 2 hours to get home! For today (Thursday) I'm tempted to take the 260 because I don't trust that traffic light on the 266 now even though the 266 has nicer buses. I'm a huge ADE fan and miss having them in my area. Actually managed to get old Hounslow one 40421 on Wednesday morning which was good, as the 4 other ones I got were 220 ones. Update: I used VWH2334 on the 260 as it turned up first. The 266 I usually ended up on around 0805 was shown at 0809, as I think driver left slightly late to avoid needing to regulate. Usually, both routes depart/arrive together both at Acton and Harlesden, but today the 266 overtook the 260 and got ahead slightly . The VWH wasn't as nice as an ADE though Time to finish this off: Wednesday lunchtime I missed out. I went to Neasden Town Centre, using VWH2321 on the 302 there and VMH2575 on the 297 back from there. I'm 99% sure that the 297 driver was the same one I had on the 120 the previous evening! On Thursday evening, I was lucky I checked before leaving. There was nothing on the 260 or 266 tracking at my stop. Turned out there was a diversion southbound due to an accident on Church Road, and it had been entered into iBus so the route didn't show up at those stops. Luckily it was only one stop I had to walk back, where I got ADE40448 again for the second time this week (also had it on Tuesday morning). We were diverted until Harlesden via the 226. There was a normal amount of traffic most of the way, with only Victoria Road on the approach to the A40 at North Acton being slightly dodgy. I did get off a stop early before North Acton Station to walk (which wasn't that necessary as it only saved a few seconds in the end). After that I got lucky with no waits for the Central Line at North Acton, TfL Rail at Ealing Broadway, or the 120 at Southall Station! Glad to see they'd fixed the loose handrail on ADE40448. Yep, on Tuesday morning there was a handrail completely loose, as the two screws that attached to the ceiling were missing When on the way home on Thursday, I found my home stop closed due to roadworks (that still hadn't actually started by Friday morning) . So Friday started with a walk to another stop. I also left home slightly late in the first place so ended up on the 0802 train from Southall, and had to change at Ealing Broadway for North Acton. Luckily it was 2 minutes for ex-AV ADE40441 and I still got there on time easily. Lunchtime it was to Wembley Park Asda, using VWH1408 on the 302 until Neasden Underpass, then something on the 182. The way back was VW1390 on the 245 to Neasden Shopping Centre, then another 62-reg VWH on the 302. Way home was different as I had to hand in something in Harrow (opposite the bus station). Used Jubilee and Metropolitan lines there with no issues. Then once everything was done, the X140 was nowhere to be seen as the bus to form it was late and curtailed to South Harrow. So I had to use the "traditional" route and got VW1283 on the 140, nice to not get a VWH for once. Approaching Northolt, my luck appeared to have run out as the nearest bus was all the way at Norwood Green! Turned out there were temporary traffic lights where the closed stop was, and that was made worse by Heston Road being closed due to an accident (buses diverted via Thorncliffe Road, North Hyde Lane and New Heston Road). Traffic from the temporary traffic lights tailed back onto the narrow Thorncliffe Road and messed things up badly there. Stayed on the 140 to White Hart Roundabout, while looking at connections for alternative ways to get to Southall. However, PA controllers were on the ball, and the drivers that were meant to take over at Northolt were instead sent with fresh buses from the garage! 😃 Only a 5-7 minute wait in the end, and my first week commuting ended on a good note . Time to start a new week. Sadly the temporary traffic light and closed stop were still there, so I walked down to the E5 and got 8145, which I should have missed but it got stuck in the traffic from the above traffic light. As I'd left late again, I once again ended up on the 0802, which actually turned up at 0808 and was extremely busy compared to Friday. Ended up very squashed in, but it isn't the busiest train I've been on (that was one morning on the Jubilee line). Nice connections at Ealing Broadway and North Acton, then I got ex-AV ADE40443 without any dramas (well, minus catching up the bus in front by Willesden). Luckily got there on time again, but I need to be careful. Way home I got either ADE40448 (again!) or ADE40467. Whichever one it was, it had a completely loose handrail, slightly different location but same issue as last time! What on earth is going on at RP?! . Extra traffic in Harlesden around Craven Park, but we avoided most of it (as it was going along the A404). North Acton and Ealing Broadway had good connections, but luck ran out at Southall station where I had to wait in the rain for almost 10 minutes . Wonder what will happen tomorrow? Stop still closed but must make sure I leave early and end up on that 0753 train.
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Post by YY13VKP on Jan 16, 2020 23:40:44 GMT
Decided to go on a big bus journey before I return to Huddersfield this weekend, and I ended up heading into Tooting. What happened though was rather chaotic. Here's what happened. Walked to Kenley Station 434 to Purley High Street/Purley Station (191) - The bus was running a bit late and when the driver turned up, he apologised (even though me and another passenger didn't question the delay) and explained that he was delayed because he was stuck at the Whyteleafe level crossing as two trains went past, one of these trains stopping at Whyteleafe which didn't help matters. It was good of him to offer an explanation though. 127 to Strawberry Lane ( EN26) - Since this had transferred over to Croydon I have been wanting to get this purely since its an ex First bus and is one of two buses in London to have the original First interior that we have pretty much on all double deckers in Huddersfield. Despite looking very tired, the bus still performed well and since there was another bus two minutes behind, I decided to go halfway to Carshalton on this and then change, and it was a good thing I did this in the end as due to roadworks in Mitcham the bus was terminated there and everyone was transferred onto the one behind, so I was one step ahead of the game . 127 to Tooting Broadway ( E197) - After swapping buses early before EN26 terminated mid route, this bus was unsurprisingly empty until EN26 was terminated in Mitcham Town Centre and everyone transferred on to our bus. Unfortunately, that's where the journey went south. I remember 725DYE complaining that the performance of the 127 had gone down recently and despite the PVR increase helping this slightly, I could see why. For some reason there are a ton of roadworks across the Mitcham area and have been for quite some time! We first encountered some roadworks outside Mitcham Junction Station where we were stuck for about 10 minutes, and then Mitcham Town Centre was an absolute nightmare due to major roadworks to remove a roundabout apparently. This wasn't helped in the slightest by E120 breaking down in the middle of the Town Centre whilst on route 270 which everyone had to try and negotiate. Eventually we made it to Tooting. 355 to Hebdon Road ( WS91) - The 355 was the only route that Metrobus Croydon operated that I hadn't travelled on yet...until today! It was also my first time on one of Croydon's Streetlites. Despite seeing these when they were brand new inside the garage they had never strayed onto the 359 or 455 so never got to ride one until now. Although I didn't travel very far on it the Streetlite wasn't too bad! Went to the shops 355 to Downe Road/Mitcham Library (WS103) - Back to Mitcham again, but this time I wanted to go a different way to try and avoid Mitcham Town Centre. This bus was quite busy though and made me realise why people have been calling for double deckers on the 355 for so long. The bus was unusually loud too. 152 to Mitcham Eastfields Station ( SE145) - Somehow this was my first time on the 152, and it was packed. I was intending to go to Pollards Hill to then make my way to Thornton Heath to catch T1 on the 198 but that wasn't due for ages and I didn't particularly want to be waiting in Thornton Heath or anywhere near there for too long, but luckily I saw there was a Solo on the 463 nearby but it left Pollards as I boarded this bus so I only went as far as Mitcham Eastfields. The bus was busy though and it wasn't even peak time yet, so this route joins the 289, 355 and 490 as a route I think needs double deckers on its next contract renewal. We got stuck behind the level crossing at Mitcham Eastfields Station as not one but two trains went past. As there are six trains per hour through there in both directions it must be an absolute nightmare for the 152 full time! 463 to Wallington Station ( OS20250/OP29) - Made the Solo at Mitcham Eastfields and decided to get this since it was on its original route and it will probably be the last time I catch a Solo on the 463 before they go. It will be sad when these all go as Solos have been serving the 463 for as long as I can remember. Unfortunately the same couldn't be said for the journey itself. It all started off smoothly until we reached Beddington Asda. I had forgotten that there were still roadworks going on outside and we were stuck on Marlowe Way for about 25 minutes before we even made it through Asda. During this time the driver was revving the bus while we were stationary for some reason, and at one point I thought we'd lost drive when I saw the driver trying to change gear. Fortunately we got moving, and it was a further 10 minutes until we actually made it out of Asda. Having the 463 in front of us stuck there too along with two 455's showed how bad these roadworks were affecting both routes. Due to this delay, we hit the school traffic at Wallington County Grammar School and despite the 612 and 633 being there, a load of school kids crammed on the bus only to be told that due to the delay we encountered, the bus would be terminated at Wallington. I was hoping to get to Coulsdon to try and do this route end to end as well as making it in time to snap Metrobus's route 866 and head home on the 434, but I didn't make it in the end and decided to go straight home on the 127. Another thing to note about this Solo was that the bell sounded more like an announcement chime, a really annoying one too which wasn't great. I don't know if the other 09 reg Solo's have the same bell. 127 to Purley High Street/Purley Station (WVL204) - First time on this beast since it moved to Croydon, and it sounded like a proper B7TL with a Voith gearbox as opposed to a ZF gearbox like WVL238/239 and the B7TL's back in Huddersfield have. This bus was pretty empty until we reached The Bridle Road where unfortunately the bus was stormed by school kids, who all pushed their way onto the bus and one of them couldn't stop pressing the bell (although they could have been leaning on it in fairness). And this was despite there being an empty 612 behind! When they all got off the bus, they all pushed and shoved their way off the bus, don't know why their school can't teach them about etiquette on public transport . The driver did use the horn a few times and it sounded rather clapped out, but funny 407 to The Kenley Hotel/Kenley Station (2581) - Probably the only journey that was non-eventful that I took, although the door alarm on this bus sounded awful Walked home (at last)
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Post by rj131 on Jan 18, 2020 0:05:00 GMT
Can’t believe I haven’t got round to writing about my three day trip/holiday yet last week. Did absolutely loads of new routes, some good and some bad. New routes I did: 306, 218, X140, 278, X68, 240, 107, 184, 307 and 191. Although I’ve done these before I did new sections of the 1, 3, 4, 43, 190, 272, 393 and C10. Very productive three days End-to-end: 306, 218, 278, 240, 107, 307, C10 and completed the remaining bits of the 1, 3, 4 and 272. Day 1: LJ65FZO | 306 YX11AEV | 218 YX19OMV | 440 LK66EOM | X140 SN69ZRT | 278 YX16OBU | X68 Day 2: LK59DZH | 240 LK59DZJ | 107 LJ09KPN | 184 LK58KFY | 307 LK13BFY | 307 LK58KFY | 307 SN58CEU | 191 LK14FBA | 4 LK15CXE | 4 BV66VJF | 1 LTZ1705 | 3 Day 3: YX11CNO | 218 YX68UWD | 272 LK09ENH | 190 LJ16KLV | 306 LJ16EWH | 306 YX69NXU | 393 LJ19CVK | 43 YX16OAM | C10 I’ll start off with the newbies, the 218 and 306. Both of these routes seem to be running well under their operators but what should be noted is that I did the 218 off peak and the bus still was still standing room only right up to Acton High Street where there was a mass exodus. After that the bus was very quiet up to North Acton. As for the 306, I didn’t enjoy the 306 anywhere as much as I thought I would. Although the routeing itself is quite pleasant through Fulham, it’s a very slow route. Not slow as in constant traffic jams but slow as in the route is nearly entirely 20mph which makes it incredibly dull as a result takes far longer end to end than any other usual 5-mile route, which is pretty short by the standards of London bus routes. Also what’s frustrating is that spending a lot of time on these routes (visited them on two of the three days) the 218’s were always very busy and the 306’s were pretty much dead. The 218 is two routes that shouldn’t have been put together, it’s brilliant that the northern half between AHS and North Acton have got a major frequency increase from 4bph (from when that routeing belonged to the 440) to 6bph, but that 6bph is still FAR too inadequate for the Hammersmith to AHS half of the 218. As the 218 supposedly can’t take deckers because of tight roads (I could see any roads on the route being a problem though tbh) I feel all this would be solved if the 306 was extended up to AHS which is where the mass exodus is, that would then spread the load of the 218 and 306 far better as this would then mean more 218 passengers could use the 306 instead. So frustrating. Next the X140 and 278. Unbelievably when I did the X140 it was running to PERFECT 12-minute headways, whether that was a fluke/luck or skill (I like to think the latter) Metroline deserve great respect for pulling it off as it can’t be easy. I took the X140 off-peak from Hayes & Harlington to Heathrow and I have to say the journey time was FAR quicker than that of the equivalent non-express 278 over the same section. However this was off peak where traffic wasn’t so much an issue, peak times is another matter so I can’t comment on that. I got to Heathrow and did the 278 all the way to Ruislip and the service was a right old mess. The driver of my bus 2010 (which I’ve already discussed in the Abellio thread as being very disappointing) didn’t adhere to the timetable at all (total no-no for a low frequency route like the 278) and just decided to casually drive out of the stand and adhere to whatever non-existing timetable he had going on in his head, goes without saying before long he got an angry call from the iBus controller asking him a more polite version of “what the bloody hell are you doing?!?!?!”. As I said earlier I did the 278 over the same section as the X140 (just in the opposite direction) from Heathrow to H&H, and the X140 was hands down faster, so the express route really makes a difference over that section. The middle section of the 278 was very boring indeed with endless houses but either end of the route was great and overall it was a really good and enjoyable route. Next I trudged back to Central London to get the X68, which unbelievably I’ve never ever done before, but that’s probably because it runs at very small windows in the day ie peak times and I’ve never had the need to use a bus service for leisure in the peaks. Anyway I decided to finally do it and just after the *last* Waterloo stop before continuing express to West Norwood a woman rang the bell for the stop afterwards and was horrified to see the bus just sailing past all the subsequent stops. I wonder how often that happens!!!!!! (Probably all the time!) In the end we got down as far as Kennington where the woman pleaded with the driver (politely I must say, admitting she’d make a mistake) to let her off and because she was nice about it he was kind enough to do so. Just shows where being polite and courteous get you!! Anyway it turned out to be an AWFUL day to do the X68 because of the Norwood water works going on creating absolutely HORRENDOUS queues, and it reminded me why I NEVER ride routes for leisure in the peaks. The non-moving queue stretched all the way down Tulse Hill and Norwood Road, so by the time we got to Tulse Hill Station unsurprisingly loads of people (myself included) got so fed up and asked to be let off early at Tulse Hill station and carried on on foot as that was literally faster. It was so bad that the 2 (which parallels the X68) had TWENTY-ONE vehicles heading for West Norwood and just the remaining THREE up to Marylebone, absolutely atrocious. So I abandoned it and went elsewhere. The next day I did the 240, 107, 307, 184 and 191. I’ve already talked about the 240 and 107 in the Metroline thread, but in short both were fantastic, and by coincidence both were done on consecutive sister buses, one on TE984 and the other on TE985. After getting off at New Barnet I decided to do it properly by going back on myself from New Barnet Station back to Barnet Hospital to do the full 307 properly (which I’d already passed on the 107), recommended to me by rif153 This involved a quick blast on the 184 (glad it was only a few stops as the bus ENL47 was ATROCIOUS, one of the very worst E200s I’d EVER been on so I couldn’t wait for that to be over), then a quick couple of stops on the 307 to the terminus to do the route properly. I changed 307 buses and got a 13-reg TE and stayed on it to Enfield where I got off for a quick snack and toilet break, before picking up the next 307 behind to the end at Brimsdown which was a 58-reg TE. I much preferred the 13-reg TE tbh. The cycling works at Ponders End were a nightmare and really slowed down us and the 279. All I can say I thank the lord for the 191. Both the 307 and 191 go from Brimsdown to Enfield via different routeings (the 191’s is considerably longer) and the 191 completely dodged all the Ponders End roadworks with its different route, which made this route considerably quicker back to Enfield despite being more round the houses. I can imagine the 191 is a life saver at the moment for Enfield residents as it means passengers can dodge all the nasty roadworks using that route and all the delays that go with it. Overall the 307 wasn’t as good as the 107, but still quite nice, I don’t think I feel as strongly about the 307 as strongly as rif153 does lol. I did also like the 191, I don’t usually like indirect routes but this one was an exception as the longer route it did take was actually quite nice and enjoyable. I also enjoyed EN8 a lot more than anticipated too as I don’t usually like older E400s but this (as well as the older EW E400s) was an exception. On the last I day I decided to revisit the 272 as I’d very recently done it but not quite end to end, so I finished it off properly. I actually have a real soft spot for the 272, it’s a really really interesting route and one which doesn’t cross a lot of peoples minds. I love going under the ridiculously low Fishers Lane bridge which will forever restrict the route to SD operation and the section after Turnham Green church to Grove Park (the Chiswick one, not the 136/181 Lewisham one lol) is really quaint and quiet. Also I love RATP’s bright and airy DME/DLEs which made the route even better, so that route ticks all the boxes. After that I walked through Grove Park over to Chiswick Bridge to get the 190 back to Hammersmith, and there I revisited the 218 and 306 for the second time but nothing to report there as I was just retracing my steps. This time the 306 was even slower and this time the Fulham temporary traffic lights caused havoc on the North End Road. I actually managed to do something clever and get off the first 306 at the top of North End Road, run down it past the traffic jam and board the next 306 at the end of the road which had just finished battling through the traffic jam, it was that slow. After that I headed up to Chalk Farm to do the 393 properly, I tried this route under Arriva but only lasted two stops as like the 184 ENL, the 07-reg ENS I had was shocking so I couldn’t bear it. So I waited for Metroline to take it on with its shiny new but very pesky DEMs which has infamously caused Metroline lots and lots of issues. Sadly although a nice route the 393 is a very tedious one with endless twists and turns, which meant although I planned to do it end to end by Highbury & Islington I got so bored I got off and I’m gonna finish it another day. It’s a very tedious route to do end to end and I just couldn’t hack it lol. After that to finish the day I decided to do a full trip on my beloved C10, which I hadn’t actually done yet as the points of interest I need the route for are at the Victoria end (had never gone beyond Bermondsey on the C10 up until last week) so I thought it was about time I saw what the Canada Water end had to offer and it really didn’t disappoint. There were constantly stunning views of Canary Wharf that kept popping in and out between the houses, and the areas itself in the Docklands were full of new and modern houses full with lovely architecture. I was on the C10 for about an hour and a half so a considerable journey but what a journey it was, never ever boring. I had four different people sit next to me throughout the route as people got on and off, which suggests to me the route is generally used as a short-hop route with generally most journeys lasting a few stops. The bus also got very very busy at various different points too, which suggests all parts of the route are very well used with no distinct quiet section. Absolutely loved that route before and love it even more now, what a great way to finish a great three days.
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Post by bottomless on Jan 18, 2020 7:56:02 GMT
rc131, sounds like a good few days apart from the 393, however if you think that’s bad then don’t try the K5, a route that goes round the houses so much you get dizzy. Certainly when I did it back when it was hourly, it was a 3 hour rounder, Ham to Morden and back, rarely seeing a main road. However the bus does provide links for a lot of disabled and elderly people that would otherwise struggle to get about or be forced onto dial a ride.
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mr24
Conductor
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Post by mr24 on Jan 18, 2020 20:43:00 GMT
Today I rode the route 100 end to end. I was mostly intrigued to try out the brand new SEe electric Enviro200MMCs on the route, and see whether they made the artificial noise they were designed to to help those who are visually impaired/those looking down at their phones not paying attention notice a bus is near them.
This batch of SEes has 2 USB sockets in the sidewall at every seat and the chargers charged my phone rapidly, and they seemed pretty quick too, so they seem like a good batch. The bus I was on, SEe108, did make the 'whale on meth' sound (as I like to call it) but it was extremely quiet; no louder than the electric motor of the bus itself. Having done some research it appears that EU regulations only require the sound to be 56dB, which really is not that loud at all, so the quietness was not an accident, but I really think it is unnecessary, I think the bus is loud enough to fit the regulations anyway. Later in the day, I saw a different bus from the new batch depart the stand at St Paul's and it did not appear to be making the noise, or maybe I just could not hear it from 5 metres away across the road, which would be indisputable evidence it is useless.
This is all waffling which detracts from the main thing I took from my trip, which is that the 100 is an absolutely brilliant route. It threads its way through the narrow (and often cobbled) streets of wapping, past council estates and victorian warehouses, with brief glimpses of the river, and lots and lots of good views of the cluster of skyscrapers in the City and the Shard. The roads in themselves are already quite foreign, but they are a particular novelty to experience from a bus. The bus emerges from the confines of Wapping right by the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, and then goes through the City 1 way system, past the Barbican, and terminates around the back of St Pauls. It is a really brilliant ride, particularly in the Westbound direction, which I would highly reccomend to anyone - it is definitely one of my favourite single deck routes in London after that ride.
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Post by rj131 on Jan 18, 2020 22:46:49 GMT
rc131, sounds like a good few days apart from the 393, however if you think that’s bad then don’t try the K5, a route that goes round the houses so much you get dizzy. Certainly when I did it back when it was hourly, it was a 3 hour rounder, Ham to Morden and back, rarely seeing a main road. However the bus does provide links for a lot of disabled and elderly people that would otherwise struggle to get about or be forced onto dial a ride. Yes I’m very aware of the K5, and tbh I couldn’t be less interested in riding it at all let alone end to end the K5 is the very epitome of a route I absolutely hate, I don’t need to ride it to know that if I ever do it will hands down be my most hated route in London looooool. While I was on that 393 there ^ I thought to myself “how on earth would I cope with the K5”. I’d never be able to do the K5 in one sitting, I’d have to do it in multiple sittings like I’ll have to with the 393, but even then why would I want to waste my time on it!! At the other end of the scale you have the 394, which is a brilliant example of a twisty-turny route, fantastic route and I really loved that one, never got boring and there was always something different to see as the route went along. I think the reason why I don’t like indirect twisty routes is because I feel I’m wasting my time doing them (talking end to ends here), like I have the mindset of ‘this route isn’t designed for end to end travel, a regular passenger would never travel end to end on this route so why should I’, I like to experience a route in the same way a regular passenger would as much as possible, so to me it seems a bit unnecessary. However at the same time rather ironically I don’t usually like dead-straight line routes either (32 *especially*) as they’re also so boring. This is why I love the C10, it’s definitely an indirect route, however I am a very regular user of this route for a specific reason rather than just taking it for leisure, so I use this like any other passenger would, same with the 25 and 131. Also when I say an ‘indirect’ route, the vast majority of routes are indirect to a degree (all except dead straight ones like the 149, 86, 207 etc) as they are essentially various usage patterns by passengers stitched together to make something useful. So it’s not curved routes like the 35, 425, or 160 (all of which I like very much, so many more examples of these kind of routes) I usually take a dislike to, but more something like the 39, 386, 224, H13, 46, 191, 110, 61, 23 or indeed the 393 and K5. Ones that just *seem* almost unnecessarily twisty for the sheer fun of it, of course I’m not saying there unnecessary at all, but you get what I mean. Actually the 23 IS unnecessary with no purpose as we all know but let’s not go further into that you go a very long way to not get very far at all and that’s what I dislike about them
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Post by rj131 on Jan 18, 2020 22:48:30 GMT
Today I rode the route 100 end to end. I was mostly intrigued to try out the brand new SEe electric Enviro200MMCs on the route, and see whether they made the artificial noise they were designed to to help those who are visually impaired/those looking down at their phones not paying attention notice a bus is near them. This batch of SEes has 2 USB sockets in the sidewall at every seat and the chargers charged my phone rapidly, and they seemed pretty quick too, so they seem like a good batch. The bus I was on, SEe108, did make the 'whale on meth' sound (as I like to call it) but it was extremely quiet; no louder than the electric motor of the bus itself. Having done some research it appears that EU regulations only require the sound to be 56dB, which really is not that loud at all, so the quietness was not an accident, but I really think it is unnecessary, I think the bus is loud enough to fit the regulations anyway. Later in the day, I saw a different bus from the new batch depart the stand at St Paul's and it did not appear to be making the noise, or maybe I just could not hear it from 5 metres away across the road, which would be indisputable evidence it is useless. This is all waffling which detracts from the main thing I took from my trip, which is that the 100 is an absolutely brilliant route. It threads its way through the narrow (and often cobbled) streets of wapping, past council estates and victorian warehouses, with brief glimpses of the river, and lots and lots of good views of the cluster of skyscrapers in the City and the Shard. The roads in themselves are already quite foreign, but they are a particular novelty to experience from a bus. The bus emerges from the confines of Wapping right by the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, and then goes through the City 1 way system, past the Barbican, and terminates around the back of St Pauls. It is a really brilliant ride, particularly in the Westbound direction, which I would highly reccomend to anyone - it is definitely one of my favourite single deck routes in London after that ride. I absolutely love Wapping, it’s the only lovely thing about the otherwise very bleak and dingy D3. Perhaps that’s what the D in D3 stands for
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Post by VWH1414 on Jan 18, 2020 23:29:03 GMT
My journey's last weekend and today:
Saturday (Last week): 302 - VWH2025 - Mill Hill Broadway > Roe Green - Really odd seeing the "smiley" face G3 VWHs around again, proved a decent ride, funnily enough this is the only one of the 64 reg batch I've been on, and this is the second time on it, after going on it on a brief 125 ride a few years ago, that being the only 125 ride I've had. 204 - TE1423 - Roe Green > Kingsbury Station - Fairly average journey, wasn't on the bus long, I do very much like the voith TEs though. Then later on: 183 - VHR45204 - Kingsbury Station > Golders Green - Quite a nice ride, I've now just got VHR45203/45205 to ride on before I've completed the whole batch. 210 - TE1092 - Golders Green > Brent Cross Shopping Centre - Average TE ride really, quite nice, nothing much to comment on there. 186 - VWH2222 - Brent Cross Shopping Centre > Mill Hill Broadway - Quite a fast bus, was a pretty decent journey.
Sunday (Last week): 302 - VWH2343 - Mill Hill Broadway > Roe Green - Another fairly standard G3 ride, nothing to complain about there, was pretty decent. 324 - DE1144 - Roe Green > Kingsbury Station - This was actually a pretty nice DE, was very quick and presentation wise it looked good and fresh. Then later on: 324 - DE1144 - Kingsbury Green > Brent Cross Shopping Centre - Pretty much just caught the same bus on the return journey. Now I had some spare time, so decided to try out the 232 for the first time ever - main factor was to try a WS for the first time 232 - WS140 - Brent Cross Shopping Centre > Henlys Corner - Wasn't on it long, but overall just seemed a fairly standard bus, didn't really get to try it out fully, so I'll withstand on my judgement on the Wright Streetlite for now, though the bus did smell really weird. This is also only the 3rd time I've been on a GAL bus, having ridden the 507 twice last year on SEe1 & SEe51. 13 - MV38231 - Henlys Corner > Golders Green - I briefly mentioned the issues I had with this route in another thread, overall though it was again just a regular Evoseti experience. 83 - VW1762 - Golders Green > Kingsbury Green - Never actually used the 83 before, and it is actually a very handy route, much quicker to get to Kingsbury Green compared to the 183. The bus was also very fast, driver wasn't afraid to floor it when it was an empty road! 302 - VWH2389 - Kingsbury Green > Mill Hill Broadway - Again just a regular and fairly fast VWH, also had working heating which was great, notably a lot of ACs VWHs actually have working heating.
Today: 302 - VWH2370 - Mill Hill Broadway > Kingsbury Green - Okay so I wasn't expecting a diversion today* and it took longer then expected to get to Kingsbury, Metroline must've had a big headache today - the 32, 204, 302 & 324 were all getting caught up in the traffic madness on the Edgware Road, causing delays, but to be fair to Metroline they were doing very well at keeping the service as intact as possible - didn't have long waits for the 302 despite the trouble. 183 - SP40084 - Kingsbury Green > Kingsbury Station - Didn't really get to test this bus out due to the amounts of traffic around Kingsbury, shame as for the little bit of road the driver got to floor it on, it seemed a fast bus. Then later on: 324 - DE1172 - Kingsbury Station > Brent Cross Tesco - Did really well on the small motorway section, a pretty rapid bus. 324 - DE872 - Brent Cross Tesco > Brent Cross Shopping Centre - Just the standard 58 reg really, wasn't on it long. 210 - TE1432 - Brent Cross Shopping Centre > Golders Green - Yet another nice example of a voith TE, was a nice journey. 83 - VW1761 - Golders Green > Kingsbury Green - Decided to use this route again, and VW1761 was definitely on par with sister VW1762, was another nice speedy VW. 302 - VWH2420 - Kingsbury Green > Mill Hill Broadway - Back through the traffic riddled diversion I went, at least this bus was quiet and had heating, so was a decent journey.
* - Diversion currently means buses can't serve Roe Green due to roadworks, meaning instead they are going up Stag Lane, then via The Hyde and Kingsbury Road to reach Kingsbury Green, though temporary traffic lights meant the Edgware Road is hell traffic wise.
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mr24
Conductor
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Post by mr24 on Jan 19, 2020 11:42:35 GMT
Today I rode the route 100 end to end. I was mostly intrigued to try out the brand new SEe electric Enviro200MMCs on the route, and see whether they made the artificial noise they were designed to to help those who are visually impaired/those looking down at their phones not paying attention notice a bus is near them. This batch of SEes has 2 USB sockets in the sidewall at every seat and the chargers charged my phone rapidly, and they seemed pretty quick too, so they seem like a good batch. The bus I was on, SEe108, did make the 'whale on meth' sound (as I like to call it) but it was extremely quiet; no louder than the electric motor of the bus itself. Having done some research it appears that EU regulations only require the sound to be 56dB, which really is not that loud at all, so the quietness was not an accident, but I really think it is unnecessary, I think the bus is loud enough to fit the regulations anyway. Later in the day, I saw a different bus from the new batch depart the stand at St Paul's and it did not appear to be making the noise, or maybe I just could not hear it from 5 metres away across the road, which would be indisputable evidence it is useless. This is all waffling which detracts from the main thing I took from my trip, which is that the 100 is an absolutely brilliant route. It threads its way through the narrow (and often cobbled) streets of wapping, past council estates and victorian warehouses, with brief glimpses of the river, and lots and lots of good views of the cluster of skyscrapers in the City and the Shard. The roads in themselves are already quite foreign, but they are a particular novelty to experience from a bus. The bus emerges from the confines of Wapping right by the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, and then goes through the City 1 way system, past the Barbican, and terminates around the back of St Pauls. It is a really brilliant ride, particularly in the Westbound direction, which I would highly reccomend to anyone - it is definitely one of my favourite single deck routes in London after that ride. I absolutely love Wapping, it’s the only lovely thing about the otherwise very bleak and dingy D3. Perhaps that’s what the D in D3 stands for I feel like I really need to try the D3 some day. It is a thoroughly unpopular route among enthusiasts but to me it actually looks quite interesting, and I am intrigued by the starting point too.
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Post by rugbyref on Jan 22, 2020 17:40:29 GMT
Did the 136 from Elephant & Castle to Grove Park today. Not the most scenic route, and the speed humps on the early part of the route are trully horendous.
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Post by rmz19 on Jan 22, 2020 19:54:05 GMT
Did the 136 from Elephant & Castle to Grove Park today. Not the most scenic route, and the speed humps on the early part of the route are trully horendous. Speaking of speed humps, there are just too many of them on certain roads. An example is Carlton Vale. Try using the 6 or 316 along there and you're guaranteed an excessively bumpy ride, exacerbated by some 6 drivers often going fast along that section. There are too many speed humps in close proximity to each other, those useless 'speed tables' in between should be removed in my opinion. Makes me feel bad for the poor VWHs in particular (less concerned about the awful 316 DEs) even though their suspension are built to handle it
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mr24
Conductor
Posts: 65
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Post by mr24 on Jan 22, 2020 20:11:11 GMT
Did the 136 from Elephant & Castle to Grove Park today. Not the most scenic route, and the speed humps on the early part of the route are trully horendous. Speaking of speed humps, there are just too many of them on certain roads. An example is Carlton Vale. Try using the 6 or 316 along there and you're guaranteed an excessively bumpy ride, exacerbated by some 6 drivers often going fast along that section. There are too many speed humps in close proximity to each other, those useless 'speed tables' in between should be removed in my opinion. Makes me feel bad for the poor VWHs in particular (less concerned about the awful 316 DEs) even though their suspension are built to handle it To be honest if you are on a 316 you are probably already having such an unpleasant journey due to the dreadfull buses on it that the additional discomfort from the speed humps is probably a small fraction of the overall discomfort you are already dealing with on a noisy, vibrating and probably rammed bus.
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Post by Hassaan on Jan 22, 2020 21:27:52 GMT
Did the 136 from Elephant & Castle to Grove Park today. Not the most scenic route, and the speed humps on the early part of the route are trully horendous. Speaking of speed humps, there are just too many of them on certain roads. An example is Carlton Vale. Try using the 6 or 316 along there and you're guaranteed an excessively bumpy ride, exacerbated by some 6 drivers often going fast along that section. There are too many speed humps in close proximity to each other, those useless 'speed tables' in between should be removed in my opinion. Makes me feel bad for the poor VWHs in particular (less concerned about the awful 316 DEs) even though their suspension are built to handle it Interesting that many drivers on the 6 don't really slow down for humps. Over here on the 120, almost no driver slows down anywhere near enough, and I'm just fed up of it. B5LHs are a bit too bouncy anyway due to their awkward wheelbase and rear-heavy design, and then drivers make it worse. Always nicer when a VW turns up, as their longer wheelbase helps a lot in being less bouncy. Although neither are good for body lean, which makes the side roads section on the 105 between Southall and Greenford quite grim (those side roads are full of odd road cambers and having raised tables at ends of roads).
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Post by ronnie on Jan 22, 2020 22:32:58 GMT
I absolutely love Wapping, it’s the only lovely thing about the otherwise very bleak and dingy D3. Perhaps that’s what the D in D3 stands for I feel like I really need to try the D3 some day. It is a thoroughly unpopular route among enthusiasts but to me it actually looks quite interesting, and I am intrigued by the starting point too. It’s actually a difficult one to do end to end given it’s termini. Is it the only route which has 1 other route for company at one end and none at the other?
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