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Post by snoggle on Dec 12, 2013 16:54:32 GMT
TfL tweeted earlier today that 2014 is apparently Year of the Bus. Goodness knows what that means but I suspect this is partly a reaction to the London Assembly Transport Committee lamenting the poor profile that buses have had in recent years. There is also the 60th birthday of the Routemaster - Routemaster 60 |
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Post by twobellstogo on Dec 13, 2013 17:11:44 GMT
TfL tweeted earlier today that 2014 is apparently Year of the Bus. Goodness knows what that means but I suspect this is partly a reaction to the London Assembly Transport Committee lamenting the poor profile that buses have had in recent years. There is also the 60th birthday of the Routemaster - Routemaster 60I think it's more likely to be a follow-up to the events to celebrate 150 years of the Underground this year. Who's going to place bets on 2015 being the year of the taxi? Or the riverboat services?...  |
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Post by vjaska on Dec 13, 2013 18:08:46 GMT
TfL tweeted earlier today that 2014 is apparently Year of the Bus. Goodness knows what that means but I suspect this is partly a reaction to the London Assembly Transport Committee lamenting the poor profile that buses have had in recent years. There is also the 60th birthday of the Routemaster - Routemaster 60I think it's more likely to be a follow-up to the events to celebrate 150 years of the Underground this year. Who's going to place bets on 2015 being the year of the taxi? Or the riverboat services?... Surely, 2015 will be year of the Tuc Tuc  |
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Post by John tuthill on Dec 13, 2013 19:48:42 GMT
I think it's more likely to be a follow-up to the events to celebrate 150 years of the Underground this year. Who's going to place bets on 2015 being the year of the taxi? Or the riverboat services?... Surely, 2015 will be year of the Tuc Tuc All pedalled by unemployed MPs |
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Post by snoggle on Dec 13, 2013 19:59:48 GMT
TfL tweeted earlier today that 2014 is apparently Year of the Bus. Goodness knows what that means but I suspect this is partly a reaction to the London Assembly Transport Committee lamenting the poor profile that buses have had in recent years. There is also the 60th birthday of the Routemaster - Routemaster 60I think it's more likely to be a follow-up to the events to celebrate 150 years of the Underground this year. Who's going to place bets on 2015 being the year of the taxi? Or the riverboat services?... Apart from Routemaster 60 I really cannot see what is supposed to be celebrated next year. 150 years of the Underground was a genuine and worthwhile Anniversary and things like the steam operation in the tunnelled bits was a genuine event. Bus operators generally do a reasonable job of marking garage or route anniversaries provided TfL allow them to and don't need special tag lines to do it. Hopefully we'll get some more info soon but it feels like a sop to me rather than linked to a genuine anniversary that applies to the *London bus network*. I rather suspect 2015 will be "the year of all things Boris" to drum into everyone's thick skulls what a load of wondrous delights he has delivered for transport users.  |
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Post by romfordbuses on Dec 13, 2013 20:05:05 GMT
There is a RT75 event in the planning for next year just to give a hint as to some of the stuff that *should* be happening.
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Post by guybowden on Dec 14, 2013 8:31:15 GMT
I think it's more likely to be a follow-up to the events to celebrate 150 years of the Underground this year. Who's going to place bets on 2015 being the year of the taxi? Or the riverboat services?... Apart from Routemaster 60 I really cannot see what is supposed to be celebrated next year. 150 years of the Underground was a genuine and worthwhile Anniversary and things like the steam operation in the tunnelled bits was a genuine event. Bus operators generally do a reasonable job of marking garage or route anniversaries provided TfL allow them to and don't need special tag lines to do it. Hopefully we'll get some more info soon but it feels like a sop to me rather than linked to a genuine anniversary that applies to the *London bus network*. I rather suspect 2015 will be "the year of all things Boris" to drum into everyone's thick skulls what a load of wondrous delights he has delivered for transport users. Next year is the centenary of the start of world war one, the LT museum are re-creating a 'battle bus' at a massive cost!!! I think the project is close to the £1 million mark. I'm guessing the year of the bus and this battle bus will be all linked in together. |
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Post by snoggle on Dec 14, 2013 12:33:15 GMT
Next year is the centenary of the start of world war one, the LT museum are re-creating a 'battle bus' at a massive cost!!! I think the project is close to the £1 million mark. I'm guessing the year of the bus and this battle bus will be all linked in together. Sure and I'm going to be horribly controversial here but I'm not terribly interested in buses from 1914. I'm sure there is great historical merit in restoring such an old vehicle and I don't doubt that there will be enormous interest in it but I don't see that that really supports the tag line "year of the bus". If we're just going to have people getting "frothy mouthed" about certain bus types because there is a convenient couple of anniversaries then I still don't see the justification. Call me a miserable old git if you wish but I just don't "get it". While it is nice that people preserve vehicles at their own expense and allow us to ride on them on running days I'm perhaps not quite the right age to appreciate them. As a non Londoner (by birth) I don't share the great hostalgia about RTs or even RMs. RMs were going from the suburbs when I arrived in London and while I used them in Zone 1 for years they're not really my "yardstick" for my own favourite buses which are inevitably non London types and certainly those without rear platforms! I am looking forward to seeing MD60 emerge from its restoration as it'll be lovely to ride on a Metropolitan again. While I recognise the importance of the WW1 centenary I sincerely hope we will not be awash with a year's worth of sentimental nonsense. An appropriate commemoration is all that is really required (IMO). I fear that the country will completely overdo things as we're seemingly in "worship the military" mode at the moment - another thing I really do not understand but then I'm usually out of step with "popular culture" (whatever that is). |
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Post by guybowden on Dec 15, 2013 9:27:17 GMT
Next year is the centenary of the start of world war one, the LT museum are re-creating a 'battle bus' at a massive cost!!! I think the project is close to the £1 million mark. I'm guessing the year of the bus and this battle bus will be all linked in together. Sure and I'm going to be horribly controversial here but I'm not terribly interested in buses from 1914. I'm sure there is great historical merit in restoring such an old vehicle and I don't doubt that there will be enormous interest in it but I don't see that that really supports the tag line "year of the bus". If we're just going to have people getting "frothy mouthed" about certain bus types because there is a convenient couple of anniversaries then I still don't see the justification. Call me a miserable old git if you wish but I just don't "get it". While it is nice that people preserve vehicles at their own expense and allow us to ride on them on running days I'm perhaps not quite the right age to appreciate them. As a non Londoner (by birth) I don't share the great hostalgia about RTs or even RMs. RMs were going from the suburbs when I arrived in London and while I used them in Zone 1 for years they're not really my "yardstick" for my own favourite buses which are inevitably non London types and certainly those without rear platforms! I am looking forward to seeing MD60 emerge from its restoration as it'll be lovely to ride on a Metropolitan again. While I recognise the importance of the WW1 centenary I sincerely hope we will not be awash with a year's worth of sentimental nonsense. An appropriate commemoration is all that is really required (IMO). I fear that the country will completely overdo things as we're seemingly in "worship the military" mode at the moment - another thing I really do not understand but then I'm usually out of step with "popular culture" (whatever that is). Agree with you on nearly all your points Snoggle. I am looking forward to MD 60 being returned to its former glory, as I believe it is only one of two remaining. With the B type being restored I believe the chassis and running units are the only original 'bits' used the body is all new so IMO it is a bit of a farce. I guess time will tell with what other bits and bobs will happen with the year of the bus!! |
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Post by twobellstogo on Dec 15, 2013 10:09:41 GMT
Sure and I'm going to be horribly controversial here but I'm not terribly interested in buses from 1914. I'm sure there is great historical merit in restoring such an old vehicle and I don't doubt that there will be enormous interest in it but I don't see that that really supports the tag line "year of the bus". If we're just going to have people getting "frothy mouthed" about certain bus types because there is a convenient couple of anniversaries then I still don't see the justification. Call me a miserable old git if you wish but I just don't "get it". While it is nice that people preserve vehicles at their own expense and allow us to ride on them on running days I'm perhaps not quite the right age to appreciate them. As a non Londoner (by birth) I don't share the great hostalgia about RTs or even RMs. RMs were going from the suburbs when I arrived in London and while I used them in Zone 1 for years they're not really my "yardstick" for my own favourite buses which are inevitably non London types and certainly those without rear platforms! I am looking forward to seeing MD60 emerge from its restoration as it'll be lovely to ride on a Metropolitan again. While I recognise the importance of the WW1 centenary I sincerely hope we will not be awash with a year's worth of sentimental nonsense. An appropriate commemoration is all that is really required (IMO). I fear that the country will completely overdo things as we're seemingly in "worship the military" mode at the moment - another thing I really do not understand but then I'm usually out of step with "popular culture" (whatever that is). Agree with you on nearly all your points Snoggle. I am looking forward to MD 60 being returned to its former glory, as I believe it is only one of two remaining. With the B type being restored I believe the chassis and running units are the only original 'bits' used the body is all new so IMO it is a bit of a farce. I guess time will tell with what other bits and bobs will happen with the year of the bus!! I may well be wrong, but I thought it was a restoration to service bus condition of the former IWM B type bus (B43), in which case, at least part of the body will be original. MD60 was not that far away from being ready for Ensignbus' running day last weekend, so, all being well, that will be out and about next year. Metropolitans were part of the streetscape here in SE London for a few years, so it will be good to see the bus restored. guybowden, I think there are three still extant, MD60, MD100 which is restored in Reading livery, and I believe MD9 is still being used somewhere as a mobile home. snoggle : I agree with much of what you say. I don't really see why RM60 and RT75 can't stand on their own (excellent) merits. However, I can't agree with your views on RTs and (particularly) RMs. Those buses are most lovely  |
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Post by guybowden on Dec 15, 2013 11:51:59 GMT
Agree with you on nearly all your points Snoggle. I am looking forward to MD 60 being returned to its former glory, as I believe it is only one of two remaining. With the B type being restored I believe the chassis and running units are the only original 'bits' used the body is all new so IMO it is a bit of a farce. I guess time will tell with what other bits and bobs will happen with the year of the bus!! I may well be wrong, but I thought it was a restoration to service bus condition of the former IWM B type bus (B43), in which case, at least part of the body will be original. MD60 was not that far away from being ready for Ensignbus' running day last weekend, so, all being well, that will be out and about next year. Metropolitans were part of the streetscape here in SE London for a few years, so it will be good to see the bus restored. guybowden, I think there are three still extant, MD60, MD100 which is restored in Reading livery, and I believe MD9 is still being used somewhere as a mobile home. snoggle : I agree with much of what you say. I don't really see why RM60 and RT75 can't stand on their own (excellent) merits. However, I can't agree with your views on RTs and (particularly) RMs. Those buses are most lovely This is what I have been told by someone who knows the curator at the LT Museum very well. Someone/ people at the LT Museum wanted to do their B type up as the battle bus, this was rejected as their B type didn't go to the front line so wouldn't get lottery funding. Then the same person/ people had the idea of using the IWM's B type, they rejected it aswell. Then the person/ people found some brothers (I can't remember their name) who had bits or complete but unrestored B types, bought them for £250,000 and are using all these bits to create one complete B type chassis and patterns for the body work. I haven't seen this person who has told me this for a few weeks so I don't know what the latest is on the project. |
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Post by snoggle on Dec 15, 2013 11:54:21 GMT
snoggle : I agree with much of what you say. I don't really see why RM60 and RT75 can't stand on their own (excellent) merits. However, I can't agree with your views on RTs and (particularly) RMs. Those buses are most lovely I didn't say they were not lovely. I just said they were not personal favourites of mine. I think "favourite buses" tend to be those you grew up with and travelled on. Therefore it is nice yellow Atlanteans and Metropolitans for me with added red Bristol FLFs, MWs, LHs, REs and VRTS with added Northern General Leopards, Atlanteans and howling Fleetlines. Oh and Leyland Nationals too. I'm fairly sure I also travelled on NG Routemasters but had no concept of them being "special" when doing so. Oh I'll add in a smattering of the OK Motor Services "heinz varieties" bus and coach fleet - another personal favourite company. Almost all of what I enjoyed riding on have disappeared whereas London's past types are gloriously over represented in comparison. Enthusiasts of London bus types are really pretty spoilt when it comes to preservation. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2013 12:22:01 GMT
The YoTB will allow all involved in the provision of bus services in London the opportunity to celebrate what we do day in and day out to keep London moving. Does the average member of the public know the history, realise the work that goes in to getting the bus to them everyday and understand the values that person behind the wheel of their bus has to offer? I suspect the answer to all of them is no, and perhaps they do not actually care as that part of their daily routine is so small and insignificant when it works that why should they.
In a way, that is the point. What we do on a daily basis we do week in week out people shouldn't notice we are there a bit like oxygen. Taken for granted, vital and when removed, missed dearly!
YoTB will, to some degree, allow us to shout about what we do and publicise the fact that our staff on the frontline are people too, and some of them have special qualities that the brief interaction people have with them on a daily basis would not allow them to understand.
Whilst there will inevitably be some enthusiast driven events, but it is not intended to be a 365 day grice-a-thon.
We do have some ideas to make the bus stand out across the Stagecoach operation next year but a lot of what is being planned (by that I mean seeds of thought in my mind) is more about the staff than the enthusiast.
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Post by snoggle on Dec 15, 2013 20:01:10 GMT
The YoTB will allow all involved in the provision of bus services in London the opportunity to celebrate what we do day in and day out to keep London moving. Does the average member of the public know the history, realise the work that goes in to getting the bus to them everyday and understand the values that person behind the wheel of their bus has to offer? I suspect the answer to all of them is no, and perhaps they do not actually care as that part of their daily routine is so small and insignificant when it works that why should they. In a way, that is the point. What we do on a daily basis we do week in week out people shouldn't notice we are there a bit like oxygen. Taken for granted, vital and when removed, missed dearly! YoTB will, to some degree, allow us to shout about what we do and publicise the fact that our staff on the frontline are people too, and some of them have special qualities that the brief interaction people have with them on a daily basis would not allow them to understand. Whilst there will inevitably be some enthusiast driven events, but it is not intended to be a 365 day grice-a-thon. We do have some ideas to make the bus stand out across the Stagecoach operation next year but a lot of what is being planned (by that I mean seeds of thought in my mind) is more about the staff than the enthusiast. Well it's nice to get a bit of extra insight. I agree with you about the "unsung hero" element of providing a bus service that people only notice when it's not there for some reason. If there is to be a proper celebration of the role of the bus then a 365 day "grice a thon" wouldn't work either. I can completely understand your desire to "promote" the staff and their qualities - I just hope it doesn't get too "vomit inducing" or twee. Sometimes this "staff are the heroes" emphasis can backfire if it focuses too much on one grade or one location. I understand one of the series about the Tube got peoples' backs up because of the emphasis on the Network Control Centre to the detriment of other people who control trains. As a "head office" person at the time I know that there was a bit of resentment about the lack of comment or reference to what people there do - I don't need to tell you that it is a total team effort to make a bus or a train business work properly. I've been lucky enough to get a visit / guided tour to West Ham garage in response to my complaining about an obnoxious East London bus driver a few years ago. I also thoroughly enjoyed the guided tour of Merton Garage a few weeks ago - so much that I emailed Go Ahead London to tell them! I think those sorts of things are enjoyed by the public and enthusiasts as there is always something to learn or to see. One thing I'd really like to see explained to people in more detail than I've ever seen is how I-Bus and Countdown help to run buses better and how the controllers use it, what the drivers do with it and what the information from the system is used for. I know there are some "commercial" bits to that but I'm sure that promoting understanding of I-Bus and Countdown would be a good thing for TfL and the Bus Companies. Also highlighting what it *cannot* do (e.g. make traffic jams disappear!) might adjust passenger expectations a bit. Well I look forward to taking part in the "Stagecoach Have a Drive of a Volvo Hybrid double deck" event.  |
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Post by snoggle on Jan 27, 2014 9:51:16 GMT
A bit more info about Year of the Bus has emerged today. Apparently there is a Boris "launch" later but the press release embargo was lifted Mayorwatch articleNote the reference to silver liveried LT150 being used on route 10. And now the London Assembly deliver a sharp reminder about hype and TfL not having responded to any of its Bus Report recommendations. Note also a follow up meeting on buses on 19 February. Assembly press releaseEDIT - TfL TweetSECOND EDIT - TfL Press ReleaseLT150 starts on route 9 and moves to route 10 when it converts to NB4Ls. |
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