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Post by vjaska on Jul 5, 2015 22:52:13 GMT
I didn't enjoy all of them - some were excellent whilst others were pants. DLA40-49 were bad, DLA2-10 & 58 were excellent whilst DLA63 is the worst bus I've ever used. Still, I really miss the good ones and I'd take them over any T's full stop. I'd even have DLA63 resurrected from the scrap yard just for the fact it was so bad lol. I remember when I first saw them on the road and was amazed at how slow they were, especially as they used similar engines to the SP* class deckers which were like rockets. It was around that time where I started to learn more about engine specs and gearboxes. Got amazed again when Thornton Heath got the supped up euro 3 variants. Had remembered one 52/03 reg DLA was still on factory settings where is it didn't change to second gear until 2200rpm... near enough 30 miles an hour. * - Optare Spectras on a DB250 chassis mainly on route 3/N3 back in the early 90s DLA9 & 10 were anything but slow. DLA10 was my favourite as it had a louder than usual air pressure noise alongside the fact it could easily keep up with much younger buses. Sadly, like the dog that is DLA63, it no longer exists. |
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Post by paulsw2 on Jul 6, 2015 1:04:46 GMT
SMS's DM's & RT's all from the same stop when travelling to school on the Purley Way chasing after RT's to photograph back in 76-78 crew operation on London Country routes
loads of showbuses from garages throughout London
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Post by M1199 on Jul 6, 2015 16:54:21 GMT
One of my earliest memories of traveling on a bus was on a Leyland National on the old 204 (now U4), heading towards Uxbridge, we came charging down the hill on Kingston Lane just before the junction with Hillingdon Road, as the driver swung it to the right , to go round the corner, the ticket machine flew off its mounting and into the front door well! The driver didn't even bother picking it up so thats where it stayed for the rest of the journey into Uxbridge.
Another is on the Metrobuses on the old 223 with my Gran & Grandad, they'd always sit in the front 4 seats facing the driver, cause they preferred to alight via the front door instead of the rear incase they got caught in the closing doors. It also meant I got to watch the driver in action.
Another thing that brings back memories I find is when you don't travel on a certain bus for a long time. 8041, V301MDP for example. I can remember back in 2000/1 when it was on the U3 almost all day, every day up until Tellings Golden Miller and Centrewest swapped the 490 & U3 with each other. I then didn't ride it for around 13years until last year, when I finally decided to hunt it down and sample it on the U9, Riding it through Uxbridge rolled the years back!
One more is D37, N637ACF, an Uxbridge vehicle allocated to the 331 but was used across all UX single decker routes, after it departed in 2001 for a new life, didn't think I'd ride it again, then in 2010 I was amazed when waiting for the 503 in Weymouth, it popped up! still had the same interior too! When I told my mates, that they would probably of ridden this bus many a time back in London, they wasn't very impressed!
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Post by overgroundcommuter on Jul 15, 2015 1:31:17 GMT
Riding a RM on Route 12 to Elmers End Garage, also when Route 176 moved to London & Country and they brought in buses from South Yorkshire to operate the service.
Leyland Nationals on the 12A/B, P4 and 227.
Also riding Titans on a regular basis!
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Post by wivenswold on Jul 15, 2015 22:26:14 GMT
First memory that I have is getting on a single decker with Mum from Barking Station to East Ham in order to meet Nan and Grandad for pie and mash at Robins. I assume it stuck out in my mind because I was used to getting RTs as wee child. I remember it being very crowded and noisy.
I reckon it must have been around 1974/75 and the bus would have been an SMS on either route 162 or 238.
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