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Post by twobellstogo on Jan 26, 2017 22:19:10 GMT
This book is out now - and comes highly recommended by me.
Whether you like DMSs or not, whether you even remember them or not, the DMS story is without doubt one of the most fascinating and interesting in London bus history. It's a book that's well overdue, and is very well written with some excellent pictures.
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Post by vjaska on Jan 26, 2017 22:56:44 GMT
This book is out now - and comes highly recommended by me. Whether you like DMSs or not, whether you even remember them or not, the DMS story is without doubt one of the most fascinating and interesting in London bus history. It's a book that's well overdue, and is very well written with some excellent pictures. I need to pick my one up from my old address lol. |
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Post by busman on Jan 26, 2017 23:14:22 GMT
Matthew Wharmby used to have an excellent bus blog. I fondly remember his coverage of the last routemasters on the 159. That was a sad occasion ðŸ˜. The DMS is an all time classic. They seem like marmite, but I was a fan. The original OPO bus before they got wiped out by the MCW Metrobus and Leyland Titans.
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Post by Alex on Jan 26, 2017 23:28:37 GMT
This book is out now - and comes highly recommended by me. Whether you like DMSs or not, whether you even remember them or not, the DMS story is without doubt one of the most fascinating and interesting in London bus history. It's a book that's well overdue, and is very well written with some excellent pictures. Thank you for the pointer - I would agree that the DMS story is one of great interest, and the nature of them ties in with other ill fated ideas of the time (tower blocks being one) in the capital. Things like this make that era very interesting indeed. Not sure if I can remember one out on the road (I can remember Titans, Metrobuses and even going on a LS class in Wimbledon once with my mum - I must have been about five years old!) but I certainly remember the cab section they had in the London Transport Museum. I think there's a photo of me as a very young Alex, sat in said DMS cab, with an embarrassing shell suit on  |
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Post by vjaska on Jan 27, 2017 0:06:01 GMT
This book is out now - and comes highly recommended by me. Whether you like DMSs or not, whether you even remember them or not, the DMS story is without doubt one of the most fascinating and interesting in London bus history. It's a book that's well overdue, and is very well written with some excellent pictures. Thank you for the pointer - I would agree that the DMS story is one of great interest, and the nature of them ties in with other ill fated ideas of the time (tower blocks being one) in the capital. Things like this make that era very interesting indeed. Not sure if I can remember one out on the road (I can remember Titans, Metrobuses and even going on a LS class in Wimbledon once with my mum - I must have been about five years old!) but I certainly remember the cab section they had in the London Transport Museum. I think there's a photo of me as a very young Alex, sat in said DMS cab, with an embarrassing shell suit on I'm jealous that you remember a LS ride as I've never even rode one lol. The P4 was the only route in my area IIRC that had some but that was before I was born. I've only ever rode two DMS and both were at rallies. |
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Post by Alex on Jan 27, 2017 0:36:13 GMT
I'm jealous that you remember a LS ride as I've never even rode one lol. Without going toooo off topic, I'll mention it's a very, very distant memory. However I had more experience of the Leyland Nationals in the Stagecoach Hampshire Bus/Hants & Surrey areas in the late 1990's. If you haven't been on one, all I will say is that the gear changing is a bit of an art form. You can tell an experienced National driver from a not-so-experienced one  |
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Post by snoggle on Jan 27, 2017 0:43:24 GMT
Thank you for the pointer - I would agree that the DMS story is one of great interest, and the nature of them ties in with other ill fated ideas of the time (tower blocks being one) in the capital. Things like this make that era very interesting indeed. Not sure if I can remember one out on the road (I can remember Titans, Metrobuses and even going on a LS class in Wimbledon once with my mum - I must have been about five years old!) but I certainly remember the cab section they had in the London Transport Museum. I think there's a photo of me as a very young Alex, sat in said DMS cab, with an embarrassing shell suit on I'm jealous that you remember a LS ride as I've never even rode one lol. The P4 was the only route in my area IIRC that had some but that was before I was born. I've only ever rode two DMS and both were at rallies. My most memorable DMS ride was in Hong Kong! On a China Motor Bus imported vehicle on a manic ride "over the top" from Stanley to Central on HK Island. There is a fast route using a tunnel or the traditional narrow, twisty, hanging off a cliff "over the top" route. I have few DMS memories in London as they had long departed NE London by the time I arrived. I'm sure I must have used them on some of the early LRT contracted routes plus in S London. However the only trip I can now remember is when one appeared on route 24 a few years ago on a "running day". And just to wind vjaska up I used to regularly use LSs on the old 230 from Finsbury Park to home when I was first a student. Helped me piece together a few bits of road between F Park and E17. I then had NBC spec ones when Eastern National took over the 20/206/275 in E17 plus on the 251 Southend service. I can also still remember the very first time I heard a brand new one come down my street in Newcastle - I went hareing out the front door to see what it was.  |
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Post by busman on Jan 27, 2017 13:47:06 GMT
I was able to ride DMS's all the way into the early 90's as London Buslines used to have a few in their fleet. They regularly made appearances on the 92 and I would always wait for a DMS if I saw one terminating at Ealing Hospital. I remember that the London Buslines DMS's weren't much fun in the winter - really cold and damp, but I loved the engine sound and that caved-in rear profile was a novelty compared to the M's and TN/TNL's that were so prevalent at the time. The DMS was my favourite bus on route 92 until their new brand new LA's with luminous green on black blinds came into service. They looked futuristic at the time believe it or not 😂
For the record does anyone know when the last DMS ran on a normal route and what the route was? (not including running days)
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Post by John tuthill on Jan 27, 2017 14:09:18 GMT
I was able to ride DMS's all the way into the early 90's as London Buslines used to have a few in their fleet. They regularly made appearances on the 92 and I would always wait for a DMS if I saw one terminating at Ealing Hospital. I remember that the London Buslines DMS's weren't much fun in the winter - really cold and damp, but I loved the engine sound and that caved-in rear profile was a novelty compared to the M's and TN/TNL's that were so prevalent at the time. The DMS was my favourite bus on route 92 until their new brand new LA's with luminous green on black blinds came into service. They looked futuristic at the time believe it or not 😂 For the record does anyone know when the last DMS ran on a normal route and what the route was? (not including running days) Check out "Ian's Bus Stop" web page, it gives a pretty comprehensive history of the type |
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Post by paulsw2 on Jan 27, 2017 14:12:22 GMT
I was able to ride DMS's all the way into the early 90's as London Buslines used to have a few in their fleet. They regularly made appearances on the 92 and I would always wait for a DMS if I saw one terminating at Ealing Hospital. I remember that the London Buslines DMS's weren't much fun in the winter - really cold and damp, but I loved the engine sound and that caved-in rear profile was a novelty compared to the M's and TN/TNL's that were so prevalent at the time. The DMS was my favourite bus on route 92 until their new brand new LA's with luminous green on black blinds came into service. They looked futuristic at the time believe it or not 😂 For the record does anyone know when the last DMS ran on a normal route and what the route was? (not including running days) Last LT company DMS 2438 was put out on a special service 459 Chipstead Valley - Hammond Street on 3rd January 1993 and ran a couple of days later on route 130 |
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Post by capitalomnibus on Jan 27, 2017 16:31:16 GMT
Thank you for the pointer - I would agree that the DMS story is one of great interest, and the nature of them ties in with other ill fated ideas of the time (tower blocks being one) in the capital. Things like this make that era very interesting indeed. Not sure if I can remember one out on the road (I can remember Titans, Metrobuses and even going on a LS class in Wimbledon once with my mum - I must have been about five years old!) but I certainly remember the cab section they had in the London Transport Museum. I think there's a photo of me as a very young Alex, sat in said DMS cab, with an embarrassing shell suit on I'm jealous that you remember a LS ride as I've never even rode one lol. The P4 was the only route in my area IIRC that had some but that was before I was born. I've only ever rode two DMS and both were at rallies. I remember waiting for them more than anything else during the 80's. Freezing cold forever waits. Even up to an hour at times. Would never forget that unusual tickly engine sound at idle. Memories of riding the 235, 236, 230. Then later Eastern National versions which were single door and longer on the 206, 20 I used to ride. Last ones in service I would have rode would have been on the 251 and 551. |
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Post by busman on Jan 27, 2017 16:35:09 GMT
I was able to ride DMS's all the way into the early 90's as London Buslines used to have a few in their fleet. They regularly made appearances on the 92 and I would always wait for a DMS if I saw one terminating at Ealing Hospital. I remember that the London Buslines DMS's weren't much fun in the winter - really cold and damp, but I loved the engine sound and that caved-in rear profile was a novelty compared to the M's and TN/TNL's that were so prevalent at the time. The DMS was my favourite bus on route 92 until their new brand new LA's with luminous green on black blinds came into service. They looked futuristic at the time believe it or not 😂 For the record does anyone know when the last DMS ran on a normal route and what the route was? (not including running days) Last LT company DMS 2438 was put out on a special service 459 Chipstead Valley - Hammond Street on 3rd January 1993 and ran a couple of days later on route 130 Are you absolutely sure? The reason I ask is that the London Buslines DMS's were blinded for St Raphaels Estate, Drury Way and according to Londonbuses.co.uk, that extension didn't kick in until July 1993. I think that DMS's were around up until 1995/96 on London Buslines routes. |
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Post by snoggle on Jan 27, 2017 17:44:26 GMT
Last LT company DMS 2438 was put out on a special service 459 Chipstead Valley - Hammond Street on 3rd January 1993 and ran a couple of days later on route 130 Are you absolutely sure? The reason I ask is that the London Buslines DMS's were blinded for St Raphaels Estate, Drury Way and according to Londonbuses.co.uk, that extension didn't kick in until July 1993. I think that DMS's were around up until 1995/96 on London Buslines routes. The reply was carefully caveated with "last LT company" which I take as a former LBSL subsidiary company rather than a brand new entrant like London Buslines. |
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Post by busman on Jan 27, 2017 20:13:34 GMT
Well spotted Sir 😎
I'm interested in when the last DMS ran on a London route as part of a regular timetabled duty. Maybe I ought to buy the book!
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Post by paulsw2 on Jan 28, 2017 11:32:11 GMT
Are you absolutely sure? The reason I ask is that the London Buslines DMS's were blinded for St Raphaels Estate, Drury Way and according to Londonbuses.co.uk, that extension didn't kick in until July 1993. I think that DMS's were around up until 1995/96 on London Buslines routes. The reply was carefully caveated with "last LT company" which I take as a former LBSL subsidiary company rather than a brand new entrant like London Buslines. A slight correction the 459 ran on 2nd Jan 1993 and DMS2438 worked until about 20th Jan on 130/X30 If I remember correctly London Buslines lost there DMS's in 1991 |
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