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Post by Alex on Nov 9, 2015 23:46:06 GMT
Thank you for posting the 48 duty card and apologies it's taken me so long to reply. The card is more or less what I thought it would be and it's an interesting example. Thanks again Glad they went back to normal LT style duty cards. They did a First London under ELBG and used A4 size paper which was not popular and also did it in the way of written out instead of abbreviation. Also no looking from end to end of that type to easily make out how much rounds you have. Like this one: thelondonbuspeople.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/147-duty-card.htmlYes, it seemed a bit strange to see this sort in London - the ones in this style I have seen before are with provincial operators using the 'Trapeze' duty system. The one I remember Stagecoach (out of London) using in the 1990s was the 'Q Graph' system but guessing Trapeze has taken over most places. Go-Ahead use a similar sort of thing now, but two columns on one side of A5. Thing is, with London cards, if it's not broken, it's not worth fixing. I've seen timecards on Ebay from the 1930s which are the same format (left to right, timing points on top) so it's something that a lot of people are used to. Take it that 'TS' and 'DS' are time schedule and duty schedule? Also it's interesting to see that book on/off times, meal breaks and pay hours aren't shown on the schedule card. I know that out of London all this is presented on it. What are the new ones like? Is it a return to the ELBG style? Again, if the present version works it's not worth changing
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Post by Alex on Oct 28, 2015 0:09:50 GMT
Yes indeed......I was wondering what to do at Havering Park. I got off the 365 and walked round the corner to the 294 stop, saw a woman chatting to the driver on the other side of the road and wondered if I could indeed get on before the bus did the roundabout turn (which was quite impressive riding up top on the incoming 365 Scania). Being used to the PD stuff I decided to err on the side of caution and stay put, but the bus app gave me two stops for Havering Park so was toying with the idea I could get on at the stand....... As for not seeing anyone say thanks at PD/WH - that's until I get off! I either do one of three things, shout thanks, or raise hand for a few seconds, or, if I'm walking in the direction of the driver, give the raised hand (or a thumbs up) with the nod as I pass the entrance door. Many drivers on the routes I usually use seem shocked someone's done it
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Post by Alex on Oct 27, 2015 23:53:32 GMT
Hello 10301! Glad of the recent updates, and also glad to see you're doing well. Some work at NS sounds good! Was in the area myself the other day, I got engaged while on holiday recently, and my other half and I are looking to move into our own home next year. The significance of this being that I was interested to see what various areas of East London were like for perspective viewings. So off I went on the tube to Elm Park, then 365, then the 294 and TfL Rail back to Stratford.....(only two buses - not worth me putting in the bus ride thread ) It certainly is an interesting part of the world, NS seems to have the friendliest passengers I have seen! Many on the 294 (both young and old) shouting "Thank you driver" as they got off, something you don't really see on the PD or WH routes (which I frequent). Was an interesting outing, lots of TA's and I can see why the 294 has the short TA's.....that corner on Dagnam/Whitchurch is a bit tight. I think it has been posted elsewhere that the NS routes seem a bit more down to earth than other areas, with friendly passengers and drivers allowing people on while at a stand. Is the wait still about three years or so to get there? Can you go on the waiting list for multiple garages? Was thinking, would going to RM in the short term (while still having a place on the NS list) be something you could do? I read you like Scanias and there's lots of them on the 365/248. The one I rode on whilst riding the 365 (15004) was a different experience to the PD ones I'm used to. The seats were much more padded and the suspension seemed a lot nicer. It even looked different from the outside, seemed more 'silvery' - if you see what I mean. A quick question about the duty cards, are the timing points/abbreviations you would see on the TfL schedules (working timetables via Timetable Graveyard) the ones you would also see on the duty card too? It seems to match up, the PD cards seem to have enough columns to match the ones on the net. I'm still waiting with baited breath for the schedules to come live on the TfL site, but they are taking ages..... Cheers now, and happy driving!
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Post by Alex on Oct 11, 2015 0:08:39 GMT
No it was London Central E200 which is an Enviro 400 double deck. Ah, I see! I read that as E200 being a bus type (like saying "PVL on this" etc).......I actually went through LVF and thought I couldn't spot any single deckers.........
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Post by Alex on Oct 10, 2015 22:35:34 GMT
123 Tube 45 - E200 on this. Buggy wars at only the second stop on a Saturday?! I thought I was the only one who thought of names - my phrase is 'pushchair wars' when a standoff starts as nobody wants to fold the buggy.......plus was it deffo an E200? I don't know the 45 that well but from what I recall a single decker would be a bit of a novelty....
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Post by Alex on Oct 10, 2015 22:22:07 GMT
I have travelled on many bus routes, but out of those I can't say I've travelled on *that* many end to end. Looking through the list and using some quite distant memories here goes: 37, 53, 71, 74, 75, 77, 93, 96, 99, 109, 122, 151, 157, 163, 164, 177, 200, 213, 265, 269, 312, 413, 422, 453, 469, 472, 507, C3, X68, N1, N13, N21 (When it was Foots Cray - Traf. Square), N89, N97, N155 Mainly centre around AL and PD garages, as they are the areas I have lived. Couple of odd ones in there though, like the N13 (used when I visited someone at North Finchley and had to trek home)..........some are regular, I use the (N)53 each worknight to go home and I use the whole 122 in both directions each Wednesday when I go to Croydon....... Not much more to add really. A fair bit in East London and some odds and ends...... 5, 9, 34, 54, 58, 69, 86, 101, 104, 115, 132, 147 (albeit Ilford to Prince Regent due to 541), 154, 156, 158, 197, 229, 238, 330, 380, 381, 386, 473, N9....... But my list is still nowhere near the length of some........ But this is just end to end - I've used many more routes but not for the whole length.
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Post by Alex on Oct 10, 2015 14:10:02 GMT
if you have an old contract that pays a good hourly rate.....hang onto it..... Stagecoach you start on the lowest rate for a 'pcv holder' and have to work your way up although it's not very far up but takes 5 years. Thanks gents - just to mention, the chap I'm thinking of currently isn't a bus driver (he has his PCV licence but is doing a different driving job), so the leaving company thing wouldn't really apply in this case. I'm sure if he was still in the industry he could find this all out for himself I can see how it works, the 'PCV Holder' rate is above the 'trainee from scratch' rate but still with progression. That is more or less what I expected it to be, and I'll pass on. Thanks again for replies
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Post by Alex on Oct 9, 2015 23:20:00 GMT
Just a quick question regarding starting employment with a company, if you already hold the PCV. How many companies offer new starters a higher rate if the licence is already held? I have seen an advert for Arriva which states the existing PCV holders will get a higher rate than the non PCV holders, and was wondering if this is common - or is it a case that you merely skip a band and still have to work way up to the highest? I'm asking for my girlfriend's brother-in-law, he is a PCV holder and the impression he gets is that it's different from company to company. The Arriva advert makes it clear what their policy is, but I've heard it reported (on union pages on the net surrounding bus strikes earlier this year) that if someone leaves a company, they have to start all over again on the scale with the new company etc..... I'm not asking for any figures or anything, just what the general jist is and if some operators are better than others I recall in the 1990s if you had the licence (Stagecoach outside London) you went straight on to the top rate, but apparently this has changed since then.....
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Post by Alex on Oct 8, 2015 16:33:42 GMT
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Post by Alex on Oct 8, 2015 12:42:39 GMT
Thanks TR* - I guess the race to the top will be hard if it's a handful of positions, but I shall pass the info on anyhow. Thanks again for the info.
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Post by Alex on Oct 8, 2015 12:20:24 GMT
How many do they need? I know someone who needs a job and this would suit them down to the ground Thanks for posting.
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Post by Alex on Oct 3, 2015 22:39:42 GMT
District Line. Nice to get a D stock rather than a computer on wheels. I'm glad it's known out there that this is the case.......S Stock is indeed a very different beast to the way I learnt my job on the C69/77 Stock trains...it's not a very fast computer either Anyhow - I am thinking of a way to get a big ride in next week to compliment this thread deservingly....watch this space! As long as I get clearance from the boss (she who must be obeyed) for a day to do this
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Post by Alex on Oct 3, 2015 22:30:49 GMT
That's absolutely horrific - especially reading that an eight year old passed away. Goodness knows what their mum and dad are going through........ It's not something the others involved will ever forget, and hoping the healing process is swiftest and easiest as it can be, though I realise this is easier said than done
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Post by Alex on Oct 3, 2015 22:10:31 GMT
Clearly a former provincial bus driver where it wasn't uncommon to have "Service" or "United" as the destination. "Arriva" is the modern day equivalent. Yes - I know what you mean. One example I can think of was the 59 route in Haslemere (Stagecoach Hants and Surrey in the 1990s) where the blind used a lot was 'TOWN SERVICE'.......I also met a driver in Basingstoke (again, 1990s) who would put the blinds on Bristol VRs as 'SERVICE' by getting the double lined 'WORKS SERVICE' display and nudging the service bit so it was in the middle of the display....... One of the messiest displays from that era I can remember was on this really unkept Leyland National at Aldershot, where one number blind was dayglo on black, the next was black on dayglo, and the final one was a minibus blind where two numbers showed at once! Even SI does better than that* (I think)..... * As widely commented on here, when I go for my regular walk through Silvertown towards meeting my other half, and spot the 474 with the via blind and main one the wrong way round, it does make me think (not literally, but it's quite naff)
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Post by Alex on Oct 2, 2015 0:15:26 GMT
Spotted someone going around on the 410 last night with 'Arriva' up as the destination....once stood outside the pub I was playing darts at, and secondly passed the same bus again whilst heading back on the 410 towards Crystal Palace. Sadly I didn't catch the number but the blind itself stuck out like a sore thumb.....
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