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Post by redbus on Apr 13, 2020 15:58:31 GMT
What's the earliest routes remembered as a child and what type buses were then used? Earliest routes I used were the 2, 2b, 13, 26, 74, 74B, 102, 113, 187 and 244. All were RM operated, except for the 74 and 74B which were RML, the 102 which was RT and the 244 which was SMS. This was the old 244 from Southgate Station to Golders Green Station. Also the 26 used to run from New Barnet to Victoria (not today's Waterloo - Hackney Wick route which is really the eastern end of the 6). It ran in two overlapping sections Barnet - Golders Green and North Finchley - Victoria (today's 13). |
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Post by wirewiper on Apr 13, 2020 16:21:56 GMT
What's the earliest routes remembered as a child and what type buses were then used? In terms of memories, my local bus route that ran past the end of my road was the Routemaster-operated 18, in the days when it ran to Edgware Station. I was vaguely aware that the 114 and 158 were operated by older buses, including some which had the route number at roof level and looked really ancient to me - the roofbox RTs. I also remember a green bus on the 230 which at the time only stood out to me for that reason, it would have been a RLH on loan from the Country Bus Division. When I was old enough to start using the buses on my own, my local route had become the SMS-operated 186 which at that time was only a short route between Edgware and Harrow, it has a counterpart 286 which also operated between Edgware and Harrow but took a longer route via Stanmore and Harrow Weald - this replaced part of the 114 which at the time still has RTs, along with the 158 which was still operating. There was a long route 182 that started at the same time as the 186 and 286, this ran between Watford and Junction and Wembley (Empire Pool) replacing parts of the 158 and 18 and was operated by single-door, fully seated MBs - I remember the electrical doors on these whirred, unlike the air doors on the SMSs that hissed. Also on the 182 you got small coloured paper tickets whereas on the 186 and 286 you got a printed ticket on a square of white paper. Finally there was the strange (to me) H1 route where you had to drop your fare into a clear plastic box and you didn't get a ticket at all. Or change. The first service changes I really became aware of came in October 1971, when the 114 was also converted to SMS and the 158 was finally withdrawn, also the long 182 was cut back to Harrow Weald and the 258 introduced between Watford Junction and Harrow, also with MBs. By this time I was exploring further, and became familiar with the RTs which still plied the 140 and 183 - I remember the latter going DMS in 1975 (by that time OMO conversions had slowed down dramatically and the 183 was the only route to be converted that year). |
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Post by paulsw2 on Apr 13, 2020 16:48:36 GMT
What's the earliest routes remembered as a child and what type buses were then used? DMS's on 64 SMS's 115/289 RT'S 119 RM'S 130b |
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Post by vjaska on Apr 13, 2020 17:10:38 GMT
I share one route with redbus in the 2B although later on when it became L operated rather than the RML era. Growing up, I also used the current 2 with L’s rather than the old 2 which is now the 322. Others that I remember as a child using were the 37 with M’s, 45 with T’s, 109 with L’s & M’s, 118 with M’s, 133 with VC’s, 159 with RM’s & 196 with various types over the years & 250 with L’s & M’s. The 3 I rarely used but I remember the proper SP’s well, 35 with T’s & 345’s with LDP’s or the odd T I’d see a lot when waiting for a 45 but the other Brixton routes were quite alien to me at the time |
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Post by southlondonbus on Apr 13, 2020 17:18:51 GMT
Did you ever take a 109 from TSQ to Croydon? That's a journey I'd have loved to have taken.
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Post by paulsw2 on Apr 13, 2020 18:28:06 GMT
Did you ever take a 109 from TSQ to Croydon? That's a journey I'd have loved to have taken. Purley to Purley via embankment was a good journey |
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Post by redbus on Apr 13, 2020 18:29:48 GMT
Did you ever take a 109 from TSQ to Croydon? That's a journey I'd have loved to have taken. No, not the 109, which used to be a Monday - Saturday route only. On Sundays there used to be the 59 which was a combination of the 159, 109 and 190 running between Old Coulsdon and West Hampstead using Westminster Bridge (109 routing). I have travelled the longer end to end distance of the 59 many a time which included Trafalgar Square - Croydon. |
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Post by M1104 on Apr 13, 2020 19:01:55 GMT
What's the earliest routes remembered as a child and what type buses were then used? 64, 109, 157, 250, 264, 289, 726 for me - Volvo Olympians on the 64 in blue and yellow colours, Arriva Ls on the 109 and 264, DLAs on the 250s, PDLs on the 289 and TGM B10BLEs on the 726! Those were the days. I still remember the 64 when it went all the way to Tooting Broadway, then with the DMS Fleetline. It's also the route that I last travelled on with one of Metrobus's East Lancs euro2 engined Tridents. |
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Post by M1104 on Apr 13, 2020 19:04:16 GMT
What's the earliest routes remembered as a child and what type buses were then used? DMS's on 64 SMS's 115/289 RT'S 119 RM'S 130b I also remember the SMS on the 200, the earliest route I actually remember them on. I also remember the DMS on the 181, which then ran through Tooting Broadway |
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Post by ronnie on Apr 13, 2020 19:19:26 GMT
What's the earliest routes remembered as a child and what type buses were then used? Some day the answer to this would be “LTs”!!! |
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Post by John tuthill on Apr 13, 2020 19:32:10 GMT
Did you ever take a 109 from TSQ to Croydon? That's a journey I'd have loved to have taken. Purley to Purley via embankment was a good journey On a RTW ;)Not my photo Attachment Deleted |
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Post by paulsw2 on Apr 13, 2020 19:51:49 GMT
64, 109, 157, 250, 264, 289, 726 for me - Volvo Olympians on the 64 in blue and yellow colours, Arriva Ls on the 109 and 264, DLAs on the 250s, PDLs on the 289 and TGM B10BLEs on the 726! Those were the days. I still remember the 64 when it went all the way to Tooting Broadway, then with the DMS Fleetline. It's also the route that I last travelled on with one of Metrobus's East Lancs euro2 engined Tridents. the 64 also holds the record for being the longest continually operated route with DMS (D) from 4/12/1971-14/3/92. |
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Post by SILENCED on Apr 13, 2020 19:56:07 GMT
What's the earliest routes remembered as a child and what type buses were then used? My first memories as a child using buses was going to visit my nan. What I know know to be to he SMS class were the first vehicles I can remember on the 12A, but they only lasted for a short time before being replaced by Leyland National ... which had big squeaky break issues when they were first introduced. Also remember seeing the 12, and remember some had 'dustbin lid' rear wheels and some did not. Since learnt these were RTs and RMs respectively. |
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Post by busaholic on Apr 13, 2020 19:56:19 GMT
What's the earliest routes remembered as a child and what type buses were then used? Some day the answer to this would be “LTs”!!! Ah, but WHICH LTs?  I can genuinely say pre-war RTs on the 182 Cannon Street to Woolwich, but then I can remember their predecessor, the DD trams on routes 44 and 46. When I say remember, the memories are exceedingly vague as I was so young but I was there for Last Tram Day! |
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Post by redexpress on Apr 13, 2020 20:32:52 GMT
What's the earliest routes remembered as a child and what type buses were then used? Bristol VRs on the 3/3A/3B... you may have guessed this wasn't in London!
Most of my childhood London memories involve travelling by tube rather than bus, but I do remember the lovely Ms on the W3 and W7; to my mind they made the dull VRs from back home seem positively ancient. As a child I was much more interested in new buses than old ones, so the RMs didn't really register with me (other than the oddity of having no doors), even though they were very much the dominant type in central London.
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I can genuinely say pre-war RTs on the 182 Cannon Street to Woolwich, but then I can remember their predecessor, the DD trams on routes 44 and 46. When I say remember, the memories are exceedingly vague as I was so young but I was there for Last Tram Day!