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Post by southlondonbus on Apr 15, 2020 19:51:12 GMT
I think it continued with Ms and Ts aswell. Can't do it now.
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Post by Alex on Apr 15, 2020 21:38:13 GMT
RM's & RT's were not invulnerable to break downs either - whether modern buses break down more or less is not for me to say. I don't know about the RT, but I have read in several places the RMs were rebuilt every six years or so.... |
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Post by britishguy54 on Apr 15, 2020 21:56:36 GMT
In a word, no. Absolutely no. Here in Bexley, we have little interest in travel to Lakeside when Bluewater is so much easier to get to. I’m rather more positive about the X80’s credentials than snoggle: the X80 seems to be doing well on my observations but a TfL service would kill it stone dead. My proposal was not necessarily about linking Bexleyheath or indeed Dartford with Lakeside, but rather linking these two parts of London, Romford and Dartford/Bexleyheath. From there other continued journeys are open. It would save travelling into central London and out again. I live in Ilford but regularly travel to Bexleyheath to my barbers,( there's a great barbershop in Pickford Lane), it's so time consuming. What's really needed is a new bridge, Rainham to Erith would be ideal, though I've read somewhere that a Thamesmead to Barking bridge was mooted. I don't know the X80 , but if it's a stopping service then it shouldn't suffer from a new TFL non stopping route. The Thamesmead/Barking bridge could potentially be done by a DLR/Overground extension to Abbey Wood/Bexleyheath (maybe even a new tunnel similar to Woolwich), which would be good, plus the Elizabeth Line could be extended to Dartford or even Gravesend as TfL have gone out west to Reading and Maidenhead. |
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Post by John tuthill on Apr 15, 2020 22:18:15 GMT
RM's & RT's were not invulnerable to break downs either - whether modern buses break down more or less is not for me to say. I don't know about the RT, but I have read in several places the RMs were rebuilt every six years or so.... If you haven't tried it already, go onto 'youTube' and enter "Aldenham works"  |
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Post by redbus on Apr 16, 2020 23:24:23 GMT
RM's & RT's were not invulnerable to break downs either - whether modern buses break down more or less is not for me to say. I don't know about the RT, but I have read in several places the RMs were rebuilt every six years or so.... Yes, the RMs were supposed to be rebuilt at Aldenham works, which is why some didn't keep their original chassis and body as they got 'swapped' at rebuild time. Once Aldenham closed the practice stopped and eventually RM(L) reliability plummeted until the major refurbishment of the RML stock took place when modern lighting etc was introduced. |
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Post by busaholic on Apr 17, 2020 12:41:52 GMT
I remember the RMs broken down with a bench seat cushion propped up against the back of the bus. The early days of mass RM introduction, which started at Poplar and West Ham in late 1959, saw quite a lot of on-the-road breakdowns, probably not aided by so many of their drivers having been trolleybus, and even tram, drivers immediately before that,Radiator and cooling problems were particularly prevalent, I believe, and tweaks were certainly made to new buses coming off the production line, most obviously when the non-opening top front windows were got rid of on new stock the following year. An enthusiast, like me, wouldn't have seen too many of these broken=down buses though as the breakdown guys were usually on the scene within minutes, |
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Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 18, 2020 21:22:44 GMT
The thing is thst RTs RMs were custom made for London traffic not off the peg like modern day. This is why so many break down Load of rubbish. The engines you have in many modern day buses are far more suitable. If you had RT's running now in service putting in hours from around 5am up until after midnight near on 7 days, they would not last. The RT's and RM's were stripped and rebuilt every 5-6 years IIRC, modern buses do not get that treatment. The hours buses are putting in is far more extensive than the 60's and 70's. London is now a 24 hour city, some garages, buses barely get a break apart from servicing etc. The things now that are classed as breakdowns are extensive. Back in the days many of these items would be brushed under the carpet and carry on. Things like a broken mirror, puncture, ramp not working, ABS light, milkshake spilled on floor, etc the list goes on would be classed as a breakdown.
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Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 18, 2020 21:26:16 GMT
The thing is thst RTs RMs were custom made for London traffic not off the peg like modern day. This is why so many break down The Titan was also built solely for London use in mind and it did it's job clearly by the fact it performed in regular London service for over 20 years yet you disregarded it as 'not a proper bus' Why buses break down today is because they are a lot more advanced than a RT or RM and contain many electronic and mechanical parts in comparison. RM's & RT's were not invulnerable to break downs either - whether modern buses break down more or less is not for me to say. I just see what "londonboy71" says as a typical rose tinted glasses comment. The RM's were good but they did have their faults when new and even up until the last days in service as they were not being overhauled, plus many went onto 3 different engine changes after original AEC units were getting tired. Remember Iveco, Scania then even Cummins engines. I remember on many RM routes which had sufficient RM spares in the last days of the routemaster had to get conventional deckers being used as crew buses.
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Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 18, 2020 21:27:53 GMT
I remember the RMs broken down with a bench seat cushion propped up against the back of the bus. This was done because they had no hazard lights fitted. This was still done by drivers on buses that had hazard lights fitted as it was a standard practice. although in the early 2000's as bench seats gave away to individual seats, this practice then started to cease. |
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Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 18, 2020 21:29:04 GMT
I think it continued with Ms and Ts aswell. Can't do it now. The M's and T's never had hazard light switch circuit fitted, hence why this was done. I think in the late 90's one or two London operators did fit some hazard switch circuits to Metrobuses, most did not. |
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Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 18, 2020 21:30:03 GMT
RM's & RT's were not invulnerable to break downs either - whether modern buses break down more or less is not for me to say. I don't know about the RT, but I have read in several places the RMs were rebuilt every six years or so.... They were at Aldenham and Chiswick. Some Titans and Metrobuses were also treated, before the works were closed. |
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Post by M1104 on Apr 18, 2020 23:29:57 GMT
I remember the RMs broken down with a bench seat cushion propped up against the back of the bus. This was done because they had no hazard lights fitted. This was still done by drivers on buses that had hazard lights fitted as it was a standard practice. although in the early 2000's as bench seats gave away to individual seats, this practice then started to cease. I believe some RMs 'may' have had aftermarket hazard lights fitted as I recall as a kid a Merton-based one on the 77 flashing and accompanied by a loud intermittent buzzer sounding (unless that particular bus had an experimental feature). I always wondered why it took so many years for hazard features to be fitted on buses. Mind you, reversing lights weren't even standard on all cars during production until around the late 70s. |
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Post by londonboy71 on Apr 20, 2020 19:01:54 GMT
This was done because they had no hazard lights fitted. This was still done by drivers on buses that had hazard lights fitted as it was a standard practice. although in the early 2000's as bench seats gave away to individual seats, this practice then started to cease. I believe some RMs 'may' have had aftermarket hazard lights fitted as I recall as a kid a Merton-based one on the 77 flashing and accompanied by a loud intermittent buzzer sounding (unless that particular bus had an experimental feature). I always wondered why it took so many years for hazard features to be fitted on buses. Mind you, reversing lights weren't even standard on all cars during production until around the late 70s. I was referring more to RTs than RMs. Todays buses are very heavy on the brakes |
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Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 20, 2020 22:02:07 GMT
This was done because they had no hazard lights fitted. This was still done by drivers on buses that had hazard lights fitted as it was a standard practice. although in the early 2000's as bench seats gave away to individual seats, this practice then started to cease. I believe some RMs 'may' have had aftermarket hazard lights fitted as I recall as a kid a Merton-based one on the 77 flashing and accompanied by a loud intermittent buzzer sounding (unless that particular bus had an experimental feature). I always wondered why it took so many years for hazard features to be fitted on buses. Mind you, reversing lights weren't even standard on all cars during production until around the late 70s. I think the DartMaster (Marshall refurbs) had hazard light circuits fitted. |
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Apr 25, 2020 12:43:41 GMT
What's the earliest routes remembered as a child and what type buses were then used? Leyland National's on the 204 MCW Metrobuses on the 223 Swear blind I could remember DMS's on the 207, but after researching it, it must of been early rouge M workings with the white upper window surrounds whilst the route was still RM operated. I believe the DMS's were swept away the year before I was born! First bus journey on my own was aboard an MA on the U5, Between Hillingdon Hospital and Whitehall School, had to pay adult fare too if I remember, as it was before 09:00! Was cr@pping myself the whole journey!  There were crew DMs on route 207 from 1976 to 1980. Its then garages HL and (the previous) UX lost DMSs in 1981. |
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