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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2019 8:08:30 GMT
Sorry if this is a dumb set of questions but, has London buses ever used the tunnel, is any vehicle now in service suitable for the tunnel and would a route be useful going via the tunnel?
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Post by galwhv69 on Aug 8, 2019 8:23:17 GMT
Sorry if this is a dumb set of questions but, has London buses ever used the tunnel, is any vehicle now in service suitable for the tunnel and would a route be useful going via the tunnel? The old 395 definitely used the tunnel and a P(something) I think. But with minibuses. I think all TFL routes are banned from using the tunnel. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2019 8:43:11 GMT
Sorry if this is a dumb set of questions but, has London buses ever used the tunnel, is any vehicle now in service suitable for the tunnel and would a route be useful going via the tunnel? The old 395 definitely used the tunnel and a P(something) I think. But with minibuses. I think all TFL routes are banned from using the tunnel. Yes that's correct it used small mini buses which sometimes also appeared on the W12 on Sundays. Before the 395 there was also route P14. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2019 8:54:13 GMT
Are vehicles now used on W12 suitable ? They're pretty compact I think.
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Post by John tuthill on Aug 8, 2019 8:57:28 GMT
Sorry if this is a dumb set of questions but, has London buses ever used the tunnel, is any vehicle now in service suitable for the tunnel and would a route be useful going via the tunnel? There was a time when DDs used the Rotherhithe, route 82. They used modified STLs with a domed roof and special tyres, where the walls would scrub the kerbs. Later RTLs were used. Due to the road surface being raised DDs can no longer run, as also the width of newer buses. Attached is a STL on the 108,in the Blackwall Tunnel. picture from Ken Blakers brilliant history of the STL(Capital Transport) Attachment Deleted |
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Post by galwhv69 on Aug 8, 2019 9:29:42 GMT
Can buses like the Metroline Solo's still fi?
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Post by snowman on Aug 8, 2019 9:51:39 GMT
Can buses like the Metroline Solo's still fi? No, there is now a 2.0m width restriction, and a 2 ton weight restriction (which actually excludes some big cars) |
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Post by londonboy71 on Aug 8, 2019 11:46:02 GMT
Bus 82 ran from Stepney East Station thru tunnel round Rotherhithe Street to Rotherhithe Station
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Post by busaholic on Aug 8, 2019 17:59:32 GMT
Sorry if this is a dumb set of questions but, has London buses ever used the tunnel, is any vehicle now in service suitable for the tunnel and would a route be useful going via the tunnel? There was a time when DDs used the Rotherhithe, route 82. They used modified STLs with a domed roof and special tyres, where the walls would scrub the kerbs. Later RTLs were used. Due to the road surface being raised DDs can no longer run, as also the width of newer buses. Attached is a STL on the 108,in the Blackwall Tunnel. picture from Ken Blakers brilliant history of the STL(Capital Transport) The buses used on the 82 were originally from Q garage, but were replaced by an allocation from Poplar (Athol Street) just before WW2. Poplar ( LT garage code C) was already the home of the 108/A through the longer Blackwall Tunnel and became known (unofficially) as the ''tunnel garage''. Its only other route through most of its existence until closure in 1961 was the 56, right round the Isle of Dogs from Blackwall Tunnel to Limehouse, with a remarkably high frequency by today's standards! When C closed all of its routes passed to the 'other' Poplar, code PR, which had been a tram, then trolleybus, depot until 1959. The 82 finished in October 1968, having been converted from RTL to RT operation for the last seven weeks of its life, whereupon bus operation through the Rotherhithe ceased. The 82's destination blinds featured a very unusual display, too, namely STEPNEY DIRECT (the latter word in upper case but smaller lettering) which I can only assume was used from the Rotherhithe end when a bus was particularly late and didn't want the bother of going all the way round the Rotherhithe Estate, which, by the way, was appallingly badly served by buses. |
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Post by 6HP502C on Aug 8, 2019 18:27:49 GMT
Sorry if this is a dumb set of questions but, has London buses ever used the tunnel, is any vehicle now in service suitable for the tunnel and would a route be useful going via the tunnel? Nowadays, probably not. The East London Line is a much more accessible and useful service than it was when buses ran through the tunnel. Even if buses could go through the tunnel, the service would be impossible to run reliably and would struggle to attract and retain custom. Every now and again buses do try and go through there - I've heard the NMCC's radio calls after double deck rail replacement buses have created chaos trying to get in. To be fair the height restriction is 15'6" and in all my time driving buses, I've not once been told how wide one is. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2019 19:41:00 GMT
I know this might sound mad BUT I remember back either in the late 90s or early 00 Ensign planned to submit a tender to run the 395 or P14 tender using RTs with specially adapted tyres.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2019 19:47:00 GMT
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Post by capitalomnibus on Aug 8, 2019 19:57:01 GMT
Are vehicles now used on W12 suitable ? They're pretty compact I think. No they would not be able to be used. When First run the W12 the Solos they had could not go on the 395, too wide (even though they were the slim version). IIRC the rules were changed again earlier this year and vans are now banned from using the tunnel, which creates even further pressure on Tower Bridge/Blackwall Tunnel. |
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Post by capitalomnibus on Aug 8, 2019 19:58:05 GMT
Can buses like the Metroline Solo's still fi? No, there is now a 2.0m width restriction, and a 2 ton weight restriction (which actually excludes some big cars) would struggle to use his R class in there now if he had it. |
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Post by ServerKing on Aug 8, 2019 21:01:39 GMT
No, there is now a 2.0m width restriction, and a 2 ton weight restriction (which actually excludes some big cars) would struggle to use his R class in there now if he had it. The R Class was 2.5 ton and was wide, lol... I got stuck in the Palace Car Park in Enfield, so embarrassing  Rotherhithe Tunnel is narrow at the best of times... I'm surprised the 395 bus coped back in the day when First ran it with the Sprinter bread vans Back in a BMW, a 3 series (temporary) whilst my X5 is undergoing repairs for a recall. The Nissan X Trail started to rattle like a Wrightbus so time for a change  |
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