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Post by mkay315 on Jun 14, 2021 17:26:32 GMT
I've got a few fond memories of the MCW Metrobus. I loved getting on the 41 around West Green Road to Hornsey. I do remember back in 1999 when the 25 was awarded to first capital their Plaxton Presidents were late so some Metrobuses were hired until the remaining tridents came. WH241 do you remember this?
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Post by WH241 on Jun 14, 2021 17:32:35 GMT
I've got a few fond memories of the MCW Metrobus. I loved getting on the 41 around West Green Road to Hornsey. I do remember back in 1999 when the 25 was awarded to first capital their Plaxton Presidents were late so some Metrobuses were hired until the remaining tridents came. WH241 do you remember this? Yes I do, I worked at Chancery Lane in 99 and the 25 stopped outside where I worked so got to see them from day one. Seemed so strange with Metrobuses. The VAs from the 25 moved to the 241,262 and 473 from that day.
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Post by mkay315 on Jun 14, 2021 18:02:28 GMT
I've got a few fond memories of the MCW Metrobus. I loved getting on the 41 around West Green Road to Hornsey. I do remember back in 1999 when the 25 was awarded to first capital their Plaxton Presidents were late so some Metrobuses were hired until the remaining tridents came. WH241 do you remember this? Yes I do, I worked at Chancery Lane in 99 and the 25 stopped outside where I worked so got to see them from day one. Seemed so strange with Metrobuses. The VAs from the 25 moved to the 241,262 and 473 from that day. That seat reduction on the tridents though. That was a shock.
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Post by southlondonbus on Jun 14, 2021 20:37:51 GMT
I've got a few fond memories of the MCW Metrobus. I loved getting on the 41 around West Green Road to Hornsey. I do remember back in 1999 when the 25 was awarded to first capital their Plaxton Presidents were late so some Metrobuses were hired until the remaining tridents came. WH241 do you remember this? Yes I do, I worked at Chancery Lane in 99 and the 25 stopped outside where I worked so got to see them from day one. Seemed so strange with Metrobuses. The VAs from the 25 moved to the 241,262 and 473 from that day. There were a few yellow buses on the 25 aswell which at the Time broke the 80% red rule in zone 1
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Post by WH241 on Jun 14, 2021 21:05:56 GMT
Yes I do, I worked at Chancery Lane in 99 and the 25 stopped outside where I worked so got to see them from day one. Seemed so strange with Metrobuses. The VAs from the 25 moved to the 241,262 and 473 from that day. There were a few yellow buses on the 25 aswell which at the Time broke the 80% red rule in zone 1 Was the 80% rule in then? Didn't realise it started as early as 1999.
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Post by vjaska on Jun 14, 2021 21:20:22 GMT
There were a few yellow buses on the 25 aswell which at the Time broke the 80% red rule in zone 1 Was the 80% rule in then? Didn't realise it started as early as 1999. I think it did for routes around Central London which is why First Capital M's received repaints into that smart red and yellow livery whereas I think Centrewest M's just remained in the LBL livery they continued with until withdrawal as it already met 80% red - could be wrong as I never used either operation back then.
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Post by southlondonbus on Jun 14, 2021 21:40:21 GMT
I belive it was 1996 for central Routes and 2001 for everything other. I remember the S3 had new Cream Epsom buses in 2000 and the S1 had red the following year. Thorpes has yellow buses on the 210 that couldn't go on the 70.
In reality operators probably would have gone all red anyways so not to aid fleet flexibility in time. Metrobus were probably operating the last non red buses with the 261 running up untill 2007 till its new Red Omnidekkas arrived.
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Post by vjaska on Jun 14, 2021 23:21:57 GMT
I belive it was 1996 for central Routes and 2001 for everything other. I remember the S3 had new Cream Epsom buses in 2000 and the S1 had red the following year. Thorpes has yellow buses on the 210 that couldn't go on the 70. In reality operators probably would have gone all red anyways so not to aid fleet flexibility in time. Metrobus were probably operating the last non red buses with the 261 running up untill 2007 till its new Red Omnidekkas arrived. Think it was also Metrobus who had the last new non 80% red buses for TfL service with the 51 reg Lolynes which came in the lovely Yellow & Blue livery and stayed in it until withdrawal as the 64's Omnidekka's introduced the 80% red Metrobus style. Ironically, those same Lolynes did eventually go 100% red upon leaving London life and even briefly operated in London as well as I-Bus floats for Stagecoach London.
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Post by redexpress on Jun 15, 2021 7:48:48 GMT
I belive it was 1996 for central Routes and 2001 for everything other. I remember the S3 had new Cream Epsom buses in 2000 and the S1 had red the following year. Thorpes has yellow buses on the 210 that couldn't go on the 70. In reality operators probably would have gone all red anyways so not to aid fleet flexibility in time. Metrobus were probably operating the last non red buses with the 261 running up untill 2007 till its new Red Omnidekkas arrived. Yes it was in the second half of 1996 that it became a requirement for Zone 1 routes. The 67 was probably the last Zone 1 route to receive new non-red buses starting in April 1996. Capital Citybus introduced an 80% red livery when they won the 91 in early 1997.
The 261 was among the last contracts to start with non-red buses in Dec 2001, along with the H25, 190 and 152 (although Mitcham Belle changed their minds halfway through delivery of the 152 order, so ended up with a mix of red and non-red buses). I think some of the 190 Darts kept their orange livery into 2008, so outlived the 261's Tridents (the 190 had gained a 2-year extension, unlike the 261).
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Post by southlondonbus on Jun 15, 2021 13:17:28 GMT
I think it was the right decision to go for 80% red. Whilst it does reduce the variety we see if did create a uniform feel and a sense of London tradition.
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Post by vjaska on Jun 15, 2021 13:26:46 GMT
I think it was the right decision to go for 80% red. Whilst it does reduce the variety we see if did create a uniform feel and a sense of London tradition. But every bus carried a sticker at the front denoting it was a London service anyway and don't forget, some non red liveries befitted regular people - for example, if your on London Road, you could tell what the 64 & 289 were for a period due to their respective liveries.
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Post by M1104 on Jun 16, 2021 10:14:29 GMT
I think it was the right decision to go for 80% red. Whilst it does reduce the variety we see if did create a uniform feel and a sense of London tradition. But every bus carried a sticker at the front denoting it was a London service anyway and don't forget, some non red liveries befitted regular people - for example, if your on London Road, you could tell what the 64 & 289 were for a period due to their respective liveries. ....and if you were on Oxford Street the 176 stood well out for its London and Country livery.
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Post by selondon on Jun 17, 2021 11:06:45 GMT
Growing up in south east London there weren’t many routes that ran metrobuses. All the routes around me (171,172,185,47,21) all ran Titans. The only memory I have of a metro is was on the rare occasion I got the 157 up to Croydon!
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Post by paulsw2 on Jun 17, 2021 12:43:04 GMT
Growing up in south east London there weren’t many routes that ran metrobuses. All the routes around me (171,172,185,47,21) all ran Titans. The only memory I have of a metro is was on the rare occasion I got the 157 up to Croydon! SP had some Metrobuses alongside Titans for comparison trials and also ended up with a batch of M in early 80’s
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Post by vjaska on Jun 17, 2021 13:01:06 GMT
Growing up in south east London there weren’t many routes that ran metrobuses. All the routes around me (171,172,185,47,21) all ran Titans. The only memory I have of a metro is was on the rare occasion I got the 157 up to Croydon! That would of been because T’s were mainly concentrated in South East & East London whilst M’s were concentrated to South West, West, North West & North. South London got a mix of both types although as usual, every area likely had exceptions like the Sidcup trial but especially when independents started popping up more so
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