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Post by mkay315 on Dec 5, 2020 11:03:47 GMT
Morning all
I have a question and if someone has asked this previously then apologies. I've always wondered why the 214 was awarded to Go ahead two years before its start contract date. In 2017 it was announced that go ahead would take it in 2019 with electric buses despite having an extension with metroline. I would have thought the result would have been released just under one year before said start date.
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Post by LJ17THF on Dec 5, 2020 11:29:01 GMT
Morning all I have a question and if someone has asked this previously then apologies. I've always wondered why the 214 was awarded to Go ahead two years before its start contract date. In 2017 it was announced that go ahead would take it in 2019 with electric buses despite having an extension with metroline. I would have thought the result would have been released just under one year before said start date. I believe it was a joint bid with the 153, and TfL wanted to get both results out and the same time, but I might be wrong on that.
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Post by COBO on Dec 5, 2020 12:23:13 GMT
So as from today all the R routes are being run from MB again. Has that happened before?
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Post by wirewiper on Dec 5, 2020 12:37:23 GMT
Morning all I have a question and if someone has asked this previously then apologies. I've always wondered why the 214 was awarded to Go ahead two years before its start contract date. In 2017 it was announced that go ahead would take it in 2019 with electric buses despite having an extension with metroline. I would have thought the result would have been released just under one year before said start date. I believe it was a joint bid with the 153, and TfL wanted to get both results out and the same time, but I might be wrong on that. I expect it had something to do with conversion to electric operation, remember TfL wanted to prioritise the single-deck routes in Central London.
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Post by adl on Dec 5, 2020 12:48:52 GMT
Route 153 is back serving Liverpool Street today as stated on the TFL Bus Changes page.
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Post by TB123 on Dec 5, 2020 12:57:36 GMT
So as from today all the R routes are being run from MB again. Has that happened before? Yes from 2007-2013
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Post by YY13VKP on Dec 5, 2020 18:45:14 GMT
Took a ride on the R7 as I was in the area today aboard WS59, it actually wasn't too bad. I believe this was my first time on a Mercedes powered Streetlite which sounded more like an Optare product as they usually use Mercedes Diesel engines too (not entirely sure what the 227 and 355's WS's are powered by but I think they're Cummins?) and the driver was thrashing it down the A224 just outside Chelsfield Village. Anyway, when the driver changeover took place at Charterhouse Road, I overheard the drivers mentioning that once all four buses were out on the route, two of them broke down which certainly isn't a good advert for the Streetlites . It appears WS56 was one of them having been subbed at 9am. MB also seem to have more than enough Streetlites currently, surely two will eventually return to MB if and when the 456 eventually begins? WS57-WS60 I believe should be the allocation for the R7 but surprisingly unlike WS51-WS56 they have yet to be refurbished so I wonder if WS61-WS64 will act as refurb floats? For those interested, the R7 is using running numbers MB 346-349, which slots nicely between the R6 and R8's running numbers.
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Post by vjaska on Dec 5, 2020 19:34:28 GMT
Took a ride on the R7 as I was in the area today aboard WS59, it actually wasn't too bad. I believe this was my first time on a Mercedes powered Streetlite which sounded more like an Optare product as they usually use Mercedes Diesel engines too (not entirely sure what the 227 and 355's WS's are powered by but I think they're Cummins?) and the driver was thrashing it down the A224 just outside Chelsfield Village. Anyway, when the driver changeover took place at Charterhouse Road, I overheard the drivers mentioning that once all four buses were out on the route, two of them broke down which certainly isn't a good advert for the Streetlites . It appears WS56 was one of them having been subbed at 9am. MB also seem to have more than enough Streetlites currently, surely two will eventually return to MB if and when the 456 eventually begins? WS57-WS60 I believe should be the allocation for the R7 but surprisingly unlike WS51-WS56 they have yet to be refurbished so I wonder if WS61-WS64 will act as refurb floats? For those interested, the R7 is using running numbers MB 346-349, which slots nicely between the R6 and R8's running numbers. The 227 & 355 examples are Daimler examples - I don’t think any London operators ordered a Cummins example since 15 reg
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Post by redexpress on Dec 5, 2020 21:32:24 GMT
I believe it was a joint bid with the 153, and TfL wanted to get both results out and the same time, but I might be wrong on that. I expect it had something to do with conversion to electric operation, remember TfL wanted to prioritise the single-deck routes in Central London. Yes it was in one tranche that had all of the North London single-deck routes that enter the ULEZ - 46, 153, 214 and 274 - despite these having very different start dates. TfL wanted all single-deck routes in the ULEZ to be zero-emission, and in those early days of electric operation I guess they felt that they'd have a better chance of getting competitive prices if they lumped all four routes together. Perhaps they were expecting joint bids that would spread the cost of infrastructure changes over all four contracts? It didn't work out that way, and the 274 ended up going DD anyway.
Odd that they didn't do something similar with the remaining single-deck routes in the ULEZ (100, 360, C10 and P5) although the C10 and P5 did end up being tendered together.
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Post by Eastlondoner62 on Dec 5, 2020 23:26:20 GMT
I expect it had something to do with conversion to electric operation, remember TfL wanted to prioritise the single-deck routes in Central London. Yes it was in one tranche that had all of the North London single-deck routes that enter the ULEZ - 46, 153, 214 and 274 - despite these having very different start dates. TfL wanted all single-deck routes in the ULEZ to be zero-emission, and in those early days of electric operation I guess they felt that they'd have a better chance of getting competitive prices if they lumped all four routes together. Perhaps they were expecting joint bids that would spread the cost of infrastructure changes over all four contracts? It didn't work out that way, and the 274 ended up going DD anyway.
Odd that they didn't do something similar with the remaining single-deck routes in the ULEZ (100, 360, C10 and P5) although the C10 and P5 did end up being tendered together.
I would imagine the original ULEZ start date influenced all that. The South London routes you mentioned all had their contracts a bit too far ahead to be advanced to tender in one big group. The C10 as you say naturally came up with the P5 so the only other issues were the 100 and 360, of which TfL probably foresaw Q having electric facilities would already allow them to put in an effective bid. They probably took a gamble with the 100 as obviously that was SI at the time.
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Post by 6HP502C on Dec 7, 2020 12:31:54 GMT
I had E267 of MG yesterday - it's just like E129, the TopoDyn settings have been modified/watered down.
Now it seems that when pulling away, the TopoDyn won't activate for at least 12 seconds. But if the throttle is applied over 25mph, it works instantly. When it's not working the transmission upshifts at low revs.
However when climbing some of the steeper hills in the Riddlesdown and Selsdon area, it did activate when pulling away.
Restrictions notwithstanding E267 was a good bus - happily sat at 60mph on the M23 and M25 and felt totally stable - the damper did its job very effectively. I've driven Euro 5 E400s elsewhere that do reach that speed but show considerable signs of distress after a couple of minutes and go into derate mode for months on end afterwards. Not to mention the steering rocking all over the place!
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Post by Volvo on Dec 8, 2020 0:49:35 GMT
I had E267 of MG yesterday - it's just like E129, the TopoDyn settings have been modified/watered down. Now it seems that when pulling away, the TopoDyn won't activate for at least 12 seconds. But if the throttle is applied over 25mph, it works instantly. When it's not working the transmission upshifts at low revs. However when climbing some of the steeper hills in the Riddlesdown and Selsdon area, it did activate when pulling away. Restrictions notwithstanding E267 was a good bus - happily sat at 60mph on the M23 and M25 and felt totally stable - the damper did its job very effectively. I've driven Euro 5 E400s elsewhere that do reach that speed but show considerable signs of distress after a couple of minutes and go into derate mode for months on end afterwards. Not to mention the steering rocking all over the place! I find many of our ADEs enjoy sitting at these speeds on the light run to/from Watford via the M1.
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Post by george on Dec 10, 2020 13:29:36 GMT
E153 has returned to AF and is currently on the 337. Didn't realise I was on it until after I got off, ibus currently isn't working but it's definitely back in service after more than a year away.
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Post by snowman on Dec 11, 2020 10:11:25 GMT
I see from LVF that a streetlite is on 493 today, but as route is shortened tomorrow, I assume PVR decreases so wonder if it will become rarity in future
Does PVR go down 1 or 2 and which buses, anyone know where they might move to
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Post by london23 on Dec 11, 2020 11:12:54 GMT
Dear Sir/Madam do you know if the En's on the 51 are on lease or bought and also the 469 and B12 SEN's.
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