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Post by redexpress on Oct 25, 2021 21:05:20 GMT
One that comes to mind is Swanley. The former LT garage was reopened for a few months by Centrewest when they started their Orpington operations in 1995, until the new base at St Mary Cray was ready.
The 726 went through a phase of multiple reallocations during its Capital Logistics / TGM days. This included a base at Crayford for a couple of months, as well as a site somewhere in Peckham for two months (in between Croydon closing and Fulwell opening).
Keeping it on topic for the RATP thread, London United used a temporary site in Kingston after the bus garage was demolished, until Tolworth became available. Not sure how long that was in use for.
I suspect the early days of tendering would throw up a few more examples, in the days when newcomers could run a bus service out of an open yard with a portacabin in one corner. Even the prestigious 19 had a spell where its Routemasters were housed at New Covent Garden in Nine Elms for a few months.
Apparently Kingston garage, the site now known as the rotunda, closed as early as 1984 and was just used as overnight storage and terminating routes unit May 200 0 when it officially closed. red-rf.com/lt_operations_-_general/kingston_termini.aspx Although I have to admit I am sure they also used what is now Canbury Place car park before. That car park site is the one I had in mind. It came into use when the garage was demolished - so May 2000 - and closed when Tolworth opened in Nov 2001, so a bit longer than I'd thought.
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Post by redexpress on Oct 25, 2021 21:09:22 GMT
One that comes to mind is Swanley. The former LT garage was reopened for a few months by Centrewest when they started their Orpington operations in 1995, until the new base at St Mary Cray was ready.
The 726 went through a phase of multiple reallocations during its Capital Logistics / TGM days. This included a base at Crayford for a couple of months, as well as a site somewhere in Peckham for two months (in between Croydon closing and Fulwell opening).
Keeping it on topic for the RATP thread, London United used a temporary site in Kingston after the bus garage was demolished, until Tolworth became available. Not sure how long that was in use for.
I suspect the early days of tendering would throw up a few more examples, in the days when newcomers could run a bus service out of an open yard with a portacabin in one corner. Even the prestigious 19 had a spell where its Routemasters were housed at New Covent Garden in Nine Elms for a few months.
I think London Easylink lasted 18 months but I don't think anyone else used their site on the Old Kent Road. That might be a candidate but it looks like Wandsworth will only have been open for a year, if that, when it closes. Yes, there are a few others that lasted just over one year, e.g. the Capital Logistics / TGM base in Croydon was only used for around 13 months, and Metrobus had a temporary site in Polhill while MB was being rebuilt, that ended up being used for 15 months. Centrewest at Swanley was only 4 months though.
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Post by kmkcheng on Oct 25, 2021 22:43:43 GMT
I think London Easylink lasted 18 months but I don't think anyone else used their site on the Old Kent Road. That might be a candidate but it looks like Wandsworth will only have been open for a year, if that, when it closes. Yes, there are a few others that lasted just over one year, e.g. the Capital Logistics / TGM base in Croydon was only used for around 13 months, and Metrobus had a temporary site in Polhill while MB was being rebuilt, that ended up being used for 15 months. Centrewest at Swanley was only 4 months though. Metroline also used a temporary site across the road from W as it was being rebuilt. Don’t remember how long they needed to the temporary site.
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Post by redexpress on Oct 26, 2021 6:46:10 GMT
Yes, there are a few others that lasted just over one year, e.g. the Capital Logistics / TGM base in Croydon was only used for around 13 months, and Metrobus had a temporary site in Polhill while MB was being rebuilt, that ended up being used for 15 months. Centrewest at Swanley was only 4 months though. Metroline also used a temporary site across the road from W as it was being rebuilt. Don’t remember how long they needed to the temporary site. I seem to remember they used that site in two phases. It housed the 186 for 4 months while work was being done at EW, and then acted as a parking area for W while the garage was being rebuilt. I can't remember how long that lasted either.
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Post by TB123 on Oct 26, 2021 6:54:54 GMT
Metroline also used a temporary site across the road from W as it was being rebuilt. Don’t remember how long they needed to the temporary site. I seem to remember they used that site in two phases. It housed the 186 for 4 months while work was being done at EW, and then acted as a parking area for W while the garage was being rebuilt. I can't remember how long that lasted either. They were using it during rebuild for something like 12-18 months I seem to remember hearing
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Post by danorak on Oct 26, 2021 21:01:20 GMT
Wandsworth (JE) is expected to soon lose its status as a TfL garage, as capacity opens up at Westbourne Park under the new partnership with Tower Transit, allowing JE routes to transfer there. If/when this happens, Wandsworth will effectively 'close' as a TfL bus garage, with the site reverting to commercial operations for RATP's London sightseeing tours. The question is this: Will that be the shortest operational period for a garage under TfL/London Buses, from beginning to end of operations? Or is there an example of another garage (or even outstation) that opened for London Buses usage and then effectively 'closed' again, as quickly as RATP Dev London's usage of Wandsworth? When Kentish Bus won routes around Lewisham in the mid 90s, they opened a new garage in Dragoon Road, Deptford (LM). It didn't last long because of driver recruitment and traffic problems: possibly a year - 18 months?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2021 23:10:48 GMT
Hey everyone I'm back! Question is, when will those VHRs be back as well?
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Post by COBO on Oct 27, 2021 23:11:32 GMT
Hey everyone I'm back! Question is, when will those VHRs be back as well? We don’t know. I wonder if they have indeed been withdrawn.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2021 23:15:29 GMT
Hey everyone I'm back! Question is, when will those VHRs be back as well? We don’t know. I wonder if they have indeed been withdrawn. Oh gosh i hope not, that would be a terrible shame (and not to mention a terrible waste) if they have.
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Post by vjaska on Oct 28, 2021 2:23:41 GMT
Hey everyone I'm back! Question is, when will those VHRs be back as well? We don’t know. I wonder if they have indeed been withdrawn. They haven't been withdrawn, it was confirmed on here that they are having openable windows fitted before returning.
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Post by snowman on Oct 28, 2021 6:14:59 GMT
We don’t know. I wonder if they have indeed been withdrawn. They haven't been withdrawn, it was confirmed on here that they are having openable windows fitted before returning. There has to be something else, all 6 have been off at least 10 weeks (one hasn’t been out since June) Either the windows are not available, or there was a policy change that caused them to be taken out of service. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to wait 16 months after start of pandemic to decide that opening windows are required (although TfL sometimes make weird decisions at unusual times) Might just be coincidence, but they are at the 5 year age point, where there is normally a lease break point (but they might not be leased), and now they effectively have access to the spare Tower Transit fleet, do they still want the VHRs, especially with all new BCEs entering service, and spare LTs looking for homes.
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Post by Busboy105 on Oct 28, 2021 6:36:42 GMT
We don’t know. I wonder if they have indeed been withdrawn. Oh gosh i hope not, that would be a terrible shame (and not to mention a terrible waste) if they have. GAL have two SRMs that are on the 37 if you want to try them out.
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Post by i3lu on Oct 28, 2021 6:41:21 GMT
Hey everyone I'm back! Question is, when will those VHRs be back as well? I'm back everyone! Question is, when will those VHRs return too? Decommissioning or new opening windows being fitted. All have been off the road for a while now which leads me to think it may be the former bearing in mind RATP allocations are stretched as it is. Awaiting opening windows to be fitted. They will be back on the 698 as soon as they are available.
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Post by paulo on Oct 28, 2021 6:44:50 GMT
They haven't been withdrawn, it was confirmed on here that they are having openable windows fitted before returning. There has to be something else, all 6 have been off at least 10 weeks (one hasn’t been out since June) Either the windows are not available, or there was a policy change that caused them to be taken out of service. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to wait 16 months after start of pandemic to decide that opening windows are required (although TfL sometimes make weird decisions at unusual times) Might just be coincidence, but they are at the 5 year age point, where there is normally a lease break point (but they might not be leased), and now they effectively have access to the spare Tower Transit fleet, do they still want the VHRs, especially with all new BCEs entering service, and spare LTs looking for homes. I agree. I’m not sure they’re coming back bearing in mind how tight RATP are on their allocations at the present time. Theoretically this is the worse time for them to be off the road for an extended period.
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Post by TB123 on Oct 28, 2021 7:41:08 GMT
Hey everyone I'm back! Question is, when will those VHRs be back as well? I'm back everyone! Question is, when will those VHRs return too? Awaiting opening windows to be fitted. They will be back on the 698 as soon as they are available. I wish some people just listened to the answers they get given, especially when coming from a reliable source....
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