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Post by Deleted on Oct 5, 2013 18:13:15 GMT
Post in this dedicated thread about the Hoppa's routes of kingston
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Post by I-Azusio-I on Oct 5, 2013 18:17:12 GMT
What is Kingston Hoppa?
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Post by snowman on Oct 5, 2013 18:34:22 GMT
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Post by snoggle on Oct 5, 2013 20:48:20 GMT
I assume it is a reference to the mass arrival of MCW Metroriders at Kingston Garage and the establishment of Westlink as a low cost unit to take over a range of bus services after London Transport undertook an area review and tendering exercise in Kingston. Westlink ran quite a few Surrey routes too including with Hoppas but this work was lost over time as cheaper competitors won SCC tenders. The "K" routes were, I think, introduced as part of the area review alongside the "low cost" nightmare that was Kingston Bus with DMSs exhumed from scrap yards to run several routes. I have a few old photos of Hoppas that I took and have scanned to Flickr. Hoppa busKingston Bus StationHoppa on K3Bus Station viewOther than a journey into the history books I am not sure why we are talking about Kingston Hoppas given there were other Hoppas and Skippers and Gold Arrows and Streetlines across London. I'm sure I've forgotten plenty of the old "brand names" for minibuses. |
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Post by ServerKing on Oct 6, 2013 8:04:46 GMT
Post count boost?  I did like all the brand names, In Ealing we had 'E-Line' and around Hounslow it was the 'Harrier' branded Darts  |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2013 8:32:04 GMT
Bexleybus & Orpington Roundabout buses too.
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Post by twobellstogo on Oct 6, 2013 9:28:10 GMT
Bexleybus & Orpington Roundabout buses too. Bexleybus's minibuses were branded as Bexley hoppa. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2013 11:50:24 GMT
yeah, thats right two bells.
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Post by vjaska on Oct 6, 2013 12:18:19 GMT
We had Connexions as well down south - the 249 & 322 step Darts had that.
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Post by twobellstogo on Oct 6, 2013 12:20:39 GMT
Just thought of another one : U Line in Uxbridge |
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Post by M1199 on Oct 6, 2013 14:21:46 GMT
Just thought of another one : U Line in Uxbridge You can't beat The U Line !  Although, I used to like trying to spot the Gold Arrow branded MA's at UX that were sent their following their displacement by DW's at X. Always used to think it was odd seeing The U Line branded MA's operating the 222 & 223 Sunday services. There was a driver at UX that would occasionally wear his The U Line jumper well into the 00's! |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2013 17:59:26 GMT
Initial routes were the K1, K2, K3 which replaced some sections of routes 152,215,216,281. Also the 371 replacing the former Richmond section of the 71.
The K4 , K5 and K6 came later .... K5 and K6 were later transferred under tender to London & Country.
SCC tender routes included at various times the 468,511,513,(568),572,582,514,515.
3 of the MRLs had "dual purpose" seats
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Post by ServerKing on Oct 6, 2013 18:20:25 GMT
Just thought of another one : U Line in Uxbridge You can't beat The U Line ! Although, I used to like trying to spot the Gold Arrow branded MA's at UX that were sent their following their displacement by DW's at X. Always used to think it was odd seeing The U Line branded MA's operating the 222 & 223 Sunday services. There was a driver at UX that would occasionally wear his The U Line jumper well into the 00's! We had the RW's - Wright bodied Renault/Dodge vans TBH, but they looked great hereSorry for the fuzzy pic but that's Wikipedia for you As for the E4, London United ran that, and Ealing Buses (Centrewest, forerunner to First) had the rest looky I think this is one of their Nationals with the Dennis Dart drivetrain like the ones on the H37 back in the day It's interesting how we've come full circle in the last 20 years back to black and white blinds |
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Post by M1199 on Oct 6, 2013 20:01:42 GMT
You can't beat The U Line ! Although, I used to like trying to spot the Gold Arrow branded MA's at UX that were sent their following their displacement by DW's at X. Always used to think it was odd seeing The U Line branded MA's operating the 222 & 223 Sunday services. There was a driver at UX that would occasionally wear his The U Line jumper well into the 00's! We had the RW's - Wright bodied Renault/Dodge vans TBH, but they looked great hereSorry for the fuzzy pic but that's Wikipedia for you As for the E4, London United ran that, and Ealing Buses (Centrewest, forerunner to First) had the rest looky I think this is one of their Nationals with the Dennis Dart drivetrain like the ones on the H37 back in the day It's interesting how we've come full circle in the last 20 years back to black and white blinds I was never struck on those RW's I always thought they were one hell of an ugly beast!  I was always intrigued though as to why some (if not all) had dot-matrix side & rear blinds. Another ugly looking breadvan (Merc 811D) that I had a soft spot for was UX's MW17, LDZ 9017. This was the odd one out of the Wright Nimbus batch as it had the Metrorider style front end rather that the traditional Merc bumper/bonnet. londonbusesbyadam.zenfolio.com/p1011742588/h3FE0A6E5#h3fe0a6e5 - Funnily enough, I can never remember it running with Uxbridge Buses branding and I never remembered it operating from G londonbusesbyadam.zenfolio.com/p808221673/h3360CD2E#h3360cd2e - In this shot, it is actually on hire to Arriva The Shires who took over the U9 early from Centrewest due to staff shortages. |
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I was always intrigued though as to why some (if not all) had dot-matrix side & rear blinds.