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Post by galwhv69 on Aug 19, 2018 13:37:21 GMT
VLA57 would be nice to preserve -ALX400 so hell yeah for preservation! -Fast bus -At least one from that batch should be preserved -Totaly not biased but fav bus
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Post by twobellstogo on Aug 19, 2018 13:59:04 GMT
I’d love to find a Bluebird LT or a Strachans Merlin in a barn somewhere. Perhaps more realistically I hope there’s still one of the SP class Spectra’s surviving and waiting to be restored. I have an awful feeling that all the SPs have gone. One went prematurely when it had a spectacular accident at Crystal Palace, haven’t heard anything recently about any of the other 23...
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Post by VWH1414 on Aug 19, 2018 14:30:28 GMT
I’d love to find a Bluebird LT or a Strachans Merlin in a barn somewhere. Perhaps more realistically I hope there’s still one of the SP class Spectra’s surviving and waiting to be restored. I have an awful feeling that all the SPs have gone. One went prematurely when it had a spectacular accident at Crystal Palace, haven’t heard anything recently about any of the other 23... SP7 apparently at Keighley Bus Museum according to this photo although it states 3 are there, looking at other photos one is MUI4842 (L752JRD) which is not ex London, but the other could be SP6. According to Ians Bus Stop SP4 was converted to a playbus back in 2013, so this could potentially still be around too. SP14 is the one that had the accident at Crystal Palace, subsequently being used for spares by Go Ahead North East. There is around 3-4 others that I cannot find what happened to them, but they haven't been listed as scrapped, so may still be in existence, but SP7 at least has been preserved <iframe width="25.200000000000045" height="5.480000000000018" style="position: absolute; width: 25.200000000000045px; height: 5.480000000000018px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none;left: 15px; top: -5px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_9766235" scrolling="no"></iframe> <iframe width="25.200000000000045" height="5.480000000000018" style="position: absolute; width: 25.2px; height: 5.48px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none; left: 1198px; top: -5px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_51529534" scrolling="no"></iframe> <iframe width="25.200000000000045" height="5.480000000000018" style="position: absolute; width: 25.2px; height: 5.48px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none; left: 15px; top: 213px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_24817695" scrolling="no"></iframe> <iframe width="25.200000000000045" height="5.480000000000018" style="position: absolute; width: 25.2px; height: 5.48px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none; left: 1198px; top: 213px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_73325216" scrolling="no"></iframe>
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Post by Londontransport3 on Aug 28, 2018 21:45:31 GMT
A Nice DLA would be my choice.
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Post by busaholic on Aug 28, 2018 22:18:17 GMT
I’d love to find a Bluebird LT or a Strachans Merlin in a barn somewhere. Perhaps more realistically I hope there’s still one of the SP class Spectra’s surviving and waiting to be restored. Interesting choices. My first day of work way back started, after arrival at Victoria Station, with a ride on a Strachans-bodied Red Arrow 500 to near my workplace, which was in Brook Street, Mayfair. I always liked that angular bodywork and the whole concept of Red Arrow. The SP is my favourite rear-engined double decker, and the fact it worked 'my' number 3 route only made it so much more wonderful - glad to hear one's been preserved. Bluebird LT, well, one can dream, but at least I've had a ride on an LT, and I don't mean that modern travesty of a bus.
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Post by Pilot on Sept 17, 2018 16:10:39 GMT
ALX200 would be nice...does anyone run these in service?
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Post by gloriouswater on Sept 18, 2018 14:08:52 GMT
ALX200 would be nice...does anyone run these in service? Wholeheartedly agree! I found one (and promptly rode it ) working with Travel Express on route 32 in Wolverhampton back in August. I could hardly believe I'd found one still in service, let alone a bus that used to be local to me - it was formerly 34248 based at TL. They had another one on the same route, also Y-reg I believe, but seemed to be from a different company. Despite its current tatty appearance, I can also confirm 34248 is an absolute rocket underneath Also worth going for this route if you're after a Super Pointer Dart - I saw an ex-Lothian one out and about, although I didn't get to ride it.
Personally I'd preserve a good Metrobus Scania - one of 519 or 605 would be my choice although I believe both of those have new homes right now.
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Post by M1199 on Sept 22, 2018 21:44:45 GMT
Does anyone know whether any of the LLW & SLW class got preserved?
Living in Uxbridge, I was quite lucky in getting to ride LLW's on the 222, 120/H91 & 186, even managed to get (First's)LLW31 on the U3 once! Which is probably my rarest working to date! I know that all of London United's LLW1-10 ended up in the scrapyard and the majority of Centrewest's LLW11-24 fell by the wayside during their latter years within the First empire, which leaves Metroline's LLW25-38. Of which some ended up with Sullivan Buses and in Malta. For some reason, I got a recollection of a Sullivan driver buying one but I've never seen anything since! Never got to ride any of the SLW's, I know Leaside's batch moved on quite early and that Stagecoach's ended up having quite a long life in London. Seem to remember reading too that the SLW was deemed to be vastly better compared with the LLW.
Seeing as these were amongst the first true Low Floor wheelchair accessible vehicles in London, think it would be a shame not to of seen at least one preserved.
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Post by VWH1414 on Sept 22, 2018 21:55:49 GMT
Does anyone know whether any of the LLW & SLW class got preserved? Living in Uxbridge, I was quite lucky in getting to ride LLW's on the 222, 120/H91 & 186, even managed to get (First's)LLW31 on the U3 once! Which is probably my rarest working to date! I know that all of London United's LLW1-10 ended up in the scrapyard and the majority of Centrewest's LLW11-24 fell by the wayside during their latter years within the First empire, which leaves Metroline's LLW25-38. Of which some ended up with Sullivan Buses and in Malta. For some reason, I got a recollection of a Sullivan driver buying one but I've never seen anything since! Never got to ride any of the SLW's, I know Leaside's batch moved on quite early and that Stagecoach's ended up having quite a long life in London. Seem to remember reading too that the SLW was deemed to be vastly better compared with the LLW. Seeing as these were amongst the first true Low Floor wheelchair accessible vehicles in London, think it would be a shame not to of seen at least one preserved. LLW29 was a store (until at least last year) sitting looking pretty neglected from a flickr photo dating June 21st 2017, no idea if its still there or not or if its now scrapped. (Does state preserved in the comments though) LLW32/34/38 went to Malta, although Ians Bus Stop hasn't recorded them as scrapped, so could still be about! Other then this all the LLW class is scrapped As for the SLWs there seems to be no survivors, all seemingly sold to Ensigns and forwarded onto scrap c2009-2011 Shame as it looks like a piece of history has gone down the toilet here
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Post by ServerKing on Sept 22, 2018 22:19:43 GMT
A Nice DLA would be my choice. Like DLA156 whick was quick... or one of the Euro3 DLPs
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Post by M1104 on Sept 22, 2018 23:43:43 GMT
A Nice DLA would be my choice. Like DLA156 whick was quick... or one of the Euro3 DLPs For a euro2 engine variant she sure did have a good torque setting for acceleration.
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Post by redexpress on Sept 23, 2018 5:40:24 GMT
Does anyone know whether any of the LLW & SLW class got preserved? Living in Uxbridge, I was quite lucky in getting to ride LLW's on the 222, 120/H91 & 186, even managed to get (First's)LLW31 on the U3 once! Which is probably my rarest working to date! I know that all of London United's LLW1-10 ended up in the scrapyard and the majority of Centrewest's LLW11-24 fell by the wayside during their latter years within the First empire, which leaves Metroline's LLW25-38. Of which some ended up with Sullivan Buses and in Malta. For some reason, I got a recollection of a Sullivan driver buying one but I've never seen anything since! Never got to ride any of the SLW's, I know Leaside's batch moved on quite early and that Stagecoach's ended up having quite a long life in London. Seem to remember reading too that the SLW was deemed to be vastly better compared with the LLW. Seeing as these were amongst the first true Low Floor wheelchair accessible vehicles in London, think it would be a shame not to of seen at least one preserved. My recollection of SLWs is that they were nice buses when on the move (typical mid-90s Scania), but the vibrations at idle were something else! Only rode the LLWs a couple of times so can't really remember how they compared with SLWs.
I agree it's a real shame if none were preserved. Coincidentally most of the SLWs became available at around the same time (around 2009) - I think the Arriva ones had been run into the ground by that stage but the Stagecoach ones seemed in better nick.
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Post by capitalomnibus on Sept 23, 2018 13:29:05 GMT
Does anyone know whether any of the LLW & SLW class got preserved? Living in Uxbridge, I was quite lucky in getting to ride LLW's on the 222, 120/H91 & 186, even managed to get (First's)LLW31 on the U3 once! Which is probably my rarest working to date! I know that all of London United's LLW1-10 ended up in the scrapyard and the majority of Centrewest's LLW11-24 fell by the wayside during their latter years within the First empire, which leaves Metroline's LLW25-38. Of which some ended up with Sullivan Buses and in Malta. For some reason, I got a recollection of a Sullivan driver buying one but I've never seen anything since! Never got to ride any of the SLW's, I know Leaside's batch moved on quite early and that Stagecoach's ended up having quite a long life in London. Seem to remember reading too that the SLW was deemed to be vastly better compared with the LLW. Seeing as these were amongst the first true Low Floor wheelchair accessible vehicles in London, think it would be a shame not to of seen at least one preserved. It is such a shame none of them exist. The SLW is one type that should have been preserved, they were pioneers in the low floor era. Stagecoach couldn't sell them on as the book value was too high and they were not that reliable either, so that never helped. I am not sure what happened to the Arriva ones on the 144 after the route went double deck. I think they went Liverpool and didn't last in service long there.
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Post by capitalomnibus on Sept 23, 2018 13:32:09 GMT
Does anyone know whether any of the LLW & SLW class got preserved? Living in Uxbridge, I was quite lucky in getting to ride LLW's on the 222, 120/H91 & 186, even managed to get (First's)LLW31 on the U3 once! Which is probably my rarest working to date! I know that all of London United's LLW1-10 ended up in the scrapyard and the majority of Centrewest's LLW11-24 fell by the wayside during their latter years within the First empire, which leaves Metroline's LLW25-38. Of which some ended up with Sullivan Buses and in Malta. For some reason, I got a recollection of a Sullivan driver buying one but I've never seen anything since! Never got to ride any of the SLW's, I know Leaside's batch moved on quite early and that Stagecoach's ended up having quite a long life in London. Seem to remember reading too that the SLW was deemed to be vastly better compared with the LLW. Seeing as these were amongst the first true Low Floor wheelchair accessible vehicles in London, think it would be a shame not to of seen at least one preserved. My recollection of SLWs is that they were nice buses when on the move (typical mid-90s Scania), but the vibrations at idle were something else! Only rode the LLWs a couple of times so can't really remember how they compared with SLWs.
I agree it's a real shame if none were preserved. Coincidentally most of the SLWs became available at around the same time (around 2009) - I think the Arriva ones had been run into the ground by that stage but the Stagecoach ones seemed in better nick.
How could I even forget that, at idle the SLW's vibrated so much they could shake the fillings out of your teeth. The buses got punished by heavy loadings on route 101, when the route should have went back to double decker then imo
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Post by Londontransport3 on Sept 24, 2018 12:48:12 GMT
A Nice DLA would be my choice. Like DLA156 whick was quick... or one of the Euro3 DLPs Sadly I am stuck with one lol
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