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Post by nickfreckle on Oct 9, 2016 7:21:49 GMT
Cheers dude. In all honesty, I thought they would have slung my application out immediately, and I didn't expect in a million years that I would get to the first stage of the process. Don't suppose anyone on here knows what the selection test entails do they? Ironically I just applied for one of the Environmental Champions, again just to see what would happen. Like my instructors said, once you're in there just apply for anything you fancy and go from there That's pretty much what mine said to me too. All I've applied for thus far was the SDP19 and the GS role. Not much else has grabbed my fancy, and what other roles have I've not been suitable for because I still do not know every single route in the garage yet - despite me getting on people's cases about going out and learning them. Being so short of drivers as they are at the moment, they need me out there driving the ones I do know rather than being out of the game learning the ones I don't, which is understandable. |
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Post by greeny253 on Oct 14, 2016 11:48:24 GMT
Unfortunately, I've been dragged down to Bluewater kicking and screaming by my not very much hair by the wife, so that bit I was fine with. The only problem, if it could be called that, was through Crayford where on my first run out to Woolwich on my own I had a brain freeze and wasn't sure if I went left or right. I tentatively went left and got the display up on my MDT waiting for the little scratching head geezer to come up in the corner, but alas it didn't and I was fine after that. Trust me when I say that if you had gone the wrong way, you'd of had a passenger at your cab door before you knew it  |
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Post by VPL630 on Oct 15, 2016 13:04:45 GMT
So over the last few weeks, I've been on loan to BW, BK and now I'm at NS until next week, I find all this much more enjoyable than just being at one place doing the same thing over and over again, so it doesn't really bother me, I got bored too easily I did the 365 a few nights ago, and thanks to the very nice GS for letting me have 10344, I really can't see why this route runs 24 hours, I picked up 22 people in 7 hours! nevertheless, it's quite a long route, people are nice, perfectly timed and super easy  Stagecoach London 10344 SN16 OLH Route 365 by David McKay, on Flickr As I mentioned I was also at Barking for a couple of days on route 5, surprisingly I don't know many routes out of BK, I know the 396 and 366 but I'm not type trained on the Optare Versa and from the 5 mins spent moving one in the yard at WH, I think I'll be staying far away from driving them in service, plus any excuse to drive a TA is a good one. The 5 is a long, boring, busy route that doesn't have much help from other routes, doesn't have much running time where you need it, really tight up to Barking then loads of time to Romford and the same in reverse but there is quite a lot of recovery time at each end which I suppose is a benefit, another thing I don't like but then again I'm fussy, there is pretty much nothing at each end  Stagecoach London 17893 LX03 ORF Route 5 by David McKay, on Flickr |
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Post by thesquirrels on Oct 16, 2016 2:16:28 GMT
So over the last few weeks, I've been on loan to BW, BK and now I'm at NS until next week, I find all this much more enjoyable than just being at one place doing the same thing over and over again, so it doesn't really bother me, I got bored too easily I did the 365 a few nights ago, and thanks to the very nice GS for letting me have 10344, I really can't see why this route runs 24 hours, I picked up 22 people in 7 hours! nevertheless, it's quite a long route, people are nice, perfectly timed and super easy Stagecoach London 10344 SN16 OLH Route 365 by David McKay, on Flickr As I mentioned I was also at Barking for a couple of days on route 5, surprisingly I don't know many routes out of BK, I know the 396 and 366 but I'm not type trained on the Optare Versa and from the 5 mins spent moving one in the yard at WH, I think I'll be staying far away from driving them in service, plus any excuse to drive a TA is a good one. The 5 is a long, boring, busy route that doesn't have much help from other routes, doesn't have much running time where you need it, really tight up to Barking then loads of time to Romford and the same in reverse but there is quite a lot of recovery time at each end which I suppose is a benefit, another thing I don't like but then again I'm fussy, there is pretty much nothing at each end Stagecoach London 17893 LX03 ORF Route 5 by David McKay, on Flickr I'd imagine the running time on the 5 east of Barking predates the extension of the EL2 to Becontree Heath - it did load very heavily without the help of a second route up Longbridge Road and Wood Lane and the running could be slow as a result. It could well be tightened up a bit with the current provision in place. |
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Post by greeny253 on Oct 22, 2016 11:47:48 GMT
So over the last few weeks, I've been on loan to BW, BK and now I'm at NS until next week, I find all this much more enjoyable than just being at one place doing the same thing over and over again, so it doesn't really bother me, I got bored too easily I did the 365 a few nights ago, and thanks to the very nice GS for letting me have 10344, I really can't see why this route runs 24 hours, I picked up 22 people in 7 hours! nevertheless, it's quite a long route, people are nice, perfectly timed and super easy Stagecoach London 10344 SN16 OLH Route 365 by David McKay, on Flickr As I mentioned I was also at Barking for a couple of days on route 5, surprisingly I don't know many routes out of BK, I know the 396 and 366 but I'm not type trained on the Optare Versa and from the 5 mins spent moving one in the yard at WH, I think I'll be staying far away from driving them in service, plus any excuse to drive a TA is a good one. The 5 is a long, boring, busy route that doesn't have much help from other routes, doesn't have much running time where you need it, really tight up to Barking then loads of time to Romford and the same in reverse but there is quite a lot of recovery time at each end which I suppose is a benefit, another thing I don't like but then again I'm fussy, there is pretty much nothing at each end Stagecoach London 17893 LX03 ORF Route 5 by David McKay, on Flickr 365 was my favourite one of the "Romford Routes" at Dagenham. Glad to see it passing to Stagecoach hasn't ruined it. Can understand the comments on the 5 too.. Before the EL2 joined it, it was busy along Longbridge Road! |
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Post by ThinLizzy on Oct 22, 2016 20:12:02 GMT
So over the last few weeks, I've been on loan to BW, BK and now I'm at NS until next week, I find all this much more enjoyable than just being at one place doing the same thing over and over again, so it doesn't really bother me, I got bored too easily I did the 365 a few nights ago, and thanks to the very nice GS for letting me have 10344, I really can't see why this route runs 24 hours, I picked up 22 people in 7 hours! nevertheless, it's quite a long route, people are nice, perfectly timed and super easy Stagecoach London 10344 SN16 OLH Route 365 by David McKay, on Flickr As I mentioned I was also at Barking for a couple of days on route 5, surprisingly I don't know many routes out of BK, I know the 396 and 366 but I'm not type trained on the Optare Versa and from the 5 mins spent moving one in the yard at WH, I think I'll be staying far away from driving them in service, plus any excuse to drive a TA is a good one. The 5 is a long, boring, busy route that doesn't have much help from other routes, doesn't have much running time where you need it, really tight up to Barking then loads of time to Romford and the same in reverse but there is quite a lot of recovery time at each end which I suppose is a benefit, another thing I don't like but then again I'm fussy, there is pretty much nothing at each end Stagecoach London 17893 LX03 ORF Route 5 by David McKay, on Flickr 365 was my favourite one of the "Romford Routes" at Dagenham. Glad to see it passing to Stagecoach hasn't ruined it. Can understand the comments on the 5 too.. Before the EL2 joined it, it was busy along Longbridge Road! I remember years ago it was on a joined rota with the 165, known by the drivers as the "1s" and "3s" at DM Edit: 365 runs 24 hours in preparation for me moving to Elm Park so I can still get to Poplar to take the first train out :-) |
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Post by nickfreckle on Oct 23, 2016 23:58:56 GMT
I had an interesting 3 rounder on 51's today, and had a different bus for each one. Rounder 1) Scania 15063. An abomination of a bus. Slow and low. Since I've been working at PD, this bus has had a hissing turbo, is down on power and barely scrapes 20 MPH on any hilly bits - and even then it takes an age to get there. Coupled with the suspension riding very low, to the point sweeping the nose over any kind of kerb is a no-no as it grounds out, along with giving a very loud bang from the front going over speed bumps at any speed, it was subbed after my first round when I got back to Woolwich because of this. Rounder 2) Enviro 400H MMC 12380. Lovely buses. Quick and smooth. Absolutely no issues with it really, from the way it drives. However, I am really struggling to find a comfortable driving position in these, and the green road in them is still very hit and miss. I actually managed to only get 4 events in 2.5 hours in this one - compared to 47 in 5 hours in 12381 on a 472 duty last week. Rounder 3) Volvo B5LH Wright 13018. If ever there was a bus that is perfectly suited to the 51, then this is it. I really do not see what the fuss is about with them not routinely putting these on the route. The short wheel base on these is superb on this route. There are quite a few left turns on 51 towards Orpington where you have no choice but to turn in to on coming traffic to get round in a Scania or Enviro - top of Bloomfield Road in to Plumstead Common Road, Edison Road in to Wickham Street, Hook Lane in to Westwood Lane, and Willersley Avenue in to Halfway Street. In the Volvo, you can get round staying your side of the road. Same applies in the opposite direction, left from Central Avenue to Wickham Street, Edison grove in to Highmead. These can all be done staying on your side of the road. I was quite surprised just how well suited and manoeuvrable it was, considering the so called horror-stories I'd heard about the tail swing,. In a nut shell, it's a load of horlicks. Only need to take a B5LH MMC bodied Decker out on the route, and I've had them all round it. As a joke, I asked if I could take an Enviro 200 out on it after my break, and was told 'I don't see why not, it's not like it's going to be full this time on a Sunday'. I declined and took the Volvo |
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Post by nickfreckle on Oct 24, 2016 0:04:38 GMT
And while I'm here, a piccy I took whilst I was on the stand at Woolwich the other night, and just so happened to have my camera in my bag...  |
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Post by rmz19 on Oct 24, 2016 12:16:00 GMT
And while I'm here, a piccy I took whilst I was on the stand at Woolwich the other night, and just so happened to have my camera in my bag... Great pic! It's funny how Omnicities were commonplace a few years back, many routes had them so they were arguably not worth the attention. However, now as they're diminishing in quantity, there is much less complacency towards them and we resort to pursuing them whenever it's possible, it's a shame to see these brilliant buses leave. The patronage of the 207 will probably be increased, enthusiasts majoritively accounting for it  |
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Post by vjaska on Oct 24, 2016 12:41:52 GMT
Rounder 3) Volvo B5LH Wright 13018. If ever there was a bus that is perfectly suited to the 51, then this is it. I really do not see what the fuss is about with them not routinely putting these on the route. The short wheel base on these is superb on this route. There are quite a few left turns on 51 towards Orpington where you have no choice but to turn in to on coming traffic to get round in a Scania or Enviro - top of Bloomfield Road in to Plumstead Common Road, Edison Road in to Wickham Street, Hook Lane in to Westwood Lane, and Willersley Avenue in to Halfway Street. In the Volvo, you can get round staying your side of the road. Same applies in the opposite direction, left from Central Avenue to Wickham Street, Edison grove in to Highmead. These can all be done staying on your side of the road. I was quite surprised just how well suited and manoeuvrable it was, considering the so called horror-stories I'd heard about the tail swing,. In a nut shell, it's a load of horlicks. Only need to take a B5LH MMC bodied Decker out on the route, and I've had them all round it. As a joke, I asked if I could take an Enviro 200 out on it after my break, and was told 'I don't see why not, it's not like it's going to be full this time on a Sunday'. I declined and took the Volvo Nice to see what I said regarding the B5LH's on the 51 was correct - I knew they'd have no issues along that section  |
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Post by nickfreckle on Oct 24, 2016 14:37:23 GMT
Nobody like a smart arse so hush ya gums |
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Post by vjaska on Oct 24, 2016 14:47:09 GMT
Nobody like a smart arse so hush ya gums Wasn't trying to be smart either |
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Post by greeny253 on Oct 24, 2016 19:41:35 GMT
365 was my favourite one of the "Romford Routes" at Dagenham. Glad to see it passing to Stagecoach hasn't ruined it. Can understand the comments on the 5 too.. Before the EL2 joined it, it was busy along Longbridge Road! I remember years ago it was on a joined rota with the 165, known by the drivers as the "1s" and "3s" at DM Edit: 365 runs 24 hours in preparation for me moving to Elm Park so I can still get to Poplar to take the first train out :-) When I left DM the 165, 252 and 365 were all on a combined rota. We had separate ones for the 150 and 179 and the D6/8, 323 and 309 had their own rotas when they were there. Transferred off to Chelmsford when the 150's went |
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Post by sid on Oct 25, 2016 18:10:06 GMT
And while I'm here, a piccy I took whilst I was on the stand at Woolwich the other night, and just so happened to have my camera in my bag... Great pic! It's funny how Omnicities were commonplace a few years back, many routes had them so they were arguably not worth the attention. However, now as they're diminishing in quantity, there is much less complacency towards them and we resort to pursuing them whenever it's possible, it's a shame to see these brilliant buses leave. The patronage of the 207 will probably be increased, enthusiasts majoritively accounting for it Aren't those on the 207 going soon when their lease expires? |
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Post by LX09FBJ on Oct 25, 2016 18:53:58 GMT
And while I'm here, a piccy I took whilst I was on the stand at Woolwich the other night, and just so happened to have my camera in my bag... Great pic! It's funny how Omnicities were commonplace a few years back, many routes had them so they were arguably not worth the attention. However, now as they're diminishing in quantity, there is much less complacency towards them and we resort to pursuing them whenever it's possible, it's a shame to see these brilliant buses leave. The patronage of the 207 will probably be increased, enthusiasts majoritively accounting for it RATP will have a sizeable fleet of OmniCitys for a while yet, the 71, 281 and E3 have at least three years left on their contracts while the 65, 183, H32 and H91 all have at least five years left on theirs plus the 131 has been rumoured as getting them should the 111 get a type change, and it already has a part allocation. The N94UD (56 plate) examples may however be gone in the not to distant future, and are well worth seeking out (mostly based at AV but five are at HH) |
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