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Post by portman227 on Dec 27, 2016 19:06:28 GMT
Isn't the 122 generally regarded as the 'premier route' amongst drivers at PD? My dad laughed when I told him this; he's on the 53 rota 53 is a nice route, it has a bit of everything, main busy road driving, back street dwindling, hilly sections, and at the same time brings you to the iconic central london scenes. It really is nice when you think of it like that. I'm assuming your father does the 122 on an occasion? |
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Post by Paul on Dec 27, 2016 21:07:30 GMT
My dad laughed when I told him this; he's on the 53 rota 53 is a nice route, it has a bit of everything, main busy road driving, back street dwindling, hilly sections, and at the same time brings you to the iconic central london scenes. It really is nice when you think of it like that. I'm assuming your father does the 122 on an occasion? He used to do it a fair amount since there used to be some 122 on the 53 rota. Since the rota change it's apparently all 53 now so his opportunity to do 122s is rather less. For the record he was never a fan of the 122 anyway |
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Post by Alex on Dec 31, 2016 1:29:32 GMT
More or less, but 53 has that supreme title i believe. 122 would be next. I worked with a chap who was ex TfL revenue in SE London and he knew a fair bit about the PD routes*. He told me that 53 was the 'premier' route at PD, newest vehicles, a fair few senior drivers, this sort of thing. To be honest I could see the attraction with 53/122 as having the stand in the garage, this would make the canteen easy to get to/from on breaks, and stand times away from the public. The other one that struck me as a popular route was the 96, judging by the amount of ELBG and old Stagecoach 'stripes' uniforms that I saw on it. Generally seeing senior staff in one place is a pointer that it might be a good one (or so it seems, this is only based on my observations)....... What happened with the 469 drivers? Did they all go to Arriva? Was told there were some very senior PD drivers on that one. The reason I ask is because before I left the area I spotted familiar looking characters sporting green uniforms and was hoping the tendering issue wasn't as harsh as I've been led to believe, I know this is a sensitive subject..... * same bloke told me that 472 was mooted in the early 00's to be a bendybus route  , is that a well known one, or just a theory doing the rounds amongst the inspectors......? |
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Post by nickfreckle on Dec 31, 2016 8:11:56 GMT
More or less, but 53 has that supreme title i believe. 122 would be next. I worked with a chap who was ex TfL revenue in SE London and he knew a fair bit about the PD routes*. He told me that 53 was the 'premier' route at PD, newest vehicles, a fair few senior drivers, this sort of thing. To be honest I could see the attraction with 53/122 as having the stand in the garage, this would make the canteen easy to get to/from on breaks, and stand times away from the public. The other one that struck me as a popular route was the 96, judging by the amount of ELBG and old Stagecoach 'stripes' uniforms that I saw on it. Generally seeing senior staff in one place is a pointer that it might be a good one (or so it seems, this is only based on my observations)....... What happened with the 469 drivers? Did they all go to Arriva? Was told there were some very senior PD drivers on that one. The reason I ask is because before I left the area I spotted familiar looking characters sporting green uniforms and was hoping the tendering issue wasn't as harsh as I've been led to believe, I know this is a sensitive subject..... * same bloke told me that 472 was mooted in the early 00's to be a bendybus route , is that a well known one, or just a theory doing the rounds amongst the inspectors......? There seems to be a fair few senior drivers on 177 too. It does appear that 96's is one of the more popular routes that drivers want to get on to, along with 99's. If I was offered 96 rota, I'd bite your arm off! 51's is a popular route too, but I got to the point where I couldn't stand it. Had more aggro from passengers on there than all the other routes combined. Add that to the usual chaos along Sevenoaks Way, and I'm a happy bunny that I no longer do it! |
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Post by snoggle on Dec 31, 2016 12:34:26 GMT
* same bloke told me that 472 was mooted in the early 00's to be a bendybus route , is that a well known one, or just a theory doing the rounds amongst the inspectors......? The 472's "corridor" was identified as a possible "Greenwich Waterfront Transit" route. The original concept for "Transit" routes (such as East London Transit) was a much higher standard than what we've got in East London. There were going to be lots of segregated bus lanes or busways, possible trolleybuses for "greenness" and sketches did show articulated buses. If the Thames Gateway Bridge had been built then the Transit networks north and south of the Thames would have been connected using the bridge. What we got was almost all of the route corridors being abandoned and the small "network" in Barking is just diesel buses with some vinyls, different moquette and bits of bus priority with some branded shelters. It's a very long way short of the original concept. |
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Post by nickfreckle on Dec 31, 2016 18:07:24 GMT
* same bloke told me that 472 was mooted in the early 00's to be a bendybus route , is that a well known one, or just a theory doing the rounds amongst the inspectors......? The 472's "corridor" was identified as a possible "Greenwich Waterfront Transit" route. The original concept for "Transit" routes (such as East London Transit) was a much higher standard than what we've got in East London. There were going to be lots of segregated bus lanes or busways, possible trolleybuses for "greenness" and sketches did show articulated buses. If the Thames Gateway Bridge had been built then the Transit networks north and south of the Thames would have been connected using the bridge. What we got was almost all of the route corridors being abandoned and the small "network" in Barking is just diesel buses with some vinyls, different moquette and bits of bus priority with some branded shelters. It's a very long way short of the original concept. Would it not have been 272 considered at the time as opposed to the 472? Bearing in mind that 472 is a fairly new route, starting in '99 as a replacement for the 272. |
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Post by snoggle on Dec 31, 2016 18:37:08 GMT
The 472's "corridor" was identified as a possible "Greenwich Waterfront Transit" route. The original concept for "Transit" routes (such as East London Transit) was a much higher standard than what we've got in East London. There were going to be lots of segregated bus lanes or busways, possible trolleybuses for "greenness" and sketches did show articulated buses. If the Thames Gateway Bridge had been built then the Transit networks north and south of the Thames would have been connected using the bridge. What we got was almost all of the route corridors being abandoned and the small "network" in Barking is just diesel buses with some vinyls, different moquette and bits of bus priority with some branded shelters. It's a very long way short of the original concept. Would it not have been 272 considered at the time as opposed to the 472? Bearing in mind that 472 is a fairly new route, starting in '99 as a replacement for the 272. No because the Transit concept arose during Ken's tenure as Mayor so post 2000. Linking in to the Busway at North Greenwich was also part of the scheme IIRC. |
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Post by nickfreckle on Jan 1, 2017 9:17:11 GMT
Ah ok. Fairy nuff. I'm trying to envisage trying to get a bendy around a couple of the roundabouts on the Thamesmead loop. Not sure I would have wanted to try it  |
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Post by Paul on Jan 1, 2017 10:48:14 GMT
Ah ok. Fairy nuff. I'm trying to envisage trying to get a bendy around a couple of the roundabouts on the Thamesmead loop. Not sure I would have wanted to try it I'll check with my dad but I'm pretty sure the bendy bus drivers at PD were type trained all around Thamesmead. Those things are (were?) a lot more manoeuvrable than they appear at first glance. One example I've given on here before, and as a PD driver you'll know what I'm talking about, is drivers taking a bendy out of the bottom gate onto the forecourt and turning through 180 degrees to take it out onto the slip road |
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Post by vjaska on Jan 1, 2017 13:05:07 GMT
Ah ok. Fairy nuff. I'm trying to envisage trying to get a bendy around a couple of the roundabouts on the Thamesmead loop. Not sure I would have wanted to try it I'll check with my dad but I'm pretty sure the bendy bus drivers at PD were type trained all around Thamesmead. Those things are (were?) a lot more manoeuvrable than they appear at first glance. One example I've given on here before, and as a PD driver you'll know what I'm talking about, is drivers taking a bendy out of the bottom gate onto the forecourt and turning through 180 degrees to take it out onto the slip road I remember the other example you gave about getting around the turn at Oxford Circus lol. |
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Post by LVF_Admin on Jan 1, 2017 14:26:29 GMT
I'll check with my dad but I'm pretty sure the bendy bus drivers at PD were type trained all around Thamesmead. Those things are (were?) a lot more manoeuvrable than they appear at first glance. One example I've given on here before, and as a PD driver you'll know what I'm talking about, is drivers taking a bendy out of the bottom gate onto the forecourt and turning through 180 degrees to take it out onto the slip road I remember the other example you gave about getting around the turn at Oxford Circus lol. Yes, They were typed trained around Thamesmead amongst other areas including the route of course. |
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Post by LVF_Admin on Jan 1, 2017 14:32:23 GMT
More or less, but 53 has that supreme title i believe. 122 would be next. What happened with the 469 drivers? Did they all go to Arriva? Was told there were some very senior PD drivers on that one. The reason I ask is because before I left the area I spotted familiar looking characters sporting green uniforms and was hoping the tendering issue wasn't as harsh as I've been led to believe, I know this is a sensitive subject..... Yes, Most went to DT where they are very happy, Don't think I'd know anyone at PD now from my years of riding shotgun in the 80s/90s with a girl friend of mine who was known as the fastest driver in the garage, all pre the controls in place now of course and when they had proper buses such as MDs, Titans and the L's when new. |
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Post by LVF_Admin on Jan 1, 2017 14:35:48 GMT
The 472's "corridor" was identified as a possible "Greenwich Waterfront Transit" route. The original concept for "Transit" routes (such as East London Transit) was a much higher standard than what we've got in East London. There were going to be lots of segregated bus lanes or busways, possible trolleybuses for "greenness" and sketches did show articulated buses. If the Thames Gateway Bridge had been built then the Transit networks north and south of the Thames would have been connected using the bridge. What we got was almost all of the route corridors being abandoned and the small "network" in Barking is just diesel buses with some vinyls, different moquette and bits of bus priority with some branded shelters. It's a very long way short of the original concept. Would it not have been 272 considered at the time as opposed to the 472? Bearing in mind that 472 is a fairly new route, starting in '99 as a replacement for the 272.I'd say the 472 was more of a replacement for the 198/198A than the 272 as it doesnt serve the parts of Plumstead /Abbeywood served by the 272 yet does take the "fast" section on the 198. Now that was a popular route with drivers due to its non stop bits. |
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Post by LVF_Admin on Jan 1, 2017 14:40:29 GMT
Been on the 122's for so long now, its like it is 2 seperate routes. Crystal Palace to Lewisham being almost a route and Lewisham to PD. Running times is a bit tight although the stand time is fantastic. Bearing in mind it seems drivers take out any bus they wish. Two drivers i very well know took out diesels on the 122. I'd understand that but its a lot harder to do that on a 53! Years ago it was regarded as the Premier Route but now you'll find what's left of the more long term drivers on the 386! 122 was great when Bexleyheath Garage to Crystal Palace. |
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Post by portman227 on Jan 1, 2017 15:04:10 GMT
Been on the 122's for so long now, its like it is 2 seperate routes. Crystal Palace to Lewisham being almost a route and Lewisham to PD. Running times is a bit tight although the stand time is fantastic. Bearing in mind it seems drivers take out any bus they wish. Two drivers i very well know took out diesels on the 122. I'd understand that but its a lot harder to do that on a 53! Years ago it was regarded as the Premier Route but now you'll find what's left of the more long term drivers on the 386! 122 was great when Bexleyheath Garage to Crystal Palace. That must have been a mammoth of a route, definitely would have been the premier route in its Garage! |
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, is that a well known one, or just a theory doing the rounds amongst the inspectors......?
