The Circle Of London Blog

London United Storage Yard

2012-01-25T18:50:00.000Z

Today we took a trip to a secret London United storage yard that we had recieved word about. The new site holds all the vechiles which were previously on the Atlas Road site prior to First's new garage opening.

DP60, T360PRH & DP86, V886FKH

The yard currently houses around 40 buses which are VA's & DP's from Hounslow (AV) and Shepherd's Bush (S) garages. Up until mid last year these buses saw daily serivce on Routes 220, 222, H37 and H98. Our kind thanks must go to the staff who allowed us onto the site to get our snaps. More pictures from the visit can be found below:

DP71, T371PRH & DP50, T350PRH

DP93, V793FKH & DP81, V781FKH

VA89, W119EON, VA78,V194OOE & VA88, W118EON

DP98, V798FKH

DP72, T372PRH

DP85, V785FKH

A line up of the buses on site

Route 129: North Greenwich - Greenwich, Cutty Sark (Timelapse)

2012-01-20T19:05:00.003Z

Route 129 runs between North Greenwich and Greenwich, Cutty Sark and is operated by Go Ahead from New Cross (NX) garage. The route has a peak vehicle requirement (PVR) of 4 buses and is approximately 2 miles long.

Latest Buses at the trim...20th Of January 2012

2012-01-20T13:32:00.002Z

Metroline VP536 LK04 CUU, seen here at the Hants Dorset Trim in Eastleigh for refurbishment work following the retention of Routes 6 and 98 that run from their Willesden base in North West London. This is part of a batch of Plaxton President B7TLs that were numbered between VP510 - 580 following the retention and conversion of Routes 6 and 98 from Routemaster operation in 2004.

Metroline VP541 LK04 CVB, seen here at the Hants Dorset Trim in Eastleigh for refurbishment work following the retention of Routes 6 and 98 that run from their Willesden base in North West London . This is part of a batch of Plaxton President B7TLs that were numbered between VP510 - 580 following the retention and conversion of Routes 6 and 98 from Routemaster operation in 2004.

Go Ahead London WVL227 LX06 DZK, seen standing outside of the paint shop at the Hant's Dorset Trim, awaiting a refurbishment for newly retained Routes; 68,468 and X68 which all run from GAL's Camberwell base in South London.

Go Ahead London WVL261 LX06 EBM, seen standing outside of the paint shop at the Hant's Dorset Trim, awaiting a refurbishment for newly retained Routes; 68,468 and X68 which all run from GAL's Camberwell base in South London.

Metrobus ELC Esteem Dennis Dart 236 PO56 JFU seen on the forecourt of the Hant's Dorset Trim having nearly completed its refurbishment for Route 367 which runs from Metrobus' Orpington base in Kent.

First London Atlas Road Garage [AS]...Revisit...Farewell to the TNAs!

2012-01-14T22:20:00.007Z

I visited Atlas Road today for the second time since it's opening in October. The Garage is currently an outstation for headquarters Westbourne Park and has the capability to house just over 150 buses. Located in North Acton the garage sits just 5 minutes down the road from Willesden Junction Depot which is also owned by First. It currently runs routes 28,31,328,N28 and N31. It is due to gain a Garage 'status' in April 2012.

The base has been subject to a lot of vehicle movement as of late, due to the fact First have quite a few spare vehicles due to the contract loss of the Route 79 and other routes. This time it is the movement of the TNAs which have been shifted from Westbourne Park Garage (X) to Atlas Road (AS) for storage prior to being used on the Olympic contracts. The TNAs were first delivered back in 2003 when First's flagship Route 23 and Route 295 were retained with new Buses. The TNAs, originally classed as TALs were were favourably ordered and delivered in September of 2003 subsequently they entered service that month. Fitted with a Euro3 Voith gearbox, the new buses were not as quick as the RMC Routemasters and Euro2 Tridents they replaced but nevertheless they did the job. The new buses were numbered between TNA33343 - 33386. Although at least one was retrofitted with a Caterpillar engine and another repainted at Rotherham, the TNAs have been left relatively untouched which is unusual for a First vehicle. When TFL announced the 23 contract had been retained, First took the opportunity to get rid of the TNAs and replace the vehicles with some new state of the art Wrightbus Gemini2 Volvo B9TLs, VNs to you and me. However there is an interesting story to this.

The TNAs will be refurbished at Rowan Telmac's trim in Coventry prior to being sent to work on the Olympic contracts before they end up in their final home of Bristol Depot. This will allow First to get rid of more step entry buses within the provinces as they seek to modernise their fleet.

However First seem to have gone back to the 37XXX series to number their VNs rather than continuing on from the Route 25s batch numbered in the 36XXX series. The new VNs are numbered between 37952 - 37984 and will operate on the 23 on a temporary basis until April when they will make way for 33 new Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 Hybrid Buses. The VNs will then be transferred to AS will 28 of them will operate on the Route 266 which they respectively gain off Metroline in May 2012.

Other things to note in the garage were two formerly based Willesden Junction Trident President (TN) trainers at 5 VNs waiting to be commissioned before going into service on the Route 23. Credit to the Atlas Road staff for allowing me on site, please note that I did have to sign a form to state that I was on the premises and I had to wear a High Visibility Jacket (Hi-Vi) as part of a compulsory safety procedure. More shots from the day are placed below.

First London VN37963 BN61 MXJ awaits commissioning at First London's Atlas Road Garage in North Acton, this is part of a batch 28 Buses that is set to be temporarily used on the Route 23 prior being replaced by some ADL E400 Hybrids and going on the 266.

First London TNA33360 LK53 EXZ stands inside Atlas Road Depot after being decommissioned, this is one of 10 TNAs that are present at the site today and one of 43 that will be decommissioned in the following months for Olympic contract use and cascading to First Bristol.

First London Routemaster SMK735F being stored at Atlas Road Garage for some reason or another. Any comments on this would be much appreciated.

First London TNA33348 LK53 FCG stands inside Atlas Road Depot after being decommissioned, this is one of 10 TNAs that are present at the site today and one of 43 that will be decommissioned in the following months for Olympic contract use and cascading to First Bristol.

'Out with the old and in with the new' TN33348 LK53 FCG and VN37969 BN61 MXT stand side by side at Atlas Road Garage.

A general yard view of Atlas Road Garage. I did promise that I would provide more yard shots of Bus garages rather than just take pictures of the Buses only.

TN33348 LK53 FCF, this is just one of the few TNAs that has survived the firing line for the time being but in due time, this bus will of course be decommissioned.

An offside view of 3 of the 10 TNAs that are currently situated at Atlas Road Garage in a decommissioned state.

First London VN37965 BN61 MXM awaits commissioning at First London's Atlas Road Garage in North Acton, this is part of a batch 28 Buses that is set to be temporarily used on the Route 23 prior being replaced by some ADL E400 Hybrids and going on the 266.

Another general yard view of Atlas Road Garage

Not the most popular buses if this caption is anything to go by!

Key Facts to note about Atlas Road Garage

London's newest Bus Garage
Opened in October 2011
Has the capability to house 150 Buses
Set to run the 266 when gained off Metroline
Currently an outstation of Westbourne Park
Interestingly it houses one Enviro 400 in the form of DN33509

Metroline CELF Centre Part 32...Route 90 gets its MMs back

2012-01-11T19:53:00.005Z

Things at CELF Centre are generally starting to become quieter following the recent deliveries of the remaining TEHs to Cricklewood Garage so there was not much to really see here today. So please don't expect many photos in this post.

Amid there not being much to see, a welcoming sight was seeing MM825 LK57 AYM at Perivale West Garage (PA) undergoing driver type training duties. This batch is part of the 18 buses that make up the Route 90 allocation, numbered between 810 - 827. Since PA undertook the Route on November 26th 2011, it has been allocated DLDs, DPs and the odd SEL, this is due to the fact Metroline were considering whether to convert PA to a whole MM operation on the single deck side of the operations or whether to convert the 90 to DE operation which is the main allocation PA's single deck routes.

It was decided last week that the MMs would return to the Route 90 following driver training and a refurbishment, however the only thing that changes is the MMs will be maintained at CELF Centre in order to ensure that they receive the best care possible. I was quite happy to understand that the MMs would be returning to the 90 as they are my favourite single deck buses, the sheer power and comfort of these beasts is what makes them stand out to other single deck buses that I have travelled on I.E E200s.

Once all 300 drivers at this garage become familiar with these buses, the DLDs and DPs will be swiftly withdrawn before being sold on to Ensignbus.

Other Buses to note were TEH1110 which has been withdrawn since June 2011, TA652 which had an RTA (Road Traffic Accident) and TE729 which looks as if it had a serious RTC (Road Traffic Collision).

More photos of today are available to view below.

Please note that all photographs were taken with the permission of the CELF Centre management and all safety procedures were followed whilst on sight. Please do not attempt to wander onto the CELF Centre premises prior booking an appointment and this is classed as trespassing and you could get fined for this.

Metroline TA652 LK05 GGA stands outside of Metroline's CELF Centre following a RTC, this bus will more than likely receive its treatment here then be sent of for refurbishment prior to starting work on the Route 43 contract.

Metroline TA652 LK05 GGA and TEH1225 LK61 BKE stand side by side at Metroline's CELF Centre.

Metroline TEH1238 LK61 BLN stands outside of Metroline's CELF Centre prior to being delivered to Cricklewood Garage to take up duties on the Route 16 and 139 contracts.

Two Buses stand in the chassis cleaning facility at Metroline's CELF Centre

MM825 LK57 AYM stands inside of Perivale West Garage prior to doing a driver training course which consisted of going to Scotch Common and back via South Greenford, Ruislip Road East and back to Perivale West Garage.

Metroline MM825 LK57 AYM and DLD142 W142 ULR stands inside of Perivale West Garage

Metroline DE1138 LK10 BZE stands inside of Perivale West Garage

A nearside view of the beauty that is MM825!

Metroline TEH1227 LK61 BKG stands outside of Metroline's CELF Centre after delivery from ADL Falkirk 's Factory

Metroline TE729 LK07 AZF, seems to have had a serious accident, repairs will be done in house at CELF as per usual, then this bus will be refurbished then returned for work on Route 186/204 contracts.

Key facts to note about Metroline's CELF Centre

CELF Stands for Central Engineering Logistics Facility
Opened in September 2007
Metroline's central maintenance facility
The Centre deals with repaints, refurbishments and chassis cleaning
Has a dedicated section for Perivale West's Buses
The place where new Metroline Buses to go to be commissioned into service
Has very friendly and professional staff

A Trip back to the Past....Northern Counties Motor & Engineering Co. Wigan Plant

2012-01-08T16:03:00.005Z

Now thanks to the excellent Ned Basher we are delighted to announce that we are able to host his truly stunning shots of a rare visit to Plaxton's Wigan plant when it was open. The shots are from 2001, an era when Plaxton were in their prime, receiving orders from London's top companies in masses, these companies included First, Go Ahead Group and Metroline.

Plaxton in their current form was founded in 1907 in Scarborough. Plaxton made quite a mark on the UK Bus industry. however their years as a bus manufacturer were not always blissful. Various failed attempts didn't help secure Plaxton's place in the bus industry, although they did establish themselves as coach-builders. However the 1990s Plaxton finally found their feet and introduced two of the United Kingdom's greatest double deck and single deck bus bodies, the Plaxton Pointer and Plaxton President. The Pointer was a hit with most operators throughout in England and Ireland as it was cheap, durable and quite stylish. However it was the announcement of the Plaxton President that stole headlines and went a way into cementing Plaxton's place in U.K double decker market.

Above is a shot of 6 nearly completed Plaxton Presidents at Plaxton's Wigan based plant, destined for London Central's Bexleyheath Garage. The bodies were mounted on the on the reliable Volvo B7TL chassis which proved very popular with the majority of London operators.

Unveiled in 1997, the Plaxton President offered a whole host of new features, it became the first low floor double deck bus in the U.K and it's streamlined front half made for a much needed change to the box on wheels we were used. It's launch attracted a host of London operators including MTL who subsequently placed an order for 65 President bodies on the Dennis Trident Chassis. The TPs were initially delivered in 1999 and by that time MTL group had already been absorbed by Metroline Travel Limited so the specification of the buses were built to that of Metroline. However the fact the model only started production in 1999 made it fall short of the ALX400 body that was launched a year earlier in 1998. However Plaxton were smart and following the introduction of the President, they allowed the bodies to be mounted on the DAF DB250 Chassis, Volvo B7TL Chassis and the Dennis Trident Chassis. Metroline were the first company in London to order the Plaxton President, and in 1999 65 examples were delivered to Holloway Garage for routes 17, 43 and 134.

Completed Metroline VPL194 Y194 NLK sits in the MOT bay at Plaxton's Wigan Plant undergoing testing before being delivered to Metroline's Willesden Bus Garage (AC) for the recently retained Route 52. This was part of a batch of 30 vehicles numbered from 168 - 197. These were mounted on the Volvo B7TL Chassis.

In 1999 Go Ahead London or London Central as they were known back then placed an order for 39 Plaxton President bodies on the Volvo B7TL Chassis. They were numbered between PVL1 - 39. They were allocated to Bexleyheath (BX) for the Routes, 229, 401 and 422. They proved a favourite for Go Ahead and at the time of this visit (2001) GAL had recently just placed an order for a further 48 Presidents mounted on the Volvo B7TL Chassis. This time they were allocated between Bexleyheath and New Cross Garages.

Two newly made Plaxton President Volvo B7TLs lay stagnant at Plaxton's Wigan Plant having just got their rears moulded together. They will then be painted into their operator's livery, these two being destined for GAL London. They are part of the batch numbered between PVL208 - 256 for Stockwell Garage (SW)

At the very same time First had also placed orders for many Plaxton Presidents, however this time they were built on the Dennis Trident Chassis. Their models consisted of both long wheelbase and short wheelbase models.

Above is an unidentified Plaxton President body that had just been mounted on the Dennis Trident Chassis.

The President I must say is one of my all time favourite bus bodies, I think its sleek design made it stand out above its rival the ALX400 and throughout its 8 years in build, it sold over 1000 models in London which is an astonishing achievement!

Below are some more shots from the Plaxton Wigan Plant in 2001. I say thank you very much to Ned Basher for kindly allowing us to use his excellent and exclusive shots of the Plaxton Wigan Plant which are very rare. I must stress that these shots are not my property and must not be published elsewhere. If you wish to see more excellent shots of this nature please see Ned's amazing photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/nedbasher/

A freshly made Go Ahead London Plaxton President sits inside of Northern Counties Wigan depot awaiting a paint job that will see in transform from white mould and sheets of aluminium, to a shiny new red London bus.

The interior of a Go Ahead London Plaxton President that judging from this picture has a long way to go before reaching completion. The exposed panels show the complex wiring in a modern day bus.

Go Ahead London President nearing completion at Plaxton's Plant in Wigan

An all but complete Go Ahead London Plaxton President Volvo B7TL Bus sits inside of Plaxton's plant in Wigan, awaiting a wheel hub, minor interior fitments, body panelling and some London Central logos.

Go Ahead London Presidents nearing completion at Plaxton's Plant in Wigan

Go Ahead London President nearing completion at Plaxton's Plant in Wigan

Go Ahead London Presidents nearing completion at Plaxton's Plant in Wigan

Go Ahead London President nearing completion at Plaxton's Plant in Wigan

Two province specified Plaxton President bodied Dennis Trident 2s sit in the yard at Plaxton's plant in Wigan. Quite weird to see them with manual blinds and not the dot matrix style blinds we are use to seeing with province specified style buses.

Go Ahead London President nearing completion at Plaxton's Plant in Wigan

Route 1: Tottenham Court Road - Canada Water (Timelapse)

2012-01-05T17:38:00.003Z

Route 1 runs between Tottenham Court Road and Canada Water and is operated by Go Ahead London from Mandela Way (MW) garage. The route has a peak vehicle requirement (PVR) of 16 buses and is approximately 9 miles long.

Strange Turns and Odd observations

2012-01-04T00:19:00.003Z

Our First odd observation for the year comes in the form of VW1208 LK61 BMZ on the Route 7. This is vehicle is part of the batch of 12 VWs numbered from VW1205 - 1216 that were ordered for the Route 79 which was won by Metroline on 8th of April 2011 and running commenced on the 26th of November 2011. The route now runs from Perivale East Garage (PV).

VW1208 LK61 BMZ on the Route 7 at Marble Arch © Eddie

I actually did predict that when these new vehicles come into service on the route 79, that PV controllers would give them a while to settle in on the route 79 before chucking them out on the Route 7 as it is the flagship Route for PV Garage and it seems my prediction was right as this is not the first reported working of one on the Route 7, coincidently sister Buses, VW1207 was also spotted on the Route 7 last week. Lets keep our eyes peeled for now. I must say seeing these top class vehicles on the Route 7 is a much welcomed change from the unpopular SEL class Scania N230UD Olympus Buses that are currently allocated to the route.

Abellio London Queenstown Battersea Garage [QB]...New Hybrids for the 188...Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T02:39:00.004Z

First of all, I on behalf of the COL Blog team would like to wish all you a very happy new year and for all of your heart's desires to be fulfilled in 2012. Who would of thought that we would still be going strong and as today is new years day, we thought we would give you a horough post today as a treat for all of you viewers.

The industrial town of Battersea is home to many things; Battersea Power Station, Battersea Dogs & Cats home however it is also home to Abellio's Battersea Garage which is coincidently the company's biggest garage. The Garage was opened by the much criticised mayor Boris Johnson on the 17th of May 2009 for a staggering fee of £7million pounds! The garage is located on the former Victorian depot which was formerly used to stable trains from the southern regions. Even today Southern Class 377s can be seen adjacent to the depot. The opening of this garage had many benefits to the company including its convenient location which made it easier for employees to travel to work and it also reduced the dead mileage significantly on Abellio London bus routes, helping the company to pay back TFL with reduced costs.

In its current form the garage is holding 140 buses, 126 of which are used in the peak times, however the garage is actually capable of holding up to 200 buses. It currently runs routes 35, 156, 211, 414, 452, C3, C10 24-hour route 344 and night bus N3, N35. To add to this on February 11th 2012 the company's flagship route '3' will be transferred from the company's Beddington Cross Garage (BC) using some ADL E400 Hybrids which were surprisingly purchased using the company's own finances.

According to company statistics, the Buses that run from Battersea Garage are amongst the most environmentally friendly buses on the streets of London and the opening of this new garage with all the new features it posses will help QB's Buses to continue to be the greenest Buses in London. One such new feature is a water storage tank that is capable of housing up to 41,000 litres of water at any one time. The water stored up will then be used to clean the site as well as fuel the water used in the bus wash. Other features include an indoor engineering bay which can house up to 10 buses at a time which reduces the amount of time in which buses take to get repaired. In addition to this the garage also has a bus wash that can treat up 6 buses at a time, this also reduces time in which buses are off the road, helping controllers to dispose the washed buses onto their duties for the day. All in all the garage is a very nice garage which also has a nice atmosphere, made possible by the wonderful employees of this company.

Amid this, the actual reason I visited this location is due to the fact, I had gained word that some Hybrids due to commence service on the 188 in January had been delivered to the premises. Interesting I came here on Monday 24th of December however my camera battery died on me and I could not gain the shots I desired. So to my shock, when I arrived here today I noticed that 10 of the 13 Hybrids had been delivered here prior to being commissioned then transferring to the company's Walworth base in Camberwell. The new Hybrids are built to this seemingly needless W.T.A specification which sees them have a decrease in capacity and an increase in weight. The Abellio E400 Hybrids weigh a staggering 11,950KGS.

Credit goes out to the Abellio London staff who allowed this visit to be possible and I must remind you viewers that the visit was a planned one that was fully authorised by the company and all compulsory safety procedures were followed whilst I was on site. More photos from the visit are placed below.

Abellio Trident E400 Hybrids
2407 SN61 DFY and
2406 SN61 DFX

Abellio London Trident Hybrid E400
interior upper deck

Abellio London Trident E400 Hybrid interior upper deck

Abellio London E400 Hybrid 2403 SN61 DFP

Abellio London Plaxton Pointer Dart W612 UGM

Abellio London Trident E400 2405 SN61 DFV
Rear

Abellio London Trident E400 Hybrid 2405 SN61 DFV
offside longitudinal

Abellio London Trident E400 9464 LJ09 CEN

Abellio London ALX400 Trident 9822 LG52 XYZ

Abellio London ALX400 Trident 9825 LG52 XYR

Abellio London Trident E400 9412 LJ56 VTO

Abellio Trainer Ex London United Plaxton Pointer Dart
8902 SN51 SZF

Abellio London Trident E400 Hybrid 2412 SN61 DGU

Abellio London Trident E400 9484 LJ09 OKT

Abellio London Battersea Garage Bus Wash

Abellio London Battersea Garage Yard View

Abellio London Battersea Garage

Abellio London Trident E400 2405 SN61 DFV
Nearside

Abellio London Trident E400 2408 SN61 DFZ

Abellio London Trident ALX400s

Abellio London Plaxton Pointer Dart interior

Abellio London Plaxton Pointer Darts
W602 UGM and W601 UGM

Abellio London Battersea Garage
Maintenance Hub

Abellio London Trident ALX400s
9736 Y36 HWB

Abellio London Trident E400 9468 LJ09 OKA

Abellio London Plaxton Pointer Dart W605 UGM
and ALX200 Darts 8006 Y116 HWB and Y215 HWF

Abellio London Trident ALX400 V312 KGW

Abellio London Trident ALX400s 9812 LG52 HWN (rear)
and 9784 KV02 URY

Abellio London Battersea Garage Yard View

Abellio London E200 Dart 8564 YX11 AEO

Abellio London Trident E400 9468 LJ09 OKA
Rear

Abellio London Battersea Garage Bus Wash

Abellio London Plaxton Pointer Dart 8437 RX51 FGM
and
Abellio London E200 Dart 8566 YX11 AET

Abellio London Trident ALX400s 9812 LG52 HWN
and 9784 KV02 URY (rear)

Key Facts to Note about Battersea Garage

Opened on the 17th of May 2009
Abellio London's biggest Garage
Runs 10 Bus Routes
Has a PVR of 126
Capable of holding 200 buses
One of the most economically friendly bus garages in London
Abellio London's Central maintenance point
Abellio London's main storage facility.

Route 423: Heathrow Terminal 5 - Hounslow Bus Station (Timelapse)

2011-12-30T14:57:00.003Z

Route 423 runs between Heathrow Terminal 5 and Hounslow Bus Station and is operated by London United from Hounslow Heath (HH) garage. The route has a peak vehicle requirement (PVR) of 7 buses and is approximately 9 miles long.

Route 3: Oxford Circus - Crystal Palace (Timelapse)

2011-12-29T16:40:00.002Z

Route 3 runs between Oxford Circus and Crystal Palace and is operated by Abellio London from Beddington Cross (BC) garage. The route has a peak vehicle requirement (PVR) of 22 buses and is approximately 9 miles long.

Route 111: Kingston - Heathrow Central (Timelapse)

2011-12-28T12:56:00.005Z

Route 111 runs between Kingston and Heathrow Central and is operated by London United from Hounslow (AV) garage. The route has a peak vehicle requirement (PVR) of 23 buses and is approximately 15 miles long.

Metroline CELF Centre Part 31...The latter batch of TEH

2011-12-23T22:46:00.002Z

This may well be the final post for the calendar year, 2011 and we at the COL Blog would like to take this time to say Merry Christmas and have a happy new year. Thank you for all the support and we hope that you join us again in the new year. In typical COL Blog fashion we visited our much loved CELF Centre. For those who are not familiar with CELF. In a nutshell, CELF is Metroline's Central Engineering Logistics Facility. It was opened in September 2007 and has since revolutionised the way in which Metroline maintain their Buses. The Centre deals with MOT, Chassis cleaning, repaints and refurbishments. It now means all of these operations can be done in house, which saves the company revenue and it also means vehicles undergoing maintenance can get back on the road much quicker than before.

Metroline TEH1241 LK61 BLZ

Today proved quite a good day for photography and a special thanks goes out to Jack who is our newest member for going out and providing us with the excellent shots we are able to give you today. The reason for the visit today was to see the latter batch of the long awaited TEHs for the Route 16 and 139. The TEH class buses are part of a batch of buses numbered between TEH1217 - 1242 that were all supposed to be delivered in November. However by late October only 8 Buses had been delivered and these came in the form of TEH1217 - 1224. It became apparent that the whole batch would not be delivered by that November 26th deadline. Interestingly the same thing happened last year with the delivery of TE1073 - 1104. Official reports confirmed that the latter batch of these vehicles 1225 - 1242 were still being prepared by Alexander Dennis in their Falkirk, Harlow and Guildford plants and delivery would be immanent.

At the Centre there are 15 TEHs which when fully introduced will allow the 86% conversion of route 16, (providing TEH915 - 919 do not move to the 189) and the full conversion of flagship route 139 to full Hybrid conversion. Making the route the fist Metroline route to become fully operated by Hybrid Buses. The Buses are being parked here briefly whilst they get commissioned before entering service at Cricklewood Garage.

The new TEHs are built to an absolutely stunning specification which sees the addition of LED running lights as well as Passenger CCTV screens. They have the red tree deflectors as standard, although when in build some did have the silver tree deflectors.

Other things to note at the centre were VPL233 Y233 NLK which was a victim of fire damage and will probably not be used again. DLD199 LN51 KXE is still standing at the centre despite the fact it should be on the Route 70 any day now. DE864 LK08 DWX which is victim of an act of vandalism. There were various TPs in the centre as expected as well as an SEL which came in the form of SEL743. However this was pretty much all that was at the centre today. Things at CELF normally quiet down during this season. Thank you for reading this post and we hope you have enjoyed it as much as we have in writing it. More photos from the visit are displayed below.

Metroline TEH1232 LK61 BKU

Metroline DLD199 LN51 KXE

Metroline TP412 LK03 CFF

Metroline SEL743 LK07 BAA

Metroline TEH1241 LK61 BLZ offside

Metroline TEH1235 LK61 BKZ

Metroline TEH1236 LK61 BLF

Metroline TEH1241 LK61 BLZ

Metroline TEH lower deck interior

Metroline TEH Steering wheel

Metroline TEH1237 LK61 BLJ

Metroline TEH1237 LK61 BLJ
and TEH1240 LK61 BLX

Metroline TEH upper deck interior
facing rear

Metroline VPL233 Y233 NLK

Hybrids for Route 15

2011-12-23T21:00:00.008Z

Stagecoach London began taking delivery of its first Hybrid deck buses on the 15th December. A total of 26 ADL built buses will arrive for serivce on Route 15 between Regent Steet and Blackwall currently run from Bow (BW) garage.

12128,LX61DFD

The buses use the established and successful BAE Systems serial hybrid system where the engine is not connected to the wheels but provides power to a generator and batteries that transmit the drive via an electric motor. By using this system it creates a better fuel economy with fewer emissions and less noise. When the bus begins to brake, the motor becomes a generator and returns power to the batteries, leading to further energy efficiency as well as helping bring the bus to a stop.

The buses fleetcodes will range from 12128 - 12153 with the whole batch expected to be fully delivered in mid March. Although the interior layout is to TFL specification, the colour scheme is the same overall green as used on all of Stagecoach's National hybrids.

12128 Interior

#The information regarding the Hybrid bus technology is based around the original infromation provided on the Stagecoach London website

Final service change of the year!

2011-12-22T22:40:00.004Z

On the 31st December we see the last service change for 2011 take place. This sees Route U9 move from Arriva The Shires to Abellio London.

3482, W482YGS

Route U9 runs between Uxbridge and Harefield Hospital. The U9 is currently run from High Wycombe garage with one of the largest dead runs to and from the garage across the whole of the TFL network. The move to Abellio London will see the route operated from Hayes (WS) garage with 56reg MDP's from Dawsons rental, examples of which have already shown up as odd workings on route U7. Below are some pictures of Route U9 in its final days under Arriva The Shires operation.

3226, V421DGT

3482, W482YGS

3838, KE53NFA

A personal message from me: I would like to wish you all a Happy Christmas and a Happy New year and I look forward to seeing you all in 2012 with more posts! Keep Safe!
Jack

First London Willesden Junction Depot...New Streetlite for the 226

2011-12-17T18:28:00.002Z

Today's travels saw me end up at First London's Willesden Junction Depot in Harlesden. The garage is adjacent to the busy West Coast Mainline and currently operates flagship Route 18, along with Routes, 187,226,228,487 and N18. The Garage opened in 2003 following First's retention of the Route 18 with new 18m Mercedes Citaro Bendybuses. The opening of this garage allowed First to have more flexibility with their routes and routes 187,226,487,PR1 and PR2 all transferred from Alperton (ON) following the opening of this garage.

First London WM47400 DRZ 6181

Although this may count as another Garage visit for whom I must give credit to First for allowing me on their premises. The reason for me visiting here today was to view the Bus above.The new Bus is titled the 'Streetlite' and it is a joint venture between Mistral Coach Sales and Wrightbus. Announced in late 2010 the first of the Streetlites took to the road in early 2011. The Bus above was due to be delivered to First London's Lea Interchange Garage in July 2011, however due to ongoing problems with the transmissions systems the delivery of this vehicle was delayed. It was initially set to run on the Route 236 which would allow First to make a direct comparison between it and the Dennis E200s. Should it had been delivered on time, the E200s currently on order for Routes such as the W15 may in fact have been Streetlites instead. The bus will now run on the 226 once Oyster and Wayfarer machines have been installed where it will provide a direct comparison between the E200s on the Route. Originally coded VN58200 strangely, it has now been re-coded VM47400 but still has an Irish registration for some reason....The 10.2m vehicle seats 31 people and weighs a whopping 8020KGS. However although it seats 31, the legroom is adequate enough for the majority of the public to sit comfortably, I say this being 6ft2 and having tested out every seat on the vehicle. I must say I do like this vehicle a lot, may I add that it would be a very welcome addition on London's streets. On the other hand, I was also informed that a WTA 10.2m E200 would be bought by First to allow the comparison between these two vehicles to be more accurate. Credit to First for allowing me on the premises and I have to stress that I had all safety gear including High Visibility Jacket (Hi-Vi) and I followed all garage safety procedures whilst on site.

First London Streetlite interior

First London DML44056 YX58 FPU

First Willesden Junction Garage Yard

First VN37939 BF60 VJN and VN37933 BF60 UVA

First London DML44055 YX58 FPT

Ex-First London EA11053 LK05 FCO

First London DML44054 YX58 FPO

First London DML41419

First London DML41420 LN51 DXD

First London VN37924 BF60 VJJ

First London WM47400 DRZ 6181

First London Streetlite interior

First London WM47400 DRZ 6181

All Change Route 207! Last of the Bendy Bus Routes in London

2011-12-10T23:03:00.007Z

December 10th 2011 was a day remember for all London Bus enthusiasts as it marked the day the last of the 'Bendybus routes' in London was converted back to Double Deck operation. Originally introduced on the 9th of December 1960, the Route 207 ran between Shepherd's Bush Green and Uxbridge Station along the whole of the 13mile gateway that is Uxbridge Road.

The lengthy route required a PVR of 35 Buses to run from London Transport's Uxbridge Base. Initially using Routemasters, in 1970 the route was converted to one-man-operation using some Damilar DMS Class Buses however due to reliability problems with these Buses, the route was converted back to Routemaster operation until 1987 when some state of the art MCW Metrobus' vehicles were introduced. The Metrobus' continued to run the route for another 14 years until they were replaced with new buses in 2001.

The new vehicles came in the form of 48 Plaxton President bodied Trident 2 buses (TNL), the vehicles were all locally registered at DVLA's Stanmore office. The vehicles settled in nicely on the route and were well received by passengers on the route who were used to the ageing Metrobus'. However they were deemed unsuitable for West London's busiest Bus route and plans for a capacity increase along the route arose....With all this came doubts over whether the TNLs would continue on the route...Perhaps the introduction of six Wright Fusion & Gemini bodied Volvo B7RLE bendybuses on the route could have been an indication as to what TFL were planning to do next with the Route 207.

The six bendybuses came from First's Manchester operations and introduced on the 207 as part of a six month trial to see how the route coped with these buses. The vehicles of course had the 'Barbie' livery applied. Although one example AV1 Y151 ROT was repainted in London colours. The six Buses were operated from Greenford Garage (G). The six month trial was deemed a success by TFL and they quickly announced that upon next tender the Route 207 would be the next route in London to be converted to bendybus operation. Little was known that the success of the bendybuses on this route would pave the way for another 12 routes in London to switch to this type of bus known as the 'artic' which would also include near enough 500 vehicles.

In Autumn 2004 TFL announced that First had retained Route 207 brand new state of the art bendybuses. The buses would come in the form of 35 Mercedes Citaro Artic Buses. A new base in Hayes was opened and on the 9th Of April 2005, First began running the Route 207. However upon the introduction of the bendies, would see the 207 cut between Uxbridge and Hayes By Pass and a new Route introduced between Acton High Street and Uxbridge Station, numbered 427. The reason for thus, owed to the fact the bendies would be incapable of navigating the narrow streets of Uxbridge. The new route 427 would require 20 TNLs straight from the old 207 allocation and the 607 was also upgraded to this type too, gaining 20 of the 48 vehicles that previously operated on the 207.

The bendies proved a successful people mover, with over 149 people on the move at a time as opposed to 87, however three doors meant that fare evasion was a common problem. This meant TFL were making losses. When new mayor Boris Johnson was elected in 2008, he was keen to eradicate this problem and he swiftly announced that all bendybuses in London were to be axed by late 2011 and he certainly stuck to his word.

In early 2011 TFL announced that First had retained the 207 contract once again for another 4 years, however this time using 35 double deck vehicles. Although First threw us a shock with the ordering of the new Scania Omnicitys, they were delivered on time and were ready for service and on the 10th of December First began running the route 207 with 35 new Scania Omnicity double deckers. This was the last of the bendybus routes in London to be 'de-bendifeid' and the significance of this day had enthusiasts flocking from near and far to gain their pictures of what the 207 looked like prior to this day and what it will be looking like from this day forward.

The new Buses were built in Poland and then shipped over to Hull Docks before being evaluated at Scania Hull and Scania Worksop (Nottingham), the first of the vehicles were delivered to Hayes Garage (HS) in late October and testing began the following week. A large number of the vehicles were stored at Scania Heathrow prior to being delivered to Hayes Garage.

I must say the vehicles are a welcome addition to the streets of London which seem to be very boring and very unvaried. Credit to Dave McKay for providing the photos used in this post and I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading it.

Metroline Fortnightly Update : 8th Of December 2011

2011-12-08T00:04:00.007Z

Harrow Weald
General summary
This seems to be one of the busier garages within the company as of late. This is due to the refurbishment of 60 plus buses following the retention of Routes 140,182 and H12. The numbers are VP317 - 347 which are being sent to Hant's Dorset Trim. VP466/467/468 and 469 which are also being set to Hant's Dorset Trim and /485/486/487 and 488 which are also being set to Hant's Dorset Trim.VP604 - 627 which are being sent to Rowan Telmac's Trim in Coventry with the exception of the unique VP628 which is being sent to Hant's Dorset Trim.

All Buses at the garage are receiving gearbox updates as well as the addition of 6 electric fans to stop the roaring on these Buses. VP334 and VP610 have already been treated.

TPL239 is still hanging for life at Harrow Weald. These were transferred from PV in May 2011.

Loans

TP426/427/428/429/430 and 431 are still present at the Garage and should be up until the refurbishment of the VPs is finished in February. They will return to Cricklewood Garage when their duties are done at HD.

VP471 LK03 GKN was transferred to the Garage from AC (Willesden) straight after its refurbishment in late October.

TP433 LK03 GFZ was transferred to the Garage after being released from CELF Centre in October. It can be seen regularly on the H12. Not much is known on whether this vehicle will remain a permanent feature at HD.

Finally VPL231 LK51 XHB was transferred to the Garage in November from HT (Holloway).

Perivale: (Perivale East & Perivale West)
General summary
On the 26/11/11 the Route 90 transferred to Perivale West Garage. As yet no MMs have been spotted on the route, just DP, DLD and SLE class Buses. This is due to the fact the MMs are currently at AC where they are gaining a new system similar to RIBAS. So in the coming weeks anything up to DEs and VWs will be common on the route until the MMs are released.

All information is correct to December 2011.

Metroline Potters Bar Garage [PB]

2011-12-02T19:25:00.007Z

Today I visited Metroline's Potters Bar garage in Hertfordshire. The garage currently houses 128 buses including 5 spares. Buses in the garage range from Alexander Dennis E200/400's to Dennis Trident / Plaxton Presidents.

Metroline DLM152, Y252NLK on the Potters Bar Forecourt

Potters Bar garage is home of the last two remaining Dennis Dart/Plaxton Pointer 2 8.8M (DLM) buses within the company. DLM152, Y252NLK and DLM158,Y258NLK both transffered to PB from Holloway (HT) garage when the company lost the W5. The garage currently runs route 82, 84, 217, 234, 263, 383, 384, 626, W8, W9 and night routes N20 and N91. The garage also holds buses for Hertfordshire bus route 242. Potters Bar recently welcomed a batch of DP's from Brentford (AH) garage numbered between DP1001 - 1014, these were displaced from the loss of Rotue 117 to Abellio London. Back on site was repaired TE943, LK58KHH. DEL856 was also on site which is the only 84 bus which does not have the blue skirt. These buses could have any livery and/or branding the company want as the route has nothing to do with TFL. Oyster cards will no longer be accpeted on Route 84 in the new year as it goes to a full commerical route. In October 2011 it was announced that the Garage has successfully retained the Route 82 Contract which will commence in May 2012 with 25 new double deckers. The Buses are yet unspecified. Below are some more pictures from my visit. Credit must go out to the Metroline staff for allowing me on the premises and just a reminder that I had to comply with Garage safety rules on site by wearing a Hi-Visibility Jacket.

Metroline DES791, LK07BDO

Metroline DEL856, LK08DWL

Metroline DEL852, LK08DWE

Metroline TE943, LK58KHH

Metroline TE943, LX58KHH, Repaired and Repainted rear

Metroline DSD217, LR02BFE

Metroline TP464, LK03GKC & TPL278, LR02BBN

Metroline DP1012, RL51DOH, Ex 117 bus

All Change Route 79!

2011-11-26T22:57:00.005Z

Back to normality some may say, or just another page in the history book which sees the Route 79 shift between First and Metroline at almost every tender. Originally tendered in 1987 by London Bus Routes Limited the 79 was awarded to London Bus Lines who were later purchased by Centrewest.

Operated from their Southall Garage, the Route originally ran from Edgware Station to Alperton Station with a PVR of 5 DMS type Double Deck Buses. In 1996 the Route was extended to Alperton Sainsbury's as more stand space made it more practical and it also provided another link between the station and the Sainsbury's rather than the infrequent 224 and 297.

In 1996 the route upon re-tendering was awarded to MTL , who began operating the Route on the 23/11/1996 from their North Acton base using 9 MMs, although the 2 school day journeys were retained by First...

In August 1998 Metroline purchased MTL and subsequently moved the 79 to their North Wembley based. The MMs were ditched in favour of some ERD Class Dennis Darts.

In 2001 the route was won again by First , this time using 11 Double Deckers in the form of some new 9.9m Plaxton President bodied Trident 2 Buses (TN). The route was run from their Alperton base. First seemed to be doing well with the route and in 2002 it received an surprising upgrade. This came in the form of some new Plaxton President bodied Volvo B7TLs (VNL) which were 10.6m. These were part of the same batch that were due to operate on the 83 following its retention. The batch were deployed on the 79 and 258 to allow both routes to get rid of their TNs in order to allow Alperton to be an all Volvo Garage. This would make it easier for engineers operating on the Buses.

In 2004 the route received a further upgrade in the form of some new 10m Wright Gemini bodied B7TLs (VNW). It looked as if their hard work had paid of as in 2006 First were re-awarded the 79 contract for a further 5 years.The ordering of these Buses allowed the VNLs to be returned back to their original allocation of 83. So no one would have guessed the shock that came with the outcome of the re-tendering of this route.

On April 8th 2011, it was announced that Metroline had won the 79 from First. The contract was specified with new Buses, and there much suggestion over the bus type it would use and where it would operate from. However it was quickly confirmed that the vehicles used would be in the from of some Wright Gemini2 Volvo B9TLs (VW). At this time too, it was also announced that the 297 would be gaining some VWs. There were earlier suggestions that the route would be run from PA (Perivale West) and this seemed the case when some of the VWs started appearing at Metroline's CELF Centre with intact PA Codes. This seemed to somewhat confirm that the route would operate from PA. However when it was confirmed that the VWs that had appeared at CELF Centre were for the 297, more questions were raised.

It was later confirmed that the Route 79 would operate from PV and not PA as earlier suggested and in late October the VWs for the 79 had finally started arriving. Consisting of 12 vehicles the new VWs were built to the new W.T.A specification. Metroline commenced running of the Route 79 today and will be doing so for the next five years.

Lets hope the running of the Route 79 will be a successful five years for Metroline, but whether or not they will keep the route on next tendering remains to be seen. Anyway cheers to the next 5 years.

Latest Buses at the trim...26th Of November 2011

2011-11-26T20:26:00.000Z

Brighton & Hove B5LH BK10 MGV

KonectBus BL57 OXH

Metroline VP486 LK03 GMU

Arriva London VLA57 LJ04 LFM

GAL London PVL384 PJ53 NKZ

Metroline VP493 LK03 GNN

Metroline CELF Centre Part 30...C94 CLE 122

2011-11-23T16:59:00.001Z

This is my first visit here since the new TEHs were built, been quite a long time if you ask me. As expected here today, present were the new VWs for the Route 79, numbered between 1205 - 1216. They will operate from Perivale East Garage as most of us know. However upon my arrival I came across this strange looking vehicle...

C94 CLE 122

The vehicle came from The London Transport Museum as far as I know for M.O.T, I'm not familiar with the vehicle so any added information would be appreciated. Other news sees PA's preparation for the Route 90 operation on Saturday 26th of November (my birthday!). To prepare for this, the drivers will be type trained on MMs before the a decision is made as to whether or not the 90 will use the MMs. Other things to take note of at the Centre are some decommissioned TPs from the original TP1 - 65 batch as well as the sole remaining step entrance Dart, DP274 which seems to be hanging on for dear life! DLD199 LN51 KXE is still standing outside of the centre in a repainted state, this vehicle has been joined by DLD202 LN51 KXH, both of which are supposed to be entering service on the Route 70 by the 3rd Of January 2012. VW1182 LK11 CXS which was partially destroyed in the Southall Riots in August still remains at the centre. This sums up what was at the centre today apart from the usual. Many thanks to the CELF Centre staff for allowing me on the premises.

The rear of CLE 122

Metroline DP274 M674 MLE

Metroline VW1211 LK61 BNE

Metroline VW1215 LK61 BNN

Metroline DE1171 LK11 CXD and VW1216 LK61 BNO

Metroline DE1142 LK10 BZJ

Watford Gap Services: More E200s for Metrobus!

2011-11-22T23:41:00.001Z

Arriving in convoy are four Metrobus E200s which have just been released from Plaxton's Scarborough's plant. As stated in the previous post in this series, the new E200s for Metrobus are destined for Routes R1 and R11 which the company successfully retained. The new E200s are the first Dennis E200s to have the offside door centrally placed. this is due to new safety regulations by the E.U (European Union).

Watford Gap Services: Metrobus's new arrivals

2011-11-17T21:37:00.001Z

Credit to Steve Buckley for allowing me to host these Pictures! Below are two new Dennis E200s for 'R' Routes R1 and R11 which were successfully retained by Metrobus on the 23rd Of May 2011 with the contract starting on the 3rd Of December 2011. The new Buses are part of a batch of 16 new vehicles that will be based at Orpington Depot (MB) and will replace the elderly Darts that currently operate on the Route.

Metrobus 165 YX61 ENF

Pictured at Watford Gap Services in Northampton, the Buses have just completed the first half of their journey from Plaxton's Plant in Scarborough to Orpington in which they will go via ADL Harlow for a minor check up then to the headquarters in Crawley for appraisal by the Metrobus managers and directors before they reach their final destination of Orpington...Quite a long journey if you ask me. The new Buses are 8.9m and are of course built to the new W.T.A Specification which sees the addition of nearside and offside side lights and the introduction of an offside door. The new specification on Alexander Dennis E200s results in the new 8.9 models no longer having the offside emergency exit situated at the rear of the bus this is due to the new EU regulations. So to make up for this it has been positioned centrally. Interestingly Metrobus's other E200s also have this exact layout but they were delivered this way in order to accommodate the for the size of the huge MAN engine.

Metrobus 163 YX61 ENC

I must stress that these photos are not property of the Circle Of London Blog and must not be re-used prior to gaining permission from their owner Steve Buckley , if you would like more high quality pictures from his collection then I'd suggest you visit here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/36343393@N08/

Latest Buses at the trim...17th Of November 2011

2011-11-17T10:23:00.002Z

Metroline VP563 LK04 EKX

Arriva Shires 6032 YJ55 WOM

Volvo Gemini2 B5L Demonstrator Hybrid BK10 MGV

Ex Go Ahead London MAL110 BL57 OXM