London Buses.

[Stuharris 6360]

Today a bus on route 541 in London was seen displaying its route and destination with a hand written notice displayed in the front window, causing this comment on the London Bus Group,

"it's the trial operation for the new bargain basement, mega low quality but cheap to run bus network for London modelled on those wonderful Birmingham operators who use clapped out Dennis Darts held together with sticky tape and painted with body primer.  Go Ahead have just started with the A4 and biro element of the operating model. :-)"

[Stu]

Today a bus on route 541 in London was seen displaying its route and destination with a hand written notice displayed in the front window, causing this comment on the London Bus Group,

"it's the trial operation for the new bargain basement, mega low quality but cheap to run bus network for London modelled on those wonderful Birmingham operators who use clapped out Dennis Darts held together with sticky tape and painted with body primer.  Go Ahead have just started with the A4 and biro element of the operating model. :-)"

Clearly whoever wrote that comment has never actually been to Birmingham! It's not like every bus up here is a clapped out Dart with handwritten notices.

[Tony]

Today a bus on route 541 in London was seen displaying its route and destination with a hand written notice displayed in the front window, causing this comment on the London Bus Group,

"it's the trial operation for the new bargain basement, mega low quality but cheap to run bus network for London modelled on those wonderful Birmingham operators who use clapped out Dennis Darts held together with sticky tape and painted with body primer.  Go Ahead have just started with the A4 and biro element of the operating model. :-)"

Clearly whoever wrote that comment has never actually been to Birmingham! It's not like every bus up here is a clapped out Dart with handwritten notices.

The comment never said it was, but Birmingham has had its fair share of operators like that. I am told another PI will be coming soon!

[the trainbasher]

Today a bus on route 541 in London was seen displaying its route and destination with a hand written notice displayed in the front window, causing this comment on the London Bus Group,

"it's the trial operation for the new bargain basement, mega low quality but cheap to run bus network for London modelled on those wonderful Birmingham operators who use clapped out Dennis Darts held together with sticky tape and painted with body primer.  Go Ahead have just started with the A4 and biro element of the operating model. :-)"

Clearly whoever wrote that comment has never actually been to Birmingham! It's not like every bus up here is a clapped out Dart with handwritten notices.

The comment never said it was, but Birmingham has had its fair share of operators like that. I am told another PI will be coming soon!

The PI must be for a VIP... :-)

[Stuharris 6360]

It just shows you though that people from outside Birmingham notice these things, I am surprised that Centro puts up with these methods of operation.

[Isle of Stroma]

It just shows you though that people from outside Birmingham notice these things, I am surprised that Centro puts up with these methods of operation.

There's quite a few people within Birmingham that notice these things too ....

[nx4737]

Today a bus on route 541 in London was seen displaying its route and destination with a hand written notice displayed in the front window, causing this comment on the London Bus Group,

"it's the trial operation for the new bargain basement, mega low quality but cheap to run bus network for London modelled on those wonderful Birmingham operators who use clapped out Dennis Darts held together with sticky tape and painted with body primer.  Go Ahead have just started with the A4 and biro element of the operating model. :-)"

Clearly whoever wrote that comment has never actually been to Birmingham! It's not like every bus up here is a clapped out Dart with handwritten notices.

No, but it doesn't take long to find that in Birmingham!

[Stuharris 6360]

For those who take an interest in London Buses, Arriva DW84 on route 59 was involved in a serious accident this morning.

Details at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25465221

[John]

For those who take an interest in London Buses, Arriva DW84 on route 59 was involved in a serious accident this morning.

Details at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25465221

That's awful, hope the people involved are ok.
The tree looks to be at least 5 feet into the front of the bus, that must be a write-off

[Stuharris 6360]

For those who take an interest in London Buses, Arriva DW84 on route 59 was involved in a serious accident this morning.

Details at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25465221

That's awful, hope the people involved are ok.
The tree looks to be at least 5 feet into the front of the bus, that must be a write-off

All the injured have now been removed from the bus, although from what they said on Sky News earlier, two people were trapped on the upper deck at the front for a while.

[Ossie]

When I saw "London Buses" as a thread topic on this West Midlands Bus board, I thought you were going to be talking about the ex-London Transport DMS Fleetlines that were acquired by WMPTE back in the late 1970's ....  ;D

I remember a batch of them were at Quinton garage, mainly working the old 9 route ..... 8)

I think there was about 30 acquired in all?

Google "wmpte 5514" if you want to see what they looked like ...

[Stuharris 6360]

When I saw "London Buses" as a thread topic on this West Midlands Bus board, I thought you were going to be talking about the ex-London Transport DMS Fleetlines that were acquired by WMPTE back in the late 1970's ....  ;D

I remember a batch of them were at Quinton garage, mainly working the old 9 route ..... 8)

I think there was about 30 acquired in all?

Google "wmpte 5514" if you want to see what they looked like ...

Did they all have the main destination box painted over?

[filbus1]

When I saw "London Buses" as a thread topic on this West Midlands Bus board, I thought you were going to be talking about the ex-London Transport DMS Fleetlines that were acquired by WMPTE back in the late 1970's ....  ;D

I remember a batch of them were at Quinton garage, mainly working the old 9 route ..... 8)

I think there was about 30 acquired in all?

Google "wmpte 5514" if you want to see what they looked like ...

The WMPTE DMSs were 5500-30 & 5532-80, 20 each at Quinton, Harborne, Selly Oak and Yardley
Wood. 5531 was standard Fleetline BON 531C, rebuilt after a fire.

[Justin Tyme]

Did they all have the main destination box painted over?

At first they did, but they were fairly soon given new destination boxes, with the destination blind above a three-track number blind.  Google WMPTE 5533 to see what they looked like.

Later on Yardley Wood put four-track number blinds in some, and YW put WMPTE standard destination equipment in at least one (except with 3-track number blinds, due to lack of space).

IIRC WMPTE's DMSs all had Gardner 6LXB engines, and so had more 'go' than the standard early 1970s PTE Fleetlines.

[Tony]

Kingston de-roofing
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25496956