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Post by M1104 on May 25, 2013 16:30:55 GMT
I'm in San Francisco at the moment, talking of ex London buses, I'd thought I'd mention the vast amount of ex London sightseeing MCW Metrobuses they have here. Certain wasn't expecting to hear the Gardner/voith combination over here. Made for a pleasent suprise! They're also using L class Leyland Olympians and tri axle Metro's and I think Dennis Condors (?) Ex big bus. Some of these still carry their uk number plates! I believe New York also had some ex London MCW Metrobuses on sightseeing operations. They certainly had some British double-deckers on their streets a few years back.
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Post by Connor on May 29, 2013 13:12:21 GMT
Several ex-Stagecoach Euro 2 Tridents (V103MEV,V162MEV and V218MEV) at International Coachlines, Thornton Heath. You should see the road the buses have to take to enter the garage, it's tiny! (at the corner where Nursery Road & Elm Road meet, by the railway tracks). Also, a lovely S reg DLA and several Routemasters there.
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Post by vjaska on May 29, 2013 13:46:51 GMT
Several ex-Stagecoach Euro 2 Tridents (V103MEV,V162MEV and V218MEV) at International Coachlines, Thornton Heath. You should see the road the buses have to take to enter the garage, it's tiny! (at the corner where Nursery Road & Elm Road meet, by the railway tracks). Also, a lovely S reg DLA and several Routemasters there. Any chance you could get a pic of the S reg DLA, I'd be interested to see it.
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Post by Connor on May 29, 2013 14:25:44 GMT
Several ex-Stagecoach Euro 2 Tridents (V103MEV,V162MEV and V218MEV) at International Coachlines, Thornton Heath. You should see the road the buses have to take to enter the garage, it's tiny! (at the corner where Nursery Road & Elm Road meet, by the railway tracks). Also, a lovely S reg DLA and several Routemasters there. Any chance you could get a pic of the S reg DLA, I'd be interested to see it. If it's still there, then yes.
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Post by Hassaan on May 30, 2013 14:29:53 GMT
Found this in Slough today, still with the second door
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Post by COBO on May 30, 2013 16:35:43 GMT
I wonder how First outside London will get there buses now that First London are no more because they mostly get cascades from London.
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Post by vjaska on May 30, 2013 17:45:09 GMT
I wonder how First outside London will get there buses now that First London are no more because they mostly get cascades from London. All the cascades should have lowered the age profile so they should be fine for a good while yet
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Post by joefrombow on May 30, 2013 23:40:03 GMT
I wonder if tower transits will ship some of there cascades when it comes to it over to sydney or sell them on to good old ensign should be intresting to see .
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Post by ajw on May 31, 2013 0:39:05 GMT
Whilst of course I gather your are joking, in case your not why on earth would Tower Transit send London offcasts to Sydney (or any other city they operate in Australia).
You do realise that Sydney is now a contracted bus market just like London, though the difference is that the state government of NSW is now buying and then owns the buses with the operators just running them (which IMO would be the best way for London to work too).
The only thing is because this model is new then yes Transit Systems are seeking older buses too, but believe me unless it was a fullsized 12m bus they wouldn't want them. Now let me see what are the bulk of the single deckers in London, yep what we in Australia call midi buses.
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Post by vjaska on May 31, 2013 0:43:09 GMT
There called 'midi buses' in this country as well
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Post by towerman on May 31, 2013 15:39:18 GMT
Saw a Dart in Milton Keynes with a KU52 reg(Northamptonshire)but it had exit doors,maybe a reregistered fugitive from London.
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Post by ajw on May 31, 2013 22:39:31 GMT
I do wonder if the NB4L-style arrangement of TFL buying the buses and the operators just running them would actually be better. Refurbishments could be scheduled for regular intervals regardless of contract status, you wouldn't get the wasteful arrangement of operators cascading 8-year-old buses whilst keeping 13-year-old ones trundling along. It would also mean some routes wouldn't (unnecessarily) get new buses on every contract renewal - the 96 is a demonstration of that slightly inefficiency. I think it would, though to be fully efficient London would also be better off adopting the idea that the TfL owns the depots/garages and that the tender is done based on operating all routes in that garage and/or group of garages.
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Post by M1199 on Jun 3, 2013 23:33:39 GMT
I'm in San Francisco at the moment, talking of ex London buses, I'd thought I'd mention the vast amount of ex London sightseeing MCW Metrobuses they have here. Certain wasn't expecting to hear the Gardner/voith combination over here. Made for a pleasent suprise! They're also using L class Leyland Olympians and tri axle Metro's and I think Dennis Condors (?) Ex big bus. Some of these still carry their uk number plates! Got 3 poor quality photos from my recent trip to the USA, One of the Metrobuses in San Francisco - i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/mcwm1199/634metrobus_zpsef002448.jpg -operated by San Francisco Travel. Reg no. 8T09 325, fleet no. 209. I believe this was formally LAT 514V over here. I'd certainly would of loved to of rode a Metro over there just to hear the screams of the retarder on the hills of San Fran. Unfortunatly my girlfriend wanted to do the Big Bus tour and we ended up with Leyland Olympian E351 NUV, which still gave a spirited ride. i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/mcwm1199/666_zps2a49159a.jpgIn Las Vegas, I noticed numerous Leyland Titan's - i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/mcwm1199/1283_zpsd1219332.jpg - I think this is operated by Big Bus. Reg no. 472 YMT, Fleet No. 48. Formally OHV 676Y/T676. Must say, it looked superb in the Vegas sun! I also saw A638 THV/T1038 and I think I saw one of the RIK **** batch. All in all, I think its great to see these former London work horses still working hard, day in, day out in harsher climate conditions than London
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Post by jazza on Jun 6, 2013 23:24:33 GMT
Found this in Slough today, still with the second door 41773,74,75,76,77,78 and 79 are all doing sterling work up here for First Glasgow, mostly on the Lanarkshire services. They are joined by around 15 from the 414xx batch, five or six in the 4168x series and a few earlier 412xx and 413xx still kicking around though they are very much rarer now.
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Post by towerman on Jun 7, 2013 15:12:51 GMT
A couple of early ex First DMs T reg,I think from the batch that operated the 28 & 31 from Westbourne Pk,now with an outfit called Z & S based in Aylesbury.17054 now with Stagecoach in Northampton branded as "Unibus".17120 now used on The Daily Mirror jobs roadshow.
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