Blog Trip To London Part 3

Welcome to the final part of Tim and I's excellent adventure to London. So far we have ventured from East Suffolk to our parking space in Upminster, from where we have traversed across London, taking in various forms of transport via places such as Charing Cross, Heathrow, Croydon, Three Bridges and St Pancras International. You join us at Waterloo, where I had a treat in store for Tim. No transport enthusiast should go to London and not taste the future. The future in this case being an electric milk float cunningly disguised as a bus, the BYD E200MMC bodied electric bus. Readers will know my views on them so I'll let Tim give his verdict!

T. Well what can I say, as I was a milkman in a previous life this should have been a piece of cake....ummmm no. I can honestly say I did not like this at all. The seating arrangement all up the back over the battery pod I assume felt weird and I likened it to being in a modern artic very high up. I know in cities and larger urban areas this will be the ultimate zero future but needs work and I can't see one of these liking the Beccles Southwold road much. Anyway it was an experience with hopefully no repeat soon......"sorry love did you want a yoghurt today,,,,,?"

Seems like neither of us could bring ourselves to take a full pic of the BYD so here is Tim's best effort!

2 pints or 3/                           pic TM

S. We arrived at Victoria in need of a stiff coke after that, and so one of the most pleasantly located Wetherspoons in the land beckoned. Sited on Victoria Station's Western concourse you can relax while taking in the hustle and bustle of a very busy station without needing to take out a loan to be able to afford a drink.

T. I can't say this is a first well not for about 50 years maybe. Last time I was here was indeed around 1967/68 but it all seemed so different and smaller ,and now it's a big open place that looks modern and functional with of course the addition of various eating places affording us as Steve said the time to people watch which is a great pastime! I am still amazed at the amount of people travelling as if you read the papers(I don't) and listen to the news(sometimes) the Railway is terrible and not to be trusted but I see it as still the best form of mass transportation there is and we invented it !

victoria Western concourse with 'Spoons top left                          pic TM

The view from said 'Spoons                             pic TM

S. It was time to tick another of Tim's boxes, Victoria Coach Station. We strolled down Buckingham Palace Rd as I wanted Tim to see the coach terminus with those famous water jets which serve no purpose whatsoever except to deter pedestrians. The departure terminal was the quietest I've ever seen it, without the usual crush, but enough to show Tim it's really not fit for purpose as a 21st century transport hub. However the highlight was certainly seeing one of National Express' new double deck Levantes. Very nice!

T. Having seen films of coach travel from the very early days and listened to lots of stories. this was the first time I had seen it up close. Felt a bit disappointed as you can't really see much like it used to be and if you like Levante's fine but it still is a busy place with the amount of in and out there is. I can't see how or where they could ever relocate it. But saying that I probably would do a trip into there just to say I had and the chance to get on the decker Levante if I could as yes it did look good!

National Express Levante decker                         pic TM

                                                                                           pic TM

S. It was time to start the journey back to Upminster, but of course we wouldn't do it direct. A trip on the 11, another Borismaster to Aldwych was required for a bit of sightseeing.

T. So a second Boris but not quite as quiet as the first. Ok the ride was as smooth but there were a few rattles a la Gemini ("ducks") plus having seen some sights I was able to get a look at a few others even with the diversions. One day I want to see the Eye but only to do the Dr Who bit lol. And the great thing about being upstairs on a bus is that you can see loads.

One of the iconic views from a bus!                                         pic TM

A colourful Boorismaster at Aldwych                          pic SW

 S. A transfer to a 15 at Aldwych to Tower Hill and we were back on DLR with an extremely friendly Train Captain, a transfer at Poplar to Bow Church, walk to Bow Rd for an entertaining District Line ride back to Upminster due to antics of fellow passengers! A superb day which I feel could be the first of many. I love sharing my knowledge and enthusiasm of London with others, and seeing Tim's "first time" reactions were just as enjoyable for me as I hope they were for him - he's already planning the next one!

T. Walking up Tower Hill did bring back a memory of a school trip a long time ago and friends not seen for a very long time. The blue Boris was cool too.

I am grateful to Steve for agreeing to do this as I reckon I would not have seen and experienced as much. Looking at the list it seems a lot but you don't notice the amount whilst you are taking in everything else. The list of firsts was great, the sights were great and yes I have planned another sort of, all written out until someone said..." did you know......" So I started again. If I had to pick a down point it would only be the blanket fog from Ipswich to casa del Steve (actually bloody scary - SW) after the obligatory kebab of course, but that really didn't phase us...much ("where's the white lines....oh we're in the country now")
So when the warmer weather resumes....Blog on Tour it is!

So to conclude this epic trilogy here is a list of each individual journey. When you look at this, £12.30 doesn't seem bad. in fact outstanding value, but if you're not an insane transport enthusiast I still think it very pricey. Remember we stopped for at least an hour at 4 locations too!

East Suffolk - Upminster   Car
Upminster - Bow Rd    District Line
Bow Rd - Canary Wharf    DLR
Canary Wharf - Lewisham  DLR
Lewisham - Charing Cross  Southeastern Class 465
Charing Cross - Hammersmith   Borismaster
Hammersmith - Hatton Cross  Piccadilly Line
Hatton Cross - Feltham  B9H
Feltham - Clapham Jct  SWR Class 458
Clapham Jct - Wimbledon  SWR Class 455
Wimbledon - East Croydon   Tram
East Croydon - Croydon High St   Tram
Croydon High St - East Croydon   Tram
East Croydon - Three Bridges   Thameslink Class 700
Three Bridges - Blackfriars    Thameslink Class 700
Blackfriars - St Pancras Int   Thameslink Class 700
St Pancras Int - Kentish Town  Thameslink Class 700
Kentish Town - Waterloo   Northern Line
Waterloo - Victoria   BYD electric bus
Victoria Coach Stn - Aldwych  Borismaster
Aldwych - Tower Hill   Borismaster
Tower Hill - Poplar   DLR
Poplar - Bow Church   DLR
Bow Rd  - Upminster  District Line
Upminster - East Suffolk  Car

Ipswich Scanias Start To Arrive

Following on from Borderbus's eyecatching ex London Scania Omni City Decker I mentioned Ipswich Buses were getting some as well. 13 to be precise, and a couple of them have been revealed by Hants & Dorset Trim. There appear to be two different liveries, one looking quite good, and the other, well, judge for yourselves. I'm reliably informed that all wil be converted to 75 seats with Ster seating used. Nope me neither so I'll have to pop into Ipswich and find out once they hit the streets.

YR61 RPV at Hants & Dorset Trim

YR61 RUW

The alternative livery

No positive ID on the above pic but I will be very interested to see what everyone thinks of it.

All these pics were first published on Ipswich Bus Blog, with others, and you can read the full post here. Thanks, Clive, for letting me use them.

Coming up s the last installment of the blog trip to London, then on Friday I've been invited to Ensignbus for a tour of their Purfleet base, and I'm told to expect something rather special. Staying in Kent that night means another day in London next Saturday, with hopefully an added long distance extra if low fares still available! So plenty to look forward to.

BorderBus Scania Finally Arrives Home

The word Scania has always lifted my heart a little. If I could go back in time and ride one bus again it would be the Metropolitan Scania. The best bus I ever drove was the Scania K113 with Alexander Body. The best coach I ever drove was a tri axle 10 speed Scania double deck Plaxton Paramount. Then low floor bodies came in and Scanias were never the same again. Yes the Omnicitis still had cracking if thirsty engines, but the new bodies just weren't up to the old standard. Then came the Omni City Decker, with a new low in passenger comfort. Quite simply some of the worst seats imaginable. I have never kept quiet in moaning about them, and berating those who brought them over here.

Andrew Pursey of Borderbus is used to that. He and Dave Marshall were responsible for the buttock numbing seats on the Anglianbus Scania deckers, and I never tire of reminding him that his office chair is considerably more comfortable than those seats he expects his paying customers to sit on.

But no longer. Andrew has redeemed himself. I said a couple of posts ago the most exciting thing to happen in East Anglia was the return of a repainted 8yo ex London Scania. Well it's finally back, gleaming in its new livery and reduction to single door. But more, much more than that - it has padded seats. Well padded seats. Comfortable padded seats. A new concept for the Omni City Decker. So not only do you get a seriously decent ride quality, which the OCD (very apt) has always given, but now you can enjoy it in comfort.

BorderBus 209 LX59 CNE in her new colours

I have to say the Scania looks far better than I was able to envisage. The wider yellow stripe really suits it, and in my view she looks far less than 8 years old. Hants & Dorset Trim have done a really decent job. Of course a bus is only as good as it rides so a road test was needed. My thanks to Eric, who did the honours, and it didn't take long to realise that this is now a very, very nice bus to travel on. The new padding in the seats means a couple of hours on this would be a pleasure, whereas before 10 minutes was too much.

The new interiors with decent seats!

An extra 4 seats have been installed upstairs, but you wouldn't know it as the legroom is still plenty. When we got back Andrew organised a photo shoot with one of the red ones to give a comparison. This resulted in some very pleasing images which we both took, so any similarity between mine and Andrew's pics is genuine!

They both look good but I think the new livery shades it.

BB57 BUS (Fleet no 210) is now getting the treatment, hopefully it will be certified a bit quicker than 209. A BB registration will go on 209 but it's still undecided which one. I made a suggestion which got some thoughtful consideration but I'll wait to see if it happens before saying anything. In the meantime thanks to Andrew and all the BorderBus gang for my usual friendly welcome, and anyone who travels on 209 please let me know what you think.

Ipswich Buses are getting 13 of these Scanias - theirs are ironically ex First ones - and I hope they put better seating in theirs too. If anyone knows if they are or not please let me know.

Blog Trip To London Part Two

S. In Part One you will remember I was giving Tim the London experience. When we left it we had just arrived at Wimbledon from Clapham Junction on a South West Rail Class 455 and it was time for Tim's first tram ride. The route to Croydon from Wimbledon mainly follows the old rail line until West Croydon when suddenly you find yourself stopping outside people's front doors. As in part one Tim will give his comments.

T. I have been to Blackpool but never on the trams, the only other trams I have been on are at the EATM in Carlton Colville so this was really different. Whilst on the old rail line it was fine very smooth and comfy but as soon as we hit the street part my jaw dropped. Just to be on the level with people was quite something and very different to a bus. And very easy on getting on and off.

Tram 2541 sitting at SW19                                                            pic TM

S. I had planned lunch in Croydon, at one of my favourite Chinese buffets, which apart from anything else is a mere 15 yards from a tram stop. All boxes ticked there, so after a hearty pit stop we got back on the tram and headed for one of the other major stations in South London - East Croydon.

T. Ahhh yes lunch and that walk! I must admit the most fantastic place Steve found ! The ride to the station was again smooth and the integration between bus train and tram is very evident here.

That tram again at East Croydon Station                                                         pic TM

S. It was time to get back on the mainline, and we were heading for Three Bridges, just south of Gatwick, where Thameslink were holding an open day at their Siemens Maintenance Depot. That meant getting frustrated once again on one of the new Class 700's, which was on the busy side it must be said. These trains give a really good ride. There is plenty of luggage space, good information screens but seats straight from Satan's waiting room. As bus seats get more luxurious in certain parts of the country the comfort of train seats is taking a nosedive, and that isn't going to encourage further growth and expansion. Anyway let's see what Tim made of it.

T. My first new generation EMU. Ride was rather smooth but yes the seats leave a bit to be desired as I couldn't get too comfortable. We can be critical here but we have to face the future and these are it and seem to shrink the journey as you don't feel the rattly bits like the old stock.

Thameslink 700114 leaves Three Bridges                                                pic TM

Here should have been a report of the depot open day, with many interesting pictures of lots of people looking at stationary trains. However, despite us waiting till gone 1430 to get there the queue to get in was still over an hour long. That wasn't on the agenda so with Tim's legs and my sanity in mind we decided to abort and walked back to the station. Now here is a secret that's just between you and me ok? The rear 1st Class section of a 700 is always declassified! So even if an 8 car there are plug sockets and vastly more comfortable seats to use,  but don't tell everyone or you'll never get in there!. Our phones needed charging so we decided to get the stopping service that starts at Three Bridges back to London, guaranteeing ourselves a 1st Class seat and a socket. I saw very little of that journey to Blackfriars, so can confirm the 700 passed the sleep test with flying colours!

T. Zzzzzzzz oh sorry yes here the seats felt like they should , enough padding to feel nearly like home. I dozed for the first bit which amazed me as normally it's only MK2 and 3 carriages I can doze in but was awake to see a few sights I hadn't seen and was also amazed at the graffiti and how they get to the places. I would have loved to see the depot but another day.

70045 at Blackfriars Station                                                 pic TM

S. After a much needed nap we got off at Blackfriars, as I wanted Tim to see the views from the platforms, which now span the Thames. It took a long time to redevelop Blackfriars but my it was worth it. Cracking views, even if trains are a little predictable now!

T. The view was fantastic, as I have never been here so have no comparison I just took it all in. If I had time I would just stand and look for a longer time to see the river going by and it looks a very clean place which is how you would hope it to be. I can remember the 70's and 80's vividly and the pictures of how dark and dank a lot of places looked but if this is the future then it's ok. Could probably get all class 700 numbers in a day but what a nice place to do it.

The views from Blackfriars Station                                            pics TM

 S. From Blackfriars another 700 3 stops to St Pancras International, a word with some friendly barrier staff and we were on the HS1 platforms and the Javelins. I remember seeing one for the first time, and I'm pretty sure Tim had the same reaction. They do look rather good!.

T. I had seen St Pancras on the telly box but it didn't do it justice! Really fantastic place and I was chuffed to see both the Javelins and a Eurostar even if the latter didn't depart(next time!) and couldn't help comparing them to bullet trains which look fast even standing still! I can also vouch for the toilet on the Javelin..(must remember to lock the door lol ) As with Blackfriars here the station is very light and airy with a lot to see.

Class 395 Javelins at St Pancras International                                   pics TM

S. From there it was back on yet another 700 to Kentish Town, and a switch to the Northern Line to take us to Waterloo. By this time I think country boy Tim was finding the crowds a little disconcerting, and this is where I give thanks yet again for my upbringing in Kent, where I was exposed to both London and country life in equal doses, and given the freedom to explore them both at my leisure. London doesn't faze me in the slightest, but if it was my first time I think I'd get pretty uneasy too.

T. The switch to the Underground here felt like the old underground with the superb tiled walls and underpass to get to the platforms. I felt we were lucky though as the newer rolling stock has more room so you don't feel too hemmed in.Yes I was feeling a bit overwhelmed but was not giving up as to me the amount of people seemed to be 10 times what I remembered but at the end of the day the experience is what I signed up for.

Unofficial and vintage Kentish Town signs                                   Pics TM

 S. No Northern Line train pics for some reason (camera malfunction being blamed!) so straight to Waterloo, which is vast regardless of how used to London you are. It was also extremely busy (much busier than it looks in pic) with football crowds going home with other day trippers, and the evening shift coming in. I'm not sure Tim will ever look at Norwich station in the same way now. No 37's at Waterloo though, so give me Norwich any day!

T. Yes sorry I have sacked the snapper! Another new terminal for me and perhaps the most iconic which was exactly as it said on the tin. the busiest station in Britain! Got to see the famous clock, subject of many a romantic encounter....but not today lol (That's a relief - SW). Norwich has it's charm but here the charm is interspersed with total focused chaos which is a joy to watch. Definitely want to come back again.

Wterloo Station and that famous Clock                                                     pic TM

S. That's it for Part Two. Still plenty to do and next up was an experience for Tim I was determined he had to suffer come what may! Part Three coming up soon.

T. I was at this point still a bit awed at some of the sights I had seen and was grateful to Steve for putting up with me. I had been on new and old stock, seen the future which we have to look forward to out East (in around 20 years - SW) but that won't stop me wanting to travel.....well there's one thing maybe as you'll find out.

Blog Trip To London Part 1

I consider myself very fortunate that for the first ten years of my life I had grandparents in South West London. Not only that but parents who grew up in London themselves. That meant I got to know the London transport system very early. I remember Red Arrow buses with turnstiles, red Underground trains, and felt very comfortable in London a lot earlier than some. It also means that I rather take it for granted that all transport enthusiasts have similar knowledge and experience and I'm always surprised when someone says their experience of London is virtually zero. Such was the case with blog contributor, good friend and sounding board Tim, who confessed his experience of the Tube was Liverpool St - Oxford Circus, and hadn't even been on a Borismaster. I simply couldn't let that continue so on Saturday we met at Blog Towers at a silly time, and set off to give Tim the London Experience. This will be a joint post with Tim adding his comments. The huge majority of pics are Tim's, who retains copyright.

T.Yes it was early but the advantage being the lack of traffic. I was looking forward a lot to this trip so the silly start was worth it and the fact Steve had found the perfect place to start just ticked a good few boxes. The first being my initiation to the S7 Underground stock which for those yet to try is vastly different to what I had been on previously. Very light very airy albeit empty for a few stops did seem very pleasing and very smooth!

S. We drove 90 miles (on fresh air to those who think it's a free hobby) to Upminster, which is on the zone 6 Travelcard boundary. An added attraction was the all day parking charge at Upminster Station of a mere £2.40. That is extremely compared to other stations. We arrived just before 6am to an eerily quiet station, and an even more eerily empty District Line train.

Just us then!                                                       pic SW

However by time we arrived at Bow Rd the train was heaving, and it was time for our first change - a 180 metre walk to Bow Church and Docklands Light Railway.

T Ahh yes the next big first! The first look at Canary Wharf was fantastic to me, the station as Steve says is so different to what you imagine plus the ride(no it's not a roller coaster he kept telling me!) through the Docklands with some lights still on is worthy of a Christmas wonderland type ride. I will admit to seeing Docklands before but it was well under construction and a labyrinth to get lost in.

S. Because of engineering work we had to go to Lewisham instead of my preferred Woolwich Arsenal, and that was good as it meant changing at Canary Wharf, in my opinion one of the great stations of the country, and highly underrated. The fact only DLR serves it shouldn't detract from its magnificence. (Yes, I know Jubilee Line goes there but that's way below ground)

Canary Wharf DLR station                                      pic SW

                                                                                                     pic TM

S. At Lewisham we made our way up to the Southeastern station to catch the first of several overground trains to feature during the day.  A Class 465 Networker was our trust steed, 25 years old this year, a milestone that seems to have been largely ignored.

 T Next up my introduction to 3rd rail proper and to listen to Steve wax lyrical about these machines and realise that they are still as good as they started as is great. Couldn't fault the ride and the chance to see a lot of new places again I had not seen before.

465169 departs Lewisham                                                        pic TM

S. Our destination was Charing Cross, a station that has played a huge part in my life and somewhere else I rather take for granted. But despite only having 6 platforms it is a must. The views of the London Eye and Houses of Parliament as you cross Hungerford Bridge are unparalleled, and the station building itself quite spectacular, as Tim noticed. The sun was playing havoc at this still early hour so not as many snaps could be taken as we wanted.

T. The run into Charing Cross was a first for both of us I believe as it involved the new Borough Market bridge and London Bridge station which you can clearly see the scale of the work being carried out. And crossing the river for the first time since 1998 I think which was Vauxhall Bridge (and MI5 on my way to Peckham) was very eye opening and I couldn't take my eyes off the station itself, blew me away a bit.

Charing Cross Station                                             pic TM

S. Tim had told me in advance that although trains were his priority he simply had to ride a Borismaster, so our next journey was on the number 9 from Charing Cross to Hammersmith, and still being early we weren't bogged down by traffic which meant a proper ride. I'll let Tim give his verdict as I'm a little biased!

T. And we come to the main well one of the main things for the day. Now I have ridden original Routemasters, sampled all that is as up to date that we have at home and done all manner of heritage days but this was to be a virgin ride for me. Once I realised that the hybrid part i.e electric to diesel was almost unnoticeable I was convinced it was the smoothest bus I had been on in ages! And not withstanding the "excellent" London drivers and the scenery I reckon a snooze would have happened but you can see loads from upstairs so I took advantage of it !  Got to say cheers mate for that !!

LT152 at Hammersmith Bus Station                                pic TM

 S. From Hammersmith it was Piccadilly Line time to Hatton Cross to see some big planes. And big planes we saw. Now I have stood at the perimeter fence at Hatton Cross many times with many people over the years with not so much as an eyebrow raised. 30 seconds there with Tim and the Police turned up saying we had triggered all sorts of security alarms accusing us of "hiding behind a hedge". A hedge that only comes up to waist level and could have been used in Monty Python's How Not To Be Seen sketch! So we moved 20 feet across the road which clearly lessened our security risk considerably and waited for the icons of the sky to arrive, and, one after the after, they did!

T. All throughout the day I had to get used to the volume of traffic I had not seen in quite a few years having not driven a truck for a while. Now my ears had to acclimatise to another noise, planes. I still do runs to airports but never stop long enough to listen or observe and this bit left me in awe again, especially the 747, only ever seen one on the ground never at about 100ft above me, blinding!! I can only equate the noise to a Lighting fighter or an A10 but on a bigger scale. Oh and can't understand about the Police....I have such an innocent face....

Someone can tell me if 777 or 787 but big and loud!                            pic TM

S, Realising how much we cherished our freedom we caught a rather nondescript Gemini II on the 285 from Hatton Cross to Feltham, the only notable point being the rather alarming transformation of the driver from young lady to big bloke with beard without anyone noticing the changeover! At Feltham station we caught a Class 458 to the one place I knew was top of Tim's wish list - Clapham Junction.

 T. By this time I was furiously punching numbers into my trainspotter app and thinking why didn't I take my notebook! As predicted the Gemini a bit worn and the odd rattle and as noted the ability to "Paul Daniels" the drivers. But the prospect of another class of EMU beckoned. And still a very smooth ride. I can honestly say the approach to Clapham Junction opened my eyes, never really seen that many trains in one spot.

South West Rail 458 pulls into Feltham                                                pic TM

 S. Clapham Junction is the UK's busiest station, but in my humble opinion far from the UK's best spotting station. Apart from the occasional 158/159 it's all EMU's, and once you've seen one 377 0r 455 you've seen them all. However if all you're used to is Beccles or Norwich then it must seem vast! Highlights for me were seeing a new but to be short lived Class 707 in the sidings, and a possy of spotters suddenly rushing our platform to get a Colas Class 70 loco on an engineers train only for it to suddenly change lines and get spectacularly bombed by a Gatwick Express 12 car 387. Schadenfreude at its best!

T. I was reminded on Twitter that Clapham Junc was at one time a very downtrodden place but I have to say it seemed to be ok now and the amount of trains and people can fair muddle a country boy's head plus the amazing amount of caffeine outlets to get your "fix" at. Would have loved a go on a 707 but not to be that day. The variety of trains is not overly great (app got bashed again!) but just the sheer volume is enough and the class 70 "Fugly" was indeed a bonus to see there as normally we only see them at Ipswich.

The Class 707 in Clapham Jct sidings             pic SW

Old and new liveries on Class 444 units.                          pic SW

Gatwick Express Class 387                              pic TM

Class 450 still in SWT livery             pic TM

S. A short ride to Wimbledon on a Class 455 and it was time for another mode of transport, which will begin part two of the day's travels -- and it still wasn't midday! I'll leave Tim to sum up Part One

T. I can honestly say that even the 455 was ok to ride on and I was definitely looking forward to the next bit! At Wimbledon I could see how the word "integrated" when used in the transport tense actually worked. I just wish some of the provinces could catch the same idea.

So far so good. I refer to my legs more than anything but I was enjoying it too much to let them hold me back. My days as trade plate driver had seen me on old rolling stock rattled and banged about but the stock now is beyond what you could have conceived 35 odd years ago and it works. The seamless way you can get around affords you to be able to see more things and I had seen plenty, some for the first time and some which bought back memories and to see the changes were awesome. But I knew there was definitely lots more to come!

Wow!

A few days ago I published a post in an effort to explain why the amount of published news has waned in recent months. I'm pleased to say the majority, especially other bloggers agreed with me. However, some thought I was having a rant against operators. One gentleman called the post "utter drivel", saying there were still lots of pretty buses to take pictures of, which wasn't really the point, and when I responded someone else called me a 5yo. I'm told I was an utterly adorable (and much better looking) 5yo so I don't mind that really!

But then in came a comment for moderation that took my breath away. I didn't publish it as I wanted everyone to see it and discuss. Here it is, from a regular contributor calling himself (I assume) "Smurf".

The answer is simple Steve. Start running your own bus company; and you can make the news, and make sure there is no shortage of it too! After all as you keep telling us none of the rest of them know how to do it! There must be a few ££s lying around from all those savings on fares down the years!

You could, I suppose, cast a glance in the direction of First Essex, which does seem to be run for the benefit of itself and its bus enthusiasts. It looks lovely on paper. Not much use though to the passengers who don't have any alternative (who never know what, if, or when anything is going to turn up); but after all they're trying to use it for work and necessity rather than as a free hobby.

From what I can see most of the bus industry is trying with a fair degree of success in meeting the needs of the passengers better than ever. At, sadly, the expense of the hobbyists. I appreciate you'd like to see it the other way around. Sadly the rest of us might not be inclined to like it so much. 

So I'll answer Smurf's points.

Firstly I'd LOVE to have the money to run my own company, but I doubt that will ever happen. If I did, though, it certainly wouldn't be to create news, but yes, to try and drag East Anglia kicking and screaming into the 21st century, and take inspiration and advice from various operators and people in the industry I have the utmost respect for, who I'll mention later. 

I save very little on fares these days as due to the vast majority of services in my area being scrapped if I have to drive 6 miles to a bus stop I may as well drive all the way. Anyway that is my business and no one else's.

Having been sarcastic in saying "After all as you keep telling us none of the rest of them know how to do it" Smurf then goes on to criticise First Essex saying it is run for themselves and enthusiasts at the expense of passengers. But then he contradicts himself again! "From what I can see most of the bus industry is trying with a fair degree of success in meeting the needs of the passengers better than ever." Except First Essex I presume? And no, I wouldn't like to see it the other way round, because if the passengers had a decent service, coverage and frequencies there would be plenty for the enthusiast, like erm, there was 4 or 5 years ago when there were, erm, more buses and services.....

Finally it is clear Mr/Mrs Smurf is not an enthusiast. That's fine,, nor am I sometimes  - in fact I've always said I'm passenger first, enthusiast second, and if I had any buses round here that would still be the case - but just occasionally I will talk from the enthusiasts point of view. I feel I do my best to interact with operators and managers to clarify things. However to describe it as a "free hobby" shows ignorance of breathtaking proportions. I doubt few hobbyists spend more pursuing their hobby as transport enthusiasts do, have you seen how much rail tours cost?  Then if you are going to an event there is the cost. I was hoping to go to the 2017 Bus & Coach event in Birmingham last week but just plain couldn't afford it. Same with Showbus, same with Old Oak Common depot open day. That isn't free. I spend a fortune in petrol driving to locations to get pics and vids to share with everyone, hopefully from different locations to the majority of enthusiasts. Of course reading this blog and writing sarcastic comments is totally free!

So to recap what I was trying to say in the first post;

Fact: There are fewer buses on the roads of East Anglia compared with 5 years ago, and fewer types.
Fact: There are fewer routes served by buses than there were 5 years ago.
Fact: On the majority of routes there have been cuts in the last 5 years.

That is going to mean there is going to be less to write about. If the Football League was reduced from 92 clubs to 45 there would be less football news. It goes without saying. If there were only 200 MP's there would be fewer to interview. Not rocket science.

When Greater Anglia replaces its entire fleet of 10 different types of train (not including short set) next year will I still enjoy travelling by train - of course I will. Will there be less to write about - of course there will. I was on Thameslink yesterday when a couple of months ago you could have had a 319, or 377/87's in 4 different liveries, or a new 700. I could have written about different journeys on different stock. Now it's all 700's. One journey is all it needs and I'm done! Less to write about. Not criticism but fact.

It is also true other areas of the country are way in front of East Anglia when it comes to trying to lure people out of their cars. Transdev, led by Alex Hornby are going mad in Yorkshire, with luxury seating (2+1 upstairs), seat back tables, every bus with WiFi/charging facilities etc, interurban routes that find the quickest way around traffic using smart technology and much increased frequencies. It's not their fault new buses rattle! Doesn't assist them but certainly not their fault.

In Reading there are double deck gas buses, many hybrids (how many hybrids in East Anglia?) and the inspirational leadership of  Martijn Gilbert and John Bickerton is an example many could follow. I have regular Twitter chats with them and have learned a lot. Certainly their staff facilities and interaction seem second to none. Must get down there for a visit.

Nottingham pioneered electric buses outside London, Ensignbus under the Newmans decided to look abroad for decent buses and have brought the BCI Excellence and Enterprise to everyone's attention. Stagecoach in East Kent, under Matthew Arnold among others have tried bringing minibuses back to encourage patronage, and Arriva have even tried Uber style on demand services in certain areas. East Anglia has none of this. Not critcism but fact. So there is less to write about. If I want to talk about new innovations I have to travel a long way.

So Mr "utter drivel" you keep taking pictures of your pretty buses - I'm pleased that you still get great pleasure from your hobby, but this blog is more than pretty buses. Smurf, I'm grateful for your contributions but I'm not always going to speak from your viewpoint. Of course I'm always happy for guest posts so if anyone would like to write one, whether you agree with me or not then please email me. I'll be delighted to hear from you.

Finally some news!!! Thanks to Andrew Kleissner's heads up I can reveal that Ipswich buses are to slash the frequency of the 98 between Ipswich and Shotley to 1 journey a day in each direction. That's from 4 a day from Shotley and 6 a day from Ipswich. Happy days!

What Has Happened To Our Hobby?

Last week I mentioned there was little news to report at present and I'd discuss why that was. It's not going to make pleasant reading, but then the truth sometimes hurts.

There is, to be frank, not much news because there is far less going on. Let's start with buses and what's around. When I started blogging there were a multitude of different buses to spot and/or ride on. Let's take Great Yarmouth as a focal point. First's fleet comprised of Plaxton Darts, Wright Renown Volvos, President Volvo B7tl's, B12 coaches and 2 types of Olympian. Then Anglian had the gas buses, Optare Versas and Excels, Scania Omnicities and Omnilinks, original Streetlites, Loylne Tridents and ALX400 Tridents. Sanders would use anything on the 6, from DAFs to B7rle's. There were Summer Routemasters, coach operated weekly services, and the Gemini B9's on the X1. It was a good place to be, and everyone was interested in the news, particularly involving the Olympians, whose days were already numbered. Now Anglian have all but gone completely, the Ollies, Renowns, Routemasters, older Darts and B12 coaches have gone. First's fleet now comprises of ALX400 B7's, a couple of Presidents, ex Leeds B9's, short Darts and plastic Streetlites. Nothing there to whet the appetite. Sanders only use B7rle's, and all those weekly services have gone. I haven't been to Yarmouth once this Summer for buses.

Ipswich is no better. Where you used to be able to see Floline Scanias, Renown Volvos, Olympians of many types thanks to First, Carters and Ipswich Buses, B6's, step entrance Darts, Volvo Citibuses from Colchester, now it's all ALX400's, B7rle's, E200's and Scania Omnicities. Like Yarmouth there are no buses of character left. DDA and moulded plastic saw to that.

Added to that is the loss of so many routes and services and you have far fewer buses on the road anyway. I haven't done exact research but I'm willing to bet there are at least 50% fewer buses on the roads of Norfolk and Suffolk than there were 5 years ago. That means less news, which means fewer posts. The time was you could go to Norwich and know you would see something interesting. No longer. Where other parts of the country are getting gas double deckers, or electric buses, or business class interiors, or community seating areas, or 94 seater Aussie monsters, here we get overexcited at the prospect of an 8yo ex London Scania coming back from repaint. Hardly inspiring stuff.

For the next year at least the trains are relatively interesting. We are lucky to have the short set still clagging around for at least another 15 months. Then we have class 153/156/170 diesel units and Class 317/321/360/387 electric units, not forgetting the Class 90 hauled Intercity sets. Add freights, test trains, rail head treatment trains and charters, not to mention Flying Scotsman coming to the area in a couple of weeks, and railways are far more interesting than roads at present. But it won't last.

By 2019 Greater Anglia will have replaced their entire fleet with two types of new train After the initial novelty has worn off interest will wane considerably, but at least they will be brand new trains, not 8yo cast offs. But it means there will be less to write about on the railways too. Long live test trains, charters and freight that isn't Class 66 hauled!

This has also taken its toll on the amount of blogs in the area. There used to be loads. Now there are basically two. Last week Zak Nelson decided enough was enough and closed Norwich Bus Page after reaching an impressive 1 million views. My best wishes for the future, Zak, and stay in touch. Sam Larke tried to restart Norwich Buses Blog over the Summer but a combination of no news and working the Holt shuttle put paid to that. Clive has had an awful year which has seen Ipswich Bus Blog silent, not that anything has been missed. It's myself and East Norfolk Bus Blog left, and even Roy is struggling to find news.

So my apologies for the reduction in posts, but there truly is less to write about than there was even a year ago. You will find more and more posts devoted to other regions and that is really a shame. East Anglia needs a mighty kick in the pants to get it going again. Trouble is no one can afford the boots strong enough to deliver it.

X1 Enviro In Essex

With new buses expected on the X1 next year, if a suitable vehicle can finally be found, there has been speculation as to where the current fleet of Enviro 400's will go. There maybe a clue this week with Kings Lynn based 33808 YX63 LJO spending the week at Chelmsford, operating the X30 between Stanstead Airport - Chelmsford - Southend. The route has been suffering overcrowding problems since E200 MMC's replaced coaches on the route. thus the decker is being evaluated for suitability.

These pictures, reproduced under Creative Commons Licence are by Matthew Evans, whose flickr page you can access here.

In foreign climes. 33808 in Southend  Manners Way          pic by Matthew Evans

33808 at Chelmsford Bus Station                pic by Matthew Evans

Tornado Comes To East Anglia

Due to an abject lack of news at the moment, n which subject look for a new post in the next couple of days, here is a post I've been saving up. Cast your mind back to August Bank Holiday, which was a very warm, sunny if windy day. It also saw Class A1 Pacific 60163 Tornado come to East Anglia on a charter to Great Yarmouth from London. Huge crowds were expected to see one of the newest locos around - Tornado was only built in 2008 - and finding locations for unique pictures was going to be difficult.

However, Tim and I hatched a plan and ventured to a station only reachable by train or boat, and police car as it turned out - Berney Arms. It also took an experienced rail journey planner to realise the only way back to Yarmouth from Berney Arms was via Brundall, so we were fairly confident there wouldn't be many joining us. But I wanted to see Tornado is more than one location, so before meeting up with Tim in Yarmouth, I went to my secret location in Norwich where with just a couple of fishermen for company I waited for Tornado to appear. Lovely scene.

Tornado heading for Norwich

I had hoped to beat Tornado to the Acle Straight but alas hot bank Holidays, great Yamouth and traffic don't make a great combination, and steam beat petrol quite comfortably. So I joined the merry throng at Yarmouth and watched the shunting movements involving a rather smart DB Schenker Class 66 as Tornado was reversed back to Norwich to turn round.

After the hordes had gone and just the Mark I's remained while the two locos played musical tracks at Norwich, Tim and I waited for our train to Berney Arms. Before it arrived, though, the familiar growl of the Class 37 short set was heard, and it set up one of those photos tat just looks timeless in back & white.

Nostalgic eh!

A short ride on one of the tastefully refurbished 170's later and we alighted through the designated door at Berney Arms, my first visit there. The words "middle of nowhere" are overused, but wholly appropriate in this case. I've been to Dovey Junction in North Wales which is also inaccessible by road, but at least that has mountains. Berney Arms has nothing!

I mean nothing!

We weren't alone, 3 others had also got off but I wanted a location where we could see the trains long distance and get the station in view, and a field opposite the station ticked all the boxes. The theory was soon put to the test as the 37's passed through on teir way back to Norwich.

37405 passes Berney Arms

As you can imagine at such a popular bustling location security was high. A Police helicopter was spotted, and ten the amusing sight of a BTP car dodging the cow pats and ditches to make sure no riot was taking place at one of Britain's remotest stations! And even then they only spoke to the people on the station, not Tim and I standing in a cow field!

Please disperse - nothing to see here!

One quirk about Berney Arms is the amount of information there - I know far bigger stations with far less information. Fair play to whoever looks after the station.

The information  board at Berney Arms

And then Tornado came through, firstly being reversed back to Yarmouth, pulled by the 66, and then spectacularly with the full rake of 12 coaches.

Tornado passing through Berney Arms

Sadly the stills from the video haven't turned out great, but you can see all the videos from the day below. Thanks to Tim for the company, and to the brilliant people behind Tornado for making her visit possible. Her older sister, or should that be brother Flying Scotsman is coming later this month and we'll be out trying to avoid the crowds for that too.