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Latest Update: 19 May 2013
Society news
This page gives up-to-date major news items to supplement our
monthly newsletter, •The London Bus• (TLB). Items noted here will be
incorporated in the next issue of TLB in greater detail. News updates
will usually be weekly, by Sunday evening, but if major stories arise
we will attempt to announce them sooner. Reports more than a month old
and already reported in TLB are deleted. Reports for the TLB Editors
and communications to Society Officers can be sent by e-mail to "lotsed@tesco.net". TLB covers the
operations and vehicles of around 120 companies working local bus
services in Greater London and the Home Counties in the region roughly
bounded by the old London Transport country-bus operating area. Each
issue is typically 40 pages containing references to around 300 routes
and 1000 vehicles, together with the business and political news, the
publicity output of the companies, forthcoming exhibitions and rallies,
and much more. To get the full picture, why not join now? Go to the Membership
Page for details.
Forthcoming Conway Hall meetings
Meetings are held monthly (except January, July & August)
and usually commence at 19:30. Doors open 18:00 with sales stands
available from 18:30. Meetings usually finish by 22:00. There is no
charge.
The next meeting is on Monday 20th May:
The speaker has changed. Alan Osborne will present 'Trolleybuses from
around the World'. Nick Agnew will appear later in the year.
Further
meetings
on
24
June
(AGM),
Bus
rides
on
22
July
then
meetings
resume on 23 September, 21 October and
18 November.
Our last event of 2013 will be the Autumn Transport Spectacular on Saturday 30th November at the RAF
Museum at Colindale, London NW9. Open 1000-1530, entry via the
Halton Gallery with a modest admission fee, more details nearer the
time. Stand bookings by e-mail to southmet@hotmail.com or write to our
office address at LOTS, Unit N305 Westminster Business Square, 1-45
Durham Street, Vauxhall, London SE11 5JH, clearly marking your envelope
'ATS Organiser'.
Conway
Hall is located at Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL.
Nearest Underground station: Holborn (Central and Piccadilly Lines)
Buses: 1, 8, 19, 25, 38, 55, 59, 68, 91, 98, 168, 171, 188, 242, 243
& 521 stop nearby.
The London Bus (TLB)
TLB584
was
posted on Tuesday 14th May. The closing date for
reports for TLB 586 is Friday 7 June and it is due for posting on
Tuesday 18 June.
New sales items from LOTS
The
LOTS
London
Bus
&
Tram
Fleetbook
2013 (£6.50) correct to 9 April
when the First London sale was announced.
Mike Harris' 2013 editions of the
comprehensive 'all routes' London bus maps. The Greater London Bus Map No.34
27th
April
2013
(£2.00)
in
aid
of
charity
'Hope
for
Tomorrow', plus the Greater London
Night Bus Map 27th April 2013 (£4.00).
London
Buses
in
2012, the Review of last year (£10.00)
London Bus Magazine No 163, Spring 2013
(£5.00)
Principal
articles
are:
'LT's
satellite
flat
fare
buses',
a
review
of
the
routes
begun
in
1968/69/70
and
their
subsequent
histories; 'Airport Services', showing many of
the airline and airport buses at Heathrow.
Please support the Society if you can.
Orders can be sent to LOTS Postal Sales at Unit N305
Westminster Business Square, 1-45 Durham Street, Vauxhall, London SE11
5JH.
See the Sales Page for full list of sales items.
Vacancies
none
Non-members may wish to look at a sample
issue of TLB.
Hopefully this will whet your appetite for joining LOTS!
Latest news
Sunday
19 May
1) At just a few days' notice, the 'Roadrunner group' surrendered four
routes in east Hertfordshire which had been mostly commercial with
some Herts CC support. Herts CC had to tender for full council
contracts from Saturday 18th May and they passed to Uno (324),
Centrebus(341), Galleon Travel (351) and Arriva the Shires (C1). In the
east Herts area Roadrunner now only run the C2, C3 and the Sunday 311
and C4. However, RR's C3 has been deregistered after 29th June and Galleon
Travel is due to run its own version of the C3 from 17th June - albeit with a
reduced frequency and a route diversion to Hammond Street. More
Roadrunner changes are due from 29th June.
2) In London, a few more
Metroline TEHs at Cricklewood, Arriva HVs at Wood Green and Arriva ENs
at Lea Valley on route 318 have now entered service. New batches into
service are Merton's new Es and First's latest WSH(62996).
3) All nine of Arriva the Shires E400s for Aylesbury route
280 are now away for refurbishment to Sapphire standard, resulting in
an almost complete allocation of DLAs for the time being.
Tuesday 14 May
London Buses intends to enter into the following contracts:
Tranche 434
- 96 re-awarded to Stagecoach Selkent with new double deck,
PVR 21, start date 25 January 2014.
- 428 re-awarded to Arriva Kent Thameside with existing
single deck, PVR 8, start date 25 January 2014
- B15 re-awarded to Arriva Kent Thameside with existing
single deck, PVR 6, start date 25 January 2014.
Tranche 435
- 122 re-awarded to Stagecoach Selkent with new double deck,
PVR 16, start date 8 February 2014
- 472/N472 re-awarded to Stagecoach Selkent with new double
deck, PVR 20, start date 25 January 2014
- 486 re-awarded to London Central with existing double deck,
PVR 16, start date 22 February 2014
- 601 re-awarded to Stagecoach Selkent with existing double
deck, PVR 4. Start date 25 January 2014
- 602 re-awarded to Stagecoach Selkent with existing double
deck, PVR 2, start date 25 January 2014
Tranche 436
- 317 re-awarded to Arriva London North with existing double
deck, PVR 5, start date 29 March 2014
- 393 re-awarded to Arriva London North with 2 new and 14
existing fleet single deck, PVR 13. Start date 22 March 2014
Tranche 437
- 200 re-awarded to London General with 2 new double deck and
16 existing single deck, PVR 16. Start date 22 February 2014
The 472 award includes the existing night service and the 122 includes
an additional AM school journey.
All awards are on the basis of conventional diesel engined vehicles
with the exception of 96, 122 and 472/N472 where vehicle types will be
confirmed at a later date.
The six existing vehicles to be used on route B15 plusone to be used on
route 428 are 2008 built 55 capacity vehicles currently allocated to
route 256.
Existing double decks on route 317 will be used for the first two
years, replaced by newer vehicles from the end of 2015.
Sunday 12 May
1) The much delayed entry into service at Cricklewood of
Metroline's batch of TEHs (1449-1467) has finally begun. Recent new deliveries to London General include
examples of both 10.4m and 10.9m versions of the StreetLites, the
five E40Ds (E 276-280) and most of the eighteen E40Hs (EH 21-38), all of which are due to go into service on or
by 1st June.
Forthcoming events
These events are provided as a service to
readers, LOTS has no involvement nor responsibility for any event noted
below.
Sunday 19th May:
Open Day at the large vehicle collection at Great Yeldham in north
Essex (on Hunnable Industrial Estate). Open 10am-4pm. admission
£2.50, free local bus rides, also a free bus link from and to
Braintree Station connecting with trains from London and Witham.
Sunday
19th May: Country Bus Rallies' Running Day from Sevenoaks Bus
Station.
Bank
Holiday Monday 27th May: Bus
Rally at Buckinghamshire Railway Centre at
Quainton Road Station, and featuring a special Routemaster Gathering.
Sunday
2nd June: Running Day at Clacton
Saturday
8th June: Metroline Potters Bar Garage Open Day and Running Day.
Sunday
9th June: 'Country Bus Rallies' Running Day from Hertford Bus
Station.
Sunday 9
June: Festival of Transport, Stockwood Park, Luton, open
10:00-16:00
Sunday
16 June: HCVS Ridgeway Run from Henley to Quainton Road.
Sunday
30 June: 'A Sixties Summer', a buses and music event at London
Bus Museum, Brooklands.
Sunday
30 June: Reading Buses open day at Great Knollys Street depot.
Sunday 7
July: NLTS North Weald Bus Rally, open 10:00-17:00, admission
£10 (accompanied children free) which includes bus 396 from
Epping Station. The first 396 from Epping at 10:10 then every 10
minutes to 10:50 then every 20 minutes. Transport Bazaar and up to 200
buses planned.
Sunday 14th
July: A&D-MBS
Running Day at Uxbridge from
Chippendale Waye.
Sunday
14 July: Peterborough Bus Rally at Sacrewell Farm (off A47 west
of the City). Note changed date.
Sunday
14 July: Bus & Coach Show at Newbury Showground (jct M4/A34)
open 10:30-17:00.
Sunday
14 July: 'Country Bus Rallies' Running Day from Eastbourne Rail
station.
Saturday 20 July: Running Day on London route 76 (Tottenham
- Waterloo) to commemorate the Centenary of both Tottenham Garage and
route 76. The garage will NOT be open to the public although a
'community event' will be on the nearby Green.
Sunday 21st July: The grand
Bus Rally and Running Day at Alton, Anstey Park.
Sunday
28th July: Worthing seafront (western end) Bus Rally.
Saturday
3 August: RM operation between Warminster and Imber.
Sunday 4
August: Gosport (Stokes Bay) Bus rally.
Saturday
10th August: Metroline Holloway (HT) Garage Open Day, plus some
local bus rides.
Sunday
11th August: Herne Bay Bus Ralley at William Street car park.
Sunday 18th August: A&D-MBS Running Day from Hemel
Hempstead Bus Station.
Saturday 7 September:
NLETE
bus display at Chingford, Royal Forest Hotel with free bus rides.
Saturday 21st September: To
commemorate
the
Company's
30th
Anniversary
there will be open days at
all three of Metrobus garages at Crawley, Croydon and Orpington.
Sunday 22nd September: Showbus
will
be
at
Long
Marston
(6
miles
SW
of
Stratford-upon-Avon.
Saturday 28 September: Mid
Sussex
Transport
Fair,
Clair
Hall,
Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath.
Open 1000-1530. Admission £1.50.
Saturday 5th October:
Metroline Willesden (AC) Garage Open Day, plus some local bus rides.
Saturday 5 October: NLETE Transport Fair, bus display and free
local bus rides at Theydon Bois Village Hall, bazaar open 1100-1530.
Admission £3 (accompanied children free)
Sunday 6th October: A&D-MBS Running Day from Amersham
Station.
Sunday 20th October: 'Transportfest 2013' at London Bus Museum,
Brooklands, Weybridge.
Sunday 9 November: NLETE Transport Fair at Barnet, Christ
Church Hall, St Albans Road. Open 1100-1530 admission £2
(accompanied children free).
Saturday 30 November: LOTS Autumn Transport Spectacular at the
RAF Museum, Colindale, London NW9.
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