Latest Update:  15 October 2017

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

Doors  open  from 6pm. sales stand from 6.30pm, event begins at 7.30 and is finished by 10pm. There is no charge.  Visitors are welcome, especially from other societies or if you buy something or join as a new member. Meetings are held monthly (except January, July & August) 

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, 168, 171, 188, 242, 243 & 521 stop nearby.

LOTS Meetings and Events

At Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, Holborn, London WC1.   Doors open from 6pm. sales stand from 6.30pm, event begins at 7.30 and is finished by 10pm. There is no charge. Visitors are welcome, especially from other societies or if you buy something or join as a new member. 
Monday 23 October:  Bob Palmer slide show:  Pure Nostalgia Part 3.
Monday 20 November: Nick Agnew, ‘By bus to Epping Forest’.
Monday 18 December:  Fred Ivey: illustrated talk on his early days as an enthusiast.  

The London Bus (TLB)

TLB 637 was posted on Tuesday 19th September. The closing date for reports for TLB 638 was Friday 6 October and it is due for posting on Tuesday 17th October. The closing date for reports for TLB 639 is 3 November.

New and Recent LOTS publications:

Also note that on the ‘membership’  page of this website is a new membership form. When you are due for renewal you should receive one of these, pr you can print the one on the website.  Note at the bottom of  the form that there is a new way of renewing.  It can be paid directly to our bank account and then you must send the MemSec an email to let him know you have done it.

NEW publications:
SUP-36JJ London’s Major Bus Operators, Fleet Allocations July 2017,  52 pages (£4.00),
SUP-37CC London’s Buses & Trams Route Working Index 1st July 2017, 40 pages  (£3.50).

LOTS LBM181  Autumn 2017 London Bus Magazine  (£5.00).   Three main articles:  History of Green Line 724;   Trams on Dog Kennel Hill;  Pictorial review of the Omnibus Society event at Epping Ongar Railway in 2016.

TLB Extra – Vehicle news of 1948: (£6.50) (available from 12th June)  An 80-page illustrated book covering the vehicle events of LT in that very busy year!  We had previously dealt with Years 1957 to 1984, many of which are still available (see Sales List) but we are now commencing a new group of years covering the period that featured the mass replacement of pre-war and wartime buses. New information on some allocations has recently came to light and is included in ‘TEX48’. 
 
London Bus & Tram Fleetbook 2017:  (£6.50)  To the usual A6 pocket size, 128 pages listing 12,800 vehicles, all major operators in London and Home Counties plus most smaller bus operators and sightseeing tour companies.
 
LOTS London Bus Review 2016 (Greater London and Beyond)   (£11.00)   The original London Bus Review, with all the news from last year in London and the Home Counties, with the routes, vehicles, events, adverts, politics, fully illustrated, all in one A4 size book.
 
Other recent issues from other publishers
 
The latest London  bus maps from Mike Harris
Greater London Bus Map No.36  29th July 2017  - £2.00
Greater London Night Bus Map  29th July 2017  - £4.00

Routemaster Handbook (new 2017 edition) (Capital Transport), all 1,200 Routemasters worldwide are listed, 144 pages, 156 pictures (£16.50)
 
London Transport Buses in East London and Essex, 1960s and 1970s (David Christie, Amberley Publishing) an A5 picture album, 96 pages (£14.99)  
 
The Green Line Routemasters (Dryhurst & Bowden), an A5 picture album (£8.00)
Single Deck Bus Garage Allocations 1951-1981 (Country RF/Merlin/Swift types – (£25.00).
The companion = SD Allocations 1952-1981 (Central RF/Merlin/Swift types still available – (£25.00).
First Group Fleetbook 2017 (all UK) from Andrew Woolhouse  (£18.00).
The companion = Stagecoach Group Fleetbook 2017 (all UK) is still available  (£18.00).

Orders can be sent to LOTS Postal Sales at Unit N305 Vox Studios, 1-45 Durham Street, Vauxhall, London SE11 5JH.

See the Sales Page for full list of sales items.

Adverts

Latest news 

Sunday 15th October

1) Happenings in London this weekend centred mainly on the changes of operator in east London on routes 103, 175 and 257.    Arriva DWs have been ‘cascading’ for a few weeks now into Grays (103) and Barking (175) as well as Croydon (for the 194) and a load more have followed in the past few days.   Stagecoach took over the 257 and runs it from  Leyton using a mix of new E40Hs and older diesel E400s released from the  loss of the 103. 

Sunday 8 October

1) The all-electric Irizar i2E that was exhibited at Coach&Bus Live at the NEC on 4/5 October has been brought to London.  It is at Ash Grove and is to be trialled on routes W13 and 153.
 
 
2) Nearly all the WVNs due at Merton for route 131 are now there, although not all yet have blinds. In turn London United has reduced its TA collection, most of which are now working from Hounslow.
 
 
3) Arriva and Metroline continue to receive new Volvo B5LH- Gemini 3s (HV and VWH classes) but the majority remain in store.  Meanwhile London United should start receiving 36 of the same type (their VH class) for the take up of route 18  from11 November.  That will be a notable date as route 45 passes from Go-Ahead to Abellio with new E40Hs and the 188 from Abellio to Go-Ahead with yet more new Volvo B5LHs (WHV class).

Thursday 5 October

LBSL intends to enter into new contracts for the following routes with the operators listed below:
 
Route               Current Operator          New Operator               PVR     Vehicles         
143D                Metroline                       Metroline                       1          2010 Euro V diesel double deck
268                   Arriva London North      Metroline                      6          Existing diesel single deck*
H2                    Arriva London North      Metroline                       3          New Euro VI diesel single deck
H3/631             Arriva London North      Metroline                       2          New Euro VI diesel single deck
643                   Metroline                       Metroline                       2          2010 Euro V diesel double deck
 
* 3 Euro IV built 2009 + 4 Euro V built 2010 (TVR 7).
 
The above contracts will commence on the following dates:
 
9th June 2018: Routes 268, H2 & H3/631.
30th June 2018: Routes 143D & 643.

Sunday 1 October

1) 30th September marked the change of operator on route 131 after several decades from London United to London General using a mix of WVL/ WVN/ WHV buses from Merton Garage. The 155 moved from Merton to Stockwell, taking its WHVs with it.   As the first of Garston’s TfL routes to be lost, route 258 passed from Arriva to London Sovereign using ADE=class Enviro400s formerly at Hounslow.  Another eight night routes in London had frequency cuts as a result of the ‘Night Tube’, and many more are in the pipeline for later this year.

Sunday 24 September

1) Plenty of new vehicle deliveries to London with ongoing arrivals of Metroline VWHs and Arriva HVs.   Seven AD E40Hs (12426-32) are imminent for Stagecoach for route 257 from Leyton as are another twelve E20Ds for Abellio, these being 10.5m versions (8220-31) for route R70. Go-Ahead’s StreetLites for  routes 424 and 39 are now complete, and the next batch – this time DF 10.8m versions – are arriving now.  WS 91-103 are for route 355 and WS 104-117 for route 170.
 
 
2) Universitybus’  six new E40D/ Enviro400-City buses (250-255) duly entered service on routes 614/644 in the past week.   Five new E20Ds (YX67 UYL/M/N/O/P) are now In use with Courtney at Bracknell, and White Bus at Windsor has the first (YX67 UVO) of what is expected to be four new E20Ds for its new Surrey services  (438, 446/456, 566/567) that are currently worked by hired E200s.  Safeguard now has its second MetroCity (YJ67 FYX).

Wednesday 20 September

On Friday 29 September the will be a special operation of RML2735 on the last day of route 23 to Liverpool Street. See the linked PDF for the full timetable but brief details are as follows:

Trip1:- Westbourne Park Garage 0945, Paddington Station 1018, Marble Arch 1028, Charing Cross Stn 1052, Ludgate Circus 1111, Liverpool Street Bus Stn 1130.
Trip 2:- Liv St Bus Stn 1141, Ludgate Circus 1211, Charing Cross Stn 1229 to Marble Arch 1251.
Trip 3:- Marble Arch 1302, Charing Cross Stn 1328, Ludgate Circus 1348 to Liv St Bus Stn 1407 and finish.

Saturday 16 September

During the past week the new StreetLites (batch WS81-86) have gone into service on the 424 with Go-Ahead at Putney, plus a few more (WS87-90) to complete the allocation of route 39 at Plough Lane. New Arriva HVs continue to arrive at Tottenham for routes 243 and 341. As the latter progresses, DWs are being released for Barking (DX) and more for Grays (GY). Stagecoach are now taking in seven E40Hs (12426-32) as part pf the new contract for route 257 in October.

At Uxbridge from the 16th Metroline took over route 222 from London United. Until the ’dedicated’ batch of VWHs are made ready, VWHs already delivered and intended for Willesden and some already on route 114 at UX are being used. Additionally seven TEs transferred to UX from Potters Bar to make up the numbers will now be seen on route 114. Meanwhile yet more VWHs are being delivered (batch 2345-2432); many arrived with 17 plates but all will be changed to 67s.

Friday 15 September

LBSL intends to enter into new contracts for the following routes with the operators listed below:

* 6 vehicles will be new Euro VI.

The above contracts will commence on the following dates:

7th April 2018: Route 424.
28th April 2018: Route 171/N171.
5th May 2018: Route 485.
26th May 2018: Route 337.
2nd June 2018: Routes 37, 44/N44, 77, 87/N87, 219 & 386.

For earlier reports refer to TLB or join LOTS!

Forthcoming events

These events are provided as a service to readers, LOTS has no involvement nor responsibility for any event noted below: