The Boris Bus is one year old
 

It doesn't seem like it, but the Boris Bus has been in (very limited)
service for a year today. Still on only one route, and still only the
original batch of prototypes, but nevertheless a daily sight in London:

http://londonist.com/2013/02/happy-b...m_medium=email

I haven't travelled on this bus yet even though the 38 comes quite close to me.
(In the old days the 38 used to terminate at Leyton Green bus depot. I used it a lot in those days.)

Is this boris bus any good or is it like Boris: all show and no performance?

The Boris Bus is one year old
 

In article
,
(Recliner) wrote:

It doesn't seem like it, but the Boris Bus has been in (very limited)
service for a year today. Still on only one route, and still only the
original batch of prototypes, but nevertheless a daily sight in
London:


http://londonist.com/2013/02/happy-b...php?utm_source
=Today%27s+posts+from+Londonist&utm_campaign=6f12a 5c9f4-Londonist+Daily&utm_m
edium=email

Sounds like a more rapid development trajectory than the Routemaster which
took from 1954 to 1959 from first prototype to the first fleet service.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

The Boris Bus is one year old
 

On 2013-02-27 21:12:27 +0000, Recliner said:

It doesn't seem like it, but the Boris Bus has been in (very limited)
service for a year today. Still on only one route, and still only the
original batch of prototypes, but nevertheless a daily sight in London.

Good to see them near us in Dalston. Accoding to family lore, my
paternal grandparents met on the top deck of a 38 - I'm sure they are
spinning contentedly in their graves.

E.

The Boris Bus is one year old
 

Robin9 wrote:
'Recliner[_2_ Wrote:
;136303']It doesn't seem like it, but the Boris Bus has been in (very
limited)
service for a year today. Still on only one route, and still only the
original batch of prototypes, but nevertheless a daily sight in London:

http://tinyurl.com/dy96jbx

I haven't travelled on this bus yet even though the 38 comes quite close
to me.
(In the old days the 38 used to terminate at Leyton Green bus depot. I
used it a lot in those days.)

Is this boris bus any good or is it like Boris: all show and no
performance?

It's nice to travel on -- smoother and quieter than other buses, easy to
get on and off. But, perhaps a bit like Bozza, it does have a weight
problem...

The Boris Bus is one year old
 

It is superb. You are missing out! Go and! have a trip on one

All right; I will! Either today or tomorrow.

The Boris Bus is one year old
 

On Sat, 2 Mar 2013 12:12:35 +0000, Robin9
wrote:


Offramp;136321 Wrote:
It is superb. You are missing out! Go and! have a trip on one

All right; I will! Either today or tomorrow.

Obviously make sure you use the open rear platform (see if the
platform supervisor lets you do it when the bus is moving...).

If you've not already seen it, here's the NB4L timetable:
http://www.londonbusroutes.net/times/038X.pdf

Note that Sunday service is quite limited and irregular (roughly
hourly).

The Boris Bus is one year old
 

In article ,
(Recliner) wrote:

On Sat, 2 Mar 2013 12:12:35 +0000, Robin9
wrote:


Offramp;136321 Wrote:
It is superb. You are missing out! Go and! have a trip on one

All right; I will! Either today or tomorrow.

Obviously make sure you use the open rear platform (see if the
platform supervisor lets you do it when the bus is moving...).

If you've not already seen it, here's the NB4L timetable:
http://www.londonbusroutes.net/times/038X.pdf

Note that Sunday service is quite limited and irregular (roughly
hourly).

Only every 20-30 minutes even at weekday peaks!

--
Colin Rosenstiel

The Boris Bus is one year old
 

wrote:
In article ,
(Recliner) wrote:

On Sat, 2 Mar 2013 12:12:35 +0000, Robin9
wrote:


Offramp;136321 Wrote:
It is superb. You are missing out! Go and! have a trip on one

All right; I will! Either today or tomorrow.

Obviously make sure you use the open rear platform (see if the
platform supervisor lets you do it when the bus is moving...).

If you've not already seen it, here's the NB4L timetable:
http://www.londonbusroutes.net/times/038X.pdf

Note that Sunday service is quite limited and irregular (roughly
hourly).

Only every 20-30 minutes even at weekday peaks!

Yes, only about one in every three or four 38s is one of the eight NB4L
prototypes.

The Boris Bus is one year old
 

On 2013\03\03 00:46, Recliner wrote:
wrote:
In article ,
(Recliner) wrote:

On Sat, 2 Mar 2013 12:12:35 +0000, Robin9
wrote:


Offramp;136321 Wrote:
It is superb. You are missing out! Go and! have a trip on one

All right; I will! Either today or tomorrow.

Obviously make sure you use the open rear platform (see if the
platform supervisor lets you do it when the bus is moving...).

If you've not already seen it, here's the NB4L timetable:
http://www.londonbusroutes.net/times/038X.pdf

Note that Sunday service is quite limited and irregular (roughly
hourly).

Only every 20-30 minutes even at weekday peaks!

Yes, only about one in every three or four 38s is one of the eight NB4L
prototypes.

They never seem to have more than 5 or 6 scheduled to run at a time, and
down to three on a Sunday. Are they that in need of TLC?

The Boris Bus is one year old
 

Basil Jet wrote:
On 2013\03\03 00:46, Recliner wrote:
wrote:
In article ,
(Recliner) wrote:

On Sat, 2 Mar 2013 12:12:35 +0000, Robin9
wrote:


Offramp;136321 Wrote:
It is superb. You are missing out! Go and! have a trip on one

All right; I will! Either today or tomorrow.

Obviously make sure you use the open rear platform (see if the
platform supervisor lets you do it when the bus is moving...).

If you've not already seen it, here's the NB4L timetable:
http://www.londonbusroutes.net/times/038X.pdf

Note that Sunday service is quite limited and irregular (roughly
hourly).

Only every 20-30 minutes even at weekday peaks!

Yes, only about one in every three or four 38s is one of the eight NB4L
prototypes.

They never seem to have more than 5 or 6 scheduled to run at a time, and
down to three on a Sunday. Are they that in need of TLC?

Presumably, as they're prototypes, they want to allow for failures, tests,
upgrades, modifications, adjustments, etc. And by interspersing them with
conventional buses, if the odd one is missing from the schedule, it's not
likely to cause any noticeable gaps in the service.

One aspect of their relative rarity is that when travelling on one, you
almost feel like waving at one passing the other way, much like owners of
rare sports cars do.

The Boris Bus is one year old
 

On Sat, 2 Mar 2013 12:12:35 +0000, Robin9
wrote:


Offramp;136321 Wrote:
It is superb. You are missing out! Go and! have a trip on one

All right; I will! Either today or tomorrow.

For anyone who's not had their fill of pics of them, here's some I
took a couple of months ago of LT4 in service:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/recline...943469/detail/

The Boris Bus is one year old
 

On 2013\03\03 09:51, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Sun, 03 Mar 2013 03:41:24 +0000, Basil Jet
wrote:

On 2013\03\03 00:46, Recliner wrote:
wrote:
Yes, only about one in every three or four 38s is one of the eight NB4L
prototypes.

They never seem to have more than 5 or 6 scheduled to run at a time, and
down to three on a Sunday. Are they that in need of TLC?

I don't think it is down to needing TLC. They are prototypes so are
not being overstretched. LT1 has been out of service since late last
year - I believe it is away being upgraded to production spec but I
have not seen that officially confirmed. There are only 7 buses
available at present. Having 5 or 6 buses in weekday service plus 1
spare is fair enough.

One other LT has been off doing route surveys / clearance tests for
possible other routes that will be converted to NB4L operation. And
no, I don't know which routes it has run over!


Thanks, that explains it.