I had a free morning on London on Tuesday so decided to bid a farewell
to RMs on the 36.

Some observations:

As someone here commented recently, the new bus interchange at New Cross
is great for photography. A pity there won't be RMs there after
Friday!

The conductress on the Southern section checked my ticket but northbound
I rode to Queen's Park without any check. Is it just the prospect of
losing their jobs that seems to be keeping conductors welded to the rear
platform now? This is in my experience a very recent phenomenon. My
main RM riding in on the 13 and there ticket checks are in my experience
100%. (See also my not in another thread about my ticket experience on
the 19!)

Does the 36 normally terminate at New Cross Garage, rather than the
station? The one I was on did and so did the following two.

Is New Cross garage the former tram depot where London's (first) tramway
era came to an end in July 1952? The fact hadn't occurred to me until
I arrived there but it didn't *look* much like a tram depot. However,
I suppose there could have been a major rebuild and the narrow access
did loo a bit like the depot scene is the classic film "The Elephant
Will Never Forget".

Finally, why do people give South of the River such a hard time? I've
seen better areas than Peckham but I've seen *much* worse, too!
--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk

"Ian Jelf" wrote in message
...
I had a free morning on London on Tuesday so decided to bid a farewell to
RMs on the 36.

Some observations:

As someone here commented recently, the new bus interchange at New Cross
is great for photography. A pity there won't be RMs there after Friday!

The conductress on the Southern section checked my ticket but northbound I
rode to Queen's Park without any check. Is it just the prospect of
losing their jobs that seems to be keeping conductors welded to the rear
platform now? This is in my experience a very recent phenomenon. My
main RM riding in on the 13 and there ticket checks are in my experience
100%. (See also my not in another thread about my ticket experience on
the 19!)

Does the 36 normally terminate at New Cross Garage, rather than the
station? The one I was on did and so did the following two.

Is New Cross garage the former tram depot where London's (first) tramway
era came to an end in July 1952? The fact hadn't occurred to me until I
arrived there but it didn't *look* much like a tram depot. However, I
suppose there could have been a major rebuild and the narrow access did
loo a bit like the depot scene is the classic film "The Elephant Will
Never Forget".

Finally, why do people give South of the River such a hard time? I've
seen better areas than Peckham but I've seen *much* worse, too!
--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK
Ian

The 36's only go to the garage and have done since the 436 came in and yes
it is the old tram depot.

For any one interested lots of specials on the 36 tomorrow to mark the end
of the Routemasters. Full details at http://www.lots.org.uk/

Paul

"Ian Jelf" wrote in message
...
I had a free morning on London on Tuesday so decided to bid a farewell
to RMs on the 36.

Some observations:

The conductress on the Southern section checked my ticket but northbound
I rode to Queen's Park without any check. Is it just the prospect of
losing their jobs that seems to be keeping conductors welded to the rear
platform now? This is in my experience a very recent phenomenon. My
main RM riding in on the 13 and there ticket checks are in my experience
100%. (See also my not in another thread about my ticket experience on
the 19!)


I get the 38 every day, so does my partner (at different times). In our
experience, tickets are checked infrequently - we use Oyster prepay and
estimate that something like 30% of our journeys are free. Last week I was
unable to pay until Wednesday evening!!

Conductors do seem reluctant to move away from the platform, especially to
go upstairs (unless it's to sit on the sideways seat to make a call on their
mobile...)

I'm not trying to get away with it either - after waiting a while I often
make a point of waving my Oyster at conductors. Sometimes they saunter down
to me, sometimes they dismiss me with a wave. Initially I tried stopping at
the platform on the way on or off, but they got annoyed (understandably).

Just my experience. I would MUCH prefer it if I (and everyone else) were
paying the fare!!

xx j

Ian Jelf wrote to uk.transport.london on Thu, 27 Jan 2005:

(Irrelevant bits snipped)

I had a free morning on London on Tuesday so decided to bid a farewell
to RMs on the 36.

Oh bother! I could have been on one today but hadn't realised they were
going.

Does the 36 normally terminate at New Cross Garage, rather than the
station? The one I was on did and so did the following two.

Yes, that's the end of the route.

Finally, why do people give South of the River such a hard time? I've
seen better areas than Peckham but I've seen *much* worse, too!

Peckham is great for cheap clothes! I went to Lewisham this morning,
but stopped off in Peckham on my way home.
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 23 January 2005 with new photos

On Thu, 27 Jan 2005 17:09:05 +0000, Mrs Redboots
wrote:

Ian Jelf wrote to uk.transport.london on Thu, 27 Jan 2005:

(Irrelevant bits snipped)

I had a free morning on London on Tuesday so decided to bid a farewell
to RMs on the 36.

Oh bother! I could have been on one today but hadn't realised they were
going.

Lots of extras tomorrow to commemorate the end of RMs so you have a good
chance of a last ride if time permits. Last RMs in South East London -
assuming you don't consider Brixton to be south east.

Finally, why do people give South of the River such a hard time? I've
seen better areas than Peckham but I've seen *much* worse, too!

Peckham is great for cheap clothes! I went to Lewisham this morning,
but stopped off in Peckham on my way home.

Yes I've been to Peckham quite a lot in recent months. I rather like the
atmosphere of the high st and market. Unfortunately I look at the
Library building and always remember Damilola Taylor.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

Paul Corfield wrote to uk.transport.london on Thu, 27 Jan 2005:

Lots of extras tomorrow to commemorate the end of RMs so you have a good
chance of a last ride if time permits.

I will, if I have time, although that looks unlikely.

Last RMs in South East London -
assuming you don't consider Brixton to be south east.

To be honest, I was so cross with a 159 crew yesterday - they didn't
stop nearly long enough to allow people to get on, as they had been
hidden behind a larger bus, so nobody saw they were there - that I
thought "and the sooner *you* go to one-man operation, the better!"
Many, if not most, of the conductors are courteous, friendly and
helpful, but one or two are the exact opposite.

Finally, why do people give South of the River such a hard time? I've
seen better areas than Peckham but I've seen *much* worse, too!

Peckham is great for cheap clothes! I went to Lewisham this morning,
but stopped off in Peckham on my way home.

Yes I've been to Peckham quite a lot in recent months. I rather like the
atmosphere of the high st and market. Unfortunately I look at the
Library building and always remember Damilola Taylor.

So do I, alas....
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 23 January 2005 with new photos

On Fri, 28 Jan 2005 09:39:07 +0000, Mrs Redboots
wrote:

Paul Corfield wrote to uk.transport.london on Thu, 27 Jan 2005:

Lots of extras tomorrow to commemorate the end of RMs so you have a good
chance of a last ride if time permits.

I will, if I have time, although that looks unlikely.

Last RMs in South East London -
assuming you don't consider Brixton to be south east.

To be honest, I was so cross with a 159 crew yesterday - they didn't
stop nearly long enough to allow people to get on, as they had been
hidden behind a larger bus, so nobody saw they were there - that I
thought "and the sooner *you* go to one-man operation, the better!"
Many, if not most, of the conductors are courteous, friendly and
helpful, but one or two are the exact opposite.

Well I did promise to give you an update on the 159 when more details
emerged. The new contract award was announced yesterday for the 159 - it
is staying with Arriva London South but will get new double deckers
which certainly means it loses its conductors as well. The vehicle
requirement has only gone up marginally so either the route is being
shortened or it is being reduced in frequency because it is normal for
the number of vehicles to rise when conversion to OPO happens as the
buses take longer to travel over the route.

No date has been announced but I am told that the 159 will vie with the
38 to be the last RM route in London with both of them being converted
in October this year. All the other routes go before then with the 19
being next on 2 April 2005.

The 38 is being converted to bendy buses so will stay with RMs to the
last day. I would not be remotely surprised to see the 159 go the same
way as the 137 which had lost almost all of its RMs by the official
conversion date. No information has leaked out about the 13, 14 and 22
conversion except they are some time in the Summer.

--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

Paul Corfield wrote:

Well I did promise to give you an update on the 159 when more details
emerged. The new contract award was announced yesterday for the 159 -
it
is staying with Arriva London South but will get new double deckers
which certainly means it loses its conductors as well.

Thanks for the update Paul - presumably this means more VLWs like the
137? It could be a lot worse...

Paul Corfield wrote to uk.transport.london on Tue, 1 Feb 2005:

Well I did promise to give you an update on the 159 when more details
emerged.

Thank you; I appreciate it.

The new contract award was announced yesterday for the 159 - it
is staying with Arriva London South but will get new double deckers
which certainly means it loses its conductors as well.

Well, thank goodness it will be double-deck; I do take it quite
frequently (it's one of four buses I can catch between Brixton and
Streatham stations - only, although as a Routemaster it is marginally
faster, it so often has a crew change at Brixton garage that it's a
gamble as to whether it's worth catching or not!), and I really don't
care for bendybuses unless you get one of the three front seats - and
the rightmost one very often has no view because the driver has hung up
his jacket. On the other hand, you do get a better forward view in a
bendy than you do on many other single-deck buses.

The vehicle
requirement has only gone up marginally so either the route is being
shortened or it is being reduced in frequency because it is normal for
the number of vehicles to rise when conversion to OPO happens as the
buses take longer to travel over the route.

It can't be much shorter, unless it is cut back to between Oxford Circus
& Brixton garage.

No date has been announced but I am told that the 159 will vie with the
38 to be the last RM route in London with both of them being converted
in October this year. All the other routes go before then with the 19
being next on 2 April 2005.

The 38 is being converted to bendy buses so will stay with RMs to the
last day. I would not be remotely surprised to see the 159 go the same
way as the 137 which had lost almost all of its RMs by the official
conversion date. No information has leaked out about the 13, 14 and 22
conversion except they are some time in the Summer.

The 137 only started losing its RMs about a month before the conversion,
though - for awhile it had any old thing! The 159 is frequently served
by a doored bus, which is a pain for the conductor as everybody
automatically tries to use their Oyster on the reader and the conductor
has to say "Go and sit down, I'll come to you in a minute" to every
single passenger boarding at every single stop!
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 23 January 2005 with new photos

In message .com,
Rupert Candy writes
Paul Corfield wrote:

Well I did promise to give you an update on the 159 when more details
emerged. The new contract award was announced yesterday for the 159 -
it
is staying with Arriva London South but will get new double deckers
which certainly means it loses its conductors as well.

Thanks for the update Paul - presumably this means more VLWs like the
137? It could be a lot worse...

Indeed, I for one think that the VLWs look very smart. I've also heard
some surprisingly positive remarks about their appearance from non
transport interested friends and colleagues.

The loss of the RM continues to be a source of concern, though. I
can't visualise bendies on the 38; but then I couldn't; envisage them
on the 73 either, so that proves nothing! :-)

Any more news, Paul, about the mooted "heritage routes"?
--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk