How bendy is a bendy bus?
 

Is it bendy enough to make the left turn from New Oxford Street into
Charing Cross Road, and the turns between Charing Cross Road and
Shaftesbury Avenue? Oh, and the left turn into Piccadilly too?

I ask as the 38 converts to bendy operation soon, and I'll be interested
to see how easily (or not) they can make those movements...


--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London

How bendy is a bendy bus?
 

Well, those running on the 507 can only negotiate the sharp left turn
from Waterloo Road into Sandell Street (near Waterloo East) by mounting
the pavement and throwing the passengers around like spinning tops.

Marc.

How bendy is a bendy bus?
 

In article , (Dave
Arquati) wrote:

Is it bendy enough to make the left turn from New Oxford Street into
Charing Cross Road, and the turns between Charing Cross Road and
Shaftesbury Avenue? Oh, and the left turn into Piccadilly too?

I ask as the 38 converts to bendy operation soon, and I'll be
interested to see how easily (or not) they can make those movements...

You didn't mention the problems bendies on the 73 already have getting
into New Oxford Street from Bloomsbury Street.

I must say I'm surprised not to have seen a bendy on trials on the 38
route yet.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

How bendy is a bendy bus?
 

Sorry, I meant 521, not 507!

How bendy is a bendy bus?
 

I have seen exactly this - on Wednesday 19th there were a number of
bendy-buses without destination blinds that seemed to be following the
38's route.

Tom


Colin Rosenstiel wrote:
In article , (Dave
Arquati) wrote:

Is it bendy enough to make the left turn from New Oxford Street into
Charing Cross Road, and the turns between Charing Cross Road and
Shaftesbury Avenue? Oh, and the left turn into Piccadilly too?

I ask as the 38 converts to bendy operation soon, and I'll be
interested to see how easily (or not) they can make those movements...

You didn't mention the problems bendies on the 73 already have getting
into New Oxford Street from Bloomsbury Street.

I must say I'm surprised not to have seen a bendy on trials on the 38
route yet.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

How bendy is a bendy bus?
 

Tom Page wrote:
Colin Rosenstiel wrote:
In article , (Dave
Arquati) wrote:

Is it bendy enough to make the left turn from New Oxford Street into
Charing Cross Road, and the turns between Charing Cross Road and
Shaftesbury Avenue? Oh, and the left turn into Piccadilly too?

I ask as the 38 converts to bendy operation soon, and I'll be
interested to see how easily (or not) they can make those movements...
You didn't mention the problems bendies on the 73 already have getting
into New Oxford Street from Bloomsbury Street.

I must say I'm surprised not to have seen a bendy on trials on the 38
route yet.

I have seen exactly this - on Wednesday 19th there were a number of
bendy-buses without destination blinds that seemed to be following the
38's route.

Did you see them squish anyone at St Giles' / Cambridge / Piccadilly
Circuses?

Incidentally, I'm not dead set against bendy buses, but I do wonder
about the practicalities of running them on some of the "tighter" routes.


--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London

How bendy is a bendy bus?
 

On Sat, 22 Oct 2005 14:22:28 +0100, Dave Arquati wrote:

Is it bendy enough to make the left turn from New Oxford Street into
Charing Cross Road, and the turns between Charing Cross Road and
Shaftesbury Avenue? Oh, and the left turn into Piccadilly too?

I have seen a route 25 bendy turn round under Centre point so it managed
the first of your turns. On another group it has been confirmed that a
bendies and other long buses and coaches can successfully turn into the
Piccadilly Bus Lane.

I ask as the 38 converts to bendy operation soon, and I'll be interested
to see how easily (or not) they can make those movements...

There are plenty of artics around and about training over the 38 route
corridor and I've not heard of one jamming up central London because it
couldn't make a turn. All routes are carefully surveyed and trial
vehicles are used early on to test if the proposed vehicle is suitable.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

How bendy is a bendy bus?
 

The northbound 436 regularly rounds a rather narrow bend at Vauxhall
which is about 110?.

--
http://www.election.demon.co.uk
"We can also agree that Saddam Hussein most certainly has chemical and biolog-
ical weapons and is working towards a nuclear capability. The dossier contains
confirmation of information that we either knew or most certainly should have
been willing to assume." - Menzies Campbell, 24th September 2002.

How bendy is a bendy bus?
 

"Paul Corfield" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 22 Oct 2005 14:22:28 +0100, Dave Arquati wrote:

Is it bendy enough to make the left turn from New Oxford Street into
Charing Cross Road, and the turns between Charing Cross Road and
Shaftesbury Avenue? Oh, and the left turn into Piccadilly too?

I have seen a route 25 bendy turn round under Centre point so it managed
the first of your turns. On another group it has been confirmed that a
bendies and other long buses and coaches can successfully turn into the
Piccadilly Bus Lane.

I ask as the 38 converts to bendy operation soon, and I'll be interested
to see how easily (or not) they can make those movements...

I saw what appeared to be a lost 73 bendy at turning right from Charing
Cross Road into Shaftesbury Avenue this very lunchtime (Some road closures
around about the TCR area causing the usual mayhem!).

On the way eastbound through Shaftesbury Avenue, the RML I was on (enjoying
one last ride to Museum Street from Victoria, it just won't be the same now)
got stuck in a snarl up with a London General WVL and an Arriva route 19 DW
type, the latter was having some form of mechanical trouble by the look of
it and everything ground to a halt in the first part of Shaftesbury Avenue
just off Piccadilly. The RML and another along with the slightly impatient
driver of the London General WVL all managed to pull out and round with no
problem, however it is patently obvious that as soon as the burning bendies
start running three at a time though there with their additional length, all
hell is going to break loose very slowly!

To add insult to injury, the 38's RM's have received "cheery" 'Route 38 gets
better from every angle' posters same as the Route 73 ones they did (Who
writes this propagandist cobblers?!?). I saw at least one get torn down by
an elderly passenger clearly disgusted at the changeover, and who can blame
him!

Regards
John M Upton

My Fotopic Collections:
South Central/Southern, Model Railway & Other Rail Pictures:
http://gallery39764.fotopic.net/

Bus Pics:
http://gallery42239.fotopic.net/

How bendy is a bendy bus?
 

In article , (Dave
Arquati) wrote:

Tom Page wrote:
Colin Rosenstiel wrote:
In article , (Dave
Arquati) wrote:

Is it bendy enough to make the left turn from New Oxford Street
into Charing Cross Road, and the turns between Charing Cross Road
and Shaftesbury Avenue? Oh, and the left turn into Piccadilly too?

I ask as the 38 converts to bendy operation soon, and I'll be
interested to see how easily (or not) they can make those
movements...
You didn't mention the problems bendies on the 73 already have
getting into New Oxford Street from Bloomsbury Street.

I must say I'm surprised not to have seen a bendy on trials on the
38 route yet.

I have seen exactly this - on Wednesday 19th there were a number of
bendy-buses without destination blinds that seemed to be following
the 38's route.

Ah! Thanks. Missed them. What sort of time of day? I do remember seeing
bendy trials on the 73.

Did you see them squish anyone at St Giles' / Cambridge / Piccadilly
Circuses?

Incidentally, I'm not dead set against bendy buses, but I do wonder
about the practicalities of running them on some of the "tighter"
routes.

Isn't the point on the 38 to replace large numbers of Routemasters with
a lot fewer bendies, as on the 73?

--
Colin Rosenstiel