Transport 2000 (Nicked from another NG)

Michael Palin heads it up... I find his programs much scarier than Top Gear
and I think they advocate getting up close and personal with wild dangerous
animals.

Lets remove all of Palin's programs whilst we're 'saving the world'.

 

Why? Seems like an argument that is at least worthy of discussion.

"We have to leave the planet in a good condition for our descendents"

"Why?"

 

Yeah but Andy's got kids - he feels oblidged now ;-)

 

Oi! Leave singular parentheses alone. They're doing the best they can.
Try picking on those pinko comma liberal scum.

Soy.

 

Precisely. Folk have to understand that the human race has no infinite
future and unless you buy into the God theories this whole exercise is
about the "now"

'Hog

 

In Reading, an enterprising transport company bought a load of
pensioned off RMs from London and set up an alternative bus service
which was cheaper than the council one. So popular was it, that the
council gritted their teeth and said nowt and then, a couple of years
later, bought the whole shebang and quietly retired the RMs.

--
Marina Mayes - Reading, UK. To email me remove XX from my address
SR250 - on the road again. BOTAFOT12, BOD#2, BOTAFOS#2
KotLBOD#s, KotLBOTAFOS#s,IMC#2, Tart#10-19, SR#3
Original Sinergy - wicked T-shirts for a wicked world: www.originalsinergy.com
I never give in to fear or blackmail; I always give in to temptation.
www.pericles.demon.co.uk
"You're a national treasure" - porl, 18.1.03

 

It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember
(The Older Gentleman) saying
something like:

How on earth did you find the room in your garage for it?

Just reminded me: when I was working for Glasgow Corp Transport, buses
kept getting nicked - it was easy to nick a bus, just hop in and start
it, no key or anyfink.

Turned out it was the same bloke nicking buses and just abandoning them
out in the countryside. His cookie finally crumbled when the last nicked
bus was followed in a low-speed chase by a Traffic car occupied by two
laughing policemen. He dived down a side road and promptly jammed the
thing under a low bridge.

 

ROFL

 

<predictable Corfield transport post mode>

They are still running - only 140 on a weekday. There are more bendy
buses in service than RMs now. Each time they are withdrawn from a route
there is a goodbye send off with zillions of people, and not just bus
nutters, taking photos and special runs with other heritage buses. There
is also increasing press and TV interest.

There are now 5 routes left - 13, 14, 22, 38 and 159. The 14 and 22 go
on the same day in July thus removing RMs from West London and the Kings
Road / Chelsea. No date for the 13 yet. The 38 is scheduled for
October and will remove 50 buses in one fell swoop. The 159 is supposed
to be last in November but there are rumbling rumours that the RMs may
be swapped out for redundant older OPO deckers long before then. For me
the 38 will be the last RM route as it is one that I have used for years
and years.

The Heritage Routes (6 of them apparently) are out to "tender" at
present. It is effectively a tender to hold a licence to operate a
commercial service as TfL don't want the routes to be part of the TfL
network. On this basis there are concerns as to whether anyone will use
them as normal TfL tickets (travelcards etc) would not be valid. Normal
sightseeing routes can be used as normal bus services in Central London
but no one ever uses them as such. RMs have been used on sightseeing
duties in the past but they are too small to ensure a good return -
hence the proliferation of ex Hong Kong 12m double deckers which can
carry about 70 people on the open top deck.

The proposals for the emission zone may also result in no RMs being
allowed to run as their engines may not be compliant with the
regulations but that is speculation at the moment.

If you are used to seeing Routemasters as part of the London scene and
want a photo of them doing their normal day to day role then get out
with your camera now. We've already had the last winter with them
running so there is now only Spring, Summer and Autumn backgrounds,
weather, light etc left. A familiar part of London life is slowly
disappearing.

For those who are even slightly interested then read the various
articles on this page. The author does not hold back on his views about
the removal of the RM and the actions of TfL.

http://www.londonbuspage.com/contents.htm

<end of predictable Corfield post about transport>

 

Cliff has bought them for a remake of that great old British film.......

'Hog

 

Hoo-fucking-ray.

 

They are ending up all over the place. A company called Ensign - based
at Purlfeet - are selling most of them although TfL actually own a lot
of fleet and then leased them for use on TfL services. This is where the
fleet for the Heritage Routes will probably come from.

There was a special auction for enthusiasts whereby Ensign checked the
credentials of the people bidding for them to ensure they went to a good
home. These vehicles were sold at a much cheaper price than those for
normal ongoing commercial use. There is a Routemaster Association which
provides a resource on how to run, maintain and repair Routemasters for
all the private owners.

 

It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Paul Corfield
<> saying something like:

Woohoo! Much more than I needed to know, but interesting nonetheless.

 

There's also the fact that if you run a ShiteOldBus[1], as long as you
don't carry more than.... - is it nine or 11 passengers? CBA to Google,
but it's effectively the same as a minibus - then you don't need a PSV
licence. A car licence will do just fine.

This explains why many travellers run SOBuses.

 

As long as it's not more than 7.5 tonnes (provided you have a licence
issued before... 2001?) you can take as many passengers as you like as
long as they're no paying a fare.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Ben Blaney

Presumably it still gets MOTd as a PSV does it? ISTR that the PSV MOT is
a tad strict.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Manufacturer of the "Champion-105" range of rearsets

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
ZZR1100, Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"

 

The appropriate licensing class (IIRC) is "Heavy Car" - a hangover
from the days of the charabanc. That takes it out of the PSV class
altogether, but it would still likely be subject to a plating test
rather than a standard MoT, due to the weight. In any case, a
'decommisioned 'bus would no longer be a PSV ...